A Treasure Worth Seeking
By: Shellie - shelliemg at gmail.com
Chapter 7"So, what’s up with you and the neighbor?" Joe asked with a knowing smile.
JC cursed himself when he blushed. "What do you mean?"
Joe winked at Ami, "Oh come on, Jace, you looked like I’d just caught you kissin’ your sister when I walked around the corner. She’s cute."
"There’s nothing going on between us. She’s nice. A nice divorced, mother that just happens to live next door. That doesn’t mean there is something going on between us."
"She’s attractive, and sorry but divorced means single." Joe pointed out with a smirk.
"Did I mention recently divorced. As in just a couple of months? She’s not looking to get mixed up with the likes of me."
"Well, I never said she was. I was just wondering if you were looking to get mixed up with her."
"That isn’t what I came down here for and you know it."
"Things never turn out the way you intend for them to, J."
"Yeah, no shit." JC mumbled, yanking a beer from the fridge for himself and his two guests. "And why are you pushing this? I’ve only known the girl for a few days or so. She’s my neighbor. I don’t screw around with everything on two legs like you, Fatone."
Joe accepted his beer with a frown. "That’s not true and you don’t have to be an asshole, JC. Damn."
Dropping into his recliner he sighed, watching Ami touch Joe gently on the arm. Joe turned his face toward her slightly and winked, a smile once again softening his strong Italian features.
JC looked away, not wanting to intrude on what was obviously a personal moment. When the hell had this happened? JC and Joey had met Ami at the same time, several months back when she’d come down from Mississippi and stayed with Lance until she could find a place of her own. Everyone that met Ami was immediately taken in by her soft smile and Southern charm. But Joey…and Ami? He’d been away too long.
"Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be an ass. I’m really glad you two came. It’s way too quiet around here. I’ve been hanging out with Lauren and Caroline some but the rest of the time… Caroline is Lauren’s daughter. She’s two and she’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. She has the biggest blue eyes, wide and staring up at you like she knows this secret that she’s dying to tell you. She calls me C and I call her C. It’s quite amusing."
Ami laughed softly and pushed on Joe’s shoulder. "See, darlin’, he’s fallen for the kid, not the mom."
JC laughed. "You’ll see when you meet her."
The knowing smile was back in place on Joey’s face. "Oh, I’m sure we will."
* * *
Lauren muttered curse words as she knelt on her child’s bedroom floor, yanking back the edge of crib ruffle. "Where the hell is your sandal?" she asked, not noticing that there was no one in the room with her.
Finding nothing beneath the crib but dust and a pack of Pull-Ups, she dropped the skirt and rose up onto her knees. "Caroline?"
"Hey! I have your kid!" a familiar voice echoed through the house before the screen door bounced softly against its jamb.
"But…" she protested as she pushed herself to her feet and headed down the hall. "She’s not dressed." Lauren stopped at the door and watched as Josh hoisted her diaper clad daughter onto his bare shoulders and headed down the beach to where his two friends were sitting. He was wearing a pair of swim trunks that rested low on his hips displaying the sinewy muscles of his back. Frustrated she turned, throwing her hands in the air as she stomped through the house. "I just sat here half the night and convinced myself that you were too young and too busy and…and…and too famous to let myself get hooked on you and now you have to parade around half naked, playing with my daughter like she was your own. Why must you make this so difficult on me? Why couldn’t you have shown up later? Why couldn’t you have shown up years ago? But not now! Not like this! Damn you, Joshua Chasez. Damn you, damn you, damn you!"
Cursing she swatted a throw pillow from the end of her bed, feeling somewhat satisfied when it bounced against the wall before dropping to the floor. Ami was wearing a swimsuit, as were Joey and JC. She supposed she should follow suit but she hadn’t worn a bathing suit in front of a man other than her husband in years – well, except on her ‘celebration’ cruise, but that didn’t count because she was with her mother and sisters. She wasn’t sure how comfortable she’d be wearing one in front of Josh even if they were just friends. Sighing she searched her dresser until she found the two she had. There was the motherly one piece. Blah. And there was the flashy red one her sister had insisted she buy on their shopping excursion before the cruise. She’d only been brave enough to wear it once and she’d spent the entire time hiding in the pool. But the one piece was just… Rolling her eyes she began to strip, thankful she’d taken advantage of her alone time the night before to shave. Single motherhood had its negative moments, rushed showers were one of them.
Ten minutes later, redressed once again in her shorts and tank top Lauren grabbed the novel she was reading and headed for the door. She watched JC play with her daughter as she slowly approached and her heart ached. Sorry that Caroline would miss things like this with her own father. Sorry that he had been more concerned with his career than his wife and child. Sorry that she’d gotten married at all. But then again…I wouldn’t have C. Please stop being so right, Josh. Please.
"Room for one more?" she asked, smile planted firmly in place.
" ‘ey!" Joe called with a grin. "There’s plenty of room! We brought all of JC’s clean linens out here and made a cotton carpet. Just pick your spot."
"Mommy!" Caroline called waving to where her mother stood above her. "C!" she pointed at JC with a grin, as if Lauren hadn’t noticed he was there.
She dropped down onto the sheet beside them. "You just can’t come kidnap my child anytime you like, ya know. I could hurt you for something like that and no one would say a word."
He laughed, "She was standing at the door, staring at me like…come get me, come get me. How could I resist?"
Lauren looked at her child who smiled sweetly batting her eyelashes as if on queue. They both laughed. "She’s turning into a monster."
"Nah. I think she’s turning into a little Lauren."
"So-" Joey cut in, "Lauren, tell us about yourself. What do you do?"
"I…I write."
"Write?"
JC grinned, "She’s finishing her first romance novel."
Joey groaned as if in pain at the same time Ami groaned with pleasure. "Lauren who writes novels, meet Ami, who reads them. Constantly."
Ami pouted, "Just because you can’t read…"
"Not knowing how to read and choosing not to is two totally different things. I can read just fine, thankyouverymuch. I just don’t. Why read when there are so many other things to do?"
Ami made a face at Lauren, crawling over Joe to kneel between him and Josh. "It’s finished? Is it getting published?"
"I just got it back from my editor. I have to go through it and straighten some things out but then its getting published. I hope."
"Wow, that’s awesome! I want to write a book. I get distracted too easily."
Joey slid his hand up the girl’s bare thigh with a grin. "I distract her."
Ami frowned, shoving Joe’s hand to the side. "Get off me. Horn dog."
JC and Joe just laughed.
A little while later, just after JC finished slathering Caroline in suntan lotion – a feat, which normally involved tears and a tantrum when Lauren did it, but had happened miraculously with giggles and tickles with JC – Joey decided it was time for a swim. Everyone else agreed. Lauren frowned.
"You’re wearing your suit right?" JC asked, standing and reaching for Carrie’s hand. "Come here, honey." He lifted her into his arms.
"Yes." Lauren muttered, standing reluctantly. It wasn’t that she thought she’d look bad in the thing, in fact, she knew better. She worked out regularly with Pilate’s and Yoga. But it just wasn’t something she had done in ages and wasn’t sure how she’d feel traipsing around practically naked in front of not one, but two handsome men. "You go ahead, I’ll be right there."
JC nodded, joking with Carrie about how slick she was, and how if she didn’t hold onto his neck she was liable to slide right off of him and out to sea. Lauren hesitantly pulled her tank top over her head, checking her top several times to make sure everything was covered before reaching for the button on her shorts. Just as they hit the ground a shrill whistle filled the air and she jumped.
"Whoohoo! Hot mamma! And I mean mamma!" Joe called teasingly as she blushed. Ami swatted him and JC just stared, mouth slightly open.
"Shut up!" Lauren called playing off her embarrassment as she headed for the water, the sooner she was neck deep in waves the better.
* * *
JC made eye contact with Joe and immediately regretted it. The expression on Joey’s face told him that Joe knew exactly what was racing through his mind and it embarrassed JC. Not because he was thinking it, hell, he was male, but because he’d so vehemently denied any interest in the woman the night before when they both knew the opposite was true.
But damnit, it just wasn’t the right time. Regardless of how fucking amazing she looked in that red bikini. Thankful he had Carrie as a distraction, JC concentrated on the slippery child in his arms. It wasn’t long before Lauren was at his side. "You hold on to my baby, do you hear me?"
"Yes. I promise I won’t lose her."
"I’m serious."
He laughed, "So am I. I promise."
Still she hovered near watching him to make sure he had a sure grip on the little elf that wiggled and squealed and splashed herself into exhaustion. And just as JC promised, by the time Lauren carried her drowsy child in for her nap, Joe and Ami were in love with her. Joe carried the child around as much, if not more than JC did leaving Ami and Lauren to talk about books and men and to work on their tans.
"She’s gorgeous, Jace. Tell me again you aren’t interested in her."
JC made a face and shrugged guiltily at Joe. "Regardless. It’s just not the right time. I’m here to make the biggest decision of my life – which I keep putting off, by the way – and she came here to relax and get away from a disappointing marriage. She’s starting over. I’m falling apart. Not exactly the best combination."
"Maybe you’re just what each other needs."
"Is that what Ami is, Joe?"
Joe smiled softly, looking over at the dark haired girl lying next to JC’s new friend. "I…I don’t know. There’s a good possibility. It’s kind of why I’m here. I wanted to get away from everyone else. Kelly and my family and just everything and see what she’s like without all the shit around in the way. I like her, Josh."
Josh. Joey was talking serious business to call him by his given name. JC smiled, pleased that maybe his rowdy friend had found someone to make him calm his wild ways. "Well, you are welcome to stay as long as it takes."
"As long as it takes to do what?" Joey asked looking at JC questioning.
JC smiled. "As long as it takes to make her love you back."
Joey smiled and nodded. "Thanks."