Entice - By Ella Frank Page 0,118

frowned, and then almost like a light bulb went off, he nodded. “Oh, yes, Bob the Builder.”

Shelly laughed at that image, and then thought of Josh that one time she had seen him with a tool belt around his waist.

Hmmm, maybe I’ll have to get him to put that on again around his jeans, so I can get on my knees and unzip—

“Shelly?” McKinney interrupted.

“Oh, sorry. Yes, that’s him,” she replied, pulling herself out of her fantasy.

McKinney looked into her smiling eyes, and then gave her a huge grin. “It’s serious, isn’t it?”

As Shelly stood there, she thought back to the Halloween party and how Josh had smiled at her, telling her to come and meet him. Meet him where he wished for me.

She felt her heart melt as she answered McKinney with complete certainty, “Yes. Very.”

***

Josh was exhausted.

It was Friday night, and he and his crew had been working around the clock. Although the project was nowhere close to being finished, he felt that they had definitely gotten things to a point that he was happy with. He had a couple of things to do tomorrow morning, but none of that came close to what he planned to do tomorrow afternoon.

He had to admit that not emailing Shelly all week had been something he was unsure of at first. Ever since he had originally moved away, he had made sure to keep in contact with her, usually every night, just so he knew she was always thinking about him. And, he also got a shot of adrenaline every time he opened his email and saw Dr. Shelly Monroe in his inbox.

However, this was different. He had laid down the rules this time, told her what he expected from her, and now, it was her turn to show up and follow through.

Josh only hoped she didn’t disappoint.

He looked around the cramped space he had lived in for the last several months.

If things go according to plan tomorrow, this will all have been worth it. If it doesn’t, this sad, lonely room will be a fitting place for me to bury my broken heart.

***

Saturday morning had arrived.

Shelly’s flight had been smooth the whole way through. Her father had been there to pick her up. This time around the drive back to the house was not in the least bit awkward, and they actually had a decent conversation. He’d asked her about work, how she was enjoying it, and then he’d even gone so far as to ask how she and Josh were doing.

Of course, Shelly wasn’t really comfortable divulging all of that, so she had just told him things were good, and then smiled and moved the conversation along. Dinner that night had been a civil affair as well. To Shelly, this was a huge step in the right direction because, for as many years as she could remember, their family dinners had always been awkward and strained.

As she climbed up into her father’s truck, she put it in gear and drove down the gravel driveway to exit the property. As she pulled out onto the main road, she was reminded of the day she had taken Josh down to her favorite place, her dreaming tree.

She glanced at the clock up by the rearview mirror and saw that it was just now 2:45 p.m. She had plenty of time to stop by the river and take a moment to work out everything she wanted and needed to tell Josh.

When she reached the exit, she slowed down and made the turn only to discover a huge red and white sign that read, PRIVATE PROPERTY! NO TRESPASSING!

Shelly stopped the truck and hopped out, making her way to the now huge padlocked fence that was across the dirt road.

Well, shit, Shelly thought. She tried to look down the road, but she couldn’t see anything. That was not the way she had wanted to start they day. The one place she had always found peace and solitude was now owned by someone who would never truly appreciate it.

Sighing and knowing there was nothing she could do about it, she turned and walked back to the truck. Well, maybe it’s for the best anyway. After all, it could be a sign that it was time to actually live her life and quit standing under a tree just dreaming about it.

***

It was 3:50 p.m. As Josh stood in front of the fountain he had once visited with Shelly many months ago, he started to feel nervous.

What if