AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sophie noticed first, that their words weren’t changing my mind, and sighed. “We have more matches for you Joss, will you at least give them a chance?”
I shook my head with a sad smile. “No, sorry. I’m just not ready, and I don’t want to waste your time. I respect you and your work too much to waste time when nothing will come of it.” I had enough rejection for the moment to know that I wasn’t ready for the minefield of dating, especially dating in a small town.
“Are you sure?” Sophie wore a heartbroken look that made me feel guilty because I knew she took her job seriously, and I knew she would see this as a personal failure. “Maybe we can just take a break and revisit things in a few weeks?”
“Okay fine, but I’ll call you when or if I’m ready to start again.” I stood on shaky legs that felt numb as they carried me out of the Time for Love offices and to my car, making a quick stop for pizza before heading home. I wasn’t in the mood for socializing, so I decided to skip the football game in favor of a quiet night at home. Tomorrow was the first playoff game for my team and I needed to focus on that.
Nothing but that.
With a clear plan for the rest of the night, I made my way home for a night of too many carbs and streaming reality television. It sounded perfect. And it would have been, if not for the two shadowy figures sitting on my porch. Not much bad happened in Pilgrim aside from the odd burglary and juvenile vandalism, so I wasn’t that worried. But as a single woman there was just enough alarm to set the pizza on the hood of my car and dig for my pepper spray.
I didn’t get too close because I wasn’t a fool. “Who are you and what do you want?”
One figure, the bigger one, stood and stepped forward with massive arms folded over a wide chest and I recognized him immediately. Nate Callahan. “Are you Joss Callahan?”
I took a step back at his firm tone, the back of my legs hitting the fender. “I am Joss Callahan, yes.”
He took another step forward and the other figure, who I assumed was Jase, put a hand to his chest to stop his movement. “Where in the hell do you get off coming to my home and spreading lies to my wife?”
Ah, so he was going for straight up denial. Got it. “Lies? What exactly did I lie about?”
“I don’t have a sister. We don’t have a sister.” And they didn’t have use for one, based on his angry tone.
“Half-sister would be accurate, yes. It’s the truth, whether you accept it or not.” Rejection was bad enough, but to be called a liar on top of it was just insulting.
“Liar!” Nate’s deep voice roared in anger and there was nowhere else for me to go so I turned and picked up the pizza, determined not to let fear get the better of me.
It was my second rejection this week, so there was no need to get all weepy about it. I nodded and took a step forward. Then another. “Fine, I get it. You don’t care and don’t want to know me, message received. If I’ve messed up anything in your life, I apologize.” That was all I could do and all I was willing to do.
“No, you don’t get off that easy.” He took another step forward and I raised my free arm, the one that held the pepper spray.
“Back off. I got your message and I apologized, there is nothing more I can do. So. Back. Off.” I lifted my hand higher, the threat clear.
Jase stepped forward and gave his brother, his actual brother, a push backwards. “What makes you so sure about this, Joss?”
I sighed and shook my head. “Does it really matter at this point? You want nothing to do with me, and honestly, with this greeting, I feel the same. You won’t hear from me again, I swear.”
“No. You invaded my life and told my wife about a sister I never knew about, so here I am. Tell your lies and we can be done with it.”
“Fine.” Whatever. “My mama met James Callahan at a sales convention in Mississippi. They had a brief fling and when she found herself pregnant with me, he told her he was married. He came and went a few times, I have some memories of him, and then he left for good.”
“Familiar story,” Nate snorted without any hint of compassion.
“Anyway, Mom died almost three years ago and when I was going through her things, I learned I had, that my father had sons. Since I was all alone and always wanted siblings, I thought…anyway that’s it.” There was no way I would share anymore than that.
