Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

F or days, Josie had felt like she couldn't breathe. But now, the tightness in her chest lessoned and she could finally take a breath.

That was due mostly to the knowledge of who had the compass—and more importantly that it hadn't been her fault it had gone missing. But it was also in part due to Xander and his wife Merry.

With their help, she might actually pull off this event. Make it as great as she knew it could be—should be. Worthy of a once every two-hundred and fifty-years celebration—give or take a few years.

She and Xander had worked for a good couple of hours. They'd even video conferenced in his wife from Cooperstown. Xander hadn't been kidding. Merry knew everyone. Her contact list was worth its weight in gold. And Xander, in spite of his cocky attitude and constant sparring with Quinn, was amazing.

His brain didn't work like normal people's. It was like he was half computer. He could organize what had seemed like an unattainable list of random tasks into an action list, color coded and prioritized with completion dates, until it actually seemed doable. Like she could pull this off and it would be perfect. And he seemed to love doing it.

Bailey had called her manager a workaholic, and a tyrant, and taskmaster and a few other choice words a time or two. Now Josie could see why. He worked hard and no doubt demanded those working with him to do the same.

Lucky for both of them Josie had been known to pull a few all-nighters herself. Working through meals and sleep to get a job done.

She'd never tell Quinn this—since he viewed Xander as his nemesis most days—but she and Xander worked great together.

Xander left to go back to Cooperstown, apparently they were taking Merry's family's boat out on the lake. Can you say old money ?

After he drove his big Land Rover out of the drive, Josie slumped back on the sofa. Energized to start on her list of tasks, but just as exhausted. From the planning meeting with Xander. The stress of the past couple of days while the compass was missing. And then there was the lack of sleep last night due to her raunchy sex romp with Corey.

Yeah, she'd been busy enough to put that out of her mind while Xander had been here so she could concentrate on work—thank God—but now he was gone the thoughts came flooding back.

At the knock on the door and the sight of Corey through the glass, she wondered if she'd summoned him with her thoughts.

More likely he'd been watching—and waiting—for Xander to leave. If she wasn't mistaken, there'd been a bit of Neanderthal male competition in the air between Corey and Xander.

Like two dogs sizing each other up—although Corey seemed to be doing most of the sizing. Xander maintained an air of having nothing to prove to anyone because he and everyone around him knew he was the smartest, richest, most handsome and successful man in the room.

No wonder he rubbed Quinn the wrong way. Corey wasn't all that different from her brother. Quinn and Xander had been in a perpetual pissing contest since they'd met. It must be a military thing, she thought as she pulled open the door.

She turned and went back to the sofa, leaving Corey to let himself in and shut the door as she threw herself back against the cushions. Snagging her cup of iced tea from the side table she took a long sip. It had been a long day already and it was only lunchtime.

Corey stayed standing for a moment, then sat on the edge of the chair opposite her, his forearms braced on his knees. "So, uh, what did you and city boy do?"

"Oh my God. He was amazing!" She put a bit of extra enthusiasm into her reply and enjoyed watching the muscle start to jump in Corey's jaw. "He really knows how to plan an event."

It wasn't like she was lying. That was no exaggeration. But she still enjoyed seeing the frown that creased Corey's forehead as she praised Xander.

"Seems a bit odd. Don't you think? A guy like that being a party planner ." He said the last words with a judgmental disdain in his tone.

She laughed. "He's not exactly a party planner. He works for some fancy agency in the city. He represents some big-name celebrities."

"And he's helping you? Plan the anniversary event for Sidney, New York?"

She knew how ridiculous it sounded.

At first she had been as shocked as Corey seemed. But that was exactly what was happening.

Josie understood it now, mostly. Especially after speaking with Merry—as in Merry Clark of the Cooperstown Clarks who ran the Clark Foundation and the Leatherstocking Corporation. The de facto first family of Cooperstown had always been very community minded. The Sidney founder's event might be small but it fit right in the Clark's wheelhouse.

Of course, Xander was married to a Clark. She'd expect no less from a man who looked and dressed like that—right down to what appeared to be manicured nails.

"Yup. He is." She nodded in response to Corey's question, so happy she couldn't help but grin. "And it's gonna be great!"

"Even without the compass being there?" he asked, leaning back in the chair and cocking one dark brow high.

Was he just trying to ruin her good mood? The way he lobbed that bomb it sure seemed so. Well, she wasn't going to let him. They knew who had the compass. It wasn't missing any longer. And she had a bombshell of her own about how she planned to get it back.

"About that…" she began.

"Yeah. About that," he repeated with an attitude this conversation didn't warrant.

Wow, he could be cranky. For a man who'd had as much sex as he had last night, she'd think he'd be a little happier. Apparently not.

Anyway… "So Xander has an opinion on the situation."

"Of course he does. And on what situation?" he spat.

"The compass."

"You told him?" Corey asked wide-eyed.

"Yes. Why not?"

"Why not?" Corey repeated her again. He seemed to do that a lot. "Because you didn't tell your brother or your best friend and we haven't even told my own mother yet, but you trust some slick stranger with this information?"

"First, we were going to tell your mother. We got interrupted. Second, Xander is not a stranger, but even if he were, who is he going to tell?"

Nearly apoplectic, Corey seemed unable to form complete words.

While he still wrestled to regain the power of speech, Josie said, "Xander had a very good idea. If you'd listen to me, I'll tell you."

When he remained silent, arms crossed angrily, mouth set firm, lips screwed up in an unhappy line, she continued.

"He thinks we should go to Mrs. Forester. Privately. Just the two of us—with the evidence. Show it to her and give her the opportunity of returning it to us, to be put back in the archive. In exchange, we keep quiet. No one will ever know she had a huge lapse in judgement. She gets to save face. We get the compass back. Win-win."

Corey's expression got even darker.

Frowning, she asked, "What's wrong? Don't you think that's a good idea?"

It seemed perfect to her—if Forester agreed, which Xander was sure she would.

It saved them having to ruin Corey's mom's opinion of her friend. Marie Jacobs, the committee, and the town would remain happily ignorant. And once the compass was safely locked away again she could actually devote one hundred percent of her time and attention to planning the event.

"Yes, it's a good idea." Corey pouted, mouth pulled to the side unhappily, like a child told he had to eat his vegetables.

"Then what's the puss face for?"

"I don't like how this city dude swooped in here and with the snap of his fingers, solved all the problems we've been working to fix for days."

Wow. The bigger they were, the harder they fell.

Corey's ego obviously needed some stroking. Other parts of him could probably use some stroking as well. Come to think of it, parts of her could do with a bit of that too.

Now that the stress had been lifted, she was more than ready for a continuation of last night's activities.

Putting her glass down, she stood and walked toward him in the chair. He watched as she knelt in front of him, between his bent knees.

With her palms resting on his thighs, she raised her gaze to his and saw his eyes darken with desire.

"Maybe I could do something to help you forget about Xander?" she said and dropped her glance suggestively to his crotch.

He drew in a breath but didn't argue when she reached for the waistband of the shorts he wore.

When she reached inside his boxer briefs and began to pull out the already hardening length, he said, "Here?"

She lifted one shoulder. "Quinn and Bailey are still in the city."

Before he could say anything else, she lowered her mouth over him and heard the hiss of his intake of breath.

Guessing the argument over here versus not here was over, she began to make him forget. About Xander. About the compass. Even about Mrs. Forester and their impending confrontation.

It was working pretty well too, she thought, until the front door opened.

There was no time to react before she heard Quinn's, "Josie! Jeezus."

That was followed by Bailey's giggle.

Okay, maybe the next time Corey asked that question the answer should be not here .

The next time…

They wouldn't have that many more next times left before Corey went back to the military.

She was going to have to find a way to make sure she was okay with that. And she would… As soon as she calmed down her sputtering red-faced brother.