Joshua's Grace

Chapter 12 (1)

Sasha was waiting for them when they arrived. She was stunning, he acknowledged, as her long legged, barefooted, stride brought her closer toward him and the car. His eyes watched in bemusement as she drew nearer. Grace was right, Sasha dressed outrageously.

Her hair was jet black, glossy and cut into a sleek fringed but ragged chin length bob. The fringe drew attention to almond shaped jet black eyes. Eyes similar to her sister's. A straight nose, high cheekbones and a heart shaped face all complimented each other to leave no doubt that the woman was a beauty. And this one wasn't the vogue model according to Grace. Joshua couldn't wait to meet Briar. But she wasn't due back in New Zealand for a couple of months.

Joshua watched Sasha come closer. She was either totally unaware of her looks or past caring. She was bare foot, bare of make up and wore the most incongruous, ill fitting, pair of surfing shorts he had ever seen. She topped it off with a large shapeless lurid T-shirt that made no attempt to complement the shorts. She certainly had a wacky dress code. And she must be colour blind. After Grace had hugged and been hugged she introduced her sister to Joshua. Sasha, never backward at coming forward, promptly wolf whistled her appreciation and continued to ogle Joshua. Grace closed the car door.

"Don't mind her." Grace told him, "She's always nuts."

Grace handed her sister a large overnight bag and then another. Joshua reached in to retrieve another bag and listened as the sisters ribbed each other. He carried the remaining bag to the house, following the two sisters who were still making outrageous statements about each other's appearances. 

"Hey." Sasha said, "We are only going for a week and the idea was to buy stuff there, not take your entire wardrobe. Unless you are planning on leaving your junk there."

The baggage was a combination of several things. There were clothes from Grace's stay with Amy, from her trip with Joshua and for her intended holiday trip with Sasha. Two sets needed washing and the third was very scant.

"Junk." Grace shot her sister a fulminating look, but the smile in her eyes made a lie of it, "You can talk, at least I don't go round dressed like a deranged surfie. I hope you've packed some decent stuff. I'm not sitting next to you on the beach. I'll have no chance of picking up a hunk, you'll put them off or blind them."

"Greedy." Sasha called over her shoulder as she lugged one bag toward the house, "You've already got one." She'd reached the doorway, "And what have you got in here? The kitchen sink?"

"Oh, stop whining and take it in."

"Aren't you coming in Mr De Souza?" Sasha asked when she saw that he was walking back to the car, having deposited the bag just inside the doorway.

"No, can't stop. And make it Joshua, we are going to be in-laws."

Sasha beamed, "Yeah, amazing. Dad must have come up with one hell of a dowry." She winked at him before grinning unrepentantly at Grace. "Or is Grace blackmailing you?"

Joshua chuckled, but his eyes flicked to Grace, just to make sure that she hadn't taken any offence. She hadn't. She stood there, with a fake glower, while her sister giggled and resumed her struggle to drag the bags into the house. 

Joshua reached her side. She shook her head in woeful acceptance as her sister disappeared into the house and then she smiled. "Is she always like that?" He quirked a brow.

"'Fraid so." Grace grinned at him, "She's all talk basically."

He grinned, "Just wondered." He was quite taken aback by Sasha. "Her legs seem endless." He said without thinking. Grace folded her arms and quirked a brow. He shifted uncomfortably, then shook his head as if to clear his brain, "Is she colour blind?"