Page 107 of Just One Kiss

Her eyes fell to the slats of the porch below her bare feet.

“That’s all,” he said. “That’s all I came to say.”

“Okay,” she said dumbly.

“You should water the lawn in the morning.” He walked off the porch and out to his truck, leaving her standing there in a daze, wondering when the world had gone sideways.

* * *

The following day, Grady and Quinn showed up to take Jaden to the indoor training center for a few hours.

“You cannot let him do a single active thing,” Carly warned in her most threatening voice. “You and I both know he will try.”

They all looked at Jaden, who shrugged. “I’m fine, you guys. I don’t know what the big deal is.”

“The big deal is that you have a device sending electrical currents through your body and we need to make sure it stays in the right place,” Carly said. “Plus, it hasn’t even been two weeks since your surgery, so don’t argue and do what you’re told.”

“Fine,” he said. “I just need to get out of the house.” He skulked off toward Grady’s Jeep, and Quinn’s fiancé followed behind. Quinn hung back and gave her anI’m worried about yousmile. For a fleeting moment, Carly wished she could tell Quinn everything—the jumble of feelings that had gotten so mixed up in her mind, how Josh had shown up last night professing his love. How he’d bought her a lawn mower. How he’d already been there that morning to turn on her sprinklers and keep the grass from dying.

But of course, she couldn’t. Talking about it only made it real. If she kept it to herself, there was a chance these feelings would up and walk away.

Besides, she didn’t need Quinn’s reminders of all the ways Josh had let her down. She was well aware,thank you very much.

“You okay?” Quinn asked.

Carly sighed, then nodded. “I’m hanging in there.”

“Yeah?” She reached over and took Carly’s hand. “Because you look terrible.”

Carly’s eyes widened and Quinn burst into laughter.

“Seriously, what is happening with your hair?” More laughter.

Carly yanked her hand away and swatted her sister on the shoulder. “Thanks a lot.”

“You should go shopping,” Quinn said. “Buy something nice for yourself, even if it’s chocolate. Or go see a movie or something. Take yourself on a date—unless your doctor is free.”

Carly wrinkled her nose. She hadn’t thought of David in days.

“What? Trouble in doctor paradise?”

She shrugged. “No, he’s fine. He’s a perfectly nice guy. I should like him, shouldn’t I?”

Now Quinn shrugged. “I think you should feel about him however you feel about him. I don’t think you should force yourself into anything.”

She sighed. If only it were that easy.

“I think you need a break. Do you want me to come with you? I have some wedding shopping we could do?” Quinn practically beamed every time she brought up the wedding.

Her excitement must’ve turned Carly’s mood around because suddenly shopping for her sister’s wedding seemed like the best idea in the world.

“I’d love that,” Carly said.

“You trust Grady with Jaden?”

“Maybe it’ll be good for Jaden,” Carly said. “He seems a little down, to be honest.”

“I think so.” Quinn smiled.

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