Page 116 of Just One Kiss

“I recognize you from the picture in Josh’s office.”

Josh hurried toward them, silently begging Rebecca to stop talking.

“He has my picture in his office?” Carly asked.

“It’s from the day Jaden was born,” Josh said, imagining it. It was the same one he’d had framed for Jaden’s room in his apartment. The same one he’d thrown into his duffel when he left for Harbor Pointe a few weeks before.

Carly practically glowed in that photo, snapped only seconds after Jaden had arrived. It was the only photo he had of the three of them. And if his office caught on fire, it would be the only thing he grabbed on his way out the door.

Carly watched him with eyes so intense it set him off-kilter.

“I’m so glad we ran into each other like this. I have so many questions,” Rebecca said.

“Who are you?” Carly asked in a not-quite-unfriendly-but-not-quite-friendly-either tone.

“Carly, Rebecca,” Josh said, motioning to each of them as he said their names. “Rebecca, Carly.”

“We work together,” Rebecca said. “I’m the real brains of the operation.” She winked.

Josh tugged her arm. “Becks, we should go.”

“Josh is on a mission to convince me it’s a good idea to make this cute little town our company’s new headquarters.” She smiled. “I gotta say, after sampling the fudge across the street, I might be on board.”

“You’re moving back?” Carly’s eyes darted to his, but he quickly looked away. He wasn’t ready to discuss the crazy idea that they should move here—not yet. He didn’t know if it would lead to anything, but Rebecca seemed to think everyone on the planet needed to know the innermost thoughts in his mind.

“I’m just exploring options,” he said.

Rebecca rolled her eyes dramatically. “He gave me the hard sell the second I got out of my rental car. Now I just have to convince my fiancé.”

“Your fiancé?” Quinn asked.

“Kyle.” Rebecca did that wide-eyed,I’m so in lovething girls do and Josh tried not to shrink under the weight of Carly’s glare.

Why hadn’t he told her he was considering moving back? That’s what she would want to know.

Because he was afraid of how she might react to the idea.

“We’re going to meet Jaden at that fancy new ski training center,” Rebecca said. “Maybe we’ll see you there?”

“Uh, maybe,” Carly said.

Josh tried to shake the image of her in the wedding dress, but so far he was failing. He couldn’t unsee something that beautiful.

“Okay, see you later, then,” Rebecca said. She leaned in and kissed Carly’s cheek. “So glad to finally meet you.”

Carly didn’t move or respond. She only stared at Josh, who gave them a lame wave and walked away.

29

After their unfortunate run-in with Josh and beautiful Rebecca, Carly didn’t feel much like shopping anymore.

Quinn sat across from her in their favorite booth at Hazel’s Kitchen, waiting for their lunch to be delivered and obviously waiting for her to say something.

Carly had nothing to say.

“What’s going on?” Quinn asked.

Carly knew lying to her sister was not an option—she’d always been able to see right through her. But telling her about the jumble of emotions was not an option either.

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