Page 121 of Just One Kiss

He started off down the street in the opposite direction of the training center, and when she turned back, she found Josh standing on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, staring at her.

And she turned and walked the other way.

* * *

After far longer than he should’ve taken, Jaden got in the car and slammed the door.

“Do you care to explain yourself?”

“That’s what Dad was trying to do,” he said.

“This isn’t about your dad.”

“Really?” He gave her a dubious look.

“I left specific instructions, Jaden,” she said. “I made it all very clear. And your dad ignored them. Why am I surprised? That man cannot be trusted.”

“Mom, he called Dr. Carroll,” Jaden said. “The swimmer’s doctor. He’s got his cell number.”

“What?” Carly tapped her thumb against the steering wheel, a wave ofoh norushing over her.

“He called the doctor on his cell, interrupted his dinner on some yacht somewhere, but the guy didn’t even care.”

“Why would he do that?”

“To make sure it was okay for me to go on the simulator.”

She could feel him staring at her. A car behind her honked, and only then did she realize she’d stopped in the middle of the road. She stepped on the gas. “He called the doctor?”

“Yep.”

“And the doctor said it was fine?”

“Yep.”

“But how did Dr. Carroll know what you were actually doing?”

“FaceTime,” Jaden said.

And Carly felt like an idiot.

“He said I could do it as long as my heart rate didn’t spike, so we kept it on the lowest setting, which was smart anyway because Dad kind of sucks at skiing.”

He called your doctor?

She’d instantly thought the worst of Josh, as if she was just waiting for him to mess up.

How would she ever face him again after that humiliating display?

“So you should probably apologize to Dad,” Jaden said.

She groaned. “I’m such an idiot.”

“Why? Because you’re still in love with Dad, but you pretend not to be?”

Carly gave Jaden’s arm a smack. “I am not in love with your dad.”

“Yeah, okay.” He opened the door. “Keep telling yourself that.” He slammed the door, leaving Carly alone in the quiet of her car.

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