Page 150 of Just One Kiss

“Are you going to stick around and make sure of it?” Gus’s forehead crinkled as one of his bushy eyebrows raised above the other.

Josh cleared his throat. “That’s the other reason why I’m here, sir.”

Gus leaned back in his chair, folding his hands across his belly. “I figured as much.”

“And you’re not going to shut me down?”

“I’d like to hear what you have to say.”

Josh stood, circling around the chair. “I had this all worked out in the car on the way over here.” He glanced at Gus. “But you were a lot meaner the way I played it out in my head.”

Gus gave a soft shrug. “If you want me to be meaner, I can.”

A nervous laugh slipped out and Josh shook his head. “No, that’s okay.” He mustered his courage. “I came to tell you that I love your daughter.”

After a beat, Gus said dryly, “I’m so surprised.”

“I’d like your blessing, sir,” Josh said.

“For what?”

“To marry her.”

Gus cocked his head to one side, taking him in. “You know that nothing about marriage and kids is easy.”

“I understand that.”

“So what happens when you want to take off?”

It was a fair question, but an upsetting one. “I won’t.”

“How do we know that for sure?”

“I tried running once,” Josh said. “Biggest mistake of my life.”

“And you’re a different man now?”

Josh pondered the question a moment. “Yes, sir, I believe I am. Smarter. And I know what’s important. I know who I am now.” He met the man’s eyes. “And I knowwhoseI am.”

“That right?”

Yeah, the last few days had worked him over. Letting go of everything he thought he was hadn’t been easy, but when all the rubble had been cleared away, one truth remained—God loved him as much today as he’d loved him a week ago. There was comfort in that.

The awkward lull in the conversation sent Josh’s mind whirling. He wouldn’t leave again—he knew it. The only thing he wanted in the world was to love Carly for the rest of his life.

“What are you thinking?” Josh asked.

“I’m considering what you said,” Gus replied. “I think a few things need to happen before I can give you my blessing.”

Josh wasn’t sure he wanted to know what those things were.

“First, I think I owe you an apology.”

“That’s . . . unexpected.” Josh relaxed a little.

“I always liked you when you and Carly were kids,” he said. “You looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world.”

“She is,” Josh said quietly.

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