Page 18 of Just One Kiss

He sat in silence for several seconds before finally wrapping an arm around her shoulder. When she didn’t move away, he scooted closer.

“I’m really sorry,” he said.

She shifted and leaned her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that, in complete silence, until the sun set, and he didn’t mind one bit.

“Do you want to go get something to eat?” he finally asked. “We could ride bikes over to Dockside.”

It was her favorite pizza place—how could she refuse?

She shook her head. “Thanks, but I need to get home. I have to be strong for Quinn.”

He watched her straighten, as if mentally putting herself back together.

“I feel better now.”

They stood. If he hadn’t seen it for himself, he never would’ve thought she’d just been crying. Somehow, as if by magic, the redness in her face had disappeared and she’d wiped her cheeks dry.

“Thanks, Josh,” she said. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re the best.”

Now, standing in Jaden’s hospital room, he wondered how they’d gone from that sweet relationship to this terrible disconnect. And yet, he knew how. Their past was filled with mistakes and misunderstandings. It was filled with heartache and sadness, the kind that overshadowed the good times.

Jaden inched his way to the edge of the bed and stood. “Ready, Dad?”

Josh glanced at Carly, but she wouldn’t look at him, unlike Gus, who was staring him down.

“Sure thing, kid.”

“Great,” Jaden said. “See ya at home, Mom. Thanks for coming, everybody.”

After they filled out paperwork and got the all clear to go home, they walked through the hallways of Harbor Pointe Hospital, and all Josh could think wasthat probably could’ve gone better.

But, as usual, he had no idea how to fix it now.

6

Carly didn’t like this one bit. Letting Josh take a more active role in Jaden’s life had been risky to begin with, but it was always Jaden’s heart she was worried about—never her own.

The irony of that didn’t escape her.

Now, as she paced her living room waiting for her ex to bring their son home from what had started as a simple ride and turned into a father/son pizza night at Dockside, her mind tumbled.

She looked at the clock. How long did it take to eat pizza? She wanted her son home with her, where he belonged. Especially after the day they’d had.

Jaden acted like this wasn’t serious, like it was no big deal. Was Josh simply reinforcing that idea?

Her phone buzzed. She picked it up expecting a text from Jaden but instead found one from her sister.

In case it wasn’t obvious, I’d like you to be my maid of honor.

Carly’s eyes welled with inexplicable tears. Why was she emotional? Anyone could’ve predicted Grady would ask Quinn to marry him. They’d been practically inseparable since the day they met, at least once Quinn admitted she actually liked him.

And yet, something about it, about her baby sister finding the love of her life while Carly, four years older, did not currently have a single prospect in the romance department—it had worked her over.

And she didn’t like it. She didn’t like feeling jealous of the happiness she absolutely wanted her sister to have.

She only wished maybe there was a sliver of it out there for her too.

Pull yourself together.

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