Page 24 of Just One Kiss

“He fainted.”

They’d reached the porch, and Gloria rushed ahead to open the door. “Your father is resting in the living room. Maybe you could help him out with the yard work later? It would go a long way.”

Josh’s stomach knotted. He didn’t care to placate his parents to avoid his father’s bad behavior. He’d lost any tolerance for that a long time ago.

“I just need a place to sleep,” he said.

“And eat,” his mother replied. “I made pot roast. Your father’s favorite.”

Of course you did.

As if that could ensure a good mood for the night.

Josh stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “You okay, Mom?”

His mom quickly hid her frown with a put-on smile. “Of course, dear.”

Why would he have thought anything would’ve changed? She was still here, pretending they were the perfect family, like a character in an old-fashioned family sitcom.

He nodded, aware that was all he’d ever get out of her.

“Josh?”

Josh turned toward the voice and found his father standing in the entryway. The man, once hulking and intimidating, seemed smaller somehow.

“Oh, did we wake you?” his mom asked.

“Hey, Dad,” Josh said.

“We didn’t know you were coming,” his father said. “Gloria, did you know he was coming?” It had been over a year since he’d seen his father—why had he expected any other kind of welcome than this one?

His mother shrunk back. “No, dear.”

“It was a last-minute trip,” Josh said.

“He came to make sure Jaden is okay,” his mom said.

His father frowned. “What’s wrong with Jaden?”

“Do you have your phone?” Josh asked. “I find it hard to believe nobody tried to call you about this.”

His father walked over to the entryway table and picked up his phone. He held down the power button until the screen came to life.

“Your father needed a day off, so he let his staff know he was unreachable.”

“The day of the Memorial weekend parade?”

“He has people in place to handle things, Joshua.”

His father held his phone to his ear. “Three messages. Jaden fainted at the parade.” He met Josh’s eyes. “None of these messages are from you.”

Josh twitched. He was eleven again, standing in the doorway of his bedroom, shrinking under his father’s anger.

He’d been caught cheating on a test, and the teacher had called his parents.

“Do you know how embarrassing this is?” His father poked Josh in the chest with three fingers. “You made us look bad, like we haven’t taught you right from wrong.”

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Josh said, tears pooling in his eyes.

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