Page 34 of Just One Kiss

“I ordered a pizza,” Josh said. “It should be here any second.”

“We’re starving,” Jaden said. “Smash Bros. is hard work.”

Carly shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“Wanna go again, old man?” Jaden asked.

Josh set his controller on the coffee table. “Let me talk to your mom for a few minutes first.”

The doorbell rang.

Josh stood and reached for his wallet in his back pocket. “I’ll get it.”

She looked at him, then looked away. “Thanks.”

“’Course.”

He paid and tipped the delivery guy, then took the pizza and closed the door. Seconds later, Jaden swiped the box from him and took it into the kitchen.

“Are you staying?” Carly asked.

“Uh, no,” he said, only just then realizing that would be awkward for her. “I should probably get going.”

“I’m not done kicking your butt,” Jaden called from in the kitchen.

Josh laughed. He liked this, probably more than he should. If he let himself, he could convince himself they were a happy family.

“He seems in good spirits,” Carly said.

Josh nodded. He wouldn’t tell her about the quiet stretches, the times he was certain Jaden was trying to keep himself from going down a mental rabbit hole of negativity.

“You’re not going to eat?” she asked.

“Nah,” he said. “I’m not really hungry. I’m crashing with Cole for a few days until I can find a decent rental.”

She made a face. “Nobody’s really seen him lately. Is he doing okay?”

Josh frowned. “He has practice every morning.”

“And then what?”

Josh didn’t know. He hadn’t been at the house during the days. “Because of Gemma?”

Carly’s expression turned knowing. “It was bad.”

“I didn’t even know they split,” Josh said, wondering if Carly would judge him for that—he wasn’t just a lousy father, he was a lousy friend.

Josh and Cole had grown up together. Played football together. Next to Carly, Cole had been his best friend, but when he left Harbor Pointe, he left his whole life behind, and that included Cole. He regretted that now.

“And you’re okay to miss work?” she asked, changing the subject.

He shrugged.

She scoffed. “‘Course you are. You’re rich now.”

He’d increased the amount of money he was sending her, but he’d also socked away quite a bit in a college fund for their son. Carly didn’t know about that, but when the time came, he didn’t want money holding Jaden back, and he didn’t want Carly to have to worry about it.

He didn’t want her to have to worry about anything.

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