Page 64 of Just One Kiss

“I’ll get this,” she said, needing distance from him.

He turned off the faucet and looked at her. “I don’t mind helping.”

“I know,” she said. “But Jaden’s waiting for you, and I can get this. Thanks, though.”

He leaned against the sink and watched her for too many unnerving seconds.

“What?” she asked.

His lazy smile had returned. “It’s just nice to be in the same room with you is all.”

“If you’re going to be hanging out here after Jaden’s surgery, I think some ground rules are in order.”

“This should be fun,” he said.

She ignored him. “Rule number one: you’re not allowed to flirt with me.”

“Am I allowed to admire you?”

“From a distance.”

He took a step toward her. “How about from here?”

She inched away. “Absolutely not.”

He took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest. “But here’s okay?”

“You’re impossible,” she said.

“And you’re worth admiring—at any distance.”

“Josh.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry.”

Nothing about his tone sounded apologetic. “Go.”

“All right, I’m going.” He backed toward the door.

“What are you doing?” She faced him.

“Admiring from a distance,” he said. “Gonna do that every chance I get.”

She threw the dish towel at him and turned away.

The last thing she needed was for her traitorous smile to give him the wrong impression. Because she most certainly was not amused. And she did not find his flirting cute. And she did not feel the slightest fracture of the wall around her heart.

I’m in trouble now.

16

Dear Elizabeth,

My name is Carly Collins and my son was just diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome. He will have surgery in just a few days to have an ICD implanted. Jaden is a competitive skier, and his surgeon is advising that he stop skiing altogether as a result of his condition and the ICD. We ran across an article about you and your great success on the MSU swim team, so I wondered if we might be able to talk with you about your experience and maybe even get the name of your doctor?

If you have time, I would love to chat at your earliest convenience.

My number is below.

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