Page 76 of Just One Kiss

He didn’t belong here—that’s what they were thinking.

He was a disgrace to his family with his late-night drinking, the constant trouble he got into at school.

When he stopped doing everything his parents told him to do, church was the first thing he abandoned.

But one Sunday morning after a weekend with Josh, Jaden had woken his dad up with the announcement that he’d found them a church to try. The night of the conference had been impactful, but the kid knew Josh needed something consistent in his life.

Wise beyond his years, Josh thought.

“It’s not going to be the answer for everything,” Jaden said. “I mean, people screw up all the time. But there’s a lot of good stuff about being in a good church.”

Josh did his best not to groan; after all, he was still trying to win his son over.

So he went. And he’d gone every week since. And in that time, he’d started praying—not because he was so holy and religious now—but because it filled him up in ways that nothing else ever had.

He felt silly discussing God with Jaden, who had a lot more knowledge on the subject, but his son never made him feel stupid.

It had taken months, but he’d begun to recognize when God was prodding him to do something. And last night, God wasn’t being quiet. He heard it loud and clear—go and pray for him.

Maybe it was less about what he was going to say in that prayer and more about his willingness to do it. He knew if he ignored that quiet voice, he’d regret it. So he showed up at Carly’s under the guise of coffee and muffins.

But the second he saw Jaden, he understood.

This wasn’t about him. It wasn’t even about Carly—not really. This was about his son. This was about being a father to his son. And that was the only thing that mattered. Not how foolish it felt with so many mistakes flashing red in his rearview mirror. Not how nervous he’d been to ask Jaden in front of Carly if he could pray for him. And certainly not the inexplicable, undeniable bond that had been created among the three of them the second he did.

Had Carly felt it too? Had Jaden? He may have come to Harbor Pointe to be there for Jaden, but it hadn’t taken long for a bigger desire to take hold.

And Quinn was right—he didn’t deserve a second chance. His actions had brought Carly to her breaking point all those years ago. How did he make up for that?

But it was different now. He was different now. He wasn’t sure how to return to Chicago and go on living the life he’d built. He wasn’t sure how to go on living a life Carly and Jaden weren’t a part of every single day.

He wanted—needed—to put his broken family back together.

Now, as he stood in the elevator at the hospital, he took note of the quiver in his belly. The way his nerves darted around. He inhaled a deep breath and exhaled a quiet prayer.

Please let him be okay.

Because for all his talk, he needed the same reassurance he’d given Carly only an hour before.

Josh exited the elevator and saw Dr. Willette standing at a counter, looking over paperwork in a folder. The man had been a good doctor, answering all of his questions and keeping his tone professional. But the knot in Josh’s belly when he saw him had nothing to do with his skill as an M.D. He’d been genetically programmed to dislike the man who was dating the mother of his child. He couldn’t help it.

He exhaled another prayer and moved down the hall, hoping the doctor didn’t notice him.

“Josh?”

No such luck.

He turned around and faced Dr. Willette. Carly had sent Josh a text to tell him where they were, and frankly, he just wanted to get there. “Morning, Doc.”

“Good morning. I’ve just seen Carly and Jaden,” the doctor said. “Both seem to be doing pretty well.”

Josh’s lips twitched. “Yeah, I thought the same thing when I left Carly’s house this morning.”

Dr. Willette’s eyebrow quirked, but Josh didn’t bother explaining. It wasn’t like he owed the guy an explanation. And fine, he wanted to one-up the guy.

“Okay, well, I’ll let you get to it,” Dr. Willette said. “I’ll stop by with updates as I get them.”

Josh nodded, walked down the hall and pushed open the door to Jaden’s room. He found Jaden on the bed under a thin sheet, wearing a hospital gown. Carly sat in a chair near the window, looking like she could come undone at any minute.

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