Just One Kiss: A Harbor Pointe Novel

by Courtney Walsh

  Bits of him were beginning to show up around the house—his shoes by the front door. His newly purchased rain jacket hanging by the back door. His piney scent lingering in the hallway.

  It messed with her resolve.

  Maybe she’d simply remind him of their schedule? Ask him to honor it a little better?

  The coffeemaker had just beeped when she heard Josh coming in the back door. She reminded herself that he had been kind. She didn’t need to injure him. She would be kind, but firm.

  Set boundaries. Stick to them.

  It sounded easy enough.

  His footfalls grew closer until he walked through the kitchen door, dressed in jeans, a faded red T-shirt and a baseball cap she swore he’d had since eighth grade. He leaned against the doorjamb and smiled that lazy, sexy smile at her.

  “Morning,” he said.

  His skin had miraculously turned bronze, probably on his walks to and from his truck, considering he browned right up in a literal minute. Carly, on the other hand, still looked translucent in certain light.

  Unfortunately for her, the suntan only made Josh more attractive.

  That and his eyes were a recipe for disaster.

  “You’re up early.” She looked away.

  “So are you.” He was probably smiling. He seemed to know how his smile affected her. “Hey, look at this.”

  He plopped a stack of paper onto the counter.

  “What’s this?”

  “I’ve been talking with that swimmer’s doctor—Dr. Carroll.”

  “The appointment isn’t for a few more weeks.”

  “I know,” Josh said. “But I didn’t want to wait.”

  “And?”

  “He sent me some research. In your hand is every study they’ve done in recent years suggesting that our son should be able to return to skiing in just a few short weeks. The swimmer was right—if he wants to ski, he can ski.”

  Carly could practically feel her own heart double in size. “What?” She looked at the pages in her hand—

  Long QT No Longer Benching Athletes

  Overcoming Long QT to Win Olympic Gold

  Cleared to Play

  Josh nodded. “Good news, right?”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. She leapt forward and threw her arms around him. “Great news.” Quickly, she pulled away. “Sorry.”

  He smiled. “Don’t apologize to me.”

  “Josh, I think we should talk.” She pulled the schedule she’d created from the refrigerator. It neatly outlined when Josh would be with Jaden, when he would be working, when he would be out of her hair.

  Had he even looked at it?

  “Ah, your schedule.” He walked farther into the kitchen, stopping about a foot from where she stood. He reached up and took a mug from the cupboard, then poured himself a cup of coffee.

  Every move he made felt deliberate, and he’d yet to break eye contact with her.

  “So you are aware of its existence.”

  He smiled in reply.

  “We have a schedule for a reason.” She looked away.

  He grabbed the bottom of her shirt, then gave it a tug. “You have a schedule. I’m much more spontaneous.”

  She took a step back, releasing his hold on her, aware of two things: 1) He was flirting with her, and 2) It was working.

  “Josh,” she said sternly.

  He grinned. “I’m just messing with you. I’ll stay out of your way today. I’ve got a plan.”

  “What’s your plan?”

  “Is your garage open?”

  She frowned. “Yes, why?”

  “I’ll be back in time for my shift, boss.”

  He grinned at her—the kind of grin that took her straight back to high school.

  It was getting more and more difficult to stay mad at him.

  She liked him. She’d always liked him. He’d gone from sweet, wide-eyed kid to rebelliously attractive teenager to this kind, selfless man who’d become more successful than anyone would’ve ever guessed. Under Josh’s photo in the yearbook, it said Most likely to end up in jail. It most certainly did not say Most likely to become a tech mogul.

  And of course, he was still disastrously good-looking—and she suspected he knew it.

  Yeah, she liked him.

  But not liking him had never been the problem.

  If she didn’t stay angry with him, she risked falling for him all over again, and that she could not allow.

  Why was he making it so hard?

  He walked off the porch and around the side of the house.

  She closed the door and went back inside.

  “What’s Dad doing?” Jaden asked from his spot in the recliner.

  “No idea,” she said. “Need anything?”

  “A life?” he said dryly.

  “Funny. Here’s a little light reading for you.” She set the stack of articles on Jaden’s lap and walked into the kitchen, where she spotted Josh out back with her old lawn mower. Jaden usually mowed the lawn, and he must’ve noticed it had been neglected. Josh gave the cord a tug , and the old mower sputtered. He went back into the garage and reemerged with an empty gas can, which he threw in the back of his truck. Seconds later, he’d started the engine and driven away.

  And it wasn’t until that moment that she exhaled.

  “Mom, for real?” Jaden was in the doorway with the articles. “You’re going to let me ski?”

  She smiled. “We still need to go to the appointment with Dr. Carroll, but those are from him and not from the internet, so yes. It sounds promising.”

  He threw his arms around her, the same way she’d thrown her arms around Josh, which, she had to admit, made her momentary lapse in judgment seem a little less troubling.

  “It’s still going to be work,” she said when he let go of her.

  “Work doesn’t scare me,” Jaden said with the same grin as his father. “Bring it on.”

  Thank you, Jesus, she thought. For answering this prayer.

  Dr. Roby might not have understood how important this was to Jaden—to all of them—but God sure did. She would never tire of the fact that he knew them all so personally that the things that mattered to them mattered to him.

  Her heart nearly burst with gratitude.

  Later, while Carly was cleaning up the kitchen from the pancake breakfast she’d made, Josh returned with what she assumed was a full gas can but turned out to be a brand-new lawn mower. She squinted as he pulled into the driveway, killed the engine, tugged the tailgate down and lifted the mower out and onto the ground.

  She dried her hands and walked outside barefoot, crossed her arms and glared at him. “What is that?”

  “It’s your new lawn mower.”

  Her raised eyebrows demanded an explanation.

  “Yours is old and broken.”

  “It was out of gas.”

  “Trust me, Carly, it’s junk.”

  She eyed him. “You mow a lot of lawns in Chicago?”

  He pulled the old mower into the garage, then pushed the new one toward her. “This one is state of the art. It will practically mow the lawn itself.”

  “I don’t need a state-of-the-art lawn mower, Josh.”

  “Well, now you have one, so you’re welcome.”

  She groaned. “This changes nothing.”

  He waved her off. “I know. You’re still mad at me.”

  “No, I’m—”

  But he yanked the pull cord and the engine roared to life, drowning her out. He grinned, and she rolled her eyes.

  He waggled his eyebrows at her as he walked by, taking his first pass on her lawn.

  He bought me a lawn mower.

  Unbelievable.

  Josh spent the entire morning in the yard. Mowing, weeding, raking. By the time he finished, Carly’s house was ready for the Lion’s Club Garden Walk.

  And Carly couldn’t utter a word of complaint.

  Later that night, after her shower, Carly changed into pajama shorts and a tank top, eager to get down
stairs where her pint of almond praline Ben & Jerry’s had softened to the perfect texture on the counter.

  It was the first night Jaden was sleeping in his room since his surgery, and Carly had already decided to stay up late watching Friday Night Lights.

  She was standing in the kitchen, fishing through the dishwasher for a spoon, when she heard a soft knock on the door.

  “What in the world?” She flipped on the outside light and found Josh standing on the porch.

  She pulled the door open and stared at him. “I thought you finished hours ago.”

  He’d showered and changed out of the clothes he’d mowed in, and was out of breath, like he’d been running.

  “Are you okay?”

  How many times had he shown up on her back porch, in need of help? Now, a grown-up version of that young boy stood before her, and her feelings warred with each other. That boy had won her heart a million times over—but this man had broken it just as many times.

  How did she reconcile that?

  She shoved aside thoughts of years gone by and focused on him now. Why was he here?

  “Josh?”

  “No, Carly,” he finally said. “I’m not okay.”

  She quickly surveyed him for cuts and bruises. “What’s wrong?”

  He raked his hand through his hair, then met her eyes. “It’s you.”

  She frowned. She hadn’t done anything wrong. “What about me?”

  He shook his head. “I thought I was over this. I thought I’d gotten it in my head that I was here for Jaden and for no other reason, but every day it’s becoming clearer that’s not enough.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, seeing you every day. Seeing you here, now, with your hair all piled on top of your head and wearing those shorts.”

  She felt suddenly self-conscious.

  “Or the other morning making coffee.”

  “What about that?”

  He seemed not to hear her. “Or when I saw you out at that restaurant in that dress with that doctor guy and . . .”

  She stilled. “And what?”

  “And I didn’t like it.” He turned in a circle but snapped his attention back to her. “I hated it, actually.”

  “Josh, I—”

  He held up a hand to silence her. “I know. I don’t deserve a second chance. Not even a little bit, but I’m still standing here asking for one, Carly, because—” His eyes, filled with every earnest and genuine thing, met hers. “Because I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  “Josh—” What was he saying? Why was he saying this now? This was the last thing she needed. As if things weren’t confusing enough.

  “I don’t know where things stand with you and the doctor, and if you decide that this guy is right for you, I will step aside. I’ve spent my whole life believing you were better off without me, and that’s probably true, but I don’t want it to be. I’m different now. I’ve had enough time away to realize I don’t have to be that guy I was back then.”

  She watched as his breath finally slowed and he took a step back.

  “I want you more than anything, Carly. I can’t stop thinking about you.” He moved toward her, so close she could feel his breath on her skin. “You and me and Jaden—we’re a family. Let me at least try to make this right. Give me a second chance.”

  Her knees wobbled as she forced herself to look him in the eyes. “Josh, we tried. It didn’t work out. It would be foolish to think anything has changed.”

  He touched her face, then dipped his forehead to hers. “We were really good together. I know you remember.”

  She hated that her eyes clouded over. Traitors. She closed them and drew in a deep breath. She did remember. Despite all her trying to forget, she remembered. And he was right—they had been so good together for a while.

  And then they weren’t. She opened her eyes and pulled away.

  “I do remember,” she said, forcing herself to be colder than she wanted to be. “I remember you leaving. I remember you choosing to go. I remember raising our son by myself.”

  “And I’ve lived with that for years.”

  “And so have I,” she said.

  “I know you don’t believe me, but I promise, Carly, I will make it up to you.”

  She couldn’t look at him. She feared that he might see straight through her.

  “You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.” He moved closer. “Just one kiss, Carly. Let me prove that what we have between us isn’t over.”

  She faced him, the overwhelming desire to give in washing over her. “Josh—” She forced herself to take a step back, and his face fell.

  “I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to earn a second chance.” His eyes locked on to hers. “I’d wait a lifetime for that kiss.”

  Her eyes fell to the slats of the porch below her bare feet.

  “That’s all,” he said. “That’s all I came to say.”

  “Okay,” she said dumbly.

  “You should water the lawn in the morning.” He walked off the porch and out to his truck, leaving her standing there in a daze, wondering when the world had gone sideways.

  The following day, Grady and Quinn showed up to take Jaden to the indoor training center for a few hours.

  “You cannot let him do a single active thing,” Carly warned in her most threatening voice. “You and I both know he will try.”

  They all looked at Jaden, who shrugged. “I’m fine, you guys. I don’t know what the big deal is.”

  “The big deal is that you have a device sending electrical currents through your body and we need to make sure it stays in the right place,” Carly said. “Plus, it hasn’t even been two weeks since your surgery, so don’t argue and do what you’re told.”

  “Fine,” he said. “I just need to get out of the house.” He skulked off toward Grady’s Jeep, and Quinn’s fiancé followed behind. Quinn hung back and gave her an I’m worried about you smile. For a fleeting moment, Carly wished she could tell Quinn everything—the jumble of feelings that had gotten so mixed up in her mind, how Josh had shown up last night professing his love. How he’d bought her a lawn mower. How he’d already been there that morning to turn on her sprinklers and keep the grass from dying.

  But of course, she couldn’t. Talking about it only made it real. If she kept it to herself, there was a chance these feelings would up and walk away.

  Besides, she didn’t need Quinn’s reminders of all the ways Josh had let her down. She was well aware, thank you very much.

  “You okay?” Quinn asked.

  Carly sighed, then nodded. “I’m hanging in there.”

  “Yeah?” She reached over and took Carly’s hand. “Because you look terrible.”

  Carly’s eyes widened and Quinn burst into laughter.

  “Seriously, what is happening with your hair?” More laughter.

  Carly yanked her hand away and swatted her sister on the shoulder. “Thanks a lot.”

  “You should go shopping,” Quinn said. “Buy something nice for yourself, even if it’s chocolate. Or go see a movie or something. Take yourself on a date—unless your doctor is free.”

  Carly wrinkled her nose. She hadn’t thought of David in days.

  “What? Trouble in doctor paradise?”

  She shrugged. “No, he’s fine. He’s a perfectly nice guy. I should like him, shouldn’t I?”

  Now Quinn shrugged. “I think you should feel about him however you feel about him. I don’t think you should force yourself into anything.”

  She sighed. If only it were that easy.

  “I think you need a break. Do you want me to come with you? I have some wedding shopping we could do?” Quinn practically beamed every time she brought up the wedding.

  Her excitement must’ve turned Carly’s mood around because suddenly shopping for her sister’s wedding seemed like the best idea in the world.

  “I’d love that,” Carly said.

  “You trust Grady with Jaden?”


  “Maybe it’ll be good for Jaden,” Carly said. “He seems a little down, to be honest.”

  “I think so.” Quinn smiled.

  “Does Grady know the rules?”

  “You wrote them down on a piece of paper, texted them and sent us a video last night. He knows.” Quinn raced back to the Jeep, told Grady the new plan, kissed her handsome man on the lips and ran back toward Carly.

  “Let’s go shopping!”

  27

  It had been a long time since Carly and her sister had had a normal conversation. After all, Carly’s life right now was anything but normal.

  “Before we leave, I think you should change your clothes,” Quinn said.

  Carly looked down at her cut-off jeans and black tank top, then looked back up at her sister. “Why?”

  Quinn made a face. “We’re going to all the nicer boutiques and stores, Car, and you look like someone who only shops at Walmart.”

  “I do shop at Walmart.”

  “Right, but you shop at other places too.” Her expression shifted. “Don’t you?”

  “I’m not changing. My kid just had surgery, my ex is back in town, and this is the first time I’ve been anywhere besides the grocery store in weeks. I have no desire to get dressed up.”

  Quinn grimaced. “Okay, but what about the hair?”

  “I’m about to leave you here.”

  “Fine,” Quinn said. “Hope we don’t run into anyone we know.”

  It was a ridiculous thing to say because they knew everyone in town, but Carly didn’t mention it. Obviously a last-ditch effort to try and convince Carly to make herself more presentable.

  But she didn’t have the energy. She’d put on a little bit of mascara and some lip gloss—that was plenty for today.

  She was tired. If she was smart, she’d go inside and take a nap.

  Instead, she and Quinn hopped into Carly’s Honda and drove toward town.

  “You’re quiet,” Carly said after a few minutes.

  “Am I?”

  “Yes. Don’t you have updates on the wedding?” She stopped at a red light.