I sit.
Josh walks around to his side of the desk again, offers me a tissue, and then places his muscled forearms on his desk. “T, I already know about all of that. Kat told me everything on our trip, even the Samantha thing.”
I put my hands over my face. “Oh my God. Ryan swore he didn’t tell Kat.”
“He didn’t tell her. She figured it out on her own, thanks to something Henn said.”
“Henn knows, too?”
Josh nods. “Ryan didn’t tell Henn, either, by the way. Henn just figured it out.”
“Shit.”
Josh laughs. “Tessa, nobody cares about the Samantha thing. Do you have any idea how crazy Kat is? The girl’s one brick short of a wall.”
I laugh.
“Look, the only reason Jonas and I warned you about Ryan was to protect you—because we both want you to be with a guy who loves and respects you, a guy who’s gonna treat you right.” He smiles. “And that guy is Ryan.”
I feel the weight of the world lifted off me. “But Ryan called some other woman the day everyone arrived at the resort. If he’d been obsessed with ‘Samantha,’ who’d he call?”
Josh bites the inside of his cheek, looking guilty as sin.
“You know, don’t you? Kat knows and she told you?”
Josh nods. “I’m not supposed to tell. But, fuck it, I’m gonna do it, anyway, because you having any remaining doubts about Ryan over something this stupid is a fucking tragedy.” He sighs. “It’s your best friend, T. The flight attendant with the leprechaun name.” Josh tells me the whole story, exactly as Kat told it to him.
“Holy fuckburgers,” I breathe. “So Ryan decided to keep his promise to Charlotte rather than clear his name with me?”
Josh nods. “Kat says that’s a total Ryan move. The guy never breaks a promise. He’s just like Jonas, I guess. His word is his bond, maybe to a fault.”
I feel light-headed all of a sudden. “I thought you’d be pissed about me dating your ‘brother,’ especially after your falling-out with Stu. Every time Reed comes near me, you chase him away.”
“Oh, you’ve noticed that, huh? And here I thought I was being so subtle.”
“You were as subtle as a flying brick, Josh.”
“I just didn’t want you dating a prick.”
“Okay, that explains Stu. But you didn’t want me dating Reed, either—and he’s like a brother to you.”
“Yeah, my brother the prick. At least when it comes to women. They love him for it—so whatever works for him—but that shit’s not gonna fly when it comes to my T-Rod.” He smiles broadly. “But none of that applies to Ryan. Not that you need my blessing, of course, but as far as I’m concerned, the greatest thing that could ever happen would be for you to be sitting with Kat and me, right next to Ryan, at Morgan-family dinners.”
Tears flood my eyes. I swallow hard and rub them, completely overwhelmed. I’ve known Josh for years and we’ve never once had a conversation like this before. “Thank you so much,” I squeak out.
“Kat’s been trying to get you and Ryan together since the first time she met you. It’s been her mission from God.”
I laugh. “God help anyone who comes between Kat and something she wants.”
“Amen.”
“I really love her, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. That makes two of us. And she loves you. She couldn’t stop talking about you and telling me how badly Jonas and I fucked up. So what do you say, T-Rod? You gonna help me get myself out of the doghouse with my wife and agree to be a partner in Captain’s?”
“I’d love to—if me being a partner is okay with Ryan.”
“I already talked to Ryan about it and he loves the idea.”
