Her head snapped up. “Wait... the projects you’ve been working on... They weren’t with Holden’s company?”
He shook his head, then paused. “Well, yeah, the first couple were. But the last two, the ones I’ve been doing up here? All mine.”
“You did it.”
“I did it.”
She smiled at him, her chest suddenly feeling tight and warm at the same time. “Josh, I’m... I’m sorry I didn’t—”
He shook his head, putting up a hand to cut her off. “No, don’t do that. I deserved your doubt. I know I did.”
She released a breath, and he turned to face her.
“But I’m here now,” he said. “I’m here for good. I’m not the same stupid kid I was when we had Ruby. Hell, I’m not the same stupid kid I was two years ago. I hope I can earn back your trust.”
Claire reached out and squeezed his hand. “I hope so too. This is a hell of a start.”
He laughed and squeezed back. “I want us to be a family.”
She nodded. “Me too.”
Then his face fell and his mouth dropped open a little. “But, I mean, not afamilyfamily.”
She tilted her head at him, frowning.
“I mean...” He pulled his fingers from hers and scrubbed a hand through his hair. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but Claire could’ve sworn he was blushing. “I know sometimes when I’ve come back to town we’ve... well, we’ve...” He waved his hand between them.
“Screwed?” she asked. His eyes went so wide she laughed. “Oh, come on, Josh. We’re adults. We can call it what it was.”
His shoulders relaxed, and he laughed too. “Okay, yeah. But I don’t think we should anymore.”
She just lifted her brows at him.
He shook his head. “It doesn’t help either of us be a good parent to Ruby. And honestly, in the past, I wonder if us having sex was half the reason I bolted. Not that any of that was your fault. It was all me, but well, the sex confused me. Scared me. And I just want to be a good dad and a good co-parent for you.”
Claire nodded, honestly shocked at the wisdom he was spouting. “Yeah. All that makes sense.”
“And we don’t love each other like that. Not anymore.”
“No, we don’t.”
“And I want to have that with someone someday.”
She smiled. “I want that for you too.”
“And there’s the fact that you’re completely in love with someone else.”
Her smile dropped. “I’m sorry, what?”
He laughed. “Admit it.”
“I can’t admit to something I don’t understand.”
“Oh, please. Claire. You and Delilah. It’s obvious.”
“It absolutely is not. You saw us together, what? Once?”
“Once was enough. I know she’s got a complicated past in Bright Falls,” Josh went on, “but I’ve never seen anyone look at you like she did. Not even me. And you looked at her the same way.”
