“I’m sorry,” she whispered, pulling back.She wiped her eyes with her thumbs and drew a shaky breath.
“Why are you apologizing?”
“For crying all over you.And for being here.I know you’ve been seeing each other, and I should have gone home last night.I know how this looks, but he’s like my brother.He insisted I sleep in his room, but he slept out here.Nothing has ever happened between us, and it never will.We are just friends.Only friends.That’s all we’ve ever been, and I’m not?—”
I put my hand on hers to stop her rapid gesturing.“I believe you.And…” I shrugged, looking back at Josh.“I trust him.”
“You do?”he blurted.
I nodded.“I do.”
His face twisted into a confused expression.
“I should go,” Christy said.“I’ll talk to you later, Josh.”
“We were going to go out on his boat later.Do you want to join us?”I asked Christy as she moved toward the door.
She shook her head.“No, I’ve intruded enough.”
“Ashlyn is coming, too.You’re not intruding.It might help to be around people today.”
Christy slid a look to Josh, then forced a smile for me.“I’ll think about it.Thanks.It was nice to meet you.”
“You, too, Christy.And I’m so sorry.”
She rolled her lips in and swallowed roughly, then nodded and let herself out.
I turned to Josh, seeing the stiff set of his shoulders.His gaze was on the island between us.His eyebrows were pinched together.He leaned back, arms crossed, resting against the cabinets.
“Nothing happened,” he repeated.
“I said I believe you.”
“Why?”
I moved closer to him.“When Rob left, I came here to be with Ashlyn.When I got dumped, she came to see me.That’s what friends do.You’re there for each other.Why would I be upset that you were there for a friend you’ve known forever?”
“I just…”
“I’m guessing you knew her dad well.”
Josh nodded slowly.
“Are you okay?”
He smiled sadly and shook his head.“Not really.”
I walked over to him and hugged him.He unfolded his arms and wrapped them around me.He held on tightly to me.His body trembled just slightly, but I could feel his emotions.
Loss was something that bonded people.We all experienced it.As a teacher, I’d had more than a few students who went through a major loss while in my classroom or shortly after they left.Losing a parent, grandparent, sibling, or close friend took a toll on people.And being strong for one person while suppressing your own grief was never easy.
“What happened to him?”I asked.
“Lung cancer,” Josh said, pulling back.“He was never a smoker, but he coached hockey.The doctors think it was the fumes from the ice-cleaning equipment.He’s been the coach for as long as I can remember.Just about every kid who grew up here played hockey.Not all of them stuck with it, but everyone knows Coach.”
“It sounds like he was loved and respected.”
Josh nodded.“Very much.”
