Maggie loved surprises—the good kind anyway—and the Carolina Beach State Park was definitely a good one. Happiness bloomed inside as Josh turned into the park. “I love this place. Haven’t been here in years.” The kids from her graduating class, including Erin, used to hang out by the Cape Fear River, eating junk food, gossiping, and goofing off.
“Hope you’re hungry. There’s a picnic in the trunk.”
“Well, aren’t you resourceful.” Not to mention romantic. She glanced at him from beneath her lashes. He was dressed as casual as she was in khaki shorts and a black T-shirt. He did very nice things for that tee. She cleared her throat. “I’m actually kind of starving. I took Zoey to McDonald’s for lunch and only had a salad, then we got caught up playing at the beach and before I knew it, it was time to get ready.”
“We’ll eat first then. There’s plenty of food. I thought we could take a short hike later if you want.”
“Perfect weather for it.” It was a balmy eighty degrees and partly cloudy.
The park’s two-lane road wove through the lush forest. He drove all the way to the back, past the marina, and turned at the lot for theSugarloaf Trailhead. A picnic table squatted unoccupied beneath a canopy of towering pines.
Maggie carried the tablecloth while Josh grabbed a genuine picnic basket from his trunk. He’d definitely made some dating upgrades since the old days. She used to tease him about it. He had one or two cheap restaurants to which he brought his dates, and the night usually ended at Baron’s Point, a quiet parking spot with ocean views.
“What’s that little smile about?” he asked as they settled at the table.
“I was just remembering your affinity for Baron’s Point.”
He smirked. “I hope you can see my repertoire has improved with age.”
“I’d have to agree.”
“It’s a little disconcerting dating someone who knows me so well.”
She laughed. “You know me just as well.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t use to be such an idiot.”
“Used to be?”
“Hey now...”
“And just in case you forgot, you got to see me being all dopey-eyed for your big brother.”
His expression sobered as something flared in his eyes, possibly hurt. He covered it with a smile. “True enough.”
She hadn’t meant to bring up Ethan. Josh had gone to all this effort to please her and here she was, bringing up her late husband before they could take their first bites. But Ethan had been his brother. He was there between them whether they wanted him to be or not.
Maybe it was better to get it out in the open. “I can’t change the past, you know.”
His expression softened. “I wouldn’t want you to, Mags. He was my brother and I loved him too. We’ll always have that in common.”
And yet, something else simmered under the surface of his expression. She wanted to set his mind at ease. “I don’t compare you with him—if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Yeah?” He gave a wry laugh as he began unpacking the basket. “That’s probably for the best. We were always very different, Ethan and me.”
Where Ethan had been all intellect and straitlaced, Josh was athletic and carefree. They’d come from a long line of mostly doctors and teachers. Their parents valued intellect above all else, and while Josh was smart in his own way, it hadn’t been in the way measured by academic tests. And his Bs and Cs didn’t impress his folks.
Oh, they supported him, attended his games. But it was always clear to Maggie that it was just a game to them, especially his dad. The love and adoration he received from his peers never seemed to balance out the fact that, to his dad, his performance on the field didn’t translate to real-life success.
Brad loved all his children. But when it came to his approval, Josh always seemed to come up a little short.
She leaned forward, put her hand on his, and waited until he looked at her. “You don’t fall short, Josh. Not with me. I can be having the worst day ever and you show up and make me smile. Or you hold me and let me cry it out with no expectations whatsoever. You have a way of bringing out my best. You just let me be me. And, Josh... that’s just the greatest gift ever.”
His lips lifted in a smile. “That might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
“It happens to be true.” She slid her hand away and they resumed unpacking the basket.
“Let’s not make Ethan a taboo subject, okay?” he said. “He was a big part of both our lives and he’ll always be a part of us.”
