Page 102 of Home of the Brave

But it wasn’t what I wanted.

I didn’t want scattered video calls or texts. I wanted in-person. I wanted quality time. I wanted to be able to hold and touch and kiss him.

Erik reached out and took a sip of his drink.

Josh didn’t move.

I didn’t look up to see what Madi was doing.

An antipasto platter was placed in the middle of the table.

No one reached for it.

I lowered my head into my right hand, leaning away from Josh.

“Told you,” Erik whispered, and I looked over in time to see Josh glare at him.

“Told him what?” Madi asked before I could.

“That she was scared of getting hurt,” Erik crossed his arms, looking far too smug. “I knew that was the reason you pushed him away.” He looked at me. “You’re afraid of falling for him and the season being too much and not making it.”

“Yes.” I really didn’t like how easily he brushed it off, like it wasn’t a valid concern.

“So it’s not me?” Josh’s voice was quiet.

I summoned the courage to face him and wanted to take it all back, if only to keep that hurt and confusion from ever crossing his expression again. “No, Josh.”

“You work remotely, right?” Madi asked.

“I attend a weekly meeting when I’m home, but it’s not required. Most reporters remote in.”

“Then you could move, if you wanted,” she tried.

“Yes,” I admitted. “As long as I’m close to a major airport.”

“Like Salt Lake,” Erik wagged his brows. “It’s international and everything.”

“I would never ask you to move so we could try dating,” Josh gently placed his hand on my arm. “You don't need to even think along those lines.”

“But it would be one less obstacle.” Madi was trying and failing to contain her smile. “We have plenty of friends with rentals or open rooms.”

Josh closed his eyes and shook his head. “Guys, stop.”

“The seasons do overlap, so you’d be travelling when he’s travelling,” Madi ignored him.

“So we’d just not see each other from November to April or May?” Josh rubbed his thumb over the bone on my wrist. “I get it now. It's not the life or relationship she wants. It doesn’t sound all that great to me, either.”

Could he not be kind and understanding? It would make this a lot easier if he would be a jerk.

“What if you did remote interviews? Instead of going to the games,” Erik tried.

“Now you want her to uproot her life, move across the country, and give up the career she’s been working toward for years?” Josh ran his free hand through his hair, leaving it mussed in a distractingly attractive way. “I would never want that for her.”

“I’m just saying, if you want to be together, there’s a way,” he tried to argue.

“As long as she gives up everything, and I change nothing.” Josh’s patience seemed to be ending.

“You don’t decide where you live, when you play, or when you’re home,” Madi needlessly pointed out.