Page 67 of All in with the Maverick Montana

Josh glared at Shane. “Really?”

“Look, I didn’t tell them everything. The details are for you to disclose,” Shane reasoned. “I just needed some backup.”

“Because clearly you and Amy are having troubles,” Ryder said, “and it’s bumming you out, man.”

“It’s not bumming me out,” Josh muttered.

“You’re bummed.” Ryder took him by the cheeks and looked back at the others. “Isn’t this the face of a man who’s bummed?”

“Never seen anyone more bummed,” Noah agreed.

Josh shrugged him off. He wasn’t bummed. He was devastated, but he didn’t really want to get into that. The whole point of this job was to get his mind off Amy, not talk about her even more. “I can’t believe you brought these two fools with you,” he muttered to Shane.

“I can’t play relationship expert all by myself,” Shane told him as he grabbed a board from Josh’s truck and carried it over. “I needed someone with more experience getting rejected.” He dropped the board in place and nudged Ryder. “Right?”

Ryder scoffed. “Not funny, man.”

Shane steered Ryder in Josh’s direction. “Here is your walking, talking example of what not to do in these kinds of situations.”

“I’ll have you know, I’m happily single,” Ryder said. He gestured to Josh. “Does this man look happy to you? He’s way past my tried-and-true method of ‘get in and get out before the feelings get their hooks in you.’”

“Agreed,” Noah said, hammering nails into the board Shane had just placed. “He’s been hooked.”

Ryder set off for another board, and Shane leveled Josh with a stare. “I know this isn’t what you were expecting today,” he said, readjusting his Stetson. “But this way we get the bridge repaired faster, and maybe you’ll listen to someone else since clearly you didn’t take my brilliant advice.”

“What brilliant advice?” Josh said. “You gave me two options the other night. You said I could walk away or I could fight for her.”

Shane gave him a duh! look. “And what exactly are you doing?”

“Well, I’m… I’m…” Josh put his hands on his hips, staring off at the cattle in the distance. What the hell was he doing?

“That’s what I mean,” Shane said. “You clearly haven’t walked away from Amy. And you’re not over her. So why aren’t you out there trying to make this work?”

“Because I don’t know how to make this work,” Josh said with a grunt. He wasn’t a star-studded, high-rolling movie star, and he didn’t know how to prove to Amy that he could offer her more than Tru ever could. Tru would always be wealthier. He’d always be famous. He’d always be this baby’s biological father. And just because Amy had said that Tru walked away didn’t mean things were over between them. Tru could have a change of heart, decide he wanted to know his child, and maybe Amy would fall for that charming smile all over again.

“Look, it’s a little difficult to give you advice when I don’t know what’s going on,” Noah said.

Josh sighed. These were his best friends. And the news was bound to come out sometime. He trusted them enough to hold their tongues until it did. “She’s pregnant.”

Ryder barked a laugh, giving Josh’s shoulders a squeeze. “You two made quick work of that.”

“It’s not mine.”

“Damn,” Ryder said, his tone shifting from congratulatory to conflicted. “Sorry. I didn’t even think.”

“You don’t often before you open your mouth,” Noah said to him.

“No, it’s okay,” Josh cut in before Ryder could respond. “It was a shock to all parties involved.”

“So, that’s what this is all about, then?” Noah continued. “Why things are so complicated?”

“Exactly. I was serious about Amy. I am serious about her. But now there’s this baby and her ex, and I just don’t know where I fit into that picture.”

“So, the other guy’s still around?” Ryder said.

Josh hummed. “I mean… He was. But I’m not so sure anymore.”

“Has he asked you to back off?” Noah asked.