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I never realized how much I sacrificed for him until now.

“I started as a busboy at the restaurant,” Joshua continues, pulling me back to the present. “A way to save money for college. But then Mom got sick, so I came home to take care of her. Parker hired me back and was more than willing to work around all of Mom’s appointments.”

“How did you go from working at the restaurant to…this?” I wave my hand around the space.

“Over time, I became the person Parker could depend on whenever she needed something done or fixed.”

He dabs a small amount of ointment onto my knee, his brows knit in concentration.

It’s ridiculously attractive.

Which is annoying.

“Leaving college to take care of my mom ended up being a blessing in disguise.”

“How so?”

“It made me realize college wasn’t for me,” he explains, smoothing the bandage over my knee, his thumb brushing against the edge. I’m not sure he’s even aware he’s doing it, but I’m not about to tell him to stop.

Not when it’s the first gentle touch I’ve felt in so damn long.

“It may not be the most glamorous job, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I never know what each day will bring. One minute, I’m fixing heaters so the vendors don’t freeze to death in their booths. The next, I’m patching up a guest’s knee after she takes a tumble.” He winks, sliding my leg off his lap.

A chill envelops me the moment his touch is gone, but I shake it off as I rise to my feet. “Well, I appreciate it, but I should get going. I only meant to stop by to see the tree on my way to the high school for the championship game.” I steal a glance at the clock on the wall. “I’ll probably miss kickoff at this rate.”

“Just to see the tree?” He rises to his full height.

He looks even taller than he did last night. I’ve always been on the tall side, but Joshua easily has six inches on me.

“You weren’t planning on seeing your brother?” He crosses his arms over his chest.

“I… It’s just…” I stammer, unsure if it’s because I don’t know what to say or because the way his biceps strain against his shirt has stolen my ability to speak.

“When I was talking to him earlier, I mentioned you were home.” He says it carefully, as if gauging my response.

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath, rubbing my forehead. “I meant to call him to let him know I was in town.”

“I didn’t mean to spoil the surprise.” He pauses. “If it was supposed to be a surprise.”

“It wasn’t.” I let out a long sigh. “I’m still trying to figure out what to tell him. To tell everyone, really.” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.

“About what?”

A part of me wants to tell him everything. About my marriage. About the years spent trying to get pregnant. About living with a constant feeling of inadequacy. About how I drove more than a thousand miles because I couldn’t breathe in the same city as Wyatt anymore. Not after seeing the earrings I thought were a gift for me dangling from the ears of a younger version of myself.

God, it would be so nice to tell the truth to someone who won’t judge me.

But Joshua can’t be that someone.

“Nothing.” I flash a bright smile.

Just like I’ve always done.

“If you see Bennett again, tell him I’ll reach out later. After he gets out of work. Thanks again for patching me up.”

I practically run from his office and hurry along the path toward the parking lot, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other so I don’t trip again.

But it’s harder than I expected.