news, he’d stayed at the office after hours to close a huge deal.
While he’d warned Olivia via text, he’d underestimated how late he would be. It seemed she’d sat there the entire forty-five minutes, seething and refusing to order food, just so she could reprimand him for his tardiness in front of a room full of people.
In hindsight, he should’ve sent another text or made a quick call. Or at the very least, done a better, more sincere job of apologizing, something he’d never been much good at.
After that, every tiny thing became an issue. Their future, their goals, their desires. How quickly they wanted those things. Money sat at the top of the list of items they argued about, so Josh would work harder, only to hear complaints that he was never home and didn’t spend enough time with her.
It hadn’t all been Olivia, though. The stress at work and constant pressure to earn more and advance through the ranks left him frazzled. Josh would come home short-tempered and snap at her.
That was the year he’d learned some things came at too great a cost.
They’d never made it to their six-year anniversary. Instead, he and Olivia had sat across from each other and divvied out their belongings like two rival teams determined to win, instead of two people who used to care deeply for each other.
Expelling a breath, Josh climbed out of his truck and fiddled with the collar of the button-down shirt he probably should’ve ironed.
The hostess greeted him with a wide, ultra-white smile. He mentioned meeting his sister and her husband, and she led him to where Jane and Nathan sat, a bottle of wine already uncorked. A loaf of crusty bread sat on a cutting board in the middle of the table. Josh’s stomach growled.
“Nathan.” He tipped his chin at his brother-in-law and then gave his sister a hug. “Hey, Janie. Good to see you.”
She embraced him extra tightly, conveying that she’d missed him as much as he’d missed her. Despite the fact that she was a decade younger than he was, they’d been close growing up. From the moment she’d shown up, he’d considered her his responsibility. Overprotective would be an understatement.
While Josh had practically interrogated Nathan at the onset of their relationship, the guy had been a good sport, not only winning him over but becoming a close friend. Best of all, Josh knew the guy would take care of his little sister, which eased his worries as he sailed off into the great wide open.
The charcuterie board in front of Jane held a couple of sweet pickles, and he popped one in his mouth as he settled in his chair. How nice of Jane to save them, knowing they were his favorite. He savored it and then opened the menu. “You guys already order your entrees?”
“Just the bread and the board,” Jane said. “I was famished and figured you’d be extra hungry after a week at sea.”
“Mmm,” he mumbled, debating which cut of steak to order, and he might as well surf-and-turf it and add shrimp. Even though there were plenty of fine restaurants along his chartered tour stops, he often spent dinnertime alone in his cabin. Because he lived cheaply most of the time, he could indulge here and there. It was a good system.
Once the waiter arrived, they placed their orders, and then Josh turned his attention to Nathan and Jane. “So, what’s new?”
“Funny you should ask.” Jane’s hand moved to her stomach. While her belly didn’t appear any bigger, the protective move spoke volumes.
“Say it,” Josh said.
“Sounds like you already know.”
“I have a rule about not asking women if they’re pregnant. I’m not going to risk offending you, of all people.”
Jane giggled. “You realize you already implied it, though, right?” Her smile widened, and happiness wafted off her in waves. “But yes, I’m pregnant.” She slipped her hand in the crook of Nathan’s elbow and rested her head on his shoulder. “We’re having a baby.”
“Wow. That’s…” A thrill fired through Josh as he imagined showing his niece or nephew the ropes on the sailboat. Teaching him or her how to sail and fish. It’d be healthy for Jane to leave her cares behind for a while and get out the water with him, too. “I’m so happy for you guys. Congrats.”
Their food arrived, and as they ate, they discussed her early-winter due date and how Mom and Dad had taken the news. No surprise—they were ecstatic. It lifted a weight