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"He’s also deterer, he was incredibly focused Talent is never enough Drive is just as iainst the sofa "Is there a ‘but’ in that sentence?"

"No I think Josh is very special He needs so to risk our new relationship by saying you do, as well"

"I want that," she admitted "But I’m not sure about Josh"

"Because the rumors about his talents are overrated?" Marsha’s lips twitched as she asked the question

"Are you trying to find out about my love life?"

"Only in the broadest sense I think too hed "You’re right No, the ru with hieous"

"Now I’erous The whole faht star in the world I want my life to be anchored here I want normal"

"Josh is very normal and this is his hoain? What happens if he ain I’ I don’t want that If it o for it But I’m not interested in soood about himself"

"Is that what you think he wants?"

"I’m not sure," Charity admitted "But I’m worried about it I want to be in a relationship where I’m the most important person in someone’s life I want to feel the sa crowd"

"Maybe you wouldn’t have to"

"Maybe" Charity was less sure "For now, it’s not an issue We’re getting to know each other"

Marsha sins"

AFTER JOSH FINISHED working out with the team, he went back to the hotel and showered When he was dressed, he glanced at the clock Charity wouldn’t leave work for another couple of hours He could go into his office, but he wasn’t in thethe sidewalk, no destination in n for a familiar business

Hendrix Construction had been around for about forty years Ethan’s grandfather had started the company, and his father had taken it over a decade later When they’d been kids, Ethan had sworn he wasn’t going to follow anyone into the faraduated froe, his father had died unexpectedly As the oldest son, it fell to hi

Maybe Ethan had planned for one of his brothers to join him or buy him out, but that hadn’t happened Nearly ten years later, Ethan ran both the construction and the wind He could see several people inside and wondered if Ethan was one of them For all he knew his former friend could be at a job site or out at the wind plant Still, he could walk over and find out

He took a step, then stopped Not counting the phonetime since he’d talked to Ethan Over ten years He wasn’t sure what to say The truth was he hadn’t done anything wrong Ethan’s injury wasn’t his responsibility or his fault So why did he feel so daet the answer, he crossed the street and walked into the office

Nevada Hendrix, one of Ethan’s sisters, sat on the reception desk, her feet dangling Her jeans and T-shirt were sed with plaster dust, her boots worn and practical, rather than a fashion stateestured intensely as she spoke

"You couldn’t be"About all of it If you would just shut up and--" She raised her head and saw Josh "Dear God!"

She jumped off the desk and stared at him "You’re here"

"In the flesh Is he here?"

He didn’t have to tell Nevada who he estured toward the rear of the building

"I can find it," he told her, then pointed to the receiver she held "You’re still on a call"

"What? Oh" She returned her attention to the call

He walked between the desks, which were ineers and sales staff would be out calling on custoe lunch roo printers, and a single door with Ethan’s name on it Josh knocked once, then pushed it open

Ethan sat behind his desk, working on his computer His expression was intense as he used his mouse

"Not my problem," he said, his attention still on the screen "I don’t care about your engineering degree You’re wrong about the bridge and I’ht I had a business degree"

Ethan looked up He raised his eyebrows "I thought you were Nevada"

"Apparently"

Ethan motioned to the seat across from his desk, saved his work, then faced Josh "This is a surprise"

"For"I came to talk to you"

Ethan stared at him, his expression unreadable "So talk"

Now that he was here, Josh didn’t knohat to say He’d had ten years to plan for this conversation and the hell of it was, he couldn’t remember half of what had happened between thees," he said "First every few et in touch with you"

Ethan’s left eyebrow raised "The effort was veryfor you to man up and come see me in person"

"Here I aone, Josh You’d been a part of my life, a part of my family’s life and then you just disappeared Do you kno that ut roll "No, but I knoas bad"

"Worse than bad Moodda career"

Josh wished there was a nearby rock Crawling under it would feel better than this

"I fked up," he admitted

"You sure did"

They stared at each other

"The accident wasn’t my fault," Josh said at last "You ran into o down, too"

Ethan leaned back in his chair, but didn’t speak

"You got hurt," Josh continued "It happens You reat life Look at this place It’s what, double the size it hen your dad ran it? And the windiving anything ahich really pissed Josh off He stood