If Tomorrow Never Comes

By Lisa Chalmers

How hard would you fight for the one you love? 

Josh Collins has the perfect life—a beautiful girlfriend and a baby on the way, until an accident takes his life. 

Avery Rhodes' world imploded the moment she lost Josh. Her life and future unravelled in an instant. Alone and pregnant, she finds herself facing an unimaginable, turbulent and painful new reality.

With his newfound guide Gabriel, Josh is witness to the unintended consequences of his death, until he can't take it anymore. He has to fight for everything and everyone he loves.

Together, Josh and Avery are forced to learn what happens IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rebel Heart Ink
• Release date: Jun 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9780987880529

Book preview

Chapter 1

The soft click of the radio as it turned on stirred his senses. Josh Collins pulled the pillow over his head, desperate to block out the sound of the music coming from the nightstand a few feet away. Every moment it grew louder, pulling him further from the sweet confines of sleep. He felt Avery move beside him before she rolled away, and the lost contact with her body woke him up more than the sudden disturbance of the music ever had.

His eyes were still closed as he batted the pillow away and reached out, his fingers fumbling to hit the off button before it could wake her. The DJ announced it was going to be yet another beautiful day in the city of Tampa Bay. He hit the button and the room suddenly plunged back into silence.

He pulled the pillow over his face, breathing easily as he tried to wake himself up.

Josh… Avery’s voice was sleepy, muffled by the blanket she’d pulled up over her head earlier.

He set the pillow aside and rolled closer to her, moving the blanket back to kiss the smooth skin of her neck. Go back to sleep.

You sure?

Positive, he assured her, smiling to himself when she didn’t say another word, just slid deeper under the covers.

For a moment, he simply lay there, waiting to wake up fully before getting out of bed. His grogginess seemed especially hard to get rid of that morning. Maybe he just didn’t want to leave her. Rubbing his eyes one more time, he pushed himself out of bed with a yawn. He had a long drive ahead of him for that hour of the morning to meet up with his brothers for a few days in Orlando.

Josh kept the room as dark as possible as he grabbed his jeans and a clean t-shirt from the walk-in closet, wincing as the door squeaked. Risking a quick glance at the bed, he smiled in relief that she hadn’t stirred, her form still sound asleep beneath the blankets. He slung his clothes over his arm, grabbed his watch and wallet from the dresser and headed down the hall for a shower and shave, not wanting to risk waking her by using the bathroom off the bedroom.

An hour later, he loaded his lone suitcase into the back of the SUV. A funny feeling washed over him as he slammed the trunk down. He couldn’t explain the feeling, a strange draw to return to the house. Had he forgotten to shut the coffee pot off? He scratched the back of his neck. What the heck, one last check around wouldn’t hurt. He clicked the button on the remote to lock up the SUV and hurried back up the path to the house, frowning as a cloud passed in front of the sun. The clouds overhead weren’t exactly following the predicted path for a beautiful day, but maybe they’d dissipate, only causing a mild disturbance. That wasn’t unusual for Tampa Bay weather.

Josh checked the kitchen one last time. The coffee pot was off, the phone’s ringer was set on low. Avery’s cell phone still sat on the charger in the kitchen, its charging light blinking off and on. His sat right beside it. He shook his head with a chuckle and a sense of relief as he picked up the small phone and slid it into his front jeans pocket. That explained that odd feeling that he needed to return to the house. Seeing a note Avery had written to herself next to the phone, he moved it to the fridge door and headed back upstairs for one last peek at his girlfriend. She lay in the middle of the bed, hugging the oversized teddy bear he’d put in his spot when he’d grabbed his suitcase earlier. He smiled to himself as he headed to the dresser and grabbed one of the loose sheets of paper on her side. Scribbling down a few words, he left it sticking out from beneath his pillow. I’ll see you in a week, beautiful.

Half an hour later, he was on the road. The luke-warm coffee, the last remains of his drive-thru breakfast, sat in the cup holder in the console beside him. His fingers tapped along to the beat of the song blaring through the speakers. The driver’s window was down, the wind rushing over him.

The clouds hadn’t gone away. In fact a weather warning was coming into effect, a severe thunderstorm no one had predicted was due to hit the area at any time.

Josh checked the clock. If he kept going at the rate he was, with any luck he’d make it to his destination before the weather got really bad. Using the control on the steering wheel, he turned the radio down and cast another glance at the clock. It wasn’t even an hour since he’d left the city limits.

He frowned as the clouds overhead became darker and more ominous at an alarming rate. The wind streaming through the window took on an uncomfortable chill, and he rolled the window almost all the way up before focusing his attention back on the stretch of highway ahead of him. There wasn’t a lot of traffic yet, thank God. Most people were probably afraid of the bad weather and decided to wait it out at home. For a brief instant he wondered if he should do the same thing, turn around, go back to Avery and wait until the storm passed.

But he was already over halfway into the trip. He reached down and took a long sip of his coffee. He might as well make sure he was wide awake for the rest of the drive.

Within minutes, the dark clouds overhead opened up, the rain quickly changing from a few sporadic drops to sheets that hazed out his entire line of sight.

Narrowing his eyes, he tried to focus on the road, hoping the storm would clear up in a matter of minutes and he’d be able to drive through the worst unscathed. A few more miles and he could be out of the worst of it, leaving it well behind him. He eased up on the gas, aware of the beams of headlights fighting through the haze ahead of him. A quick check in his rearview mirror showed more lights behind him. Traffic was picking up. If the rain continued at that rate, he probably ought to find a place to stop at the side of the road and wait for the worst to pass over.

He barely made out the sign that showed the distance left to Orlando. The windshield wipers raced to keep up with the amount of rain blurring his view through the windshield. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel, his shoulders tensed as he tried to keep the wheels steady on the curve of road. The rain wasn’t slacking. It was getting worse.

Without warning the screeching of metal and the sound of glass shattering filled his ears. The vehicle ricocheted violently and his body lurched forward then was abruptly thrown backward as the airbag thrust against him. For an instant, everything was suddenly, painfully still before plunging into complete darkness.

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Josh.

He squeezed his eyes shut even tighter at the unfamiliar male voice saying his name. He wanted whoever it was to go away. He didn’t want to be disturbed. Just let him be.

Josh… There it was again, more insistent than the first time. More commanding, punctuated by a small gentle shove to his shoulder.

His eyes felt heavy, and he had to concentrate to force them open, not sure what he expected to find. His vision was hazy at first, and he blinked, trying to get things to come into focus. A ringing shrieked in his head, a very loud ringing that was worse than any post concert noise he’d ever experienced. Then came a pounding. The faintest hints of a memory.

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to think back. The screeching of metal, the impact of a collision. He’d been in an accident. The first thought rocked him. He’d been in the vehicle. He’d hit…something, someone? A wave of nausea washed over him. He shouldn’t have gone. He should have stayed home.

He opened his eyes again, and they finally managed to stay that way. Instead of what he expected to find, the crumpled remains of his vehicle, or the pasty ceiling of a hospital room, he faced marble.

He jumped up, almost falling off the hard bench he was lying on. The palest cream marble surrounded him on all sides. He staggered to his feet, his equilibrium off. A figure stood a few feet ahead of him. A man a little older than him, clad in head to toe beige, his hands clasped in front of him as he watched Josh with what looked like a small amount of amusement. His gentle brown eyes met Josh’s, and he nodded in acknowledgement.

What happened? Where am I? Who are you?

The man stepped forward, putting a hand on Josh’s arm to help right him as he shifted uneasily. I’m Gabriel. Where do you think you are?

He swallowed the lump in his throat he hadn’t even known was there. He tilted his head and took in his surroundings. Everything was that same marble. The floors. The ceiling. The walls. Silent. Still. Nothing. Yet a strange sense of peace filled him. A peace that truly scared him. He licked his suddenly dry lips. I’m afraid to think.

A gentle smile crossed the stranger’s face, causing that peaceful feeling to intensify. Against all reason, Josh’s worry ebbed. Come with me.

He began to walk away, his feet soundless on the cool marble. Josh hesitated a moment before following down the long corridor. Not a single door. Not a window. No artificial lighting anywhere. Yet the place was as brightly lit as the sunniest summer day. They reached the end of the hallway and turned right where they finally passed another figure. Josh slowed his pace, hoping to make contact with someone else, get a hint of where he was and why he was there, but the man passed them by without so much as a glance. Josh turned his head and watched the figure disappear behind them.

Stopping near the end of the hallway, Gabriel pushed open a hidden door and ushered Josh inside without a word.

Josh stopped in the doorway. He peeked in carefully, unsure of what he’d find. The room matched the hallway. All marble. All clean. Neat. Sterile, really. Behind a long glass conference table sat a small group of three people, two men and a woman all in similar clothing to Gabriel’s. By their expectant looks, he got the impression they’d been waiting for him.

Go on, Gabriel urged as he gave Josh the gentlest nudge forward.

Josh moved slowly, the door closing silently behind him. A faint whoosh of air followed him in. He moved to the middle of the room, unsure of a lot of things all of a sudden. He cleared his throat as he met each of their gazes. Hello.

The lone woman at the table, her blonde hair vaguely reminiscent of Avery’s, nodded. Hello, Josh.

He studied each face. Calm. Serene. Not giving anything away as they stared back at him. How do you know my name?

We know a lot of things about you.

Like the accident? He scratched his elbow, and for the first time noticed his clothes. Gone were the jeans and shirt he’d worn when he’d left the house that morning. They’d been replaced with a pair of white linen pants and a matching button down shirt. Did someone pick him up on the road? Maybe they’d taken him to some sort of hospital, but this was like no hospital he’d ever been in before. And shouldn’t he have some injury from the accident? A gash or something? The impact had felt brutal, a flash of color outside the windows as he’d been thrown backward. The pounding of rain on the windshield seconds before he heard the glass shatter somewhere around him. Then came that darkness, that eerie stillness that was repeated here.

Where was he?

He reached up and touched his forehead, prepared to feel the telltale signs of a bandage or stitches of some kind. Instead there was nothing but the smoothness of his skin. He slowly lowered his hand.

The three seated behind the table scrutinized him as if they were capable of reading his thoughts. Where am I?

The man seated in the middle was amused by his question. I think you know.

Trust me, I don’t.

You’re dead, Josh. As of 8:26 this morning.

A rushing sound blocked out the rest of the man’s words. Josh shook his head emphatically. Say that again. He didn’t trust his hearing. Didn’t trust any of this. He had a concussion. That was it. He was probably safe and sound and on the way to the hospital in an ambulance right now, sirens wailing, paramedics taking care of him while his mind transported him to some sort of delusional world. Any minute now, he’d wake up. Any minute. Any time.

You died this morning, the woman said. You never survived the accident. It was painless. It was quick. For the best really. You didn’t linger or suffer.

I can’t be… He dug his nails into his palms. Pain burned through his nerves. There! That proved he was alive. These people were nuts. You’re mistaken somehow. Look, I get this. This is a joke, right? He smiled hopefully, meeting each of their gazes.

Not one cracked a smile. Not a single emotion played across any of their faces.

Okay, I know I pulled some pranks in my time, but this one, this truly takes the cake. So, good one, you got me. Ha, ha, ha. Come on out. He spun in a circle, praying for his brothers to walk out from behind the door and clap him on the back, laughing how they’d really gotten him good this time. Telling him how gullible he was. He circled a second time, waiting, needing for someone to tell him this was a mistake.

Gabriel approached and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He leaned in close. It’s all right. Sometimes, many times, this comes as a shock.

A shock?

This was more than a shock. This was inexplicable.

I don’t… Josh paused. "This isn’t right. I can’t be dead. I can’t."

He looked at the man in front of him. Who were these people anyway?

But you are dead. The woman at the table spoke, her voice calm and level, lacking any true emotion. The accident this morning was the end of everything.

No. No, it’s not. Josh’s voice rose, a level of desperation seeping into it as he considered the possibility they were telling him the truth. But wouldn’t he feel it, wouldn’t there have been a sign somehow, a knowing when he’d first opened his eyes? All he’d had was confusion. There’d been no tunnel, no bright lights, nothing like he’d ever heard about. Just a hard bench and Gabriel standing there waiting for him.

His mind flew back to Avery that morning, lying there so peacefully, her hand resting over the baby. He always woke up with his hand over hers except that morning. He shook his head, trying to get everything to make some sort of sense, something which seemed impossible. I can’t be dead. I’m going to be a father. He raised his eyes to look at them, but they didn’t seem the least bit fazed by the news. I need to be there for her, I can’t leave her alone. He met Gabriel’s gaze beside him and saw a flicker of sympathy.

The fact he’d never hold Avery again or ever have a chance to hold their child hit him all at once. It was overwhelming. His body swayed as hot tears burned like liquid fire behind his eyes, and he wanted to hit something, to do something, to feel something, not this nothingness he suddenly found himself in.

Are you all right?

No! Josh yelled, expecting his voice to echo off the chamber like walls. Instead it fell flat, barely reverberating at all.

One of the men on the panel gazed at him quietly, his pale blue eyes assessing, measuring. Josh wondered again if they could read his mind. For some reason, he had the feeling if anyone could, it would be that man.

This wasn’t your time. Far from it actually. The man leaned forward. Perhaps we’ll be able to send you back.

That was the first good news he had heard.

However, you’ll need to plead your case.

All of Josh’s thoughts suddenly stopped as the implications hit him. My case? What was there to plead? He had a family to go back for. A baby. A woman he loved. A future he had all planned out, one that made him wake up every morning with a smile on his face. All those plans he made, the ones he’d never quite managed to tell her about. The ones that had him vowing to take care of her each and every day of her life.

And now what had he done?

Taken a stupid risk driving in a storm and lost it all

You’ll have time to prepare. To think things through. Present a logical and just…

Josh blinked. He didn’t need to think things through. He needed to tell them what he knew, what he felt in his heart. What he had to live for. That there were people who depended on him. That this was ludicrous. If this wasn’t his time, and he’d clearly just been told that, then do whatever it was they needed to do and send him back. Time couldn’t have moved that quickly. It didn’t feel like all that long had passed since he’d been in the accident. Send him back right now, and he’d probably still be spinning in his vehicle, the tires not getting any traction across the slick surface.

I don’t need time. I can do this now. He was adamant. He’d make them understand. No one could be that coldhearted once they heard about Avery and the baby that they’d keep him there a moment longer than they had to.

Gabriel’s hand tightened on Josh’s arm, just enough to make him stop what he was about to do, open his mouth and plead.

Don’t rush it, Gabriel advised quietly.

Why?

Trust me.

Trust him? A complete and utter stranger? Josh’s gaze moved from the hand on his arm to the man’s eyes. There was an understanding there. A silent urging. Josh relented, a sense of defeat simmering beneath the surface. What happens…?

To everyone else?

Josh nodded. He didn’t even want to think about what he was about to hear.

Gabriel removed his hand. Life continues on without you. They’ll be informed of your death and everything that involves. If you’re allowed back, life will restart all over again this morning. They won’t remember a thing. None of the events of your sudden passing will have ever happened. It’ll be wiped clean.

Josh swallowed, contemplating the words. And me?

Whole. Full of life.

And I’ll remember? Could he deal with that, having to remember every single painful excruciating moment away from those who meant the world to him?

Nothing. Just a blurry haze of a dream. He waved his hand in the air. A vague notion, maybe. Any traces will fade over time.

Josh bit his lip, thinking things through. He had no choice. He had to do whatever it was that would give him the best chance to go back. He had to. Even though every fiber of his being wanted him to go over to that table and scream, yell, flip it upside down and do something to make those people show emotion, he knew it would only hurt his supposed case. He needed to be rational. And rational was giving himself time to cool off. To think things through. To take whatever guidance this stranger offered.

Have you come to a decision? The woman’s voice floated across the room.

Josh nodded, taking one last look at Gabriel. An understanding seemed to pass between the two of them, and Gabriel took a step back.

You’ll be able to have visitation during the adjustment period while you prepare your case, the second man on the panel said, speaking up for the first time.

Josh tried to keep his composure by focusing on the fact that he hadn’t been outright denied, but his heart kept saying it wasn’t enough. That’s fair.

Gabriel, you’ve been through this before, you can help him prepare.

Of course. Gabriel nodded, a small smile of reassurance on his face as he turned to Josh, and suddenly Josh realized they were being dismissed.

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Where the hell is he? Josh’s oldest brother Blake asked as he looked out the front window again for the umpteenth time. Josh was over an hour late. Not that unusual in itself, but there’d been no reply to any of the texts or phone calls the two of them had made in the last half hour. He leaned forward, adjusting the blinds to reveal more of the threatening black clouds overhead. Seriously…

Maybe he pulled over somewhere. He knows better than to drive in this, his youngest brother Alec commented from behind him. Hell, maybe he never even left the house. Probably sound asleep snuggled up to Avery right about now.

Then why isn’t he answering his cell?

Maybe the battery’s dead. It’d be just like him to sleep in, and if the battery’s dead, he wouldn’t even know we’re sitting around waiting for him to show up.

Blake shook his head, not leaving his perch beside the window. There was something wrong. He could feel it in his bones. Josh wasn’t sleeping in. He wasn’t being immature and forgetting to charge his cell phone. He wasn’t playing hooky. He’d call. He would. He knew his brother, his best friend, better than anyone.

In the far distance he saw the lights of a police car as it made its way down the street, and somehow some part of him knew. His knees buckled, and he slapped his hand against the window sill, trying to find a way to stay upright. Oh God, no.

The last thing Blake wanted to do was walk toward the door. The doorbell rang a second time, and he swallowed the fear that was collecting in his throat. It had been the most painful few moments of his life watching the police car slow to a stop in front of the condo. His hand grasped the doorknob one extra second before he opened the door. A uniformed officer stood there, a solemn expression on his face.

Alec walked over behind him, and he was suddenly glad for his youngest brother’s presence. What’s going on?

At least he could manage the words Blake couldn’t. Fear had stolen his voice and rendered him useless, a shell.

Can I come in? the officer asked.

Please. Blake’s voice was hoarse, fear taking over.

They moved back, and the officer stepped in. Alec motioned him toward the living room, giving Blake a questioning look before he followed. Blake shrugged and moved quickly behind them into the room.

The officer stood, shifting his weight nervously for a moment as he looked between the two. Blake Collins?

Blake nodded. That’s me.

The officer turned to him. I’m sorry to have to inform you, your brother Josh was in a serious car accident about two hours ago. We believe he died on impact.

It took Blake a moment to realize the scream he heard was his own. A few feet away Alec sank down to the floor, his eyes wide.

Blake stood there frozen. He swore he could feel all the air being pulled from his body. He struggled to speak. Who else have you told? His body shook, images of Josh flashing through his mind. His best friend, his little brother was gone? Dead? How could that be?

There’s been no answer at his residence. We immediately began searching for next of kin. You were listed in his phone.

Blake nodded, knowing it was better they’d called him first before their parents. He ran a hand over his hair, trying to process everything. His mind was blank. It was painful to think. Painful to breathe. Thank you, thank you for finding me and telling me in person.

The officer held out a card. This is my number if you need me.

Blake took the card automatically. He walked the officer to the door in a complete daze, his feet moving almost of their own accord. He barely knew he shook the man’s hand before closing the door after him. His entire world had collapsed in mere moments around him. It seemed like he was in some strange foreign auto pilot mode as he went back to the living room.

Alec hadn’t moved from where he’d collapsed on the floor, his bottom lip still trembling as he sat completely still. Everything felt freeze framed at a horrible moment. Blake’s mouth was as dry as a desert, his mind as blank as it had ever been. There should have been words to comfort his youngest sibling, words to say how he felt, but there was nothing except a strange, hollow numbness that seemed to overtake him from the inside out.

Alec turned to him suddenly, his eyes glossy. His mouth moved but no words formed. Finally his voice returned, soft and hoarse. Avery… Her name was like a physical blow to Blake’s chest. His heart lurched as he thought of her, probably still sound asleep, blissfully unaware her whole world was about to fall apart. What about Avery? Alec’s voice grew louder, his eyes searching Blake’s face for an answer. An answer Blake didn’t have. An answer he wished would come to him.

Who…who’s going to tell…she’s going to…oh God, the baby… Alec rambled, his voice shaky, hardly making any sense as he went from one realization to another. He trailed off as the emotions became too much and he brought his legs up, resting his head against his knees as he began to sob, gut wrenching sobs that heaved his whole lean body.

Blake sank to the floor beside him and wrapped his arms tightly around his younger brother as his own tears started to fall. The numbness began to give way, quickly changing to pain. It’ll be okay, Alec, it’ll be okay, he promised as they rocked back and forth and Blake prayed he wasn’t lying.

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Numbly Josh followed Gabriel from the room, ignoring the urge to look back at them over his shoulder. He waited till they were out in the abandoned hallway to speak. None of this was real. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible.

I sense you have a lot of questions, Gabriel said, his dark eyes watchful as he waited for Josh to speak.

A lot doesn’t begin to cover it.

I’m listening.

First, who are those people? He pointed back toward the door. A panel? That didn’t mesh with anything he’d ever heard of before. If he was really and truly dead, what about a tunnel or some gates or something of the sort? Or better yet, waking up and finding himself at home, nestled under the blankets after the worst nightmare of his life?

Gabriel’s smile made him wonder if his new friend—guide?—couldn’t read his mind. He hoped he wasn’t fluent in telepathy. He wasn’t sure Gabriel could handle the thoughts going around in his head. The panel oversees things.

Like what?

Like newbies, incoming incidents that weren’t all in the plan.

The plan?

Gabriel nodded.

Josh spun on his heel and walked a few steps away before turning around and catching up to him again. Even his footsteps were silent. The silence here was overwhelming, like everything had been soundproofed before his arrival. He idly wondered if he yelled, if it would even register. It seemed like the whole place permeated a sense of tranquility. I wasn’t in the plan, is that what you’re telling me?

In the grand—

Scheme of things?

The corner of Gabriel’s mouth twitched up into a smile. In the way things were laid out, this incident, this little accident of yours wasn’t meant to take your life.

Good, then you can reverse it somehow. Who do we see about that?

Gabriel sighed and shook his head. It isn’t that easy.

You just said it was.

I didn’t say that at all.

But you said it wasn’t in the plan.

That’s right, it wasn’t. He held his hand up, as if that would silence Josh’s argument. But things work differently here than you’re used to.

So I’m seeing, Josh muttered. He ran a hand over his hair, the familiar gesture doing nothing to help settle his nerves. What did they mean you’ve been through this before?

Gabriel kept walking. Just what they said, I’m not new to the process. You’re not my first…

You’ve helped people go back?

Gabriel stopped. It’s not an easy process, Josh. You can’t just go in and say it’s a mistake, send me back. Once a change is made, millions of other things follow. Sometimes it’s a better outcome…sometimes not.

A better outcome? The idea seemed ludicrous to Josh. How could anything be better without him there?

Sometimes. You can’t concern yourself with that, though. You need to watch, observe. Be with your loved ones and see what you can use as an argument. Just remember, we can’t influence anything right now, no matter what is happening.

I get it. Josh was getting antsy to get out of wherever it was they were. He hadn’t actually asked and Gabriel hadn’t volunteered any info. Was it a waiting area? Had he found his way to some sort of limbo? And why hadn’t he really seen anyone else? Maybe they preferred to keep all these cases separate, afraid they’d conspire together and come up with a really good argument to be sent back.

Can we go now? he asked, starting down the hallway, passing by Gabriel. He just wanted to get away from the panel and that complete sense of unease they gave him. For a man who was used to being in control of his own life, suddenly finding out he had no say over anything was a hard adjustment to make.

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Avery rolled over, still half asleep. Her hand reached out to the empty side of the bed, toward where Josh should be, but her fingers came into contact with nothing but a cool sheet of paper. Her eyes fluttered open, and she pushed herself up, wiping the sleep away. Still too sleepy to read the writing on the paper, she set the note on the nightstand for later. She grabbed her robe from the hook behind the door and headed downstairs to make something to eat, hoping it would be one of her better days with little or no morning sickness. Maybe she’d manage more than half a slice of dry toast and break her record for the week. For a moment she wondered what time it was and if Josh had met up with his brothers yet. Maybe she’d send him a quick text when she was done with breakfast, just to check how the traffic was and tell him about her record setting breakfast and say I love you.

Josh was already in the kitchen when she walked in. Her eyes still held that familiar sleepiness, and he knew she wasn’t anywhere near fully awake. He reached his hand out to touch her as she passed by him to grab a glass from the cupboard. He watched in awe as his hand went right through her, a pins and needles feeling rushing up his arm.

They’re on their way to tell her, Gabriel said from across the room. He tilted his head and studied Avery for a moment as she went about her morning routine in the kitchen, completely unaware of the scrutiny she was under. She pulled the bag of whole wheat bread from the bread box and took out two slices, setting them in the toaster. She’s very pretty.

Josh nodded, fighting back his tears.