Martha reached for the salt. “I could find a doctor if we needed one.”

But she too, wanted Josh to continue with them on the trip, even more so now that she understood how much this journey meant to him. He shouldn’t be on his own for this, should he? It was clear he was finding it difficult. He might need a friend and he seemed a little like Kathleen—so used to handling life’s challenges on his own that he didn’t know how to reach out. And if he continued alone, who would step into his brother’s shoes and nudge him to do the things he wouldn’t normally do?

She was going to stop thinking about his job and that he was so successful in his business. Just like Kathleen, there was a person behind the success. A human being, who felt all the same things every person felt. He was a man grieving for his brother. A confused man, who somehow felt he’d let his brother down.

A person wasn’t defined by their job, and she was going to keep reminding herself of that.

They finished their meal and returned to the car.

Filled with a sense of purpose, Martha slid into the driver’s seat. “You’re lucky to be traveling with us, Josh. You probably haven’t heard, but I’m a great driver.”

“I heard that.” He slid into the passenger seat. “I heard that roundabouts and reversing are your favorite things, so I’ll try and find a route that gives us plenty of both.”

“Very funny.”

He smiled at her and her heart bumped hard against her chest. He’d smiled at her before, of course, but this was different. This smile was slower, intimate, the type of smile shared between two people who knew each other.

Her insides did an elaborate dance that included a spin and possibly a pirouette.

No, Martha. No, no, no. Yes, she felt sympathy, yes he was sexy—but none of that changed the fact that Josh Ryder was absolutely not her type.

He was a planner. She was spontaneous. Maybe she should embrace that side of herself instead of constantly trying to shape herself into the person others wanted her to be. She was never going to be the corporate type. She was more like Red Ryder, living life in the moment.

But Josh thought she was wise.

Wise.

Martha focused on the road. She was conscious of Josh in the seat next to her, his knee within touching distance and his hand resting close to hers. It made it hard to concentrate.

She kept thinking of Kathleen, so bruised by her early experience of love that she’d kept herself at a safe distance from emotions until she’d met Brian. She was urging Martha not to make the same mistake.

Martha didn’t want to have regrets.