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“No, you’re not a bad person.”
“And how do you figure that?”
“Because bad people don’t sit around and worry about being bad people. They don’t try to fix things, either. Not in earnest, anyways.”
Sawyer stared at her slack-jawed and she shrugged as if she hadn’t just said something earth-shatteringly wise. She didn’t even look smug about it.
“Do you realize how smart you are?” he asked.
She shrugged. “There’s a difference between being smart and being emotionally intelligent.”
“I’m neither, apparently.”
Josie sighed through her nose, her first sign of frustration. “Sawyer, grown adults who do breathing exercises to let off anger are, like, the definition of emotionally intelligent. Sostop,” and with that she flicked his forehead, right between the eyes, “being a baby andtalk to me.”
Sawyer stared at her while he rubbed his forehead. He’d probably look like he’d been stung by a bee with the force of her flick.
“You’d make a really good coach.”
“If this whole farming gig doesn’t work out. I might consider it.”
“Really?”
“I get to bully grown men and get paid for it? Sounds good to me.” Even as she said it, she couldn’t help but break out into a bashful grin because, honestly, who would ever consider Josie a bully?
Sawyer sighed and prepared to spill his guts.
“Luke hates me.”
“He does not,” Josie said simply.
“Well, he doesn’tlikeme. And hedefinitelyresents me.”
Josie made a face at that. “Well… maybe that’s a little more accurate.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not sugarcoating it, little miss glass half full.”
“I sugarcoat what I can. But I’m not an idiot. Luke has shared some feelings…”
The sentence drifted off, and Josie looked like she was physically biting her tongue like she’d said too much. But it only confirmed what Sawyer already knew.
“At least we both talk to you,” he said. “We have that in common.”
“Have you thought about, I don’t know, talking toeach other?”
Sawyer snorted, all of his own resentment and guilt and anger wrapped up into one sound.
“We’re Butlers,” he said. “We’re not very good at talking about our feelings.”
He’d meant it as a joke. Itshouldhave been a joke, a lighthearted quip to break the tension in a conversation that had suddenly become way too serious. But Sawyer had heard his own voice, and he could see the look on Josie’s face. It was pretty much the opposite of a joke. It might have been the most honest thing he’d ever said.
“You know,” said Josie, scratching her ear. “You usually get better at things by doing them.”
Despite himself, Sawyer felt a small smile on his lips. She really was the ultimate optimist.
