My hand skimmed along Wren’s hip as I slid the plate of poached eggs and toast in front of her. My lips ghosted her hair as I breathed in the scent I loved above all others—mountain air and a hint of gardenia. I’d never get tired of it.
Wren tipped her head back to look up at me, a smile teasing her lips. “Are you gonna sit?”
I gave her a long, slow kiss, my tongue seeking hers. “I’m having a hard time not touching you.”
She smiled wider against my mouth, then reached over and pulled the second stool so that it was practically flush with hers. “Problem solved.”
“I like the way you think.” I slid onto the stool, and my thigh pressed against Wren’s. “How do you feel?” I hadn’t missed the ibuprofen and Tylenol next to her plate.
Wren made a face. “Like I took a tumble. But nothing too bad.”
My eyes narrowed on her.
She rolled hers. “Calm yourself, oh, overprotective one.”
With everything we’d been through lately, that would take time. The deepening bruise on the side of Wren’s face didn’t help.
“You know, it could give a girl a complex if you keep scowling at her like that.”
I circled a finger around Wren’s face. “I hate this.”
Wren burst out laughing. “Gee, thanks.”
The sound was the best thing I’d ever heard. She’d chuckled in my presence since I’d been back, even laughed some, but I hadn’t heard that full-out, from-the-soul laughter in ten years. God, it was heaven.
I leaned over and took her mouth. “You laughing at me?”
She nipped my lip. “Definitely. Your romanticism knows no bounds.”
I skimmed my fingers gently over the darkening skin. “This is what I hate. I’m so sorry, Wren.”
Her hand curved around my arm, squeezing. “The bruises will fade. My ribs will heal. I’d pay that price a million times over if it meant ending up here.”
My chest gave a painful squeeze. The good kind. “Love you, Cricket.”
“Love you, too.”
“Gonna need you to say that at least ten times a day for a while.”
She chuckled. “Don’t you think ten is a little extreme?”
“You’re right. Twenty is better.”
Wren’s laughter filled the air as my phone rang. I reached for it on the counter. “It’s Law.”
The laughter died on Wren’s lips. “Answer.”
“Hey. Everything okay?”
“That’s my line, isn’t it?” Lawson asked.
“Just trying to spread the concern around.”
“Fair enough. Got two things for you.”
My fingers tightened around my phone as I lowered it and tapped a button. “All right. You’re on speaker with me and Wren.”
Lawson let out a long breath, and I heard the bone-deep fatigue in it. “County techs came in early this morning so they could run ballistics.”
“And?” I pressed.
“The handgun wasn’t a match. But the rifle we pulled from Joe’s trunk is the same one used in the Peterson shooting.”
“Prints?”
“Looks like it was wiped clean, or Joe was using gloves. But our chain of custody is tight, so we should be good.”
Sorrow etched itself in Wren’s face. “Is he talking to you?”
That was my Cricket. She needed to understand the why. Her empathy was so ingrained, she felt for those who had done the worst to her.
Lawson sighed. “Not a word. To us or his lawyer.”
We would likely never know the why. We might get pieces but never the whole picture. Sometimes, a person’s mind simply twisted. And Joe had been living with the derision of so many in this town for too long. The fact that we were coming up on the tenth anniversary only added to it all.
“What’s the second thing?” I asked.
“Got a favor.”
“Name it.”
After everything Lawson had done for us, I’d give him anything.
The sound of shuffling papers came across the line. “We got a call from out of state. A girl who’s been backpacking up here didn’t check in with her parents when she was supposed to. They have the coordinates for where she would have likely been over the past twenty-four hours. Asked if someone could go look for her. They’re sick with worry.”
“Backpacking alone?”
Lawson let out a huff. “Don’t get me started. It was some walkabout after she broke up with a boyfriend.”
It was beyond reckless. Anything could happen in these mountains, and if you weren’t prepared, it could be deadly. “What do you need from me?”
“It’s a wide area, and it needs to be searched. With everything going on down here, I can’t leave to help. A few others on the team can’t get off work today either. Can you go with Nash?”
My gaze automatically pulled to Wren. The last thing I wanted to do was leave her. She’d been through too much in the past twenty-four hours. “I don’t think—”
“He’ll meet Nash at the station,” Wren cut in.
“Cricket…”
She smiled at me. “Grae’s been blowing up my phone like crazy. I told her I’d meet her in town for lunch. She won’t rest until she sees for herself that I’m in one piece.” Wren leaned over and kissed me. “Go help this girl.”
Lawson’s voice intruded on the moment. “It’s gonna be your ship soon anyway.”
Wren’s brows lifted. “Your ship?”
“Way to spill the beans,” I said.
“You haven’t told her?”
“Told me what?” Wren asked, a little annoyance slipping into her tone. My Cricket didn’t like being left out of the loop.
I grinned. “Got a new gig. Team leader for Harrison County Search and Rescue.”
Wren’s jaw went slack. “But your company…”
“Jack’s taking the helm there. He’s buying me out for a sixty-percent stake. I’ll still help with strategy and higher-level planning, but I won’t be in the day-to-day business.”
A hint of worry swept over her face. “But you worked so hard to build it. You guys are at the top of the industry.”
“You been checking up on me?”
Wren huffed out a breath. “It doesn’t take a superspy to google in a moment of weakness.”
I leaned over and kissed her, drowning in her taste. “Love you.” My hand slipped under her hair, squeezing her neck. “I’m proud of what I built. But so much of that urge to push for more, to reach for the best, was because I was running. From memories. From demons. I don’t want that anymore. I don’t need it. What I do need is a life here. With you. With my family.”
“Holt…”
“I love you, Wren. I want this life with you. That means living it each and every day. Not running around the globe whenever a call comes in.”
She searched my face. “You’re sure?”
“Never been more sure of anything in my life.”
Wren’s mouth stretched into a wide smile, and she let out a squeal as she launched herself at me. I knew the move had hurt her when she winced.
“Careful, Cricket.”
Lawson cleared his throat. “Uh, guys. Love you both, but I really don’t need to hear you going at it over the phone.”
Wren’s face flamed. “Sorry about that.”
“Shove it, Law.”
He chuckled. “Nash is headed to your place right now. Dad’s with him to run comms from the SUV.”
I shook my head. “You were so sure I’d say yes?”
“I know my brother,” Lawson said. “You always come through when we need you.”
My chest burned as Wren burrowed deeper into my side. “Love you, too, Law.”
My throat was so tight I could barely get the words out. Emotion pressed down on me, an avalanche of gratitude for this second chance—with my family, with Wren, and with the life that was always meant to be mine.
