Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

“ W hat do you mean, there’s nothing you can do?” Lock tried not to shout. He was at a damn party for God’s sake, but fuck he was pissed. Cody’s house was full of people. This wasn’t the time or place, but five days had passed since Callie had given the note to Eastern. Five fucking days and his brother had found nothing.

Eastern set his beer on the kitchen counter and angled his body toward Lock and his back to the crowd. “There were no prints on the notes or envelopes other than Callie’s and yours and no return address.”

Music boomed throughout the space and voices sounded around him. He blocked it all out to focus on his brother. “You’re a sheriff. Isn’t there some way to find where it was sent from?”

“I wish there was, but if this guy didn’t leave a trail, there’s nothing to lead us to him. I’m sorry. For the moment, she needs to watch her back—”

“That letter was sent to her house . The asshole knows where she lives. He probably followed her home.”

“I know.” Eastern stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Which is why she needs to take extra precautions. Triple check her house is locked up. Don’t come and go after dark. And I’ll get my guys to do extra drive-bys.”

It wasn’t enough. And what was worse, she still wouldn’t let him protect her. If it was up to him, he’d be camped out on her couch, but she didn’t want that.

He downed a third of his beer. “I hate this. I hate that someone’s sending her notes. And I hate that she won’t let me stick close to her.” Especially after that kiss. It was like she’d given him a taste of her, only to pull away again. Retreated from him even though they both knew they were meant for each other.

Eastern clenched his shoulder. “She’s gonna be okay. And eventually, she’ll let you in.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Maybe not. But my gut tells me it’s true, and my gut’s rarely wrong.”

“This gut?” Jace asked, stepping up to them and hitting Eastern in the stomach. “It’s getting a bit tubby if you ask me. You worked out since you left the Navy?”

Eastern grabbed his brother in a headlock. “I can still beat your ass.”

Despite his frustration, Lock’s lips twitched.

Damn, he loved his family. His Ghost Ops teammates had felt like brothers, but being back here with the family he’d grown up with, the men who’d helped shape who he was…it felt good. It was just a shame Nylah wasn’t home.

“What the hell are you guys doing?”

Lock swung around at the familiar voice.

What the hell? Had he literally conjured her up?

“What are you doing here?” Jace asked, the first to step forward and pull their sister into a hug.

Nylah chuckled. “You thought I was going to miss my brother’s housewarming .”

Cody had told her. Of course she’d come.

Lock was the last to pull his sister into a hug. “It’s good to see you, sis.”

“It’s good to see you finally home,” she whispered. When she pulled back, she looked at him closely. So closely he almost wanted to step back. “You doing okay?”

Was it as obvious to her as it was to everyone else that he wasn’t? “I’m getting there.”

Her brows flickered before Cody and Kayden joined the group, welcoming their sister home.

Liam, Nylah’s partner, stepped forward, clasping Lock’s hand. “It’s good to finally meet you in person.”

Lock dipped his head. “You too.”

He hadn’t met Liam yet, but he’d heard enough about him and they’d spoken a dozen times. He was a former special forces soldier who now co-owned a security company called Blue Halo in Cradle Mountain, Idaho.

Everyone was talking loudly as Cody came to stand beside him. “We’re all here.”

“It feels good,” Lock said before lowering his voice. “Although I didn’t know you wanted to propose in front of all of Misty Peak.”

Cody cringed. “I didn’t. Harper invited everyone because for all she knew, it was a housewarming party and she wanted to ‘fill the space,’ as she said.”

“Nervous?”

“Nope. I probably should be, but it feels right. Overdue even, like I should have asked her the second she walked into my bar.”

Lock was happy for his brother. But he also felt something else. Something a hell of a lot less comfortable—a deep longing to have the woman he loved love him back.

“Probably good you waited,” he said, forcing his words to come out relaxed, when relaxed was the last thing he felt. “She might have freaked out otherwise.”

“You’re right about that.” Cody cleared his throat. “So…did Callie tell you she’s coming tonight?”

Lock’s gut knotted. “What?”

“Yeah, Harper invited her. She does Pilates at Callie’s studio. I assume she’ll be here soon.”

Cody had barely finished the sentence when the front door opened, and Aspen and Callie walked in.

Dozens of people stood between them, but she was all he saw. Her long, dark locks. Her green eyes. The jeans that pulled tightly against her thighs, paired with the pale green top that matched her eyes.

Jesus Christ, he got lost in her every time he saw her.

Someone bumped his shoulder, and he looked down to see Nylah staring at him, a knowing smile on her face.

“I see Callie’s here.”

Unlike his brothers, who’d been away in the military while he’d dated Callie, Nylah had been here, in Misty Peak. She’d been right there with him that terrible week he’d broken up with her.

“Yeah.” He couldn’t manage many more words than that.

“I figured you’d come back for her at some point.”

Callie’s eyes cut across the room, landing on him, and he felt that gaze like a beam of electricity bolting into him.

There was a small widening of her eyes. A lift of her chest. And the smallest smile before Aspen grabbed her arm and guided her toward the drinks.

Nylah was right. He had come back for her. He just had to hope he hadn’t waited too long.

There were too many people here. The house was crowded and hot and stuffy. But then, maybe it only felt that way because Lock was here. Because his eyes were on her. Had been on her the entire freaking night. No matter where she was or who she was talking to, anytime she glanced his way, it was his beautiful eyes staring right at her.

“I have the best recipe. I could send it to you.”

Crap. Hamish. What was he talking about? A meatball recipe? She was barely listening to him. She was a terrible person.

She glanced at the skewered meatball in his hand. “I would love that. The meatballs are delicious.”

A moment of weakness got the best of her, and she looked at Lock again.

Yep, still looking at her.

She turned back to Hamish. He looked…disappointed? Had he not been talking about the meatballs? Shit. She was the worst.

She touched his arm. “I’m sorry. I’m distracted.” Understatement of the century.

Hamish turned his head to look at Lock, then back to Callie. “Why did you guys break up if you’re still into each other?”

“I’m not…still into him.” Well, that lie came out about as smoothly as sandpaper. “It’s complicated.”

His brows flickered, and he seemed to consider that for a moment. “Just so you know, you don’t deserve complicated. You deserve someone who makes love feel easy.”

Her eyes widened, shock skittering through her veins. Whatever she’d expected him to say, it wasn’t that. It felt too intimate and kind of pushed the boundary of friendship. She opened and closed her mouth, but before she could respond, he gave her a small smile and walked away.

“Did you know that this many people could fit into one living room? Because I sure didn’t.”

Swallowing, she glanced at Aspen as she came to stand beside her, beer in hand. She’d always been a beer girl, and Callie had never understood it. Give her wine any day, but beer? No thanks.

“Where’s Dylan?”

Aspen tilted her head toward a small group of men, all holding beers and laughing. “Over there.”

Dylan’s dark brown eyes moved over to Aspen…and there was just something in his expression that Callie didn’t like. That Callie had never liked. Was it because he always looked so possessive of Aspen?

She’d tried to bring it up once, but Aspen had brushed it off.

That made her a terrible friend, that she was still thinking negatively about him, right? She should like her best friend’s boyfriend, especially when they’d been dating for almost a year.

“Everything good with you two?” Callie finally asked.

“He wants me to move in with him.”

Callie’s brows shot up. “You’re leaving me?”

“Don’t be silly. Just because he wants me to do something doesn’t mean I’m going to. I’m not ready for that. Besides, my mom would have a fit, and I do not need a Karen meltdown right now.”

Aspen’s mother could switch between completely reasonable middle-aged woman to completely unhinged in a matter of seconds. Aspen had always thought she had undiagnosed split personality disorder. Either that or bipolar. “Has she had any new…episodes lately?”

“She texted me asking if I poisoned her rabbit yesterday. I said no, then I got hit with a million and one abusive texts. I went over and saw her today and she was acting completely normal, like she hadn’t been the mother from hell yesterday. When I asked about Floppy, she said the vet gave him some medication and he’s fine.”

Callie cringed. She’d heard worse stories. A lot worse. It didn’t make any of them okay. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m used to her.” Aspen nodded toward someone across the room, a small smile on her face. “What did Mr. Infatuated want?”

Callie followed her gaze to Hamish, standing by the kitchen island choosing a drink. “Mr. Infatuated?”

Aspen rolled her eyes. “You have to have noticed by now.”

“He doesn’t—”

“He does. But you don’t see because your attention is elsewhere.” Aspen stared at the spot where Callie knew Lock was standing.

“Every time I look his way, he’s staring at me,” Callie whispered, not even sure why she was saying it out loud.

“Of course he is. He’s made it clear he wants you back.”

“I’m going to tell him this week.” Reliving the past would be hard, but he had a right to know. And it was time. Past time.

Aspen’s expression softened. “I can be with you if you need me.”

“No, I need to do this by myself. I should have told him already. I just…” She sucked in a breath, and she lowered her voice to almost a whisper. “Talking about it is already so hard. And telling him…it will hurt.”

Aspen gripped her arm. “You’re right, it will be hard. But you can do hard things.”

Emotion welled in her throat, and she pulled her friend into a hug. “Thank you for always being here for me.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

The music quieted, and Cody and Harper stepped in front of the room. Their smiles were wide, but there was something about Cody’s expression that seemed…different.

Was he nervous? He never looked nervous. In fact, most of the time he was the king of calm, cool, and collected.

“Hi, everyone,” Harper said, her voice quieting the crowd. “Cody and I just want to thank you all for coming tonight. This house has become our home, and it means the world to us that everyone we love can celebrate it with us.”

Cody wet his lips. “It is our home. It’s the place where we live…and it’s the place we’ll one day start a family.”

Callie’s heart constricted at the word “family,” and her gaze wanted to seek out Lock.

No . She needed to stop looking at him.

Cody kept talking, but she was so caught up in her thoughts that she was barely listening…until he got down on one knee.

Callie’s breath caught.

“Harper Rain, you walked into my life in the middle of a storm, and nothing’s been the same since. You added color to my life. Vibrant rays of color. And a love so fierce that I now don’t know how I ever lived without it. I’ve forgotten how to live without you, and I never want to remember.”

Callie’s pulse sped a bit faster with every word.

He took out a small box from his back pocket and opened it, causing a collective gasp to slip through the room.

Harper’s eyes widened, her lips separating and tears shining in her eyes.

“Marry me,” Cody said softly. “I’m already yours but make me yours on paper too. Make me the luckiest man in the world.”

She couldn’t stop herself. She looked at Lock, and his expression held…pain? Regret? Because they both knew the same thing. That this was a story they’d written for themselves. A story that had been erased and rewritten with a different ending.

“Yes!”

Callie forced her attention back to the couple in front of them as the crowd erupted in cheers. Cody lifted Harper into his arms.

And suddenly, the crowd around her, the noise, the emotion…it was all too much.

She lowered her head to Aspen’s ear. “I’m just going outside to get some air.”

Her friend looked at her, concern brimming her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“Of course. I just need a few minutes.”

Understanding crossed Aspen’s features, and she squeezed Callie’s arm and nodded.

Callie weaved through the crowd. It wasn’t until she stepped onto the deck, the cool wind brushing over her cheeks, that she realized just how much she needed that fresh air.

She walked across the yard, not stopping until she had a clear view of the moon. Then she dropped, lying down to let the cool grass seep through her clothes and chill her skin.

She’d had counseling. She’d done all the work. She should be okay. She shouldn’t be triggered by another couple’s happiness.

So why was she? Because Lock was back in her life? Because it was bringing back everything she’d lost?

A noise sounded behind her. A light crunching noise, like a leaf beneath someone’s shoe.

She sat up and turned her head, frowning when she saw no one. Heard nothing but the whisper of wind in the leaves.

Frowning, she lay back on the grass. She was just closing her eyes, when another noise sounded, this one closer.

She opened her eyes in time to see a large figure looming over her, and she opened her mouth to scream.