Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

L ock swept the paintbrush over the living room wall.

Snowy Mountains Half. That’s what the shade of white was called. It was warm and homey, and for some damn reason, it reminded him of Callie.

His gaze shifted to the kitchen. To the curved wooden island. The floating wooden shelves. It was almost finished; just needed the concrete countertops and brushed copper sink and tapware.

The house was coming together slowly, but then, he’d known it wouldn’t be a quick job. He’d bought this house over two years ago, and even then, it had needed a complete remodel. But the vision of what it could be had been there. It had always been there.

The only people he’d told about it were his team. His mind flicked back to that conversation.

Lock leaned forward on the log, his gaze on the flames of the fire in front of him. He was having one of those moments. Where everything felt pretty damn perfect. Maybe it was because he was with his team—men who felt like family. Maybe it was because they were between missions.

Or maybe it was because Callie was with him. She’d made the trip from Misty Peak to visit for the weekend.

His gaze shifted to the women on the other side of the fire. Callie’s eyes weren’t on him at the moment. She was laughing at something Amber was saying, her head flung back, little wisps of hair swinging in the evening wind.

Fucking gorgeous. She had the kind of beauty you could stare at for hours and never get tired of.

“Shit, you got it bad, man.”

He turned to look at Jesse, sitting beside him on the log. “I bought a house for her.” The words slipped from his lips. Shit, he hadn’t meant to say that.

His friend’s brows shot up. “A house? You couldn’t have just gone with a sweater? That’s huge! But you’ve only been dating for—”

“Less than a year. And the house is for the next sixty we’re going to spend together.”

“Damn. Guess when you know, you know. She must be happy.”

“I haven’t told her.”

He laughed. “Ballsy. I like it. I’ve gotta ask, though. What if she hates the place?”

It was a dump. Most women would hate it. But Callie? “She found it. She just doesn’t know I bought it. It has everything we need.” Or it would, once he was done with it. He’d work night and day to make sure it was exactly what she deserved.

“You’re happy.”

He turned to look at his friend and said with not a shred of humor in his voice, “Happier than I’ve ever been.”

Because of her.

Lock pulled himself out of the memory, forcing his attention back to the painting.

Some days, those memories kept him going. Gave him the hope he needed to get out of bed and do another day without her.

Other days, they drowned him. Reminded him of what he’d had and lost.

Life had been good back then. And he’d been a naive asshole to think everything could stay that way.

He was just finishing the last coat on the wall when his phone rang. His lips twitched at the name on the screen before he set the phone to his ear.

Had his teammate known he’d been thinking about him?

“Jesse. How are you doing, man?” His teammate was back in his hometown of Amber Ridge, Montana.

“I’m good, brother. How are you ?”

A part of him wanted to be honest and tell him what seeing Callie had done to him the other day. But then he’d have to relive that moment. Remember the caution in her eyes. Feel the way she’d pulled away from him and asked him to leave.

“I’m okay.” A simple lie.

“That doesn’t sound reassuring. Have you seen Callie yet?”

His muscles locked at her name. Of course Jesse would ask. He knew exactly what she meant to him. All the guys did. “Yeah, I’ve seen her. She wants nothing to do with me.”

There was a brief pause, and when his buddy spoke again, his voice was lower. “You’re home though. It’s a start.”

He ran frustrated fingers through his hair. “I couldn’t find her for two years, and now we’re here, in the same town, but it’s…different. She’s different.”

“Two years is a long time. I’m guessing you didn’t tell her why you did what you did back then?”

“I barely got a chance to say hi.”

“Try again. Eventually, she’ll listen and understand.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

Jesse’s exhale was loud. “She will. She loved you once. That love doesn’t just go away.”

That’s what he’d thought too…until she’d disappeared on him.

He walked into the master bedroom, scanned the bare walls. He hadn’t painted this room yet. He hadn’t done much at all. Because it was supposed to be their room. And he didn’t want to mess that up.

“You a deputy now?” he asked.

“I am. Got a badge and everything.”

“Good. And how are your brother and sister?”

“Riding my ass, as per usual.”

Lock laughed, and damn it felt good. “Well, you need people to put you in your place.”

“They certainly do that.”

His gaze returned to the walls. “I’ve got to get to the hardware store and get some supplies.”

“The house. Shit, I almost forgot. How’s it going?”

“Getting there.”

“I need to come visit. Check it out and help where I can.”

“Anytime.”

Jesse sighed. “Well, it was good to chat. Don’t be a stranger.”

“You too.” He hung up, still staring at the plain wall.

It hit him—moss green. It would be the perfect shade for the bedroom. Also, the color of Callie’s eyes.

“Tell me again why we’re not hiring a qualified contractor to fix the door?”

Callie climbed out of the car and watched Aspen rise from the passenger side. “Because then I risk the information getting back to my father, which it would, because everyone knows everyone in this miniature town, and then I’ll be in trouble for not letting him take care of it. And I don’t want to add anything to his plate right now.”

Aspen’s brows flickered, sympathy darkening her hazel eyes. “Got it. Okay. So, we’re going to fix a door. With our hands. Someone here should be able to give us very detailed instructions on how to do that, right?”

A cool breeze ran over her skin as they headed toward the entrance of the hardware store. “Actually, I’ve already done some research online and the problem might be that the latch bolt doesn’t align with the strike plate opening when the door closes.”

Aspen pulled a face. “English, please.”

“Basically, we need to adjust the door up or down so that it latches.”

“Okay, and did Master Google tell you how to do that?”

They stepped inside the store. God, this place was huge. “First, we need to try tightening the door hinges with a Phillips-head screwdriver and check that nothing’s loose.”

“I see. So, we’re here to get a screwdriver.” Aspen crossed her arms, her gaze moving around the store as if she’d been here a hundred times, when she’d probably never stepped foot inside the building. “And if the good old tighten the hinges doesn’t work?”

“I can’t remember plan B, but I’m counting on plan A working.”

“Optimistic. I like it.” Aspen’s eyes landed on a man in a uniform. “Oh, he’s hot—let’s ask him.”

“You’ve got a boyfriend.”

She rolled her eyes. “Not for me.”

Before Callie could protest, Aspen grabbed her and tugged her toward the guy.

Aspen stopped in front of him, giving her widest smile. “Hi there. I’m Aspen, and this is my single friend Callie.”

Oh Jesus.

“We were wondering if you know where we might find a Phillips-head screwdriver, and whether you’re single.”

“No,” Callie jumped in. “Just the screwdriver location will be fine.”

The guy grinned at her. “Aisle eight. And yeah, I’m single.”

Aspen opened her mouth, but Callie pinched her side.

“Ouch!”

Callie gave the guy a tight smile and pulled her friend away. “Eight. Thank you.”

The guy cleared his throat. “Let me know if you need help.”

“Don’t go far. We just might do that,” Aspen called behind her before sending an angry glare at Callie. “That was rude.”

“No, that was necessary.”

“He was cute.”

“I’m not interested.”

“You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to send my happy fairies your way because you’re a grouch today.”

“I’m not a grouch. I just don’t want to be set up with a random guy from the hardware store.”

Eight. Found it. She turned into the aisle—only to halt at the sight of a very broad, very familiar set of shoulders.

Without explanation, Callie whipped Aspen out of the aisle, and tugged her straight into the previous one, ignoring her friend’s yelp.

Aspen’s jaw dropped, an are-you-crazy crease drawing her brows together. And yeah, she probably was.

“What the heck was—”

Callie slammed a hand over her friend’s mouth. “Shh. Not so loud! He’ll hear you.”

If possible, Aspen’s frown deepened. She grabbed Callie’s hand and pulled it off. “ Who will hear me? And if you say my happy fairies, I’ll have you committed. I made them up. I don’t even know what a happy fairy is.”

“Lock.”

“Lock is a happy fairy?”

Callie rolled her eyes. “He’s in aisle eight.”

Aspen’s mouth dropped open. “Lock Walker? He’s here?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my gosh. Wait…is this the first time you’ve seen him since he got home?”

“No, he came into my studio last week.”

“ And you didn’t tell me? ”

Callie shoved her hand back over Aspen’s mouth. “Shh!”

Her friend rolled her eyes and tugged the hand away a second time. “Okay, we’ll come back to the omittance of key information later. What happened when you saw him?”

“Nothing. He just came in, said he wanted to talk, and I said no.”

Kind of…

Aspen scoffed. “I might believe that if he wasn’t Lock and you weren’t Callie and two years ago, you hadn’t been ready to buy a house together.”

“It’s true. He wanted to talk but I didn’t. I’m not ready to talk to him. God, I can barely look at him, let alone talk to him without remembering what happened.”

Aspen’s features softened. “Oh, Cal. I’m sorry.”

She swallowed, emotion welling in her throat. It was exactly why she hadn’t told her best friend about Lock coming to her studio. She’d have cried, and she didn’t want to do that. “We have to get out of here without him seeing me.”

“What about the screwdriver?”

“I’ll get it later.”

She turned to walk out of the aisle just as a large figure walked into the aisle.

She shrieked and stumbled back, tripping over her friend’s foot.

Long, strong fingers moved at lightning speed to wrap around her upper arm and keep her upright. And just like the last time he’d touched her, awareness spiraled from her arm through her entire body.

She pulled her arm back and swallowed, shoving her emotions down.

Stay unaffected, Callie.

“Callie.” Lock’s deep voice weaved inside her.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. None. It was like she’d forgotten how to freaking speak.

Seconds passed. Long seconds.

Goddammit, say something, Callie. Anything!

Aspen cleared her throat. “Hi, Lock.”

His gaze moved to her, and finally Callie could breathe, because his eyes weren’t on her.

“Hi, Aspen.” When he looked back at her, the same tightness wrapped around her chest. “What are you two doing here?”

The words “none of your damn business” were on the tip of her tongue, but Aspen spoke first.

“We’re getting tools to tighten some door hinges. Because we can do stuff like that…tighten hinges.”

Oh, Aspen…

His gaze didn’t stray from hers. “You’ve got a door that needs repairs?”

“No.” The lie was out before she could stop it, but she couldn’t tell him the truth because she knew exactly what he’d do. Offer to help. To fix her problems like he’d done in the past.

No. No way in hell. Just picturing him in her space made her skin feel all hot and clammy.

He lifted a brow, suspicion looming in his eyes before he turned back to Aspen. “Whose door needs fixing, Aspen?”

Shit . He knew her best friend couldn’t lie, or at least not well. Literally everyone in Misty Peak knew that. The woman was an open book.

Callie turned to look at her, sending a don’t-you-dare glare her way.

Aspen’s mouth opened and closed. “Whose door? Um…well…I think—”

“It’s Callie’s, isn’t it?” Lock interrupted.

Aspen scratched her nose and her eyes scrunched. “I guess… Well, technically, it’s her dad’s.”

She pinched Aspen’s side a second time, and her friend yelped.

“Ow! Why do you keep doing that? We live together, so I can’t tell him it’s my door hinge.”

Where was a hole to hide inside?

Lock looked back at her. “I’ll take a look at your door.”

She shook her head so vigorously, she probably looked like a psychopath. “No thanks. Excuse us.”

She grabbed Aspen’s arm a bit too tightly and went to step around Lock, but he cut her off, blocking her way and causing her forehead to hit his chest. His very firm, very muscled chest.

That would probably leave a bruise.

His eyes softened in such an achingly familiar way that her heart squeezed. “Callie, come on. Let me help you.”

“I don’t need help.”

Aspen nodded. “It’s true. Google already helped her.”

This time he frowned. “Google?”

“Well, we call him Master Google. You know, holder of all knowledge.”

Would there be a point where her friend realized she wasn’t helping?

“Callie.” Lock stepped closer, even though there’d already been no room between them. “Let me help you. Maybe we could talk after.”

Talk…but it wouldn’t just be about why he’d ended things between them. It would lead to why she’d then left Misty Peak, and all the pain that had trailed behind her for the last two years.

“I can’t.”

“Cal—”

“I’ll see you around.” She quickly sidled around him.

“We live in the same town,” Lock called. “We’re gonna have to talk eventually.”

Yeah, eventually. And hopefully when the time came, she’d feel braver.

She didn’t stop moving until they were in the car.

For a moment, neither she nor Aspen spoke. They just sat in heavy silence, Callie’s chest moving a heck of a lot faster than it should.

“He’s right, you know,” Aspen finally said quietly. “You’ll need to talk to him eventually and tell him why you left.”

She swallowed, but it did nothing to wet her dry throat. “I know. But it hurts to think about.” It would always hurt to think about. “I don’t know if I can say it out loud and relive it without completely breaking down. Not right now, with everything going on with Dad, anyway.”

Aspen gently touched her thigh. “Okay. Well, it’s your choice when you tell him. And if you need me there with you, you know I will be.”

She looked across at her best friend. Just like her father, Aspen had always been there when she’d needed her. “Thank you.”