Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

“ T ell me about Amber Ridge,” Lock said as he lifted the beer to his mouth. “Is it still as perfect as you described it?”

Antwan, Jesse, and Callie stood around him at a bar table at Meridian having some drinks.

Amber Ridge was in Montana, less than an hour west of Bozeman, and it was Jesse’s hometown, where he’d grown up with his brother and sister. The town he’d just moved back to.

Jesse’s lips twitched. “It’s still your classic small town. No secrets are secrets for long, and everything remains exactly the same. Even the terrible pizza at Burt’s Pizzeria hasn’t changed.”

“I still don’t understand how a place with widely known terrible pizza can stay in business for longer than you’ve been alive,” Antwan said as he lifted his beer for a drink.

Jesse shrugged. “We like Burt, so we band together and make sure he stays in business. I’ve been taking the first of the month.”

“And you eat the pizza?” Lock asked.

“Every scrap of it. It’s terrible. It’s an act of love.”

Callie sighed. “That’s really sweet.”

“You’ve always been too much of a softie,” Antwan said with a laugh.

“That’s how I attract the ladies.”

“Ladies? What ladies?” Lock joked.

“Haha.” Jesse sipped his beer. “Becket and Clara are in Amber Ridge, and so’s Mom, so I’m happy.”

Lock knew that Jesse had missed his mother, brother, and sister.

“What’s Becket doing since he left the SEALs?”

“Fire chief. And from what I understand, a damn good one.”

“Of course he is, because when would a Hayes ever not be good at something?” Antwan said with an eye roll.

It was true. Jesse had always been the perfectionist in the group.

“You’re right, I’m good at almost everything,” Jesse replied, receiving a shoulder shove from Antwan.

“Modest too,” Antwan scoffed.

As the two continued to banter, Callie lifted her phone and typed something.

Lock slipped an arm around her waist. “Everything okay?”

“I’m trying to get Aspen to come down here tonight. It’s a harder sell than it should be.”

He glanced at the screen to read the text.

Callie: I need proof you’re alive. Either come to Meridian or I’m coming to you.

“We’re making a trip to your place tonight?” Lock asked.

“If we have to.” She set her phone down with a light thump. “I’m sorry, I know tonight’s a celebration because your friends are here.” She looked up at Jesse. “What are you doing for work now that you’re home?”

He lowered the beer to the table. “I’m a deputy.”

“Wow, impressive.” Callie smiled

“Thanks. I might need to talk to your brother and get some tips.”

“You’ll be great.” Callie looked at Antwan. “What about you?”

There was a flicker of his brows. “Since leaving the military, I’ve just been having some time off. Finding my feet has been…hard.”

It could definitely be hard settling back into civilian life. And it would be particularly hard for Antwan, who’d lost the woman he loved.

“You think any more about my offer to move here?” Lock asked.

“Actually, I sold most of my stuff and what I packed is basically all I own. So even if I don’t settle here, I’m not going back home.”

Wow. That was huge.

Callie leaned forward and touched Antwan’s hand. “That’s great. Sometimes a new environment is exactly what we need.”

“I’m hoping.”

Over the next half hour, they talked about anything and everything, until Callie went to step away from the table.

Lock grabbed her arm. “Hey, you. Where’re you going?”

“Aspen just got here.”

He looked up to see her friend by the door. “I’ll come with you.”

She rolled her eyes. “We’re a few feet away. You can watch us the entire time without being right there.”

Yeah, but he wanted to be right there. But she might want to talk to her friend without him hovering. “Don’t be gone long.”

“From you? Never.” She kissed him before stepping away, but he kept his eyes on her the entire time.

“I’m glad you two made it work again,” Jesse said once it was just them.

Lock looked back at his friends. “You have no idea. It was hell until she forgave me.”

“You look happy,” Antwan said.

“I am.”

Jesse dipped his head. “Good.”

He looked back at the women to see them deep in conversation. When they finally reached the table, Callie introduced everyone.

“Jesse, Antwan, this is my best friend, Aspen. Aspen, these guys were on Lock’s Ghost Ops team.”

Was it just him, or did Aspen seem a bit paler than usual? Not only that, but her smile wasn’t quite so wide, and there were dark circles under her eyes.

The guys nodded before Jesse stepped away from the table. “I’ll get you a drink.”

Aspen shook her head. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I know. I want to.”

“All right. But I’m coming with you.”

When the two left for the bar, Callie’s frown was deep. She was worried about her friend, probably because she’d seen everything Lock saw. He opened his mouth to ask her about it, but Antwan spoke first.

“You two should be dancing.”

Callie shook her head. “We don’t need to dance.”

“Speak for yourself.” Lock pulled her closer. “I’d love to dance.” Then, as if to prove his point, he nuzzled her neck, getting a soft laugh in response.

“Go,” Antwan said. “Before you make me sick.”

He tugged Callie to the dance floor and waited until his arm was around her waist and she was flush against his chest to ask, “Everything okay with Aspen?”

“I don’t know. She says she’s fine but something’s obviously going on with her, and I think that something involves Dylan. I don’t know why she won’t tell me. We usually tell each other everything.”

“Maybe she just needs some time.”

“Maybe.” Her frown deepened. “Is Antwan okay?”

“He looks better than I thought he would, but it would be easy to appear okay without actually being okay.” He hadn’t been okay since Hollie died. Or at least, he hadn’t been how he used to be.

He lowered his mouth to Callie’s ear. “You know who’s better than okay?”

A shudder rolled down her spine. “Who?”

“Me.” He kissed her neck. “Because I have you. I’m never letting you go. You know that, right?”

She softened against him. “I wouldn’t let you if you tried.”

Callie peeked around Lock’s body. Aspen was talking to Jesse and Antwan at the table. Well, mostly Jesse. In fact, the two looked like they were getting along very well. While she’d been talking to him, it was like she’d transformed into a different person entirely from the one who’d walked into the bar.

What was going on with her?

It was Dylan. It had to be. Man, she hated that guy. She didn’t even have a reason to hate him—he’d never done anything to her. She just did. Call it gut instinct.

“Stop spying.”

She jumped at Lock’s whispered words and looked up, way up, into his beautiful eyes. “I’m not spying, I’m…watching.”

“Is that different?”

“Yes. It sounds better.” She shot a look at her friend again. “Does it look like she’s flirting with Jesse? It does, doesn’t it? But that would be crazy, because she just split from Dylan.”

“They’re just talking. But if you’re worried about her, you could talk to her.”

“I told you, I’ve tried. She won’t tell me anything.”

“All you can do is keep trying.”

“I know. I’m just impatient.” She glanced back up at Lock. “When did you become so…”

“Wise? Good-looking? Strong?”

She scoffed. “You were probably born good-looking and strong. Maybe even wise.”

He chuckled, and she wanted to bottle the sound.

“She’ll come around,” Lock said, sobering.

Probably, but that didn’t stop Callie from pushing. She couldn’t help herself.

When the song ended, she slipped her hand into his and headed back to the table.

“I need a drink, and you need to get one with me,” Callie said, interrupting her friend mid-conversation with Jesse.

Aspen frowned. “Callie, I’m—”

“Coming with me.” She tugged Aspen toward the bar.

“Jesus, how are you so strong?”

“Give a girl a reason, and she becomes superwoman.” They stopped at the bar. “Are you flirting with Jesse?”

Aspen’s eyes widened. “What? No. I was being nice. You know, getting to know a new person.”

“All right, but if you were, it would be okay. Dylan’s your past, not your future.”

Something flickered in Aspen’s eyes.

Callie frowned. “What was that?”

“Nothing. I just…he’s been calling me nonstop. And texting. And showing up at our house.”

“He’s been showing up at our house?” Okay, now she felt even worse for not being home much. “Maybe we should get Eastern to talk to him.”

“No.” The answer came quickly. Far quicker than Callie would have thought. “I just…I want him to go away.”

“Okay. But if he doesn’t want to—”

“He’ll get the message eventually.”

Eventually? Callie didn’t like that. How long would it take him? And what would happen to Aspen’s mental health in the meantime? “Is there anything I can do?”

“Just keep being my amazing best friend.”

“Always.” Callie tilted her head. “Just so you know, you deserve to be happy. And he didn’t make you nearly happy enough. I’m glad you ended things.”

“I should have done it sooner. I feel like an idiot for staying with him when he…”

Callie frowned. “When he what?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head. “Can we just order a drink and have a good night, please? I need a distraction from thinking about it all.”

Callie squeezed her friend’s arm. “Okay. But I’m here for anything you need, got it? To listen. To laugh. To cry. To drink into oblivion.”

Aspen’s mouth cracked into a small smile. “I know you are. Thanks, Callie.”

They each ordered a cocktail and were just stepping away from the bar, when Aspen stopped abruptly. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Callie followed her gaze to the door, and her heart sank. Dylan. And he was looking straight at her friend.

Had he known she was here? He had to. He hated bars. Aspen had told her that on more than one occasion when he’d refused to meet them here.

“Do you want me to—”

“No.” Aspen handed Callie her drink. “Can you take this to the table? I’m going to tell him to leave.”

“Want me to come with you?”

“No. I’ll be fine.”

Callie took the drink back to the table, but her eyes barely left her friend. The second Aspen reached him, they were embroiled in what looked to be a heated conversation.

“Is she okay?” Jesse asked, standing a bit straighter.

“I hope so. They broke up a few weeks ago, and he’s an ass. King of the asses actually. But she’ll let us know if she needs help.” At least, Callie hoped she would.

Jesse nodded, not looking completely convinced, but then Lock said something to pull his attention away from the scene.

Callie turned to Antwan. “I know I’ve said this already, but I am really sorry about Hollie.”

His jaw clenched, and he looked down at his beer, fingers tightening around the glass. “Thanks. I kept our apartment because I couldn’t let it go. All our memories were there. I thought after two years I’d be able to return. But I couldn’t. She was everywhere. And while everyone else had a family in a different town to return to, I didn’t.”

She touched his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Antwan.”

He nodded as he looked at her. “Thanks. I—”

She didn’t catch what he said next because from the corner of her eye, she saw Dylan take Aspen’s arm and pull her toward the door.

What the hell?

Alarm raced through her system, and she moved on instinct, pushing through the crowd and racing toward the door. She heard the shout from Lock behind her, but her entire focus remained on the door. On the way Dylan’s features had been twisted with anger and the tight grip he’d had on her friend.

She sprinted outside.

“Get your hand off me now !”

It was like Dylan didn’t hear Aspen’s shouted words or feel her attempts to pull free. He just kept marching them forward.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Callie reached them and grabbed his arm. “Let her go!”

He kept moving down the street, ignoring her.

Desperate, she kicked him in the back of the knee.

“Fuck!” He stumbled and released Aspen before swinging toward her.

Callie tried to back up too fast and would have fallen, but strong arms slipped around her waist, catching her. Then Jesse was between her and Dylan—and he swung, nailing Dylan in the cheek.

Callie’s jaw dropped.

Dylan had just hit the ground when Jesse grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him back up, shoving him against the wall of the neighboring business.

“You think it’s okay to grab a woman and drag her outside against her will?”

Dylan tried to pull away, but Jesse held him too firmly.

“What was the plan?” Jesse growled. “Drag her to your car and take her to your place?”

Callie wanted to know the answer to that question too.

“Get off me,” Dylan growled.

“Jesse, step back,” Lock said from behind her.

A few seconds of silence passed where no one moved, but eventually, Jesse let him go and Dylan straightened his clothes. Dylan took a step to the side, but Lock spoke again. “Wait.” He looked at Aspen. “You want to press charges? I can call my brother.”

Aspen’s gaze shifted to each person around her before landing on Dylan.

Say yes , Callie whispered in her head. Teach the jerk he can’t treat you like that.

Aspen shook her head, making disappointment skitter through Callie’s veins. “No.”

Dylan smirked at Lock before looking at Aspen. “We’ll talk later.”

Asshole.

When Dylan was gone, Jesse stepped in front of Aspen. “Are you okay?”

Callie missed her answer because Lock turned narrowed eyes on her. “You need to stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Grabbing aggressive men. That’s twice in one day.”

“I’m not just going to let people hurt my friends.”

Lock glanced at the sky like he was searching for…something. Composure maybe? When he finally looked at her again, he appeared a bit calmer. “Fine. But don’t run out on me again. Next time, tell me what’s going on and I’ll take down the bad guy.”

He was right. Shit. She hadn’t been thinking. “You’re right. You can take care of the bad guy. I’m sorry.”

He kissed her, and in that kiss, she felt his desperate need to keep her safe.