Whispers of You (Lost & Found #1)(10)

“Holt?”

My head jerked up at the familiar voice—older now, deeper, and a little raw with age.

I forced another of those fake-as-hell smiles. “Jude. Good to see you, man.”

He strode forward to take my hand in a hard grasp. “Thought I was looking at a ghost.”

Maybe he was. There were times I thought my life had ended the day I almost lost Wren. I moved through the world differently now and saw everything through an entirely new lens.

Motion behind Jude caught my attention as another of my high school friends stepped forward. Chris gave me a chin lift, but there wasn’t a whole lot of welcome in his dark gaze. “Holt.”

I didn’t blame him for that lack of warmth. When I’d bailed on Cedar Ridge, I’d bailed on everyone. It had felt like the only way to keep from drowning was to pretend that I was an entirely different person—without friends or family I talked to more than once a week.

Without her.

“Hey, Chris.”

I extended a hand, and he waited for a beat before accepting it.

“What are you doing in town?” Jude asked. His face looked the same, but he’d bulked up since high school, his shoulders broader. And he’d gained a good fifteen pounds of muscle.

“Wanted to spend some time with my dad and the rest of the family.” To try to mend some of the hurt I’d caused. Maybe find a new normal.

Chris shifted his lanky frame, begrudgingly turning his gaze to me. “How’s he doing?”

“Better. Just ornery.”

The corner of Jude’s mouth kicked up. “Not shocked about that. I’ve been meaning to stop by this week, but work’s been kicking my ass.”

“It gets worse every tourist season,” Chris muttered.

“What are you guys doing these days?” I hated that I had to ask the question. We’d been the three musketeers while growing up until Wren and I had gotten together, and my world’s axis had shifted. But even then, we remained close. It wasn’t until I’d left that things changed.

Jude grinned. “Went into business together. Mountainview Construction.”

“That’s great. Building houses?” I’d seen that company name on a build on my way into town, and it had looked amazing. Pride swelled inside me for my friends. Chris had always fought against pressure from his father to go into medicine, and Jude’s dad had been an asshole who’d told him he’d amount to nothing. The fact that they’d gone out on their own and built something was incredible.

Chris nodded. “Started with small cabins and grew from there.”

“He’s being modest, but I’ll brag. We’re building some of those behemoths for the tourists who fall in love with it up here.”

My lips twitched. “The ones who use their places for all of two weeks out of the year?”

“Those would be the ones,” Jude said, shaking his head.

We were quiet for a moment as if there was nothing else for us to talk about. That cut. I used to be able to shoot the shit with these guys about anything.

Chris swung his keys around a finger. “How long are you in town for?”

“Not sure yet. Trying to get the lay of the land with my family.”

“Gotta be hard to take time away from that fancy security gig you’ve got,” Jude said.

Apparently, even though I wasn’t up to date on town news, they were current on mine. “We’re making it work.”

Chris grunted.

Jude sent him a quelling look. “I’m sure your family appreciates it.”

I wasn’t quite so sure. I hadn’t been able to get a read on things when I’d dropped the bomb that I was coming home in the sibs’ text chain. Maybe they thought I wouldn’t follow through, or maybe they’d simply gotten used to life without me.

I glanced down at my watch. “I should head out. I’m supposed to be over there for an early family dinner. Let’s grab a beer while I’m in town.” Pulling out my wallet, I handed each of them a card.

Jude let out a low whistle. “Even his business cards are fancy. You feel this cardstock? Someone went and found himself the high life.”

Chris smirked. “Holt has always been fancy. You’re just losing your memory in your old age.”

Jude socked him with a half-force punch. “Watch who you’re calling old, grandpa.”

I’d missed this, the good-natured ribbing. Giving each other a hard time. I had it with the guys on my team, but they didn’t know me as well. Because the truth was, I hadn’t let a single soul in since that night ten years ago.

“Text me if you geezers want to grab a drink.”

“Will do,” Jude called as they walked on.

Chris simply gave me another chin lift.

It was better than nothing. A start.

I picked up to a jog, heading to my SUV in the lot on the side of the B&B, but I couldn’t help my gaze from traveling to the police station across the street. A few buildings down from the inn, it looked just how I remembered. Yet, somehow, it was entirely different. Likely because I knew it was where she went most days.

My eyes bored into the brick structure as if I could see through the walls by sheer force of will alone. Was she in there? I wondered if I would even recognize her if she walked down the street. I’d kept tabs on her. I didn’t have a right to, yet I did it anyway. But I’d stayed away from pictures.