Whispers of You (Lost & Found #1)(12)

“It’s ten twenty-four. Now you have it whenever you want to stop by.”

I groaned. “Mom. You can’t use your anniversary as a password.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s one of the first guesses someone would make.”

“You can give me your lecture once you get up here. I need to pull the chicken out of the oven.”

My throat tightened. How many times had I forced that meal down when all it did was make me want to choke? But I couldn’t bring myself to tell my mother that my favorite meal had been ruined. I could still smell the scent of chicken cooking as I searched the house, trying to find Wren.

I needed a session with a heavy bag, stat. Or, even better, a round with Gomez, the best mixed martial artist on our team. I needed someone to beat the hell out of me so the pain I felt wasn’t this.

Instead, I moved my foot from the brake to the accelerator and started for home. The paved drive wove between the tall pines, and I knew it must have cost a fortune when my dad had the asphalt laid. But when the snow came, it was a million times easier to plow when you weren’t fighting against gravel.

The trees thinned as I climbed, and the house came into view—a mountain lodge with a blend of glass and stone and wood, though the glass dominated. It was almost as if you could see through the whole house.

Dad had always said that he wanted to feel like he was living in the wild. That there was nothing between him and nature. Dark wood beams framed the glass in a way that made the structure feel like it was part of the forest. And the stone tied it to the ground beneath.

The home spread across the mountainside, an enclosed walkway joining the two halves. My mom had always called the farther part the kids’ side when we were growing up. We could run wild in an epic game of hide-and-seek, and she got her peace when she needed it.

The memories that battled for supremacy now were good ones: laughter and teasing, epic pranks and water gun fights, pizza feasts and monster movie marathons. But they left a trail of guilt in their wake—one that burned as it dug in deep.

I pulled my car to a stop in the circular driveway behind four other vehicles. I realized that I wasn’t sure which belonged to whom. The Fish and Wildlife logo on the side of a white SUV told me that it was Roan’s, but other than that, I had no clue.

Shutting off the engine, I climbed out and headed for the house. The front door opened, and I caught a blaze of movement. A second later, a petite body hit me with a force that was shocking for her size.

“You’re here!”

I grinned as I lifted Grae into the air. “Missed you, too, G. How are you feeling?”

She growled in my ear, ignoring the question but hugging me tighter. “I still can’t believe it. Have you decided how long you’re staying? Are you sure you want to be shacked up at the B&B? I bet Mom and Dad would let you stay in the cabin—”

“Let the man breathe,” Lawson said with a chuckle.

I set Grae down and moved to my eldest brother, pulling him in for a hard hug. “Damn good to see you, Law.”

He thumped me on the back. “Wasn’t sure your ugly mug was really gonna make it.”

His words stung, but it wasn’t anything I didn’t deserve. Lawson merely meant it as a gentle jibe. He didn’t know how deep the sentiment cut.

“Fam bam back together again,” Nash called, throwing himself around us and pulling Grae into the huddle.

She hit my back with an oomph. “Nash…”

Roan approached our group as Nash reached out for him. “Don’t even think about it.”

Nash gave an exaggerated pout. “Come on, grumpy cat.”

Roan scowled, keeping his distance.

Nash sighed. “Fine, ruin the family reunion.”

Roan lifted his chin in my direction. “Hey.”

That was him. No welcoming me back because he knew how hard it was for me to be here. More than once, I’d wondered why he hadn’t taken off, too. The night of the shooting had scarred him, as well—in some ways worse than the rest of us. Maybe he’d stayed to prove people wrong.

“Good to see you.”

Roan simply grunted. “Mom said dinner’s ready.” With that, he turned and headed back toward the house.

“As you can see, not a lot has changed,” Grae mumbled.

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask if Wren had changed. Did her laugh still have that husky edge? Did her nose crinkle when she smiled? I shoved that down and started for the front door. “Sometimes, things staying the same is a good thing.”

“Dad!” Drew called from the steps. “Luke’s hogging the Xbox.”

Lawson sighed. “I can tell you what has changed. Full-fledged teen angst.” He lifted his gaze to his middle son. “Not for long. Dinner’s ready. Say hello to your uncle so he doesn’t think I raised a bunch of heathens.”

Drew gave me a lopsided grin. “Hey, Uncle Holt. It’s sick you’re back.”

I glanced down at Grae. “Sick?”

Nash clapped me on the shoulder. “It means cool. You need to brush up on your lingo.”

A small boy dodged around Drew and rushed toward me. “Uncle Holt.”

I caught him on the fly, lifting him into the air. “Hey, Charlie. How’d you grow so much since I saw you last?”