Whispers of You (Lost & Found #1)(47)

I started over to him. “Hey.”

Roan nodded but didn’t say a word. His eyes warmed a fraction as he took in Shadow, though. Dropping to a crouch, he tapped the ground in front of him, and she came right over. Roan gave her a good scratch behind the ears. “Going to train her for SAR?”

“Gonna see if she can pick up the basics.”

He dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small treat, offering it to her. “She’ll do good with a job. A purpose.”

“I think so, too. It has to get lonely out at the cabin while Wren’s at work.”

Roan nodded, but I knew he didn’t agree. My second eldest brother lived for solitude. While we all knew where he lived, I didn’t think he’d invited any of us out there. And it wasn’t exactly easy to access even if he had.

“How’s Fish and Wildlife treating you?”

He glanced over at me, a flicker of annoyance passing over his features at being forced into polite conversation. “Good.”

That was it, a single-word answer.

“You should come over to Wren’s. We can all have dinner, or you and I can go on a hike.” I had to try. It was why I was here. But in so many ways, it would be hardest with Roan. His wounds from a decade ago compounded his aloofness.

“Yeah, when work calms down.”

I wasn’t an idiot. I knew work would never calm down. But I’d let Roan off the hook. “You just let me know.”

“Come get your teams,” Dad called.

I scanned the group, looking for the county team leader. “Where’s Phyllis?”

“She retired last month,” Roan said.

Jude fell into step beside me. “They’re still looking for her replacement. Your dad is holding us together right now the best he can.”

Nash moved into our grouping, grabbing a walkie-talkie from the table and turning back to me. “It’s not a fancy security firm, but it’s a job you’d be good at. Has benefits. Maybe you should think about applying.”

The thought of staying lit a fire in me, but it wasn’t completely painful this time. It was a mixture. I’d missed the hell out of doing SAR. I’d missed my family. I’d missed Wren.

But if I stayed, and Wren still wanted nothing to do with me? I’d be signing up for a lifetime of torture.





22





WREN





“That’s the last of them,” Abel grumbled.

He’d been muttering and complaining for the last couple of hours as he finished this month’s reports. But the annoyed mumbling was almost a comfort at this point.

“You’re free.”

He glared at me. “Until next danged month.”

I grinned. “The price of being the boss.”

“Yeah, yeah. Do me a favor and take these to the actual boss?”

“You got it.” I pushed to my feet and stretched before I grabbed the stack of papers. It had been slow today. After the events of the past few days, I appreciated the reprieve, but it was also making me go a little stir-crazy.

I wove through the desks, making my way toward Lawson’s office. Clint grinned as he slung a duffel over his shoulder. “Hey, Wren.”

“Hey. You off shift?”

“Yup. Gonna go grab some grub at Dockside. Want to take your lunch?”

I fought the flinch that wanted to surface as I remembered Abel’s words about Clint and Chris. I liked Clint but had zero interest in dating him or anyone else I worked with. “Thanks, but I gotta hang around here.”

Disappointment flickered across his face, but he quickly schooled his expression. “Hope it’s a good rest of the day.”

“For you, too. Enjoy your lunch.”

Guilt flickered as I kept moving toward Lawson’s office. Clint was a good man. He’d always been kind to me. There were times I just felt broken. Like that internal compass was always pointing in the wrong direction when it came to relationships.

Because it was still pointing firmly toward Holt. I slapped that thought away the second it surfaced. It was the last thing I needed swirling around in my head.

A raised voice had me pulling up short outside Lawson’s office.

“It’s bullshit, and you know it, Chief. He doesn’t have an alibi. We should be arresting him and pushing him hard,” Amber said as she paced.

Lawson kept his voice calm and even. “There is absolutely no evidence that Joe had anything to do with this.”

“He’s got that same hatred his brother did. I’ve warned you time and again. I didn’t want it to go this far, and now it has.”

Lawson’s face hardened. “I know you’ve been through hell, but it’s skewing your objectivity. We follow the evidence. Not rumors and gossip.”

“What about your gut? You trust that, don’t you?” she pushed.

Lawson was quiet, but his lack of answer gave Amber everything she needed to keep pressing on.

“My gut has been screaming about Joe Sullivan for years. And I’m not the only one. If you don’t do something about him, people will take action on their own.”

Lawson stiffened, his back going rigid. “You’d better not be suggesting what I think you are, Raymond. That’ll cost you more than your job. You harass that boy, and I’ll take you into custody myself.”