Whispers of You (Lost & Found #1)(65)

I lifted my gaze to Grae’s. “If it doesn’t work out, it’s going to crush me.”

She gave me a sad smile. “Sometimes, that’s just the price we have to pay for the good stuff.”

I stared at my friend. Her words were heavy with experience, but she’d only ever had casual boyfriends as far as I knew. Grae was the one who usually did the dumping.

“Are you okay?”

Her smile brightened. “I’m fine. But I’d be better if we could watch Little Women.”

A rightness settled in my heart. Not much could be better right now than some time with my bestie, watching a movie we could both recite by heart. Maybe a little of Grae’s fearlessness would rub off on me, and I’d be ready to take that final step.





31





HOLT





Sheriff Bruce Jenkins motioned to the sitting area on the side of his office. “Thanks for coming in. I know you’ve got a lot going on.”

“I appreciate you making the time to see me.”

Bruce nodded, offering me a bottle of water as I sat. “We’re desperate for a search and rescue team leader for the county. Phyllis left some big shoes to fill when she retired, and we haven’t had the right candidate come along since.”

“It’s a job that requires a lot of different skills.”

Bruce studied me thoughtfully. “Tell me how you see it.”

I nodded. “You’ve got the organizational piece. You need to run trainings, meetings, and searches. Facilitate schedules.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Then there’s the morale piece. So much of SAR is making sure your team gels. That they get the support they need if there’s a tough callout. That there’s an element of fun in it all as much as possible because these people are volunteers.”

Bruce nodded. “That’s something a lot of the applicants have overlooked. Anything else?”

“The most important piece is that you can give your all to the search. You know I grew up doing this. My dad had us learning how to track before we could read.”

A grin stretched across Bruce’s face. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

I chuckled. “He loved what he did. Still loves it. And he passed that on to all of us. You need that love to stay invested. Because there will be times when the outcomes aren’t happy ones. And you still have to go. Because families need that closure.”

Bruce drummed his fingers on his knee. “I’ll be honest. You’re overqualified for this job. I looked into your company after Law told me you were interested in the position, and I worry you might get antsy and leave me high and dry.”

Annoyance bubbled to the surface. Proving my staying power was becoming a familiar refrain. I shoved the frustration down. “Can I be honest with you?”

“I’d appreciate it if you would.”

“I left a girl behind when I took off.”

Bruce arched a brow.

“And not just any girl. The one who makes everything settle when you’re around her. The one who gives you peace and a safe place to let everything go.”

“Been married three times.” Bruce’s eyes flashed as he spoke. “I know better than most that what you’re describing there is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. Something you’d be a fool to let go of.”

“I was a fool. I hurt her. I’m trying to make it right. Want to prove to her that I’m in it for the long haul. And I missed my family. I missed these mountains. It’s time for me to come home for good. And I can’t imagine a better job to have while doing that.”

Bruce huffed out a breath, leaning back in his chair. “Hell. The job’s yours if you want it.”

I grinned so widely that I probably looked a little deranged. “Romantic at heart, aren’t you?”

He laughed. “I’m going to tell my wife you said that. And I’m going to tell her that little story of yours because it’s gonna make her get all nostalgic about our story. Might even convince her to slow dance with me tonight.”

“Sounds like you found the right one in the end.”

“I did.” Bruce stood, extending a hand. “Now you make sure you do, too. I’ll email over the paperwork. We’ll run your prints and all that jazz, but I don’t expect there’ll be a problem.”

“Been background checked more times than I can count.” And the truth was, if I’d wanted to hide anything in my past, I could’ve done that, too.

“Then you start in two weeks.”

My brows lifted at that. I thought for sure he’d want me to start tomorrow.

“It’ll give Law a chance to catch the son of a bitch who’s terrorizing people in your neck of the woods.”

“I appreciate that, sir.”

“Call me Bruce. And remind Law that he’s got my people whenever he needs them.”

I shook his hand. “I know we’re both grateful.”

We said our goodbyes, and I made my way out of the sheriff’s station, texting as I went.

Me: How’s everything at home?





A reply flashed on my screen as I climbed into my SUV.

Cricket: Grae and I called for strippers. I wouldn’t come home anytime soon.