Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96970 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“Tavo,” I said, dropping a hand on his shoulder to squeeze. “If I could go to Drew’s with you, I would. I don’t begrudge you a normal holiday tomorrow. You two have fun, okay?”
They both grinned. God only knew what the two of them would get up to once Ella and I were gone. Suddenly, I was glad I was getting out of Dodge.
Once we were in Ella’s car on the way out to the lodge, she turned to me and asked if I was feeling better now.
“Yeah,” I lied, flashing her a smile. “I’m great. It’s going to be fine.”
It was not, in fact, fine.
28
KINCAID
To: OpSec Director, Sillar, Johns, and Covey
Re: Request Replacement Device/Online Access
Judd Kincaid: Due to the accident that led to my evacuation to Ramstein, my personal phone was lost/unusable. Please advise if a replacement device can be issued or if I have authorization to procure one locally in order to reestablish secure online access. Respectfully, Judd Kincaid
_____________________
The grocery store flowers shook in one hand as I reached the other out for the heavy brass knocker on the massive door to the Marian Lodge.
“You can do this,” Kaidee said under her breath. “I got your back.”
I swallowed a lump of nerves in my throat. She’d told me about seeing Alex last night on her way into town from Colorado and how he’d acted strangely. After two glasses of wine, I’d confessed the whole thing. DrunkenPoet, IndexEcho, the time it took me between learning the truth and confessing it to him, everything.
And she’d been amazing.
When Hazel and Avery Marian had stopped into the firehouse a few days ago to personally invite me to their family’s house for Thanksgiving, I’d assumed I would be having the meal with the two women and their new baby. Never in a million years did I realize it was a giant Marian gathering at the lodge until after I’d already committed to coming.
But then it was like some other part of me—the part that had spurred me to keep showing up at Timber every other day for no good reason, the part that refused to give up on Alex, on us—had stubbornly insisted on going, if only to force Alex to bear witness to the fact that I was still here. I existed in the world despite his efforts to pretend nothing between us had ever happened.
“Hi, welcome! Come on in,” an older man with graying strawberry-blond hair said as he waved us inside. “I’m Blue Marian, and this is my husband, Tristan. And you are…?”
Just my luck Alex’s own parents were the ones who opened the door. “Judd Kincaid,” I said, handing Blue the flowers. “And this is my friend Kaidee Driscoll.”
After all of the friendly greetings, shaken hands, and offers to hang up coats, we were led into a large half-commercial kitchen, where the family was gathered around a huge island filled with various platters, pie plates, and dishes on trivets.
“What can I get you two to drink? Our family prides itself on our wine selections, but we also have—”
“He likes a craft brew called Summer Song,” Alex said from a hallway behind me. As soon as he came fully into the room, I was struck stupid. He was wearing my favorite color on him—a heather green sweater over wash-worn blue jeans. “It’s similar to the Get Lost Pale Ale in the fridge.”
“What about you?” Blue asked Kaidee. I didn’t hear what she said because I was still listening out for Alex’s voice.
He glared at me.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” I murmured.
“Is it?”
I turned, wondering if I should just collect my coat and get the hell out, but I caught Blue’s eye, and he nodded me over to a second fridge off to the side. “Pale ale’s in here. There’s a bunch of other stuff, too, since my parents will have people here pretty much nonstop from now through New Year’s.”
I glanced back at Kaidee and saw someone hand her a glass of wine. She was happily chatting with several people and looked perfectly at ease.
I walked to the fridge and tried to select a beer, but the entire contents of the fridge became a colorful blur. My brain kept giddily reminding me that Alex was nearby, and my entire consciousness was stubbornly focused on him.
After a moment, Blue grabbed one and shut the door, handing the cold can to me. “This one.”
The beer in my hand was the one Alex had recommended. A local Montana brew he carried at Timber. “This is great, thanks.”
“So, Chief Kincaid,” Blue began. “Tell us about yourself. Ella said you’ve been working in Legacy since the spring?”
I cleared my throat. “Yes, sir.”
He barked out a laugh that startled me, mostly because I was wound up tight from the stress of the situation. “No sirs, please. I save those for my husband during special moments.”