Page 25 of Mountain Summons

He sat up straighter, fingers already moving.

Do you need anything? I could be back at yours in fifteen minutes.

Or fifteen seconds, but he wasn’t about to admit that.

No. Thank you.

And that was it. No follow-up. No three little dots. Conversation over.

Tristan let out a slow breath, running a hand down his face. He should leave. He knew that. But the thought of her alone in that house, so soon after getting out of the hospital—it made his stomach twist.

And then there was the other thing. The bit he really didn’t understand.

He’d seen in her eyes that she didn’t want to be alone. But she hadn’t wanted to be with him, either. And when she’d said she’d call if she needed anything? She’d been lying. She wasn’t going to call.

That shouldn’t bother him as much as it did. He always kept things light and easy with the women he dated. He wasn’t the kind of man to force things. And now wasn’t the time, anyway. He shouldn’t even have kissed her. He just hadn’t been able to help himself.

Tristan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, staring at the dimly lit windows of her home. The unease wasn’t just about her, though. This feeling—this urge—to take care of Lena, to care for someone other than himself … it wasn’t like him at all. He was an expert at taking care of himself. Now that he knew Lena was fine, that’s what he should be focusing on.Damage control. How not to let his career blow up over this.

Instead, he sat there. Waiting.

Minutes stretched into hours. Long enough that he needed to pee, and still he didn’t move. The street was quiet, th silence only broken by the occasional car passing through. His phone lay on the passenger seat, dark and silent, and still he couldn’t bring himself to start the engine.

He straightened when he saw a slow-moving shadow pass behind the curtains in her living room. A second later, the soft glow of the kitchen light flickered on.

She was up.

Tristan clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to storm up there. He could be at her door in seconds. But she’d told him to leave. She was fine. If she needed help, she could call. But would she? Or would she keep pushing through, keep pretending everything was fine even when it wasn’t?

His phone buzzed. He snatched it up, his pulse spiking.

Not Lena.It was Beau. He exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair before answering.

“Yeah?”

“You still parked outside her place?” Beau’s voice was as dry as ever.

Tristan scowled, scanning his surroundings. “How do you?—”

“You’re predictable, Devallé. And, unlike you, I actually have a life outside of work, so let me make this quick. The forensic team has arrived in Annecy. They’re expecting you and Lorenz to pick them up at eight tomorrow and fly them to the site.”

Tristan exhaled, forcing his mind to shift gears. “We’ll be there.”

“I’ll text you the details. Keep me updated.”

“Sure.”

A pause. Then, “Go home, Tristan.”

Tristan clenched his jaw.Don’t ask. Don’t ask.“Any idea if the colonel’s on his way back from Paris?”

“You want me to stalk my boss now?” Beau let out a dry laugh. Then a sigh. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Thanks, Beau.”

Tristan ended the call, tossing his phone onto the dashboard.

He wasn’t leaving.

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