Page 61 of Mountain Summons

Alex shook his head, his expression serious. “No. Not us. You’ve been baking,” he said accusingly.

“You have the nose of a hound, Alex,” Yvette said, laughing. “It’s focaccia. There might still be a few pieces left.”

“Three pieces, to be exact,” Lena laughed—actually laughed, the sound bright and sharp. “You’re going to have to fight for them.”

Tristan smiled. For a long time, he’d taken this—this camaraderie—for granted. But watching the way Lena fit in,teasing and laughing like she’d been part of this circle for years, he felt something catch in his chest.

“Fight for them?” Hugo asked, already reaching for the tray. “I grilled meat in sub-zero temperatures. I deserve at least one piece.”

As if she could see him, Jo smacked his hand away with a light touch. “You’re not going to take one before our guests do,” she said. “But I’ll make you more later.”

Hugo settled at that—or maybe it was just Jo’s touch that settled him.

The room buzzed with low conversation and clinking plates, the scent of grilled meat and warm bread thick in the air. Outside, snow tapped against the windows in rhythmic bursts.

When dinner was over, Tristan caught Lena yawning delicately into her hand.Shit. It was late, and it’d been a long day. He didn’t have to make anything up, because that wasn’t the kind of people his friends were, so they said their goodbyes. He kept an arm behind Lena’s back on the way to the car, knowing her shoes weren’t great for snow. They’d have to pick up her boots the next day, if she still couldn’t go home. The thought gave him pause. As much as he hoped the Colonel figured things out soon, he didn’t want her to go home.

He bundled Lena into the car and stepped around to the driver’s seat, turning on the engine.

“That was fun,” she said, through another small yawn.

Her words warmed him. “I’m glad you liked them.”

“Your friends are warm and chaotic,” Lena said. “In the best possible way.”

“Welcome to chaos,” he said.

She looked up at him, a smile tugging at her lips. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say that he wanted to share a lot more than this with her but, in the end, he decided againstit. Because he knew, by now, how skittish Lena could be, and he didn’t want to scare her.

24

Tristan

Colonel Pelegrin’s assistant was not at her desk when Tristan arrived—which made sense, since she always took an early lunch.

Or the colonel doesn’t want anyone around for the conversation we’re about to have.

He knocked on the door, waiting until he heard a clipped “Come in.”

The colonel was on the phone, and he didn’t look pleased. His hand gripped the receiver like it had personally offended him.

“No. I can’t wait till next week. I need it today.”

He didn’t wait for a response—just ended the call with a jab of his finger and a sharp exhale before leveling his gaze on Tristan. Irritation seemed to sharpen his features.

That’s me. Just one more irritation in an aggravating day.

“Sir?” Tristan asked, though there was little doubt in his mind as to why he’d been summoned.

Colonel Pelegrin didn’t ask him to sit. He leaned forward, folding his hands. “I’ll keep this short, Lieutenant. We still have no idea who broke into my house, or why. Some things were damaged, but nothing was taken. I don’t like that. So I don’t want my daughter coming home until we know more. Understood?”

“Understood, sir,” Tristan said evenly. “She’s with Alex and Yvette right now. I’m picking her up this afternoon to take her to an appointment at an art gallery, then bringing her back to my place.”

The colonel nodded once. “You keep her with you. And you keep her safe.”

“Yes, sir.”

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