Page 62 of Whispers of You
“Law said the same thing. I keep meaning to do some training with her, but there never seems to be enough time.”
He nodded as he moved in my direction. “I could start her on some stuff. I’m rusty, but I bet my dad would help.”
My brows lifted at that.
“We talked,” Holt said. “It’s far from perfect, but it’s better.”
“I’m glad.” And I meant those words. I wanted healing for Holt and his family. Healing for all of us.
“Whatcha got in the bag?” Holt asked hopefully.
I glanced toward where I’d set the takeout bag and an array of drinks on the edge of the firepit. Four Adirondack chairs circled it. This spot had become one of my favorites since buying the cabin. And now I was opening it to him.
“Burgers and fries.”
Holt eyed the drinks. “That a root beer float for me?”
My cheeks flushed. When I’d walked into Dockside to order, knowing that Holt was coming here, I couldn’t stop myself from placing the order I had done before too many times to count. I hadn’t missed the way Jeanie’s eyes had flared at hearing the words pass my lips, but she hadn’t said a thing.
“It’s a preemptive measure. I don’t want you trying to steal any of my milkshake.”
A smile stretched across Holt’s face that hit me right in the stomach. “You’re a goddess among mortals.”
I rolled my eyes and began pulling food out of the bag as Shadow ran back for another round of fetch with her new best friend. “Just a smart mortal who doesn’t want her dessert stolen.”
“That, too.”
Grabbing Holt’s burger and fries, I offered them to him. His hands closed around mine, a brush of skin against skin that I’d felt so many times before. Only now, I didn’t take it for granted. I soaked up the buzz of awareness, letting the hum of sensation soak deep into my bones and hoping I’d be able to keep it there forever.
The slight tightening of his fingers around mine told me that Holt felt it, too. “Thank you. I’m starving.”
His voice was just a little deeper, huskier.
I hurried to pull my hands away, took the rest of the contents out of the bag, and then retreated to my chair, taking a long pull from my milkshake. “No problem.”
I stared out at the lake with intense focus. The rippling water was far better than the temptation of Holt’s face.
“It’s a beautiful spot.”
I pulled my legs onto the chair and crossed them, depositing my food in my lap. “I’m partial to it.”
“How long have you lived here?”
Spinning a french fry between my fingers, I fought the urge to look at Holt. “Almost five years now. Gran and I had a place in town before that.”
Because she’d dropped everything when she heard about the shooting and moved to Cedar Ridge. When it became obvious that my parents had no plans to stay put, even though I’d been through a horrific trauma, she moved me in with her.
Holt was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry you lost her.”
I jerked, my gaze going to him now. “How’d you know?”
He plucked at his burger bun. “I kept an eye on things from afar.”
Those icy claws of grief and rage dug into my heart again. “But you didn’t even call when you knew she was gone?”
Holt knew better than anyone how much Gran had meant to me. Other than him, she was my lifeline. When she passed, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep going.
Pain flashed across his face. “I went to the funeral. I almost talked to you, but you had so many people around you, and I didn’t know if my presence would make things worse.”
