Chapter 16
Easton
The call came just as I was rinsing dishes from dinner.
Maggie had picked at her plate, insisted she wasn’t hungry, then polished off half a cinnamon roll once I’d stopped looking.
Now she was dozing in the recliner, the sound of the rain tapping against the porch roof steady enough to lull anyone to sleep.
My phone buzzed across the counter. “You on Maggie duty tonight?” Wade asked after I picked up.
“No. Kipp traded me. He said he wanted to be in town tonight because of some errand.”
“Good. Because I just got word from Chloe that the girls are headed to the Public House for their so-called ‘girls’ night.’ She said Sage practically dragged Lila out of the house. Mia’s with them, too.” Wade paused. “Want to grab a beer?”
I hesitated. It had been years since I’d set foot in the Public House.
It was the kind of place that was a local hangout, where music bled out the open doors in the summer, and the peanut shells crunched under boots.
The idea of slipping into that scene made me itch.
But going into Lila’s shop had been unexpected.
The teasing had made me feel included. There were a few moments where I damned near enjoyed myself.
There was nothing that would make me admit it to anyone, but I was looking forward to the next book club.
But then Wade repeated it, like he knew exactly what card to play. “Lila’s with them.”
I shouldn’t have cared. But I did. She was a bit addictive.
It had been ages since I was interested in a woman.
She hadn’t called, but that was a bit of a cop out on my part.
If I wanted to ask her out, I would have to step up.
I’d told her I wouldn’t push, but I also knew she was attracted to me.
Every time we were in the same room, I could tell that we were on the same page.
“Fine,” I muttered. “I’ll meet you there.”
The bar Wade wanted to meet at was a staple in Wildwood Meadows, well-known among locals and tourists.
The Main Street Public House (its official name) looked the same as it always had.
Siding weathered by the Oregon rain, a tin sign swinging over the door, and windows glowing against the dark.
Inside, the place pulsed with energy. Line dancing had started up, boots thudding against the wooden floor as both couples and singles spun and clapped along with the country song blasting from the speakers.
Neon signs buzzed against the far wall, advertising cheap drafts and whiskey brands that had been here since before I was born. The crowd was mostly locals, with a few weekenders from Portland or Eugene trying to look like they belonged.
I spotted the women right away.
They had claimed a high-top table near the dance floor, pitchers of cider and margaritas already sweating on the wood. Chloe had her hair down, laughing at something Mia had just said, while Sage leaned back in her chair like she was queen of the place, auburn hair catching the lights.
And then there was Lila.
She wasn’t in her apron and flour-dusted clothes tonight.
Instead, she wore a dark green shirt that fit perfectly, leaving her shoulders partly bare.
Her curls were loose, brushing her collarbone as she leaned in to hear Sage better.
She wasn’t even trying, and she still had every man in the place stealing glances.
She was beautiful. Heart-stopping. I’d known that the day she’d stripped off that dinosaur costume, and it had been confirmed with every meeting since then.
Something hot twisted low in my chest.
“Beer?” Wade’s voice cut through, and I realized he had joined me at a table by the bar.
He slid a bottle across to me after ordering for us both, his eyes already tracking the girls.
“Chloe said I’m not allowed to bother them, but since you’re here, I figure we can at least watch from a safe distance.
Then maybe we can give them a ride home if they’re too sloshed on tequila.
You know how much Sage loves that stuff. ”
I snorted. “You mean one of the main reasons you lured me here was to watch me squirm, then to play Uber driver.”
Wade shrugged, but his grin said he didn’t disagree.
From across the room, I watched as a pair of ranch hands approached the table where the women sat, hats in hand, grins wide.
Nothing aggressive—just the usual Wildwood Meadows charm.
Lila smiled politely, shook her head, and pointed toward Sage, who immediately shooed them away with a laugh.
Still, my grip tightened on my bottle. The thought of her dancing with someone else made my temples pound.
“You notice,” Wade said casually, “how happy Sage and Chloe are here together. Lila too. I love that they’ve started to rope her into their circle. Maybe it’s a sign she belongs there.” He tipped his beer towards me.
“Don’t start,” I warned.
“Not starting anything,” he said mildly, taking a drink. “Just making an observation.”
I grunted, eyes flicking back to the table.
The women were toasting with their glasses, laughter spilling out loud enough to carry over the music.
Lila tilted her head back and laughed, her eyes shining, and for one stupid second, I forgot to breathe.
One minute, I thought she was a crazy person in an inflatable, and the next, she laughed like that, and I was losing more than my mind.
Wade must have noticed, because his mouth twitched. “You know, if you want to go say hello—”
“I don’t,” I lied, keeping my eyes pinned on Lila.
“Right. Sure. Look, why don’t you tell me why you’re so twisted up?” He angled a look at me. “You getting enough fiber, old man?”
The only thing was I wasn’t sure exactly why I was all in knots. He shook his head at me.
The music changed to a quicker song, and everyone on the dance floor started moving into the synchronized movements of a line dance. Chloe and Mia squealed, pulling Sage and Lila out to join them.
Wade leaned against the bar, bottle in hand, watching the dance floor like a hawk. He didn’t say it out loud, but I knew what he was doing. Police officer or not, he was here as a brother first. Sage and Chloe were here on his watch.
“Any updates on Lila’s break-in?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
Wade’s expression shifted, the easy grin flattening into something harder. “Not much. Prints were smudged to hell. Rain didn’t help. I’ve got patrol swinging by a couple times a night, but so far it’s quiet.”
I nodded, though it didn’t settle anything in my chest. Quiet wasn’t the same as safe.
“She hasn’t been back home,” Wade added, sipping his beer. “Been bunking with Sage.”
That tugged something strange in me. Relief, mostly. But also frustration, because it meant she didn’t feel safe in her own house. And she should. “Anything from Rhodes?”
He shook his head, and before we could get into it, someone clapped Wade hard on the shoulder.
“Holt,” a deep voice drawled. “You finally off the clock, or do I need to buy you a soda?”
Wade turned, grinning. “Cole Truman, you old bastard.”
I followed his gaze and found myself looking at a man who looked like he’d stepped out of a recruitment poster for the fire department.
Tall, broad-shouldered, blond hair cut short but sun-bleached at the edges.
His utility shirt clung to a chest that spoke of more than a few hours at the firehouse, and his smile was carved with lines like he’d earned them.
He smelled faintly of smoke, even from a few feet away, as if the job clung to him.
“Easton,” Wade said, gesturing between us. “This is Cole Truman. Our new Deputy Fire Chief from Texas. Cole, this is another one of my brothers, East.”
Cole shook my hand with a firm grip, eyes steady. “Heard you’re back in town. Holt Construction, right?”
“That’s me,” I said. “Trying to get my feet back under me here.”
“Good. We can use more contractors around here. Every time I turn around, there’s another chimney that needs work or a roof sagging under the rain.” He chuckled. “Half my firefighters double as carpenters anyway, but don’t tell the town council that.”
“Don’t tell the building inspectors either,” I returned, and Cole grinned, like we’d just struck some unspoken agreement.
He set down his drink and took a seat at the table. “So, Wade. You keeping your sisters safe tonight, or are you letting them run wild?”
“They can handle themselves,” Wade said, though his eyes flicked toward the dance floor again, but I knew we were thinking the same thoughts. “But we’ll make sure they’re safe.”
Ultimately, it was our job to keep them that way. Levi had always been clear about instilling values in us from the moment we arrived at the Holt household. We were a tribe, a family, and that mattered.
“You’re good brothers,” he mumbled, frowning into his glass. “It’s nice to have such a tight family.”
Wade gave him a sympathetic look, and I couldn’t help but wonder what that was about. It didn’t seem like a good time to ask many personal questions. People deserved to keep things to themselves sometimes.
The music swelled again, and the line dance turned chaotic as a new song blasted through the speakers.
The girls’ table was now empty, with all four of them on the floor, spinning and clapping in what looked like the Electric Slide—though I wouldn’t admit I knew what that was.
Lila was caught between Mia and Sage, her curls bouncing and her hips shifting with every move.
“Who’s the brunette?” Cole asked, nodding toward Lila. His voice was curious, not hungry, but I didn’t like the way it hit my ears anyway.
“I’m sure you’ve seen her around town. Well, around is a stretch. She works a lot. Lila Merrick,” Wade answered before I could. “Owns Chapter & Crumb.”