“One day you’ll get it too, when the right woman comes along,” Dad said to him.
“I don’t even make plans,” I murmured.
Dad gave me a sympathetic smile. “I want to say embrace whatever you’re feeling, but I know that’s not going to happen. Knowing you, you’ll need to take things slow. Give yourself time to process what you’re feeling.”
“Dad, this isn’t something I can take out on a punching bag,” I noted.
“But it is in the bedroom,” Becket laughed.
“I’m going to sock you one,” I warned.
“Boys,” Dad said again, his voice sterner this time. Then he followed it with, “Grow up, Becket.”
Becket finally shut his trap.
“The only good advice I can give you is to follow your heart,” Dad said, “and don’t be scared.”
“I’m with Dad on this, Ash,” Phoenix said. “I was a bachelor for a long while. My life got lonely and meaningless. I wasn’t expecting Elyna, but she turned my world upside down in the best way.”
My phone buzzed on the counter, and Kammy’s name lit up my screen. That wasn’t normal. I stepped away from the bar and read the text.
She’s back. Digging. I like her. So I’m telling you before someone else notices.
My jaw tightened.
Phoenix watched me with concern. “What’s wrong?”
“Claire’s asking questions again,” I explained. In a small town, a new person was easy to spot, especially a pretty blonde asking questions the bad elements in our town didn’t like.
Becket straightened immediately.
“About?”
“Bellerose and Nico.”
I didn’t wait. “Thanks for the sandwich,” I said to my brother. “It was fire.”
“You didn’t finish it,” he called as I got up from the stool. I left a fifty on the counter and took off.
“Be careful,” Dad said.
“Always,” I replied. I walked out and headed straight for my truck.
CHAPTER 17
Claire
Annoyed didn’t even begin to cover it.Asher walking into the Frosted Mug like he had authority over my choices rubbed me the wrong way. I understood why he did it. That was what made it worse. He wasn’t being arrogant. He was being protective. There was a difference, and I hated that I knew it. Kammy texting him felt like a betrayal, even though she’d admitted she liked me. Apparently liking me meant not letting me get myself killed. I blew out a breath as I drove toward the community center. My head felt crowded. Part of me couldn’t stop thinking about Asher. The other part was furious he kept stepping in when I was trying to do what I came here to do: find out what happened to my best friend with no distractions. Instead, what did I do? I fall into bed with my boss, who I can’t stop thinking about or watching without my heart picking up speed.
Asher’s meddling made me infuriated. I was grateful he introduced me to Becket. But that didn’t mean I wanted him hovering every time I made strides in cracking Sophie’s case. The parking lot at the community center was empty when I arrived. Swimming had always been my reset button. When mymind got loud, water quieted it. Sophie and I had been on the competitive swim team together in high school. We had traveled to tournaments. She was a much stronger swimmer than I was. For me it was more about fun. For Sophie it was about becoming the best.
I changed into one of my old competitive suits. Navy blue. High-cut. I tucked my hair under a cap and adjusted my goggles. The water hit cold against my skin when I dove in. The first few laps felt mechanical. Breath. Pull. Kick. Turn. After ten minutes my shoulders began to ache. After twenty my lungs burned. By thirty I felt something loosen in my chest.
Every stroke gave me something to focus on other than the mess in my head. The fact that I had barely any experience with men. And Asher was a lot to handle. The way he could be so domineering and somehow still gentle. The way I kept replaying how he touched me and how he stepped in at Kammy’s without asking me if I wanted him to. Even though I knew he did it because he was watching out for me, which I appreciated.
I flipped onto my back and started a back crawl, staring at the ceiling lights blurring above me. There was something about moving backward that felt symbolic. Trying to undo things. Trying to rewind the last twenty-four hours. I slammed straight into something solid.
“What the hell? Watch where you’re swimming!” I snapped.