What had her name been? Callie? He’d seen her with his brother when both he and Lock had been home at the same time. From memory, she’d lived here with her father, and Lock had met her on one of his trips home. “They didn’t date for long, did they?”
“No. And I don’t know why they broke up. Lock wouldn’t talk about it. Maybe long distance got too hard. She only saw him a few times a year when he came home or she went up to him. But after they broke up, she left town.”
Jace’s brows flickered. So there was a story there. “Now she’s back.”
“Now she’s back.”
Another woman inside caught his attention. He recognized her from a skywalk tour a couple weeks ago…the woman Ali had encouraged him to talk to. What was her name? Stephanie?
For a few days, he’d wondered if she was Dean’s sister from Charlotte, but Eastern had pulled up the woman’s driver’s license and it wasn’t her.
The door opened, and Elle and Sadie stepped out, both with flushed cheeks. Sadie hugged Avery and kissed Eastern, while Elle fell into his arms. He just caught her.
“Hey. You okay?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m dying. Or maybe I’m already dead. That class killed me. Do I still have legs? I can’t feel them.”
He chuckled. “I can carry you to Sugar and Spice if you want?”
“As tempting as that sounds, it might be less embarrassing to struggle my way down the street.”
He wouldn’t find it embarrassing at all. Still, he slipped an arm around her waist and she leaned into him, allowing him to shoulder a lot of her weight.
“So the class was a good one?” Eastern asked as they started toward Sugar and Spice.
Sadie nodded. “Yeah. It was hard, but I loved the burn.”
Elle groaned.
“This is reminding me of the time I dared you to do a workout with me in high school,” Jace said with a grin.
“Oh my God, I remember that because the pain is ingrained in my soul.” She looked over at Sadie, Eastern and Avery. “I called it the circuit of hell. It involved a million squats, ten million sit-ups, and don’t even get me started on the pull-ups he made me attempt. I say attempt, because I couldn’t do a single one independently.”
Jace remembered that day well because he got to put his hands on her lush hips and assist with those pull-ups.
Avery studied him. “Yeah, Uncle Jaceispretty strong. But Daddy says he’s stronger.”
Jace reached out and punched his brother in the shoulder. “He could only dream of being the gladiator that I am.”
Avery frowned. “What’s a gladiator?”
“You’re looking at him, sweetheart.”
Elle laughed and shook her head. “You’re already making me feel better after that torture session. Thanks.”
They were just nearing Sugar and Spice when three guys rounded the corner across the street. They were laughing and shoving one another’s shoulders.
Jace’s jaw locked. They were three of the guys who’d booked that rappelling session, and one of them was Casper White.
“Casper,” Elle said quietly. “I heard he was back in town for a bit.”
He looked down at Elle. “When was the last time you saw him?”
“Maybe six months ago? He returns a few times a year, and he always makes crude, stupid comments. I heard he got let go at work though, so this stay will probably be longer.”
The muscles in Jace’s arms tightened. “What kind of comments does he make?”
She opened her mouth, only to pause before shaking her head. “Nothing. He’s just an ass. It’s strange how he hasn’t changed at all since high school. Most people experiencesomegrowth.”
