Jude looked at him so closely, Lock wondered what he was looking for. What could the older man see just by staring at him?
Finally, Jude’s chest rose on a deep inhale. “She’s in the unit out back.”
Thank fuck. “Thank you.”
“You make this right,” Jude said before closing the door with a resounding slam.
Lock moved around the house.
Jude had an accessory dwelling unit on the back of his land. Lock should have guessed she was there, probably seeking solitude.
The second the little building came into view, his heart began to pound. It beat so hard that he could hear it, blocking out the rest of the world around him. When he stopped at the door, it took a moment to lift his fist and knock.
When no movement sounded, he called out to her. “Callie. It’s me. Lock.”
Then he waited, hoping like hell he had a shot at redemption.
Callie shotup in the bed, her pulse thumping, sweat coating her skin.
Another nightmare. This one so real it felt like she was there again. Back in her bed. Hurting. Lonely. Needing him. Only this time, the nightmare had twisted into something else. Lockhadanswered her call. And when she’d asked him to come, he’d said no. He’d reminded her that they were over. Then he’d hung up, the echoing click of the call ending still loud in her ears.
Jesus. She leaned forward, dropping her face into her hands, trying to catch her breath. Just needing one deep breath to wipe away the memory.
The scent of pine filled her nose, reminding her that she wasn’t home, but rather in her father’s rental cabin. It was onebig room with a bed and a kitchen, with only the bathroom in a separate space. She’d originally gone home last night, but then Lock had shown up and she’d needed a night to clear her head. But it didn’t feel like it worked.
He knew. Two years later, Lock finally knew.
She lifted her phone to see a dozen missed calls, all from Lock. She swallowed and clicked into the messages. Some from Aspen, but not all of them.
She looked at the messages from Lock.
Lock: I need to see you.
Lock: Please. We need to talk.
Lock: I need you to tell me where you are.
She clicked out and dropped the phone to the bed. She was just rising when the knock sounded at the door. Probably Dad. He’d been so worried about her when she’d shown up, cheeks stained with tears.
She took one step toward the door when the voice sounded.
“Callie. It’s me. Lock.”
Her feet ground to a halt, and she barely held in the gasp.
How had he known where she was? Did that even matter? He was here now. Of course he was here, they needed to talk. He deserved to hear everything that had happened.
“Callie. I need you to open the door.”
Again, she stood there, hating that she was being a coward.
“I screwed up,” Lock continued. “I screwed up so bad that there’s no way to repair the damage. But I need to know you’re okay. I need to know that at leastyou’restill whole.”
Whole? She hadn’t felt whole for a long time.
Like her feet had a mind of their own, she moved toward the door but didn’t open it. Instead, she clicked into the camera beside the door. And there he was, expression so sad, he almost looked lost.
He touched one hand to the wood before resting his forehead against the door. “Open the door, Callie. Please.”
