Jesse was still in his head when Holden frowned. “Hey. I know we’ve spoken about Antwan on the phone, but this is the first I’ve seen you in person since all that went down. How are you doing after everything?”
His chest tightened. Sometimes he could almost forget about everything that took place in Misty Peak. Then he remembered, andfuck, it felt heavy. “As okay as I can be. You?”
“I wasn’t there.”
“Doesn’t matter. He was like a brother to all of us.”
Holden nodded. “Yeah. It hurts.”
It more than hurt.
Okay, they needed a change of subject. “My mom’s having a family dinner tomorrow night. Come with us.”
“Is she making her famous pot roast?”
“I can put in the request.”
“I’ll be there.”
Aspen returned to the table. “See? All safe.”
He slid a hand back to her thigh as soon as she sat down. “Good.”
The waitress returned with their food. The second she left, Holden lifted his mug of coffee to his lips. His expression didn’t change as he sipped it. There was no cringe. No face pulled. But then, Holden could be a master at concealing his emotions.
Jesse lifted a brow. “And?”
“It’s not so bad.”
Aspen’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Holden laughed. “I’m kidding, it’s terrible. Like warm water mixed with dirt.”
“That’s my description too.” Jesse laughed.
The diner door opened, and Luke and Bea stepped in. Jesse frowned. He didn’t know they hung out.
Luke’s gaze went straight to him, and he smiled before heading to their table. Bea followed closely behind.
“Hey. Looks like we got a day off at the same time,” Luke said.
“Doesn’t happen often.” Jesse gestured across the table. “Luke, Bea, this is my friend Holden. Holden, Luke’s a deputy at the station and Bea works our front desk.”
Holden dipped his head. “Hey.”
“What are you two doing today?” Aspen asked.
Bea smiled. “Getting a juice and going for a walk. It’s such a nice day.”
Luke stepped back. “We’ll leave you guys to it. See you at work, Jesse.”
They moved to the counter, and Aspen turned to Jesse. “Are they together?”
He shook his head, barely holding in the laugh. “No. Luke doesn’t date.”
Holden lifted a brow. “Ever?”
“I mean, he has women he sees on a more regular basis”—like Margot—“but I don’t think Bea’s one of them.”
