“Sorry about that. I just finished a big job for Jonny Miller on Fifth. New closets for his bedroom.”
“My best friend’s too busy for me?”
He chuckled. “Says the town sheriff.”
“Yeah, well, things have been quiet since the fire in the mountains, and I’m holding out for everything staying that way.”
Holden’s fingers tightened on the cell. Jesse’s brother Becket’s woman had almost died in that fire. And Becket had almost died trying to save her. Thank God, the person responsible was locked away now.
“It’s always quiet until it’s not. I’m sure you’re ready for anything to come though.” He tapped his fingers on the wheel, his mind going back to Clara. He shouldn’t say anything, but when did he do anything he was supposed to do? “Did you know your sister’s joining a running club?”
There was a short pause. “Since when?”
“Since her roommate asked her this morning.”
“Her roommate? They’re not friends. They don’t even talk.”
“Well, that changed this morning.” He paused, watching the trees outside the car without really focusing on them. “She’ll be okay, right?”
“Unfortunately, even if I thought she wouldn’t be, she wouldn’t listen to me.”
She wouldn’t listen to Holden either. The only people she seemed to listen to were her mother and cousin. All the men in her life had been labeled as overprotective…and yeah, that was usually accurate.
“Do you know when and where it is?” Jesse asked.
“No. I could ask.” But he was almost certain he knew what response he’d get…and it wasn’t what he wanted.
Jesse laughed, because yeah, he was thinking the same thing. “Let me know how that goes.”
He undid his seat belt. “I should get on to this quote. I’ll catch you later.”
“Have a good one, Holden.”
He climbed out of his truck, his fingers twitching to send the text. She wouldn’t like it, and he was ninety-nine percent certain she wouldn’t give him the information.
He sent the text anyway.
Holden: When and where is this running club?
The three dots popped up immediately.
Clara: No.
Holden: No what?
Clara: I am not telling you the details so you can show up and babysit me.
Holden: I wouldn’t be babysitting you. I’d be running with you.
Clara: No.
Goddammit. Why did she have to be so stubborn?
Most of the time she was sweet and calm and, hell, she even got nervous around him. But the second she thought he was being overprotective, she got her back up.
He grabbed his toolbox from the back of his truck and crossed to the front door of the modern home. It had clean lines and a minimalistic design in contrast to the rustic charm of the surrounding homes. An exterior of smooth concrete and dark steel accents with large panels of glass.
He knocked on the wood and a second later, a woman opened the door. She had big blonde curls and wore a tight pencil skirt.
