“I don’t,” I lied, keeping my eyes pinned on Lila.
“Right. Sure. Look, why don’t you tell me why you’re so twisted up?” He angled a look at me. “You getting enough fiber, old man?”
The only thing was I wasn’t sure exactly why I was all in knots. He shook his head at me.
The music changed to a quicker song, and everyone on the dance floor started moving into the synchronized movements of a line dance. Chloe and Mia squealed, pulling Sage and Lila out to join them.
Wade leaned against the bar, bottle in hand, watching the dance floor like a hawk. He didn’t say it out loud, but I knew what he was doing. Police officer or not, he was here as a brother first. Sage and Chloe were here on his watch.
“Any updates on Lila’s break-in?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
Wade’s expression shifted, the easy grin flattening into something harder. “Not much. Prints were smudged to hell. Rain didn’t help. I’ve got patrol swinging by a couple times a night, but so far it’s quiet.”
I nodded, though it didn’t settle anything in my chest. Quiet wasn’t the same as safe.
“She hasn’t been back home,” Wade added, sipping his beer. “Been bunking with Sage.”
That tugged something strange in me. Relief, mostly. But also frustration, because it meant she didn’t feel safe in her own house. And she should. “Anything from Rhodes?”
He shook his head, and before we could get into it, someone clapped Wade hard on the shoulder.
“Holt,” a deep voice drawled. “You finally off the clock, or do I need to buy you a soda?”
Wade turned, grinning. “Cole Truman, you old bastard.”
I followed his gaze and found myself looking at a man who looked like he’d stepped out of a recruitment poster for the fire department. Tall, broad-shouldered, blond hair cut short but sun-bleached at the edges. His utility shirt clung to a chest that spoke of more than a few hours at the firehouse, and his smile was carved with lines like he’d earned them. He smelled faintly of smoke, even from a few feet away, as if the job clung to him.
“Easton,” Wade said, gesturing between us. “This is Cole Truman. Our new Deputy Fire Chief from Texas. Cole, this is another one of my brothers, East.”
Cole shook my hand with a firm grip, eyes steady. “Heard you’re back in town. Holt Construction, right?”
“That’s me,” I said. “Trying to get my feet back under me here.”
“Good. We can use more contractors around here. Every time I turn around, there’s another chimney that needs work or a roof sagging under the rain.” He chuckled. “Half my firefighters double as carpenters anyway, but don’t tell the town council that.”
“Don’t tell the building inspectors either,” I returned, and Cole grinned, like we’d just struck some unspoken agreement.
He set down his drink and took a seat at the table. “So,Wade. You keeping your sisters safe tonight, or are you letting them run wild?”
“They can handle themselves,” Wade said, though his eyes flicked toward the dance floor again, but I knew we were thinking the same thoughts. “But we’ll make sure they’re safe.”
Ultimately, it was our job to keep them that way. Levi had always been clear about instilling values in us from the moment we arrived at the Holt household. We were a tribe, a family, and that mattered.
“You’re good brothers,” he mumbled, frowning into his glass. “It’s nice to have such a tight family.”
Wade gave him a sympathetic look, and I couldn’t help but wonder what that was about. It didn’t seem like a good time to ask many personal questions. People deserved to keep things to themselves sometimes.
The music swelled again, and the line dance turned chaotic as a new song blasted through the speakers. The girls’ table was now empty, with all four of them on the floor, spinning and clapping in what looked like the Electric Slide—though I wouldn’t admit I knew what that was. Lila was caught between Mia and Sage, her curls bouncing and her hips shifting with every move.
“Who’s the brunette?” Cole asked, nodding toward Lila. His voice was curious, not hungry, but I didn’t like the way it hit my ears anyway.
“I’m sure you’ve seen her around town. Well, around is a stretch. She works a lot. Lila Merrick,” Wade answered before I could. “Owns Chapter & Crumb.”
Cole’s brows lifted. “Ah. The coffee and book place.My daughter drags me in there for hot cocoa. Good spot. Sometimes they run specials for the kids or games. My kid loves it there. Normally, I see the girl with the pink hair.”
“It’s a good place. She makes a decent cinnamon roll,” I said tightly, trying to figure out why I was irritated that he was even bringing Lila up. He hadn’t even recognized her, so why should I care? Decent cinnamon roll? What the hell. More than decent.
Cole’s smile deepened. “Noted.”
