Harley smirked, licking icing off her thumb. “Auntie Harley. That’s a title I never thought I’d hear.” She offered a wry smile.
Echo matched it, a sort of sadness in the expression. “Absolutely. Althoughsomeoneshould probably come around more often if they want to earn it.” She tossed a chunk of roll into her mouth. “I’ve missed you. We all have. When did you get back to town?”
Harley didn’t want to guess who might be included in that “we” and didn’t comment.Hewasn’t here—hadn’t been here for the better part of a decade. So, whatever. “Just this morning. I landed in Anchorage late last night, couldn’t sleep, drove north.”
“Well, good thing I’m in town for my OB appointment. I would have hated to miss the homecoming of Harley Tatum.”
“Don’t get excited. It’s not going to take.”
Echo made a face. “Shoot. I’ve really missed you.”
Chase tossed his sippy cup on the floor. Harley reached for it—
“You’ll just get sucked into his game,” Echo said.
Harley picked it up, handed it to him. The imp grinned at her, then dropped it again, his brown eyes alight as he clapped for himself.
Harley laughed. “He’s adorable, Echo.”
“He’ll trick you with that smile.” Echo handed Chase a piece of the roll. Her golden hair in a long braid, she wore mukluks and her husband’s flannel shirt, buttoned over a baby bump. She looked happy, from Harley’s view. “He’s all Dodge,” Echo said, “stubborn and wild. I can already tell he likes to live dangerously.”
Harley made a sound of disagreement.
“What?”
“Says the woman who would prefer to sleep outside with her pack of sled dogs—”
“Not anymore. I prefer my husband, thank you.” She winked. “But we still have the dogs. Speaking of living dangerously, though—are you still a cop?”
“No. I quit that three years ago. I’m working as a PI down in Juneau. And I track down bail jumpers on the weekends.”
Echo shook her head. “Of course you do. Justice warrior, just like your dad.”
The words didn’t hurt, not anymore, but they settled inside, found her bones. “Yeah, well, I’m not looking for trouble, but someone needs to keep the riffraff in line. Like this little guy.” Harley reached over, tickling Chase’s belly, earning a squeal that lifted into the room. Heads turned at the counter, but she didn’t care. Let ’em stare.
Yep, Harley Tatum was back. And this time she wasn’t leaving without justice.
Echo laughed, sipping her coffee, the steam curling up past her freckled nose. “I’ll have to fill little Chase here in on the legend of Harley Tatum—playground guardian, hockey champion, and breaker of hearts.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Just saying...”
“Listen. Nobody’s heart was broken.” Well, except ...
“You count.”
She cocked her head and Echo shrugged.
“It’s been seven years since I’ve seen him,” Harley said. “Old news.” Seven years, six days, and probably seven hours. Not that anyone was counting.
“And you don’t think about him anymore?”
Always and forever. “What’s there to think about? It was a romantic flashover, quick and done.”
“Oh please. You’ve been in love with Jericho since you emerged from the womb and spotted the one-year-old next door.”
“Yeah, well, that one-year-old didn’t notice me for the first ten years of his life.”
