Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
My brain short-circuited on the word fine. Zip. Zap. Done. I had to take several calming breaths before I could comprehend the rest of what Rob was saying.
“Missing diver? What do you need from me? I’m purely a recreational diver these days and can’t dive without someone more experienced as a buddy diver. Damn it.”
“Not asking you to dive. Need you to come work command with me.” Rob’s voice was clipped, and road noise filtered through the call. He was likely already en route. “We’ve got volunteers to organize, and Cal says you’re the best at that, and God knows you know more dive lingo than me for keeping everyone in line.”
“I’m on my way.” I took a split second to wave at Sam before heading for the exit. “Tell…never mind.”
I’d been about to ask Rob to relay a message to Cal, but that wouldn’t be fair to any of us. Rob didn’t need to be in the middle of my love life, nor was this the time to try to settle things with Cal. And a short message wasn’t going to cut it. We needed a real talk, and I was simply going to have to hope we got the chance. No. Not hope. Trust. Trust that we would get the chance to work things out.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cal
When I arrived at the lake, two officers were already there, talking with a distraught group of young people, all of whom were speaking over each other with much waving of hands and tearful expressions. My mind flashed back to Velma and Martha at the campsite. Fifty years of adventures. God, I hoped none of these kids ended up brokenhearted today, but the reality was they very well might.
“Are you Phillips?” The taller of the two officers, a woman with dark hair, approached me. “The chief said to expect you. A couple of other divers arrived a few minutes ago. They’re prepping over there.”
She pointed to a spot near a few badly parked cars. I recognized both divers from the Stapleton recovery, the ever-chipper Heidi from Washington and a younger man with a shaved head and closely trimmed goatee who let Heidi do all the talking.
I managed something of a greeting as I started organizing my gear on the side of my RV. Others arrived on the scene—more cops, a couple of civilians who were likely divers, but I didn’t pay much attention until Rob arrived in an official Safe Harbor Police Department SUV, followed quickly by Holden. For once, I was thrilled with his bat-out-of-hell driving habits.
Forcing myself to breathe deeply and not run to him like a bad rom-com reunion, I took a moment to check over my gear once more and collect myself before Holden rolled over to me.
“You came.” I licked my suddenly parched lips.
“Of course.” He held my gaze with steady hazel eyes that saw and said way too much. “You asked.”
“Knew I could count on you. You’re the best.” My voice came out in measured tones, simply stating the bald truth. He was the best, and I’d known he’d come, regardless of where our relationship stood. He was a far better friend than I deserved, a better man than most people gave him credit for.
“I try,” he said levelly, but I wasn’t sure he believed his own words. He tried. And succeeded. And the cost of that trying was something a lot of people would never see, but I had. He was a good person, almost effortlessly so, but he also put the work in where it counted.
Including with me.
He’d been so patient, asked for so little, and here he was, where he didn’t have to be, simply because I’d asked. My heart swelled, pushing against my ribs, tightening my throat.
“Holden—”
“We have a job to do.” He glanced over at the other divers and Rob. He was right, but damn it, my chest ached with everything that had to wait.
“We’ll talk after. Please…” His eyes narrowed as he inhaled sharply and then shook his head. “Never mind. Let’s get to work.”
“What were you going to say?” I demanded, voice harsh because we were running out of seconds.
“I trust you to come back to me.”
“Oh.” I swallowed hard. He’d been about to phrase it as a request, but he’d found his way to the trust I hadn’t felt from him the day before when we’d argued. He sounded utterly sure, and his conviction bore into my soul, soothing rough spots and scars both. “I will.”
This wasn’t a moment for I’ll try. There was only one response, one promise, and I intended to keep it.
“So what’s the plan for the volunteers?” Rob strode over.
“Uh…” Oh crap. We should have been talking logistics, but where my mouth flopped open like a fish, Holden nodded confidently.
“We’ll do a standard jackstay search grid pattern with teams of two volunteers, other than Cal, who dives alone.”