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Bridger had to swallow around a painful lump in his throat before he could respond. “Always. And Jason...stay safe. We’re here when you need us.”
“Copy that.” Jason hung up.
Bridger stared at his phone, praying his friend would bring them all in to face the Consortium threat. Before it was too late.
49
Tai paced the worn oak floors of the cabin, too restless to sit still. The space felt confining, the four walls closing in with memories that cut like knives. He needed air.
With an irritated huff, he forced himself back to the scarred table and his open Bible. He flipped pages aimlessly, not absorbing the words. His leg bounced with pent-up energy as he skimmed chapter headings.
Ecclesiastes. Samuel. Nothing clicked for the wedding speech he was supposed to be writing. His gift with words had abandoned him, it seemed, along with his peace of mind.
He shoved away from the table. Crossing to the stone fireplace, he jabbed at the logs, stoking the embers more forcefully than necessary. The fire flared in response, driving back the empty coldness he couldn’t seem to shake.
He should be excited for his friends. Instead, he just felt hollow. Restless and bone-weary all at once. His skin itched with the urge to move, to outrun his circling thoughts. If only...
No. Those two dangerous words would only lead to more pain. He turned away from the fire. Time to try Proverbs instead. Surely wisdom could be found somewhere in those pages.
A sudden knock at the door made him jump. He wasn’t expecting company this late. Swinging the door open, shock jolted through him at the sight of Tenaya standing on his doorstep.
Pleasure immediately flooded his veins just seeing her face, those dark eyes he’d missed so much. But on its heels came a stab of concern. What was she doing here, alone?
“Hey,” he managed through his tight throat.
“Hey yourself,” Tenaya replied from behind the collar of her puffy jacket.
Her cheeks were flushed from the chill night air, a few windswept strands of hair escaping her knit cap. She looked adorably bundled against the high desert cold—a sight that unexpectedly squeezed Tai’s heart.
How was it possible he had lived weeks without her? Tai ruthlessly tamped down the flicker of joy her presence brought. Dangerous territory.
Mind racing, he stepped back to let her enter. “Is your dad okay?” he asked, lighting on the only reasonable explanation for why she’d show up unannounced.
“He’s great. Catching up with Bridger and Mason at the main house,” Tenaya answered, unzipping her jacket.
He exhaled with relief, but that left an open question. What was she doing here then?
Tenaya glanced around the cabin, taking in the modern mountain décor. “I like your place.”
Tai realized with an odd pang that she’d never been inside before. After everything they’d shared, it seemed strange she didn’t know his personal space.
“Oh, uh, thanks,” he mumbled inanely, bobbing his head. “Cool.”
Tenaya’s gaze landed on the open Bible and notepad. “Am I interrupting?”
Desperate for something to do with his hands, Tai closed the Bible and lined it up precisely with the pad’s edge. “No, not at all. Just, you know, working on my speech and stuff.”
He cringed internally. Real eloquent. But Tenaya merely smiled, no judgment in her eyes.
“Ah, right, your best man speech,” she said. “How’s that going?”
Tai huffed a weak laugh, rubbing his neck. “Not so great honestly.”
An awkward beat passed. He wracked his brain trying to think of something else to say. Anything to break this sudden tension swirling between them.
He rubbed his neck awkwardly. “So, uh, how was the drive up from LA?”
“Not too bad,” Tenaya replied. “A little traffic getting out of the city.”
