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“Okay, one more thing.” Lark’s brows were pinched in concentration. “Wouldn’t he have recognized your handwriting or something?”
I let out a sad, watery scoff. “I tried. For a while I had purposely left notes or handwritten things around, and he never said anything.”
“Do you really think Wyatt would recognize your handwriting?” Kate asked. “I know for sure that Beckett probably wouldn’t.”
Lark picked up her phone. “Well, let’s find out.”
I looked over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Texting Wyatt and asking if he thinks he would know my handwriting if he saw it.”
Kate’s eyes brightened. “Excellent idea.”
She also grabbed her phone, and my head sank into my hands. “You two are ridiculous.”
“Shh.” Lark grinned. “This is for science.”
A few moments passed before Lark frowned at her phone. “Well, that’s bullshit. Wyatt said,and I quote, ‘Probably a ten percent chance if I’m lucky.’”
Kate laughed and tipped her phone toward us. “Beckett is coming in at an underwhelming forty percent.”
“So it’s possible Lee is just stupid like the rest of our men,” Lark teased and pulled a sad laugh from me.
“Who’s stupid?” Penny kicked sand toward us as she barreled back to her beach towel.
I let out a frustrated exhale and willed the constant threat of tears to go away. “Me, unfortunately.”
Penny wrapped herself in a towel and plunked down onto the sand. Her hand dug into the bag of Twizzlers, coating them with a layer of grit.
“You should tell the lake to go fuck itself.” Penny bit into her Twizzler.
“Pickle!” Lark scolded as Kate and I let out dual shocked laughs.
“What?” she said around a mouthful of candy. “Dad said the only time I could swear is if I stood with my feet in the water when no one else was around and yelled it at the lake.” Realization washed over her cute features, and she looked sheepishly at Lark. “Oh. Sorry.”
Lark ran a loving hand down her hair and winked at her before pulling her into a side hug. “You’re a pretty great kid, you know that?”
Penny laughed and nodded. “Yeah. Uncle Lee told me I was his second favorite human.”
Even hearing his name hurt, but I loved witnessing the bond between Lee and his niece. I smiled at her. “Number two’s not so bad.”
Penny scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Says the person who’s his number one.”
Her words were like a lance between my ribs. Kate reached over and squeezed my hand, and tears blurred my vision.
Not wanting to cry in front of everyone—again—I hopped up and dusted sand from my butt. “I’m going to head in.” I looped my beach bag over my shoulder and managed a small smile. As soon as my back was turned, hot tears streamed down my cheeks.
You had this coming. What did you expect?
I swiped angrily at my tears. For now I had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Going through the motions was the only way I would survive, no matter how daunting a life absent of Lee would be.
THIRTY-FOUR
LEE
I missed her.
Not only my quirky best friend who was a constant oversharer but the woman my soul craved.
