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Well, that was a new development.
“Chace? Is that you?”
Swiveling his stool toward the couple, Chace smiled. “Afraid so,” he replied as he stood and extended his hand. “Long time no see, man.”
“Too long.” They shook and did the one-armed bro hug before stepping apart. Holden reached for the woman’s hand and pulled her forward. “Frankie, this is one of my oldest friends, Chace Dutton.” Holden wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Chace, this is my wife, Frankie.”
Wife?Dang, Chace must have been away from Hickory Ridge longer than he thought. Last he’d been in town, Holden was still happily playing the field. When he visited his sister in July, he’d heard two of Holden’s three brothers, Drew and Jack, had entered into holy matrimony, with Reese close behind.
Either Lyss hadn’t known about Holden getting married, or she hadn’t thought to mention it. Maybe she thought he knew. They had been thick as thieves until Chace had left Hickory Ridge to join the Army.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Frankie.”
“Likewise.” She cast a sidelong look at Holden. “Growing up with this one, I bet you have some stories to tell.”
Grinning, Chace inclined his head. “A few.”
“Don’t forget that goes both ways,” Holden reminded him.
“But who are you gonna tell that doesn’t already know?” Chace countered, because the only person who mattered had also participated in most of their shenanigans.
“Sounds like an interesting tale right there,” Frankie deduced with a grin of her own.
“That’s one way to put it, I suppose.”
Frankie looked up at Holden. “How about I let the two of you catch up for a few minutes while I go down to Scoops and pick up some ice cream?”
Nodding, Holden leaned forward to drop a lingering kiss on her lips. “I’ll meet you there.”
“Don’t rush,” she insisted, shifting her gaze to Chace. “I’m gonna need you to come to dinner one night so I can hear some of those stories.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
She gave Holden’s fingers a squeeze and left.
“Go ahead and eat before things get cold.” Holden motioned toward the counter.
They both sat. Chace took another bite of chili as Thelma set a glass of tea in front of Holden. She walked away without saying a word.
“So, you still out saving the world?” Holden asked, clearly presuming Chace was still a Ranger.
“No.” Chace broke off a piece of cornbread and slathered butter on it. “I didn’t re-up after my last reenlistment. Instead, I accepted a position with Steele Security and Investigations.”
“Playing bodyguard for the rich and famous? That sounds rather tame for you.”
After serving in the Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment for close to a decade, Chace got why Holden would assume working with SSI paled in comparison. Yet sometimes, by design, things weren’t always as they appeared. “Well, luckily for me, not all the rich and famous lead boring, risk-free lives,” he returned and popped a piece of cornbread into his mouth.
“No. I don’t suppose they do.” Holden took a swig of his tea. “You back for the holidays?”
“Not intentionally.” Scooping up the last bite of chili, Chace added, “An IED in Iraq pretty badly injured Lyss’s husband Sean. He was airlifted to a support hospital at the nearest base but won’t be transported to Germany until he’s stabilized. When Lyss got in touch with me, she was beside herself with worry. Of course, as a nurse, she’d already envisioned every single worst-case scenario. When she begged me to come home to help take care of the twins so she could fly to Landstuhl to be with Sean, I couldn’t refuse.”
Shrugging, Chace consumed the last of his chili. “Once my replacement arrived, I hopped on the company jet, and here I am.” Almost thirty hours after Lyss’s initial call. He’d only heard bits and pieces about Sean since.
“Where are the twins now?”
Chace scrubbed a hand down his face, the whisker stubble rough against his palm. “Three guesses, and the first two don’t count,” he answered, his voice sounding about as weary as he felt.
Holden’s eyes widened. “With Holly?”
