Page 26 of Meet Me in the Blue

“My office?”

“Yes.” He furrowed his thick brows and laughed. “Your own office, it’s small, more like a closet, don’t get too excited.”

Too late.

I thought if it had been possible, I might’ve actually fucking burst at the seams with excitement. After Mr. Burgess had shown me my office, which was, in fact, as small as a closet, he’d introduced me to the staff. Everyone was welcoming, even Zach, whom I’d been most worried about meeting. Journalists had their own way of doing things, and I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.

“Would your dad want to be interviewed?” he asked when Mr. Burgess finished pitching him the idea.

“It depends on how he’s feeling.” I pushed the mop of hair from my forehead and took a deep breath, looking to Mr. Burgess for support.

“Well, yes. Only if he agrees,” he said.

“I was hoping we could focus on his work, talk to Dr. Whelan, some of my dad’s patients, stuff like that. And I’ll grab some older photos of him from my mom, and take a few of him now, if he’s up for it.”

Zach frowned as he flipped through my portfolio on his desk. “Not to be a dick… I mean no offense. But isn’t that a little macabre?”

“No offense taken,” I said, though I started to think I might’ve put Zach in the nice column too quickly. “I can assure you any pictures I take of him will be shot with a respectful lens. He’s my father, the man who raised me with love and strength. I want to show that, show his strength even in his darker days.”

“Then it’s settled, let’s have it ready for next Friday, okay, boys?” Mr. Burgess cuffed Zach on the shoulder and stalked off.

“That man is insufferable.” Zach shook his head and gave me a grim smile. “Welcome toThe Harbor Herald.”

“Next Friday seems fast.”

“Tell me about it.” Zach nodded toward the office across the hall where a couple of interns were hovered over a laptop. “Let’s brainstorm.”

It was almost three by the time I left. The sun was out in rare form. The scent of fresh baked bread drifted along the walkway from the bakery up the street, and I followed the smell instead of heading to my car. A few people waved at me, their curious eyes lingering longer than what was considered polite. But it didn’t faze me, it was just part of the so-called charm of this town. It was one of those things I used to hate about Hemlock Harbor but was juvenile to me now. I was too tired to care what these people thought they knew about me. There was only one person here, besides my own family, who mattered to me, and I hoped after last night we were on our way back to one another.

Eventually, I found my way to Dot’s bakery, which was only a few doors down from The Cozy Wolf, the same bookstore Rook and I used to haunt when we were kids. I grabbed a fresh loaf of bread and couldn’t resist buying a few chocolate croissants for my mom. I considered popping into the bookstore but didn’t want the pastries to get cold. I was almost to my car when I spotted Ron crossing the street.

He waved, breaking into a slow jog when he noticed me. “Hey, wait up.” Ron moved easily despite his large frame, his long legs sheathed in dark denim. As he neared, I was able to make out the blocky logo on his blue polo. North Shore Security. “I see you stopped at Dot’s.” He patted his belly and laughed. “That place is lethal.”

“I followed the scent of carbs and gained twenty pounds by the time I walked in.”

“I was on my way there, actually. Dot called and said her security cameras were acting up.” He smiled, glancing at the front door toThe Herald.“Are you in town to see Rook?”

“No. I… I had a second interview with the paper.” I tried not to be annoyed with his not-so-subtle dig for information and held up my hands in a silent ta-da. “Looks like I got the job.”

“No way, that’s amazing, man.” He pushed his hands into his pockets, the muscles in his biceps flexing. God, was he always that cut? Something akin to jealousy nestled itself inside my stomach, and the scent of the bread soured in the air. Rook had said they were close, only friends, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of loss whenever I looked at Ron. He’d had time with Rook, time I should have been there for my best friend. “Listen, if you have a minute, I wanted to talk to you about—”

“Holy shit, is that Luka Abrams?”

Carter Williams flashed his brilliant smile in my direction as he crossed the street. I almost didn’t recognize him under his long brown beard. The thing was impressive, about four inches long but well groomed. His hair was short like Ron’s, cut into the military style they both had never grown out of even though they’d been out of the Corps for years. He wore the same polo shirt with the same North Shore Security logo as Ron, but instead of jeans, he had on a pair of khakis.

“Carter?”

“Alive and in the flesh.” He reached out his hand, and as soon as I took it, he pulled me into a full side bro hug. “You look skinnier than I remember.”

“You have a dead animal on your face.”

He chuckled as he pulled away, rubbing his beard through his fist. “Ah… this thing.” He elbowed Ron in the ribs. “This fucker said I couldn’t grow a beard if I tried. Looks like he was wrong.”

“For the record, I can grow a better beard than you. But why would I want to cover up all this sexy? You know you love it.” Ron laughed, but I saw the imperceptible dip in his smile when Carter rolled his eyes.

He was definitely still in love with his best friend.

I hated how relieved that made me feel because Carter was as straight as it gets.

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