Page 56 of Beckett
The drive to town took about thirty minutes. Audra sat quietly, but I could feel her tension ratcheting up with everymile. She drummed her fingers against her thigh, and she checked the side mirror more than necessary. I pointed out the Markman’s sign and she agreed that it could probably be seen by astronauts, but she was still tense.
“We don’t have to do this,” I offered as we pulled into Draper’s parking lot.
“No, I want to.” She took a breath, squaring her shoulders. “I’m tired of being scared of shadows.”
The tavern was busier than I’d expected for a Thursday night. The usual crowd plus some folks I didn’t recognize, probably passing through on their way to Billings or Bozeman. I’d hoped for a quiet meal, just the two of us, maybe introduce her to Marcus behind the bar. Ease her into it.
Instead, I spotted familiar faces at a corner booth.
“Beck!” Lachlan’s voice carried across the restaurant. My best friend raised a hand, grinning. “Get over here!”
He was sitting with Piper, their twin babies nowhere in sight—must be a rare date night. Across from them sat Hunter and Jada, looking relaxed in a way that meant this was social, not business.
Audra’s hand found mine, squeezing tight enough that I felt her trembling.
“We can leave,” I murmured.
“No.” She lifted her chin, that stubborn streak I’d come to admire showing through. “They’re your friends. I can do this.”
We made our way over, every eye in the place tracking our movement. Small-town curiosity at its finest.
“Everyone,” I said as we reached the table. “This is Audra. She’s been helping out at Pawsitive Connections while Lark’s away.”
“Audra!” Piper’s face lit up with genuine warmth. “You’re the one who’s been working miracles with the animals. Lark’s been singing your praises in her emails.”
“And you got Jet to actually listen?” Jada added, scooting over to make room. “I helped evaluate him a few months back. Sweet dog, but the attention span of a goldfish.”
“He just needed different expectations,” Audra said, settling in beside me. Her voice was steady, though I could feel the tension in her frame.
“Different can be good,” Piper said softly, and something in her tone made me think she understood more than she was saying. “Some of us take a while to find where we fit.”
Lachlan extended his hand across the table. “Lachlan Calloway. This is my wife, Piper. Beck and I have been friends since middle school.”
“Sheriff Calloway now,” I corrected with a grin. “Still getting used to seeing you as the law.”
“Someone had to grow up eventually,” Lachlan shot back. “Couldn’t all join private security and keep playing soldier.”
“Says the man with infant twins,” Hunter countered. “That’s not growing up, that’s jumping into the deep end with weights on.”
“Best decision I ever made,” Lachlan said, his arm going around Piper’s shoulders. She leaned into him, and the easy affection between them made something twist in my chest.
“Where are Sadie and Caleb tonight?” I asked.
“Lucas and Evie are watching them,” Piper said. “First time we’ve been out alone since…” She trailed off, then smiled. “Well, in a while.”
I knew what she wasn’t saying. Since all hell had broken loose and Lachlan had nearly lost all three of them. The whole town knew that story, though most didn’t know the details.
“So, Audra,” Jada said, clearly changing the subject, “how are you finding Garnet Bend? Must be quite a change from wherever you’re from.”
“Seattle,” Audra said carefully. “And yes, it’s different. Quieter.”
“Quiet’s not always bad,” Piper said. “Sometimes quiet is exactly what you need to figure things out.”
The conversation flowed naturally as we ordered and the food arrived. Lachlan had us all bent over laughing with a story about having to mediate a dispute between neighbors over a property line that turned into a three-hour debate about a fence that was off by exactly two inches. Piper and Jada swapped stories about working with the animals at Pawsitive Connections, drawing Audra into the conversation with gentle questions.
Halfway through dinner, Lachlan pulled out his phone. “Lucas just sent a picture of the twins. Look at this.”
He showed us a photo of Sadie and Caleb, both grinning and covered in what looked like mashed sweet potato.
