Page 103 of When the Smoke Clears

As Luke begins to recount the day’s events involving his mom, his voice low and serious, I gather the used plates and silverware from the table, stacking them carefully in the sink.

The room is filled with tension, yet my mind drifts back to a different moment—the memory of Luke and me being wrapped up in each other, our bodies intertwined.

I shift my weight from one foot to the other, a warm tingle spreading through me at the thought.

After a few minutes, Gabe finishes listening, stands, and slips the phone into his pocket.

“Thanks for dinner, Isla,” he says, and then he’s out the door.

I wipe my hands on the red checkered gingham dish towel and set it on the counter. “Do you think he’s going to find anything on that phone?”

Luke’s brow furrows, and his usually bright eyes cloud with worry.

He pauses, stabbing a hand through his hair, and meets my gaze. “It’s my biggest fear that he will.”

CHAPTER 25

LUKE

GABE: Hang tight. I’m getting close to getting into the phone. I’ll have an answer soon.

I toss my phone onto the couch cushion with a reluctant sigh, watching it bounce slightly before settling into the fabric.

The past few days have been full of helplessness as I wait for Gabe to decipher something from my father’s phone. I wait for the lab to call with any news about the evidence they’ve uncovered. I wait for Tim to tell me they’ve found a lead. I wait for any glimmer of hope in this convoluted investigation.

Isla doesn’t leave my mind for a second. She still has to find a way to move forward after her mother’s death, deal with all the logistics of getting rid of her house, and be on the lookout for some unknown threat that doesn’t want her in Wildhaven—doesn’t want her with me.

My leg bounces, keeping time with the relentless thrum of anxiety flowing through my body. But then Isla’s hand steadies me, and I realize she isn’t just calming my nerves; she’s the only reason I’m not unraveling completely.

“Guess what?” she says, turning her whole body toward me on the couch, her knee bumping mine.

“What?” I ask, already bracing for one of her facts.

“Cleopatra married both of her brothers.”

My brows knit together. A low rumble slips from my chest. “Well…that’s disgusting.”

“I know, right?” She breaks into that bright, delighted laugh I haven’t heard in too long.

I slide an arm around her and pull her against my side, pressing a kiss into her hair. God, I’ve missed this woman—her warmth, her weird facts, all of it.

“Do you want to go for a walk?”

At a little after 9 PM, darkness blankets the cabin like a heavy cloak. Yet, maybe stepping into the night air is exactly what I need to clear my head.

“That sounds like a good idea. I think a walk would do me some good.” We’ve been sitting on the couch with all the lights off, with only the dim glow of the television edging out the darkness. A reality dating show plays out, set on a beautiful beach, and everyone is crying. It looks like hell on Earth.

The corner of my mouth lifts. “Grab a sweater. It’s chilly outside.” Isla’s smile stretches wide across her face, her eyes sparkling with joy at the simple prospect of taking a walk in the woods near my cabin. I’m reminded that she’s a caretaker at heart, always finding ways to uplift others.

The little things make her happy, and there’s nothing more I want than to be the one to make her happy.

In less than two minutes, she reappears from the bedroom, draped in one of my oversized sweatshirts that swallows her frame, and her well-loved UGG boots.

As she reaches the doorway, she loops her arms around my neck, her fingers twisting the hair at my nape. “Ready to go?”

“Yep.” I pat my side where my gun rests securely in its clip holster.

Curiosity dances in her eyes. “What are you expecting to encounter out there?”