Page 87 of The Promises We Were Never Meant To Keep

“Yes.” Elise takes a long sip of her latte.

I narrow my eyes at her. “With who?”

I’m about to lick the yummy goo from the corner of my mouth when the office door opens, and the side profile of a man appears. At first, I can’t see him. Not really. Not the way he’s twisted back around to look at Herman, as though they’re still locked in conversation.

Still, even though I can’t see him, every hair rises on my body. It’s as though I’m static and he’s the charge. It’s enough to have me dropping my treat onto the stack of napkins.

Tanner exits the office, and I’m hit with the breadth of the other man’s size. Because Tanner is easily six-one, but the other man is touching six-six. Of course, he’s lugging work boots around on his feet, but still, that’d put him at just over six-four, six-five shoeless.

I can also see by the half of him that’s visible through the open office door, that he’s not only massive in height, but also in breadth. Wide shoulders are covered by a dark brown leather jacket, and he’s wearing dark blue jeans. Clearly, he’s the boss of a site, because although he’s in work boots, they’re clean. Only supers stay that clean, as they’re mostly driving between sites.

Is Herman partnering with another builder?

The thought is a sour one. Judging by the fury I see in the tight lines of Tanner’s face; I’d say I’m not far off.

My eyes drift back to the other man as he starts to turn. And my world stops turning.

The man is Holt. Holt Wilder.

An uncomfortable heat blasts from the center of my ice-coated heart. The shards in my obliterated organ imbed deep. For a moment, I can’t even breathe.

Holt has always been fire, raging hot and claiming all in his path. Tate was the cool water that soothed the burns left in the wake of Holt. When Tate passed, every drop of that soothing water he infused inside me froze to ice. Now…now I just feel like the wreckage no one can avoid looking at.

With a sharp breath into my burning lungs, I force myself to straighten my shoulders. I hope I look even just a tad semi-composed right now. Though I feel kind of like I’m about to drift away on a strong wind.

Inside my chest, everything hurts. Even the bones that cage my broken heart ache.

Elise makes a noise. It’s a little higher than usual, and I know her well enough to know she’s nervous. She should be. I haven’t been in a room with Holt since I was seventeen, save for that terrible day fourteen months ago.

He hasn’t been back to Rubble Ridge. Not once.

And Tate tried. He tried so hard to gain Holt’s forgiveness.

I never tried.

I once told myself I was too much of a coward to try. The truth is far more complex. It wasn’t that I was a coward. I’d just loved him too much. And no matter the time that stretched between his dreams and my reality, that love never died. It never faded.

Tate knew it, and he loved me still.

I loved him for the steadiness with which he loved me. The gentle understanding and care he always handled me with.

God, I miss my husband. I’m terrified that the only thing capable of thawing the ice Tate left inside me is his brother.

I think I might cry.

Holt doesn’t stop moving until he’s standing close. Too close. His dark eyes are hard in a way they’ve never been hard on me. Somehow, I manage to stand my ground. Not to melt into the floor under my feet.

Somehow, I manage to speak. “Holt.”

“Faye.”

Prickles of heat needle my skin. Tiny goosebumps appear, and I note the way Holt’s dark eyes drop to them. When his eyes rise again to mine, nothing has changed. They’re still hard.

I clear my throat. “What are you doing here?”

He cocks his head, just slightly. “This will always be my town, Faye. Hockey may be my passion, but Wilder is my last name.” His eyes scan the length of me again, and his lip curls just enough to tell me he finds me lacking. Offensive. My eyes burn. He leans in to growl quietly, “It’s my legacy.” He straightens. “I’m here to help my family.”

Herman lands a weathered hand on Holt’s shoulder. The clap of skin on leather is loud enough to make me flinch.