Echoes of You: Chapter 16

What the hell had I been thinking? Talking to Maddie while she was in the bath? Touching that silky skin, knowing there was so much more just below those bubbles? I was a damn fool.

I slipped my key into the ignition and started my SUV. I was down that gravel drive so fast it was as if the hounds of hell were on my heels. I needed some distance before I could trust myself not to turn around and ruin decades of friendship because I couldn’t keep my hands to myself.

I hit a button on my steering wheel. “Call Caden.”

If anyone could be the voice of reason right now, it was him. We’d been friends for almost as long as Maddie and I had. We’d met in peewee soccer, both of our parents trying to give us an outlet for our energy. That hadn’t worked, but we had become lifelong friends, even if he had left my ass to go run a hotel for his father in New York.

He answered on the fourth ring, sounding out of breath. “Hey, man.”

“If you answered mid-sex, I’m gonna be really traumatized.”

Caden chuckled. “That would just show the depth of my devotion to our friendship.”

“I don’t need that kind of loyalty.”

“I’m actually just unloading a bunch of stuff from my car. Just got into town.”

I blinked a few times. “You’re in Cedar Ridge?”

“Yep. When the old man jerks the choke chain, you gotta come running.”

I grimaced. Caden’s father was a piece of work. But after losing his sister when she was ten, family was everything to him. He wouldn’t break those ties—even if he should.

“Got time for a visitor?” I asked.

He must’ve heard something in my voice because he asked, “Everything okay?”

I answered with one word that I knew he’d understand. “Maddie.”

“I guess some things never change. Come on up. Just know I’m currently living in chaos.”

Caden’s idea of chaos was my idea of perfectly organized.

“I’ll try not to judge you for living in filth. Is there a throw pillow out of place? A pizza box you didn’t recycle?”

“Screw off,” Caden clipped.

I chuckled, but the sound didn’t quite ring true. “I’ll be there in a few.”

I glanced in my rearview mirror and then threw a U-turn. The path was one I’d taken a million times before. Caden’s family lived on their massive resort property nestled in the mountains. It was one of those places where the wealthy elite went to . In the winter, most guests had to arrive by helicopter because the mountain passes to get to Cedar Ridge could be snowed in. But that just added to the allure for some people.

Pulling up to a guard gate, I rolled down my window. The guy manning the station eyed me dubiously. “Is there a problem, officer?”

“Nope. I’m here to see Caden Shaw.”

The man straightened. “Name and ID.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I was in my police SUV. Did he think I’d stolen a cop car just to get on resort grounds? “Nash Hartley.” I handed him my driver’s license.

He studied it carefully. “All right. Do you need a map to Mr. Shaw’s residence?”

“I’ve got it.”

He nodded, handing back my ID and opening the gate.

I took my foot off the brake and eased through the massive wrought-iron gates. The Peaks resort was out-of-this-world luxury set in one of the most rustic locations imaginable—private cabins with pools and hot tubs nestled into the mountainside with enough space between them to ensure privacy, a huge lodge with several restaurants, a spa, a movie theater, and a bowling alley. There was even a nightclub.

Mr. and Mrs. Shaw had their own home not far from the center of things, as did Caden’s brother, Gabe. But Caden had opted for a bit more privacy. My SUV curved around the resort road. I passed a golf course, the gym, and the stables, climbing even higher on the mountainside.

Finally, I caught sight of a narrow drive. I turned off and got my first glimpse of Caden’s place. He’d started construction on it not long after graduating college, desperate for some distance from his family. The place was a stunner.

A mixture of dark wood and glass, it somehow managed to be both rustic and modern. The windows on the front of the home were treated with something that meant you couldn’t see inside, but I knew the ones at the back of the house were clear as water.

Pulling to a stop behind Caden’s G-Wagon, I turned off my SUV. By the time I’d climbed out, Caden was opening the front door.

“It’s good to see you, man.” He pulled me into a back-slapping hug.

“You, too. It’s been way too long.” The last time I’d seen Caden was for a beer at Christmas.

“Well, you’ll be sick of me now.”

I raised a brow at that.

Caden waved me forward. “We can talk inside.”

As I stepped in, I gaped. Boxes were piled everywhere. “Did you move back?”

He shrugged. “I’ve still got my place in New York, but I’ll be here for at least a year.”

“And you didn’t think that warranted a text?” What was with my best friends making monumental moves without even a heads-up?

Caden winced. “It was super last minute. You were on my list to call today.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Caden clapped me on the back. “Don’t pout. I’ve got some of Miss Pat’s famous dip in the kitchen.”

I brightened at that. Caden’s chef from childhood was the best cook in the world. “Seven-layer?”

“You know it. She took it upon herself to stock my fridge so I wouldn’t go hungry.”

“You’re forgiven.”

Caden chuckled and pulled out a massive casserole dish and a bag of tortilla chips, placing them on the large island. “You want a beer?”

“I’d better not.” I had to make it back down the mountain, and I needed my head on straight when I went back to Maddie’s later.

Caden grabbed two Cokes and handed me one. “Gonna tell me what has you calling me in a panic?”

“Maddie moved back.”

His brow lifted. “I’d think that would be a good thing.”

I grimaced as I slid onto one of the stools at the island. “I almost kissed her.”

Caden let out a low whistle. “It’s about damn time.”

I scowled at him and reached for a chip. “It can’t happen, and you know it.”

He shrugged. “Get rid of the fiancé, and I don’t see why there’s a problem.”

My jaw cracked as I ground my teeth together. “He’s out of the picture.”

Caden sighed and lowered himself to the stool next to me. “I’ll never understand why you never just dated her. It’s been clear from day one that you’re both crazy about each other. And she’s not exactly hard on the eyes.”

I growled in his direction.

Caden burst out laughing. “That. Right there. You have hated every guy she’s ever dated.”

I stiffened at that. I hadn’t been tough enough on them, apparently. I should’ve run a background check on Adam the moment Maddie told me they were getting serious.

The laughter died on Caden’s tongue. “What?”

I shook my head. After everything that had happened today, the last thing I wanted was to betray Maddie’s trust again. I jabbed my tortilla chip into the dip. “Let’s just say that her ex is not a good dude.”

Caden’s eyes narrowed. “Something I need to know about?”

Biting into the chip, I chewed as I chose my words carefully. “I can’t share. I want to, but…”

“It’s not your place.”

“Exactly.”

Caden toyed with the tab on his can. “If you need resources on something, you only have to say the word.”

“Thanks. Holt’s going to look into things for me.”

“Good. He’s got the best connections around for that kind of thing.”

I hoped like hell that was true because I needed to make sure Maddie was safe.

Caden studied me for a few long moments. “You love her.”

It wasn’t a question, yet it begged for some sort of response.

I took a long drink of my soda, buying time. “I’ve always loved her. You know that.”

Caden scoffed. “I’m not talking about friendship love. I’m talking about all-consuming, soul-crushing love.”

I glanced at him. “Soul-crushing is how you describe love?”

He shrugged. “It’s fitting.”

It sure as hell was for Caden. I didn’t think he’d ever truly let anyone close after his little sister, Clara, died. Losing someone like that, at such an impressionable age, marked a person. And watching them wither away on top of it? It changed you forever.

“It’s best if we stay friends.”

Caden’s gaze narrowed on me. “Why? That’s always the thing I haven’t understood.”

“I’ll do something to screw it up. I’m not going to risk losing her altogether by making that leap. I promised Maddie I’d always be there for her, and this is how I know I can do that.”

Caden leaned back on his stool. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

He shrugged. “Relationships end in disaster more often than they work out, so I get it.”

I felt no relief at Caden not pushing me. No relief at him thinking I was making the right choice. Because the truth was, I wanted Maddie more than my next breath. But I wanted her safe and whole most of all.