Fight Like You've Never Lost (Summer Lake #14) - S.J. McCoy Page 0,70
She turned to Smoke. “Laura’s heard it before. She knows it gets messy.”
Smoke nodded. “I’m hoping that this time it gets resolved.”
“Not much chance of that.”
Chapter Eighteen
Ryan’s phone rang as he and Manny were leaving the Boathouse. He pulled it out and checked the display.
“I’ll let you get that,” said Manny. “And remember. If you don’t come out tonight, I’m coming to get you—and bringing Nina to make sure you come.”
Ryan smiled. “You still play dirty. But don’t go yet. This is Callahan.”
Manny raised his eyebrows. “Damn. I haven’t spoken to him in years. Answer it.”
Ryan grinned as he answered. “Yes, boss?”
Callahan laughed. “Glad to see you still remember who is.”
“How could I ever forget? What’s up?”
“Nothing much. If you want to know the truth, I’m bored. I was thinking about taking a trip.”
Ryan’s heart raced, wondering if he meant a work kind of trip—an assignment. Ryan had been out for six months now and he had no plans of going back in. But if Callahan said he needed him, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to refuse.
Callahan’s laugh rang down the line. “Don’t worry. I mean it innocently. I mean a real trip, like maybe visiting this lake you moved to. I heard Manny’s there, too?”
Ryan laughed. “He is. In fact, he’s right here.” He handed the phone to Manny.
“Cal! How are you, you old devil?”
Ryan smiled to himself as he listened to them talk for a few minutes, then Manny handed the phone back.
“That sealed it. I’m going to head out your way … unless you don’t want me around?”
“You know I do.” Ryan smiled as a thought struck him. “Are you talking about a quick visit or …?”
“I’m thinking about the or option. I knew you were working with Dan Benson now you were out. I wouldn’t have asked if you wanted a dinosaur on board with you younger guys. But if Manny’s on the team …”
Ryan laughed. “You want in, too?”
“Possibly? Just as a part-time whatever you guys might need me as. I can’t face another Minnesota winter. California sounds good, even if you and Dan don’t want me.”
“Yeah. Winter’s much easier here than your frozen north. I love the idea of bringing you in. And I’m sure Dan will.” Ryan winked at Manny. “If nothing else, you old codgers can sit in the corner and reminisce about old times.”
Manny rolled his eyes, and Callahan’s laughter rang down the line. “Yeah, right. Listen. I won’t keep you since you’re with Manny, but I’ll give you a call when I put a plan together.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Ryan hung up and looked at Manny.
“Is he coming?”
“It sounds like it.”
Manny laughed. “Are we putting the band back together?”
“It’s starting to look that way.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll see you tonight.”
Ryan made a face. “I know you have good intentions. But I don’t know. Even if …” He couldn’t bring himself to say even if Manny were right, even if there was still something worth fighting for with Leanne and him.
Manny waited.
“She says she has a boyfriend. He’s coming here.”
Manny shrugged. “That’s good. Seeing her with him will either prove that she’s moved on and is happy with someone else—and tell you the war is over—or it’ll make you want to fight for what you lost.”
Ryan shook his head. “With Leanne and me, after all this time, it’s more like fighting with her than fighting for her.”
Manny chuckled. “So maybe you need to work on that?”
“Whatever. I’ll see you later.”
As he walked back across the square, his heart stopped when he saw her. She was getting out of a truck. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the guy in the driver’s seat. He was big, built, gray hair. A wave of relief washed over him when he recognized Smoke, Laura’s husband. He was a good guy.
He watched Leanne run up the steps into the lodge. One crazy part of him wanted to call her name, wanted to sit her down and talk to her like Ben had suggested. But that was only one crazy part of him. The rest of him knew better.
He carried on his way down Main Street, heading home. He didn’t know what he was going to do with the rest of the day, but he was going to have to do something.
He tensed, all the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, when he sensed that he was being followed. That was crazy. It must be some kind of throwback. It