Page 1 of The Long Way Found

CHAPTER 1

LUKE

Luke Calder stared at the heavy, wet snow plastering The Ridge's floor-to-ceiling windows and thought, "Wait a second—I was NOT expecting this today.”

Winters on Colorado’s Western Slope were unpredictable and extreme. Luke knew that as well as anyone.

And this was no disaster, just another snowy day in the town of Calder Ridge. The heavy sky cast the usually cheerful rec center in shadow—the mats were darker, the weights were dingier, and the colors at the juice and protein bar looked dull. The entire gym felt humid, much like the pool, and the smell of chlorine wafted through the air.

For Luke, the weather meant he had to take charge right away. He’d also need a ride home because he and Marley, his chocolate lab, had jogged in this morning under clear skies.

"Amir, can you salt the sidewalk again, please? The north side is already icing over," Luke called out, his voice cutting through the lobby's hum to his friend and right-hand man. The mid-afternoon crowd wasn't much, only a few regulars ready for the "Fit over Sixty" session. "And I’ll grab the extra towels for the mudroom. I don't want anyone slipping on the slate."

"On it, Boss," Amir said, putting his mop back in the bucket. He gestured toward the glass, where condensation was sliding down the panes. "Helluva storm to hit all of a sudden. Who brought this in?"

Luke didn't have an answer. Instead, he quickly crouched to wipe a wet spot on the floor, stood up sharply, and suddenly felt unbalanced and dizzy for a few seconds.

The heavy glass double doors hissed open, letting a gust of freezing mountain air into the warm lobby. Luke turned to face the doors, started to bellow, "Welcome to the Calder Ridge Rec—" and then stopped himself.

He looked up at the doorway and saw a tall, imposing man brushing wet snow off himself. He wore a new black Eddie Bauer parka, shiny and slick, and ran his hands over his wet black crew cut.

Across the weight room, someone dropped a forty-five-pound plate. The metallic thud echoed through the rafters, but for Luke, still woozy from the head rush, the sound was like a gong meant to grab his attention.

Luke caught the stranger’s eyes, which were flat, glacial blue.

Unforgettable.

"Jack?" Luke whispered. Then, louder to drown out the hammering of his heartbeat: "Jack Garrison?"

The visitor's expression shifted to show surprise, recognition, something that looked almost like anger.

"Luke," he said, his voice rough and low. "I didn’t know you’d be here."

Luke thought: Where else would I be? It’s my job. In a business that’s named for the town that’s named for my family. Where you left me waiting 24 years ago.

Twenty-four years. The number hit Luke hard, like a kettlebell to the gut. Twenty-four years since Jack went to West Point and never came back.

And now here he was, dripping snow on The Ridge's floor.

"Yacht Rock Bop starts in five in the back aerobics room," Amir announced over the loudspeaker. "No piña colada if you're late!"

That jolted Luke out of the fog. Yes, he still felt it, that old ache he thought he'd buried.

When Luke started across the room to greet the man, he was more nervous than he'd ever been on any fashion runway back in L.A.

At six feet two and two hundred pounds, and a few weeks from turning forty, Luke moved with confidence and composure. He tucked his tight red polo shirt into his Lululemon pants and checked his hair quickly in a mirror. If there was ever a day to be surprised by the first guy who broke your heart, at least he was looking good for it.

As Luke approached, he noticed the changes on Jack’s face—the crooked nose that must’ve been broken at some point, a scar on his lower lip.

But those blue eyes were the same and unmistakable. And now, Luke could see, they were uncertain, too.

In an instant, Luke caught a flash of fear in them. Maybe it was only anxiety and nervousness because Luke was feeling those, as well, along with a flash of desire.

Defensively, he quickly decided to flash his most dazzling smile.

Stay present. It's just Jack out of the blue, a lifetime later. No big deal.

Luke approached with all the confidence he could find or fake.