Page 34 of The Long Way Found

“Hiking counts. Trust me.” Hallicks pushed his glasses up, glanced at Jack, then back at Luke, and a knowing look settled on his face. “I’ve intruded on your lunch enough. Something tells me I’ll be seeing you around, Luke. I’ll look forward to a proper conversation!”

He stood, raised his coffee in a brief salute, and headed back to his table.

Jack watched him leave. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. He’s great.” Luke took a sip of water. “And he’s right, actually. I know more about this town’s history than I probably should.”

“Yeah?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me yet,” Luke said.

Jack held his gaze for a moment. “I’m seeing that every day.”

Luke smiled. Had Jack been paying attention at a deeper level than Luke had thought? It was hard to tell sometimes, the way Luke felt Jack’s attention come and go, like a spotlight directed by an invisible stagehand. Could Luke let his guard down a bit now?

“Good,” he said. “Keep watching.”

After lunch, they ambled back to where Luke had parked. Jack held the door open, a gesture that earned a smile from Luke.

"I'm glad you came out. That was nice," Jack said.

"Next time, I'm bringing a plant for that office," Luke said.

They looked at each other with smiles. Jack’s expression was open and unguarded in a way Luke hadn’t seen since Wednesday night at Delmonico’s.

Luke thought about the man he’d watched with Martinez, about Jack's ease when Hallicks surprised them. Jack was present and grounded and didn’t seem to be scoping escape routes.

Could he be at ease like that even away from work?

CHAPTER 11

JACK

Jack's Saturday morning was quiet. No obligations, no schedule, no one expecting anything of him.

Just coffee on the hotel's back deck after a long, restful sleep.

He could get used to this.

His plans were simple: Luke and Marley would jog over, they'd drive to the high school to watch Mara's kids' soccer practice, then... whatever. Maybe the old silver mine, maybe one of the ski resorts for lunch.

The point was to spend the day together, no pressure. Start in second gear and see how it goes.

Things had been moving fast since he got back—the job, settling in, Luke. Since Luke's trip to campus on Tuesday, they'd seen each other a few times—quick encounters at The Ridge, coffee at Mara's café.

Wednesday night, as his workday ended, Luke texted Jack, who invited him to the hotel. They'd fucked fast and hard, athletic more than anything. Two champions in their prime, almost competing to see who could drive the other crazier, wilder. They'd come less intensely than before, then laughed together afterward, that same physical release of tension.

And that time, Luke left first, saying he had to get home to check on Marley, which was fine with Jack. He was ready to be alone again, but didn't want to say anything.

It was good. Easy. Uncomplicated.

Keep it that way.

He looked up as Luke and Marley jogged onto the deck. Jack stood reflexively but didn't hug or kiss Luke.

Instead, he crouched down and greeted Marley.

"There's a good boy," he said, scratching behind the lab's ears. To Luke: "Such a great dog."