Here With Me (Adair Family 1)

We’d exchanged DMs on social media since my arrival in Scotland, but this was the first time we’d all had a chance to video chat. When I’d gotten Jaz’s text a few minutes ago about the call, I’d been surprised but delighted. Once upon a time, these two people were my closest friends, but ever since I’d left the force, I’d felt them slipping away.

“It’s nearly seven in the morning,” Jaz replied and pulled back the phone so I could see her silk robe. “Still in my pj’s.”

“If that’s what you call pj’s,” I teased. “Do I even want to know what’s under there?”

“For my eyes only.” Autry wrapped an arm around Jaz and pulled her back into his chest.

A twinge of jealousy moved through me.

How wonderful would it be to have what my friends had together?

“I miss you guys,” I said honestly.

The last few days had been a test on my emotions. More than once, I’d considered packing up and going home. Yet, it wasn’t in me to admit defeat. And I still wanted to find out who had attacked Mac.

“We miss you too.” Jaz narrowed her gorgeous dark eyes. “Are you okay? You look tired, Robbie.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“I’m serious.”

I glanced between Jaz’s and Autry’s concerned faces. “I haven’t been telling the truth about what’s going on here.” I went on to explain what happened to Mac, what was happening at the estate, and that I didn’t want Mom or Seth to know. While they weren’t close to my parents, Autry might have occasion to see Seth now and then, considering my stepfather was a detective at our precinct.

“Shit, is your daddy okay?” Jaz asked.

I nodded. “He’s strong. Recovering. Though I’ve avoided him this past week.”

“Why?”

I then explained my meltdown after seeing him with Thane’s kids.

Autry listened patiently, and I knew he was processing and would have an opinion on the matter, but it was Jaz who spoke first. “Robbie, you might as well come home if you’re going to hide out in what looks like the most depressing trailer I have ever seen.”

I chuckled. “You can barely see any of it.”

“I can see some nasty-looking, poo-colored floral sofa situation going on, and that is enough.”

I laughed harder. “Okay, the trailer is bad, but it’s cheap rent.”

“It’s money you don’t need to spend if you aren’t going to face your dad and your problems.”

As always, straight to the heart of the matter with blunt precision. It’s kind of why I loved her.

“Am I right?” she asked her husband over his shoulder.

Autry gave her squeeze and said to me, “My shift starts in five, so I’ll say this quickly: You did not travel three thousand miles to turn back at the first hurdle. You knew this would be tough, Robbie. But you’ve been through worse. I watched you go through worse. I’m here today because of the worse you’ve gone through. If you can survive that, you can survive anything. You don’t want this hanging over your head for the rest of your life, wondering if you could’ve fixed things with your dad.”

“Pretty much what I said but with more words,” Jaz joked.

Autry took her teasing as he always did, killing her with kisses to her neck that were intimate in a way that was more than just physical. I lowered my eyes, offering them some privacy. Jaz, however, quickly shooed Autry off, with great reluctance, and I thanked my friend for his advice before he had to leave for his shift. I didn’t miss the job, but I missed working by Autry’s side day by day. I said so to Jaz once he’d left.

“Robbie, he misses you too. They got him working with that dumbass Colin Bolton.”

“Oh God, Autry never said.” Colin was one of those cops who got off on “the power” and strolled around the city streets like a puffed-up peacock making an ass out of the uniform. One of these days, I had no doubt he’d screw up so badly, he’d lose his job, but for now, I hated that Autry was stuck with him. “Is it permanent?”

“You know Autry. He’ll only take shit for so long.”

That would be a no, it wasn’t permanent. Still. “I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“For leaving him in the lurch like that.”

“You didn’t.” Jaz scowled at me. “You nearly died saving his life. Do you think a day goes by when we ever forget that? Because we don’t. We want you to have everything you want in life. You deserve that, Robbie, after what you gave us that day. So, the job is not an issue. It’s not why we barely see each other anymore. I say this with love … but it goes both ways. Effort needs to come from both sides, and you can’t say we haven’t tried.”

I felt my cheeks heat at her blunt admonishment. Maybe I had pushed Jaz and Autry away. “I’ll do better.”