Taking a final sip of her coffee, she added, “Sometimes messy is the best part. Sometimes it’s worth it. You always were for me. I’m betting you were for River too.”

When Easton didn’t answer, Tasha left him to drink his coffee alone, but her words stayed with him. The climbing season was over, meaning Easton should have been focused on scheduling his off-season work. Guided alpine climbs were his bread and butter, but teaching people to climb these mountains, even indoor climbing, was what Easton excelled at. He could have helped Ash or bothered Graham at the diner. Instead, he stayed in the woods the rest of the day, taking refuge from prying eyes as he tracked the local wildlife to practice his skills. He wandered into town on foot and eventually found himself at Rick’s, on a stool toward the end of the bar.

As Easton sat nursing a beer in between his hands at the pool hall, he didn’t look at the mirror behind Rick’s shoulder. He wasn’t interested in seeing the loss in his eyes or the fact that he could use a shower and some fresh clothes.

“You know, most guys your size nurse getting their guts ripped out in the solitude of their own homes. You’re scaring off all Rick’s customers with your death face.”

Easton didn’t look up at Graham’s voice. “My death face?”

Ash dropped down in the seat on his other side. “That’s his clever way of saying you look terrible. Whew, you’re ripe smelling. Rick, how many has he had?”

The pool hall owner tilted his head toward the fridge, where he kept the supply of bottled beer. “I haven’t been counting. He’s so big and takes so long to drink them, he might as well be drinking water.”

“Two whole sentences in a row. See that, East? Even Rick here is worried about you.”

Easton refused to rise to Graham’s baiting.

“I think it’s time we switch to hard liquor,” a third voice decided. Easton had never been as close with Jackson Shaw as Graham, but they’d spent enough time together socially that he wasn’t surprised by Jax’s presence.

Finally looking up from his beer, Easton frowned at them. “What is this, an intervention?”

“Figured you could do with a reminder you aren’t alone, buddy.” Graham clamped a hand down on Easton’s shoulder as Jake pressed tight to Easton’s leg. “L, the first round is on you.”

“Of course,” a feminine voice said kindly.

When Easton turned in his seat, he saw Lana standing behind him. Lana gave him a sad look, then she hugged him, all but disappearing in his arms when he hugged her back.

“I’m so sorry, Easton.” Lana’s arms tightened around him. “If there’s anything I can do, tell me.”