Page 86 of Begin Again

“This ismissingme?” He struggles under the sheer weight of her love. “This feels more like a full-contact sport!”

I whistle, and Valkyrie finally backs off, giving Theo space to breathe again. His hair is a mess now, pieces hanging loose from his low bun, thanks to Valkyrie’s enthusiastic affection. It suits him—makes him look a little softer, a little less weighed down.

His eyes catch mine, and I see the flicker of a lighter emotion in them—an emotion not held back by murder and conspiracies and the ever-growing fear of what’s coming next. I want to hold onto that moment, stretch it out just a little longer before reality creeps back in.

“We should walk,” I say suddenly, because being cooped up inside doesn’t sound appealing right now, and I need to move—weneed to move. “Clear our heads.”

Theo lifts a brow. “That’s your way of asking me on a date?”

I wink at him, already grabbing Valkyrie’s leash from Celeste. “Please. You wish.”

His grin is lazy, teasing. “Can’t prove I don’t.”

I roll my eyes and nudge him toward the road, tryingreallyhard not to think about how annoyingly attractive he is when he’s smirking like that. We take the familiar route down my street toward the wooded trail at the end. The crisp scent of damp earth and pine fills the air, mixed with the faint smokiness of someone’s fireplace in the distance. Early autumn has settled over Shadow Grove, draping the trees in warm shades of amber, rust, and gold. The leaves crunch underfoot, a dry whisper against the quiet hush of the forest. The sky is a pale, cloud-swept blue, the air cool but not yet biting. It’s a beautiful day that makes you want to breathe a little deeper and walk a little slower.

Valkyrie trots ahead, of us as Theo falls into step beside me, his hands in his pockets, his strides easy despite the uneven ground.

“Hope you’re not luring me into the woods to kill me,” he says after a long moment.

I smirk over my shoulder. “If I was, would you really be able to stop me?”

He exhales a laugh. “You know, I think I believe you could if you wanted to. It’s honestly a little terrifying.”

“Good. Keeps things interesting.”

Theo shakes his head, but he’s smiling. “You and Orion have the same energy.”

“You wound me,” I say dramatically, grasping my chest. “But you do have to agree, I have better social skills.”

“Debatable.”

I laugh and shove him lightly as we keep walking. Valkyrie zigzags in front of us, stopping every now and then to sniff mailboxes before trotting ahead again. The path is lined with towering oaks and maples, their branches half bare, their leaves blanketing the forest floor in rich, rustling layers. Sunlight filters through the thinning canopy, dappling the ground in shifting patterns of gold. The distant caw of a crow echoes through the trees, breaking the stillness.

We walk in comfortable silence for a while, the sounds filling the space between us—the distant song of a bird, the rustling of a small animal moving through the underbrush, the crunch of leaves beneath our boots. It’s a weird type of peace, given everything we’ve uncovered today.

Valkyrie trots ahead, ears perked, tail nub wagging as she occasionally circles back to check on us. She loves Theo—has from the first time she met him. And if Valkyrie likes someone, I tend to trust her judgment.

“Has she ever run off?” Theo asks, watching her as she sniffs at a bush, sneezes, and then looks at me like I’m the one who betrayed her.

I smirk. “Nope. Have you ever met a Doberman? They’re velcro dogs. She thinks it’s her job to make sure I don’t die.”

Theo hums. “Smart dog.”

“Debatable. I once caught her trying to eat a rock.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Ah, so she’s got the spirit of a toddler. Got it.”

“Pretty much.”

We keep walking, and then, after a beat, I ask, “So, what do you do when you’re not unraveling small-town murder conspiracies?”

Theo’s smirk softens into a more thoughtful expression. “You mean back when my life was normal?”

“If you can even remember such a time.”

He huffs a laugh. “Barely. But… I used to work on cars with my uncle. Nothing serious, just maintenance stuff. I like working with my hands. There is a satisfaction about fixing things that stay fixed is satisfying. It started when I first moved in with him and Aunt Aubrey. I just lost my parents and had all these feelings I was trying to process. When we were working on his old truck, the one I drive now, there were never any expectations to talk or hold a conversation. It was just easy…”

The way he says it makes my chest ache.