Forgotten Letters: The Ozarks Cozy Mystery Series by Dianne Harman

Author:Dianne Harman [Harman, Dianne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2025-09-29T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

The backyard of Bryce’s childhood home looked smaller than he remembered. Maybe it was the overgrown hedges along the fence line or the way the massive oak tree at the back corner seemed to tower over everything else now. The swing set was long gone, and the grass bore bare patches where neighborhood kids had once worn trails running back and forth between yards. Yet despite the changes, the hum of cicadas and the faint smell of cut grass carried him straight back to summer evenings spent catching fireflies until his mother called him in for dinner. He could almost close his eyes and be a child again.

Callie’s laughter broke through his thoughts. He turned toward her just as she stepped out onto the back porch, balancing a baby on one hip and waving him over with her free hand. Evan, her husband, followed behind carrying a cooler, the picture of easygoing calm. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with the kind of quiet presence that immediately put Bryce on guard for reasons he couldn’t explain. Maybe because Evan didn’t look rattled by this place. Maybe because Bryce was.

“Come meet your nephew,” Callie said, her smile soft and teasing as she adjusted the squirming baby in her arms.

Bryce crossed the yard, suddenly feeling clumsy. He’d spent years disarming dangerous suspects without breaking a sweat, but the thought of holding a baby, his nephew, made his stomach tighten. Callie handed him over carefully, and Bryce’s arms stiffened before instinct slowly took over.

“Hey, buddy,” Bryce murmured, glancing down at the chubby-cheeked face staring up at him. The baby blinked at him once, solemn and wide-eyed, then grabbed a fistful of Bryce’s shirt with surprising strength.

“His name’s Noah,” Callie said, watching him with quiet amusement. “He’s six months now.”

Bryce cleared his throat. “He’s… heavier than I expected.” It felt strange to hold such a tiny human, but at the same time, he knew he would protect him with his life.

“Healthy,” Callie corrected with a laugh. “Don’t you dare call my kid fat.”

Evan chuckled as he set the cooler down near the porch. “He’s built like I was, but he’s got a stubborn streak a mile wide.”

“Stubborn?” Bryce asked, raising a brow at Callie. “Can’t imagine where he gets that from.”

Callie rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it. “We were going to sit out here for a bit. Mom said Dad’s down for a nap. You mind if we join you?”

“I’d love it,” he said. The unspoken relief in her voice wasn’t lost on Bryce. He followed her to a pair of mismatched lawn chairs set up under the shade of the oak tree. Evan pulled out a couple of beers from the cooler, offered one to Bryce, and popped the other open with an easy twist of his wrist.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Evan asked. “Figured you might need one.”

“Appreciate it,” Bryce said, taking the bottle after passing the baby back to his sister. The first sip was cold and sharp, settling his nerves more than he expected.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.