Page 18 of Missing Pieces (Brantley Walker: Off the Books #12)

JJ’s pout was cute, but Baz suspected she didn’t really care that they’d given her a regular bed—a necessity in the event the medical staff was needed—and carted off the king-size.

“Hey, ladybug,” his father greeted JJ.

“Hi, Wes,” she said, smiling as she always did.

Baz watched the interaction between the three of them.

The way his parents doted on her. The way she looked up at them with so much love in her eyes.

Since he was close to his mother and father, he was glad that they’d taken to her so well.

Then again, this was JJ. He couldn’t imagine anyone meeting her and not being completely infatuated.

He had been. From the first time they were introduced.

“Want to get some coffee, kid?” his father asked him.

Baz looked at JJ.

“Go,” she said. “If Dr. Tinder’s right, you’re gonna need it.”

He walked over and kissed her on the forehead, then looked at his mother. “Text me if the doctor comes in.”

“Of course. Now get.”

Baz glanced at JJ one last time before reluctantly leaving the room.

If it were up to him, he would’ve been glued to her side from now until the end of time.

After the last harrowing ordeal—when she was kidnapped in broad daylight right in the heart of Coyote Ridge—he’d felt absolutely helpless and terrified he would never see her again, so he wasn’t keen on being away from her.

He figured that might wear off. One day. But that day wasn’t today.

“You look tired, boy,” Wes said as they walked the hall toward the cafeteria.

“The chair’s not as comfortable as you might think,” he admitted.

“You could sleep in the same bed with JJ.”

He could, yes. That was within the rules. With that said, the idea of sleeping in the same bed and having people traipsing in and out was creepy as fuck.

“I’ll pass.”

“They told you they’d bring in a cot.”

Yes, they had. And he probably should’ve taken them up on it, but it was weird enough sleeping in a chair in a giant hospital room that looked very little like a hospital room.

“Have the contractions increased?”

Baz shook his head. “Still consistently inconsistent. But her cervix is dilated.”

“Well, I think today’s a great birthday for my grandbabies.”

Baz smiled.

“Did I mention Jules had me fix up one of the extra rooms so you’ve got a nursery when you come visit?”

“Dad, that’s not necessary. You only live thirty minutes away.”

“Maybe, but if it makes your mother happy…”

Baz didn’t buy for a second that Wes had only done it for Jules. He was over the moon excited about a grandchild. Back when they first told him, the man had cried. When they’d told him they were having twins, he’d been speechless, and yes, he cried then, too.

Admittedly, it had been sweet to see the big, tough Wesley Buchanan reduced to weeping with happiness.

Not that he would tell his dad that.

“I thought for sure Brantley’d be here.”

“He’s a phone call away, Dad. I told them I’d call as soon as anything changed. And if I couldn’t, you would.”

They walked in silence to the cafeteria. Baz opted for coffee. It wasn’t the worst he’d ever had, but it definitely wasn’t great. When he went to pay, his father stepped in and took care of that.

“How are things with Mom?” he asked when they found a table away from the main aisle to the food section.

“What?”

Baz stopped pouring sugar into his coffee to look up at his father. “Mom? You? How are things?”

“Fine,” he said, his attention shifting to the people milling about.

“Dad?”

“Hmm?”

“What’s goin’ on?”

“Nothing.”

Baz frowned, setting the empty sugar packet down. He waited for his father to look his way.

“Dad,” he said roughly, keeping his voice low. “Did you and Mom get back together?”

Holy shit. Was the guy blushing?

“Oh, my God.”

“What?” Wes tried for innocent but failed epically.

“She’s still married.” Baz huffed. “Hell, so are you.”

“Only formalities. You know I filed for divorce a few weeks ago,” his father stated. “Your mother filed last week.”

Baz wasn’t sure how he felt about this. About any of it.

Not his mother divorcing his stepfather.

Not his father divorcing stepmom number five.

And definitely not his mother and father possibly getting back together, although it made more sense than anything else.

Anyone who knew them could see that Jules was the love of Wes’s life and vice versa.

They were soul mates, yet they’d somehow allowed life to get in the way.

While they would both admit they were better friends than spouses, Baz wanted to believe they would work if they just put their minds to it.

“Does that mean y’all are gonna get married again?”

“Would it matter to you if we did?”

That was a good question. An easy one. With an easy answer. “No, Dad. If it meant you’re both happy, you know I don’t care.”

“Well, I don’t know what it might lead to, but for right now, we’re enjoyin’ one another’s company. That’s all.”

Since Baz didn’t want to think about how close they were getting, he decided to let the subject drop. But he made a mental note not to walk into his father’s house without knocking first.