Page 21 of Missing Pieces (Brantley Walker: Off the Books #12)

“I know.” Simon glanced his way. “I found out Reese has history with one of Max’s sisters. I was hopin’ he could get me an in there.”

“That’s probably not a good idea.”

Archer and Simon both looked to the doorway to see Rex Sharpe standing there.

“Hey,” Simon greeted Rafe’s brother, the man responsible for remodeling this old farmhouse and turning it into a bed and breakfast.

“They have issues?” Archer asked, figuring it was best to get the bad news out of the way.

“It ain’t pretty, I’ll tell you that much.”

“They dated,” Simon said.

“Reese and Madison? Yeah. A while back. Before Reese met Brantley,” Rex answered.

“And a year ago, almost to the day, Reese met up with Madison to talk. Some guys came into the restaurant lookin’ to kidnap Madison.

Reese got in between them and ended up takin’ a bullet for his troubles. Almost died.”

Oh, shit.

“Turns out, Madison’s brother had his henchman come to her rescue, but they both left Reese there to die. Brantley didn’t take too kindly to it. Since then, the Adorites have been off limits.”

“How do you know so much about it?”

“Small town.”

“So it’s all hearsay?”

“Steeped in fact, yeah.”

Archer got the feeling there was more truth to that story than fiction. He knew it wouldn’t stop Simon from using Brantley or Reese to get an in with Max. When it came to a story, there weren’t too many roadblocks that Simon would heed.

“I’ll be sure to mention it to Brantley and Reese before I do anything,” Simon told Rex.

Rex held up his hands. “Hey. You do you. I’m just tellin’ you what I know.”

Yeah, but it sure did sound like a warning.

Archer got the feeling it wouldn’t be the first they’d encounter before this mystery was unraveled.

“Usually, the father’s the one pacing.”

Brantley didn’t bother slowing down, nor did he look at Reese.

It had been over an hour since they were kicked out of JJ’s room shortly after arriving to find that, yes, she was in labor, and the babies were well on their way to making their debut into the world.

Only it could be an hour or perhaps ten before that happened. So they were stuck in wait mode.

“Do you wish you were in there?” Slade asked.

“No, I’m good out here,” he said honestly.

While he was nervous for his best friend, the last place he wanted to be was in the delivery room.

He had gladly told his mother she was welcome to stay as his proxy.

For the few minutes he’d been in there, he could tell Iris and Jules were the ones who managed to calm her.

That and the idea of an epidural that the doctor had promised her.

When he told JJ he would be hanging with the team in the waiting room, she told him that was the best option. After all, she didn’t want to risk dealing with him passing out.

Not that he would.

Probably.

“Anyone know if they settled on names?” Holly asked.

“Last I heard, they narrowed it down to two lists,” Charlie said, smiling from her spot beside her girlfriend, Autumn.

Reese’s phone buzzed, drawing Brantley’s attention.

“It’s just my mother checkin’ in,” Reese said, reading the screen. “They’re an hour out.”

Brantley nodded and continued to pace.

He was glad Cindy was coming down. Between Jules, Cindy, and Iris, JJ would have all the motherly support she needed.

He doubted it would take away the sting of not having her own mother there, but he only hoped she was too preoccupied to think about it.

If it weren’t for the fact she would castrate him, Brantley would’ve confronted JJ’s parents a long time ago for how shitty they’d been.

If and when JJ ever decided to do that herself, he vowed to be right by her side.

“I heard y’all hired a new guy,” Bryn said from her spot beside Reese.

Brantley looked at his sister. “How the hell’d you hear that?”

“I have my ear to the ground, little brother. You should know that by now.” She flashed a grin. “Any chance he’s single?”

“He is,” Brantley said, mirroring her self-satisfied grin. “He’s also gay.”

“Aw, man,” she drawled dramatically. “But seriously. Who is he?”

“First off, we haven’t hired him,” Brantley corrected because he knew how quickly rumors spread. “We offered him a job. If and when he accepts, then we’ve hired him.”

“Who is he?” Bryn repeated.

“Archer Halligan,” Reese told her. “He works with Simon Jennings.”

“The guy Violet’s datin’?”

“Yep.”

“Isn’t he a podcaster or something?” Bryn looked around the room as though she wasn’t sure who might answer.

“ Havoc Your Way ,” Holly said. “Best true-crime podcast ever.”

“I might have to give it a listen,” Bryn said.

“You really should,” Elana told her. “I started a few years ago…”

Brantley was grateful when they started chatting amongst themselves.

He was too antsy to carry on a conversation, although he had no idea why.

It wasn’t like he was going to be a father.

Then again, he was going to be an uncle again.

Since he’d been OCONUS—outside the continental US—for the births of his nieces and nephew, he hadn’t been able to be there.

Now that he was firmly rooted in Coyote Ridge once again, he didn’t have to worry about a mission interrupting his personal life.

He rubbed the ring on his finger and looked at Reese, something he’d found himself doing quite a bit since they tied the knot a couple of weeks ago.

He was still wrapping his head around the fact he was married to the man.

Of all the things he’d done in his life, that was the most satisfying accomplishment to date.

The doors leading to the rooms opened, and a woman walked out. The room went silent for a moment until they realized she wasn’t coming to give them any information.

“It might be a while,” Bryn told them. “Tori was in labor with Eric for thirteen hours.”

“Fuck that,” Atticus mumbled under his breath.

Brantley laughed.

The next several hours crept by at a snail’s pace.

Afternoon turned to evening and finally to dinnertime.

People came and went from the waiting room.

Some heading down for food, others taking a walk to wake up.

Brantley ventured outside a couple of times, taking Tesha along with him so he’d have an excuse when he really just wanted some air.

As the minutes ticked by, his anxiety increased. There were plenty of reassurances going around, people sharing war stories about the births of people they knew. Evidently, a lengthy labor wasn’t abnormal.

“You want coffee?” Cindy asked, standing up to stretch.

Brantley could feel Reese’s gaze on him. “Nah. Thanks, though.”

He didn’t need the caffeine, and his husband liked to remind him of that.

Stress and caffeine were the perfect combination to trigger a migraine, and that was the last thing he needed.

Ever since the wedding, he’d suffered more than he had in a while.

Enough that he’d gotten in to see his doctor last week.

His bloodwork had come back fine, but the doctor suggested they start a once-a-month injection that should offer some relief.

As for whether it would work for him, only time would tell. He had his fingers crossed.

“What about you?” Cindy asked Reese.

“No, but I’ll walk down with you.”

She beamed a smile at her son. “Perfect.”

Brantley got up to move around when they left the waiting room. He took one of the bottles of water that Holly had brought with her. He was about to take a sip when the doors opened and Wes appeared.

“Any news?”

Wes shook his head. “No babies yet. She’s only at six centimeters.”

“Six centimeters? How big is that?” Atticus asked.

Slade held up his Dr. Pepper can. “About the width of this can.”

“Oh, Jesus. Holy fuck. Her…” Atticus looked down at his lap, then back to Slade. “Her—” he waved a hand—“She’s got a hole that big?” Atticus shook his head dramatically as he leaped to his feet. “Uh-uh. Nope.”

Wes chuckled. “I came out to get Jules some water.”

Brantley grabbed one of the unopened bottles and passed it to him. “How’s JJ doin’?”

Wes grinned. “Good. The epidural is working, and Jules is distractin’ her by makin’ her talk. She’s tellin’ all kinds of stories about you.”

“Oh, boy.” Since most of her stories involved him and high school, Brantley could only imagine what she was saying.

“Your mama’s lovin’ it.”

Oh, shit. Brantley forgot his mother was in that room. His father had opted to hang with everyone else in the waiting room, but Iris was in there holding JJ’s hand and likely making the nurses crazy.

“Is it true that you and her brother streaked through town on a dare?”

“We did,” he said, remembering that night like it was yesterday.

“Is it true you and her brother are the reason they removed the fountain in Walker Park because you opted to pee in it? Repeatedly.”

“That was you ?” Slade bellowed, laughing.

“I can neither confirm nor deny.”

“I guess I better get back in there.” Wes held up the bottle. “Thanks for this.”

Brantley nodded and took a stroll around the room, glancing from face to face. The team was all there. Everyone looked content to ride this out for as long as it took because that was what you did for friends.

Then it dawned on him. They weren’t just a team anymore. And they weren’t merely friends.

They were family.