Page 35 of More Than a Hero (Baytown Heroes #12)

Angie sat with Marty in his apartment, assisting him with the online forms he needed to complete for the hearing aid he hoped to qualify for.

“I don’t understand why I have to do this with a computer,” he grumbled. “I can’t see the little print good enough.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry. There are a lot of changes that make it more difficult for some people to get the services they need, but that’s why I’m helping today.

I printed off the forms for you, and we can do them together.

” She looked at the form, focusing on the next of kin.

“I didn’t realize you had a relative nearby. ”

“Oh, I don’t. I put that down because it looked bad to leave it blank. That’s my great-nephew. He don’t come around much. In fact, I just met him. But he now drops by occasionally. Lives in Norfolk.”

Angie nodded. “Okay. Um… is he someone you trust with your medical information?”

Marty’s brows drooped. “I reckon. I don’t have any secrets. Lord knows, when I kick the bucket, there won’t be any money to give to anyone, so he can’t be visiting for that reason.”

“Okay, well, we’ll leave it then.”

A sudden knock on the door startled both of them. Angie glanced up from the stack of forms she and Marty had been working on, her brows drawing together.

“I’ll see who it is,” she said, pushing back her chair.

She moved to the door and peeked through the security hole, blinking in surprise. “It’s Jimmy! How did he get here?”

Marty chuckled, setting his pen down. “He rides his bike over sometimes. I forgot he said he’d be coming by today. Go ahead, let him in.”

Angie unlocked the door and swung it open, revealing a slightly startled but grinning Jimmy.

“Ms. Angie! I didn’t expect to see you here!” he said as he stepped inside, his energy filling the space.

Angie laughed, motioning for him to come in. “Funny, I was just saying the same thing to Mr. Marty. He told me you ride your bike over to visit.”

Jimmy nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! Me and a couple of the guys come over after school now and then.”

Angie folded her arms, tilting her head at him. “I hope you’re being careful.”

“Oh, we are,” he assured her quickly. “It’s a little farther, but if we take Weyburn Road from our apartment building and circle onto Parsley, we don’t have to get out on the highway.”

She nodded, considering the route. “You know, you’re right. Since I drove down the highway, I never thought about going that way.”

“It’s only about a mile,” Jimmy added. “On our bikes, that doesn’t take too long.”

As she closed the door behind him, it suddenly dawned on her to ask, “Did anyone else come with you today?”

“Usually Caleb or Jalen would, but they had homework and a test to study for, so it’s just me.”

“Well, Mr. Marty and I are just finishing up some forms. Then I’m going to check on Gerald. If you want to visit with Mr. Marty for a bit, I’ll go see Mr. Gerald. After that, if you’re ready, we can load your bike in the back of the van, and I’ll give you a ride home.”

Jimmy’s face lit up with gratitude. “That’d be nice, Ms. Angie.”

She smiled and gave a small wave to Marty before heading down the walk to the next apartment.

She found Gerald in his living room, where she helped him navigate the same website he’d struggled with before.

Once he was squared away, she made her way toward the parking lot and spotted Jimmy waiting near the van.

“All set?” she asked as she pulled open the back door.

“Yeah, no problem.” He quickly lifted his bicycle and maneuvered it into the back.

Angie slid into the driver’s seat, following the route Jimmy had suggested. He was right—it was only about a mile, and they completely avoided the highway. The drive was short, easy, and surprisingly peaceful.

As she pulled into the apartment complex parking lot, Jimmy suddenly pointed out the window. “Look! Isn’t that Mr. Pete?”

Angie’s heart gave its familiar, foolish lurch at the sound of his name.

She turned her head, and sure enough, there he was—stepping out of his SUV with the unassuming swagger of a man who was confident but didn’t have to prove it.

Sunlight hit his profile just right, casting sharp shadows over his strong jaw, his stance solid and sure.

“You’re right,” she murmured, barely aware she was speaking.

Jimmy wasted no time jumping out of the van, waving enthusiastically. “Hey, Mr. Pete!”

Pete turned at the sound of his name, his expression briefly surprised before his gaze settled on Angie.

The boys from the complex were already gathering, surrounding him like he was some sort of local hero.

He greeted them all, but there was no mistaking the way his attention shifted entirely to her as he closed the distance between them.

Angie tilted her chin up, a slow, teasing smile curling her lips. “Fancy meeting you here,” she said, adding a playful wink for good measure.

Pete’s lips twitched in response, his eyes warm as they met hers. “Yeah, what are the odds?”

For a moment, everything else faded—the boys talking, the sounds of the parking lot, even Jimmy securing his bike. It was just the two of them, caught in that electric pull she was starting to recognize all too well.

Pete’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he looked at Jimmy. “Where’d you pick up your hitchhiker?” he asked, a slow grin spreading across his face.

Jimmy, clearly unfazed, puffed up slightly. “I rode my bike to visit Mr. Marty.”

Before Angie could add anything, a couple of the other boys chimed in, nodding eagerly.

“Yeah! Sometimes we ride over to visit our adopted grandparents, too,” one of them said. “We see them on Thursdays, but we go by after school sometimes, too.”

Pete shifted his gaze to Angie, one brow lifting in mild curiosity.

She shook her head, offering a small smile. “I didn’t know until today.”

Pete’s expression softened, but his voice carried the weight of authority as he addressed the boys. “As long as your parents or guardians know,” he cautioned.

“They do,” one of the boys quickly assured him. “And we always check with our adopted grandparents first to make sure they’re home.”

Pete seemed satisfied with that, nodding before one of the boys piped up, tilting his head. “What are you doing here, Mr. Pete?”

He hesitated for half a beat, the shift in his demeanor so subtle most wouldn’t notice. But Angie did. Realizing it must be official business, she jumped in smoothly. “He has to make visits, just like I do.”

The explanation seemed good enough for the kids, and after a few more goodbyes, they scattered, waving as they headed back toward their apartments.

As soon as they were alone, Pete turned to her, his lips quirking as he slid his arm around her waist in a quick but familiar gesture. “Thanks for that,” he murmured, voice low enough that only she could hear.

Angie glanced up at him, her heart doing the ridiculous little skip it always did when he touched her. “I had a feeling you must be here for something official.”

“Sort of,” he admitted, his voice turning serious. “I’m going to check on Robert Reeves. I just wanted to make sure he had my card in case he ever needs to call me.”

She arched a brow. “Well, that’s a coincidence because I was heading to see Jed Reeves, his grandfather.”

Pete nodded.

“Then I take it Robert’s back at home?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “The DA agreed there was no reason to charge him.”

A deep, relieved sigh escaped her lips. “That’s good. For him, but also for the family.”

He nodded, his gaze steady, and without another word, they fell into step together, making their way toward the Reeves’s apartment.

When Robert’s mother opened the door, her expression instantly brightened at the sight of Angie, but as her gaze shifted, her eyes went wide at seeing Pete standing just beside her.

Pete, ever aware, was quick to ease any tension. He held his hands up slightly, his voice calm and reassuring. “I’m just here to make sure Robert got home safely and that everything’s okay. I also wanted to give him my card in case he ever wants to reach out.”

Mrs. Reeves visibly relaxed, her shoulders easing as she stepped back, motioning them inside. “Of course, come on in.”

Inside, Angie’s attention was immediately drawn to Jed Reeves, the older man sitting near the kitchen table.

She smiled, greeting him first, then turned to the two younger children sitting at the table, their book bags leaning against their chairs.

They eyed the visitors curiously but didn’t stop what they were doing.

Her gaze then landed on a lanky teenage boy sitting near Jed, his posture slightly hunched, as if he wasn’t quite sure how to carry himself in the room. His movements were hesitant, guarded.

She could see the uncertainty in his eyes, the way they darted between her and Pete. He looked wary but not defiant—just a kid who’d been through something big and wasn’t sure what to make of it all yet.

Angie softened her smile and walked toward him. “Mr. Reeves,” she said, looking at Jed first. “I see good things happened for the family today.”

“Oh, Ms. Angie,” Jed exhaled, his relief palpable. “They decided my grandson could come home. No charges, nothing.”

Her heart warmed at the joy in his voice, but she didn’t miss the way Robert was subtly glancing at her, unsure of what to expect.

Without hesitation, she stepped closer and thrust out her hand. “Hello, Robert. I’m Angie Brown—I work with some of the older persons in the county. I’m so glad you’re home.”

For a moment, he hesitated, his fingers twitching slightly before he ducked his head and reached out, shaking her hand. “Thank you, Ms. Brown,” he said, his voice quiet but sincere.

Then his eyes shifted toward Pete, and like his mother before him, they widened slightly.

Pete didn’t waste a second. He moved forward smoothly, extending his own hand, his presence steady but not imposing.