Hide & Seek - Nicole Edwards Page 0,34

and for the first time in his entire life, the idea of marriage didn’t scare the hell out of him. Of course, he’d never considered it before, wasn’t even sure it was on his life’s to-do list. There was no denying Reese Tavoularis had thrown him for a loop from the moment he met the man, so it made sense he was thinking long-term, right? If you’ve got something good, grab it with both hands and hold on tight.

“Somethin’ wrong, boy?” his father asked in that grumbling tone that the Walker men were well known for.

Brantley shook himself back to the present. “Not at all, Pop. Somethin’ wrong with you?”

Frank laughed that easy laugh Brantley was used to hearing from him. “Can’t say there is, no.”

They dished up the food onto plates his mother would approve of, then carried them outside, where his mother and Reese were already sitting. The instant Brantley stepped outside, Reese was on his feet, assisting by taking a plate, setting it in front of Iris. Once they had everything situated, Brantley took a seat beside Reese, reaching over and patting his thigh as reassurance.

“I heard a rumor you helped out my nephews a few years back,” Iris said casually once everyone had started to eat.

Reese paused, his fork suspended in midair. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Your nephews?”

“Wolfe and Lynx Caine,” she noted. “They live in Embers Ridge.” She smiled kindly. “It’s where I grew up. With my two brothers.”

“Oh, yes, ma’am,” he said, still stumbling over his words a bit. “I still talk to them every now and again.”

“Good boys, those two,” she tacked on. “A little rowdy, but good nonetheless.”

“And your momma?” Frank inquired. “How’s she doin’?”

Once again, Reese appeared tongue-tied.

“Keep in mind, my folks are part of the fabric of this town,” Brantley said, hoping to ease some of Reese’s obvious discomfort. “They know anyone and everyone who’s ever lived here.”

“Your folks are good people,” Frank continued. “I was sure sorry to hear about your father.”

“I … uh … yes, sir,” Reese muttered, staring wide-eyed at Frank.

Iris reached over, patted Reese’s hand. “Relax, child. We don’t bite. I promise.”

Brantley leaned toward Reese, lowered his voice. “Not like I do.”

The choked laugh he got was the turning point.

Thank goodness.

***

Reese wasn’t sure he’d ever been more uncomfortable in his entire life. It sort of reminded him of the first time he had launched his ass out of an airplane. He’d been terrified but determined not to show it and intent on completing the task. Similar to how he felt now.

He had attempted to psych himself up for this dinner, but no amount of muttering had helped. Plus, even if it had, all that would’ve gone right out the window the minute Iris and Frank Jr. walked in the door. Why Reese was intimidated, he didn’t know but he was. Intimidated and insecure, two traits he wasn’t all that familiar with.

Then again, meeting the parents wasn’t something he did on the regular.

Or ever.

“My mother’s doin’ well,” he heard himself say, though he wasn’t sure where the words were coming from because he was pretty sure his brain had gone offline in a desperate attempt at self-preservation.

“And your brother and sister?”

“Good. Both of ’em are up in Dallas.”

“Not sure if you know this or not, but your sister dated our youngest in high school,” Iris said.

Reese stopped chewing, stared at Brantley’s mother. “Really?”

“One for the record books, that relationship.” She smiled sweetly. “All of three days.”

Brantley and Frank laughed.

“Evidently, Cal was smitten with her back in high school although he was a senior and she a sweet-faced freshman.”

How the woman could remember that far back, with so many kids, so many memories, he didn’t know.

“So what made you decide to stay down here instead of bein’ close to your momma?” Iris inquired.

Reese turned his attention to her, respectfully. “I think I needed something familiar when I got out of the air force.”

“Understandable.” Her kind eyes remained on his face. “Will they be comin’ down here for the holidays? They’re more than welcome to join us for Thanksgiving. The more the merrier.”

Reese felt his face warming from embarrassment. He wasn’t used to this much attention. “No, but they’ve asked me … uh … us. They’ve asked us to come up there for Christmas.”

“Which we’ll be doin’,” Brantley said. “Figured we’d have breakfast with y’all, head up there after.”

“That’s a fantastic plan.” Iris glanced back at Reese. “Brantley brags endlessly about how good a cook you are. Perhaps you’d be