Hide & Seek - Nicole Edwards Page 0,35
interested in helpin’ me prepare.”
Please, God, no. “I’d be honored.”
Her face lit up like he’d promised her the moon.
“How long were you in the air force?” Frank asked.
“Eight years,” he said, his discomfort level rising.
“What is it that you did?”
“Dad, let’s move on from the subject,” Brantley said softly.
“No, it’s okay.” Reese couldn’t spend the rest of his life avoiding the topic. “I was a PJ, then trained in special reconnaissance.”
“Pararescue,” Frank said with awe. “Thank you for your service, young man.”
Reese nodded, never sure how to respond when someone said that to him.
He felt Brantley staring, knew he probably had some questions since they’d yet to share much about their time in the military. Sure, Reese knew Brantley was a Navy SEAL, an elite special operator, but Reese had never offered the details of his stint in the air force. Or his reason for leaving. In fact, he’d never shared that with anyone.
“How’s the task force going?” Iris asked, as though she sensed the need for a subject change.
“Good,” Brantley answered. “We’re expandin’ the team so we can make a dent in all the cold cases we’ve acquired. They keep comin’ in, so I figure we need to get a jump on them. As it is, with only four of us, we’re not doin’ nearly enough.”
“You know, your father was quite the sleuth in his day,” Iris said to Brantley.
“Oh, hush now, Iris.”
Curious, Reese said, “May I ask what it is you did?”
“Lawyer,” Frank said simply.
“Assistant district attorney,” Iris corrected, the words spoken with such admiration.
“Really?”
“Oh, yes.” Iris beamed. “And my Frank … oh, he was somethin’. It’s how we met, actually. I had gone down to the courthouse for something”—she waved her hand as though that wasn’t important—“and there I saw the most handsome man walkin’ down the hall toward me. Not having a shy bone in my body, I stopped him under the guise of asking for directions.”
Reese saw the color coming into Frank’s cheeks. For some reason, it made him feel better to know someone else could blush so easily.
“It was love at first sight,” she said dreamily.
Reese thought back to the first night he’d seen Brantley. At Moonshiners. But it hadn’t been until the group had relocated to IHOP that he’d found himself inexplicably riveted by the man. Looking back, it had been a life-altering moment.
And here he was, meeting Brantley’s parents.
“Well, I picked up a peach cobbler,” Iris said with a smile. “Why don’t we finish eating. After, you boys can show us around that fancy barn we’ve heard so much about. Then we can share some coffee and dessert.”
Reese met her gaze for the first time and smiled a genuine smile.
Two hours later, all the nerves that had coiled him up so tight had finally dissipated, leaving Reese with a good feeling as they walked Iris and Frank out to their truck. When they were heading down the driveway on their way back to town, Reese exhaled heavily.
“You survived,” Brantley said, stepping up behind him. “How do you feel?”
“Relieved that it’s over.”
“You didn’t like my folks?”
“Now that dinner’s over,” he clarified, horrified that Brantley would think that. “The first meeting. I’m glad it’s out of the way.”
“Me, too.” Brantley’s breath fanned the back of his neck. “And I’m glad we’re alone.”
Those few words were enough to shift the remaining anxiety into something else entirely.
Chapter Nine
Monday morning rolled around and Brantley kicked it off with a five-mile run to clear his head and get his priorities for the week in order. He had a list of things to do, all documented on his notes app to ensure he didn’t forget. The first of which was to meet Trey for breakfast to discuss the job opportunity he hoped his brother was open to.
When he got back to the house, he was sweaty and rejuvenated, ready to kick off the day.
“I’m back,” he called out when he noticed the coffee was made and there was a bagel and cream cheese sitting out on the island. “Where are you?”
“Upstairs,” Reese hollered back. “Come up here.”
After grabbing a hand towel from the stash in the guest bath, Brantley made his way upstairs. “Where, exactly?”
“Back bedroom.”
There were two back bedrooms, one on each side of the game room, so Brantley rolled his eyes and started in the direction Reese’s voice had sounded. Tesha peeked her head out as Brantley approached, her tail instantly wagging in greeting.
“He’s up to somethin’, ain’t he?” he asked the dog.
Tesha’s big brown eyes gave