Mission: Without a Trace - Nicole Edwards Page 0,16

it over the years. It was what made him a phenomenal leader. He had led his SEAL team into dangerous situations time and time again, always managing to stay calm and cool under pressure. Then this man came along and rattled the very foundation of his being.

All because he was scared of what was happening between them.

In a sense, Brantley understood where Reese was coming from. Despite what he’d told Reese earlier, this wasn’t just sex between them. It would’ve been a hell of a lot easier if that were the case. For both of them.

No, they were both dealing with heightened emotions brought on by uncertainty. Brantley didn’t know which direction Reese was headed, and he suspected Reese didn’t know, either. Leaving them in this perpetual state of question.

“I’m sorry,” Reese mumbled against his lips.

“Don’t say it again.” Brantley pulled back, still holding Reese’s head. “It’s done. We’re movin’ on.”

“Are we?”

He came to a decision immediately. “Yes.”

Some people wouldn’t understand his need to move forward, to leave shit in the past, but Brantley knew it was more about self-preservation than skill. He was not the sort to bring old shit up, to throw it in anyone’s face. He would give Reese the benefit of the doubt because he wanted to, because he knew that throwing this away would only lead to a whole lot of what-ifs, and Brantley was opposed to those, too.

The door lock disengaged and Brantley instantly released Reese, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable when JJ returned. To his surprise, Reese didn’t move away. The opposite, actually. He stepped forward, drew Brantley’s mouth back to his, and kissed him softly, letting his lips linger for a few seconds. The hand that gently squeezed the back of his neck had a strange warmth swirling in his chest cavity.

When Reese pulled back, their eyes met, held.

JJ cleared her throat. “Should I leave and come back later?”

“No,” Reese replied. “We’re good.”

Brantley held his gaze while he stepped back, space opening up between them once more.

“I handed Walker Demo over to Autumn this morning,” Reese explained. “I know it’s a few days early, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to start workin’ today.”

Brantley nodded, mentally saw the line they were crossing. Moving forward. Not back. Never back.

“We’re glad you’re here.”

“I am because you brought donuts,” JJ declared, coming around to her desk.

“Where’s the sugar?” Reese asked, grabbing his coffee cup and turning toward her.

She waved a hand over her shoulder. “In the kitchen. But I put some in your cup before I left.”

Brantley watched Reese’s grin form. Nope, they weren’t low on sugar. Brantley knew because he’d stocked it on Sunday.

Taking a full breath for what felt like the first time that day, Brantley turned back to the whiteboard they’d been marking up before Reese’s arrival.

“I was able to talk to Lauren’s mother, Ellen, yesterday. She moved to Round Rock shortly after she and Lauren’s father divorced. I wouldn’t go so far as to say she has moved on, but she isn’t the sort who has been hounding the police about her missing daughter. She admitted to contacting them at least once a year, but she said it’s difficult because the case keeps being passed from one detective to another every few years. It was obvious she’s disappointed in the lack of answers.”

“I can imagine,” Reese said, staring at the whiteboard.

“Did you learn anything we don’t already know?” JJ asked.

“Not much, but there’s something that might help.” He glanced at Reese, then at JJ. “Like Governor Greenwood said, the day Lauren disappeared, she walked home by herself because Corinne had stayed home sick. What the governor didn’t mention was that Lauren had stayed after school to work on a project with a couple of her friends. Rather than leave the school at three thirty like normal, it was closer to five according to those who saw her exit the building. Her mother didn’t know who she was with, but she did give us a list of names of the girls she was closest to.”

“If you’ll give me those, I can see if I can track them down,” JJ offered.

“You can reach out to them, too. Not sure how much they’ll remember, but anything’s better than nothing. I also want to talk to the teachers again,” he added. “There are notes from interviews back then, but if there’s even a remote chance we’ll learn somethin’ new, I want to ensure we cover all bases. A couple of