Reese took a deep breath in and let the tension ease out of his shoulders. “Withthatoutta the way … Travis?”
“For peace of mind, yeah, I think we should stop by. Heisthe one who organized his brothers when JJ was missing. I don’t see how it could hurt to stop in and see how he’s doin’.”
“But?”
“But nothin’.”
Reese waited patiently, staring at Brantley because he knew there was more he wasn’t saying.
“Fine. I think he’s workin’ on somethin’. And whatever it is … we could probably help him. But there are only five days until the wedding. We’re supposed to be gettin’ ready for it, not findin’ somethin’ else to dig our heels into.”
Reese agreed wholeheartedly. With that said, Travis had always been there when they needed him. JJ’s disappearance was only one of the many times Travis had dropped everything to pitch in and help when someone needed it. The idea of putting it off—even for a few more days—bothered him.
He hated being selfish here, but he didn’t want to risk sending Brantley into the same tailspin. It would happen. That was the way the Walker’s brains functioned. They latched onto a problem and worked it until it was resolved. Right now, they didn’t have time to focus on whatever this might be.
“You’re right,” Reese blurted. “We should wait.”
“You sure?”
“No, but Gage evaded our questions, and we both know Travis is a master of evasion. He’s not gonna give us anything. Plus, Gage said they’ll be at the bachelor party on Wednesday. We can talk to him then.”
“Agreed.”
Reese relaxed.
“Just out of curiosity, how is it you’re the one more worked up about this than me?” Brantley laughed. “I thought for sure you’d be pullin’ me back from the ledge rather than inchin’ closer to it.”
“I did, too.”
“Well, what do ya say we go to HQ, check in with the team. Then we’ll go to the house—under the guise of workin’, of course—and we can offer each other a much-needed distraction.”
“I think I can handle that.”
And just like that, Reese’s mind ventured down other paths.
Chapter Seventeen
Becs was sitting at her desk whenBrantley and Reese showed up shortly after noon.
The team had spent the morning settling into the new arrangement, setting up their desks after making room for more. Evan and Baz had gone down to the office consignment shop to see about procuring a few more for the new hires that would be joining in the coming weeks, but they’d come back empty-handed.
For a second there, Becs had almost offered to work from home for the foreseeable future. It would’ve been the easy thing to do, considering the tension between her and Evan. There was no doubt in her mind that everyone else could feel it when they were there at the same time. She certainly could and to be honest, it was beginning to piss her off.
Ever since the night they made out in his office, things had been weird between them. Nothing happened. Well, not really. God knows Becs had wanted something to happen, but Evan had pulled the gentleman card at the last second. According to him, pursuing something between them would only cause disruption. To their lives, their daughters’ lives, the team.
In the heat of the moment, Becs hadn’t cared who she disrupted; she’d merely wanted Evan. She still did. But he was keeping his distance and it was driving her mad. More so, the way he was trying to overplay their friendship, as though they’d been best friends forever, and anything more would cause a rift.
Deep down, she knew it was bullshit. His excuse. He’d chickened out, and to save face, he was backpedaling. As though they could go back to where they’d been before.
Men.
But Becs didn’t entirely disagree with him. It was true. They could likely spend one night—or a few—enjoying the pleasure of each other’s naked company, but it would eventually end, and then they’d be left with even more tension between them. Becs wanted something real, something serious. Something honest. And Evan was still in love with his dead ex-wife. There was a good chance he always would be, and Becs knew you couldn’t compete with a dead woman.
Not that she wanted to.
Nope. She’d already endured one relationship where she had to compete with other women. Her ex was a notorious cheat, and he hadn’t changed when they got married. Becs knew, of course. She knew because he’d been in a relationship with another woman when they met and slept together. One night had changed her entire life, though. Not because she’d fallen madly in love with the jerk, either. No, Becs had gotten pregnant, and when he had offered to marry her, she’d put on her familiar blinders and pretended it was because he loved her and wanted to make a family with her.
Yeah, right.
