His response came from his stomach’s loud rumble.
Reese closed the refrigerator. “Let’s get outta here for a little while.”
Oh, yeah. Reese was definitely stressed. Perhaps more so than Brantley was.
“The diner?” Brantley suggested.
“Sure.”
It was all Brantley could do not to have a full-blown meltdown, and he knew Reese was doing the same. Maybe leaving for a little while would bring some clarity. At the very least, eating might make the lingering headache fade. It was tension, nothing more, but Brantley knew the stress he was currently carrying on his shoulders wasn’t going to help matters.
Ten minutes later, with Tesha in the back seat, Brantley drove into town.
“It’s a wonder anyone hires us to find anyone,” Reese muttered, exasperation ringing heavily in his words. “We’re frauds.”
Brantley barked a laugh, then reached for Reese’s hand. “Not the same thing, and you know it.”
Reese linked their fingers. “Oh, trust me, I do. I know it should be simple to find two metal bands we took off a week ago. Shit like that doesn’t just up and disappear.”
No, it didn’t. Which meant they were somewhere.
“We could ask Baz to help.”
“No!” Reese looked horrified by the suggestion. “If JJ gets wind of this…”
Brantley laughed. “I know. She’ll kick both our asses.”
However, she would get over it, and then they could spend the time between now and the wedding doing something … fun. Naked fun. Yes. That sounded like a much better plan than scouring the earth for their rings.
“Do you think someone stole them?” Reese asked.
Brantley laughed. “Why in the hell would someone steal them?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Reese drawled. “Maybe so they could win the pot.”
It took a moment for Brantley to realize what Reese was referring to. “So you’re askin’ whether I think one of my brothers or sisters stole the rings to win the bet about when we’d lose the rings?”
Reese shrugged, but his expression looked hopeful.
Brantley laughed. “Youhopeone of them stole the rings?”
“It would solve the case.”
Brantley chuckled. “It’s not a case, Reese. And no, I don’t think anyone stole them. I think we’ve simply misplaced them.”
It was a partial lie. He didn’t think his brothers or sisters would do anything so devious, but he was past the point of thinking they’d misplaced them. They had searched everywhere. Twice. Those rings weren’t in the house.
“I’ll call Bryn,” Brantley said. “I’ll ask her if she knows anything. She won’t tell JJ,” he tacked on when it was clear Reese wanted to argue.
“Fine. But no one else.”
“Deal. But if we don’t find them by the rehearsal dinner tomorrow, we have to let JJ know.”
Reese’s lips pursed. “Not a bad idea. If we tell her when we’re surrounded by people, there’s a good chance she won’t kick our asses right away.”
Brantley chuckled. He loved this man. God, he loved him.
With that settled, what they needed now was a distraction.
