by Barb Han
“Are you kidding? I missed them too much to care how they got here. As long as they made it safely, you won’t hear a complaint from me,” she said, taking a sip and enjoying the liquid as it warmed her throat. “Fair warning. I don’t think I’ll be able to convince them to leave without taking Denali home with us.” She referred to the family’s Labrador retriever.
“He’s a good sport and especially loves children. I don’t think he’s played that hard or licked so many faces since he was a pup,” Joshua said.
The twelve-year-old chocolate Lab had let her boys follow him around and laid still while they climbed all over him and tugged at his ears. Alice had been quick to make sure they didn’t do anything to hurt Denali.
“He’s beautiful,” she said. “Fits in perfectly with this place, which is filled with—” she was at a loss for the right word so she settled on “—magic.”
“It’s a good place,” he agreed and there was an emotion behind his eyes that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. “I have a family meeting to attend in about an hour. Want to go for that walk I promised you now?”
With Marla settled in with the boys Alice didn’t have to worry about hovering over them. Plus, this place had better security than Fort Knox.
“Why not.” She emptied her mug and set it on the counter, energized from the caffeine, sure, but mostly from seeing her boys, hugging them. There really was something magic about baby hugs.
Joshua stopped at the door and offered his arm. She took it and he ushered her out the door and into the crisp late afternoon air. The sun was shining, warming everything it touched.
“Which direction is your house?” she asked as they walked to the white wooden fence around the yard.
“That way.” He pointed northwest. “I’ll take you there sometime.”
“How about right now? Is it far?” She glanced at the house where her boys were sleeping. She’d been content to watch them sleep but didn’t want to take a chance of disturbing them. Her two energy-fueled boys needed their rest and she didn’t even want to think about the consequences of them not getting it.
“It’s too far to walk. We’d have to grab a golf cart.”
“Maybe we should wait until the twins wake. I don’t want to miss a second of them with their eyes open.”
“They’re great boys,” he said.
“For all my jokes about never sleeping and never sitting down since they were born I wouldn’t change a thing, except maybe to make them grow up a little slower,” she said. “Find a ‘pause’ button somewhere.”
“Time speeds by,” he agreed. “Even without having little guys around to remind you just how fast.”
“And it can change just like that.” She snapped her fingers.
Joshua’s gaze dropped and his jaw clenched. She was referring to Isabel’s kidnapping but she’d struck a nerve with him. He had his own investigation going on. “Are you really okay?”
“Yeah, sure.” She didn’t want to give away her emotions, emotions that left her feeling overwhelmed and running on empty. Seeing her boys and being with Joshua were the only two positive things in her life right now.
“A lot has gone on in the past few days. It’s a lot to process.”
“I’m one of these people who’s calm in the moment and then it hits later.” When she was alone in bed. How many nights had she cried herself to sleep in her lifetime? More than she cared to count or admit.
“I know you like to play tough guy and you put on a good show. Do people who really know you believe it?” he asked.
“Yeah, they have to. My job and my life depend on it. I don’t have to tell you how important it is for fellow officers to trust that you can do your job,” she said, wishing she could let down her guard a little more.
“You don’t have to be like that with me,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “I’m not a threat.”
She couldn’t let his words affect her, so she took a step back to put some distance between them. “That’s where you’re wrong.”
Joshua gazed out onto the expansive property looking like he was letting her words sink in.
Alice needed to change the subject because that conversation wasn’t going to lead where she wanted it to go and should know better than to want.
“You said before that your parents were murdered. Do you want me to take a look at the file and give my professional opinion?” she offered, wishing there was something she could do to repay him for everything he’d done for her. “Sometimes it helps to have a second set of eyes.”
Before Joshua could answer, the sound of gravel crunching underneath tires caught both of their attention. A brand new dual-cab Ford F-150 pulled down the lane.
“That’s my Uncle Ezra,” Joshua said as he checked his watch. “He’s early.”
Alice watched Joshua walked away, thinking that she wasn’t the only one who’d mastered the tough-guy routine.
* * *
“I WOULDN’T HAVE called this meeting if it wasn’t important,” Uncle Ezra began and Joshua wondered if there’d ever been a time when Ezra didn’t think that what he had to say was worthy of everyone’s immediate attention.
His brother Tyler was the best negotiator, so he sat to Ezra’s left at their father’s conference table. Ezra had been given the right-hand seat to their father, his chair now empty and a constant reminder of the loss the brothers felt, as a gesture but he wasn’t given any real responsibility. To the right of Tyler were Uncle Ezra and Aunt Bea’s spots. The next empty seat, directly opposite of Dad’s at the long oak conference table, belonged to their mother. To her left were Janis, Ryder, Colin, Joshua, Austin and Dallas. Dallas’s seat was directly opposite Uncle Ezra.
“We need to address—”
Dallas put up his hand to stop Uncle Ezra. “Not everyone’s here yet.”
Uncle Ezra stood in a huff. “Who else is invited?”
“We can’t have an official family meeting without everyone present, Uncle Ezra. We’re still waiting on Aunt Bea,” Tyler, ever the calm negotiator, said.
“But I specifically asked for a meeting with the brothers only,” Uncle Ezra complained, his hands planted on the oak table.
“That’s against policy and you know it. You wouldn’t like it if someone tried to exclude you from important family business,” Tyler continued.
“Which is why I’ll never understand why she’s here.” He motioned toward Janis as she picked imaginary lint off her sleeve with a here-he-goes-again look on her face.
“Everyone’s clear on your vote to keep Janis out of the family’s interests. The rest of us disagreed and majority vote ruled,” Tyler continued. “Can we put this discussion to rest or do we need to readdress bylaws every time we meet?”
Uncle Ezra blew out a puff of air and then moved to the coffee tray set up near the door.
Ryder leaned toward Joshua. “For someone whose vote literally counts for nothing in our business this guy sure calls a lot of meetings.”
“And he sure is full of a lot of hot air,” Janis whispered, leaning toward them both.
Joshua and his twin brother smirked.
“Well, I’m glad he decided to join the meeting this time,” Uncle Ezra said. His gaze locked on to Joshua.
Before Joshua could respond, Aunt Bea rushed in.
“Apologies to keep everyone waiting,” she said in her best sugary-sweet voice. Joshua wasn’t sure whether she spoke like that just to get on Uncle Ezra’s nerves or if she was being true to herself. The two matched about as well as a rose petal and a cactus, both personalities multiplied in the presence of one another. That’s not where their differences ended. Where Uncle Ezra was thin and wiry, Aunt Bea made up for it in girth. Despite her hearty size she was inclined toward floral dresses and matching hats with ribbons, and she always dressed li
ke she was on her way to Sunday service. The brother and sister had a long history of being at odds that ran deeper than their physical appearances.
“It’s kind of you to finally show, Bea,” Uncle Ezra countered, ever the gentleman.
“Let’s get to business,” Dallas said. Even though all brothers had equal share of the ranch, they’d voted Dallas in charge due to his natural leadership tendencies and the fact that he was willing to take on the job no one else wanted. “You requested this meeting, Uncle Ezra. What would you like to discuss?”
“Since my brother passed, God rest his soul, I think the burden of running this place has been a lot to put on you boys as you straighten up your affairs,” Uncle Ezra said.
“You’ve said that before and we appreciate your willingness to help,” Dallas said.
Aunt Bea made a disgruntled noise.
“As I’ve said before the division of the family business—”
“Of our father’s business you mean?” Joshua couldn’t help himself. Uncle Ezra was always trying to make it seem like he’d contributed to the success of the ranch and club even though he hadn’t lifted a finger.
Uncle Ezra shot him a look that almost made him laugh out loud.
“At least some of us are willing to pitch in during times of crisis,” Uncle Ezra continued, another dig toward Joshua.
Instead of responding, Joshua leaned back in his chair. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He fished it out, didn’t recognize the number. He excused himself and took the call in the hallway.
“Mr. O’Brien, this is Rupert Grinnell with the personnel department of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” the male voice said.
“This is an honor, sir. I’ve been looking forward to this call,” Joshua said, hoping this meant what he thought it did, an interview.
“We’re impressed with your background, Mr. O’Brien. We’d like to bring you in to talk to a few people,” Grinnell continued.
“I’d like that very much,” Joshua said.
“Are you available in two days for an interview?” Grinnell asked.
“Yes, sir,” Joshua said with a pang of guilt that he might be walking away from Alice when she needed him. His brain kicked into high gear. He’d be gone a day at best. He could leave early and might even be able to make it home in time for dinner. They were getting close to blowing the Perez case wide open and surely they’d find something concrete on the computer that would help them locate Isabel. They were in a holding pattern for now anyway.
“My admin will contact you with the details,” Grinnell said. “I should tell you that there haven’t been a lot of applicants we’ve been this interested in for a while.”
“I appreciate the confidence, sir. I look forward to the meeting,” Joshua responded.
He ended the call and then reclaimed his seat in the conference room. He should feel elated and yet he couldn’t deny feeling like he was sneaking around, doing something wrong. He chalked it up to abandoning his brothers and the fact that he felt like he was letting his father down in some way, feelings he’d felt his entire life.
The next time his phone buzzed, it was a message from Tommy. The crime scene was clear and he and Alice were free to examine it themselves.
“Which brings me to my dilemma.” Uncle Ezra didn’t miss a beat. Joshua would have to ask Ryder if he missed anything important in the last few minutes. Somehow, he doubted he had. “I’d like to do more. Given the recent...news...about your parents I’m sure you’ll want to put all your extra resources into helping solve the investigation.” Making a play for more power while their heads were still spinning about the fact that their parents had been murdered was right up there with one of the slimiest things he’d ever proposed.
“I’m not saying that any of us agree to this, but I’m guessing you have something specific in mind,” Dallas said and Joshua knew his brother was digging around to find Ezra’s real motivation behind the proposal.
“Given that I’m always willing to pitch in when needed whereas Bea is content to collect a check, I feel that it’s only fair that I receive a larger piece of the responsibility.” He should’ve said what he really meant...a larger piece of the pie.
This wasn’t his first play for more so no one freaked out but Bea did make that grunting noise again.
“As you know, we can’t give more to you without taking away from others,” Dallas said, impatience edging his tone. “And Dad’s instructions were pretty clear as to how he wanted the place divided. If he’d wanted you to have more, he’d have given it to you.”
“It’s not necessary to be so formal,” Uncle Ezra hedged. “We can deal with the legalese later. I’m talking about something temporary and unofficial here. I’ve had my lawyer draw up papers so everyone’s on the same page.” Uncle Ezra opened the folder he’d brought with him and pulled out what looked like a contract.
“For a document that isn’t supposed to be official, he sure went to a lot of trouble,” Joshua whispered to Ryder, who lifted an eyebrow and smirked.
“All of those in favor of considering this request, raise your hand,” Dallas said, obviously getting impatient with this conversation.
No hands went up, save for Ezra’s.
“All against,” Dallas said, his hand was the first to jut into the air. “Motion declined. This meeting is—”
“Now, just a minute,” Uncle Ezra interrupted. “You didn’t hear me out.”
“I think we’re clear on where you stand. So I’ll be clear on where we do. Making demands isn’t going to get you where you think you should be. Neither is trying to slip a legally binding document under the radar. So, back off or we’ll exercise our legal right to have you removed from this company.” Their father had given them a way out. All they had to do was unanimously vote to remove Uncle Ezra. No one would go against Dad’s wishes, though, unless his brother got out of control.
“That would be a long and costly process,” Uncle Ezra said.
“I sure hope that wasn’t a threat,” Dallas countered.
Uncle Ezra’s phone buzzed. He was probably looking for a distraction when he answered the call. He turned his back to the group and lowered his voice enough that Joshua couldn’t hear what he said. Uncle Ezra ended the call a few seconds later. When he turned around, he looked a little pale.
“Who was that?” Dallas asked.
“The Johnson boy,” Uncle Ezra supplied, quickly regaining his disgruntled demeanor.
“What does Tommy want?” Dallas asked the question on the tip of everyone’s tongue.
Uncle Ezra stuffed the pages inside the folder and tucked it under his arm. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Said he wants me to come down to the station to answer a few routine questions to help him out with my brother’s case.”
* * *
“I HOPE THIS doesn’t become a theme between us,” Joshua said to Uncle Ezra, following him outside after the meeting. He’d scanned the kitchen for Alice, figured she was somewhere with her boys when he didn’t see her.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Uncle Ezra seemed committed to playing dumb. His uncle looked a little more rattled than usual.
“The jabs back there.” Joshua wasn’t one to mince words.
Uncle Ezra whirled around just before reaching his truck. “You and the others are blind to what’s going on around you. I see this situation for what it is.” He thumped his chest and his voice was sounding a little hysterical.
“Easy there, Uncle Ezra. You don’t need to have a heart attack,” Joshua said.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if I did,” was all Uncle Ezra said back. He turned, opened the door to his truck and then slammed it after climbing inside the cab.
What was that supposed to mean?
“Think he’s going to give us a problem?” Joshua asked Dallas as h
e returned to the kitchen and told him about their exchange.
“Yeah, he’ll be a pain in our backside for the rest of his life,” Dallas quipped.
“About what he said earlier about me, I know—”
“No need to worry about what that old coot thinks,” Dallas said. “We all have previous business to take care of before we can fully devote to the ranch. That’s why we work together to ease the load.”
Joshua wanted to tell his brother that he had no plans to stick around if the FBI offered him a job. He’d pretty much decided that he wouldn’t anyway. There were other branches of law enforcement that he could work for and his former chief had placed him on temporary leave rather than process his paperwork, reminding him how tough it could be to get back into law enforcement once he left voluntarily. Keeping the secret was eating at him. Telling his brothers was the only fair thing to do.
What if he didn’t get the job at the FBI? He could always change his mind and decide to stay at the ranch. After all, nothing was out of the question and there was a big part of him that started feeling at home there recently. Maybe he could settle into a role?
Alice walked into the kitchen with a baby on her hip and froze. He could tell by her reaction that she was overwhelmed by all the O’Briens in one place. He crossed the room to her and she relaxed the minute she made eye contact with him.
“Alex is hungry,” she said.
“What do you need me to get?” Joshua was ready to roll up his sleeves. He also needed to tell her that she could have access to the whole crime scene now.
“Marla said she left the formula and bottles in the diaper bag under the table.” She scanned the room.
Everyone kept right on talking as if she wasn’t there, a fact she seemed to appreciate. They were used to strangers being in the main house. Janis was there, too, and she seemed to know on instinct what Alice needed, bringing over the bag.
“I’m happy to help make a bottle,” she offered.
“That would be great actually,” Alice said trying to hold the baby and navigate the contents of the bag. She looked happy, really happy. Joshua didn’t want it to end and he knew it would as soon as he told her.
