Declan

by Chris Keniston

  Ian waved his hands palms up. "What fun is there in that?"

  "I should never have taught her how to use the camera on her computer."

  "Look on the bright side, when they're old and senile they can still entertain each other visiting via computer."

  "Oh won't that be a laugh a minute." DJ had a hard time thinking of his Aunt Eileen as old and senile. She looked as good today as she did when she'd come to live with them twenty-five years ago. And Ian's mom looked more like Ian's sister than his mother.

  "So not going there." Ian smothered a smile and slowly shook his head from side to side.

  The two women had been close friends ever since DJ's mom passed. Aunt Anne and his mother had been friends, but Aunt Anne and his Aunt Eileen got along like a house on fire. DJ always thought that not having been born a Farraday gave them strong common roots, but the fact that both were fearless probably had more to do with it.

  A knock sounded on the doorframe and Esther filled the space. "Got a call from Mr. Porter. Says a passel of teens are partying in his field again and, I quote, imbibing copious amounts of hooch."

  "Interesting word choices." Ian's grin broadened.

  "You want me to send someone out there?" Esther asked.

  Normally, DJ would have grabbed his hat and driven out to deal with the kids himself, but things weren't going to be normal for a while. "Call Reed. Ask him what he wants to do."

  Esther hesitated a long minute, then gave a single curt nod. "This investigating stuff had better get settled soon."

  Not till Esther had disappeared from sight did DJ face his cousin. "Any idea when someone will be here."

  "Soon." Ian leaned forward. "They're sending investigators from company B. No connection to the family anywhere near Dallas. Should be here tomorrow or the next day."

  DJ nodded. He also was pretty sure with all the state had to deal with if the Texas Rangers were arriving in a day or so, his cousin probably pulled in a favor. Or two. Any officer of the law who had fired a weapon in the line of duty knew what the days ahead were like. The readiness to help a stranger was almost a way of life in this part of the country. But for Farradays, even with the physical distance between the cousins near Austin and the ones firmly planted in West Texas, the willingness to step out on a limb for kin was as key to life and survival as taking a breath. "Thanks."

  Ian opened his mouth and raised his hand, ready to disavow his part in moving the investigation to the top of the pile when DJ raised a single brow at him and Ian's hand fell to his side, his mouth snapped shut and his head bobbed. "For the record, I didn't do anything."

  DJ just nodded. Off the record was all that really mattered.

  Once again Esther appeared at his door. "Check your cell. Someone named Brooklyn says your phone is going straight to voicemail."

  "Thanks." He checked his phone. Everything was fine, including the notice of a missed call. "Some days I wonder if there's a leprechaun God of cell phones and if we tick him off, he creates senseless havoc with our reception." The phone in his hand rang and he instantly recognized Brooklyn's number. "Farraday."

  "You sound pretty chipper for a guy stuck on desk duty."

  Damn this guy was good. "You heard?"

  "Your dispatcher told me when I called a few minutes ago looking for you."

  "I should have guessed. You calling for a reason or just miss my voice?"

  "Don't let my wife hear you talking like that." There was laughter in Brooklyn's tone.

  "No problem, you're too tall for me anyhow."

  "Got that right." Brooklyn laughed and DJ hoped this meant he was about to receive good news. The only problem was, at this moment, he wasn't so sure what which answer would be good. "What ya got for me?"

  ***

  Most days the sight of Eileen Callahan and Becky's grandmother strolling through the clinic front door would have been a good thing. Today, she wasn't so sure.

  "Oh good," her grandmother said, "you're not busy."

  How her grandmother concluded a waiting room filled with people and their pets and a stack of files in her arms meant she wasn't busy made no sense to Becky. "I don't know about that."

  "Well, you have to eat." Eileen looked around. "I'm sure you can make time for lunch. You and the baby."

  Oh, Eileen Callahan did not do innocent well. Becky didn't know what the woman wanted but undergoing Chinese water torture held more appeal at the moment than winding up in her grandmother and Eileen's crossfire. "Actually, I don't see…"

  "Look who woke up." Coming down the hall from the staff room where they kept the bassinet one of the patients had loaned them so Becky wouldn't have to keep packing and unpacking the portacrib, Adam sported a huge grin and carried a tiny baby. "Found her on my way from the exam room gurgling and making the cutest sounds. Do you think she's singing?"

  "I wouldn't be surprised." Aunt Eileen held out her arms to receive the bundle. "Grace did that all the time. Always making noise. I couldn't decide if she was talking to herself or humming or what. By the time she was three and wandered about singing her version of opera, we decided all those months as a baby she must have been singing too."

  Adam stiffened slightly as he handed off the baby, avoiding his aunt's gaze.

  "Oh she is precious." Her grandmother wiggled long polished fingernails in front of the baby grabbing Brittany's attention. "It won't be easy giving this one up when they find her a permanent home."

  "Or kin," Eileen added.

  Kin? Did Eileen know? Was that why she was here? Oh crap, now Becky seriously would rather undergo water torture.

  Adam leaned in and kissed his aunt on the cheek. "I need to take care of Mrs. Peabody's cat."

  "Sadie again?" Eileen turned her head looking for the elderly woman.

  Adam shook his head. "Sinatra."

  Turning to face her nephew, Eileen lowered her voice. "Those poor cats must be sick and tired of getting dragged in here for no good reason."

  "Nah, we give extra treats." Adam turned to Becky. "Is Mrs. Peabody in 2 or 3?"

  "She's in 2. I'll be right behind you."

  Adam nodded, raised a hand holding a file and waved at his aunt. "Catch you later."

  At that moment, Kelly leaned over the counter. "Let the doc know that Brooks just called and I reported all was AOK."

  "Something wrong?" Aunt Eileen spun about quickly to face Kelly.

  "No. He's just checking up on how Brittany's doing with the new formula." Kelly squinted her eyes making funny faces at the baby. "Oh, there go the fingers. Time for lunch."

  "Isn't that cute." Becky's grandmother reached to take the child from her friend. "It's been ages since I've fed a little one. Especially one so adorable. Just look how she sucks on those two fingers."

  "Yeah, we thought it was rather odd that she sucks her two first fingers not her thumb," Kelly eased back to her seat. "But Brooks said it's not that unusual, Finn and Grace did that too."

  "Yes, they did." Aunt Eileen handed the infant over to her friend, studying the baby a little too closely for Becky's comfort, then turned back to Kelly. "When did he say that?"

  "One of the times he was here."

  "Oh." Aunt Eileen smiled. "He comes by often?"

  "Sure." Kelly smiled back. "DJ comes by to visit her too." Kelly tossed her pencil on the table. "Shall I get her bottle ready?"

  "Would you mind?" Becky needed to get back to work and send her grandmother on her merry way before DJ's aunt figured out what her nephews were hiding. "Then I can help Doc with the cat."

  "You bet." Kelly hurried around the counter and taking Brittany into her arms, lifted the baby's tiny arm and waved it. "Say bye bye to everyone."

  "Maybe we can do lunch another day," Becky said, taking one step closer to the exam room where Adam was.

  "And since you don't seem to be in any hurry to make me a great-grandmother, we'll do it while you still have the baby," her grandmother said.

  Becky nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

/>   "Yes." Aunt Eileen spun around to her friend. "Come on, Dorothy. I've changed my mind about lunch."

  The two women marched out of the clinic and Becky had the strangest feeling the world as she knew it was about to be turned on a dime.

  Chapter Sixteen

  "The reports just crossed my desk. Sending a paper copy to your house with the results," Brooklyn explained.

  "And…"

  "You are off the hook."

  DJ's chest constricted.

  "But," Brooklyn continued, "it's still a match."

  "Ethan," he whispered then noticed Ian's eyes widening and realized his cousin must be thinking something had happened to Ethan overseas. Shaking his head, DJ waved off Ian's concerns with his free hand.

  "Whoever papa is," Brooklyn continued, "they're a very close relative of yours."

  "So she's a Farraday." Air filled his lungs again. Now he knew what good news looked like.

  "Yep. That's why I didn't want this send these results via hackable channels."

  "Appreciate that." A smile teased the corners of his mouth. He was pleased. And the way Ian's brows rose high on his forehead the poor guy was confused. An expressive Farraday trait all the cousins had in common. "Now all I have to do is get a hold of Ethan."

  "Still no word?" Brooklyn's tone softened.

  DJ shook his head. "No. But he can't stay offline forever."

  "Hmm," Brooklyn grunted. They both knew anything was possible in this crazy war that supposedly wasn't a war anymore. "Let me see if I can't get some info."

  "Yeah. Thanks. I'm going to have to get word to him. Decisions have to be made and Ethan's the one to make them."

  "Understood," Brooklyn said quickly. "Will let you know as soon as I hear anything more."

  "Sounds good. I know I keep saying this, but thanks." DJ disconnected the call and stared at his phone, sorting through the conversation. Brooklyn understood as well as he did the possibilities for why Ethan wasn't responding. If he was busy as hell flying day and night, going long stretches without checking in wasn't uncommon, but this many days was pushing it. DJ was rooting for special training that for whatever reason required limited communication. Isolation during some training programs wasn't uncommon. And the safest scenario. The last option was the one that concerned everyone. Total communication blackout due to something very classified. And probably very dangerous.

  "So did that sound the way I think it did?"

  "Maybe." DJ tossed his phone on the desk. "The abandoned baby is Ethan's."

  "You're sure?"

  "Well, we're sure she's mom's granddaughter and she's not my daughter, and Adam, Brooks, Connor and Finn haven't been anywhere near California so that leaves…"

  "Ethan." Ian sat back. "Well, life with you guys is never boring."

  "No. Not these days."

  "What happens now?"

  "For a start, I need to pull Brittany out of the system."

  "You got anything more than the word of whomever you just spoke to?"

  DJ nodded and explained all that had gone down in the last few days from the disappearing dog to the childhood friend with a brain tumor to his buddy the former Navy SEAL.

  "Damn. You guys do keep life interesting."

  DJ pushed to his feet. "You got enough time to stick around for supper at the ranch? Aunt Eileen will be pissed if she doesn't see you. And with this late breaking news, everyone will be there."

  "Damn right they will." Eileen walked into DJ's office and closed the door behind her.

  "Where's Dorothy?" DJ asked, hoping to give the fire in Aunt Eileen's gaze time to simmer down. "Thought you were having lunch in town today."

  "Dropped her off at the café. She and the girls are starting without me."

  Ian came to his feet to greet his aunt. "Still playing cards?"

  "Sorry, handsome. Good to see you." Though she wasn't technically his aunt at all, all the cousins had called her Aunt Eileen just the same, and she treated them all as her own. The arms that wrapped around Ian were no exception. "You go ahead and take your seat. I just need a minute here."

  Ian looked from Aunt Eileen to DJ and bit back a chuckle. "Better you than me."

  DJ opened his mouth to speak when Aunt Eileen's hands rose up and dropped at her waist. "Your brothers spent so much time on the back porch last night smoking cigars I'm surprise they didn't wake up with black lung."

  "I'll—" DJ started.

  Aunt Eileen's one hand shot up, shaking a finger at him. "Y'all are hiding something from me and I want to know right now what it is."

  "Well—"

  "Don't well me. It's that baby, isn't it?"

  "I was—"

  "She hums like Grace. She sucks on her two fingers like Adam, Finn and Grace. Y'all are hovering over that baby, especially you at Becky's every night since the infant arrived. That little bundle's got that same button face all you kids had." Aunt Eileen's hands landed flat on his desk. "Declan James Farraday, is that your baby?"

  ***

  Mrs. Peabody's cat, named for the famous crooner, was overweight, mellow, and probably a bit on the arthritic side, but most definitely did not need a visit to the vet's office. Still, Adam offered the appropriate hmm and grunt to make Nadine Peabody feel she'd had good cause to bring the animal in. Adam gave her some liquid medicine to give the kitty twice a day, vitamins actually, but what the old woman didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Adam had been giving the old cat placebos for years to keep the lonely patient happy.

  Becky wished the same were true of the next pet. Poor pup was riddled with cancer and she could tell by the way Adam tightened his lips that the prognosis was not good.

  A rap came from the door and Kelly popped her head inside. "Sorry to interrupt, but you're needed outside, Beck."

  "Not my aunt again?" Adam asked.

  "No." Kelly shook her head, glanced at the pup and his owner, and then tipped her head toward the hall.

  "Go on." Adam urged Becky forward with a lift of his chin. "I can handle this on my own."

  Becky peeled off the rubber gloves, tossed them in the trash and, once out in the hall, pulled the exam room door shut behind her, bumping into Kelly. "Ouch. Why are you stopping?"

  "I wanted to give you a heads up," Kelly whispered.

  "Heads up?"

  "There's a woman in the break room with Brittany waiting for you."

  "What woman?" Becky turned to where the baby stayed in her bassinet.

  Kelly grabbed her arm. "Becky, she's from Protective Services."

  Becky balked, looking up the hall then back to the door she'd just come out of. "I'd better call DJ."

  "I already did. Left a voice mail."

  "Okay," Becky sighed, "but he has to be at the station, he's on desk duty. I'll go talk to the lady and you give Esther a call. Have her give him a message to call me right away. Better yet, have him get his backside over here ASAP. As soon as Adam is through, let him know where I am also." She knew there would be a home visit to deal with, but somehow she'd not expected it to be so soon. For some reason, even though this was strictly routine, facing the woman alone scared her. Lord how she wished DJ would waltz through the door.

  ***

  Some days it didn't pay to get out of bed. DJ met his aunt's angry gaze. "No."

  Aunt Eileen retreated a step. Confusion softened her piercing glare. "Then who?"

  "Ethan," DJ said softly.

  Stumbling back, she landed in the chair beside Ian. "Ethan?"

  DJ nodded.

  "Does he know?"

  "I only just found out myself a few minutes ago."

  "And you're sure?"

  Both Ian and DJ nodded.

  Aunt Eileen looked from man to man and then a shaky smile slowly grew stronger. "I'm finally a grandmother."

  ***

  "Knock knock," Becky said as she tapped lightly on the open door. "I'm Rebecca Wilson."

  "Oh, hello." The middle aged woman with shoulder length black hair and strong lines on her
face that reminded others what a tough job she had, backed away from the bassinet and shot her arm out at Becky. "I'm Missy Baxter."

  Becky shook the proffered hand, then felt the need to connect with Brittany. Already awake and doing that babbly-humming sound, Brittany happily ignored the adults in the room. As soon as Becky picked her up, as Brittany had done on a regular basis over the last few days, she'd immediately curled into Becky's shoulder.

  The woman focused on Brittany. "Looks like you've bonded."

  What was the right answer? Yes? No? A little? Becky settled for a smile.

  Missy opened a solitary folder on the nearby table. "When you were certified for emergency foster care, you lived elsewhere?"

  "That's right." Becky rocked in place, patting Brittany's back.

  "I'm a bit confused as to your current address. I thought I was coming to your home."

  "It's upstairs."

  "Excuse me?"

  "I live in the apartment over the clinic."

  "Oh." A thin line deepened between the social worker’s brow.

  That unsettling sensation that had taken root in the pit of Becky's stomach at the news protective services was here to speak with her took an instant dive in the direction of serious trouble warning system. "It's a very nice apartment. Would you like to see it?"

  She closed the folder. "Well, actually—"

  Adam walked into the room directly toward Miss Baxter and cut off the conversation. "How do you do? I'm Adam Farraday."

  "That's right." The woman smiled and extended her hand. "You're the police chief's brother."

  "One of them." Adam flashed a high watt smile. "I just put in a call to his office. He should be here shortly."

  "Oh, that will save me a trip. He was my next stop."

  "Really?" Becky eked out.

  "Yes. You see I wanted to come to you first to explain—"

  Clattering heels thundering loudly outside the door came to an abrupt halt as Toni blew into the room. "I was across the street delivering more cake balls when Brooks told me Protective Services is here."