Page 98 of An Unexpected Home

He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Fuck, I don’t know. I don’t even know why I am bothering you with this.”

“Let me guess...Carly?” Brandon said matter-of-factly.

Tony didn’t say a word but his facial expression told him that he was right.

“I’ve been there, man. Don’t try to deny it. But on the subject of safety, I think they are pretty close to as safe as they could get without locking them in the cells here.”

“Might not be a bad idea,” he barely heard Tony say.

“Listen man, Logan is staying there and they only go places in pairs. With your systems, both at home and at the studio, I think we can assume that they are secure.”

“You’re probably right,” Tony said. “I just hate feeling helpless.”

“You’ve helped a ton.” Brandon stood and walked around the desk. “If not for those security systems, I would have had to lock them up in cells. And that, my friend, would not have gone over well.”

“If there is anything else you need from me, just ask. I’m willing to help in any way.”

They shook hands and Tony left, leaving him once again alone.

He didn’t know what, if anything, would happen between Tony and Carly, but he'd be rooting for his friend. He was a stand-up guy and knowing Carly as he did, he knew she would do her best to push him away.

It was the way she worked. He didn’t really know why she was so jaded but he was sure she thought she had her reasons.

He worked for a while longer and at five, when his shift was over, headed to the cafe for an early breakfast with his dad.

He knew his dad would be there, because he was always there this time of day, having coffee with some friends.

The bell dinged above the door when he walked in and he spotted his dad, alone in his favorite booth.

“Bran what brings you here?” he stood and hugged him.

“Thought I’d stop by and say hi before I head home for the day.”

“Nightshift?” he asked.

“Yeah.” He sat across from his dad and indicated to the waitress for coffee.

“You look tired, Bran,” his dad said, “and it’s not just night shift tired.”

“This case is kicking my ass, dad.” Brandon was man enough to admit when he was at a loss.

His dad who had been a pharmacist his whole life until he retired last year, knew how much Brandon loved being a cop. It was all he had ever wanted to do and his parent’s never discouraged it.

“This is your first major test,” Charlie said. “And it’s a big one because the woman you love is at the center.”

“I keep thinking that if Leah and I weren’t involved, maybe I would be a little more on my game.”

His coffee was delivered and he added creamer.

“I don’t know if that’s the case here,” Charlie said. “I think you have more at stake and that you would be trying harder.”

“I thought so too. At first. But the fact that I can’t catch one guy has me changing my tune.”

“You told me once that you wanted to be a cop because you loved the intricacies of the work, the digging to find clues, and putting the pieces together. If that’s the case, then why would you want this guy to just fall at your feet? You have to work to find him.”

His dad was right and he had said that about being a cop. He loved the thought process, not just the end result.

“Thanks dad. I think I just needed to be reminded of that.”

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