Page 5 of Forged in Secrets

“We’ll find her. It’s going to be okay.”

She wanted to think of something to say in response–she would have settled for a sentence or two of vaguely comprehensible English–but before she could, yet another ringing phone demanded her attention.

She suppressed a sigh as Ben pulled away, crossing his arms over his chest, retreating into his usual standoffish posture.

“Yo,” Asher said, answering his phone.

Grace could just make out Gabe’s voice. He was saying something about one of Reilly’s twins having an important checkup with a cardiologist in a half hour.

“We have a good excuse this time,” Asher said after his older brother paused his scolding. “And we’ll tell you all about it after we see the twins, okay?”

Grace didn’t want to wait, but she could hardly argue the point. Reilly had enough to worry about right now. He didn’t need to overhear any shop talk.

Asher hung up the phone and gestured toward the hallway behind the reception area.

“The hospital is only letting a few people in at a time, and everyone else has already headed back to the office. Gabe said he’s waiting in the cafeteria with Dad. ”

Ben let out a grunt. “I wonder how that conversation is going.”

“The two Gabriels butt heads all the time. I’m sure they won’t let the arrival of new life stop them,” Asher said.

She hoped that Gabe and his father could remain civil for Reilly and Lauren’s sake, but she wouldn’t be surprised if they were bickering as usual.

Gabe Sr. had a clear idea of how to live his life.

Faith first, family second, work last.

Like all of the Forge boys, Gabe Jr. had been raised with the same set of priorities. Unfortunately, ever since he’d walked away from the family agriculture business and founded Forge Brothers Security, Gabe Jr. had put work first more and more often.

Not that Grace could judge.

Especially when it came to her own faith.

She shook her head as she followed Ben and Asher deeper into the labyrinth of the Trinity Medical Center. There was no point in beating herself up over her struggle to hear God’s voice.

Not today.

Katie Fairman was in trouble, and she was going to do everything in her power to find her.

BEN

Ben drew a deep breath as they approached the door of the maternity ward. Somewhere within, he heard the cry of a newborn baby, and found himself hanging back as Asher strode into the room.

He was acutely aware of the fact that his burly size could be intimidating, and though logically he knew that his cousin Reilly’s twins weren’t old enough to fear him, he couldn’t help but to feel out of place.

“You coming?” Grace said, beaming at him as she leaned against the doorframe. “I’m sure the twins are excited to meet their…second cousin?”

He nodded. “Something like that.”

As he followed her toward Lauren’s room, he couldn’t help but to replay the last few minutes over and over in his mind.

He shouldn’t have hugged Grace.

Though his brothers constantly teased him about her supposed crush, he wasn’t so sure she thought of him as more than a friend.

Not that it would have mattered if she did.

He’d already sworn to himself that any kind of romantic relationship was out of the question for the foreseeable future. He’d been down that road before, and he wasn’t interested in shooting himself in the foot twice.

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