Page 209 of The Archer Brothers

“How do you want to do this?” Pamela asks.

I look around the room and imagine how I want the whiteboards to look. “The center should be our timeline or the family tree, as we’re going to call it. Then, we’ll put up pictures of the missing women and children on the other boards. I want their name, the date, and where they disappeared from next to each photo. The boards will fill up fast, so let’s keep the files in alphabetical order. We’re going to need to reference them a lot, unfortunately. The key to uncovering who is running this sex ring lies somewhere in these boxes. We have to find out the who and why so we can bring it down.”

“And unravel the next one,” Pamela points out. Sadly, we all know where there’s one, there’s another.

* * *

Right before lunch, my cell phone rings. I’m happy to see Ryley's name on my caller ID. “Congratulations,” she says before I can say hello. Deep down, I know she’s talking about my promotion, but for a brief second, I think she’s talking about my pregnancy. I don’t think Nate would tell Evan, not without consulting me first. Or would he?

“Thank you,” I say without skipping a beat. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well, I’m sort of near the building, and I didn’t know if you had time for lunch?”

I glance around the room and see how much progress we’ve made and nod, even though Ryley can’t see me. “Yeah, I can take a break. Do you want to meet here?”

“No, I’d rather not,” she says, which is understandable. “There’s a cantina down the road. Let’s meet there.”

“I’ll see you in a few.” I hang up and tell my team that I’m heading out to lunch and that they should do the same. This may be the only lunch break we get for the foreseeable future, so we might as well take it.

When I arrive at the restaurant, Ryley is waiting for me just inside the vestibule. We hug and then follow the hostess to our table. As soon as we sit down, our waitress brings us chips and salsa and asks if we’d like margaritas. We decline and order water.

“Evan told me about your new job. Are you happy?”

“I am,” I tell her as I reach for the menu. “It’s not the best situation case-wise, but I’m determined to bring everyone to justice, especially those who hurt women and children.”

Ryley places her hand on mine and squeezes. “I’m grateful for you, and I know Penny is as well. She credits you with keeping Claire safe.”

“I don’t know about that. I just found her before that psycho could get to her.” I don’t bother expanding on which psycho because Frannie and her brother fit the bill equally.

Our waitress returns, and we place our order. Now that I’m here, I’m starving and craving tacos. “I’m going to love living this close to the border.”

Ryley laughs. “Tacos are a must. I swear, when we moved to Washington, I thought I was going to die from the lack of food. Everything is fish, and that’s a hard no for me.”

“I am going to miss the buffets in Vegas, though.”

“Are they really that good?”

I shrug. “If you get there when everything is fresh, yes. I mostly went for salads because it’s something I can eat on the go or in my car while I staked out a place. And they’re way better than fast food.”

“True. EJ is obsessed with Mickey D’s right now. His life revolves around chicken nuggets.”

“Is that what I have to look forward to?” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I realize what I’ve done, and so does Ryley.

Her eyes go wide, as does her smile. “Are you—?”

I nod, cutting her off. “I found out the other day, and I honestly don’t know what to do.”

“Does Nate know?”

“Yes, and he’s excited.”

“But you’re not?” she asks.

The waitress is back with our food, and I use this slight reprieve to gather my thoughts.

“Are you worried that Nate won’t be a good father?” Ryley asks.

I shake my head. “The opposite, really. I’ve never seen myself as a mother. More so since I started working in sex crimes. I see the horrors of what people do, and it makes me wonder why anyone would bring children into this world. And then there’s me. I love my career. I love my job despite the horror-filled boxes of missing people. I don’t have a normal job, Monday through Friday, nine to five doesn’t exist for me. How can I be a mother when I don’t know if I’ll be home for dinner? What if Nate goes out on a mission or ends up deployed? Then what?”

“Then, you count on family,” Ryley says. “That’s what I did, and that’s what I’ll do in the future, even knowing what I know now. Am I afraid of whoever lurks in the darkness? You bet, but I wouldn’t give up being a mom for anything. EJ is my world. He makes me laugh and cry. There are times when I want to pull my hair out, but then he’ll sit down next to me and rest his head on my leg, and I’m at peace. As much as I am in love with Evan; I never knew the true meaning of love until I held EJ in my arms. Carrying your child and watching them grow inside you is one thing. But holding them against your body while they suck in their first breaths and look at you for the first time is a whole other feeling.”

I wipe at my damp cheeks. I don’t know when I started crying, but clearly, Ryley’s words have touched me in ways I didn’t expect. “Do you have regrets?” I ask.

“When it comes to EJ, not a single one. With or without Evan, I’d do it all over again because being a mom is worth it.” Ryley takes a bite of her lunch and then says, “I know you love your career and shouldn’t have to give it up. I also know Nate would do anything for you. Tell him how you feel. He might surprise you. The guys are consolidating and going to open a security office in town. That means he’ll be around more.”

“Not if he gets shipped out.”

Ryley smiles. “Not if he retires from the Navy.”

She has a point, but I can’t ask Nate to give up his career for me. Would he give it up for our child, though?

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