And of course, seeing Reese. That made it all the sweeter. His visits with his brother had been intermittent at best over the last decade. Between Z moving to Dallas right out of high school and then going to work for Sniper 1 shortly thereafter and Reese going into the Air Force, they hadn’t exactly had a lot of time to hang out. In fact, Z missed seeing his brother and sister.
Sure, they still indulged in the normal sibling rivalries like they’d done as kids, but these days, their interaction was mostly limited to text or email. The three of them had tortured and annoyed one another the way most siblings did from the get-go, but they’d always been close. They talked several times a week just to keep up with all that was going on with one another, but they were all busy, making getting together much more difficult. Still, Z had made a promise to himself four years ago when…
“Hate to put an end to the party, but I’ve gotta head out,” Reese said, pulling Z from his thoughts as he surged to his feet and reached for his wallet.
Z placed a hand on Reese’s arm as he stood. “I got this one. You can buy next time I’m in town.”
Reese grinned. “It’s damn good to see you, man.”
Giving his brother one last hug, clapping him on the back a couple of times before pulling back, Z tried to ignore the disappointment that came with not being able to see his brother more often. He’d been hoping that they’d have more time to spend together now that Reese was back in the civilian world, but he would never let on to Reese. Z was content just to know he was back for good.
“We’re headin’ over to Moonshiners,” Z told Reese. “You wanna join us?”
“Wish I could, but I’ve got somethin’ to take care of.” The smirk on his brother’s face told Z he was referring to a woman.
“Well, don’t let me hold you up.” Z turned to RT. “You ready?”
RT nodded, then offered his hand to Reese. “If you ever change your mind about a job, give me a call.”
“Will do,” Reese said, obviously not expecting RT to make that offer.
After Reese left, Z flagged down the waitress, paid for their meals though RT complained the whole damn time, insisting that he could pay for himself.
“You can buy me a beer,” Z told him as they walked out of the restaurant.
“That I can.”
If Z had been expecting a lengthy conversation, he was sorely disappointed, because the drive from the diner to the bar took less than five minutes and contained fewer than three words between them. Not that he’d expected any less from RT; the man had been rather quiet since they’d left Dallas early that afternoon. Quiet and fidgety.
“You ready for this?” Z asked as they headed toward the doors to Moonshiners.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Opening the door and stepping inside was like taking a trip back in time, only the people there weren’t stuck in the time warp. They’d all aged like the wood planks lining the walls, but other than a few more wrinkles, maybe a couple of gray hairs, it was the same chaos that he’d encountered whenever he’d come to the bar back when he used to come home to visit his parents.
A couple of whistles sounded as people acknowledged their arrival. Z offered a couple of chin jerks in response as he made his way to the bar.
“Hey, man,” Braydon Walker greeted, tilting his beer bottle in Z’s direction. “So glad you could make it.”
“Wouldn’t’ve missed it,” Z told his friend, offering his hand. “I never figured you’d find a chick who’d feel sorry enough for you to marry you.”
“Whatever it takes,” Braydon said, placing his arm around Jessie and pulling her close. “RT. How’s it goin’?”
“Good as can be expected,” RT replied from a few feet away. It was clear to Z that he was attempting to keep his distance from Z—which was only a little disappointing.
“Hey, Z. RT,” Jessie said sweetly. “Y’all want a beer? They’re on us tonight.”
“I won’t say no to that,” Z replied.
While Braydon turned to tell Mack, the bartender, their order, Travis Walker appeared, shaking both their hands, followed by Travis’s brothers Zane and Ethan. The next thing Z knew, he was being led in one direction while RT was led in another, conversations exploding left and right as the party got underway.
Before he got pulled toward the back of the room, Z turned to glance back at RT, surprised to find the man staring back at him.
Not that that lasted long. RT was, of course, still RT.
Subtle but not.
FOUR
“HOW’S THE BUSINESS GOIN’?” TRAVIS asked as he steered Ryan toward a booth near the front of the bar.
“Busy,” Ryan answered.
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“Of course.” Ryan smiled as they approached Travis’s wife, Kylie, and their husband, Gage. “Good to see y’all again.”
“Same here. Have a seat.” Gage motioned toward the opposite side of the table as he slid his other arm over Kylie’s shoulders and pulled her close while Travis grabbed a chair.
Flipping it around backward, Travis straddled the seat, placing his elbow on the table. Ryan didn’t miss that Travis’s other hand disappeared under the table, likely resting on Kylie’s leg, if he had to guess.
“We weren’t sure you’d be able to make it,” Travis said.
Ryan knew he could always be called back to work at any time, depending on the case, but he didn’t need to tell Travis as much. The man ran a multimillion-dollar resort, so he understood. “I’m glad I could.”
“How’s Z doin’?” Kylie asked, peering toward the back of the room, where Z had been pulled away by his friends a few minutes before.
“You know Z. Nothing gets him down.”
Gage smiled. “Seems he’s quite interested in you.”
Knowing better, Ryan still turned to glance in Z’s direction. He thought for sure he’d be busted stealing a look, but Z was paying him no attention.
“And you’re quite interested in him,” Kylie noted.
Ryan’s head snapped back around to face her. He was about to fire off a rebuttal, but her smile silenced him.
“Leave the poor man alone,” Travis injected. “He’s in denial.”
Ryan snorted.
“I concur,” Gage added.
“Why’s everybody gangin’ up on me?” Ryan questioned, unable to hide the smile.
“Seemed like the thing to do.” Travis took a sip of his beer. “Has your ol’ man retired yet?”
Ryan shook his head. “I expect it to be soon, but he’s havin’ a hard time lettin’ go.”
“I can imagine that would be hard,” Kylie said. “When you do what you love, it’s not easy to walk away.”
Ryan would have to agree with her. At this point in his life, he couldn’t imagine ever walking away from Sniper 1. His only sense of fulfillment came from the company he’d devoted his life to. Ever since he’d been young, he had wanted to take over the family business, and here he was, getting ready to do just that.
“Conner still not interested in taking over?” Travis asked.
When Ryan had been there last, he’d opened up to Travis more than he’d opened up to anyone. The guy was perceptive and smart and quick to offer advice if warranted. Ryan honestly liked the guy.
“He hasn’t come around yet,” Ryan told him. He didn’t bother adding that he didn’t expect Conner to ever want to take on a leadership position within the company, though it was his birthright. The fact that neither Conner nor Hunter was willing to step up had been a point of contention for Ryan, though he attempted to keep his thoughts to himself.
“What about Hunter?” Gage asked. “He back from wherever he disappeared to?”
“He came back briefly for Trace’s wedding,” Ryan told him, “but he’s off again. I expect him back in the next couple of weeks.”
“Any chance he’ll want to take over?” Kylie inquired.
“Doubtful.” Seemed everyone was dealing with their personal issues these days. Everyone but Ryan, who continued to shove his as far down as he could so that he didn’t have to. Unlike Conner and Hunter, Ryan preferred to bury himself in work in order to forget the fact that his personal life was lacking. Not wanting to get into the details, Ryan changed the subject. “How’s the baby?”
Kylie’s eyes lit up, a beaming grin on her face. “She’s gettin’ so big. She’ll be one in just a few months.”
“Y’all gonna have any more?”
“We’re tryin’,” Gage answered with a mischievous smirk. “Every chance we get.”