Up in Smoke (Hotshots 4)

“Think they’ll make a baby go through the metal detector?” His joke fell flat as Brandt’s face creased. God, Shane only had to look at him to know it wasn’t even a choice anymore. He had Shane’s whole heart, and the only question remaining was what he was going to do with that gift.

The bored-looking guard walked them through the security protocols, sending the car seat and diaper bag through the X-ray machine, while Shane walked through the metal detector. The guard used a handheld scanner to check Brandt and Jewel over before giving them directions to which floor they needed to go to.

“Oh good. You’re early.” Cameron greeted them from a bench outside their assigned courtroom. She wore a sharp suit, a far cry from the windblown mom she’d been last time they’d seen her. She’d recommended that they dress up for court too. Brandt wore a black dress shirt and nice pants that Shane hadn’t been aware he owned, and had his hair neatly pulled back. Shane looked equally job-interview ready in a shirt he’d last worn in Nashville to a meeting with some record execs that hadn’t panned out. Hopefully they all had better luck today.

“Any word from Shelby?” Cameron asked as Shane set the diaper bag and car seat down.

“No.” Shane had leaped every time his phone buzzed the last twenty-four hours and had tried sending a few messages, but nothing. Ever since Brandt had raised the possibility of her being unwell, he was even more worried about his sister. Still frustrated, but also wanting to know she was okay.

“If she doesn’t show...” Brandt frowned as he trailed off. He’d been as on edge as Shane this last day, and the lines around his eyes and mouth were deeper. Some of his usual cockiness was gone too, and Shane missed that brash confidence, hated the toll this was taking on him.

“We have a plan for that.” Cameron touched Brandt’s arm as he sank down next to her.

He was going to be gutted if things didn’t go in his favor. No one who watched him with Jewel could doubt his care for her. Shane himself was guilty of being skeptical early on, but Brandt had proven himself over and over. He’d said at the hotel that he was going to need Shane even if he didn’t end up with custody. Shane hoped that was true even as his back tightened. He wasn’t sure he could bear it if Brandt pushed him away, because their connection went so much deeper than childcare for Shane.

As Cameron went over their game plan for the hearing, Shane continued to scan the wide hallway, honestly not sure what he was hoping for. Nothing about this was simple. His throat was dry, so he excused himself to go to the water fountain as they waited for their case to be called.

He got his drink at the end of the hall and was about to turn to head back when he spotted a familiar figure hunched over on a bench around the corner.

“Shelby?” He hurried over. “The hearing is—”

“I know where it is.” She wore a red-and-white sundress, and her hair was more done than the last time he’d seen her, but she was too thin and pale for the Shelby he knew so well.

“Okay.” He didn’t wait for permission to sit down next to her. Experience had shown him that him looming over her with a lecture never ended well for either of them. “You came.”

“Yeah.” She rolled her eyes, undoubtedly already fed up with him pointing out the obvious. “Not sure why though.”

Shane forced himself to take a big breath. And another. Brandt’s chances here could be riding on what he said next and whether or not he could get beyond the anger already starting to bubble up again.

“Maybe because you care?” There. He managed to keep his voice Brandt-level gentle, not accusatory.

“Do I?” Giving a weary sigh, she rolled her slim shoulders. “I’m not sure. Like you said the other day. I left my kid with you. I did that.”

“I kept her safe. You could have done worse.” Thinking about that made bile rise in his throat, but maybe it needed to be said that she had tried to get Jewel to someone trustworthy, even if her methods left a lot to be desired.

“Yeah.” She kicked at a gouge in the white linoleum, dark mark marring the otherwise gleaming surface. “You hate me now, I guess.”

Why couldn’t it have been Brandt who discovered Shelby? Shane wasn’t cut out for a pep talk. But he could speak from his heart, give her the truth. “I was mad when you showed back up. But I don’t hate you, Shelby. I never have.”

“You get tired of my shit. Being my keeper.” Not looking at him, she dug the toe of her sandal into the gouge.