9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Archer

"Your brother's missing?" Crispin asked. I could hear the distress in his voice because, of course, he cared. He was such a sweet boy.

"He is." Cort nodded.

"And that's him in this photo right outside our building?" I turned the computer back my way and blew up the image to get a better look.

"I think so. It looks like him, anyway. I haven't seen him for five years, but I have an age progression program that shows you how someone would look as they get older, and that looks just like him." He let out a wry chuckle. "And he looks just like a younger version of our Uncle Stew."

"Hold on." Hitch came around to stand behind me so he could get a better look. "That looks like the picture of the guy you showed me the first time you came in. That was your brother?"

"Yeah. That's him." Cort nodded. "I showed that photo to everyone I met when I first arrived, but no one had seen him."

"You said you haven't seen him for five years. Has he been missing that long?" I asked.

"No, four. But I hadn't been home in over a year when he disappeared. He'd taken a bag with him. My mom said he took his laptop and some of his clothes and just left."

"He left on his own?" Crispin asked.

"Yeah. My dad took off when I was a kid. My mom remarried, and they had Jordy when I was fifteen. I left home the day I turned eighteen and didn't look back." He took a deep breath. "I regret that now. My stepfather never liked me, and my coming out at seventeen didn't help. But he'd always treated Jordy like he was a prince. That's what he called him even, his little prince." He shook his head.

"Hey, Quincy, grab Cort another beer," Hitch called over.

Quincy gave him a quick nod, reached under the counter, and came up with a fresh bottle before popping the top and placing it in front of Cort.

"Thanks, Quincy." Cort took a long drink before going back to his story. "Anyway, apparently, as Jordy got older, he wasn't as perfect, and then he made the same mistake I made and told them he was gay. According to my mom, Kent blamed her since we were both her sons, so it must have come from her. She says he'd never been violent before, but I don't know if I believe her."

"Your stepfather is an asshole," Bram grumbled.

"Don't I know it. My mom isn't with him anymore, thank goodness, but Jordy was just a kid. Hell, he still is. He's only seventeen now. He should've been safe in his own home. And I should've come back more often, or at the very least, I should've checked on him."

"But you didn't know," Crispin insisted.

"But I suspected. I'd gone home for Christmas for the first time in years, and after that visit, I had a feeling he might be queer, but he was only twelve. I figured he was probably still figuring things out." He let out a sigh. "Truth was, I was twenty-six, and I'd gotten a job as a sheriff's deputy. I was feeling pretty full of myself."

"Weren't we all at that age?" Bram asked.

I glanced over at Crispin, who was probably about that old, but he didn't say a word. Probably because he couldn't relate. He wasn't cocky or full of himself at all.

"I know I was," Cort continued. "I wasn't overly worried about a twelve-year-old kid. Nope, I had another agenda. I wanted to show Kent that I'd changed. That I was strong and that as a law enforcement officer, he couldn't intimidate me anymore. I should've paid more attention to Jordy, but I didn't."

"And then he was gone," Hitch said.

"And then he was gone." He shook his head sadly. "I used every resource I had at my disposal at the sheriff's office. When that didn't work, I got my PI license and started my own business so I could keep looking for him, but he'd just vanished."

"Except he didn't because you just saw him." Crispin smiled at him. "He has to be around here somewhere."

"This is the first big lead I've had since I got to town."

"Is that why you moved here?" Bram asked.

"It was. I've been taking other PI jobs to pay the bills and looking for him on the side, but I haven't had any luck."

Crispin looked at him wide-eyed. "And now, because of Archer's photos, you're gonna find him."

"You must get a lot of tips," I said. "What made you stay here this long?"

"This wasn't just a phone call. It was someone who knows Jordy. They saw him at a holiday festival in the park across the street. They said they called out his name, and he turned to see who was calling him, but a large group of people in costumes got in the way, and Jordy didn't see them. After that, they tried to catch up with him to talk to him, but he got lost in the crowd. He was with a small group of kids, and the whole group just vanished."

"That must've been at the annual tree lighting. It's a big deal here in the downtown area, and that park is swamped with people. I'm not surprised they lost him." Hitch sighed. "That sucks, man. But if that's him, he's still here in town, and you'll find him."

"I sure hope so."

"Especially if he was seen in the same area twice," Bram pointed out.

"I'm glad you convinced me to work on my webpage today, Archer." Crispin smiled up at me. "This gives us our first big lead."

"Us?" I asked.

"Sure, we're all in this area all the time, and Cort's brother's missing. We have to help find him. No one who has family that loves them should be out in this world all alone."

"I appreciate you wanting to help, Crispin, but this is what I do. But please, keep an eye out, and if you see him, let me know."

"We all will," Hitch said. "Why don't you print out a few of those photos you showed me? I'll take them to all the shop owners here in the building and tell them to be on the lookout, too."

"Thanks, Hitch." Cort stood. "I need to get going. I'm staking out a house over on the south side of town. Some guy thinks his wife is cheating, and he's out of town tonight, so he wants me to see if anybody shows up after she gets home from work."

"You really do that?" Crispin asked. "Try to catch people cheating and stuff, just like in the movies?"

Cort chuckled. "Trust me, it's not as great as the movies make it sound. That's probably my least favorite kind of job, but sadly, it makes up the majority. It pays the bills so I can keep looking for Jordy."

"I should get going, too," Crispin said.

"Let me walk you to your car. We'll make a plan for finishing up your website." Not that I needed to walk him to his car for us to do that, but I didn't like the idea of him in that parking garage all by himself at night. But mostly, after spending the whole day getting to know him, I wasn't ready to let him go.

Crispin

My brain spun. Today had to have been the most exciting day that I'd had in… I didn't even know. My classes this morning were full, then Archer had taken me to lunch, then brought me into his home and listened to me go on and on and on all day, only to take me to the bar tonight with his friends. That would've been enough, but hearing Cort's story… holy shit. I couldn't imagine knowing my brother was out there but not being able to find him.

"Jordy must be so scared," I said, stepping closer to Archer as we walked out to my car after grabbing my bag from the studio. "Can you imagine how hard his life has probably been for the last four years?" A gasp caught in my throat as images of the horrors that he might've experienced started flooding my mind.

Archer immediately wrapped an arm around my shoulders and drew me in even closer. "Don't let yourself go there. For all we know, he ran away with a friend, and some sweet old lady took them in, and she's given them the best possible life."

I stopped dead in my tracks and peeked up at him under my lashes. "Do you really believe that?"

Archer reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "No, I don't. But we know that he was with a group of kids recently, so he wasn't alone, and he's seventeen now, so there are more opportunities available to him for finding a job and improving his quality of life than there were when he was thirteen. We can't borrow trouble."

It only took me a second to think about that before I grinned widely and resumed my trek to my car. "And he's got Cort on his side, whether he knows it or not. I know Cort said he wasn't great when Jordy was younger but look at the effort he's putting in now. Seriously, big brothers are the best."

Like I'd summoned him, Ben's ringtone went off. "Hold on. It's my big brother."

I answered immediately. "Hey. I'm about to get in my car and head home."

" Don't do it ," he whispered into the phone. " Mom and Dad just showed up out of nowhere. They didn't even let me know they were coming this time ."

I groaned. "It's like they're trying to trap me."

Ben snorted. " I gotta go. Maybe hang out in your studio for a while before you come home. "

He hung up, and I stopped, staring down at my phone. "Change of plans."

"What's going on?"

Archer sounded so concerned that I rushed to explain, "My parents are at my brother's house, which is where I've been staying while I save up to buy the studio. But I told you that already. Anyway, they keep ambushing me." Archer's eyebrows jumped up his forehead. "Right? I know it sounds dramatic, but my brother said they never spent all this time at his house until I moved in. It's so annoying. Ugh ." I shrugged. "Ben suggested I stay at the studio for a while, but this is usually a dashing night, so—"

Archer's large hands landed heavily on my shoulders, cutting me off. "Please, don't finish that sentence."

"Why?" I asked, genuinely confused. "It's a pretty night, and every penny helps. Besides, I only worked this morning."

Archer sighed, sounding completely exasperated. "Crispin, what are you talking about? We've been hard at it all day."

Squinting up at him, I tilted my head, hoping I didn't look as perplexed as I felt. "We hung out all day, which was lovely," I admitted shyly. "But it's not like we accomplished anything else with all of my blabbering."

He shook his head, inhaled deeply, then said, "All of your blabbering, as you put it, was us working on your website. You didn't think you had anything interesting to say about yourself, but what you shared today helped me come up with a few different ideas for your About Me page and other fun tidbits about you and your dreams for the studio that we can sprinkle throughout the other pages. Between your sessions this morning and spending the rest of the day with me, you've literally worked for"—he glanced at his watch—"about twelve hours today."

Well, when he put it like that, it kinda—yeah, no. "I don't understand."

The barest hint of a smile touched his lips. "Yeah, I know. How about you come back up to my apartment, and I'll make us some decaf coffee and explain it to you?"

Wrinkling my nose, I stepped back from him. "I'll only agree to that if you make me a nice cup of tea instead."

He stared at me, looking fond, which… I had to be imagining that. But no, that was definitely an affectionate smirk he was bestowing on me. "I'm afraid I don't have tea. I'll make sure to buy some the next time I go shopping. You'll have to tell me your favorite."

I melted a little inside. If he was willing to purchase my favorite tea, then he definitely planned to have me over again. I'd spent every minute since I was old enough to understand what I wanted in a partner dreaming of a Daddy who'd not just listen but hear everything I said. A man who'd care about my desires down to the most minute detail. Sure, he could've picked up tea the next time he went to the store and surprised me, but instead, he cared about my favorite. At this point, he was becoming my favorite person.

Patting my bag where it hung off his shoulder, since he insisted on carrying it, I said, "I actually have some in here. I never know what the day will bring, so I carry it with me."

"Of course you do." He grabbed my hand. "Come on."

I floated along beside Archer as he directed me back to his place. We didn't talk, but the silence didn't feel awkward. Maybe it would've been better to go out and deliver some orders and make money, but then I'd have missed Archer wrapping his large hand around mine, making me feel safe and cared for. Was it so wrong to let go of all the pressure and concerns I carried with me from the minute I woke up until I closed my eyes at night for one evening? Was I being selfish? Possibly, but I couldn't make myself care right now. It would all still be there weighing me down tomorrow.

Like earlier, Archer pointed toward the living room and told me to settle in. After pulling out the tea bag for him, I listened this time, kicking my shoes off and curling up into the corner of his couch. It wasn't long before he settled in the middle with two steaming mugs. I sat up, scooting closer to him and took a sip of mine, humming my approval. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Holding his mug in his hands, he turned toward me. "Before we talk about how we spent our afternoon, would you mind telling me why you didn't want to go home since your parents were there?"

"Do I have to?" I asked, pretty sure I was pouting but unable to help it. This whole thing with my parents really bummed me out.

"You don't have to, but I'd be very pleased if you did."

I stared at this considerate, attentive man and wondered how I'd ever thought he was grumpy. So what if he didn't walk around with a permanent smile on his face all the time like I did? In fact, I'd been told by more than one date that my eternal optimism and cheerfulness were annoying. Whatever . If me whining about my issues with my father would make him happy, then so be it.

Starting back with the pressure my parents put on me to follow in my brother's footsteps, I launched into the story of how I ruined my relationship with my dad. Like this afternoon, Archer asked pointed questions that showed that he was paying attention and cared what I had to say. How he wasn't bored of me yet, I didn't know, but once I started, I couldn't have stopped the flood of words pouring out of my mouth if I tried.

This wasn't something I did normally. It felt like my brother was in the middle, so I tried to watch what I said to him so he wouldn't feel any more caught between me and my parents than he already did. Aziza had always listened, and I missed her counsel, but she was on her own new adventure, and I didn't want to burden her with how much worse it had gotten. Archer's attentiveness was like a balm to my heart that I hadn't even realized I needed.