Page 51 of Falling for Brody

Brody rubbed at his jaw as he gave his cousin a side-long look. "Don't remember, but that doesn't mean I want a repeat." He saw the smile just below Gabriel's stern gaze. "How are Misty and Roya? Do I get to see them on Sunday?"

Gabriel nodded. "You're off?"

"Yes." He barely avoided his childhood favorite retort of 'duh.'

"Yeah. We'll be there."

Gabriel looked around the apparatus floor. "You solo today?"

Brody shook his head. "As soon as we pulled in, Rhea headed inside."

He shared a look with his brother that needed no words. Having been raised by the Moms and having a sister each had taught them at an early age not to make assumptions or judgements about why they'd gone to the bathroom. Brody still had nightmares the first time he'd gone into the bathroom he'd shared with his sister at home and saw the wrapper for a tampon in the trash. He hadn't known what the paper wrapper went with and asked his sister as they were headed off to school. Rachel had called out for their mother and even though he'd backtracked and hadn't wanted to know at that point, his mother had told him. And put in a fair bit of detail.

By the time they got to school he was barely holding in his breakfast and Rachel looked like she wanted to push him off of a cliff.

"I have some news."

Brody clapped his hands together. "Am I going to be an uncle again?"

Gabriel's expression made him look like he'd been knocked off balance. "No. Besides, if we were having a kid, you wouldn't be an uncle."

Brody shrugged. "Yeah, but really, do you think the kids want to say... 'first cousin once removed Brody?'"

Gabriel's lip curled up like his traffic stop just rolled down a window and hit him with a cloud of pot. "That would be a little much."

"And I jumped the gun. Sorry, man. What's the news?"

Gabriel smiled and Brody was happy to see it.

After he'd met Misty, smiling was the norm for his rather grumpy cousin.

"I'm getting a dog."

Brody grinned. "A two-dog family, huh?"

Gabriel's smile widened into a grin. "Two working dog family."

"What kind of dog?"

"A police K-9." Gabriel lifted a brow, and his smile tilted off its axis a little. "Sort of."

Brody was excited. He wanted a dog, but since he had long hours every couple of days it was hard to think about having an animal that he'd either have to have someone babysit or he'd have to trust on its own for a day. That wasn't fair to anyone.

Gabriel took out his phone and opened an app.

Brody stepped up beside him and looked at the screen. "A German Shepherd. Sweet! Do you have to learn commands in German?"

Gabriel nodded. "Already done. I've even gotten to Facetime with Roland."

"Roland?" Brody leaned back. "You named him Roland?"

Gabriel sighed. "I didn't name him, Brody. That's the name he comes with."

Gabriel's body language changed, and he stepped past Brody, leaving Brody to follow his movement.

"Rhea. It's good to see you."

Gabriel put out a hand and Rhea shook it before dropping her hands to her sides. "Good to see you, too, Gabriel."

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