He grabbed his phone from the passenger seat and called Braden.
“Accident?” Was the first word out of Braden’s mouth.
“Yep.”
“Not yours?”
“Nope.”
He heard Braden move around on the other end of the line before he spoke. “We’re good here. I don’t have anything going on tonight. Take your time and be careful. You wanna talk to her real quick?”
He let out a relieved breath. He didn’t know why. He knew Braden well enough to know that even if he’d had plans, he wouldn’t hesitate to cancel them to stay with Jessie.
As if he could read Wes’s mind, he said, “Did you think I would be upset? Come on, man. You know me better than that.”
Traffic moved about ten feet.
“No. I didn’t think that.”
“So you’re glad I didn’t have plans?”
Was he? Is that what it was? He didn’t know. “Shut up and let me talk to my niece.”
Braden laughed but then added, “When we know the weather is going to be bad, maybe we should switch vehicles. I don’t go anywhere other than around town.”
Wes’s thumb automatically started drumming on the steering wheel. Nausea rolled through him, though he didn’t really get the origin of it. “We’re not switching vehicles. It’s...”
“Something a friend would do for another? It’s not really a big deal.”
Yes, it was. Normal friends didn’t do that. “I’ve been thinking about trading my car in anyway. I need something to handle the roads better around here.” He’d been thinking about it for about five minutes.
“Well that’s smart of you. Here, let me grab Jess. She’s in her room.”
He heard Braden tell her that he was on the phone before Jessie said, “Where are you?”
When traffic moved, he went a little further. “I’m stuck in traffic. They want everyone to go real slow and be extra careful because we got a lot of snow. I’ll be home as soon as I can though, okay? Braden might have to put you to sleep tonight. If he does, do you want me to wake you up when I get there?”
Her voice got quiet. “How long will you be?”
“I don’t know, kiddo. It’s okay, though. I’m fine, and you have fun with Braden. It’ll be okay.”
“I miss you.”
His heart squeezed. “I’ll miss you, too. I’ll wake you up when I get in. Can you do me a favor?”
“Mm hm.”
“Maybe you can help Braden keep an extra close eye on Jock. He’s feeling a little sleepy tonight, and we both think you take such good care of Jock. Can you play with him and stuff to help Braden out?”
She had excitement back in her voice when she said, “Yes!”
“Good girl. I love you.”
There was a rustling sound on the phone and then she hung up. She loved that damn dog. He really should get her one. It would be a good distraction for her if she thought she had to take care of Jock for Braden.
The drive home that took half an hour during good weather, forty-five to an hour in decent weather, took him three hours, which meant his usual thirteen-hour day was sixteen. He was dead on his feet when he walked through the door.
Wes hung his jacket on the rack by the door and shook his head when he saw Braden’s feet sticking over the arm of the couch with Jock’s head resting on them. He moved closer until he could see over the back of the couch. His feet planted on the ground when he could.
Jock and Braden weren’t alone on the couch. Jessie was curled up next to him, her head on his chest. A small blanket lay over the top of her, her soft breathing mixing with Braden’s.
They both had their eyes closed, dead to the world, the TV muted in the background.
Wes couldn’t move. He couldn’t stop looking at how relaxed she was with him. How good Braden was with her—this man who admitted many one-night stands; had had one with Wes himself. Who watched cartoons, and stuck his foot in his mouth more often than not, and couldn’t sit still half the time. He was here when Wes needed him, and he was here for Jessie. He was pretty sure the man loved his niece.
He closed his eyes, sucked in a deep breath, caught between wanting to grab onto this and run. Alexander had been different than Braden, but they’d had a good relationship. Until he left, the same way almost everyone had left him.
Could he risk that again? Could he risk Jessie’s heart?
He didn’t know. But still he couldn’t stop himself from moving forward. From letting the back of his hand brush over the couple days’ growth on Braden’s jaw.
