**** Brett and Nico waited in the small office. Nico could tell his swim buddy was nervous, something he has observed only a few times. After all, the man hadn't seen his family in over 3 years. And now here they stood, waiting for Brett's little sister to walk in.
Brett turned away from the door as it began to swing open. He tried to fain boredom as he listened to Nico introduce himself.
"Good evenin', Miss Blanton." The Cajun said in his deeply accented voice. "I'm Agent Nicodemus Montague FBI."
Surprised by Nico's accent, the attorney tilted her head, "Where are you from exactly, Agent Montague? You have a Cajon accent and if I'm not mistaken there is a military background as well?"
"Navy SEAL, ma'am. Louisiana. Born an' raised "bout an hour from New Orleans. Now....home, when I get the chance to get home, is located in New Orleans. Ma mère still thinks me daft fo' dat." (My mother.) Père agrees with 'er." (Father.)
She grinned. "French Quarter?"
"No, ma'am. Da bayou."
She chuckled, "I would love to hear about it some time. I've always wanted to see it, the life sounds fascinating. I do love the accent."
Nico smiled, " Merci beaucoup." (Thank you very much.) He was surprised. Brett said she was a go getter type, so he had expected her to want to jump right into business, not get to know them first.
Nico nodded his head towards his partner standing by the window and smiled at the way miss Barbra Blanton studied his profile. The Agent standing at the window reminded her of her older brothers, Beau, a former Army Ranger and rodeo star, and Brett a Navy SEAL now MIA and presumed dead. Oh, how she missed him.
Nico could see Brett tence up as he waited for his introduction, so Nico took pitty on him. "This is my partner Agent Blanton."
Brett turned around to face his little sister for the first time in three years. "Hello, Bobbi....it's good to see you."
* * *
Brett watched his sister closely. Her face turned pale and her knuckles whitened on the door knob behind her, so he stepped just a little closer. He knew she was having just as much if not more trouble with this reunion as he was.
"Brett...." Bobbi's voice shook with the effort of speeking.
"You've grown up, Sugar Cube." He said deliberately using his nickname for her.
Tears filled her eyes, as it finally hit her that her big brother was alive and home. Brett was forced to catch her as Bobbi jumped into his outstretched arms, sobbing in relief. When she finally regained her composure she pulled away and began punching him in the chest with everything she had.
"Damn you, Brett! We thought you were dead! Wait till mom, and Beau get their hands on you! You'll wish you never come back! I hate you for this! How could you do that to us?! Just disappearing without a trace!" Before she knew it she was sobbing all over him again and he was holding her tight.
"I guess you two know each other?" Nico said with a sarcastic smirk.
Brett glanced at his best friend, "Nico, would you give us a few?"
"Sure." He said and left them to it.
Brett pulled Bobbi into another tight huge. "I'm sorry, honey. I know I have a lot of explainin' to do, and a lot of damage has to be repaired. But I intend to give you all the answers. I promise."
* * *
Brett and Nico stood just outside the rec room listening as Bobbi tried to prepare the family for the shock they were about to get. Again.
"Um, something happened at work today. Actually, several things happened, but we'll talk about the other thing later. I'm sorry, I know I'm rambling. Um, I don't know how to say this, but it's really good news. Well not all of it is but this part is...."
Brett shook his head as he listened to her nervously ramble on. It hadn't felt right letting her go in alone in the first place. This was his mess to clean up. He felt Nico squeeze his shoulder and knew his buddy had his back. It was time to step in, and take matters into his own hand.
'Lord, please give me the strength I need to face my family. And, please help them to understand why I did what I did, and find it in their hearts to forgive me.' With that final pray Brett took a deep steadying breath and walked into the room.
"It's ok, Bobbi. I'll take it from here." Brett said as he stepped through the door. The room grew suddenly quiet as he placed his hands on his sister's shoulders and gently squeezed, before stepping around her.
He decided to try the high road and head trouble off at the pass. "Howdy ya'll! It's good to see all your faces again, sorry it's been so.... "
"Brett!" Came from several different people.
Beau his younger brother stood, "Well I'll be damned, so you're not dead after all." Beau walked toward his older brother and held out his right hand.
Brett smiled with relief as he took the proferred hand and shook it. He had expected to be belted in the mouth.
"So," Beau said quietly, which, aside from the quick, welcoming handshake should have been Brett's first warning...."You're ok? Healthy? Physically sound? No terrible injury that took your memory until recently?" Beau asked smiling and shaking his brother's hand.
"Nope," Brett assured them all. "I'm fit as a fiddle." 'Physically anyway.' He thought to himself.
"Good!" Beau said flashing a huge smile and planted his left fist into his brother's face with enough surprise and force that Brett was thrown back against a chair that over turned, leaving him lieing on the floor.
Drina jumped, her hand going to her mouth in shock. She had never seen this side of her husband, and wasn't sure she ever wanted to again.
"Belt him again!" Genny cried out in anger and excitement.
Nico lifted a brow at the dark haired, green eyed beauty, then with a smirk he walked to and leaned over his swim buddy.
"So....is dat what ya meant by hard feelin's?" He drawled in his Cajun accent.
Brett sat up and massaged his lower jaw, "Yeah, pretty much."
Nico scoffed, "I t'ink you may ha'e....slightly....miscalculated dat one, bro." He bit back his laughter at the look of annoyance his best friend shot him.
Genny flipped her long thick ebony braid over her shoulder, and glared at her eldest brother. "Now, you have to admit....you sooo deserved that. I just wish I'd been the one to do it! He should have hit you harder!" She snapped.
Brett bent one leg at the knee and rested his arm over it. "Yeah, Ginger....I think I did deserve that one." He said, Trying hard to give her a smile.
