An Unexpected Love (Hudson Brothers PI Book 1)

by J. Haney

  “I’m leaving in about five minutes. You got everything?” I ask while putting on my watch.

  “Yes. I will see you sometime soon, I hope,” she says, walking out. I quickly grab up my wallet, phone, and keys, then I’m out the door.

  Finally, twenty minutes later I’m at Java, the local coffee shop, to get a large coffee, then into work. I’m barely through the door when Nell stops me.

  “Caleb, I laid some files on your desk beside your computer. Liam told me to tell you that you need to look at them right away.”

  Did he now? I nod at her. “Thanks, Nell.”

  I walk into my office, set my coffee down, and settle into my chair, then boot up the computer. Looking down at the files on my desk, I see files labeled Brittney Parker, Andrew Walters, and Chris Hunt. I grab the one marked with sticky notes and look through it. Liam didn’t leave much information. He needs to figure out what the hell he is doing.

  “Nell!” I yell, barely containing my annoyance.

  “What’s up, Cal?” Nell pops her head into the doorway.

  “Did Liam forget something?” I ask, a bit pissy. “Not all the information is here.”

  “Um, not that I know of. He said you would probably be pissed and start cursing him when you saw it.” She frowned.

  “Yeah, I may hurt him. How many times do I need to tell him? Thanks, Nell. I’m supposed to meet him in about an hour for lunch, so I’ll be out of the office most of the day.” I turn back to my work.

  “I’ll just forward your calls for you,” she says before leaving.

  Fifty minutes later, I say bye to Nell and head out of the office. I drop the files in the passenger seat of my Chevy Camaro and hop in the car to meet Liam.

  Chapter Three ~ Kyler

  Once we hit the highway, I hear, “Momma, I need to use the restroom.” Ugh. Why do they always do this?

  “Ava Michelle, you’re almost ten years old. You know to go to the restroom before we leave the house. Now you’re just going to have to wait until we get to the shop. I can’t be late.” I shake my head at her.

  About an hour before my appointment, the kids and I walk into the shop that I run with my coworkers and best friends, Ashlee and Micah. Ashlee is quite the firecracker. With fiery red hair and bright green eyes, she stands about five feet two, which is only three inches shorter than me. Micah is our complete opposite; almost six feet tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Sometimes I feel like the odd ball when we’re together, being all of five foot five. I’ve got brown hair with caramel highlights, emerald green eyes, and I’m quite fit for a mom of twin nine-, almost ten-year-olds.

  How did they grow so quick? I could have sworn it was just yesterday when they were born.

  “Avaline, Jaxson? Get your tails planted and start working. If you need help, Ashlee, Micah, and I will be around.” I point to their seats, then make my way to the kitchen.

  “Hey, Ky!” Ashlee and Micah call out in unison as I enter, headed straight for the coffee.

  “Hey, ladies. It’s already been one hell of a morning. Traffic was horrible; they’re doing road work about everywhere right now.” They’re staring at me. “I know I’m not usually late, but I was up late editing yesterday’s photo shoots.”

  Ashlee pipes up first. “Your first appointment is at noon. Do you need me to help you get the room ready for it?”

  I smile at her. “Yes, I do. What would I do without you ladies?”

  “You would have gone completely crazy by now, of course,” Micah quips.

  I laugh and nod at her as I stroll out of the room.

  In the studio, I prepare for the newborn family pictures that are scheduled for the day; I’ve pulled out rugs, outfits, necklaces, and a few backdrops.

  “Ashlee!”

  “Yeah?” she answers when she enters the studio.

  “How does it look?” I wave my arms around the room. “I feel like I’m missing something.”

  She laughs. “You are. It’s by your desk charging.”

  I glance around the room, confused as to what she’s referring to.

  “Your camera is what you’re missing, Ky.”

  I laugh. “I’m so lost today. I hope we move quickly. I don’t know how much more of a mess I can handle.”

  Just as I finish, Micah walks in. “Ky, your noon appointment’s here.”

  “Jesus. Thanks.” I sigh and head out front to greet the Peterson family.

  I spot the parents first. With them is a little boy who looks to be about four years old, a little girl who I’d guess is around two, and a newborn.

  I stop in front of Mrs. Peterson, stretching my hand out to her. “Hello, Mrs. Peterson. I’m Kyler Jefferson. So what are we doing today?”

  Chapter Four ~ Caleb

  I pull into the restaurant. Walking in, I tell the hostess I’m looking for the Hudson party. She takes me straight to our table, but I see Liam hasn’t made it yet, of course. To kill time, I look through my phone to see if I can figure out what the hell happened last night. I’ve barely touched it when it rings.

  “Hey,” I say, not sure who it is.

  “Cal, dude. we got into some shit last night. You were fucking plastered! So how was the blonde?” Mike, a friend of mine from school snickered.

  “Well, that explains why I can’t remember a damn thing. I have no idea if the blonde was good or not. I don’t remember a fucking thing that happened last night.” I chuckle and check my watch.

  “Well, you called me up and said, ‘Hey, let’s go get drunk.’ So I met you at Rocco’s and we drank all night, then the blonde said she would make sure you got home okay.”

  “Glad someone knows. I’ll talk to you later. I’m waiting for Liam to get here.” I hang up and check my watch again.

  After checking my watch for the fifth time in twenty minutes, I start to wonder where the fuck he is. I pick up my cell and dial Liam’s number.

  “Hey, bro,” Liam answers smoothly.

  “Where in the fuck are you? I’ve been here for almost thirty minutes,” I say, a bit louder than I mean to.

  “Geez, chill! We’re right outside, damn. What has your panties in a fucking twist, asshat?” Hearing Liam chuckling does not help my mood in the least.

  “We, who is we?” The jackass hangs up on me. Pissed, I look up and there’s my little brother carrying Izabella. I stand to greet them, but mostly it’s to take her out of his arms. Iz is almost four years old and has me wrapped around her little finger.

  “Uncle Caleb, I wuv you.” This gets a chuckle out of me.

  “I love you too, Iz.” I smile as I sit down and put her on my lap.

  “What’s on your schedule today, Caleb?” Liam asks.

  “I actually need to go check out some things dealing with one of the files that I found on my desk this morning. Did you talk with the parents?” I watch Liam closely; the boy needs to pay more attention to shit.

  Liam has to think a minute. “Uh, yeah, that’s the eighteen-year-old. What was her name? Uh, oh yeah, Brittney Parker. Her parents said she was supposed to be going in for a photo shoot at Jefferson Photography and Boutique.”

  It’s things like this that he needs to be able to remember to put in the files.

  “Well, I’ll be heading there as soon as we finish with lunch.” I say, just as the waitress comes over. We order the usual.

  Once lunch is finished, I walk out the door, making asshat pay the bill. Liam comes out a few moments after; I kiss Iz on the forehead, and then hand her to Liam. “I’ll see you at Pop’s in a bit?” I shout over my shoulder as I walk to my car.

  Ten minutes later, I pull up to Jefferson Photography and Boutique. I walk in and look around a little, That’s when the photography catches my eye. Damn, they are good. I’m startled when someone speaks from behind me.

  “Hello, I’m Ashlee. Can I help you find anything?” I turn to see a beautiful redhead in front of me.

  “Are you the one that takes the photographs?” I realize once it’s o
ut of my mouth I could have said it better.

  She laughs. “No, actually that’s Kyler. Well, Miss Jefferson. Can I get her for you? She should be done with her last appointment any time now.”

  “That would be perfect, thank you.” I give her a slight grin and watch as she walks away. She’s small but has a nice ass. From the corner of my eye I can see her talking to a woman sitting at a desk, but I’m not sure if that is Miss Jefferson or someone else. Well, that is until the woman starts walking toward me.

  Chapter Five ~ Kyler

  as I sit down at my desk, to go over the numbers from yesterday, Ashlee walks over from the front of the shop. I smile.

  “Hey Ky,” she says, “can you help me for a second?”

  “What's up, Ash?” That’s when I notice a man off to the right. Ash points to him.

  Nodding, I say, “I got you. Can you make sure the cameras are ready? We have appointments coming in at one, two and three.”

  She smiles. “Of course.”

  As I walk toward the man, he turns to look at me and, sweet Jesus, he’s good looking. Okay, I guess he’s a little more than good looking.

  “Hi, I’m Kyler. How can I help you today?” I smile and take in the man’s height and looks. He’s a little over six feet, so I of course have to look up at him. His hair is jet black, and he has a set of the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. Glancing at the rest of his body, I notice his shirt is a bit tight on him, which I am guessing is to show off his muscles, and his jeans hang low on his hips. Mmm… perfection…

  What the hell am I thinking? Forget it, Ky, you know better than this shit.

  “My name’s Caleb,” he says. “I was looking at these pictures and was wondering who the photographer was.”

  I grin as he mentions my pictures. “Very nice to meet you, Caleb. As for the pictures, they would be mine, just like all the designs you see here.” I gesture to the room. As I turn back to him, I notice he’s studying me.

  “The pleasure’s all mine, Kyler. You do really great work.” He shines me a half grin.

  “So, how can I help you today?” He’s still staring at me with those blazing blue eyes that make my knees go weak. What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve been around a man before; just not one this damn sexy. Damn, I’m acting like a dog in heat; I’ve got to stop this shit now.

  “I’m actually here for business. I’m a private investigator.” He pulls out his badge and shows me. “I needed some information on a missing person, a girl you may have taken some pictures of recently.” He pulls a picture out of his notebook and hands it to me. “Her name is Brittney Parker.”

  “I vaguely remember her,” I say, looking at the photo. “Follow me to my desk and let me see what I can find.”

  Chapter Six ~ Caleb

  Watching her curvy ass, as she walks to her desk, I follow right behind her. Damn, her ass is fucking fine. I need to try and get this chick’s number. Fuck, her curves are just right.

  Miss Jefferson’s talking brings me back from my thoughts. “Have a seat,” she says, gesturing to a chair in front of a computer monitor. “I will be able to show you everything you need to see.”

  As she goes back to searching, I take in the shop and notice there isn’t much security in here.

  “Ah ha, I found it! These are the pictures I took of her. She was getting these together for a modeling gig.” Miss Jefferson smiles.

  I examine the photos and run my fingers over the screen to scroll through them. “Anything you can remember about this girl? Who she was with? Did she seem nervous at all?”

  She shakes her head before looking back to her computer. “How long did you say she’s been missing? Looking at her pictures, I remember Brittney very well. Actually, she’s supposed to be here around 5 pm today. When she came in last time I remember a man with her, but I couldn’t really tell you much about him. He didn’t say a lot; he just sat in the corner while we worked, which I kind of took as odd because, usually, the models want to be in the room alone.”

  Thinking about her statements, I look back at the pictures to see if I can see anything off. I make a few notes in my pad; questions I need to ask and a few small details that have caught my attention. I look up as her phone rings.

  “Hello, Jefferson Photography, this is Kyler. How can I help you?” She glances toward the other women in the shop, suddenly panicked. “Hello?” she says again, then drops the phone.

  “Everything all right, ma’am?” I ask, watching her expression. Something isn’t right. Kyler doesn’t talk; she just stares off. I watch her for a few more moments before walking to her side. What the fuck can have her in this state?

  I reach out and barely touch her, but she still just stares off. I’m clueless as to what I should do, so I grab one of her shoulders and shake a bit harder.

  “Fuck!” I say under my breath. Still nothing, damn it. What the hell I do? I start thinking of the different ways I can get her to come to. Just when I’m about to touch her again, her face changes; she looks happy, worried, and then terrified.

  Chapter Seven ~ Kyler

  Flashback

  “Kyler honey, are you awake?” Mrs. Ryan calls from the hall. I’d been sitting in my window for the last hour. I hate this place. It’s not home, and it’s nothing like home.

  “Yeah just looking outside.” I barely get the words out before she walks in. She smiles, and I try my best to return it, but it’s still very hard to smile. I was ripped away from everything I’ve ever known. My family’s dead. To beat it all, I’m seven months pregnant with twins. I have no idea what I am doing. My family was supposed to be here to help me.

  “Why don’t you come downstairs?” she says, drawing me out of my thoughts. “I have breakfast ready for you.” I nod and get off the windowsill and walk downstairs.

  I barely make it to the kitchen when the smell of eggs hits me. Usually I love eggs, but today they are making me sick. I quickly back away from the kitchen and make it to the bathroom before everything in my stomach comes up. Mrs. Ryan walks in, grabs a washcloth and runs it under the cold water, then hands it to me. I sit back against the wall and, once I know I am okay, I start crying.

  “I miss my family. I want my mom here to tell me everything is okay.”

  Mrs. Ryan pulls me off the floor and takes me to the living room. She looks at me carefully as she sits on the couch.

  “I think we should go shopping to make this place more yours,” she says. “I know it won’t bring back your family or make everything go back to normal, but I think if we make it more you, it will feel more like home.”

  I try to smile at her. “I think you're right. I’m going to go change, meet you by the door in ten?” I jump up and head upstairs.

  We’re dressed and out the door in no time. “So where to?” Mrs. Ryan asks. “I think we need paint and need to order the baby stuff. They will be here before we know it.”

  I manage a smile as I watch the road. We go to a cute little baby shop that is supposed to have everything I’ll need. Arco, Idaho is nothing like Seattle, Washington. Arco is much more country than I am used to; all I can say is thank God they didn’t take me to Kentucky or somewhere like that. I look over at Mrs. Ryan when she asks me if I’m ready to go in. “Yep, let’s go.”

  Five hours later, I’m shopped out. We get home with all the things we could fit in my truck; the rest should be delivered in a day or so. I grab a Chinese menu, so I can order takeout. I’ve been craving it and sour gummies, which I picked up while we were out. I take the menu to the couch where Mrs. Ryan is sitting so we can look at it together.

  “What do you want, Kyler?” she asks.

  I laugh. “Everything, I’m starving.” I start laughing again as I feel a kick. “Apparently, I’m not the only one that is hungry.”

  Mrs. Ryan laughs with me. “They’re hungry… Mom,” she says, which throws me into a bigger fit of giggles.

  Thirty minutes later we hear a knock at the door; Mrs. Ryan yells u
p that she will get it. I figure it’s just our Chinese being delivered. I'm setting the plastic on the floor, so we can start painting after we eat. Just as I finish setting everything up, Mrs. Ryan screams. I run to my bedroom to grab my phone and the gun they make me keep beside my bed. I hide in the closet and call Mr. Ryan. On the second ring, he answers.

  “Hey, how are my girls doing?” He sounds happy.

  “Someone's here,” I tell him. “I'm in the closet with my gun like you told me to do. I heard a scream. What do I do?”

  “Calm down, Kyler. I’m calling the police in Arco. I know your father taught you to shoot. So you go downstairs and if you think you need to shoot the intruder, then that is what you do.” He sounds a bit nervous.

  "Okay, I got it," I say, then hang up the phone.

  Sneaking down the stairs, I see a man is holding Mrs. Ryan against the wall. Mrs. Ryan makes eye contact with me and I hold up one finger to see how many people are in the house.

  “You and me are the only ones here, asshole. Let me go now!” she screams. Just him, then. The intruder slams her head against the wall again. I tiptoe the rest of the way down and sneak up behind them. I place my gun to the back of his head.

  “The gun’s loaded and the cops are on their way. Now let her go or I will shoot you before they get here,” I say as calmly as possible.

  “I don’t think you will actually shoot me.” He sounds extremely pissed off.

  “I am going to give you to the count of three.” I wait a moment to see if he will let her go. Damn it, he’s going to call my bluff. “One… two… thr…” He lets go of Mrs. Ryan before I get three out. “Now turn around.”

  The man slowly turns to look at me and tries to take the gun out of my hand. While fighting for the gun, I feel a pain in my stomach. Oh no, it’s too soon. Damn it, Ky, you know better than this. With one hand on the gun, I knee the man in the nuts and snatch the gun back from him. He starts to come at us, and without hesitation I pull the trigger.