Secrets

Brantley Walker woke up on Friday morning with renewed energy.

It was the first time in months when he hadn’t had a restless night. One without a headache or a nightmare, both of which always left him feeling off come morning. The migraines had been extra brutal these past couple of months, knocking him to his knees at least three days a week, so the fact he’d been headache free last night, sleeping soundly, had made all the difference.

No nightmare, no headache, just rest after a round of amazing sex with the man he loved.

It was almost like, for the first time since that fateful day when the world had literally crashed down on him, he was living a normal life.

Normal. Huh. Not something he would’ve ever considered himself. As a Navy SEAL, normal didn’t apply. And while his career in the military had officially ended, he hadn’t exactly left the excitement behind him.

With a sigh, he pushed himself up, rubbed the subtle ache in his leg, grateful it hadn’t gotten any worse in recent months.

Maybe he risked jinxing himself, but Brantley was not going to question his good mood or look to closely into what spurred it. Especially since he knew what the day was going to bring. Now that Sniper 1 Security had officially absorbed the Off the Books Task Force and they were up and running relatively smoothly, they’d spent the past two weeks working to fill the vacant positions they’d been outlining for the past six months. Today they would finalize all their efforts, which meant they could finally push forward rather than continue to move in circles.

After making a pitstop in the bathroom to take care of morning business, Brantley returned wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, socks on his feet.

He sat on the edge of the bed, shoes in hand to finish getting ready for his run while the man who’d rocked his world last night slept soundly on the other side.

Looked like he was going to have to be a little more aggressive to get Tavoularis out of bed this morning.

“Today’s gonna be a good day,” he said aloud, pulling on his shoes.

“Did you say somethin’?” Reese grumbled, snuggled beneath the navy-blue suede comforter that had just appeared out of nowhere one day last week.

“Time to get up,” he told the grouchy man.

Reese’s response was a grunt.

Brantley glanced over his shoulder, then patted the mattress, urging Tesha to hop up there. If anyone could get Reese out of bed, it was the man’s canine partner.

“I tried,” he told the dog with a shrug. “Now it’s your turn. You wanna go for a run, you gotta wake him up.”

Tesha’s excitement came in the form of a full body wag and the little hop she started around Reese’s legs.

No way could Reese sleep through that.

“Better get up,” Brantley told him. “She’s gonna be pissed if you don’t come with us.”

Another grumble, but at least Reese stirred enough to sit up, his long legs swinging over the edge of the bed, bare feet smacking the hardwood.

“You have somethin’ against sleepin’ in?”

Brantley knew it was rhetorical, but still it made him laugh.

“I’m leavin’ in five,” Brantley said on the way to the door.

Reese muttered something he couldn’t understand but he laughed as he strolled out of the bedroom.

Sure enough, just shy of the allotted time, Reese appeared in the kitchen. He’d pulled on shorts and a T-shirt, shoes on his feet. He still looked half asleep, but Brantley intended to fix that with ten miles pounding pavement on a warm September morning.

“I hope you know, I was gonna seduce you,” Reese complained, falling into step with him on the way to the front door.

“Next on the agenda,” he promised.

“Like hell. After this, I’m goin’ back to bed.”

“We can do it in bed,” he quipped. “Wherever you like. But right now…” Brantley opened the door, stepped outside.

“Son of a bitch.” Reese glared at him. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me it was rainin’?”

More like drizzle. Or maybe just the ridiculous humidity that’d been blanketing Coyote Ridge for the past couple of months.

Brantley smiled. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Less than a minute later, Reese was at his side cursing him, Tesha trotting along in front, tail wagging.

Damn fine way to start a Friday.

Brantley Walker: Off the Books 

Ever wanted to pull back the curtain and peek into the lives of your favorite characters? Well, I do, and frankly, it got me thinking—what if we had a front-row seat to their adventures?

I’m an unapologetic series junkie, especially those that take us on a winding journey with the same protagonists. And because my heart has a soft spot for love stories, I thought, why not follow a delightful gay couple while adding in some supporting characters for comic relief? After all, what’s a love story without a bit of drama and plenty of laughs? Cue the task force, a dynamic element to keep the plot twists rolling and the pages turning.

Oh, and for those already wondering—yes, the Brantley Walker: Off the Books series is far from over! If you want to keep track of all the shenanigans, make sure to sign up for my Ramblings of a Writer blog and be the first to know what I’m concocting next. Trust me, you won’t want to miss a chapter!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars for Brantley Walker: Off the Books ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“This book captivated from the first line to the last word, it’s exciting, it’s great writing and it’s has wonderful characters old and new.” ~Jackie W on Goodreads [All In]

“This series keeps getting more complex and interesting with each installment. I am so happy to finally have Reese and Brantley in a place where they feel rock steady. SO rock steady that Brantley is counting down the days until the wedding and I CANNOT with how much I love the way they love each other.” ~Aviecelli on Goodreads [Off Course]

“This book it the basis of what love is. It shows you family, life, and what you should strive for in the end game. Brilliant, and beautiful.” ~Meghann R on Goodreads [Alibi]

“This book was amazing!! And it’s not just because I love Brantley and Reese, because I do! It’s the growing love and passion between these two that jumps off the pages and smacks you upside your head.” ~Christina I on Goodreads [Hide & Seek]

“Everything we have been waiting for we get in spades (that bachelor weekend!!) and I loved every single second of it. I am also enjoying seeing other relationships evolve aside from the grooms – I am really excited to see what happens next with Atticus and Slade.” ~Amanda V on Goodreads [To Have and to Hold]

“As always Nicole Edwards draws me into the world of suspense, angst, PTSD, a lot of steam, the off the books team’s many relationships both romantic and non romantic and the beautiful romances between Brantley and Reese and JJ and Baz.” ~Sofie on Goodreads [Bounty]

“With each book I fall more and more in love with these characters.” ~Renee on Goodreads [Deadly Coincidence]

“So much heart stopping action in this book and I was on the edge of my seat. The idea of anything happening to JJ had me wanting to jump into the book and go rogue..” ~Mabel on Goodreads [Chain Reaction]