Oh no. Braden’s eyes widened. He looked at Maddie. He had to talk to his family. He felt like a class-one jerk for not calling them earlier. How had they gotten the news so fast? Maybe Ensign Chaz had called the Navy immediately after the bombing. Ah, shoot. The image of his poor family stressing that he was dead made him sick.
“I have to explain,” he whispered to Maddie.
“Can you trust them?” she whispered back.
He nodded.
“No information,” she shot back. “Everyone else needs to think you’re dead.”
Isabelle was still shouting praises to the Lord that Braden was alive. His dad’s voice came on. “Braden? Are you there, son?”
“Yes, Dad, I’m here.”
“Oh, thank the good Lord and all of heaven above,” his dad breathed out. “We got the call a minute ago saying your house had exploded and you were presumed dead. Ah, Braden.”
His heart thumped heavily. He should’ve called his family immediately, but the past couple hours had been a whirlwind and he hadn’t planned on his family being informed so quickly.
“Dad. No one but you three can know I’m alive.”
Maddie nodded her approval.
“Excuse me?” his dad asked.
“Sorry. I know that’s hard, but I’m in danger and if some criminals thought I was alive, you, Mom, and Isabelle could be in danger as well.”
Again, Maddie nodded her approval of his explanation. What if it was true? He could not allow his family to be in danger.
“Braden?” His dad’s voice was unsteady. He was probably in shock from thinking his son was dead, then finding out he was alive and now he was probably afraid Braden was involved in something nefarious. Isabelle used to tease Braden that he was the “golden child” and the “perfect one.” He’d heard similar taunts from his equals in the Navy. Braden wasn’t trying to show off, but things were black and white for him, and he always did his best work and gave a hundred percent to everything he did. He’d never rebelled as a teenager or caused his parents grief. Well, besides being in the Navy and them worrying about him as a result of his career, especially during deployments.
“Sorry, Dad. I can’t tell you anything, but I promise I’m safe and I promise I’m not involved in something nefarious. It’s a matter of national security that you pretend I’m dead.”
Maddie’s brow wrinkled at that.
“Baby boy!” His mom’s voice came on the line.
“It’s okay, Mama. I’m all right.”
“Oh, my boy.” His mom was sobbing so hard she could barely speak. Braden had never felt like such an awful piece of humanity. Why hadn’t he called them as soon as his house exploded so they wouldn’t have gone through this trauma? What kind of son was he to let them suffer like this?
“I’m sorry, Mama. So sorry. I love you. It’s all going to be okay.”
“I love you. I love you so much.” She broke off speaking because she was crying so hard.
Maddie’s eyes were concerned as she watched him, but not compassionate. That struck him hard. He didn’t even know Madison Delta, yet he felt like he did. He often read people’s intentions or hidden thoughts, but he felt like he saw Maddie deeper than anyone else possibly could. Was he overly confident in his ability to read her? Or was there something connecting them that was significant and could be life-impacting if they’d both let it happen?
Somebody must’ve pressed the speaker button. “What happened, Braden?” Isabelle demanded. “Your house blew up? But you weren’t there?”
“Yes,” he said. “The crime investigators will figure out I wasn’t there as soon as the fire burns out and they can positively identify …” He didn’t need them to know there was a body in that house—no way those men got the other guy out as quick as it blew. “But until then, I need you all to pretend I am dead.”
Maddie nodded. He also pressed the speaker button so Maddie could hear and make sure he didn’t mess anything up.
“But your Grandpa Moyle. Papi and Grammy Nelson. Aunt Sharon. Uncle Bill. Your cousins. Pastor Louis and Jasmine.” His mom listed off people in a wobbly voice. “The whole neighborhood and church. This is going to hurt so many people.”
His gut wrenched again. He met Maddie’s gaze. She held it, and he finally saw some compassion there. “I’m sorry, Mama. You can tell them you have hope I wasn’t home and ask them to pray.”
Maddie raised her eyebrows as if prayer was a silly thought. That made his gut even sicker.
“It won’t be long until the truth comes out,” he continued, “but to keep all of us safe, me being dead is the best idea we have right now.”