“The bounty hunter?”
“Yeah.”
“For what?”
JJ shrugged. “Maybe they want him to take Toby in.”
“He does, he’ll collect the bounty.”
JJ knew this case had never been about the money for Reese or Brantley. Then again, money wasn’t what drove either of them.
Another text came in. “Now he says he wants you and Evan to be at HQ in the mornin’, too.”
“He say why?”
“Not yet.” But JJ could think of a dozen reasons, her brain already conjuring up a thousand different things they could be planning. All of which were more interesting than the last.
Her phone chimed once more. This time the message had her glaring at her phone. “He says I’m not allowed to be there.”
Baz’s arm wrapped more securely around her. “I’ll drop you by the new house on the way over. They’re supposed to be finishin’ up the master bathroom first thing. You can keep an eye on them.”
Although she really wanted to know what Brantley and Reese were planning, JJ did like the idea of visiting the new house. She really wanted to check on the progress, see what they’d done in the past week. She was so ready for it to be finished, ready to move into it so they could start getting things ready for the baby. She was only fifteen weeks along, but it was all getting real for her now. She was starting to show more. Enough that she knew buying maternity clothes was next on her to-do list. She could no longer get away with using rubber bands to secure her jeans.
“Actually,” she said, peering up at him over her shoulder. “I think I’m gonna have lunch with your mom tomorrow.”
“Really?”
JJ nodded. “She texted me earlier, asked what my plans were for the weekend. I told her I’d make time. Seems as good as any, right?”
“She’ll love that,” Baz said, his hand rubbing her arm gently.
When her phone remained silent, she set it down and leaned into Baz, sighing her contentment. “You think maybe you could take me shoppin’ after y’all are done?”
“Of course. Need somethin’ specific?”
Smiling up at the ceiling, she covered his hand with hers. “Yep. Clothes. I’m startin’ to grow out of what I’ve got.”
Baz nuzzled her ear. “You could always go naked. I certainly wouldn’t mind.”
She smiled. “Maybe not, but I’m not out to scare the life outta the people we work with. Not to mention your parents.”
A soft grunt sounded. “Good point. Plus, I’d have to kill them all if they saw you naked. Those sinful curves are for my eyes only.”
God, she loved this man. He always knew just what to say.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Three days later…
Sunday, May 8, 2022
“You realize we’re not alone,” Reese saidwhen Brantley walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
“In here, we are,” he assured him.
Reese stood beneath the showerhead, water sluicing down every gorgeous inch while Brantley openly ogled him. Two full days had passed since they’d returned from Dallas, and while he would’ve preferred to keep Toby locked in the barn until this was all over, it felt a bit inhumane. Which was the only reason he’d allowed the guy to stay in the house. They’d given him a pillow and a blanket and set him up on the couch in Brantley’s upstairs office, hoping he would stay there. He should’ve known Toby couldn’t sit still. For two nights, he’d listened to the guy moving around the house at all hours, pacing the floors.
While Brantley was capable of sleeping through damn near anything, he wasn’t capable of resisting some of his baser urges. Namely, Reese.
