“Twice in one day?That might be too much,” he joked, tucking his hands in his pockets.“But if I do, should we bring you dinner?”
JJ looked to the left.“Is Baz there?”
“I’m here,” he called from the loft.
“Do you want them to bring dinner?”JJ shouted, which was completely unnecessary since the volume was already maxed out.
“Or I could pick it up on my way back there,” Baz said, sounding amused.
JJ’s green gaze returned to Brantley.“That would be yes.Text me when y’all are headin’ this way, and I’ll tell you where and what.”
“Got it.Until then, get some rest.You’re only focus should be on cookin’ those babies a little longer.”
Her bottom lip puffed out.“Fine.”
Brantley winked at her, and the call ended, the screen going black.
When he turned around, everyone was at their desks, working as though they’d been doing it all along.
Several hours later, Brantley was sitting in one of the leather recliners in JJ’s hospital room, feet propped up, a plate of food in one hand, fork in the other.
“Why wouldn’t he take the job?”JJ asked, seemingly worried that Archer Halligan wasn’t going to accept the position when only a short time ago she was on Brantley’s ass about issuing an offer without asking her first.
“No one said he won’t,” he told her.
“He hasn’t yet.”
“Correct,” he said, not wanting to debate JJ on this.
“Have you called him?”
Brantley frowned.“No.Why would I?I talked to him this mornin’.”
“I know.And now it’s night.”
“Evening,” he corrected.
JJ sighed, her gaze darting to Baz.“The least you can do is support me on this.”
His eyes widened, and not for the first time, Baz looked helpless.It was enough to make Brantley laugh.
“We’ll follow up with Archer in the next day or two,” Reese said, clearly trying to get Baz off the hook.
“If we don’t hear from him first,” Brantley added before she could reply.“But I’m pretty sure we will.”
“Pretty sure?”JJ glanced from one face to the next.“Why onlypretty sure?Did you not explain that we’re the most successful task force in the state?”
Brantley huffed a laugh.“I left that part out.”
“Why?It’s true.”
“In your mind, maybe,” he teased, lifting his fork to silence her so he could continue.“Plus, he doesn’t care about shit like that.He doesn’t need to be persuaded.He just needs time to let it all sink in.”
“He should spend a day with the team,” she said, returning her attention to the plate in front of her, although he hadn’t seen her take two bites since Baz uncovered her food.
“If he wants to do that, we’ll arrange it,” Reese said.
Brantley continued to eat, waiting for JJ to add something else.He made it three whole bites before she did.
