And if that didn’t work, Atticus would give some thought to how he could show Slade once and for all that this thing between the three of them was real.
Maybe if he could do that, they could settle into something that didn’t result in uncomfortable situations like this.Otherwise, Atticus wasn’t sure this type of relationship was sustainable.
Chapter Fifteen
Rather than getting food or stopping byto check on JJ and the babies, they adjusted the schedule to meet with Simon and Holt first.It wasn’t ideal, but Simon had something he needed to do, so it was their only option if they wanted to talk today.Since Brantley was eager to get this out of the way so they knew whether they would be tackling a new case or moving on with their lives, he opted to forgo food for the time being.
Not that his stomach was happy about that.
With his stomach rumbling, Brantley steered the truck toward downtown Coyote Ridge.They were a few minutes early for their meeting, which was why he’d opted to call Baz, check in.The man sounded as though he hadn’t slept for a month, but there was still a smile in his voice, so Brantley considered that a good thing.
“That’s great to hear,” Brantley told Baz.“I figure we’ll stop by later this evening to check on y’all.If you need us to bring anything, just holler.”
Baz chuckled.“You realize you’re sounding more and more like Reese every day.Just holler.”He laughed again.“But thanks.I’ll talk to JJ once she’s awake.I know when she wakes up, she’ll want to go down to the NICU, but I’m hoping she’ll sleep for a bit.”
“You might want to grab some sleep yourself.From what I hear, there’s not much to be had when you’ve got a newborn, much less two.”
“One of these days I’ll grab a minute or two with my eyes shut.”
“Talk atcha later,” Brantley told him, then ended the call.
“More and more like me, huh?”Reese asked, grinning from his spot in the passenger seat.
“That’s what he tells me all the time.”
“I guess I’m more redneck than you are.”
“Well, that’s for damn sure,” Brantley agreed.
He turned off Main Street and headed for a lot a couple of blocks away.He preferred not to park on the street and risk being blocked in.
Once parked, Brantley got out and waited for Reese and Tesha.They walked the short distance to their destination, then slipped down the alley behind the buildings.
Reese and Tesha went up first, so Brantley followed.When Reese reached the apartment, he knocked on the open door.
“Come in,” someone called from inside.“You can close the door behind you.”
Brantley did after he stepped into the small apartment.The sun was shining in through the windows that lined the front wall, casting waves of light across the hardwood floor.He figured it would’ve been the living room had it been used appropriately.However, it appeared to be an office if the desk in the middle of the room was any indication.
“I use this space when I need to get away from the chaos,” Holt said, walking in from an adjacent room.
“That explains why it’s so clean.”
“Yeah.I try to keep it that way.”Holt gestured toward the room he’d come from.“I can’t say the same for in there.Ignore the clutter on the left and the storyboards behind the desk.”
Looked as though they were going to get right to it.
“Hey, girl,” Archer greeted Tesha without touching her.“You can leave her with me if you’d like.”
“Break,” Reese told Tesha.
Tesha’s tail—her whole butt, really—started wagging instantly as she moved closer to Archer, causing the man’s face to split in a grin as he squatted down on his haunches to pet her.
“Go on.She’s safe in here.”
Brantley led Reese into the only other room in the apartment, except for the small bathroom just past the kitchen area.The door was open, and the light was on, so he stepped inside.On the left was the chaos Holt had mentioned.Colorful Post-it notes covered the desk and were pinned to the wall.Some had notes on them, others had arrows, and some others had doodles that, to Brantley’s eye, looked as though they’d been drawn out of frustration.
A tap on his arm had him turning.Reese was pointing to the wall opposite the desk area.It took a moment for everything to register.There were photos and articles clipped from newspapers, along with more Post-its, most bigger and lined, with handwritten notes on them.
