“And if they do?”
“Then we’ll go from there.”
JJ patted her lap.“Well, you know where to find me when you’re ready.”
“How long did the doc say you’ll be here?”Reese asked.
Watching Brantley, JJ felt his frustration and, yeah, a hint of betrayal, too.She got it.She did.They’d kept some information from him.At the time, she hadn’t wanted to, but Reese and Baz had convinced her.And they were right.If they had shared that information, there was a good chance the wedding never would’ve taken place.
“At least another day,” she told him.
“And the babies?”
“Ten to fourteen days.They’ll assess them every day, so that could change.”
“Hopefully, you can get some sleep during that time.You’re gonna have your hands full.”
Yes, she was.And she was looking forward to it.
“We should go,” Brantley said, looking at her, his expression masked once again.“Let you get some rest.”
“Don’t be mad, B.”
“I’ll get over it,” he told her, and she knew he meant it.Brantley didn’t hold a grudge, and he didn’t let things fester.He addressed it and then moved on.She appreciated that about him.
“When you meet with the team, I’d like to be there,” she said, smoothing the blanket in her lap.“Even if it’s a video conference.”
Brantley moved closer, leaned down, and kissed her forehead.“We wouldn’t do it any other way.Get some rest.”
JJ watched as they walked out of the room, letting the information they’d shared sink in a bit.She knew without a doubt that they were going to pursue this.Secretly, she was excited about the prospect.She was also nervous, but she wasn’t sure why.She got the feeling they’d left something out.Something big.
Relaxing against the pillow, she sighed.Then again, there was a good chance she was the one looking for something that wasn’t there.These next few days were going to crawl by, and she wanted something to keep her busy until the twins were strong enough to come home.
At that point, there was a good chance she wouldn’t care one iota what case the team was working on.Her heart would be too full to worry about anything except for her sweet babies and the wonderful man who’d been by her side through it all.
Archer sat on his Harley, staring outat the land that seemed to go on for miles.To his left, there was a small brick house, and straight back, a few hundred yards in front of him, what appeared to be the beginning of a barn.Directly in front of him was a closed gate that held a sign that read: CAMP K-9 / STORME SHELTER COMING SOON.
Reese had called a few minutes ago, asking if he wanted that introduction to the owner of Camp K-9.Rather than sit on his ass at the B&B, Archer had eagerly jumped at the opportunity.
Now, as he waited for Brantley and Reese to arrive, he took it all in, wondering what the owners intended to do with so much space.The idea of building a sanctuary for animals was one that Archer had given considerable thought to.When he was a kid, back when he’d lived with his grandmother, he’d shared his big dreams of owning a lot of land and taking in all the injured and abandoned animals.Every time he saw a dog or cat in a cage, their eyes wide and pleading, his heart had clenched, and he’d wanted nothing more than to steal them away and let them run free in a space made just for them.
Of course, taking on a venture such as that required far more money and resources than he had, so the dream had been just that.He contributed by donating money to local no-kill shelters to help in whatever small way he could.He wondered whether Camp K-9 would take on an endeavor like that.Perhaps he could also donate his time, as well as money, if they did.
The sound of an engine had him peering back to see a black Chevy heading his way, bumping along the uneven dirt path.It came to a stop a few feet away.A moment later, a man got out.He was tall and broad, with long hair that was tied back with a leather strap.He was wearing boots, jeans, and a dark blue T-shirt that hugged what looked to be a rather muscular body.
“You must be Archer,” the man greeted.“Reese just called.Said they were a few minutes out.”
Archer climbed off his motorcycle so he could greet the man.He walked toward him, holding out his hand when the man did the same.They shook.
“I’m Trey.Brantley’s brother.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Magnus and Ava should be here in a few minutes.We’re supposed to be reviewing the blueprints for the new facility.Construction starts in two days.”Trey pointed to what looked to be a barn that was being erected.“We started the Ag barn for the high school first.They tell me it’ll only take a couple of weeks to complete it, so we were hopin’ to get it done before the rest of the construction begins.”
Trey stepped up to the gate, unhooking the chain that was holding it closed.
“How much land are you working with?”
