Baz had mentioned on the way over that he thought Charlie might make a good team leader based on his experience working with her. If she was interested, of course. Reese decided he would refrain from making that offer until he could get a better understanding of her background, her motivations.
When she didn’t ask a question, he kept going. “If you’re interested, I’d like you to take a tour of the facility, meet JJ, our IT guru. You can talk to Brantley. He’s the man in charge of everything, including pay and benefits.”
The door opened, the bells overhead jangling. It drew Reese’s attention and he looked up to see Autumn Jameson walking in. A smile appeared when she looked his way.
“Hey,” she said, stepping up to the table, her eyes scanning Baz, then Charlie, then moving back to him.
Because his parents had forced manners upon him growing up, Reese stood, greeted her in kind. Despite the interruption, those same manners wouldn’t allow him to brush her off, so he offered up introductions.
“Autumn Jameson, I’d like you to meet Sebastian Buchanan and Charlotte Miller.”
She greeted them with a nod. “Please, don’t let me interrupt. I just wanted to say hi.”
“Excuse us for a second,” Reese told Baz and Charlie, then gestured Autumn away from the table.
Autumn spoke first. “How’s it goin’?”
“Good. And you?”
“Really good, actually.”
“How’s Walker Demo treatin’ you?”
Autumn’s expression warmed. “It’s keepin’ me on my toes. Kaden and Keegan are a handful. More so Keegan, I guess.” She smiled. “But he can’t throw anything my way I can’t handle. I’m enjoyin’ it.”
“And the apartment?”
“Well, let’s just say, I took your advice and opted to get a bed instead of sleepin’ on a couch. It’s not as big as I’m used to, but bein’ that it’s just me, I don’t need a lot of space.”
He noticed she was glancing back at the table, at Charlie and Baz, so he decided to quell her curiosity. “Baz is one of our team members. We’re here talkin’ to Charlie about an opportunity with the task force.”
Autumn’s brown eyes sparked. “Is she single?”
“It’s not a requirement of the job, so…” His words died off when he saw the glimmer in Autumn’s eyes. “Oh. You mean … you’re askin’ personally.”
Her smile was slow and wide. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”
“It’s not … I … uh… Shit.” Reese forced a smile. “Honestly, I don’t know if she is, or if she’s…” gay.
“No worries. I’ve never been shy.”
Reese studied her briefly. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“What? That I’m a lesbian?” She laughed. “How would you? It’s not like I wear a sign.”
His ears began to heat from embarrassment.
“It’s fine, Reese,” Autumn said quickly, giving his arm a squeeze. “I’ll let you get back to it. It was good to see you.”
“Same. Take care.” When he turned back to the table, Reese shook his head as though that would dislodge the weird conversation they’d just had.
As he approached the table, Baz and Charlie stood, their attention shifting to him.
“If the invitation still stands, I’d like to take that tour,” she said with a smile.Charlie followed them back to HQ. Once there, Baz gave her the tour, introduced her to JJ and Tesha. Leaving the chatting and touring to Baz, Reese helped JJ carry a few things upstairs. She’d held off until now so they could get the cable and phone lines run up there. Now she was moving piece by piece, a little at a time, but it looked as though she’d been focused on that for a couple of hours, which meant she didn’t have much more to move aside from her computer tower, monitors, and her desk.
“Hey, Charlie, would you like some coffee?” JJ offered.
“I would love some,” she said easily.
“While us girls take a break, would you two strappin’ boys mind movin’ my desk upstairs?”
Reese looked at Baz. “You up for it?”
“If you are.”
No time like the present, he figured, although it would’ve been a hell of a lot easier if Brantley—
As though summoned by his thoughts, the door opened and Brantley strolled in.
—was there.
For whatever reason, the sight of him struck Reese hard. Seeing Brantley backlit by the sun, the door closing behind him. His hair was a little longer on top than it had been, he realized, his face a bit fuller. In seeing him, there was a warmth that filled his chest, and Reese found himself smiling. Not so much on the outside but on the inside.
“Just in time, boss man,” Baz called out. “We could use your help gettin’ JJ moved upstairs.”
Brantley pushed up his sleeves and walked over.
It took only a few minutes and a couple of trips for them to haul the heavy load up the stairs. They didn’t bother trying to put it in a particular place, knowing full well JJ would only insist on moving it again as she’d done numerous times since they had started working in the barn. Instead they wandered back downstairs. Reese plopped down on the black leather sofa, and Brantley dropped down beside him while Baz went over to talk to JJ and Charlie.
