Page 16 of Lost and Found

She grinned at his frown, and something about this Bailey was different from the woman he’d known before. But he couldn’t place his finger on it. More responsible. More caring. Maybe even more serious. But also…silly, playful, even when she was giving him grief.

Or maybe she was none of those things. Because he was thinking about her too much.

Wes shut the door, pointedly locking it behind him. “We don’t have to be friendly to research the case and keep you safe.”

“We don’t have to be friendly?” she repeated, slowly blinking like he had lost his mind. “Nope. No way.”

“No, what?”

She shook her head. “Nope, we’re not doing this today. You should leave.”

“What are you talking about?” Though even he heard his high-pitched register. He was undoubtedly in the wrong.

The higher her eyebrows arched, the clearer her facial accusation became. “You should go back to the hole you crawled out of.”

“You don’t want me to leave, Bailey.” He didn’t want to leave.

“I thought you’d be the friendlier guy who warmed up to me yesterday.”

“I’m friendly. Ish.”

She shook her head. “I refuse to start from scratch every day and wait for you to tone down the attitude.”

“I don’t have an attitude.”

“Yeah, you do, and you know it. But it doesn’t matter because Vivian told me she could replace you at the drop of a hat.”

Damn it, Viv. “Drop of a hat?”

“Yeah.” Exasperated, Bailey pulled her hair down and shook it out, then tied it into a bun again, as if she were as frustrated with her hair as she was with him. “I fought for you. What a stupid idea.”

“Not that stupid,” he muttered, damn near gagging on his foot in his mouth.

“A colossal waste of time and energy. I’ll call Vivian, or even better, you can. Tell her to send Decker or Eli or whatever bodyguard-investigator that Titan Group has hanging out, waiting to get started.”

Absolutely not. He rubbed the back of his neck. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I will if you’re not semi-decent to be around. Because, news flash, Wes: You’re not right now.”

“Not locking your office door is a problem,” he said. “That’s what we should be fighting about.”

“I don’t want to fight. Like, not at all. Especially right now, when you’re nowhere near semi-decent, but planted firmly in the neighborhood of jackass territory.”

“Gee, Bailey. Tell me what you really think.”

“You really want to know, Wes? I think you’re being a dick. I bared my soul and told you Caitie’s story. I want your help, but not if I have to put up with this.”

Wes swung his arm toward the door. “You should lock yourself in when you’re here alone. That was the point I should have made. Nothing else.”

“Fine. I will,” she snapped, then pushed a to-go cup from the coffee shop downstairs toward him. “That’s yours. Don’t burn your tongue.”

They glared at each other. She crossed her arms. He wasn’t in the wrong…yet he wasn’t exactly nice. Wes ran a hand over his face. “Alright, I’m a dick. And unworthy of the caffeine.”

“True, but it’s already bought and paid for. You might as well drink it.”

“Are you going to stay mad at me all day?” Because he sure as hell wasn’t leaving to be replaced by Decker or Eli. He’d send a message to their group chat to make sure that wasn’t even a consideration.

“No. Because I’m a good—actually, great—person, and I don’t have time for grumbling with coworkers.”