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They kept staring at the whiteboard. Nothing jumped out at her. Statistically, they hadn’t found anything all that interesting. Yet, it didn’t feel like nothing.
“Either way,” he said, “we need to let it simmer. Come on.” He pulled her off the edge of the table. “It’s time for lunch. I need to eat something.”
Time was flying again today. She needed to keep a better handle on it so she wasn’t one of the last people at camp pick-up again. Bailey grabbed her purse and let him drag her out the door.
Wes squinted into the sunshine, scanning the semi-busy sidewalk, and stopped cold. This would not be good. “Were you expecting company?”
Bailey slid her sunglasses on. “What? No.” She followed his gaze and groaned as the other man strode up in an expensive suit. “Erick, what are you doing here?”
“I could ask the same thing of you,” Erick said to Wes, bypassing Bailey. “We have a restraining order to keep you away.”
“Always pleasant to see you, Erick.” Wes smirked.
“You might have a restraining order,” Bailey snapped, “but I never did. It’s probably expired by now anyway. What are you doing here?”
Erick stepped closer to Wes. “What’s this piece of shit doing here, Bailey? How stupid do you have to be to—”
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Wes warned, voice low. Tension ticked in his jaw. As collected as he was, he was sure he looked like he wanted to knock Erick into the parking lot.
“I had a board meeting in DC. Mom told me what you’d done.” Erick glared at her. “I didn’t think you could be this—”
Wes growled. “Watch yourself.”
Bailey squared her shoulders. “What exactly have I done? Hired police, hired a security firm, hired an investigator? Your parents and I agree on what I’m doing.”
“My parents think you should drop what you’re working on. As do I.”
“Since that’s never going to happen, I needed help. Wes is helping me. You have nothing to do with this.”
“This guy—”
“Is standing right here.” Wes positioned himself between Bailey and Erick. “If you have something to say to me, go ahead and say it directly to me. I’m listening. Otherwise, lower your voice when you’re speaking to her.”
“Or else?”
Wes grinned. “You really want to find out?”
Erick’s nostrils flared. “There’s no way Ryan would want this loose cannon anywhere near Caitie’s case.”
“You don’t know anything about what Ryan or Caitie would want.”
Erick snorted.
Wes held out his hand to direct her away from her brother-in-law. “Come on, Bailey.”
Erick stepped between them. “Bailey, we’re not done talking.”
Wes gritted his teeth, and all his animosity toward the Cosgrove family boiled back to the surface. Maybe he’d never despised Bailey. Maybe Erick and his fucker friends had created enough problems in Wes’s life that his aggravation spilled over, and he blamed everyone. Bailey had been an easy target for Wes to hate. Either way, he wasn’t going to be near Erick another minute, and neither was Bailey. Wes snagged her hand. “Let’s go.”
She let him pull her to his side.
“Bailey Cosgrove,” Erick shouted. “Stay away from him.”
The willpower it took to keep moving with Bailey, not turn around and flatten Erick to the ground, was staggering. “Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was coming by.”
“Don’t apologize when someone else is the jackass.” He didn’t release her hand. Hell, he didn’t think he could pry his hand free even if he were being clearheaded and logical. Which he wasn’t. A possessive need to hold on to her had him in a chokehold. Wes eyed the two nearby sit-down restaurants. “What do you want to eat?”
