Chapter 25 #2
“Yes, ma’am.”
Matt paid the bill in cash, leaving a generous tip for the server, and all but dragged me to the front door.
Reality slammed into me as we stepped into the cool, rainy night.
Matt took his jacket off and held it over my head.
Another thing most men didn’t do because apparently strong, independent women didn’t need to be sheltered from the rain.
Only we do.
“Thank you.”
“Madi, have you checked your phone?” Jay sounded excited as he asked from behind me. “Emily’s in labor.”
“What?” She wasn’t due for two more weeks. Though twins were often early.
“Matt—”
“I’ll take you to the hospital. Jay, can you stay with her?”
“Yeah, man, go get your truck.” Jay and Cate moved to my sides.
“Sierra Four and Bravo One, hold your position for now,” Jay said before putting an arm around me. “I can’t believe I’m going to be an uncle again.”
“Says the man who doesn’t want kids.”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t love on my nieces and nephews. Right, Snookems?”
“Right, Sweetie Pie,” Cate answered.
“It’s more fun when you argue.”
“I know, but now isn’t the time.”
Now I understood how Jay felt watching Matt and me as he and Cate teased each other.
“Ew, I don’t want to hear that,” I said.
“You don’t get to complain after making me watch that gross public display of affection.”
“It wasn’t gross.”
“It was a little gross. You were practically drooling,” Cate added, making Jay scowl.
“So much for the girl code.” I laughed, ignoring Jay until he laughed too.
If Jay were laughing, maybe he’d back off and stop threatening Matt.
We could be friends with benefits. Benefits my sister law was denying me tonight be going into labor.
What if we could date for real?
Where’d that come from? I wanted to jump the man’s bones, not create a future with him.
But I liked the way he made me feel protected and precious without making me feel small or helpless.
What if?
Matt pulled up, jumped out, and raced around to open my door.
“We’ll see you at the hospital,” Jay said. “Drive safe.”
“Yes, sir.” Matt closed my door and ran around the front of his truck.
His now-wet shirt clung to his gorgeous, muscular, tattoo-covered chest.
“Are you excited?” Matt asked as soon as I rested my phone on my lap. I’d spent the first few minutes of the drive texting my parents and the sibling chat, letting everyone know we were on our way.
“I am. Jamie’s wanted to be a dad forever.
” He’d confessed one night in a rare moment of raw openness that he and Isabelle, his late wife, were trying to conceive.
Sadly, she was murdered by a stalker, destroying his dreams of starting a family.
Her murder was the reason he, Dad, and Jack started SSI—to help people without all the red tape.
“That tracks. What about you, do you want kids?”
The question sounded innocent but felt loaded.
“Someday. Right now I’m focused on my career.” And I haven’t found a man worthy of my reproductive rights.
“Why can’t you have both?”
“Women can rarely have both. When I’m ready to be a mom, I want to be fully focused. Not working long days and missing all the important parts of my children’s lives.”
Taking over the clinic meant more than just treating patients. I had to learn how to run a business, keep up with modern technology and best practices, and manage a team. I only had experience in one area; the rest I had to learn.
“Did your mom own Grannie’s when she had you?”
My head whipped around to stare at him. She didn’t; her grandmother did. Mom was the manager. Why does it matter?
“Why are you pushing this?”
Matt turned into the hospital lot.
“Just trying to understand why you think you can’t have both.”
But why?
Matt wasn’t interested in anything long-term, and even if he was, he could have any girl he wanted. He wouldn’t want me. Men like Matt needed to be needed. I didn’t need him, plus I came with not one, but three obnoxiously over-protective brothers and my father was his boss.
Sure, Matt and I had chemistry, but that didn’t mean we had real feelings. Chemistry, no matter how hot it burned, didn’t equal a relationship.
Matt’s hand covered mine and gently nudged my fingers until I stopped picking at my cuticles.
“Madi, what’s eating at you?”
“Just worried about Emily.”
“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk, though I wish you would, but please don’t insult me by lying.”
What? How did he know I was lying? It wasn’t the first time Matt had seen past my protective shell and called me on it.
I stared at his strong, protective hand as his thumb traced circles on the back of my left hand. He’s holding my hand and comforting me. Like a real boyfriend would.
It didn’t matter that he didn’t know why I was upset. He saw a need and filled it, quietly and humbly, rather than assuming I didn’t want comfort.
He sees right through me.
A girl could get addicted to that kind of attention.
I curled my fingers a little tighter around his hand.
“My mind is a mess. I can’t talk until I sort through some of it.”
He nodded in understanding.
We finished the ride in a comfortable silence that I’d never achieved with anyone outside my family.
Matt pulled up to the front door. He put the truck in park, and said, “Shit.”
“What?”
“I can’t just drop you off.” He tapped his phone screen. “Call John Sheppard.”
“I think I’ll be safe at a hospital,” I said, eager to get to the labor and delivery wing.
“Robinson, where are you?” Dad’s voice filled the cab.
“At the entrance. Can you come down?”
“On my way.” Silence followed the click.
I crossed my arms, huffed out an annoyed breath, and waited.
“Madi.” Matt reached over and squeezed my shoulder. “I’m sorry. I get you think this is overkill, but I won’t risk it.”
“Risk what? Getting in trouble?”
“You, Madi. I won’t risk anything happening to you.”
The conviction in his voice removed the angry wind from my sails of defiance.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Behaving like a brat only made the situation worse. Besides, I’d sworn I wouldn’t behave like that anymore.
Something about coming home and being surrounded by my brothers had me acting like an annoyed teenager. I thought I left her behind when I joined the Navy.
Turning to Matt, I uncrossed my arms and said, “I’m sorry. It’s just frustrating.”
“It is,” he agreed.
No false sympathy. No excuses. No trying to make me understand.
None of this was his fault.
“And I don’t always handle it well.” Understatement of the year.
He laughed and opened his mouth, but then closed it. All traces of humor left his face as Matt lifted his chin. “Your father’s here.”
The locks clicked when Matt hit the button. Dad opened my door.
“Thank you, Matt. How’d it go tonight?”
Heat spread across my chest, rose up my neck, and colored my cheeks. Please don’t let my dad notice.
“It was a quiet night, sir.”
“John,” Matt quickly added, making Dad chuckle.
Before getting out, I said, “Thank you. You don’t have to stay; I can catch a ride home with someone else.”