Chapter 28
Matt
While Madi and Ashley were with Jamie and Emily, John pulled me into the hallway.
“That was quite the display back there.”
No small talk. No questions.
“Just doing my job.” I bit back the sir.
“And I have a bridge to Hawaii for sale.”
Check. And. Mate.
If I were half the man John Sheppard was when I reached his age, I’d consider it a win.
John didn’t give me time to answer, not that I could have. “Did you see my email?”
“No, not yet.” I reached for my phone.
“I’ll save you the time. The shipment for Dr. Greenfield’s system was delayed. I need you to continue… protecting Madi. Will that be a problem?”
An untimely smile crossed my lips before I forced my expression back to neutral. Smiling when your boss tells you his daughter still needs protection is a good way to get fired. Or get your ass kicked.
Channeling my inner Buckingham Palace guard, I anchored my feet to the floor and stood at parade rest.
“No problem at all.”
He shook his head and laughed before saying, “You know, Madi had the same response.” He pointed at my face. Fuck. “You can drop the stoic act.”
He’s not upset?
This time, feeling like I had her father’s approval, I didn’t hide my smile as the metric fuck-ton of tension it’d been holding rolled off my shoulders.
“You’re not going to threaten me?” I asked. Apparently poking bears was my fucking thing now.
“No, I want my daughter to be happy.” He paused and looked over his shoulder. “Besides, I believe my sons have that part covered.”
It was my turn to laugh. “In spades, sir. In spades.”
He stared at me for one, two, three long heartbeats. “Just keep her safe, don’t hurt her, and we won’t have a problem.”
“Dad!” Jay shouted, interrupting our conversation.
“Coming,” John called back. “Let’s go.”
It wasn’t enough to assume I had his approval, so I asked, “John, just to be clear, you’re okay if I court Madi when this is all over?” I’d never used the word ‘court’ in my life, but it felt appropriate.
“I didn’t realize you weren’t.” He turned and walked away while I picked my jaw up off the ground.
After recovering from that mind-fuck of a shock, I quick-stepped to catch up to him.
“What is it?” John asked as we entered the room.
“Madi has an update,” Jay answered. “But she wouldn’t tell us until you returned.”
Jay glanced my way, making it clear his you was singular. Joke’s on him. I had his father’s blessing to date his sister.
Having the blessing of one Sheppard was hardly a majority, but John’s approval outweighed her brothers’ collective disapproval.
I wonder what Mary thinks.
“We’re back, so let’s hear it.”
“Jay’s being dramatic,” Madi said. Worry flashed in her eyes, but she blinked it away. “Emily’s contractions are closer, but she’s still a long way off.”
“That’s it?” Jay asked.
“Son.” It was impressive how John could wrangle his kids with nothing more than their name. Or in this instance, his title.
“Sorry, I’m excited to meet my new niece and nephew.”
“Says the guy who doesn’t want kids,” Meg joked. “Here, hold your ‘old’ niece, that’ll cheer you up.”
“Gimme.” The look in Cate’s eyes as she watched Jay with Natalie was in complete opposition to her I don’t want kids statements.
The look in Jay’s eyes as Cate played with Natalie, who squirmed in his arms, was the same.
I should start a pool on how long it’ll be before Cate announces she’s pregnant. They’d set their wedding date for March, so if I had to guess, it’d be a late summer announcement.
Then I thought about how Jay’d act if Cate was pregnant. The image of Cate surrounded by bubble wrap and under twenty-four-seven surveillance while assigned to desk duty was a little too accurate to laugh at.
I understood, I’d be the same way when Madi got pregnant.
What the actual fuck? I went from wanting to take her on a real date to knocking her up real fucking fast.
I had feelings for Madi. Lots of them. But I wasn’t ready for wedding bells or fatherhood.
Neither is she.
“Uncle John!” a little voice behind me called out.
“Chase, what did we tell you?” Beth gently corrected his behavior.
“I’m supposed to use my inside voice.”
“Thank you,” Beth dismissed him so he could greet one of his favorite people.
“Robinson,” Doug greeted me. “Did John tell you about the delays?”
This time, I stopped the smile before it reached my lips.
“He did.”
“If I get the parts as expected and I have enough help, I can install the system before next weekend.”
“No rush,” I dismissed his concern. Then realizing I sounded flippant, I added, “I’ll be there, so they’ll be protected.”
Doug nodded, and didn’t I just hate the knowing look he was shooting my way. “Good to hear.”
He walked away and talked to John and Jay before returning to Beth’s side. She was almost a decade older than Doug, but it didn’t matter. There was nothing but love and adoration in his eyes when he looked at Beth, and he’d embraced his role as Chase’s father with pride and passion.
He wasn’t Chase’s biological father, who’d died in a car accident before Chase was born, but no one ever referred to him as Chase’s stepfather.
“Mom, Dad, can I have a baby sister?” Chase asked, the picture of hopeful innocence as he let Natalie play with his finger.
Beth blanched. Doug’s jaw tightened. Interesting. Given her age, Beth was past childbearing years, but that didn’t explain Doug’s reaction.
Chase was focused on Natalie and didn’t notice the tension in the room. Do seven-year-olds notice things like that?
“You know what I just realized?” Meg asked, breaking the silence. “Natalie has all these aunts and uncles, but no big brother.”
Jack didn’t miss a beat. “You know who’d make a great big brother?”
“Who?” Meg asked, mischief dancing in her emerald-green eyes as she played her part.
“Chase,” Jack put his hand on Chase’s shoulder, “what do you think, Little Man? Do you want to be Natalie’s honorary older brother?”
“Can I do that?”
“She’d be the luckiest little girl on the planet if you did,” Meg answered.
Beth mouthed, thank you, to Meg as she wiped a tear from her eye.
Doug bent down and kissed the top of her head.
“Can I hold her?” Chase asked.
“Only if you promise to sit still and let us help you,” Beth answered.
“I promise.”
I was rooted to the floor as I watched the scene play out.
Doug and Beth sat on opposite sides of Chase. Jack carried Natalie over and taught Chase how to hold her, making sure he understood the importance of supporting Natalie’s head.
“Yes, sir,” Chase said. Unlike when I said it, there was no hint of sarcasm.
Doug twisted slightly in his seat, positioning his hand so he’d be ready to help Chase when his arms got tired.
Chase stared down at Natalie and said, “Hi Natalie. I’m your big brother now.
” That kid went with the flow better than most adults I knew.
“I’ll be the bestest big brother ever, and I’ll protect you and never let anyone hurt you.
” There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. “And I’ll make sure you always have plenty of ice cream and Aunt Meg, she’s your mommy, she makes the best mac and cheese and I’ll even share mine with you and… ”
He stopped and looked around, clearly confused about why we were all laughing.
“You’ll make a great big brother. Do you know why we’re at the hospital?” John asked.
“Because Uncle Jamie and Aunt Emily are having babies too.”
“That’s right.”
“Can I be their big brother too? I’m big and strong. My dad says so. I can protect all of them even though I’m not the police yet.”
That kid had a protective street a mile wide. It was no secret he dreamed of becoming a police officer, just like his late father. I had a feeling he’d be a great one.
Unless he ends up at SSI. Everyone knew Chase worshipped the ground John walked on.
I still chuckled when Chase called the Sheppard men uncle. Apparently, John and Mary were his godparents, and when asked how they wanted to be addressed, Mary suggested the titles.
Initially, remembering all the extended family ties was dizzying, but I had it down now.
When the J-squad referred to the team as family, they meant it literally.
Mary adopted AJ because Jack loved him, so he and Blake were family.
Doug became family when he proposed to Beth, despite Beth not being blood related.
Nathan became family when he married Ashley, despite Ashley not being blood related.
The rule of thumb I’d give new-comers, if they asked, was if a Sheppard calls someone family, blood ties are irrelevant.
And don’t fuck with them.
I turned and stole a glance at Madi, who was watching Chase and Natalie with longing in her eyes and love in her smile.
The next words out of her mouth were a juxtaposition to her soft expression. “Just don’t be too overprotective, because then she’ll want to throttle you.”
Groans filled the room at Madi’s subtle—like a jackhammer—advice.
“Don’t listen to her, Chase. You be as protective as you feel you need to be,” Jay said, staring down his sister.
She glared right back with a fire in her gorgeous hazel eyes.
Chase scrunched up his little face so much that his blue eyes closed.
“That’s enough.” Mary’s put an end to their standoff. Like John, she rarely raised her voice. She didn’t need to.
Jay’s phone vibrated on the table next to his chair. “Speaking of protectors. Nathan’s here. He says AJ and Blake aren’t far behind.”
Jack took Natalie from a tiring Chase, who promised to be the best big brother ever, and gave the baby to Meg.
Jack, Jay, John, Doug, and I met Nathan in the hall.
“What happened after we left?” I asked, causing all heads to turn my way.
Nathan clapped my shoulder and shook his head. “Nothing. Literally nothing. Unless you or Madi recognize anyone in the pictures we took, we have nothing.”
“Damn it.”
“The last fire happened a couple of days after, so we’ll schedule Sammy, Dean, and Frank to cover the restaurant and watch for suspicious behavior,” Jay said.
They were all local police officers who worked part time at SSI.