Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
B y two o’clock, Daisy was up from her nap and bouncing on her little feet. It was safe to say the kid was ready to visit the cats. Sure, her bouncing might have had a tiny bit to do with the Otter Pop Matt had given her when she’d woken up. But whatever.
After Daisy had finished her blue popsicle, she’d asked her mom for a second. Scarlet had given her an emphatic no, and the sweet kid had looked devastated. Her giant blue eyes had welled with tears, but Scarlet hadn’t budged.
Honestly, Matt wasn’t sure how Scarlet did it. Good god, if Daisy had turned those Disney doe eyes on him, for sure she would have eaten half the box by now. But apparently, letting four-year-olds eat that many popsicles in one sitting was frowned upon. Go figure.
So, with only one popsicle in Daisy’s belly, they piled into his truck and made the short drive over to Cade’s. He let them in with the spare key he’d been given and disarmed the security system. Scarlet took Daisy hunting for the cats while he put fresh water in their bowls and filled their food dishes. Unsurprisingly, the moment Ripley and Bishop heard their kibble rattling around, they came running. Much to Daisy’s delight.
As the cats began eating, the little girl broke away from her mom and made a beeline for them. Matt scooped her up before she could reach them. Fortunately, his reflexes were still on point.
“We don’t bother the cats while they’re eating, Otter Pop,” he said, propping her on his hip.
Daisy frowned. “But they missed me.”
“I’m sure they did, but we don’t mess with animals when they’re eating. They might get angry and try to scratch or bite you.”
Her lower lip popped out. “But that’s not nice.”
“Do you like it when people mess with you when you’re hungry?”
“Yes,” Daisy huffed.
Scarlet snorted. “Really, miss? What did you do the other day when Miss Martha accidentally took away your french fries because she thought you were done?”
Daisy let out a sad sigh and dropped her head onto his shoulder. “I cried.”
Goddamn, this kid was too damn cute.
“I’m sorry you cried,” he said, resting his cheek against her head. “But that’s why we don’t mess with animals when they’re eating. Sometimes, instead of crying, they get angry. Let’s just wait until they’re done before you say hi, okay?”
“Daisy, sweetie, why don’t you go find the cats’ toys while they’re eating? That way, when they finish, you’ll be ready for them to play.”
Daisy perked up and began squirming. Matt put her down, and she dashed to the living room.
“I take it she knows where the cat toys are?” he asked.
“Oh yeah,” Scarlet said, puttering around the kitchen. “You know, it’s really nice of you to look after the cats while Poppy and Cade are gone.”
He shrugged. “It’s the least I can do. The poor dude is one giant ball of stress.”
“Is Cade nervous about his fighters? About their chances of winning?”
“Nah, he has every confidence in his guys. He was a wreck over propos—” He slammed his mouth shut. Fuck! “Uh...”
“Ohmygod!” Scarlet’s face lit up as she clapped her hands together and bounced on her feet. “Is Cade gonna propose to Poppy while they’re in Europe?”
He grimaced, then chuckled. Well, in for a penny and all that shit... He pointed a finger at Scarlet and mock-glared. “You cannot let on that I told you. Got it?”
Her grin was magnetic. And the way she mimed locking her lips and tossing the key over her shoulder? Holy shit, she was fucking cute.
“When we were talking at the beginning of the week, he hadn’t quite figured out when or where, but he was thinking maybe at the Eiffel Tower.”
“Ohhh. Poppy would love that!”
Matt smiled. “I know, but Cade’s overthinking everything and making himself a nervous wreck.”
Scarlet pursed her lips, and he struggled to tear his gaze from them.
“You know,” she said, tapping a finger to said lips, “as romantic as an Eiffel Tower proposal would be, I don’t think Poppy will care where it happens. So long as she’s with Cade, that’s all that matters. Oh, and the twins will be there with them, too! I think that would be her perfect proposal.”
“I believe I may have said those exact same words.” His smile grew. “Great minds think alike, huh?”
“Right?” She beamed at him. “We could be, like... Team Marlet.”
He scrunched his forehead in confusion.
“You know, Matt and Scarlet. Marlet. Like Bennifer?” She shook her head, and a flush of color stole over her cheeks. “Never mind, it’s dumb. Ignore me.”
Yeaaah. She was fucking cute. “Nah, it’s a good team name.”
“Oh, look,” Scarlet said, pointing at the cats. She rounded the kitchen island and hopped up on one of the stools facing the living room.
He knew she was blatantly changing the subject, but he’d go with it. The cats had finished eating and indeed found Daisy. The little girl was sitting cross-legged in front of the living room couch with Ripley on her lap as she dangled a feather on a stick in front of Bishop.
Matt pulled out a stool for himself, making sure to leave an empty one between them. Scarlet had her eyes glued to her daughter, so he used the opportunity to take her in.
After Daisy’s nap, Scarlet had seemed a little subdued, and he wasn’t sure why. Granted, they were only beginning to get to know each other, so she could have simply been tired. But when they’d talked about Cade and Poppy’s pending engagement, she had returned to being the animated woman he’d witnessed countless times at the diner. Now the anxious air was back around her, and he was clueless as to why.
He thought they’d all had a nice, relaxing time this morning. However, he’d been wrong before, and frankly, he knew jack-shit about women. He just hoped he hadn’t fucked anything up by inadvertently crossing any lines or insulting her somehow.
“You doing okay, Scarlet?”
She startled, and he wanted to kick himself. “Yeah. Sorry. Just distracted, I guess.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. Last night was rough.” And he was an idiot who’d thought their nice breakfast had been enough to take her mind off what had happened. He racked his brain for anything he could do to help. “Do you need a hand replacing anything?”
“What do you mean?” She swiveled on the barstool to face him, her right arm coming to rest on the island.
Shit. What did he mean? “You mentioned to Quinn last night that your purse was stolen. I assume that means you don’t have a driver’s license. Do you need me to drive you anywhere? Maybe over to one of the big box stores over on Whidbey Island if you need to replace anything?”
Her shoulders slumped. “That’s kind of you, but no. When Daisy was napping earlier, I called the bank and put a freeze on my checking account. The Hudson branch’s machine that makes debit cards is getting repaired and won’t be working until at least Tuesday, so I have to wait until then.”
“I’m more than happy to pay for whatever you and Daisy need.” Matt held up his hand when her mouth opened. By the glint in her eyes, he knew she was going to protest. “You can pay me back later.” No way in hell was he taking a dime from her.
“Um, you know, I think we’re okay. They only took my purse. That was it. But...” She shifted in her seat, looking anywhere but at him.
He placed his hand on hers, and she stilled. “But what, Scar?”
Her brown gaze shot to his, then down to their connected hands. “This makes me sound so dumb, but how do I get a new driver’s license? I’ve never... lost one before.”
Matt refused to let that comment slide. “Look at me, Scar,” he said, squeezing her hand. He waited until she complied. The doubt and uncertainty in her expression riled up something in him. Something protective. Something that was borderline possessive. “Don’t call yourself dumb, sweetheart. You’re the furthest thing from that. Hear me?”
A tiny smile tipped the corner of her lips, but her eyes remained dejected. “You’re really sweet, Matt.”
It killed him that she didn’t believe him. Didn’t believe in herself.
Releasing her hand, he ran the backs of his fingers down her jawline before clasping his hands together in his lap. He had to stop touching her before he hauled her into his arms. He’d never seen anyone who looked like they needed a hug more. “Scarlet Miller, don’t sell yourself short. You’re not dumb. In fact, you’re pretty damn amazing.”
She shook her head. “Like I said, you’re sweet. But I don’t even know how to get a new driver’s license.”
Matt shrugged. “You said it yourself: you’ve never lost one before. And you’re fairly new to the state. Cut yourself some slack.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to call her kid again. To remind himself how young she was. But that bullshit needed to stop. It was time to accept he was stupidly attracted to her. He was a damn adult and could deal with it. Scarlet needed him to help . Not push her away because he feared lusting after her.
“I assume you had a Washington driver’s license and not one from Arizona?”
She nodded.
“I’m pretty sure you can just do it online, then.”
“I won’t need to go into a driver’s licensing office?”
His eyes narrowed as he tried to recall how the Department of Licensing’s system worked. “I don’t think so. We can hop on my computer when we get back home to double-check, but I’m pretty sure you can just fill out a form and print out a temporary license, and then they mail a new one to you in a few weeks.”
Her exhale was long and slow, her relief apparent. “Oh, okay. Great. Thanks.”
“No problem,” he said, but the intensity of her reaction raised the hairs on his neck. Something was off, and it made worry crawl up his spine like tiny spiders.
Matt had been a detective for over eighteen years. He knew when someone was keeping secrets. And though he hated to admit it, he suspected Scarlet was doing just that. But he also knew he couldn’t pry whatever she was hiding out of her. He needed to gain her trust if he wanted to be privy to her full story. To do that, he needed to be a friend.
He gestured to the love seat near the island. At her small nod, he stood and extended his hand. He held his breath as he waited to see what she’d do.
Only when her smaller hand settled in his did he remember to breathe. They settled at the opposite ends of the love seat, but just half a cushion separated them. From their spots, they could see Daisy playing with the cats across the room, but they were still far enough away for a private conversation.
“Tell me a little bit about yourself, Scar.”
She smiled, but he could see the strain behind it. That was the last thing he wanted.
“Oh, there’s really not much to tell.”
Slow and steady, Alvarez. “Well, you know I have a brother. What about you? Any siblings?”
“I’m an only child. At least, as far as I know, anyway. I never met my dad, so... who knows?”
Shit . This conversation was not going according to plan. “Did you grow up in Arizona?”
Again, she shook her head. “I grew up in this tiny little nowhere town in South Dakota.”
“I was not expecting that,” he said, laughing at himself.
Her lips curved up the tiniest bit. “Things were tough when I was a kid, and I ended up moving out on my own when I was fourteen.”
Holy fuck. Fourteen . Thank god he’d had years of practice controlling his expressions. He remained quiet, afraid that if he said anything, she’d stop speaking.
Scarlet studied her nails. “I dropped out of school in ninth grade and moved in with some friends. I got a job... waitressing, and...” She shrugged. “I’ve been doing that ever since.”
Again, his intuition blared at him. He believed she was telling the truth, at least partially. But there was a whole lot more to her story...
“Then you moved from South Dakota to Arizona?”
She nodded, and he could see the hesitation in her eyes. As if she were debating how much to tell him. “After a few years, things didn’t work out with those friends. I ended up in San Diego for a few months and found out I was pregnant with Daisy. Then I moved to Arizona and got a waitressing gig, had Daisy, and ended up staying there for a few years. I moved here just before her third birthday.”
“Of all the places in the world, what brought you to Hudson Island?”
Scarlet grinned, and relief coursed through him at the sight. It was a real smile. One that had her eyes twinkling. “The diner I worked at was owned by this really nice older couple, Walt and Rita. They were just the sweetest people and kinda took me and Daisy under their wing.”
“Kind of like how Ray and Martha have?” It was no secret that the couple considered Scarlet and Daisy their adopted grand- and great-granddaughters.
Scarlet’s grin grew. “Funny you should say that. See, Rita had a best friend growing up who she’d kept in contact with for their entire lives. But the way things worked out with their marriages and such, they ended up living in different states. So, when I talked with Rita about... wanting a change for me and Daisy, she called up her best friend. Who, coincidentally, also owned a diner with her husband...”
Matt knew he was sporting the sappiest smile, but he didn’t care. “Martha and Ray.”
She clasped her hands together over her heart. “Martha and Ray. And they’ve been absolutely wonderful to us.”
“You and Poppy are pretty close, too, right?”
Nodding, she moved her clasped hands to her lips. “I’ve been so lucky since I arrived here. Poppy has been a godsend. Truly.”
“How so?”
Scarlet smiled. How hadn’t Poppy been a godsend? That was the better question.
“Poppy’s like my role model. When I first met her, she was really intimidating. I mean, she had her business, she’s gorgeous, and it seemed like she had the perfect family.” Matt scowled, and she held up her hand. “I know. Seemed was the operative word there.” Poppy’s ex-husband, Eli, was a cheating, gaslighting piece of shit. “I quickly found out that things weren’t quite how they appeared, and I think that made her an even bigger inspiration. Not only was she a young single mom like me, but she had Carter and Dylan at sixteen . Three years before me, and they’re freaking twins !”
Scarlet shuddered. In comparison to most other kids, Daisy was super mellow. But that didn’t mean her daughter couldn’t be a handful. The kid definitely had her trying moments. No way could Scarlet even begin to imagine two.
“Poppy shared some of her struggles with me,” she continued, “and I was just so impressed that she not only ran a successful business, but at the same time, also raise two amazing sons basically on her own—because we can all agree that Eli was worthless.”
Matt snorted. “Very true.”
Watching Daisy play with the cats, Scarlet was grateful that her daughter was blissfully unaware of all the adult stressors in life. “I don’t know,” she said, letting out a breath. “Poppy has kind of become my big sister, and her friendship and support mean a lot.”
Her friendship and support meant everything. She’d never had someone like Poppy. Someone she could count on. Someone who truly cared about her. Someone who wouldn’t fuck her over the second it was beneficial to them. “Poppy gives me hope that I can do right by Daisy. Like if she could make a good life for two kids, then I can do the same with one.”
A couple of seconds ticked by in silence, and her face flushed with embarrassment. Damn. She was pretty sure the last thing Matt wanted to hear was all this. Before she could backtrack and make some quip to lighten the mood, he reached over and took her hand. She froze.
“It kills me that you doubt yourself.”
She dared to peek at him, and the care in his eyes stopped her breath.
“You’re a wonderful mom, Scarlet.” Without releasing her gaze, he nodded toward Daisy. “She’s a wonderful kid. That’s all you.”
This man made her want to spill her guts. He was so calm and steady, and she didn’t know why, but she felt like no matter what she said, he wasn’t going to judge her. “I worry about her. She’s so shy and quiet. I’m so scared kids are going to bully her or hurt her or try to take advantage of her.”
Squeezing her hand, Matt shook his head. “Yeah, she’s shy and quiet for sure. But she’s also a tough little cookie. Cade told me that the summer program at the day care is a whole new crew with double the kids. Yet, shy and all, she wanted to be there the day after she broke her arm, wanted to participate in all the things. And she hasn’t been shy or quiet at all with me.”
“Well, not to pump up your ego or anything,” she said with a smirk, “but you’re definitely the exception to the rule.”
“Yeah?”
“I think it took meeting Cade at least a dozen times before she spoke to him. Same with Four. Mind you, when she does talk to them now, it’s only one- or two-word replies.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Kinda like how you used to be with me.”
Matt slapped a palm to his chest. “Ouch.”
She laughed. “Am I wrong?”
“No,” he said, grimacing. “I’m an idiot. But idiot or not, I’m obviously much cooler than Cade and Four. So that’s a bonus, right?” He grinned, and she couldn’t help but notice that he was still holding her hand. “So not only is Daisy a tough cookie, but she obviously has great taste in people, too.”
“Cookie?” Daisy said, head popping up like a gopher. She ran toward them, cats long forgotten. “Can we get cookies, Mr. Matty?” She climbed onto the couch and snuggled in between them.
Scarlet tried not to be disappointed when Matt let go of her hand.
“Uhhh...” He tossed Scarlet a flustered look before returning his attention to Daisy. “You know, I don’t think I have any. But don’t you have some more bravery Otter Pops coming your way?”
“I do.” Daisy spun toward Scarlet. “Mama, we need to go to Mr. Matty’s so I can have more Otter Pops. Can we bring the kitty cats with us?”
Matt’s eyes widened, and she bit back a laugh. Yeah, Daisy’s ping-ponging brain took a little getting used to. “No, baby. Ripley and Bishop need to stay here. This is where they live.”
“But they can come visit like how me and you are visiting Mr. Matty.”
“Sorry, Otter Pop. No can do. The cats stay here.” Matt rose to his feet. “How about we have a movie night? You like movies, right?”
Daisy was eagerly nodding before he’d finished speaking.
“Great,” he said as Daisy scrambled off the couch. “We’ll have an early dinner, and you can have a bravery Otter Pop after. Then we’ll pop some popcorn and mix in some M&M’s.”
Scarlet’s heart stuttered when Daisy took Matt’s hand, tugged him closer, and reached up with both her arms.
Grinning, Matt picked her daughter up and settled her on his hip. “Have you ever had popcorn and M&M’s together?”
Daisy shrugged, and the sweetest smile graced her face, like Matt was the most fascinating person she’d ever met. It was the same way she looked at Ripley and Bishop, which said a lot .
“Movie night it is,” Matt said. “Otter Pop, I’ll even let you pick the movie...”
As Scarlet followed them down the hallway, she couldn’t bring herself to complain about the sugar coma she was sure Daisy would fall into tonight. Because her heart was too full. Aside from herself, she’d never, ever seen Daisy this comfortable with anyone.
She knew she shouldn’t be looking deeper into it. Shouldn’t be imagining this scenario turning into reality, the three of them forming a little family...
But as stupid as it was, as impossible as it was, as setting-herself-up-for-disappointment as it was... she couldn’t stop daydreaming about a future with Matt Alvarez.