Chapter 21
Matti would like to have a few words with her mother, and they weren’t nice ones. She didn’t have the right to be putting ideas into Sam’s head. Emily knew Sam was going to have to go to a foster family.
Wyatt eyed the food spread out on the island. “Got any extra?”
“Sure. Sit here.” Matti slid off the barstool. Thanks to her interfering mother, she’d lost her appetite. She poured a cup of coffee, leaving it black the way Wyatt liked it, and set it in front of him. “You want a breakfast burrito, Sam?”
“No. I’m full from eating French toast.” He looked up at Ryan and grinned. “I had four.”
Ryan widened his eyes. “How’d you fit four in your tummy?”
“I smashed them in there.”
“If you’re full, then why don’t you go play with your fire truck and let Matti have your seat so she can have some breakfast.”
“Okay.” He jumped down and raced off to find his fire truck.
“I’m not really hungry,” she said.
Ryan picked up a tortilla, layered it with the egg-and-hash-brown mixture, topping that with the sausage, then the caramelized onions and grated cheddar cheese.
“Only thing missing is hot sauce, but you don’t have any.
I’ll bring a bottle over for next time.” He wrapped the tortilla closed, then set it on the plate. “Sit and eat.”
Wyatt chuckled. “Is he always this bossy?”
She rolled her eyes. “About like the rest of you men.” But she sat, secretly pleased that he liked taking care of her and that there would be a next time.
“This is really good,” Wyatt said around a mouthful of the burrito.
She took a bite. Okay, it really was. How had she never had one of these before?
Ryan had made himself one and ate his standing at the island in front of them. “Any news on finding those men?” he asked Wyatt.
“They’re like ferrets. You think you see them, but then they disappear so fast, you wonder if you really did.
We’ve got a few leads we’re working on, one that looks promising.
Maybe not as fast as I’d like, but we’ll find them.
” He finished the last bite of his burrito, then picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. “For your ears only, okay?”
Both she and Ryan nodded.
“This is just my gut talking from my years as a detective, but I’d bet a year of my paycheck that this case is going to end up being bigger than anyone imagines at this point.
There’s something off about it, something that doesn’t add up.
I can’t quite put my finger on it yet, but I think there’s more to this than meets the eye. ”
Ryan furrowed his brow. “What do you mean by bigger exactly? Are we talking about some underground crime syndicate involved in this?”
Her brother shrugged, worry clouding his features.
“It’s too soon to say for certain, but I wouldn’t rule anything out at this point.
There are too many loose ends and unanswered questions in this case.
And the longer it takes to find those men, the more I worry about what we might uncover.
So, keep staying alert, and Matti, you and Sam are not to go anywhere alone. I mean that.”
“I won’t.” He had her even more scared now, and she had a little boy to protect. She wasn’t one of those TSTL women who went down the stairs of a pitch-black basement to investigate the strange sounds coming from down there. Or take off anywhere by herself.
Wyatt pushed away from the island. “Hate to eat and run, but I gotta get going.”
“Thanks for bringing Sam back,” she said.
“He’s a great kid. Thought he wanted to be a firefighter, but I convinced him he really wants to be a cop.” He glanced to where Sam was playing with his remote-controlled fire truck. “I’m so getting him a police car, then he can trash that fire truck.”
“I’m telling Aiden you said that.”
Wyatt grinned as he pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ll save you the trouble.”
A minute later, her phone dinged with a text alert. She opened her messages to see the Colton siblings group had a new text.
Wyatt: Aiden, just trashed Sam’s fire truck. He likes his new police car better.
Aiden: You lie. My boy would never like a cop car more than a fire truck.
Cal: Sam told me last night he wants to be a sheriff, so you both can go eat dirt.
Kelly: Who’s Sam?
Matti: Call me, Kelly Belly.
Dylan: Why am I still in this group?
*Dylan Colton has left chat group*
*Aiden Colton has added Dylan Colton to chat group*
*Dylan Colton has left chat group*
*Aiden Colton has added Dylan Colton to chat group*
Matti laughed. Dylan left the group every time they had a chat, and Aiden added him back every time. Aiden did it to annoy his twin, which Dylan knew. It was a game they played and had fun with. She was pretty sure they did, anyway.
She wasn’t surprised to see Dylan not commenting.
He usually didn’t since he always seemed to be working undercover.
As a defense attorney, her sister worked long hours and, other than Dylan, she was the sibling Matti saw the least of.
They loved each other and got along, but due to the seven-year difference in their ages, they’d never been tight.
“Hey,” she said, answering when her sister called. She waved goodbye to Wyatt. Ryan started on cleaning up the kitchen, and she held the phone away from her mouth. “I’ll help you when I finish.”
He shook his head. “Take your call. I got this.”
“Who’s Sam?” Kelly said. “And who are you talking to?”
“Hello to you, too. I’m just fine, thank you for asking.” She slid onto the barstool.
Kelly sighed. “Sorry. I only have a few minutes before I have to be in court, so talk. Who’s Sam?”
Because her sister was short on time—when wasn’t she?—Matti gave her a condensed version of the events of the past few days.
“Wow, okay. Are you sure you’re safe?”
“As safe as I can be. Ryan’s staying with me, and Wyatt and Cal are keeping a close eye on us.”
“Your voice goes soft when you say Ryan’s name. You have the hots for him.”
Matti laughed. Trust Kelly to pick up on that. “I guess I do.” She glanced at the man stacking plates in the dishwasher. He had his back to her, and what a fine view it was she thought as her gaze roamed over him.
“Take a picture and send it to me.”
“Jeez, Kelly, I’m not going to do that.” Wouldn’t that be kind of creepy?
“Yes, you are. Gotta go. Talk later. Send that picture.”
“Bye,” she said to dead air.
“Not going to do what?” Ryan said, turning to face her and leaning back against the counter.
“Take a picture of you and send it to my sister.” She waited for him to roll his eyes or say, “No way.” But he didn’t. Instead of doing what she thought he would, he smiled… No, that was a smirk on his handsome face.
“Go ahead.” He spread his arms wide. “How do you want me?”
How did she want him? Pfft. In so many ways. “That’s a loaded question.” She picked up her phone, bringing the camera up. “Say cheese.”
“Cheeseburger.”
She chuckled. “Just have to be different, don’t you?
” She snapped several photos, only one in which he was smiling.
In the others, he made faces. She pulled up one where his eyes were crossed and his tongue was sticking out the side of his mouth.
“This is what I’m sending to her.” She turned the phone’s screen for him to see.
“Now, that’s a handsome devil if there ever was one.” He winked, then gave her his back and resumed loading the dishwasher.
The man was seriously likable. He made her smile, made her laugh.
A man who could make a woman laugh was a keeper…
Hadn’t she heard that somewhere? Too bad he was a doctor.
She’d had a front-row seat to witness how her father’s occupation had ruined his marriage, how he’d never had time for his wife and family.
Not that she and Ryan had anything serious going on between them. She liked having him for a friend, and she liked even more messing around with him. So while he was available for that fun messing around, she’d enjoy herself and not expect anything serious to happen between them.
“Smoke’s coming out your ears,” Ryan said. “What deep thoughts are going on in that pretty head of yours?”
“Thinking about what we should do today,” she lied. “When do you have to go back to work?”
“Day after tomorrow. And, Matti?”
“Hmm?”
“That wasn’t what you were thinking about, but I’ll give you a pass if you’ll give me a kiss.”
“Sam’s here.”
“He is, and he’s in the living room where he can’t see us. Come on, I made you breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen. I think I’ve earned a kiss.”
“Just one and make it quick.”
“Don’t know if I can make kissing you quick, but I’ll try.” He stepped around the island and when he reached her, he turned the stool so that she was facing him, then pushed his way between her legs. “Pucker up,” he said, grinning.
There he went, making her laugh. She made fish lips.
“So sexy,” he said with a smirk right before he cupped her cheeks with his hands and his mouth covered hers.
Lord help her, but the man could kiss. And there was nothing quick about it.
“Doc, are you coming to play with me?” Sam called.
Ryan chuckled against her lips. “That’s what’s known as kiss-blocked.” He broke away. “Be there in a minute, buddy.”
“You want to just hang around the house today?” she asked.
The doorbell rang before he could answer, and she went and put her eye to the peephole. “It’s Aiden.”
As soon as her brother walked in, Sam jumped up and ran to him. “Aiden! Are we going for a ride on your fire truck?”
Aiden picked him up and flew him through the air, causing Sam to giggle. “Nope, just stopped by to see if you’re being good and eating your vegetables.” He dropped Sam to his side.
“I eat everything Matti and Doc give me.”
“That he does,” Matti said. “Ryan, this is my brother, Aiden. Aiden, Dr. Ryan Palmer.”
“Great to meet another of Matti’s brothers,” Ryan said. “If I’m counting right, only one more to go, your twin.”
“I’m the fun one.”
“That’s true,” Matti said. “What are you up to?”
“Not much. I’m off today, and—”
“Perfect,” Ryan said. “You can hang with us today. Ever been to the dinosaur museum?”
“A long time ago on a school field trip when I was in fifth grade.”
“I haven’t. Sam would probably love that.” She wasn’t sure she would, but she could be wrong. The boys would enjoy it, so with both Ryan and Aiden guarding Sam, she was good with going.
“Dinosaurs?” Sam said, his eyes going wide.
“Yes, and I’m a dinosaur and I love eating little boys.” Aiden nibbled on Sam’s neck, sending Sam into a fit of giggles.
“It’s settled,” Ryan said. “You want to go now or after lunch?”
Aiden set Sam down. “I have a few errands I need to run this morning, so after lunch works.”
While Ryan played with Sam, Matti took her phone to her bedroom and checked in with her foster families, the ones she could reach.
She spent an hour doing that, then jumped in the shower.
Today wasn’t a date, not exactly, but she decided on a pretty sundress and strappy sandals instead of her usual T-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes.
She took extra time with her hair and makeup, and when she was all done, she smiled at herself in the mirror. “Looking good, chickie.” She’d forgotten that it was fun dressing up for a man she liked. Now to go see if said man appreciated her efforts.