Page 35 of Shattered Secrets

“Chase boarded up the main door. So until that’s fixed and secure, you’ll need to use the back entrance. Also”—he glanced over his shoulder—“I had Quinn double-check to make sure I installed the car seat correctly.”

Of course he had. “Thanks, Matt. I really appreciate you taking us in. For being here.” She wasn’t used to leaning on others, wasn’t used to having people to depend on. Hell, in herold life,she’dbeen the dependable one, the one people had gone to for help. Which was a complete joke and absolutely stupid, because her old life had been a train wreck.

Matt stopped and turned. He was standing a couple of steps below her, so they were nearly eye to eye. “You don’t need to thank me, but you’re welcome. We’re friends, remember? You and Daisy are welcome to stay as long as you need.”

Until this moment, she’d never noticed how his eyes were a rich chocolate brown. He was staring at her so intently, yet so... tenderly... that she was having a hard time thinking straight.

“Well, Matt, I still appreciate it.”

The corners of his lips lifted. “Well, Scarlet, you’re welcome. Now watch your step.”

Quietly exhaling, she descended the remaining stairs. They exited into the alley, and he led her to his truck, a burly black GMC Sierra, and opened the back door. With the dome light on, she saw he’d placed Daisy’s car seat in the middle.

Scarlet frowned. She claimed she was five-three, and most of the time, people believed her. In truth, she was just shy of five-two. There was no way she was getting Daisy into that truck. From where she was standing, it was logistically impossible. The truck didn’t have running boards she could use to boost herself up.

With a soft chuckle, Matt approached. “How about I put her in, and then you can buckle her?”

Carefully transferring Daisy, she muttered, “I’m not even sureIcan get up there.”

“Sure you can. After I get Daisy in, I’ll enable the running boards.”

“You canenablethe running boards?” Holy crap, that was fancy.

Matt nodded. “Obviously, it doesn’t matter to me, but my mom’s short. So, unless I wanted to get an earful—which no son wants—I had to make sure there was a running board option.”

He placed Daisy in her car seat, then hustled to the driver’s side and pressed a button. The running boards dropped with a low buzz. Scarlet climbed up to secure Daisy, shaking her head. The more she got to know Matt Alvarez, the more the man surprised her.

Twenty minutes later, Scarlet stood in Matt’s guest room, her mouth hanging open. She wasn’t quite sure what she’d expected, but it hadn’t beenthis. The room was opulent—and probably bigger than her entire apartment. There was even a fireplace and a seating area. In the bedroom.

Matt approached the massive king-size bed with a sleeping Daisy in his arms, and she pulled herself out of her stupor to help him.

“She can sleep with me,” Scarlet said as she removed her daughter’s sneakers—she needed her little girl close tonight—and pulled back the bed covers. Matt placed Daisy down with a gentleness that was at odds with his size.

Pointing out the attached bathroom, he promised to show her more of the house later in the morning. Then he squeezed her shoulder and said, “Get some sleep. We can visit the cats in the afternoon when you guys are rested.”

After he closed the door, Scarlet tucked a pillow on either side of Daisy to prevent her from rolling around. Then, unhooking her bra and pulling it through the armhole of her top, she climbed into the opposite side of the bed, not bothering to change out of her leggings and T-shirt.

Comfy in the soft sheets, with the clean scent of laundry detergent filling her nose and the beginnings of the kaleidoscope of sunrise peeking through the window, she sighed and stared at the ceiling. She’d gone from a lazy Friday evening to a night ofsheer terror, panic, relief, and everything in between. There was no way she could fall asleep. She was completely wired from all that had happened.

Focusing on her breath, she listened to Matt walking down the hallway, murmuring in his deep voice. He was probably on the phone. She closed her eyes and pictured him in her mind. His handsome face. His impressive and somewhat-imposing figure. His soft smile. She thought of how he’d helped her tonight, how he’d talked with Daisy.

How he’d been there for her. Forthem.

Before Scarlet knew it, she had drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Scarlet rolled over and snuggled deeper into the warm, fluffy duvet, inhaling the sheets’ clean cotton scent. Then her eyes shot open. After two panicked heartbeats, she recognized her surroundings.

She was in Matt’s guest room with Dai?—

Another surge of panic whipped through Scarlet at the sight of the empty space beside her. No Daisy. No Mr. Slothy. No Baby Unicorn. She scrambled up to sitting, then froze, straining to hear...

Daisy’s faint giggle. Followed by a low rumble and her daughter’s full-fledged laugh.

Scarlet flopped back down on the plush mattress and willed her heart rate to return to normal. Glancing at the bedside clock, her eyes widened. Holy crap, it was nearly ten. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept in this late. No wonder Daisy wasn’t in bed with her anymore.

Worry brewed in her belly, and she hoped Matt was okay hanging out with Daisy. It still boggled her mind how her daughter had taken to the man. He seemed to like Daisy as well, but Scarlet knew lots of people could only tolerate kids for so long.

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