Page 43 of Shattered Secrets

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 therethe 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 alot.

“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,everseen 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.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

As usual, Matt woke at five. No noises came from the guest room that Scarlet and Daisy shared, so he changed into his running clothes and slipped out of the house. He planned on a short run, but at five miles, his mind was still turning, so he picked up the pace and kept going. After another five, he called it quits. A half-mile cool-down walk and multiple rounds of burpees, planks, and sit-ups later, his thoughts had finally settled enough for him to face the day—a Sunday with Scarlet and Daisy.

Not that the pint-sized woman and her adorable kid were wreaking havoc on his mind or anything.

Damn. He wasn’t about to start lying to himself again. Both ladies made him nervous—in totally different ways, of course. Scarlet because... well, because she was funny and beautiful and strong and so damn off-limits. And Daisy because she had him completely wrapped around her little finger. She was beyond precious, and he didn’t know the first thing about kids.

Yeah, he could hang with Poppy’s boys but they were teenagers, technically adults, so it wasn’t the same. He’d never understood the baby-talk thing, so he spoke to Daisy like hewould anyone else—with fewer curse words, of course—but he wasn’t sure that was what he was supposed to do.

But Matt was resolved to go with the flow. He didn’t know what the fuck he was doing with either of them, so he would just take everything as it came. He would be a good friend to Scarlet. Get to know her better and help her in any way that he could.

But he would have to be careful. Because the last thing he wanted was to put pressure on her. He knew he’d initially come across as an asshole with all his grunted replies, and he hoped to make up for that. However, he didn’t want her to think shehadto be his friend because he was helping her out.

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