Page 50 of Shattered Secrets

Four held out Daisy’s stuffy. “Mr.Slothy? Creative.”

The fuck?Matt’s hackles rose, and he snatched the stuffed animal from Four. “Don’t be a dick, man. Daisy’sfour, and the name’s fucking cute.”

There were three seconds of absolute silence before Four howled and the women at the nearby table tittered in delight.

“Shit, that was too fucking easy,” Four said, slapping him on the back. He glanced at the women. “You ladies catch all that?”

“We sure did,” Mrs. Yoshida said.

“Oh yes, we did,” Mrs. Abbot chimed in.

Matt swore they had hearts in their damn eyes.Christ.

“Little ears are coming back,” Mrs. Green warned, nodding toward Martha and Daisy. “Watch those mouths of yours, boys.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Four said, suppressing a smirk.

“Yes, ma’am,” Matt echoed.

“Matty, I went potty and washed my hands,” Daisy said, standing in front of him. She raised her arms, and he picked her up.

“Feel better?” he asked, handing her Mr. Slothy.

She nodded, then placed her head on his shoulder. “Matty, I’m hungry.”

He glanced at his watch and frowned. “We just had breakfast not too long ago.”

“I’m hungry.”

Before he could respond, his phone buzzed.

Scarlet

We’re just about done here. Probably another ten minutes or so.

He tapped her name and held his phone to his ear. No way could he text her back while he was carrying Daisy.

“Um, hello?” He could hear the surprise in Scarlet’s voice. Apparently, she wasn’t a phone talker.

“Hey, Scar. Daisy and I are at Ray’s. Daisy’s hungry?—”

“I want Miss Martha’s nuggets, Mama.”

Scarlet chuckled, obviously hearing her daughter. “Why don’t you guys stay put, and I’ll meet you there. I’m almost done here.”

“Daisy and I can come get you at your place, and then we can all come back here for lunch.”

“Matt, you know the diner’s, like, two blocks away, right? Maybe two and a half, if you’re gonna get technical.”

Matt looked around and noticed all eyes staring at him. Everyone was listening to their conversation. He stepped away from the group. “I do. But?—”

“Oh, look at that,” Scarlet interrupted. “Mr. Wayland said he’s heading to the diner, too, so I’ll just walk over with him. When we’re done eating, we can come back here and load up my car. How does that sound, Mr. Overprotective One?”

He pressed his lips together and fought a smile. Smart-ass. “Do you promise he’s walking with you?”

“Yes, I promise, Matt.” She chuckled, and he was pretty damn sure she’d just rolled her eyes.

“Okay, then. See you soon.” Hanging up the phone, he sighed. Four and the ladies were beaming.

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