Page 7 of Shattered Secrets

She flinched. She hadn’t realized Cade was in the car with them. Tears prickled the backs of her eyes, and she pressed her clasped hands to her lips. “Please, Matt,” she whispered. “Please hurry.”

Images of her sweet girl flooded her mind.

Daisy this morning, strapping on her shoes. Her bright-blue eyes sparkling with joy. She’d been so stinking proud of herself for doing it all on her own. Like a big girl. Never mind her pink light-up sneakers were on the wrong feet.

Daisy last night, requesting another bedtime story, but not for her. No, the extra story had been for her beloved Mr. Slothy because “he likes your voice, Mama.”

“Scarlet, we’re here.”

Matt’s deep timbre had her eyes flying open. Rebecca’s house stood ahead of them, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. She recognized the two EMTs coming out the front door; Colton and Nora were regulars at the diner.

They didn’t look panicked. They didn’t look harried. Instead, they were casually walking down the front steps. That had to be positive, right?

Her door opened, and she startled. Glancing up, she found Matt holding his hand out to her, a calm expression on his face. Good god, how long had she been sitting there? She grabbed his hand and scrambled out of the car.

“Nora! Colton!” she called out, meeting the duo at the base of the steps, Matt and Cade at her back.

“Hey, Scarlet.” Nora’s reassuring smile did nothing to soothe her galloping heart. “Daisy will be fine.”

Colton nodded. “Doc’s with her now. There’s a chance she fractured her forearm.”

Scarlet gasped, and her stomach lurched.

“But we don’t know for sure,” Colton continued, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. “You’ll want to go to Doc’s for an X-ray.”

“I know this sucks, hon,” Nora said, “but Daisy was in good spirits when we left. Doc and Flora were able to calm her down. They’re in the kitchen with her.”

Despite the tears threatening to choke her, she managed to thank them for their help. With sympathetic nods, Nora and Colton said their goodbyes.

Scarlet took a moment to gather her courage. Staring at the closed front door, she sucked in a couple of deep breaths. Her hands were still trembling, but there was nothing to be done about that.You can do this. You have to be strong. For Daisy.

Another loud exhale, and then she squared her shoulders, pasted a smile on her face, and went inside.

CHAPTER THREE

Scarlet’s bravery just about slayed him. Her entire frame was trembling, but she forced her shoulders back and walked through Rebecca’s front door with a carefully composed expression on her face.

Following close behind, Matt passed a gated front room with a number of kids sitting in a circle and singing a familiar nursery rhyme. The young woman leading the group sported a strained smile as she called out to Scarlet, “She’s in the kitchen with Flora and Doc.”

They neared the back of the house, and Scarlet came to an abrupt stop in front of Matt. His hands shot to her waist to keep from knocking her over. Letting go, he easily looked over the top of her head, since she didn’t even come up to his chin, and into the kitchen.

Doc Buchanan—Hudson Island’s favorite doctor and father to one of Matt’s good friends—stood at the kitchen island with Daisy seated on the counter in front of him and Flora standing beside him.

The little girl was wearing a pink dress with purple and pink unicorns on it, dirt smearing her entire front. Her legs dangled over the edge, and he could see her skinned knees. Her blackhair was pulled into a ponytail that was half undone, and her matching pink unicorn bow was askew.

The corners of his lips twitched. The kid looked like a hot mess. An adorable hot mess, but a hot mess for sure. Regardless, her giggles filled the room. Doc must have said something funny.

Matt glanced down at Scarlet. She’d gone completely still. Frowning, he placed his hands on her slim shoulders and squeezed. Then, bending so he was closer to her ear, he whispered, “Breathe, sweetheart. She’ll be fine, but you need to breathe.”

With a nod, Scarlet complied. Her hand came up and squeezed his, and it was his turn to go still.

“Thanks,” she murmured. After another breath, she stepped away from him and into the kitchen. “Hey, baby girl.”

Daisy’s head whipped toward her mom, and in the span of a heartbeat, the little girl’s expression went from smiling to devastated. Her giant blue eyes widened, then tears streamed down her face. As she cried, she reached for Scarlet and winced in pain. She’d obviously been holding it together until now, until she saw her mom.

Scarlet carefully gathered her daughter in her arms and rocked her, whispering comforting reassurances.

Matt rubbed the center of his aching chest. Plain and simple, his heart broke for the sweet kid. Daisy wasn’t even his—hell, he’d only met her a handful of times—but her tears were like a two-by-four to the chin, and her hiccupping cries tore his guts out. He looked over at Cade. The despair and sympathy on his buddy’s face mirrored his own emotions.

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