“Want to meet up early, before we meet Ryder at eight?”
He nodded.Ryder had personally assigned them to this detail.They both knew this job was a big deal.“Works for me.”
“Okay, I’ll be at the office at—”
“Let’s meet at Whale’s Tale instead.Seven-thirty.We’ll grab something and talk on the way up to the office.”He wanted a more casual atmosphere, hoped it might get her to relax and trust him more.Open up a little bit.
She hesitated a fraction of a second before giving a nod.“Okay, that works.”
“Great.”He motioned toward her car, walked with her to the curb as her light, floral scent drifted up to him.Her height always struck him.She had to be five-eleven or better, because even in flat boots the top of her head came up to his mouth.
Making her the perfect height for him to kiss her crown and forehead.
“Hope Carly wins her game.See you tomorrow.”She hurried around to the driver’s side before he could say anything else and climbed in, giving a polite wave before driving off.
He stood there on the sidewalk watching until her car disappeared around the corner, thinking.
He’d done everything he knew how to earn her trust over the past few months.Had tried to be there for her whenever she needed something—as much as she would allow, anyway—yet she still kept him and almost everyone else at arm’s length.
His gut told him she’d been hurt and had chosen to wall herself off.He didn’t know much about her past except that she’d been a cop in Vegas before moving here and joining the private security industry.Something bad had happened.He knew it.
A door opened behind him.Marley rushed out of the townhouse, long auburn hair bouncing around her shoulders as she tugged her coat on.“Sorry, Newcastle just scored.Had to have a celebratory ale.”
He went around to the passenger side of his truck and opened the door for her.She shot him a grin.“Hey, thanks.”
“Welcome,” he murmured, shutting it and rounding the hood to get behind the wheel.His memories of their parents were jumbled and complicated, but he damn sure had never forgotten the manners drummed into him.He and his brothers always opened doors for a lady.
The only person he didn’t do it for was Cassie when they were working.Though to be fair she always drove anyway.She was a skilled driver, and she seemed to like being in control that way.So he was more than happy to let her take the wheel when they were partnered together.
“It’s crazy, but d’you know I’m actually a little nervous?”Marley said as he headed toward the school.
“About what?”
“Carly.I used to get all anxious watching you boys playing sports too.”
Meaning him and his identical twin, Gavin.“It’s a mom thing.”
“Yeah, guess so.Always want the best for our kids,” she said with a grin.
If his and Gavin’s childhood had been fucked up in a lot of ways, Marley and Decker had had it worse.Both of them had known a reasonable amount of stability and normalcy for more than a decade before things had suddenly fallen apart.But after their parents were gone, everything had changed.
Decker had been forced to step up and become the provider and the man of the house at seventeen.While Marley had become a pseudo-mother to him and Gavin even younger than that, while going to school and working part time.He didn’t know how she’d done it.
“Meant a lot to see you in the stands, though,” he said.She’d made every game she could, only ever missed one when she couldn’t get time off work.
Marley looked over at him.“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”It was a big reason why he was making it a priority to be at all of Carly’s games and activities he could.
For years, he’d played the role of good time “funcle” when they saw each other.But since finding out she was his biological niece a few months ago, his bond with her had only deepened.Even Decker, remote as he was, made every effort to show up and spend time with her.All four of them moving to Crimson Point, along with Autumn and Carly, had allowed them a chance to reboot their complicated relationships and be a real family as adults.
“Well, I’m glad,” Marley said, reaching over to pat his knee fondly.
The school parking lot was mostly full.He let Marley out by the gym doors, parked near the road, and walked back with minutes to spare before the game started.
Scanning the bleachers, he spotted two redheads easily in the crowd and headed over to where his family sat.Marley scooted over to make room for him between Decker and Gavin.He paused to bend down and kiss the top of Autumn’s sandy-blond head.“Hey, gorgeous.”
“Hi.”She smiled up at him.“How’s my favorite brother-in-law?”
