Mateo climbed out of his sedan, grinning. “You owe me about a million,” he joked in his Spanish accent. As kids, Mateo and Marshall had gone along with whatever crazy schemes Major came up with. The three had been thick as thieves, and Major considered Mateo his brother, not merely his adopted cousin. Major pulled him into a bro hug before helping to gather the groceries from the car while Mateo carried his black leather doctor’s bag.
“Aria sends her love. She wanted to come with me, but she had a couple of patients this morning.”
“Sorry for taking you away from the clinic, but this is important.” Major explained the situation as they approached the manor.
“Damn,Hermano.That’s some serious drama, but at least Tabitha’s here with you. I can’t wait to rub it in to Marshall that I got to meet her first.”
Major chuckled. For as laid back as Marshall and Mateo were, they loved to give each other shit. Not as much shit as they both gave Major, but still. Major pressed his palm to the scanner, and when the doorunlocked, he opened it, allowing Mateo to enter the manor first. Mateo didn’t have time to take in the gorgeous setting since Tabitha was waiting for them.
“Good morning, Mateo. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Mateo’s brown cheeks blushed. “Buenos días,Tabitha. It is a pleasure to meet Major’s mate.”
Major lifted the food bags. “Let’s eat.”
Tabitha led the way to the kitchen, where Craig was still leaning against the counter. “Craig, this is my cousin, Dr. Mateo Lazlo. Mateo, Craig Kilbrook.”
Mateo bade him good morning, but Craig merely lifted his coffee cup in greeting. Major ignored the actor and placed the reusable bags on the island, removing the containers, while Tabitha collected four plates, silverware, and napkins. When Major opened the first container, he frowned. “Uh, Mateo?”
Mateo laughed. “Food would have been cold by the time I got here. It won’t take long to cook. You can put away the groceries while I do that.” He bumped Major aside with his hip, then took the ingredients to the counter by the stove. After finding the necessary pans, he washed his hands. “I didn’t want to use the few things you requested, so I brought what I needed.”
“Can we do the DNA swab first?” Craig asked.
Mateo set down the bottle of oil he had just picked up. “Sure.” He opened his medical bag and pulled out the sealed kit. It took less than a minute for him to swab Craig’s cheek and insert it into a plastic vial.
Craig narrowed his eyes. “Is that it?”
“That’s it.” Mateo placed everything in his bag, andCraig shuffled off to his room, closing the door behind him.
“Is he okay?” Mateo asked.
“He probably hasn’t slept much since we’ve only been here a few hours, plus he’s hiding from mercenaries,” Tabitha explained. “Do you need help with breakfast?”
“I’ve got it. You two relax.”
Tabitha took her seat at the island. “Then I’m going to text Trista and ask about her new security detail.”
Major put away the few perishables before standing behind her shoulder. Not because he was nosy, but he wanted to be close to his mate. After hitting send, Tabitha leaned back against his chest and picked up her mug. As Mateo cooked, he regaled Tabitha with tales of them when they were kids. Major enjoyed hearing her laugh at his antics. Hell, he laughed at his younger self too.
Tabitha wiped a stray tear. “I need to see you both do the butt wiggle.”
Mateo plated their food and placed it on the counter in front of Tabitha. He then walked over to Major. They both turned their backs and wiggled their asses, causing Tabitha to crack up again. The morning would only have been better if Marshall had been with them.
Chapter 16
Tabitha cleaned thekitchen while Major walked Mateo to his car. She hadn’t laughed so much in a long time. She could picture the two of them as little boys, causing trouble, and it had her thinking about having a little Major running around their house.All in due time.Her phone pinged with an incoming message. She finished wiping down the counter and hung the damp towel over the oven handle to dry.
Trista:Good morning. All is well here. I am so excited about this movie. I sent the contract to Perry yesterday, but I never heard back from him. My new security specialist isn’t as fun as you. She’s former military and dresses like a drill sergeant.
Tabitha:I’m glad you’re excited. Your guard might not be fun, but I’m sure she’s rigid for a reason. She won’t let anyone near you.
Craig emerged from his room looking more put together than he had earlier, and Tabitha forgot about Perry and Trista. They weren’t her problem now.
“We saved you a plate if you’re hungry. It’s in the microwave.”
“Thank you.” Craig opened the door and eyed the food. He stared at the microwave a few seconds before pushing some buttons. While he waited, he poured another cup of coffee. “Did Mateo say how long it would take to get the DNA results back?”
“He has to send your sample to Corona so they can compare it to the baby’s. He’s overnighting it, so it shouldn’t take too long.”
