Sam continued wailing and shrank from his touch.
“I know that was scary, but I’ve got you. You’re okay now.” Cal tried again to tug the boy gently from under the chairs.
Then Matti was beside him, reaching for the boy. Because when had his stubborn little sister ever done what he told her to? “Matti…” Cal growled in a low, disapproving voice. “I told you to stay d—”
“Sam? Hey, buddy, are you okay?” she cooed, not only cutting him off, but also shoving her way closer to the frightened child. “It’s Ms. Matti. Can you come out here for me? I know that was scary. I’m so sorry, darling. Come on. I’ve got you.”
Cal helped Matti slide the boy’s tightly balled body out from the chair legs. Then, again with his help, she lifted the boy, still curled in the fetal position, into her arms.
“Shh, sweetie. I got you. It’s over. You’re okay.” Matti kept up the litany of murmured reassurances, and Cal’s heart broke for the terrified child.
“Matti! What the hell is she doing here?” Wyatt’s voice reflected the stress and frustration of the moment as he rushed over.
Cal pulled his brother away from Matti and Sam. “She was picking up the boy for relocation to a foster home.”
“You couldn’t have told me our sister and a minor were here?” he said, his glare and timbre both accusing.
Cal forgave his brother’s attack, knowing Wyatt was as emotionally charged as they all were. Wyatt’s entire body, like his own, vibrated with tension, fury and shock.
“I was trying to get them to a safer place when—” Cal waved a hand toward the destruction in the lobby.
“Cal!” The horror in Matti’s voice sent a chill to his marrow. He spun to face her and saw the color wash from her face. She raised a stricken expression to him. “Sam is bleeding! I think he was shot!”
Chapter 27
Jules snapped her gaze toward the front hall when she heard the door open and close. “Cal, is that you?”
Jonathon rounded the corner into the living room and flashed a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Just me.”
Jules wilted back against the couch. “Oh. Hi.”
Kelly rose from her chair and met her father with a hug. “Cal left on a department-related errand a good while ago. He’s late returning, and we haven’t had an update in an hour or so.”
“Is there reason to be worried?” Jonathon asked, emptying his pockets onto the end of a decorative table.
“He tried to convince me there wasn’t, but… I’m not sure.” Jules twisted her fingers in the hem of her shirt and sighed.
“He’ll call soon. Cal’s the conscientious sort,” Jonathon said with a wink as he started for the kitchen.
Jules forced a smile for the doctor’s attempt to allay her fears.
“Dad,” Kelly called as her father left the room, “you know if you don’t put keys on your dresser, you won’t be able to find them later.”
Jonathon returned, giving his daughter a wry look. “You sound like Cal. Since when did you two become the parents?”
She shrugged. “You know I’m right. You lose your keys on a regular basis.”
With a noncommittal growl, Dr. Colton rolled his eyes, picked up his keys again and jammed them back in his pocket.
“If you’re hungry, there’s a little pizza on the counter and cobbler by the stove,” Kelly said to her father’s retreating back.
Jonathon peeked around the corner again, his eyes bright. “Cherry cobbler?”
“Yep.”
The jangle of a phone ringing spilled into the living room, and Jules heard Jonathon groan. “Hello? Yeah, what’s happened?”
His voice faded as he moved into the kitchen, and Jules checked her own phone for the time. For missed texts. For any sign that Cal had checked in. Nothing.
