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He retrieved a plate nearby, his back still turned to her as he placed the crackers and cheese onto the dish in a uniform fashion, all the while fighting off another broad smile. Was that all she’d said about him, or was there more?

Winnie didn’t respond to her sister’s words, and their voices lowered from the laptop until he was sure even Winnie couldn’t hear them.

“Rescued…road…”

Matthew didn’t care. He’d heard what he’d wanted to—something to boost his wounded ego. Something to finally give him the upper hand against Winnie Knox.

He couldn’t wait to use it to his advantage.

Piling the items he’d gathered onto his plate, Matthew turned to face Winnie with an innocent smile, her ruby-colored cheeks and dazed expression satisfying him to no end.

“Thanks for letting me interrupt,” he said louder than he probably should have.

Winnie gave a solitary, silent nod as he moved to the door with his food.

A quiet voice came from the laptop. “Wait, who…”

“No one,” Winnie said, speaking to her family with clipped words.

Matthew reached the door, balancing his food in one hand as he made to open it, hearing someone else speak.

“No…someone…”

“Hey! Who’s there?” shouted another so loudly, he could finally hear it.

He paused and turned toward Winnie.

“You can go,” she said with a shake of her head, her voice tight, like a rubber band stretched too thin.

He should give the woman a break, but her desperation to have him leave made him linger.

Besides, after the week he’d had of holding his tongue, letting go of his will, and practicing as much patience as he possibly could, Matthew deserved a win.

“Show us who it is, Winnie!” shouted the female voice again.

“No, he’s busy,” Winnie said, her expression mixed between an apology and a pleading for him to leave now.

Matthew should have, but his desire to one-up the woman won against his conscience.

“I’m not busy at all,” he said with another innocent look. “I can meet them.”

Then with an audacity he didn’t recognize, Matthew placed his plate on the counter and strode directly toward Winnie.

Her gray eyes widened in a panic. “You don’t have to.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t wish to be rude,” he said. He stopped directly in front of her with a focused gaze. “Besides, I’m sure they’d love to see who the most difficult person is for you to deal with here.”

Her blushing response was well worth whatever guilt Matthew might feel after this moment. Well worth it by a longshot.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Winnie had never been so humiliated in her life. Not only had Matthew caught her saying he was difficult to work with, but there was also no way he hadn’t heard Sarah proclaiming that Winnie said he was attractive. Hot, to be exact.

How was she ever going to live this down?

Before she could even muster up an apology, an excuse—heck, even a word would’ve been better than her silence—Matthew moved to stand behind her, his torso shifting into view on her personal screen before he bent down so their faces appeared side-by-side.

Each of her family members waved in silence on the screen.