Muffy nodded vaguely. David was ninety-nine percent sure she had been agreeing she had the number, not that she would call.
“Can I ask you one more question?” David said.
Muffy’s distrust was apparent, but curiosity won out. “Okay.”
“Is Chaz good with technology? Cell phones and programming and stuff like that?”
“No, he’s—what?” Muffy stopped suddenly, her eyes darting to the side. “Why are you asking that?”
Before David could answer, the sound of pounding feet and a slamming door echoed from the back of the house.
David took off running without a backward glance, ignoring Reese and Mati’s startled calls and Muffy’s desperate, “No!”
Mati watched David sprint through the back door with her heart in her throat.
Reese looked at her wildly.
“Go! Go!” she cried, flapping her hands. “Don’t worry about me!”
Reese took off like a shot out the front door. Mati and Muffy sat in stunned silence, listening to the sound of an engine turning over and gravel spitting out from beneath tires as Reese tore from the small lot.
“What just happened?” Muffy asked.
Mati winced. She wouldn’t wish this on any mother, and certainly not on Muffy, who had always been kind. Still, she had to ask. “Is Hunter good with technology?”
Muffy appeared to be about one second from bursting into tears. Mati squeezed her hand, making her focus on Mati.
Muffy shook her head as if to clear it. “What?”
“Is Hunter good with technology? Cell phones and stuff like that?”
“Yes,” Muffy admitted miserably. “He’s smart. Too smart. He’s bored witless in school and they can’t seem to do anything about it. He’s always looking for something to break or fix ordo. Cars, computers, you name it. Now he’s in trouble, suspended for the week for a stupid prank he knew better than to do, but was so bored and eager to prove to his teachers that he knows more than they do, he did it anyway.”
“Does Chaz give Hunter stuff to work on?”
“Chaz? He’s letting me pay him to do some filing and—”
“No,” Mati said, trying to contain her impatience. “I mean like fix computers or cell phones.”
“Sometimes, I guess?” Muffy sighed. “I don’t know. Chaz has been acting as moody as Hunter. I’m ready to lock them both in the attic until at least one of them is done with puberty.”
Mati was starting to wonder if the Bentley men were going to end up locked up somewhere a lot less fun than the attic.
She nearly jumped out of her damn skin at the sound of feet pounding up the front porch stairs. She was halfway to the door when it flew open and David and Reese charged in.
Mati flung herself at them. David caught her.
“Where’s Hunter?” Muffy asked desperately.
“We don’t know,” Reese said. “He might be headed home. He went east. And he’s fine,” he added, “just faster than David on foot, and clever enough to cut through Wentworth Park so I couldn’t follow in the car.”
Mati tried to shake David, with zero success. “Donotrun off like that,” she scolded.
He kissed the top of her head. “I can’t promise that, but I’m sorry we scared you.”
Mati, dizzy with relief, laced her fingers with Reese’s. “I was fine. Iamfine, except for you scaring the crap out of me.”
David smiled at her sweetly.
