“We made a deal. And it’s working out quite well,” Reese said with a shrug.
“What he means,” Mati explained, “is that Reese, and Viveiros Produce, have drastically reduced their legal expenses while Chaz makes up for helping my asshole ex stalk me.”
“He broke into your house!” Rupert exclaimed.
“And he’s paying for that, too. And the property his father stole. But unlike Frankie, who will land in prison where he belongs, Chaz never tried to hurt anyone. He specifically intended for thatnotto happen. And he supports his sister and nephew. We discussed it, and even David agreed he isn’t a danger to us or society. Mostly he’s a danger to himself, but David enjoys keeping a close eye on him, so I’m not worried about that.”
“You mean David likes seeing how close he can get Chaz to peeing his pants,” Mati said.
Reese laughed. “That, too.”
Mati wandered to the bar and buffet at the back of the suite, leaving Reese to bicker with Callum and Rupert, and David to indulge in time with Eleanor. They were both happy as larks, with hockey to watch besides.
Mati, however, was restless.
It was weird to have her brothers in the building. She’d loved Reese’s family even before the past few months, when they’d done everything short of adopting her and David to make it clear they were now family, too. She was grateful, sometimes overwhelmingly so, for their love. But it didn’t stop her from wishing it could work this way with her family, too.
Poking at what was left of the lasagna David had made, she startled when an arm curled around her shoulders. She expected it to be Reese, maybe even David, but it was Hodges smiling down at her.
“What’s on your mind, Matilda?”
She leaned against him. “My family sucks.”
Hodges pulled her into a proper hug. She sighed, ready to hear whatever he would say to make her feel better.
“They do suck.”
Mati snorted. She should have known better.
Hodges rubbed her back. “What did they do now?”
“It doesn’t matter. I know that. I know who they are and how they think. Why do I care?”
“Because you love them.”
“Butwhy?” Mati asked, because sometimes—hell, often—she didn’t know. “Why can’t my brother accept that Reese and David love me and want me to be happy? Why isn’t that enough? And my father…” She shuddered remembering the anger in his gaze when she’d caught him watching them.
The one bright spot, aside from Mikey’s surprising acceptance, was that her mother was trying. She’d taken to inviting them over for cinnamon rolls and coffee when the rest of the family was out. That meant the world to Mati.
She hadn’t been to Sunday dinner since her family had learned about Reese and David. Her mother always asked, but it was clear, thanks to her father, the invitation was for her alone.
“Your father should be ashamed of himself,” Hodges said, trying to sound reasonable, though he was clearly furious. “I’d be proud to call you my daughter. Look what you’ve done for them. For him. He should be in awe of the amazing kid he helped make.”
Mati closed her eyes and held Hodges tighter. “Thanks.”
Hodges pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“You’re the father I always wished I had,” Mati said quietly, her voice rough with emotion.
Hodges hand froze on her back. “Oh. That’s…” His voice shook. “Same, okay? I’m so proud of you. And I love you like my own.”
Mati smiled against the rough fabric of Hodges’ Ice Cats ERDO jersey.
He’d said just the thing to make her feel better after all.
David kept one eye on Mati and Hodges while listening to Rupert tell him about the time Reese decided the best way to woo the young woman he loved was to stand outside her window with a boom box over his head playing a Peter Gabriel song.
David gaped at Rupert. “No, he didn’t.”
