Page 16 of Shattered Secrets

She shook her head. “Mr. Slothy and Baby Unicorn are running, but Mr. Slothy falled down, and now he’s hurt.”

“Oh no. Is Mr. Slothy okay?”

Daisy shook her head again, and her shoulders slumped. “His arm hurts, and he’s crying. He’s sad. He’s scared, and he wants his mama.”

As her lower lip jutted out and began to tremble, worry crept up his spine. “Can I see?”

She looked up at him and nodded. His breath caught in his throat. The sweet girl’s eyes were glassy with unshed tears. Holy shit, this kid was breaking his heart.

Hurrying closer, he sat on the coffee table between them and held out his hand. “Can you show me where Mr. Slothy is hurt?”

She held out the stuffed animal’s arm.

Matt didn’t know what the hell he was doing, but he was going to make this kid smile if it killed him. “Just as I thought,” he said, carefully turning the stuffed animal’s arm left, then right. “It looks wonky. I think Mr. Slothy’s going to need a cast just like yours.”

Daisy gasped, and her blue eyes went wide with excitement. “He does?”

Matt nodded, thankful her sadness seemed to be forgotten. He jiggled the stuffy’s arm. “I think so. We should put his arm in a cast just to be safe. You’re his mama, so what do you think?”

She grinned. “To be safe.”

“Do you know if Mr. Slothy likes the color blue?”

Her head bobbed up and down. “It’s his favorite color.”

“Nice. It’s my favorite color, too.” He pursed his lips in thought. “Can you make sure Mr. Slothy doesn’t move? I have to get the cast supplies, but I promise I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Daisy said, pulling Mr. Slothy into an embrace that reminded him of how Scarlet had held her daughter earlier this morning. When the little girl patted the stuffed animal’s back and softly shushed, his chest squeezed tight.

Holy shit, this kid . . .

Matt rose and rushed to the kitchen. Yanking open Cade’s junk drawer, he grabbed what he’d spied earlier. He was back beside Daisy in under thirty seconds.

“All right, Otter Pop, you hold?—”

“Otter Pop?” Daisy giggled. “My name is Daisy.”

“Huh.” He pointed at her mouth. “Well, you have blue Otter Pop all over your face, so I think I’m gonna call you Otter Pop from now on.”

“Mr. Matty, you’re silly.”

He winked at her. “Right back at ya, Otter Pop. Now, you hold Mr. Slothy still, and I’ll put the cast on him. It’ll be just a quick procedure. It won’t hurt him at all.” He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from chuckling as Daisy hung on his every word. He lifted Mr. Slothy’s right arm. “Is this the arm Mr. Slothy hurt?” After she nodded with that darling smile on her face, he said in his most serious tone, “Be sure to hold him really still, Otter Pop.”

Tearing a length of the blue painter’s tape he’d stolen from Cade’s junk drawer, Matt carefully wrapped the stuffed animal’s arm, making sure to explain every little step to Daisy. He also made sure to add a little strip over the top of its paw, just like her cast.

Once finished, he lifted Mr. Slothy and inspected his work. “What do you think?” he asked, presenting Daisy with her blue-casted stuffy. “You guys match now.”

She took the toy from his hands and gave it a hug. “Thank you, Mr. Matty!”

He chuckled. If Mr. Slothy had been real, all his bones would have broken from her squeeze.

“Mama, look!” Daisy held her stuffy in the air. “Me and Mr. Slothy match!”

Matt turned, and heat rushed over his face. Scarlet stood in the room’s entryway, leaning against the wall. The soft smile on her face made his heart beat double time.

Holy shit, he was in trouble.

Scarlet’s heart was in her throat, and she was teetering on the edge of melting into a puddle of mushy goo. She was also pretty sure the wall was the only thing holding her upright. Because the way Matt stared at her, with that blush washing over his cheeks, fell somewhere between adorable and smoking hot.

---