Page 11 of Shattered Secrets

They were going to be okay.

She’d just have to figure out the details later. The clinic did payment plans, right?No, don’t dwell on that.As long as they had each other, they were good. However, knowing that she was all Daisy had was also utterly terrifying.

Stop!She needed to keep focus, needed to keep her wits about her.

“Scarlet, dear,” Doc said, pulling her from her spiraling thoughts. He gestured to the exam room. “We can go over the care instructions for Daisy’s arm.”

Poppy patted her back. “Take your time. I’ll wait for you.”

Giving her friend a grateful nod, Scarlet rose. She smiled for her daughter, scooped her up, and settled her on her hip. As they followed Doc into the exam room, Scarlet oohed and aahed over the tiny hot-pink cast. But the sour rock in her gut remained. Her baby had gotten hurt.

CHAPTER FOUR

“Well, that was a crazy morning,” Cade said, closing the door to Doc’s clinic behind him. Poppy had shown up fifteen minutes earlier and was going to wait for Scarlet and Daisy so she could accompany them home.

“I’ll say,” Matt replied as they began the short, four-block trek from Doc’s back to their cars, which were still parked at Ray’s Diner. “Don’t think either of us had any of that on our bingo cards for today.”

Ever since coming to Hudson Island, most of Matt’s days had been pretty mellow. Routine even. Hell, some would say his days were flat-out boring. But he would say they were therapeutic. A word that up until last year, he’d never given much headspace to.

Matt’s time on Hudson had been focused on getting back into shape—both physically and mentally. He was easily stronger, faster, and more skilled than he’d been while on the force. After all, he spent most of his time working out. From his sunrise runs, then sparring or helping out with training at Cade’s fight gym, to brushing up on his tactical skills with Gavin’s crew, he was in impeccable form. He’d never been stronger.

His mental recovery was another story. After the shooting, he’d started going to therapy twice a week—as mandated bythe SPD. Eventually, those bi-weekly sessions had morphed into monthly, then into calls every six weeks. He could admit to himself that he’d come a long way. The anger, frustration, and bitterness he’d wrestled with when he’d attended his first appointment had eased considerably.

Hours on his therapist’s couch and numerous sessions pounding the shit out of a heavy bag had helped him realize that while some of his issues stemmed from getting shot, the largest culprit was what had followed the attack. Namely, the implosion of his marriage.

The fact that he could even pinpoint where his issues came from was a win. Forget that his therapist kept reminding him that avoidance coping wasn’t the healthiest. He’d fucking live.

“So, my friend, I know whyIhad to split,” Cade said in a nonchalant way that Matt knew was anything but. “I have a meeting to get to. But why didyouleave so fast?”

Matt suppressed a sigh. Because more than anything, he’d wanted to stick around. Wanted to know that Daisy was okay. ThatScarletwas okay. But fuck, ever since they’d met, he’d barely strung together more than a handful of sentences in her presence. So it hadn’t been his place to stay. At all. Even if he was always hyperaware of her, always trying to make sure she and her daughter were okay.

But there was no way in hell Matt was telling Cade any of that. Avoidance coping? Absolutely.

His phone dinged. Grateful for the interruption, he pulled it from his pocket and read the text from Gavin. He sent up a prayer of thanks to the universe, fired off a quick response, and turned to his friend. “I also have a meeting.”

Cade’s brow furrowed. “With who?”

“Gavin.” As of thirty fucking seconds ago, his four o’clock meeting had moved to half an hour from now.

“Are you assisting on one of their cases again?”

Matt was tempted to give a vague answer, but Cade was his best friend. He paused mid-step and let out a breath. “Actually, no.”

Cade stopped, and the concern on his face grew. “Everything okay, man?”

The corners of Matt’s lips twitched. “Yeah,” he said as he resumed walking with Cade in step beside him. “So... I put in my resignation this morning. Officially. And I’m going to work for Gavin.” He looked at his friend in wonder. “I’m apparently signing paperwork and all that shit today.”

Cade stared at him for a moment, slack-jawed. Then he let out a deafening whoop and pulled Matt into a bruising hug. “It’s about fucking time, brother!”

Matt laughed and slapped his friend on the back. A weight lifted from his shoulders. Holy shit, saying it out loud—with this kind of reception—was such a damn relief.

“Thanks, man.” He shook his head, still not quite believing it was all real. “Even with the medical leave I took, and then the additional extensions, I still had another five weeks of vacation and sick time racked up. But I figured enough was enough.”

“Fuck yeah, man!” Cade said, clapping his hands together.

Matt laughed at his friend’s exuberance.

“So you’re here permanently, then?”

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