Page 19 of Deserving Maddie

"Nice to meet you."

Ray waited for the starstruck moment. If Maddie commented on Wes's dimples, then he was sure she would get flustered by his teammate’s good looks and deep voice. There was a reason Luis got the nickname Hollywood. The man looked like he recently stepped off the set of a movie. Ray was used to the stares Hollywood got. Even if they were never reciprocated because up until recently, his friend had a huge secret. He was in love with a woman from back home. Abby was perfect for him.

Once again Maddie surprised him when she didn't even bat an eyelash at Hollywood before returning with, "Nice to meet you as well.”

She then turned to Ray. "I should probably get home. Kat is likely freaking out that she can't reach me and my kids are probably worried. I wouldn't be surprised if a search party was out right now looking for me."

"Hollywood, do you mind following us to Maddie's place? I'm going to lend her my vehicle until hers gets a new tire."

He had to give his friend credit. Hollywood didn't look the least bit phased that he was willing to hand his precious car over to a virtual stranger. Not that Maddie was a stranger, but his friend didn't know that.

"Absolutely. Just let me know when you're ready."

"We're ready now." Maddie practically ran out of his office.

He didn’t bother to worry that she would run straight for the parking lot; with all the security protocols Wes had in place, Maddie could barely get out of the hallway.

Ray had to contain a laugh when he found her seconds later, tapping her foot in annoyance at the first secure door.

"This place is ridiculous! How is anyone supposed to leave if the whole place is locked down? And what would happen if there was a fire? Everyone would burn to death trying to get out these stupid doors!"

"It's locked down to keep people safe and to make sure the little ones who are here more often than not don't accidentally escape." He smirked as he pressed his thumb to the electronic keypad and typed in his code. "Oh, and the entire system is overridden in the event of a fire."

"That makes sense."

Maddie looked deep in thought as they continued to move through the barn. It wasn't until they were in his car that she spoke again.

"What did you mean by little ones?"

"Little ones?" It took Ray a beat to understand what Maddie was referring to. "Oh, right. There's a daycare at the barn." When Maddie raised her eyebrow in question, he quickly continued. "That's what he calls our office because that's what it used to be, and yes, one of the perks of my job is that we have an on-site daycare. Several of the wives also work for Wes or have jobs that don't require them to need full-time care, so Wes figured he would help them out. Some days I think he regrets that decision. It only started with one kid but they've multiplied over the years."

Ray was trying hard not to look like a creeper but it was more difficult than he realized. He wanted to watch every expression Maddie made. Especially as he spoke about his job. He’d never before felt the urge to tell someone what he did, but with her, it came natural to want to share those things.

"That was nice of him. Most employers wouldn't go out of their way to be that accommodating."

"That's the kind of guy Wes is. Although he won't ever admit it. He prefers the world to think he's an asshole. Which couldn't be further from the truth. He knew his teams would feel more comfortable knowing the kids were safe at the barn, so he made it happen."

When it came time to leave his so-called dream job, a buddy of his had mentioned working for Wes. Because he never imagined doing that kind of work, he only agreed to help when needed. It had surprised Ray when he found he actually enjoyed helping Bravo Team find human traffickers and shut them down. Wes's gruff exterior was a refreshing change from the backstabbing co-workers he had come to find at his previous employment.

The rest of the drive was silent except for Maddie giving him directions. Pulling up in front of a modest two-story Colonial, it had him once again wondering who Maddie was. What was her backstory? It would be easy enough to get her information from her car and look into her, but Ray found himself wanting to get to know her the old-fashioned way. Through conversation.

Ray barely had the car in park before the front door was flying open and a pretty redhead was racing down the front steps, followed by the boy from the grocery store he knew to be Maddie's son.

"Here we go," Maddie grumbled.

Ray couldn't hide the wince that escaped at witnessing Maddie's friend whip the car door open so hard he was sure the hinge was close to snapping.

"Where the hell have you been?! And why the hell is some strange guy bringing you home? And where the fuck is your car?"

Maddie's friend didn't bother to stop and breathe, let alone allow Maddie to answer any of the questions. She wasn't kidding when she mentioned a search party. The redhead looked ready to throw down for her friend.

"It's the same guy we ran into at the grocery store," the boy said. "The one who kept looking at my mom all weird."

He wanted to snap out at the boy that he wasn't looking at her weirdly, but then he thought better of it. He doubted Maddie would take kindly to him snapping at her son. Even if it was to defend himself.

"Huh?" The redhead looked like a pinball stuck between two flaps. She looked at him, then at Maddie, then back to him, and so forth, trying to figure out what was going on. He could see the moment something clicked. "Oh." One more look at Maddie, and the redhead's eyes bugged out of her head. "Ohhhh." The one word was a cross between a high-pitched squeal and disbelief.

"Kat, this is Ray. He and his boss found me on the side of the road. I got a flat tire after taking a wrong turn down a dirt road."

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