Safe with Me

My phone rings, Isaac’s name on the caller id and I answer it quickly.

“Isaac.”

“Bryn? What’s wrong?”

“I can’t go into detail because the girls are in the car with me, but I have to come to Seattle right now.”

“Bryn, slow down. Are you hurt?”

“No, we’re all fine, but I don’t think we’re safe.”

“What do you mean?” His voice has taken on a hard edge and it steadies me.

“I just saw something I shouldn’t have. I’ll explain when I get there. I just wanted to let you know that I’m driving home.” I glance back to find the girls watching me with wide, somber eyes.

“You’re driving?” He asks incredulously. “It’s almost December, Bryn. The roads are going to be horrible.”

“I know. I’ll take my time. I’m going to have to stop at night for the girls anyway. It could take me a week to get there.”

“I don’t like this,” he responds grimly.

“Me either.” As the shock catches up with me, tears run unchecked down my cheeks.

“We’ll be here, Bryn. Call me every day to let me know where you are. I’m going to talk to Matt.”

“I’m going to need to talk to Matt as soon as I get there, Isaac. And a detective from Chicago should be calling him any time.”

“Are you in trouble?” Isaac’s voice is calm and cold, and I know he’s thinking the worst.

“Not like you’re thinking, but it’s bad.”

“Drive safely. Keep me informed.”

“Okay,” I agree, hang up and pull into a WalMart parking lot. “Come on girls, we need to grab a few things.”

“Are we going to see grandma and grandpa in Seattle?” Josie asks.

They’re so damn smart.

“Yes, sweetie, so we need to get some things to take with us.”

“Yay, we get to see grandma and grandpa!” Maddie dances beside me as we walk into the store to buy necessities such as toothbrushes and underwear.

The girls have a few days worth of clothes packed with us, but all I have is my purse.

Maybe some hair dye for me.

I also pull my cell phone apart and throw it in the trash, adding a new cell to my list of things to buy.

I guess we’re going back to Seattle sooner than I expected.

Chapter One

Bang! Bang! Bang!

My alarm shouldn’t be going off yet.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I wake with a start to the sound of someone trying to beat my door down, and my heart immediately slams into overdrive.

I jump from the bed, not bothering to throw anything on over my skimpy tank and panties and search madly for a weapon of any kind.

“Mommy?” Maddie asks sleepily from her bedroom doorway.

“Go back to bed, Mads.” I usher her back into the bedroom and give her my best smile, which feels more like a grimace.

“Someone’s at the door,” Josie informs me and pulls her baby doll into her small arms.

“I know. I’m going to go answer it. Stay in your room.” My voice is stern as I shut their door behind me and race down the stairs to the living room.

All of the blinds are still closed, so I can’t see outside.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I grab the screwdriver I was using yesterday to put a set of shelves together and open the door just a crack.

“Who is it?” I ask wearily.

“Bryn, it’s just Caleb and me,” Matt Montgomery answers, his handsome face grim.

I step back and open the door wide, sighing in relief.

“You scared the hell out of me!”

“What are you doing with the screw driver?” Matt asks and props his hands on his hips just as his younger brother, Caleb, scrowls at me.

“It’s my weapon,” I tell them both and raise my chin stubbornly.

“Right.” Caleb steps forward and plucks the screwdriver out of my hand. “It’s very effective.”

“I could have stabbed you if you were a bad guy.” I step back and push my hair off my face. “Why are you here at six in the damn morning?”

“Maybe you should put some clothes on,” Matt suggests, and I squeal as I realize that I’m practically naked.

“Shit!”

“Mommy, you’re not supposed to say that,” Josie speaks up from the bottom steps of the staircase. “Maddie! Matt and Caleb are here!”

“Go put something on, sweetheart, we’ll get the girls breakfast.” Matt smiles at my girls and hugs them both, but Caleb is still quiet, watching me with sober blue eyes.

“Why are you here?” I ask them both again.

“We’ll talk about that too,” Caleb assures me, and finally offers me a half-smile, showing off the dimples in both of his cheeks as he lets his eyes wander down my half-naked body.

This man makes me quiver inside. Since I came home more than a year ago and got caught up in this big, loving family, Caleb has given me a permanent case of wet panties. Having him carry my drunk ass into the house after Jules’ bachelorette party last year sealed the deal.

Even in my inebriated state, my body was on full hum while in his arms.

“I’ll be right back,” I murmur and run up the stairs, around the girls, trying not to think about the fact that both hot as hell Montgomery men just got a prime view of my mostly-naked ass, and that this is the most skin any man has seen of mine in close to five years.

Pathetic.

I can hear the girls loudly talking to the guys as I rush to pull on a hoodie and yoga pants, pull my hair up in a haphazard bun, and saunter back down the stairs.

“We are having Coco Puffs for breakfast,” Maddie informs me.

“Okay, but have a banana with that.”

“Oh, man!” Josie complains.

“You know the rule. You can have sugar cereal if you have fruit too.” I kiss both of their heads as I walk past them to fill the coffee maker with water.

Matt grabs bananas and peels them for the kids. “You didn’t tell me about this rule,” he informs them with a mock glare.

“We didn’t know about it,” Maddie lies, trying to hold in a laugh.

“You know, I can take you to jail for lying to a police officer,” Matt informs them with a grin.

“Nu uh!” Josie exclaims and giggles.

“Yep,” he nods.

“We’ll eat the banana,” Maddie concedes and takes a big bite out of hers.

“That’s better.” Matt slides his hand down her ponytail from across the breakfast bar. “No jail for you today.”