Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
It just meant that she’d have to stay up all night and keep watch for Vince.
Awesome.
She headed toward her car, her head down as she muttered to herself.
Idiot. Fool. Couldn’t even find your voice.
“Watch out!” someone cried.
“Lady, watch out!” a smaller voice yelled.
She glanced up to see who they were calling out to and came to an abrupt stop as a power pole appeared out of nowhere.
Where the heck had that come from?
“Whoa, lady,” a young voice said. “You nearly ran right into that pole.”
Maya glanced over to find an elegant, stunning blonde woman standing there, gaping at her. She was holding the hand of a cute, dark-haired girl wearing an oversized jersey with a sports team on it. Her hair was in two pigtails and she was shaking her head at Maya.
“Um . . . I . . . y-yes,” Maya said.
Great. Why was she still stumbling over her words?
Get it together, Maya.
“Are you all right?” the woman asked in concern.
“Yes, I’m fine.” She forced herself to smile. “Thanks.”
“You might want to watch where you’re walking,” the child advised. “You wouldn’t look so good with a broken nose.”
“It’s true,” the woman said. “You don’t want to hurt yourself.”
“Yes, thanks. I’ll make sure I watch where I’m going from now on.”
Could her humiliation get any worse?
“That’s good. Bye! Come on, Mama. We have to get going.”
The woman gave her a smile as the little girl tugged at her hand. They didn’t look like they were related at all.
“Have a good day,” the woman said. “I hope whatever was on your mind just now gets resolved quickly.”
Yeah. Her too.
6
Matthieu stared after the strange woman until she disappeared around the corner.
What was that all about?
He wasn’t sure . . . but he found himself worried about her. Was she all right? Why could she barely speak? She’d looked at him strangely.
What had she been doing standing on the stairs just staring at the door? Had she wanted to go inside?
Merde. Had he scared her off? Maybe he should go after her?
But she was probably long gone and he was due at a meeting. Pushing her out of his head, he turned and walked inside.
“Welcome to Callahan Security,” Sable chirped from behind the desk. “How can I help you?”
Matthieu sighed. “Sable.”
The woman jumped and blinked up at him. “Do I know you? I’m so sorry, I seem to have misplaced my glasses.”
“They’re on your head,” he told her patiently.
She patted around the top of her head and found them, putting them on her nose. Then she smiled at him brightly. “Matthieu! Hi!”
“Hello, Sable,” he said quietly.
“Sorry I didn’t recognize you when you first came in. Ink is waiting for you in the meeting room.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Sable hadn’t been working here that long, but he’d met her a few times. She was sweet and cheerful but also slightly forgetful. Without her glasses on, she could barely see anything.
And she was constantly leaving her glasses places. Mostly on her head.
He was tempted to ask her if she’d thought of corrective surgery or even contacts.
But that wasn’t any of his business.
Her smile grew bigger as she glanced behind him. “Betsy! Zippy!”
“Hi, Sable,” Betsy said, walking in holding her daughter’s hand. “Matthieu.”
Matthieu placed his hand on Betsy’s shoulder as he leaned in to kiss her right cheek, then her left.
Betsy blushed slightly. Then he felt a punch against his thigh and glanced down at Zippy who attempted to push him.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Don’t kiss my mama!” Zippy told him with a fierce frown. “She has a husband!”
Ahh.
“Oh, Zippy, it’s all right,” Betsy said. “He’s French. They greet people like that.”
He’d only met Zippy once. Maybe no one had mentioned that to her.
“He don’t sound French,” Zippy said, still glaring up at him. “And I don’t care. Don’t kiss my mama.”
“Who is kissing your mama?” Ink asked as he stepped into the room. “Good, Matthieu, you’re here. What are you doing out here, though?”
“He’s kissing Mama!” Zippy complained.
Ink stilled and stared at Matthieu, then Betsy. “Someone want to explain?”
“On the cheek!” Sable said quickly. “The way the French do.”
“Could be a dinosaur kiss, but a kiss is a kiss,” Zippy said, crossing her arms over her chest as Matthieu took several steps away from her.
“Ahh, right.” Ink shook his head and walked forward, hugging Betsy to him and kissing her gently. Then he crouched and spoke quietly to Zippy for a moment.
When he stood, Zippy was no longer glaring at Matthieu. But she was giving him suspicious looks.
He winked at her and she huffed.
“What are you guys doing here?” Ink asked.
“Zippy has a teacher-only day, so we’re going to go to the movies. But you forgot your lunch so we brought it in for you.” Betsy held up the bag and Ink smiled at her.
“You didn’t have to do that, Brown Eyes,” he said.