Chapter Three
The instant Matt climbed out of his Explorer in the open-air lot near the Lincoln Tunnel, his face froze in the brutally cold wind. Between that and the five thousand bodies per square foot now swarming around him at roughly the speed of light, he remembered why he’d rather ice-skate naked than come into Manhattan. The crowds, the dirt, the noise... He flinched as a fire engine edging through the taxi-clogged street blasted its horn—so not him. And never would be.
Except since this was where his twin sister lived, this was where he needed to be. Because nobody understood how his brain worked better than Sabrina. Sure, they talked on the phone and texted, but their connection was strongest when they actually shared breathing space.
Made sense, he supposed, considering how, as suddenly orphaned six-year-olds, it’d been them against the world. Naturally Matt had felt honor bound to protect his sister, even though he later realized how much his scrappy little twin had protected him, too. And they were still there for each other, no matter what.
Bowed against the biting wind, he walked the few blocks to the Ninth Avenue diner where Sabrina had suggested they meet, one of those glaringly lit, grease-scented joints where the glasses were plastic, the plates weighed more than some of the patrons and fries came with, end of discussion.
Sabrina had snagged a booth near the back, looking like a slumming A-lister. Didn’t act like one, though, squealing and bouncing up to throw her skinny, designer-clad arms around Matt.
“Sit, I already ordered for you,” she said, immediately reverting to Jersey speak. “You look good. Worried, but good.” Surrounded by a forest of artfully messy dark hair, equally dark, guilt-ridden eyes bored into his. “Damn. It’s been too long, Matty.”
“Hey. You’re the one who spent the holidays out in Oyster Bay with your hotsy-totsy boyfriend.”
“I know,” she said with a mock pout. Which immediately turned into a huge grin...a moment before she thrust out her left hand, on which glittered a multistoned diamond ring that redefined bling.
“Well, look at that,” Matt said, forcing his lips into a smile as a dozen conversations and clattering silverware and a ringing phone blurred around him. How could his sister marry someone he’d never even met? Still, he managed to say, “Congratulations,” then stood and leaned over the table to kiss her cheek. “Lucky guy.”
“Yes, he is,” Bree said with an uncharacteristic giggle.
Just kill him now. “So when’s the wedding?”
Their food arrived. Burgers and fries. Uninspired but comforting. “Not for at least a year. Plenty of time for you to get used to the idea.” A grin flashed. “And Chad. Anyway...what’s up? It must be something big to get you into the city.”
Matt hoisted his hamburger off the plate, took a bite. His arteries were probably recoiling in terror, but his mouth was doing a happy dance. “When was the last time you talked to Kelly?”
Frowning, Sabrina grabbed her napkin to swipe dripping hamburger juice off her chin. “As in Kelly McNeil? I mean, Harrison, whatever.”
“You know more than one?”
“No, but...” She put down the burger, wiped her hands, picked it up again. “Actually talked? Gosh... Ages ago. Since before she had her second kid. Why?”
“What’s your take on her ex?”
Frowning, Sabrina swallowed, took a pull of her diet soda. “Okay, Matty? You can quit the whole detective shtick right now. What’s going on?”
His sister was many things, but a faker wasn’t one of them. Obviously she didn’t know. “She and the kids are at the house.”
Brows shot up. “You mean our house? Why? And why did I not know this?”
“Yeah, I’m getting to that, and she indicated you two had kind of drifted apart. Not to mention you changed your number.”
“Crap, right. On both counts,” she said with a disgusted-at-herself look, then squinted. “And you think Rick has something to do with her showing up?”
“Think, hell.” His jaw tightened. “I know.”
Sabrina’s gaze sharpened. “And the man still has all his teeth?”
“What—?”
“Oh, come on, Matty—it’s not like nobody knew how you felt about her back in the day. Although I couldn’t figure out why you never acted on it—”
“Why I never acted on it?” His sister smiled, and he realized he’d walked right into her trap. “So maybe I felt something for her. Since she didn’t exactly give me any encouragement, I didn’t pursue it.”
“Idiot.”
“Excuse me?”
“You really never noticed how Kelly clammed up whenever you came into the room?”
“Sure I noticed. Figured that was her way of telling me not to bother—”
“You can’t be serious! She was crazy for you! But you’d waltz in, all swagger and strut like the world was yours, and she’d think, ‘What chance would I have with him?’”
“She actually told you that?”
Bree made the Scout’s honor sign.
Matt gaped at his sister for several seconds before he found his voice. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because, for one thing, you did act like you were all that back then. I’m not even sure I liked you very much, to be truthful. So I sure as hell wasn’t inclined to fix you up with my best friend. Even if you did have a thing for her.” She jabbed a fry in his direction. “Which I’m guessing you still do. Since you’re here and all.”
“I’m here because Kelly is about to violate her custody agreement, if she hasn’t already, and I figured if anyone could shed some light on why she’s doing that, it’d be you.”
Sabrina finished her burger, then wiped her fingers on her already crumpled napkin. “You don’t believe whatever she’s told you?”
His gut twisted. “I don’t know her, Bree. You do. Or did, anyway.”
“And if I put your mind at ease? Then will you go smack him around?”
Matt almost smiled. “It’s not like I can go vigilante on the guy’s ass. Since, oddly enough, I would like to have a job to go back to. And—” he leaned forward “—this is strictly between us, okay? Even if her story pans out, I’m still really pushing it by letting her stay at the house.”
“Jeez, you make it sound like she offed the guy.” Her brow furrowed. “Do we know that she didn’t?” she said, and Matt smiled again. They’d both thought the same thing.
“I heard her talking to him this morning, so yeah. He’s still alive.”
“He said, gritting his teeth.”
Matt glowered at his sister. Who, of course, laughed at him. “Bree...get real. What I felt—that was a long time ago, when none of us had a clue about, well, anything really. And after Marcia... Hell, I don’t want to even look at that horse, let alone get back up on it.” And his sister didn’t know the half of it. Neither did anyone else. “And no,” he said to Bree’s lifted brows, “I’m not calling Marcia a horse. Anyway, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, I didn’t hear much of the conversation, but last night Kelly seemed pretty convinced that Rick might hurt the children.”
“Holy crap—are you serious?”
“She certainly is. And if what she’s telling me is legit...” He sighed. “You know how I feel about this stuff. I’m not gonna let anything happen to her or the kids, if I can help it. But you can see my dilemma.”
“Yeah,”