“Right,” Flynn says, all business now. Damn doctor. “What happened?”
I sigh as I undo a few buttons of my shirt and push it over my shoulder, revealing not only my bra strap—which is nothing Flynn hasn’t seen many times—but a purple bruised line across my bicep from where my bag strap caught before I let it go.
Flynn probes the muscle with trained fingers before pinning me with a stern stare. “Wanna tell me what this is about? Or should I just assume it’s something to do with your new video posted today: ‘Food to Make a Bad Day Go Away?’”
I start straightening my shirt, making sure it looks the same as it was before since Harvey is due back any minute. I try to stare Flynn down, hoping he’ll let the issue go. Unfortunately, he’s as stubborn as I am. “Kid grabbed my bag on the sidewalk. It got caught on my arm before I let him take it,” I say with a sigh.
“Shit, Dee. Are you okay otherwise?”
“Yeah. I was a bit shook up. I mean, I didn’t expect to get mugged outside my own restaurant in the middle of the day. But it worked out in the end.” Even better if Rhodes comes back to see me. “Honestly, Flynn. My bag and phone were recovered, and by then, the cops had arrived.”
“So, you’ve made a report?”
I avert my eyes, my teeth digging into my lip as I look to the door, willing my son to suddenly appear.
“Dee,” Flynn growls. “Damn, I forgot how nice you are.”
Harvey runs back into the room, a big coffee-table book under his arm, saving me from answering any more questions. “Got it, Dad.”
Thank god for my kid.
“Right, you ready to go, Harvs? I know for a fact Aunty Gilly has made a big pot of chili for dinner.”
“And ice cream for dessert?”
I smirk at him. “Since when do we not have ice cream at Uncle Ezra’s house?”
“Yay!” He turns to his father and hugs his waist. “Bye, Dad. See you when we get home.”
“Bye, champ. Say hi to everyone for me.” Flynn’s gaze shifts to me. “Take some Advil. It’ll help.”
“Yes, Doctor.” I smirk.
Flynn shakes his head. “Always a smartass. If I’m not here later, I’m at Sophie’s.” Sophie is Flynn’s girlfriend of six months. She never stays at the house, but she’s lovely and she dotes on Harvey, so that’s a plus.
“All good. I’m working tomorrow night though. Can you be home for Harvey?”
“Always. Now go. Our son needs his chili and ice cream.”
I step in and kiss his cheek. “Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Flynn chuckles. “That doesn’t leave much, does it?”
“Shh,” I stage-whisper, catching Harvey’s smirk. “Can’t have our kid getting any ideas.”
“You know I can hear you, Mom, right?” Harvey giggles.
“I think we’ve got our hands full with this tweenager. What do you think, Dad?”
Flynn chuckles. “Have fun, guys. Harvs, look after your mother.”
“Will do.”
And with that, our son takes my hand in his and leads me to the door, like the mini protector-in-training he is.
It’s after dinner that my brother brings up the elephant in the room. I didn’t feel the need to tell anyone about today’s incident because it all worked out, and it’s just the embarrassment that I was caught unawares that I’m left with. But then again, I also met a charming, intriguing, incredibly sexy man who flirted with me. I flirted back, and now he may—or may not—come to have dinner at the restaurant sometime in the future. God, I hope he does.
“So, I may have heard you had a little fun today?” Ezra says when Gilly, Harvey, and my nephew, Hudson, leave the room in search of ice cream. Ezra and Gilly’s daughter, Olivia, is already in bed, having fallen asleep in her high chair during dinner.
My brows go up as I rest my hands on the table. “Is that so? Which little birdie in a police uniform told you that?”
My brother’s lips twitch, his eyes alight with amusement. “I don’t reveal my sources.”
“Bullshit,” I say with a laugh. “Gio has a big mouth.”
Ezra lifts his wine glass to his mouth. “I would have hoped my little sister would have told me.”
“Not so little anymore, big brother.”
His eyes turn soft. “You’ll always be little to me.”
My heart swells. “Stop being sweet.”
“I can’t help what comes naturally,” he says as his eyes turn concerned. “You’re okay though?
I nod. “Yeah. I kind of had a knight in shining armor come to my rescue.” And boy, what a good-looking knight he was. Well-kept light brown hair, the perfect amount of stubble covering a square jaw, kind blue eyes, and a smile that made me forget all about being mugged.
“Oh?”
I can’t help the wry smile that curves my lips at the memory of Rhodes apologizing for letting the kid go. That show of compassion hit my soft spot, well and truly. A man who jumps in to help not one, but two strangers like that is definitely a man I want to get to know better. The fact that he’s hot as Hades is just a bonus.
“That smile says there’s a story there . . .” Ezra muses.
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Okay, Dee. I’ll let you keep your secrets this time,” he says with a wink. “Now what are you doing next weekend?”
I scan my brain. “Nothing much. Flynn is going fishing for the weekend and the restaurant is covered, so it’s a mom and son weekend.”
“So, movies, baking, and PlayStation then?”
“Pretty much,” I say with a laugh. “Why do you ask?”
Ezra is an open book—always has been, always will be. But there’s a semi-cautious edge to his expression that piques my curiosity.
“The firehouse is having a barbecue. It’s at Skye and Cohen’s house this time and we’re using it as an excuse to have a final get-together before the baby comes. Everyone you know is going to be there, including Mom and Dad, so it would be cool if you and Harvey could come.”
“Aww, that sounds good. Will give us a chance to catch up with Faith and Bry too.” Our youngest sister, Faith, and her childhood sweetheart, Bryant, both work full time. And with two kids under five, a house that they are forever renovating, and my unsociable hours at the restaurant on top of that, we don’t get to catch up as often as we’d like.
Ezra shifts in his seat and clears his throat. “I might have an ulterior motive as well . . .”
“Mmm hmm.” I take a sip of my wine and rest my glass on the table.
“We’ve got a friend who we’d like you to meet. But apparently you already did that today…”
My mouthful gets stuck halfway down my throat, and I start spluttering. “What?”
“Yeah . . . look, another little birdie—”
“Not the police officer birdie?” Then something occurs to me. “Wait . . . the friend isn’t Gio, is it?”
He smirks. “No, a different friend this time. Gio is a good guy, but I’m not sure he could keep up with you. He’s more of a stay-at-home-and-chill kind of person.”