Wilde Blue (Wilde Brothers Book 4) (3 page)

Carla chimed in at that point. “You should have had girls, Nana Meg. Mommy says little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, ’cept when I’m naughty. Then she says I’m full of backtalk and sass and need a swat to my—”

“And that’s enough of that, young lady,” Dani interjected before the girl could finish. “Have you been behaving yourself with Mr. Wilde?”

Carla nodded. “I did! Only I don’t have to call him Mr. Wilde, remember? Because there are five of them and if I called them all Mr. Wilde then you wouldn’t know which one I was talking about.”

Dave nodded in agreement. “She’s right. There are too many Mr. Wildes around. See, Mom? I told you that you should have stopped after one son.”

His mother wagged a finger at him before retreating from the room. “I’m going to go have a word with Jared. Since you’re here instead of at home, I’m assuming you haven’t eaten yet and there’s no food in your house. Eat something, David, and say hello to your father before you slip away again. We’ve missed you.”

“Yes, Mom,” Dave answered automatically, and Carla giggled.

“You sound like me,” she said.

“It’s a mom superpower. No matter how old you get, your mom can always make you feel like you’re a kid again.” He glanced at Dani and caught her laughing behind her hand. “Isn’t that right, Dani?”

“Oh yeah. My mom can make me feel like I’m six years old with a few well-chosen words.”

Carla sighed and the light went out of her eyes for a moment. “I miss Grandma. When can I talk to her? It’s been ages.”

“I know, bug. But it’s not easy, you know that. Maybe next week, okay? I have to talk to Grandma, too, and I bet she’s missing both of us.”

Dave had spent half his life learning to read people, and he knew right away something was off. Dani was being deliberately vague for some reason, and she didn’t seem to be the type of parent to deny a child anything, especially not time with her grandparents.

Dani glanced up at him again and caught him staring. Damn, the woman was getting to him and she hadn’t so much as batted an eyelash. Maybe his brothers were right. He’d been living like a monk for too long.

“If you haven’t eaten, there are some more samples of the dishes I whipped up for Jared. Would you like a pulled pork sandwich and maybe a slice of deep dish apple and raisin pie?” she offered, and Dave’s stomach rumbled at the mere mention of food.

“That sounds incredible, thanks. The last time I had anything to eat I was in a different time zone.”

Dani chuckled softly. “So, your mom was right. You
did
come here to score a meal.”

“Guilty as charged. I’ve been out of town for almost a week. There’s nothing edible in my fridge but condiments and half a jar of pickles.” He shrugged. “It used to be at least one of my brothers was here every night, foraging for food. Now that three of them are domesticated, it doesn’t happen as often.”

“You mean they used to be here more than they are now? My parents run a restaurant, too, and not even free food could lure my brothers in more than once or twice a month. I’ve only been here two weeks and I’ve already seen all your siblings at least twice.”

“And Chase! Chase loves cheeseburgers. Ben sneaks them to him when Kelly isn’t looking,” Carla announced with glee.

“One day Kelly is going to catch him doing that, and Benji is going to spend a week in the doghouse while Chase gets his side of the bed.”

Carla giggled. “Ben wouldn’t fit in a doghouse. He’s too big!”

“We’re heading home in about ten minutes, kiddo. Why don’t you start cleaning up while I go get Dave his dinner?” Dani moved around the desk to kiss her daughter’s cheek, smoothing back the tumble of curls from her eyes. “If you’re quick, we’ll have time for pie when we get home. But only if you’re ready to go when I get back. Deal?”

“Deal,” Carla agreed and immediately started gathering up her drawings. She picked up the one of the police cruiser and held it out to Dave. “Trade? You take this one and I get the one of the police horse.”

“Deal,” Dave echoed her earlier statement and handed her his sketch. “I think yours is better than mine, anyway.”

“Thank you!” Carla surprised him by bounding off the chair and running over to throw her arms around him for a quick hug.

Unsure what to do, he gave her shoulder a gentle pat. “Uh, you’re welcome. You better get back to tidying up, though. Otherwise, you’re not going to get dessert.”

“Okay.” She bounced away again, beaming. “Mom’s pie is the best. You’ll see.”

“I don’t know about the best. My mom’s pie is pretty good. I’ll have to taste it first. Next time I see you, I’ll tell you which one I think is best. Good night, Carla. It was nice meeting you.”

“Bye, Dave.”

He followed Dani out of the office and back toward the kitchen. “You have a really special little girl there.”

“I do. She’s the center of my world. Thank you for spending time with her tonight. That was nice of you.”

“I like kids. They see things differently than adults do and have no problem saying so.”

“You must be looking forward to the arrival of your niece or nephew in a few months. You’ll make a great uncle.”

“Tag’s a lucky man. Less than a year ago we were all worried about his future, and now he’s got his own business, Jo, and a baby on the way.” Tag wasn’t just lucky. He was fucking blessed. Everything Dave had ever dreamed of having had fallen into his brother’s hands, and as happy as he was for him, it was hard not to be a little envious.

“He’s a good man. I owe him and your whole family a debt I can’t ever repay.” Dani’s shoulders stiffened and she lengthened her stride a little, pulling away from him.

He took the hint and didn’t ask the obvious question. Whatever had brought her and Carla to Chicago, she didn’t want to talk about it, and he didn’t need to know. They were strangers. There was no reason to get involved. In fact, it would be smart if he kept his distance.

Very smart.

He reminded himself of that fact every step of the way back to the kitchen. Even after they’d said a polite good night and parted company, he was still reminding himself that Dani’s story wasn’t any of his business.

That didn’t stop him from heading out to the polished mahogany bar where Jared was standing, pulling up a stool, and asking about Dani before he’d even taken his first bite of dinner.

Chapter Two

“I see you’ve got a new chef. What happened to Jackson?” he asked Jared, trying to act nonchalant about his chosen topic.

“Jackson’s been trying to go to half-time for more than a year. He and Dani are splitting the evening shifts for now, and he’s happy as hell. I’m not sure why I’m even talking to you, asshole. You actually showed Mom my text warning you off.”

“Sorry, bro. Old habits die hard. I’ve been throwing you and the others under the bus so long it was pure instinct.”

“You’re still an asshole.” Jared nodded to the platter of food in front of Dave. “So how did you manage to score that? It’s not even going on the menu until next week.”

“Dani said she made extra and offered it to me. Is it any good, or am I about to commit gastronomic suicide?”

“Are you kidding? She’s a classically trained executive chef. Her food is amazing, and she’s got the kitchen ticking over like a Swiss clock. Since Dani started, we’re busier than ever.”

Dave took a bite of the sandwich and nearly groaned out loud. Goddamn, it was good.

“See what I mean?” Jared asked and Dave could only nod in agreement.

They talked while he ate, and soon he knew as much about Dani and Carla as Jared did, which wasn’t much, really. She was from Washington State, had been a victim of domestic violence, and was hiding from her ex. Whoever the guy was, he was dangerous enough that she’d uprooted her little girl and traveled thousands of miles to get away from him.

Tag’s new security business, The Line, specialized in protecting women in Dani’s situation, but Dani was the first one of their clients needing to completely disappear.

“How long have they been in Chicago?” he asked as he mopped up the last few traces of sauce from his plate.

“Not long. She only started here two weeks ago. I’m lucky to have her. Normally a chef with her background would be working at a more prestigious place, but she can’t use her real name, which means no credentials without revealing her situation.”

“So Dani isn’t her real name?”

Jared shrugged. “I don’t know, and I didn’t ask. She’s only just starting to feel safe again. She’ll share when she’s ready. I think Mom knows more, but she’s not telling.” He cocked a blond brow at Dave. “So what’s with all the questions? Don’t tell me the family’s monk is actually interested in a woman. I’m sure that’s one of the signs the world’s coming to an end.”

“I came to find you and found a cute little girl coloring in your office instead. I was just curious about her and her mom, that’s all.”

“Uh-huh,” Jared drawled, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. “And the fact that Carla’s mom is smart, funny, and hot as hell has nothing to do with it. I call bullshit.”

“I’ve been to enough sexual harassment seminars to know you’re not supposed to describe your employees as being hot as hell,” Dave retorted, deliberately ignoring the point his brother was making. He didn’t want to think about his reasons for wanting to know more about Dani, or why it bothered him that he might not even know her real name.

“I may not be a detective, but I know an evasion when I hear it.” Jared leaned across the bar. “Not that you asked for my opinion, but here it is, anyway. Not every woman in the world is like your ex. Jeanine couldn’t handle being a cop’s wife. She wanted the fantasy and bailed when she had to deal with the reality. Suck it up, buttercup. Time to move on.”

Dave stabbed his fork into the pie hard enough to make the plate rattle. “I’ll start taking dating advice from you once you actually go out on a date. The last woman in your life was Lisa, and that was, what, four years ago?”

“Three. And I’ve been out with other women since then. I’m just smart enough not to bring my dates here where they’ll be exposed to our crazy family. If you get together with Dani, you won’t have to worry about that. She’s already met the horde.”

“I’ve got no interest in her or any other woman. I swear to God you’re getting to be as bad as Mom. I only asked a few questions, that’s all,” Dave grumbled, then took a bite of the dessert and lost his train of thought. “Damn, this is good.”

“See what you miss out on when you don’t come around for a few weeks?”

Dave shook his head. “It’s not like I was sitting around with nothing to do but hang around this place. I’m trying to make captain, remember? And then I was out of town for the convention. And God knows how high the stack of files on my desk is by now. I’m going to be pulling overtime this week to catch up.”

“My condolences. Speaking of paperwork, I’ve got a few tons of it to shift around my desk before I can head home. Now that it’s quieting down out here and there isn’t a pint-sized Rembrandt sitting at my desk, I should get to it.”

“Good luck.” Dave paused half a beat before asking one last question. “When’s Dani’s next shift? I want to come back and try one of her other new dishes.”

Jared gave him a knowing grin. “Right. You’re coming for the food, that’s all. She’s working the night after next. I guess I’ll see you then?”

“Could be.” Dave waved his brother off before the bastard laughed in his face. His office was in the area and he was going to be working late. It was only logical that he come to the pub to eat, especially with a new cook working the kitchen. There wasn’t anything more to it. It was practical, that’s all.

The fact that he was already looking forward to his next visit was completely beside the point.

****

Dani bundled Casey into the loaner car she was borrowing from Jolena’s garage. Jo and Tag had told her to drive it as long as she wanted. It was yet another act of kindness she would never be able to repay. The Wilde family had taken her in without question or judgment, and none of them had pressed her for the details of why she was running or who she was running from.

It wasn’t that it was a secret, really. It was more that she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. In the years that Bobby had been in prison Dani had done her best to put the ordeal behind her and heal. When he’d reappeared in their lives without warning it had torn old wounds wide open again. She wasn’t sleeping much, and when she did she was plagued by nightmares of the past. She checked on Casey several times a night to reassure herself that her baby girl was safe and sound.

Casey was too young to remember anything about her father. It was both a blessing and a curse for Dani that her daughter didn’t know what kind of man Bobby was. She had no memory of his dark moods or dangerous temper, which sometimes made it difficult for Casey to accept her mother’s word that her father was a bad man, one that no amount of hugs could ever fix. The blessing was that she also couldn’t remember the last night they’d all been together. The night he’d been so lost in rage and booze that he’d pointed a gun at his wife and baby and pulled the trigger.

Both she and Casey would carry the physical scars for the rest of their lives. The emotional ones would fade with time.

“Thank you for being so good tonight, bug. I was proud of the way you behaved. I’m sorry you had to spend so much time alone. We’ll find someone to stay home with you soon. Then you won’t have to sit around the restaurant and be bored anymore.”

Casey glanced up from her handheld game for a moment to answer. “It wasn’t boring tonight. Nana Meg stayed with me some of the time, and then Dave came and colored with me. He’s nice.”

“I think so, too.”
Nice
didn’t begin to cover what Dani thought of David Wilde. He wasn’t what she’d expected. He was kinder, funnier, and a hell of a lot sexier. He had the same good looks as his brothers, but he wore it differently. He had a quiet confidence and charm that was the polar opposite of Bobby, who always had to do everything bigger and louder than everyone else. The difference between the two men was clear. Bobby was a spoiled child while Dave was a grown man.

And I’ve sworn off men. All of them. Even hot blond ones.

“He gave me his drawing. Can we put it on the fridge when we get home? Then I get pie, right?”

“Yes, you can have pie, but only if you promise to brush your teeth right afterward. Then it’s straight to bed. You’ve got school tomorrow, and it’s getting late.”

Casey sighed heavily. “When is school over?”

“Only a few more weeks to go, and then you’re free for the summer. It’ll be over before you know it.”

“That’s what you say when I have to go to the dentist, too. And it always takes forever!”

Dani couldn’t resist baiting Casey as she navigated through the light traffic. “Thank you for reminding me. We need to find us a new dentist, and a doctor, too. Good thinking, bug.”

A horrified groan rose up from the backseat. “That was mean, Mom.”

She laughed. “I keep telling you, it’s part of the parent job description. All moms must be mean, totally unfair, and be able to nag at a professional level.”

“I think maybe you’re overqualified.”

“Casey Alexis Moore, did you just call me
overqualified
?” Dani asked, trying to sound stern as she struggled to rein in her urge to laugh.

“That’s what Uncle Thomas said the last time you made that joke. When I asked him what it meant, he just laughed. So what does overqualified mean?” Casey asked, carefully sounding out the word this time.

“It means your uncle Thomas is going to be in trouble the next time I see him.”

Casey giggled. “Now you sound like Dave when he was talking about his brothers.”

“You two talked about a lot of things, didn’t you?”

“Uh-huh. He told me about being part of a family, and that it means he gets to pick on his brothers, but no one else can. And he showed me what color to make the police car. Did you know they’re a different color here than at home?”

“Did you tell him where home was?” Dani asked. Not that she was worried about Dave knowing where they were from, but Casey had to learn to keep that information to herself. Their new identities were their best defense against Bobby finding them.

“No. I know I’m not supposed to talk about it.” Casey’s voice went soft. “I miss home, though.”

“So do I. It’ll get easier, bug. I promise. We’re both just a little homesick. Once we start making friends, I think we’re going to like it here.”

Casey was quiet for a moment. “Do you think that Nana Meg and her family would like to be our friends?”

“I think Nana Meg and the Wilde family are already our friends. In fact, they treat us like we’re family. They are a very special group and we’re blessed to know them.”

There was an even longer stretch of silence before Casey spoke again, and when she did, her voice was soft and thoughtful. “If they’re like family, do you think maybe Dave or Jared might want to be my daddy? Then they could be family for real.”

Her daughter’s simple question blindsided Dani and left her struggling to find something to say. Casey had never talked about another man being her father. For her, that title belonged to Bobby and no one else. It was one of the reasons Dani had never tried to date.

“Some family you’re born with, and others you choose for yourself. I think the Wildes might be the kind of family we choose for ourselves. I bet Jared and Dave and the other brothers would make really good uncles. Shall we ask them next time you see them?”

Dani glanced in the rearview mirror and watched Casey shrug. “Uncles are married. Like Uncle Thomas is. Dave isn’t married. He doesn’t even have a girlfriend. I asked.”

“You asked him if he had a girlfriend?” Dani asked, fighting to keep her voice level. “You know it’s not polite to ask people personal questions. I taught you better than that.”

“He didn’t mind. He said that he’s too busy catching bad guys to have a girlfriend, but if I spotted someone I thought might be nice I was to tell Nana Meg. He said that’s ’cause she’s on a mission to get all her boys married. And that got me thinking that maybe he might want to marry you and be my daddy.”

Astounded by her daughter’s line of thinking, Dani took a moment to compose herself. “So you think you’re ready to have a new dad? The last time we talked about this, you were pretty certain you didn’t want one.”

“That was before I met my old dad. He scared me. He was yelling and angry and I don’t want him to be my dad anymore.” Casey’s eyes met Dani’s through the rearview mirror reflection. “He can’t find us, can he?”

She hated seeing the fear in Casey’s eyes, but Dani wouldn’t lie to her. Not about this. “I don’t think so, baby. We moved a long way from home and changed our names, and there are people making sure he stays where he’s supposed to, in Washington. But if he does find us, we know what to do, right?”

Casey nodded and pulled out her phone. “Call 911, and then call Tag and tell him the codeword.”

“That’s right. And what’s the codeword?” she prompted.

“Daisies,” Casey answered.

Dani pulled onto their street and started looking for parking. “That’s my smart girl.”

“So, can I have a new daddy?”

“Maybe someday. Don’t forget, I have to like him, too. But if you think you’re okay with me looking, then I’ll keep an eye out for a nice guy for us.”

“Okay. And I will, too,” Casey agreed.

“But no more asking men if they’re single, right?” Dani reminded her, and Casey sighed in resignation.