Page 51 of Night Hawk
“She asked to do it,” Erik called out.
“I did.” Toni grabbed silverware from the drawer. “But if it will make you feel better, you can set these out.”
He looked conflicted about remaining irritated with his siblings, but he took the utensils from her hands, their fingers touching and their eyes locking for a long moment.
“So-o-o-o,” Sierra said and swiveled on the stool. “Are you dating anyone, Toni?”
“Um…” She wasn’t sure if she wanted to reply.
“You don’t have to answer.” Clay fired his sister a testy look. “Sierra’s just trying to meddle.”
“In her defense,” Aiden said. “She comes by it naturally.”
“Yeah, she’s a mini-Mom.” Erik laughed, and the others joined in.
“Not a bad thing to be.” Clay hugged Sierra’s shoulders, but his troubled expression didn’t go away. “If you like being pushy.”
She swatted at him, and he dodged her hand.
Blake came down the hall, and Drake entered with the burgers. The savory smell filled the house, and the guys were on their feet in a flash.
Drake set the burgers down and held up his hand. “Give our guests a chance to get their burgers first.”
“I’m not shy.” Kelsey went to wash her hands at the sink then grabbed a bun and slapped it on a plate.
Brendan helped Sierra to her feet.
“I should say thanks,” she said, “but I know you’re only getting me moving so you can get to your food faster.”
He grinned at her, and Toni saw the resemblance to Clay, though Clay’s mouth was turned down in a frown.
Drake set two casserole dishes brimming with golden cheese on trivets, and Toni’s mouth watered. Mac and cheese was her favorite comfort food, and she needed a whole lot of comforting at the moment. Not only from the food, but she found herself wanting to step across the space and slide into Clay’s arms. Her nervousness had somehow evaporated, and she had an odd feeling of belonging here. Maybe it was because everyone was joking around and making things lighthearted. Like good friends gathering for dinner. Not a group of people on the hunt for a murderer or missing girls.
Erik moved closer to the counter. “I didn’t know Mom sent mac and cheese.”
“You better go next, Toni,” Clay said. “Or there won’t be any food left.”
Drake added a large bowl of steamed broccoli to the counter. That combined with the casserole urged her to move. She washed up, fixed her plate, and sat across from Blake, Sierra, and Kelsey. Clay somehow managed to beat his brothers to the food and set his plate next to Toni’s. He grabbed a pitcher of water and started pouring for everyone.
The brothers might joke around, but their mother clearly taught them proper manners. Whether they chose to use them was another matter. She smiled up at Clay, but he either didn’t see it or he didn’t want to see it. He seemed to be looking for things to fuel his bad mood.
When everyone was seated, Sierra offered a prayer, and they dug into the food.
“Yum,” Kelsey said. “The baby and I both agree this is the best macaroni and cheese ever.”
“I can get you the recipe if you want,” Sierra said.
“Sure. Reed will love to make it for me.” Kelsey laughed then looked at Clay as she held up another fork filled with the gooey cheesy mac. “So what time do we start tomorrow?”
“I’d like to get going as soon as it’s light.” Clay settled in his chair. “We can drop you off. Drake will stay with you.”
Kelsey stopped chewing and swallowed. “You think I need a chaperone?”
Clay frowned at his empty fork, gleaming in the light from the chandelier above. “After finding two bodies in as many days, I think anything’s possible, and we should take care.”
“Besides,” Drake said as he took a seat at the head of the table. “You’ll be glad for my exceptional company.”
Sierra rolled her eyes. “Kelsey will be far too focused on her work to know you’re there.”
