Page 21 of Night Hawk
She held up her hands, but an impish expression had claimed her face. “I’ll let it go. For now.” She spun and marched across the bridge, a renewed purpose in her steps.
Not having a clue what had just transpired between the pair, Toni followed, feeling the floor sway beneath her feet. They boarded another elevator, and Clay tapped buttons for floors three and five.
“Sierra’s on five,” he said.
Toni leaned over to look at Sierra. “One thing before you go. I’m on leave, and Adair forbid me from working on the investigation.”
“So don’t say anything to Reed,” Clay added.
“What investigation?” Sierra wrinkled her nose. As the doors opened on five, she turned back to look at Toni. “It was good to meet you tonight, and I look forward to getting to know you better.”
“Nice to meet you too.” Toni smiled but didn’t add thegetting to know youpart. They were headed back to the coast in the morning, and Toni doubted she would see Sierra again.
The doors closed, and an unusual sense of peace and stillness from the easiness of the siblings’ banter filled Toni. She never had that sense of lightness with her dad. An excellent taskmaster, he always kept her busy and working hard. He’d rarely been satisfied with her results, so she had to try harder. Work faster. Be better.
That didn’t give her much downtime growing up. She’d once thought her dad acted this way because he missed her mother so much, that if he took time to breathe, he would fall apart. But then, she remembered he’d been that way before her mom died, so maybe it was just his nature. In any event, it became a habit for her, and now she rarely relaxed.
They hit the third floor and stepped into a long hallway with only two doors.
Clay went to the closest one. “Brendan’s just next door and I’ll be staying with him if you need me. I’ll just grab a few things for the night and let you get some sleep.”
She nodded, but she really wanted him to stay for a bit. Not the night, of course, but just until her eyes started drooping.
He unlocked the door and held it open. She’d only gotten a quick look at his place when they’d dropped off her suitcase, and she looked forward to taking the place in now. She entered the family room, and her mouth fell open. She didn’t expect this. Not in a million years.
A tall and trim older woman with spiky blond hair hopped up from a huge sectional and rushed toward them. A man looking like an older version of Clay with salt-and-pepper hair, more salt than pepper, remained seated but peered over the sofa at her.
“Mom. Dad,” Clay said, sounding as surprised as she was. “What are you doing here?”
His mother rushed to him and clasped his arms. “You’re okay?”
“Fine. Why?”
Her honey-brown eyes narrowed. “I was talking to Erik and wormed out of him that you had a major scare today.”
Clay slipped out of her hold. “It was nothing.”
She clasped the sides of his face and stared him in the eye, a fierce mother-bear expression in place. “You’re sure you’re fine.”
“Positive.”
She lowered her hands to his shoulders and turned him in a circle, running her gaze over every inch.
“Mom,” he said. “This is embarrassing. I’m not a little kid anymore.”
“Peg, give the guy a break,” his dad said.
A quick nod, and his mother turned her attention to Toni. “Peggy Byrd, and you must be Toni.” She stepped over to Toni and slid an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s get you settled in.”
“My mother is everyone’s mother.” A hint of humor lingered in Clay’s voice. “And this is my dad, Russ.”
Toni glanced at him as Peggy led her to the other part of the sectional. His grin reminded her of Clay. Clearly, most of the boys took after the dad, but Erik and Sierra resembled their mother.
“Nice to meet you, Toni.” Russ smiled, then shared a what-are-you-gonna-do look with Clay, who remained standing.
“Now, Toni.” His mother removed her arm. “I just made a pot of chamomile tea. Would you like a cup?”
“Not everyone likes tea,” Russ said. “At least me and the guys don’t.”
