I turn. He’s in the hallway in his Iron Man pajamas, clutching his cocoa mug, eyes wide at the sight of three strangers.
The men stare past me, silent.
“We need to talk,” Carter says again, his voice lower now, but with the kind of finality that leaves no room for argument.
Fear coils in my stomach.
2
CLARA
We’re all in the kitchen.
Matty works through his breakfast plate, while I pour coffee for Carter, Jace, and Damon. They’re seated beside my son, and I’m too nervous to even consider grabbing a chair of my own.
The tension in the room is downright unbearable.
“What’s your name, buddy?” Carter asks Matty.
“Matthew,” I reply for him.
“Where’s his father?” Damon asks quietly so Matty doesn’t hear.
“His father isn’t in the picture. End of story.”
That’s a bald-faced lie. Matty’s father is sitting right next to him. The resemblance is uncanny, and I’m pretty sure they’ll figure it out soon enough. But perhaps lying to them now will buy me enough time to get the trust fund issues sorted out so I can leave before the week’s end.
“He looks familiar,” Jace quips, a smile testing the corner of his mouth as he looks up at me.
Carter studies Matty a moment longer than necessary, his gaze sharpening in a way that makes my pulse jump. His eyes flick between Matty’s face andmine, like he’s fitting puzzle pieces together, then his jaw ticks once before he looks away.
My heart stops beating for a long, excruciating second.
“He’s got your eyes, Clara. Bright green and full of sparks.”
“Thank you.”
Carter’s gaze lingers a beat too long, his jaw tightening. There’s a flicker there—recognition? Calculation?—before it’s gone.
“Who are you?” Matty asks Carter.
“Oh, honey, they were friends of your Uncle Stephan,” I cut in with a tight smile. “This is Carter, and that’s Jace and Damon.”
The guys wave upon hearing their names, giving Matty a friendly nod.
“Uncle Stephan is in heaven,” my boy says.
“That’s right,” Carter replies. “Stephan was our best friend. We grew up together right here in this town.”
“We were in the Navy together,” Jace says.
“Like sailors?” Matty tilts his head.
Carter smiles. “Kind of. We were Navy SEALs—special teams that work on sea, air, and land.”
“So… like superheroes?”
“Something like that,” Damon chuckles.
