Both Diesel and Kaia wanted what they thought would make themselves happy and damn the toll it took on Rebel.
“I’m sorry, Mattie,” Kaia finally croaked. “Please, don’t tell Rebel.”
“I won’t. Just consider her.” Mattie glanced between Diesel to Kaia. “Both of you. Rebel doesn’t deserve such betrayal. Even if her trust in you is shaky, she loves you, Diesel, and she trustsyou, Kaia. She’s the Moon to your Sokka. She believes that. Don’t hurt her,” she reiterated.
“I won’t,” Kaia swore. “I promise.”
“Do you believe in that type of great romance and love, Matt?” Grant asked quietly.
She swallowed, regretting her rebellion and her trust of Wally Byrd—and Eric and Billy. “Idon’t,” she said softly. “But this isn’t about me. I don’t really matter, especially to Daddy. Uh, forget I said that.” She snatched her now-cold coffee and gulped.
“Mattie?” Diesel said.
“That’s me,” she quipped.
He bent and kissed her cheek. “You matter to me. You matter to your mother and brother. You matter to Mortician, Roxanne, Uncle Christopher, Aunt Meggie, CJ, and Rory.”
She nodded.
Grant kissed her other cheek. “You matter to me.”
Ryan tweaked her nose and she shoved his hand away. He laughed. “I used to think I didn’t matter, Mattie. Especially to Pops and Mom, and CJ and Devon. But I do. You do, too. And your dad…he loves you.”
“In his own way,” Mattie conceded, just as Daddy loved everyone. “I just wish…I wish I’d handled his attitude better.”
“We both could’ve handled our shit better, Matt,” Ryan responded. “Stop beating yourself up.”
“I’ll try.”
“Good. So are you ready to leave?” Ryan asked. “We came to force you from your seat.”
“You can fucking try.” Smiling, she tossed her hair over her shoulder, relived to get back on track—the boys in the family trying to strong arm the girls to their way of thinking. “I want a second biscotti.” She hadn’t enjoyed the one she’d paid for. It was stale. “Kaia, be a doll and order me another one, please.”
Kaia hesitated. Clearly, he didn’t want to offend her. Nor did he want to lose face with the guys. She didn’t care, since she had to help his dumb ass to keep his stupid secret. She was sick of dummies.
Before he decided, CJ walked up.
Mattie beamed at him. “Can I know the contents of yourlurveletter from a certain smitten teacher?”
He flipped her off, and she giggled.
“LeBan sent you a note?” Ryan’s eyes widened. “Dude! Legend.”
“Woof, woof,” Narci barked.
“That’s my dog,” Bishop said.
“What does she want?” Diesel asked.
CJ glanced at her.
Resting her arms on the table, Mattie leaned forward. “Don’t keep us in suspense.”
“This is dude talk.” Ryan pointed toward the open entrance, soon to be closing and shuttered with a security gate. “Out.”
“Nope. This is my table, so find your own and leave me in peace. I was minding my own business.”
“Mattie’s one of us. It’s cool,” CJ announced. “Ember wants to cook dinner for me tomorrow.”
