Bound to Be His ( The Archer Family 2)

"What does it matter? She knows. About me and you and Matt, too. If I don't see her, she's going to try to find you and Matt next."

"Tell her not to," Andy said.

"She would have no reason to listen. Andy—"

"Don't. I'm not having this conversation again. If you don't remember what happened with Oregon—"

"Of course I remember. That was hard for all of us."

"One little tip and we spent a whole summer looking for her. I can't see Matt like that again. I thought he'd never—"

"But he's not a teenager anymore. He can handle it. You don't have to protect him." For the first time, Shay spotted Derrick's military edge, understood why men would fall into line when they heard his command.

That was men, though. And Andy Archer wasn't a man.

"Give it time," Andy insisted. "We can talk about it again in a couple of days. Let me think on it." Without waiting for his answer, Andy started back toward the house, and Derrick followed fast on her heels. Based on the lighter, friendlier tone in her voice, she'd decided to change the subject.

When they'd once again become specs on the horizon, Shay climbed from her shrub and dusted herself off, her mind whirring at a mile a minute. Andy and Derrick knew where their mother was. After all these years. And Matt...

She pictured him the way he'd been earlier in the day, the laughing gleam in his eyes. She could see why Andy wouldn't want to take it from him. Even Shay, with all her prejudice, knew how much the guy had suffered in the last year. Adding something like this may just break the poor guy.

But then...

She shook her head. It wasn't her place to m

eddle in family affairs. She never should have hid in the first place. Stupid spontaneous reactions. She should have stayed in plain sight. Should have been upfront and honest.

Because now what was she going to do when she saw Matt in the morning?

Chapter 3

Shay slid into the driver's seat of Andy's rental car and laid her head against the steering wheel.

For the whole of the morning, she'd been wracking her brain, trying to find a way of getting Andy alone and wheedling out some details about what she'd heard on the beach last night. Considering Andy didn't even know she'd been overheard, Shay thought it would have been an easy enough task. But no. She'd been so wrong that it was laughable.

In fact, it was almost like Andy was avoiding her on purpose. Whenever Shay zigged, Andy zagged. And if by some miracle they did manage to end up alone for one minute, one of the boys would come crashing in and ruin everything.

So much for her long, relaxing vacation.

Slowly, Shay settled back into her seat and clicked the radio on before shoving the keys in the ignition. A little retail therapy—and some time to formulate a new fool-proof plan—was what she needed. Yep, she'd get some fresh air, some supplies, and some much needed peace and—

"Hey." Matt, looking nonchalant as ever, slid into the seat beside her and closed the door.

Shay blinked at him, not sure what to say. After all, she hadn't just spent her morning trying to corner Andy--she'd spent it hiding from Matt, too. Like, if she spent time alone with him, he'd be able to read the big, fat secret etched on her face.

Apparently, though, that concern was unfounded, because he only pointed at the radio and grimaced. "Mind if I change this? I like Jewel as much as the next guy, but I have to tell you that still equates to not liking her at all."

Shay blinked again, and he turned the knob on the console until some hair metal started pouring through the speakers.

"What are you doing?" she finally managed, and then it was Matt's turn to look blankly at her.

"You were just going to leave me here with the soon-to-be newlyweds? I love them both, but their love makes me uncomfortable. I prefer your... your—"

"Total derision?" she tried.

He quirked one corner of his mouth in that classic, heart-melting Archer smile. "I guess so."

"Well, sorry to break it to you, but you're not invited. I have to—"