Matt glanced over at her. His eyes were so dark she could barely make out the color in the dim interior of the vehicle, but she couldn’t miss his smirk. “You thought I was joking before? When have you ever known boss man to be forthcoming with details?”
Kay couldn’t argue with that. Eli Alexander didn’t like unnecessary questions and rarely bothered with explanations at all. She was probably lucky he’d told Matt anything at all instead of just ordering him to drag her by her hair back to his parents’ house.
“Hold on, I think this is him now.” Matt pulled out his phone and turned on the speakerphone. “Eli, I’m here with Kay now.”
“Good. I don’t want to get into specifics over the phone, but I need to ask her a few questions.”
“Okay, what do you need to know?” Kay asked.
“Are you dating anyone? Specifically, anyone with access to your apartment.”
Kay flushed. Matt kept his eyes on the road, but there was no way she was imagining the sudden tension in the car. It had to be as awkward for him as it was for her.
“No. I’ve been too busy recording and working. The only men I see on a regular basis are your brothers and my dad.”
Eli grunted on the other end of the line. “What about Hope’s father? He hasn’t come around recently has he?”
“No. That would require him to acknowledge her existence. Something he doesn’t really want to do.”
“Have you noticed anyone hanging around? Seen anyone who doesn’t look right near the studio or anything?”
Kay exchanged a glance with Matt. He looked as worried as she felt. “Not that I’ve noticed. Am I in danger? I thought the guy who sent those letters was in prison.”
“He is.” Eli paused. “I just received something in the mail that makes me think we might have gotten the wrong guy.”
KAYLEE SAT UP to accept the cup of warm cocoa Julia Alexander pressed into her hands. She’d already been wrapped in a warm blanket and given a plate of cookies to munch on. If Eli didn’t get here soon, she was going to be delirious and in a sugar coma from all the mothering.
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Alexander. You really didn’t need to go to so much trouble.”
“Please, call me Julia. You’re practically family.” Julia fussed around her, adjusting the blanket and tidying the items on the side table.
Kay observed her over the top of the mug, wondering what it was about the woman that put everyone instantly at ease. It wasn’t so much that Julia looked different from her own mother, it was that she felt different. She exuded a warmth that suggested she would always have a hug and a smile ready for anyone who needed them. Julia Alexander accepted people as they were. She wasn’t looking for imperfections in the people she met or searching for things to criticize.
“Thank you, Mrs.… Miss Julia,” she stammered. It was nearly impossible for her to call an older person by their first name. She’d never been allowed to growing up so now she found, it just felt wrong.
“Such a sweet girl. I can tell you were raised right. I still can’t call Mark’s mother by her first name, either. Now, you just drink your cocoa and relax. Hopefully Eli will be here soon.” She patted Kay’s knee and then walked back to the kitchen.
Matt stood by the window, his shoulders tense as he peered out the window into the night. It was disconcerting to see him so on edge. He wasn’t exactly a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, but once she’d gotten to know him, she’d discovered he had a quick wit and a surprisingly similar sense of humor. Usually, he entertained her with stories about his other jobs and the changes his girlfriend, Penny, was making to his house. So it was even weirder that he’d been so closed off and tense since picking her up.
“It’s getting late. Can’t Eli just meet us at my place? I’m really tired.”
Matt’s lips thinned before he glanced down at his cell phone again. “Eli is almost here
. I think he wanted to talk to you first.”
“Okay.” There wasn’t much else to say, so she sat back into the plush cushions of the couch and sipped her cocoa. Someone walked by and she looked up to see the lanky frame of Eli’s older brother, Bennett. He was completely absorbed with reading something on his tablet and almost bumped into the doorframe. He did a double take when he saw Kay on the couch and glanced around as if unsure where he was.
“Oh, hello. I didn’t know we had guests.” He exchanged a handshake with Matt and then sat on the edge of the couch next to Kay. “How have you been?” He pushed up his glasses but didn’t look directly at her.
The palest of the Alexander brothers, with his long slender body and hazel eyes, Bennett always seemed as though he’d accidentally wandered into the wrong family. Conversations with him were usually slightly strange, but Kay had come to enjoy their random interactions. He seemed interested in what she had to say no matter how inconsequential.
“I’ve been great. I was recording some new songs with Jackson tonight. But apparently Eli needs to talk to me, so here I am.”
Bennett’s brow crinkled as he considered her words. “That’s strange. Why wouldn’t he just call you? Or drive to the studio so he didn’t have to interrupt your work?”
She glanced over at Matt again. “I’m not exactly sure.”
Bennett crossed his arms. “If Elliott asked Matthew to bring you here, he must be concerned about your safety. I was doing some research but I think I’ll stick around for a while and keep you company.”