Calmly, Carefully, Completely (The Reed Brothers 3)

“Kendra,” he says quietly.

“Oh no,” Pete breathes. He shakes his head. “You need to go, Matt. We’ll go with you.”

Matt heaves in a breath and points to me. “She can go. You can’t.”

Pete’s brow furrows. “Why can’t I go?” he asks.

“Because you have to go see the boys at the center.” He looks into my eyes. “Can we go today?” he asks.

I nod. “I’d love to.” It’ll be better than sitting around missing Maggie.

We drive across town and drop Pete off at the youth center. He gets out, adjusts his jeans, and pulls me to him. We’re standing at the front of the car, and Matt gets into the driver’s seat. I brush Pete’s shirt off. He has Maggie’s hair stuck to him in places. “Are you going to be all right with Matt?” he asks. “I don’t have to go to the meeting. I can go with you. I really don’t want to leave you today.”

“I need something to do.” It’s true. If I sit at home, I’ll think about Maggie all day. And Matt needs to do this. I can feel it in my gut. Besides, Matt doesn’t scare me. The look on his face makes me want to hug him and hold him close. He’s struggling, and I know what that’s like. Pete bangs on the hood of the car, and Matt sticks his head out.

“What the f**k do you want?” Matt grouses. But their banter is playful. I love the way they interact with one another.

“You’ll bring her home after, right?”

He shrugs. “If that’s where she wants to go.”

Pete reaches up and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “I want you to sleep in my bed.”

Butterflies take flight in my belly. “Okay,” I whisper.

“Will you do me a favor?” he asks.

I’d do just about anything for him. “What do you need?”

“Take care of Matt. He’s not as strong as he looks.”

I disagree because I’d wager he’s a lot stronger than he looks, and he looks like a linebacker. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”

His lips touch mine, and it’s not a peck on my mouth. He delves in and let’s me know he’s there. When I’m breathless, he sets me back from him with a groan, his hands on my shoulders. “Don’t forget to call your parents,” he says. He walks away from me toward the youth detention center. I watch him walk, admiring his backside. He turns back and cups his hands around his mouth. “I love you,” he calls.

I shake my head and mouth the words back at him. Then I get in the car, where Matt is tapping on the wheel with his thumbs singing along with a song on the radio. He acts like he’s sticking his fingers down his throat and makes a gagging noise. “You guys will make me puke if you keep that up.” He grins, though.

I shove his shoulder. “That’s not funny.”

“No, it won’t be funny at all when I puke. I puked a lot during chemo. I’m good at it.” He laughs. He reaches out and squeezes my knee. “Call your dad on the drive. We have about an hour to kill.”

I pick up the phone and call my parents, and they put me on the speakerphone. I can’t talk about it for long without breaking down. Mom is noticeably upset, and Dad wants to drive to the city to be sure I’m all right.

“I’m fine,” I tell them. “I’m hanging out with Pete’s family today. So I’m not alone.”

Dad grunts.

“Dad,” I warn.

“Fine,” he says. I can tell he’s biting his tongue.

“I miss her already, Dad,” I say.

“I know,” he says softly. “She’s been with you a long time.”

I can hear Mom crying softly in the background.

“Who’s going to protect you?” he asks. “Maybe you should come home.”

“Dad, I’m fine.”

Matt grins at me and winks. I have a feeling I have the whole Reed clan to take care of me, if I ask them. I hang up with Dad while he’s still protesting, and I settle back against the seat. Matt turns up the radio, and we get all the way to the cancer center without him saying much.

Then he turns off the car and takes in a deep breath. “Now or never,” he says.

I get out of the car with him and walk inside. The staff knows him by name and greets him at the desk. “I’m here to see Kendra.”

She points over Matt’s shoulder, and I see three kids sitting in the waiting area. One is older, maybe sixteen or so, a boy, and he’s holding a small child in his arms. She can’t be more than three. And there’s a young girl about Hayley’s age in the chair beside them. He’s reading a book to both the girls. “Seth?” Matt asks. The boy looks up, confused. He sets the littlest girl in the floor and gets up. Matt extends his hand, and they talk quietly. I can’t quite hear them. I go to the vending machine and get some gum, and then take it back and offer the two little ones a piece. If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to win over small children. “Don’t swallow it,” the oldest girl says. She shoves the little one in the shoulder.

The little one grins. “Oops,” she says, and she sticks her tongue out so I can see her empty mouth.

“Oops,” I repeat, and I go pick up the book they were reading. “Can I read your book?” I ask.

They nod and climb into a chair on each side of me.

“Reagan,” Matt says. “Will you be all right here for a few minutes?”