Daddy Defender

by Janie Crouch

  “Agreed,” Derek said. “But everyone needs to watch their back, especially you Ashton. He might be hiding right now, but we can safely assume he’s not finished. If Harper decides...”

  He trailed off as everyone’s phones began to buzz. Within moments, everyone was standing.

  The Omega SWAT team had just been called in for duty.

  Derek walked over to the computer, speaking as he read the update. “Alright, people, looks like Harper isn’t the only idiot who’s decided to go crazy this week. We’ve got a hostage situation at a grocery store at the corner of Broad and Michaels. Everybody suit up, we’re out in ten minutes.”

  “Who takes hostages in a grocery store?” Roman muttered. “That’s like the worst tactical situation on the planet.”

  Ashton shrugged. “Is Matarazzo going?” Joe was Omega’s top hostage negotiator.

  “He’s already on his way,” Derek said. Everyone ran out of the conference room to grab what they needed.

  Curtis Harper would have to wait.

  * * *

  LITTLE CHLOE LOVED to be outside in her stroller. Now that she was becoming more secure at walking, she often wanted to toddle beside it rather than be in it, but that didn’t bother Summer. Summer couldn’t resist the huge smile that lit her daughter’s face every time they went outdoors.

  Right now they were walking, as they did a couple times a week if the weather permitted, to the grocery store a few blocks away. Summer used to be able to get there and back pretty quickly when she could push the stroller, but now the toddler set the pace.

  Summer felt thankful once again that she had a job that allowed her to work from home and around Chloe’s schedule. Joe Matarazzo had provided that job—because of his wealth and media attention, he’d needed someone as a personal social media specialist/press secretary. Joe kept his Omega Sector work as separate as possible from his personal life, but he’d needed someone he could trust that would speak for him online. Summer also searched for and helped spin any damaging stories others might try to publish about him or his business ventures.

  Summer was thankful for the work that challenged her mind and offered creative avenues and had found herself quite good at it. Joe had probably only offered her the job after Tyler had died because of his guilt about his part in Tyler’s death, but it had worked out for both of them.

  Summer had never blamed Joe for Tyler’s death. She’d only ever blamed the person fully responsible: a disgruntled ex-employee who had walked into Tyler’s office building with the intent of killing everyone. Tyler had been one of the casualties before Joe and his Omega Sector team could take the killer down.

  Even though she didn’t blame Joe, she’d still taken his job offer since she’d been six months pregnant and totally alone. But after a few months they’d both found she had a knack as an online personal assistant and she’d taken on the social media presence for some of Joe’s charitable organizations and businesses as well.

  The condo she lived in was also owned by Joe and his wife, Laura. Summer’s rent was probably highly reduced—again, out of some misplaced guilt on Joe’s part—and soon Summer would have to confront them about that again. She’d tried to make her arguments a few months ago when they’d come over for dinner that a reduced rent rate wasn’t necessary, but Laura had just touched Summer on the arm.

  “Joe wants to do this. We both know you don’t blame him for Tyler’s death, but knowing you’re not under any financial pressure helps Joe. I promise if we need the money, I will let you know.”

  The Matarazzos were billionaires so she doubted Laura and Joe would be demanding more money from her any time soon.

  But maybe she would check with Joe or Laura and make sure they knew how much extra time Ashton had been spending at her condo over the past few months.

  Her face heated. Well, she wouldn’t mention the time she and Ashton had spent making out on her couch last week, but the times he’d come over to fix things. She just wanted them to know how helpful he was. What a great employee he was.

  Chloe lost her balance and plopped backward onto her diapered bottom.

  “Uh-oh,” she said, looking over at Summer.

  “Yeah, uh-oh. You okay, sweetie?” She helped her daughter stand and wiped the dirt off her back. Chloe immediately started her not-quite-steady forward progress again, holding on to the edge of the stroller.

  Right back up and on her way. Summer wished she could be a little more like her daughter sometimes.

  She’d talked to Ashton briefly a couple of times since he’d broken their date on Friday. She didn’t know exactly what had happened, but she knew it had involved his truck. Evidently it had been totaled. That had been part of the chaos she could hear when they were on the phone Friday. Summer didn’t imagine a handyman’s job was overly exciting, so she looked forward to hearing about whatever mess had happened.

  Except they’d yet to exactly reschedule.

  Ashton wasn’t overtly avoiding her, she didn’t think. And she knew he’d been busy with work; breakdowns didn’t stop just because it was the weekend.

  He’d told her he had something to say. Something he thought she wouldn’t like.

  She wished he’d just come out and say it, whatever it was. How bad could it be?

  As they rounded the corner bringing the grocery store in sight, Summer knew right away something unusual was going on. Police cars were haphazardly parked all over the lot, lights blazing. A couple of news vans and pockets of people milled around recording everything with their phones.

  Chloe became immediately entranced with the lights and action and began walking that way.

  “Oh no, little missy. If we’re going to go check it out, then you’re going to have to get in the stroller.”

  Chloe stiffened her back, making it more difficult for Summer to get her in the seat. “Hey, if you don’t go in the stroller, we’ll have to go home.”

  She knew her daughter couldn’t possibly understand the whole sentence, but she evidently comprehended the word home because she became much more compliant.

  “Good girl.” Summer kissed the top of her head as she buckled the belt around her waist to offset any escape attempts.

  They walked toward the chaos. At the outer edge of spectators, Summer asked a woman she recognized from the store—a cashier in uniform—what was happening.

  “I wasn’t in there, but I heard some guy came in—obviously high—and demanded the manager open the big safe. But it’s on a time lock, so Brad couldn’t do it.”

  “Oh no.”

  “They were in the office for a long time with the guy yelling at Brad. Somebody called the police. But I think it’s over now. Nobody got hurt.”

  Summer put her arm around the lady and hugged her. “I’m glad you weren’t in there when it happened.”

  “Me, too. Sorry, it looks like the store won’t be open for a while, if it even opens at all today.” She bent down to smile at Chloe. “You’ll have to get your food somewhere else, cutie.”

  Chloe giggled at the lady’s silly voice.

  Summer didn’t really need any food. This was really just more for her and Chloe to get some sun—winter and all its snow would be coming soon enough. It also allowed Summer to get out of the house and talk to some adults, even if it was just for a few minutes.

  But she was very thankful she hadn’t been a couple hours earlier. Would not have wanted to be inside with Chloe when the man on drugs decided to break in.

  Chloe babbled from her stroller, still enjoying the lights and noise, so Summer walked along the outside of the parking lot to get some exercise even if they couldn’t shop.

  Joe Matarazzo stepped out of a large law enforcement van a few yards away. She wasn’t surprised to see him here but didn’t call out to him since he was obviously here on official business
.

  Chloe had no such compunctions. Summer wasn’t sure if it was Joe she recognized or just wanted to get closer to what was going on, but she started clapping her hands and talking her gibberish so loudly that Joe turned toward them.

  He smiled and waved and jogged over.

  “Hey gals.” He pulled Summer in for a hug before reaching down to tap Chloe on her nose. “What are you doing here?”

  “We walk here sometimes just to get out of the house, and we saw all the action. You’ve probably got to go.” She gestured toward the store.

  “Nah. This entire situation had worked itself out before Omega even got here. We set up camp, but the locals didn’t need us.”

  Chloe began to squirm and fuss now that the stroller wasn’t moving anymore. Summer unhooked her and picked her up, but she just wanted down to walk. Summer set her down, keeping a tight hold on her hand and walking her back and forth.

  “I’m glad no one was hurt. I guess sometimes it’s nice for you not to be needed.”

  Joe smiled. “For sure. I would much rather a situation resolve itself than for me to need to go in.”

  Chloe walked her in circles around the stroller.

  “But it’s hard,” Joe continued, “for the entire team to get wound up, game faces on, then nothing. The SWAT team will be more cranky than that one—” he pointed at Chloe “—at her most nap-ready worst.”

  Summer laughed. “I can imagine. Although I doubt anyone could be as bad as this little terror at her worst.”

  The little terror was babbling and trying to pull Summer toward the store.

  “Okay, I better get back to the paperwork. Which is less than if I’d had to go in there, but still enough to make me cry.” He hugged Summer again.

  “Give Laura my love. We’ll get together soon. Hopefully not when you’re working.”

  “Yeah.” Joe grinned a little sheepishly. “Laura might have a little news to be sharing soon.”

  Summer’s eyes got wide. She knew instantly what news Joe meant. “Oh my gosh, are you serious?” She let go of Chloe to clap her hands. “I’m so excited!”

  “It’s early, so Laura doesn’t want to tell anyone. And practice your surprised face in the mirror so she doesn’t kill me when she tells you.”

  “I promise.” Summer laughed and hugged Joe again, keeping an eye on Chloe who was still circling the stroller. “I’m so excited for you guys.”

  Joe grinned and jogged off toward all the action.

  Summer smiled. Joe and Laura would make such good parents. And after what they’d been though, she was thrilled they were starting a family.

  But now it was probably time to get her little family away from this chaos. She picked Chloe up to put her back in the stroller. But both Chloe’s arms reached over her shoulder and she began to yell and strain away from Summer.

  “Ah-ta! Ah-ta!”

  “Honey, Ashton isn’t here. It’s time for us to go home. Maybe we’ll see him later.”

  “Ah-ta! Ah-ta!” Chloe was all but climbing over Summer’s shoulder.

  “Chloe Marie, Ashton is not here.” Summer spun around, knowing reasoning with an almost-two-year-old was pointless, but willing to try. “He—”

  But Chloe was right. Ashton was here. He was walking toward the law enforcement van Joe had gotten out of a few minutes before.

  He was dressed in black from neck to toe, holsters of some kind on both hips and wrapped around both thighs. His vest had multiple pockets holding gun clips and other items Summer didn’t recognize. Full tactical gear. He held some scary-looking rifle in his hands.

  And blazing across the middle of his chest was the word SWAT.

  He was talking to someone else dressed almost exactly the same, but about a foot shorter than him. A woman, Summer realized, although her hair was pulled back in such a tight braid it was hard to identify her as such at first glance.

  “Ah-ta! Ah-ta!”

  Summer stood holding her daughter, staring at the man she thought she’d known so much about but obviously hadn’t.

  SWAT.

  She saw the exact moment Ashton heard Chloe. A smile brightened his face as he looked over at them.

  Then faded as he obviously remembered where he was and realized what just happened.

  The woman next to him clapped him on the shoulder and took his rifle, then walked away. Obviously she knew who Summer was and that Ashton had been keeping his profession a secret from her. That maybe hurt even worse.

  They stared at each other from the yards that separated them. Chloe kept yelling for him and trying to get down.

  At least now Summer knew what Ashton had wanted to tell her that she wouldn’t like.

  Her handyman was SWAT.

  Chapter Nine

  How could she have been such an idiot?

  Ten hours later, Summer paced back and forth at her house. Ashton would be there in a few minutes so they could talk.

  She’d turned and left the grocery store this morning without a word. What could she say to him there, surrounded by his colleagues, surrounded by people who obviously knew who he was and who she was?

  She could tell by the looks on their faces that his SWAT colleagues had all known he was in trouble. Which meant they’d obviously known he’d been lying to her for months.

  Chloe had thrown an absolute fit when she’d been unable to go to her precious Ah-ta. Summer hadn’t cared. She let her daughter wail as she’d stuffed her stiff legs into the holes of the stroller and buckled her in. They’d both been crying by the time they’d made it home.

  Why would Ashton have lied to her for all these months?

  Just to make sure she had the facts straight, that Ashton didn’t work for Joe on the side or something, she’d texted Joe.

  Need to clarify: does Ashton Fitzgerald work for you?

  It hadn’t taken Joe long to reply.

  Works with me. Not for me. At Omega.

  Does he do handyman jobs on the side? Is that why you sent him to fix the garbage disposal in my unit a few months ago?

  It had taken Joe much longer to respond to that one. He must have gone to talk to Ashton to find out what the hell Summer was talking about.

  Evidently there was a miscommunication a few months ago. I asked Ashton to find you a handyman. He knew he could fix the problem himself so he did that.

  Logical. Summer had to admit it. Joe had asked Ashton to do him a favor, and Ashton had just done the work himself rather than call in a stranger. Ashton had been able to fix everything she’d needed him to over the past few months, so it wasn’t like he wasn’t capable.

  Why didn’t he just tell her from the beginning he was a colleague of Joe’s? At least then she wouldn’t have kept calling him back to fix every little thing. Pulling him away from his real job.

  A sick feeling pooled in her stomach. She texted Joe again.

  Did Ashton know about Tyler? About how he died?

  A few moments later, her phone rang. But it wasn’t Joe, it was Ashton. She let it go to voice mail. She couldn’t talk to him right now.

  But she pretty much had her answer, didn’t she? The rest she could piece together.

  He had known about Tyler all along. Had come back to help her all those times because he felt sorry for the poor widow of the man Omega Sector couldn’t save. They probably all did.

  Her phone pinged. Joe again.

  Ashton wants to talk to you.

  I don’t want to talk to him right now.

  Give him a chance, Summer. He’s pretty torn up.

  After that, she’d set the phone down and cried again.

  By the time Summer had pulled herself together, Chloe had been waking up from her nap. Snuggling with her daughter—as Chloe was so prone to do when she wa
s first waking up and sitting with her sippy cup—made everything a little better.

  When Summer picked her phone back up, she had six missed calls from Ashton. And a text.

  We need to talk about this. I’m coming over tonight at seven.

  She texted him back.

  Fine.

  So here it was, almost seven. She had taken Chloe over to Joe and Laura’s to spend the night. One, because she didn’t want her daughter to hear all the yelling she was sure would happen when Ashton got here. Two, because damn it, Summer’s heart all but melted every time she saw Ashton and Chloe together. He was so gentle around her. Cared about her so much.

  Maintenance man or SWAT, Ashton still loved her daughter. And Chloe loved her Ah-ta right back.

  Summer didn’t want any distractions—any chinks in her armor—when it came to giving Ashton a piece of her mind. Seeing him with Chloe was both.

  He rapped on her door right at seven.

  He was wearing a dark blue T-shirt tucked into his jeans. She didn’t know if he picked it out because it framed his chest and abs so well, but if he hadn’t, he should have.

  She opened the door wider to let him in and noticed his eyes darting around everywhere that could be seen from the doorway. She’d always assumed he’d done that because he’d been too nervous to look her in the eye. But now she realized he was scanning the room, looking for any potential danger.

  Ingrained training. Ashton probably wasn’t aware he was even doing it.

  Once his eyes rested on hers, she could see his discomfiture. His hesitancy.

  He reached out with a small bouquet of lilies.

  “These are for you.”

  She hadn’t been expecting that. “Oh.”

  “I actually bought a similar bouquet before our date on Friday got...cancelled.”

  She took them. They were lovely. “Friday got canceled because of work. I’m assuming that had something to do with Omega Sector, not with having to rush over to fix someone’s toilet.”

  He had the grace to look sheepish. “Did you see anything on the news about a shoot-out at The Blooming Idiot on Main?”