“We can warm it up after we go air out all our dirty laundrywith James. If he’s well behaved I’ll let him eat some of your lobster.”
“I’m not talking to him about Brooklyn.”
“We’ll just see how the night progresses.”
“You don’t need to come,” I said.
“I’m already committed to this.” Tanner pulled on his seatbelt. “What are you waiting for? Gun it.”
Chapter 21
Monday
As each minute ticked by, I started to panic more and more. Whatif I was too late? What if something had happened to Scarlett? Why the fuck hadI taken so long to tell James about Poppy’s visit?
“It’s going to be fine,” Tanner said as the elevator doorsclosed. “I’m pretty sure you would have heard if Scarlett had been abducted by oneof Richard’s crazed relatives.”
“I wouldn’t exactly be the first person James called ifsomething went wrong.”
Tanner frowned. “Of course you would be. You’ve been friendsfor forever.”
Fine. If I was in trouble I wouldn’t goto James first. Which is how I wound up not telling him this very importantinformation for a week. What was wrong with me? First I’d been flirting withhis wife. Now I was trying to get his children offed? And how long did thiselevator take to get to the top floor? I hit the button again.
“This is exactly why I think it would be good for you to talkto James about Brooklyn. Secrets have a way of festering until they tear oneapart.”
I didn’t need pretend-psychologist Tanner right now. He wasmaking me feel worse not better. “I should have told him right after Poppystopped by my office.”
“You really should have.”
“You’re not helping!”
“Hm. Maybe you’ll be singing a different tune when Jamestries to kill you and I make sure that doesn’t happen. You’re welcome.”
I winced. “He’s going to try to kill me, isn’t he?”
Tanner shrugged.
The doors dinged open on James and Penny’s floor. I ran overto their door and banged on it with my fist. Again and again until it opened. Butno one was there. A chill ran down my spine. Why the hell was their door justopen like that? Fuck, I was too late.
“Hi, Uncle Matt! Hi, Mr. Tanner.”
I looked down and saw Scarlett smiling up at us. Oh thankGod. “Kiddo, you’re not supposed to answer the door. How many times do yourparents have to tell you that?” What if I’d been Poppy? Or my stalker? Or Mr.Pruitt himself? Scarlett could have easily been snatched. Or worse.
She pressed her lips together. “Maybe they need to tell meone more time.” She smiled but the corners of her lips instantly fell when Ididn’t smile back. “Please don’t tell them, Uncle Matt. I didn’t mean to do it.But you knocked. So I answered the door.”
How was that not meaning to do it? “Where are your parents?”
“Mommy’s putting Liam to bed and Daddy’s in his office.”
I sighed and ran my hand down my face. Scarlett was okay. Thatwas the important thing. But she was going to give me a heart attack at thisrate.
“Am I in trouble?” she asked.
“Nonsense, why would you be?” Tanner said.
I glared at him. We weren’t playing good cop, bad cop here. Andeven if we were, I didn’t want to be the bad cop. “You’re a little in trouble.”
“I am?” She blinked up at me.
“That depends.” I crouched down to look her in the eyes. “Doyou promise not to answer the door again?”
“Yes?”
“Scarlett, you’re going to have to sound a little moreaffirmative than that.”
“But I don’t know what affima…formitative…I don’t know whatthat word means.”
“Say it with conviction,” Tanner said.
She shook her head, not knowing what that word meant either.
“Kiddo, I just need you to promise me. For real this time. Promiseme you won’t answer the door by yourself ever again.”
She looked down at her socks. “Okay. I’m sorry.” She soundedlike she was going to cry. “I didn’t mean to, Uncle Matt. It was an accident.”
She was such a dirty little liar. But I hated when she wasupset. I put my arms out. “It’s alright.”
She ran into my arms and hugged me. I stood, lifting her upwith me. “Where did you say your dad was?”
“In his office.” She pointed toward the hall as if I’d neverbeen here before.
The three of us walked to James’ office. I knocked on thedoor before opening it. “Hey.”
“Matt. What are you…oh, hi, Tanner. What are you guys doinghere?”
James usually only wore his glasses when he wasn’t gettingenough sleep. He looked tired and stressed. He looked how I felt. And clearlyTanner was wrong about my friendship with James. Because something was clearlywrong and he hadn’t come to me for help.
“I need to talk to you,” I said.
James nodded and then his eyes fell to Scarlett in my arms. “Scarlett,you’re supposed to be in bed. What are you doing down here?”
“I got thirsty.”
“Give me one second,” he said to me and lifted Scarlett outof my arms. “Pumpkin, it’s called bedtime for a reason.”
“I don’t know what bedtime means,” she said.
He laughed. “Yes you do.” He disappeared down the hall.
Tanner stepped into James’ office and started wandering around.He stopped at a picture of Mason, Rob, James, and me while we were at Harvardtogether. He picked it up and laughed. “That haircut is no good.”
“That surfer shaggy kind of style was in.”
He looked over at me. “But you’re not a surfer. Have you evereven been out on a wave?”
I hadn’t. And I was pretty sure he knew that.
He put the framed picture back down. “I’ve been through manya bad haircut as well. You wouldn’t believe how frequently popular haircutscome and go. It’s impossible to keep up with the times.”
Okay. I was pretty sure Tanner hadn’t changed hishairstyle once since I’d known him. Unless you counted the fake sightings Robhad of Tanner prancing around the city in fluorescent suits and a man bun. Therewas no way his hair was long enough for a man bun. I think. I shook myhead.
“Scarlett opened the door for you guys, didn’t she?” Jamesasked as he came back
