Page 16 of Guarding Colton’s Witness
“I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It’s what makes her good at her job.” He really believed that.
Jonathon tapped his fingers on the table. “Wyatt said you’re spending time with her and the boy. Just don’t encourage her. That’s all I’m asking,” He stood. “I’m headed to her house now. Hopefully, I can convince her that she needs to find a foster family for the boy.”
Good luck with that, Ryan thought. From his short time around her, he gathered that Matti pretty much did what Matti wanted. He finished his now cold flatbread and the cup of coffee, then went back to work.
Three more hours until his shift was up and he could go home, shower, then head over to Matti’s. For the first time in a long while, he was looking forward to something outside of his hospital life. He was as eager to see Sam as he was Matti. The boy had found his way into Ryan’s heart, and he understood Matti wanting to keep Sam. Of course, she couldn’t keep him forever, but Sam was in the best place possible for now.
His workday finally over, Ryan went home, showered, and put on jeans and a blue button-down shirt. He was halfway to Matti’s when he realized he was only a few blocks from the police station. On impulse, he detoured there.
“Is Wyatt Colton here?” he asked the desk sergeant.
“Who’s asking?”
“Dr. Ryan Palmer.”
The sergeant picked up the phone. “Wyatt, I have a Dr. Palmer here asking for you.” He listened, then hung up the phone. “Down the hall, last door on the left.”
“Thanks.” Following the directions, he walked into a large room with a dozen or so cubicles. Wyatt stood in one, waving him over.
“Wasn’t expecting to see you walk in here,” Wyatt said, then scowled at the man sitting in a chair next to the desk. “You have no manners, brother. Get up and let Doc sit.”
Ryan held up his hand. “You’re fine. I’m only here for a few minutes.” The man had the same blue eyes as Matti and Wyatt, so their brother? He also wore a sheriff’s uniform. Jonathon frequently talked about his children, and Ryan knew one was a sheriff, he just couldn’t remember which one. There were so many.
“Why are you grinning?” Wyatt said.
He hadn’t meant to, but he did find the thought of that many children amusing. Six of them, he thought Jonathon had once said. “I was just thinking of how many of you there are. The reason for Jonathon’s gray hairs, I’m guessing.”
Wyatt snorted. “Most of them from Cal, here.”
“Nope,” Cal said. “Definitely from Dylan.” He stood and extended his hand. “Cal Colton. You’re the doc who treated Sam.”
“I am. Great kid.” Cal had a firm handshake but didn’t try to pull any I’m-so-tough-I-can-break-your-hand BS.
Cal dropped back onto the chair. “Just glad he wasn’t hurt worse.”
“That brings me to why I stopped by. How much danger is Sam in? Is anyone going to come looking for him? I’m asking since Matti’s keeping him for now.”
“Not a good idea,” Cal said.
“So, he is in danger?” Which would mean Matti was, too.
“If these bad guys think he can identify them, then yes, he probably is,” Wyatt said. “He knows what tattoos they have on their wrists, and even though he can’t tell us exactly what they look like, I think there’s a good chance he’d recognize them if he saw them.”
Not good. Ryan didn’t like the thought of Matti being in danger, but he didn’t know what he could do about it if she wouldn’t agree to place Sam with a foster family. He couldn’t argue with her belief that if she did, it would put that family in danger.
“Matti needs to place the boy with a foster family,” Cal said.
Ryan shook his head. “She won’t because she refuses to put anyone else in danger.”
“Wyatt was just telling me that,” Cal said.
The brothers exchanged a look, Cal nodded at whatever message was passing between them, then both turned their attention to him. “We’re both chest-deep in this investigation,” Wyatt said.
“And?” There was definitely more on the brothers’ minds.
“Because we are, neither one of us has the time to keep an eye on Matti,” Cal said.
Ah, he saw where this was going. “So, you’d like me to?”
