Page 21 of Guarding Colton’s Witness

“Like… I don’t know. I’m probably just imagining it.”

He wasn’t so sure. There did seem to be something going on. Whenever Jon talked of his ex-wife, it was always with fondness and some regret. He’d once told Ryan that he’d taken for granted that she would always be there to welcome him home each night. Then one day she wasn’t. He’d also said he was to blame, that he’d made his career as a physician his number one priority, and if there was one thing he could do over, it would be that his priority would be his wife and family.

“Doc!” Sam yelled. “Did you come to play with me?”

“I did not. I came to take you and Matti for pizza.”

“Sometimes my Daddy gets us a pizza.”

Probably one of those awful convenience store pizzas. He glanced at Matti. “You ready to go?”

“Give me five minutes. Sam, you need to use the bathroom before we leave?”

“Okay. Can I take my fire truck?”

“Nope. No fire trucks at the dinner table,” she said. “Go on to the bathroom so we can go.”

Sam ran down the hall, his little feet pounding on the wood floor sounding like a herd of horses. Ryan laughed. “For a little thing, he can make some noise.”

“No kidding,” Matti said. “Be right back.”

Two minutes later, Sam raced back into the living room with a wide grin on his face. “I’m ready.”

He hadn’t had a chance to talk to Matti, to find out if she’d decided to tell Sam about his parents before or after pizza. Apparently after. From how happy the boy seemed to be, Ryan wondered if Sam even missed them. His life since coming home with Matti was a hundred times better. He was clean, getting fed, and had a good roof over his head instead of residing in a shabby motel room.

“Ready, boys?” Matti said, coming back into the room.

Sam peered up at him. “Are we ready, Doc?”

“We sure are. And we should tell Matti she looks very pretty tonight.”

She really did. She’d changed into a pair of white shorts and a red sleeveless blouse. She’d brushed her hair, but he estimated that before twenty minutes was up, it would be messy again. He rather liked it messy…bedroom messy.

With Sam between them, holding their hands, they headed for his car. Like a family. The thought almost caused him to stumble. After Cassie had ended their engagement, and deciding being a doctor wasn’t conducive to relationships, he’d thrown all his attention to his job. He’d been fine with that, still was. It was just that right now, holding the hand of a little boy and spending time with a woman he liked—and was attracted to—felt like he was part of a family.

He liked it.

“We need to take my car,” Matti said. “I keep a car seat in it.”

He hadn’t thought of that, but of course. She had to pick up children, many of them under the age of eight and, by North Dakota law, requiring a car seat. “No problem.”

“You can drive.” She handed him the keys.

She drove an older Jeep, so plenty of room for his long legs after moving the seat all the way back. After getting Sam buckled in, she slid into the passenger seat. “All systems go, Captain.”

He grinned. “Ready for blastoff, crew. Hold on to your hats.”

“I don’t have a hat,” Sam said.

“Then hold on to your hair.” He watched Sam in the rearview mirror, chuckling when the boy slapped his hands over his head. Ryan thought it sad that not once had Sam asked about his parents or said he missed them and wanted to see them.

As they drove to The Pie Works, he listened to Matti and Sam discuss pizza toppings options. Sam said he’d never had a pizza with anything but cheese on it, confirming Ryan’s guess that all he’d ever had was convenience store pizza, and was in awe of all the choices. He wanted to try them all.

“Except maybe not those fishy things,” Sam said after asking what anchovies were.

“I’m with you on that, buddy.” He was a pepperoni-and-extra-cheese man. “What’s your preference?” he asked Matti.

“Sausage and mushrooms.”