Wilde Blue (Wilde Brothers Book 4) Read online

  By the time she and Casey had arrived in their new city, they were both exhausted. When Tag had met them at the bus station, she’d looked right past him in her search for their contact. The last thing she’d expected was to be met by a tall, dangerous-looking man with his arm wrapped around a laughing and clearly pregnant red-headed woman. Tag and Jo had greeted them with open arms and welcomed them into their home and their lives. Within days “Danai Walker” had a new job at the Wilde family’s bar and grill, and Casey, who now called herself Carla, had practically been adopted into the Wilde family as one of their own.

  Jared gave her a lopsided smile. “I know your reasons for moving to Chicago weren’t happy ones, but I’m glad you’re here, Dani. If for no other reason, your daughter has done a fantastic job of distracting my mother from her mission of finding me a nice girl to marry.”

  Dani laughed. “Your mom is not that bad. And you’re not her only target. Apparently your big brother, Dave, is due back from some out of town convention and she’s hoping he met someone there.”

  “If that’s the case, I should phone Dave and warn him. He hates it when Mom starts poking into his personal life.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, then glanced up at Dani. “Put all the new stuff on the specials menu starting next week. If people love your dishes as much as I think they will, we’ll add them to the permanent menu next month.”

  “Will do. While you call your brother, I’m going to check in on Carla. Thank you again for letting me bring her tonight. I promise to find someone reliable to babysit her soon.”

  “You take as long as you need. She’s my best defense against my mother, remember?” Jared winked at her, then starting dialing.

  “Grown men afraid of their own mother.” She shook her head. “It’s sad, really.”

  With that parting shot, Dani left the kitchen and headed for Jared’s office, only to spot Meg Wilde standing outside the door, peering inside with a smile on her face. Dani recognized the look in the older woman’s blue eyes. It was the same one she got when she was watching Casey. Dani took a few more steps and Meg turned toward her, pressing her finger to her lips, then pointing back inside the office.

  Curious, Dani made the rest of the journey as silently as she could, though once she got close enough she realized she shouldn’t have bothered. Casey was babbling loud enough that she’d drown out anything short of a fire alarm.

  But who was she talking to?

  She joined Meg and peeked in to find her daughter still at Jared’s desk, which was now covered by a number of drawings. Seated across from Casey was a stranger. He had short, blond hair and a big body that barely fit in the chair he was perched on. He was bent over the desk, with the same focus as Casey, sketching intently as her little girl peppered him with a nonstop barrage of questions and commentary.

  Dani raised an eyebrow in question, and Meg nodded toward the blond man. “My son. David,” she whispered.

  So this was Dave. He was the only one of the brothers she hadn’t met yet, but she’d heard enough about him from the others. He was the oldest and the most ambitious of the siblings, dedicated to his job and his family, usually in that order. The last place she expected to find him was sitting with her daughter, apparently having a lengthy discussion on why police horses weren’t blue.

  She and Meg stayed at the door for another minute or so, two mothers watching over their children, and it occurred to Dani that it didn’t matter that Dave was a grown man; to his mother he was still her little boy.

  “Are you going to stand there all night, Mom? Did you really think I didn’t know you were there?” Dave asked without looking up from his drawing.

  Casey’s head snapped up in surprise. “How did you know they were there? Do you have eyes in the back of your head, too? Hello, Nana Meg. Hi, Mommy. Is it time to go home yet?”

  It was Dave’s turn to be surprised. He turned around to face the doorway, and Dani got her first real look at him. There was no doubting he was a Wilde. He had the same strong features as his brothers, with his mother’s fair hair and his father’s hazel eyes. He looked even larger now, with broad shoulders that seemed to fill the room.

  His gaze met hers, and for the first time since she’d divorced Bobby, she felt the first sparks of desire.

  “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize you were there, too. I thought it was just my mother stalking me.” He got to his feet and held out a hand in greeting. “I’m Dave Wilde. I’m going to guess that you’re Carla’s mom and the new cook here at Leo’s. It’s nice to meet you.”

  She walked into the room and took Dave’s outstretched hand, marveling at the way it dwarfed her own. “I’m Danai Walker. Everyone calls me Dani, though. I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s nice to meet you in person.”

  Dave shook her hand, then released it with a groan. “I’d like to go on the record here and now and state that whatever my brothers have told you, it’s all a pack of lies and innuendo. I’m the only angel in the bunch. Isn’t that right, Mom?”

  Meg laughed. “Out of all my boys, you were the one least likely to get caught when you were up to no good. I’m not sure that qualifies you for angelhood. It just means you were the oldest and had the best chance of getting away with things. Once you pulled a stunt, I was prepared when your brothers tried it.”

  Dave clutched his chest in mock agony. “I’m wounded. Next you’re going to tell me I’m not your favorite son.”

  Before Meg could reply, the distinctive warble of the Muppet Show’s Swedish chef started to play, filling the room with gibberish words followed by a familiar “bork, bork, bork!”

  Dave pulled out his phone and switched it off with a chuckle. “That would be Jared warning me not to come to Leo’s because you’re hoping to hear I’ve suddenly developed a love life, Mom.” He held up the phone, grinning from ear to ear. “Want to read it for yourself? I bet he’s not your favorite now, is he?”

  Meg rolled her eyes and looked at Dani. “Be grateful you had a sweet little girl and not a boy or five. I don’t know what I was thinking. I should have stopped after this one.”

  ****

  Dave was doing his best not to stare at the stunning black woman standing beside his mother, but it was a losing battle. Even the utilitarian fit of her chef’s uniform couldn’t completely disguise her lush curves. Her hair was cropped short in a sleek, modern style that only served to emphasize her natural beauty.

  Dani’s laugh was a beautiful thing, rich and sensual. It made him think of things he’d sworn to live without. Lazy mornings spent in bed with someone special, midnight conversations, and kisses wrapped in laughter. Standing there looking down at Dani, he had an uneasy feeling that she was a threat to his quiet, well-ordered life.

  Carla chimed in at that point. “You should have had girls, Nana Meg. Mommy says little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, ’cept when I’m naughty. Then she says I’m full of backtalk and sass and need a swat to my—”

  “And that’s enough of that, young lady,” Dani interjected before the girl could finish. “Have you been behaving yourself with Mr. Wilde?”

  Carla nodded. “I did! Only I don’t have to call him Mr. Wilde, remember? Because there are five of them and if I called them all Mr. Wilde then you wouldn’t know which one I was talking about.”

  Dave nodded in agreement. “She’s right. There are too many Mr. Wildes around. See, Mom? I told you that you should have stopped after one son.”

  His mother wagged a finger at him before retreating from the room. “I’m going to go have a word with Jared. Since you’re here instead of at home, I’m assuming you haven’t eaten yet and there’s no food in your house. Eat something, David, and say hello to your father before you slip away again. We’ve missed you.”

  “Yes, Mom,” Dave answered automatically, and Carla giggled.

  “You sound like me,” she said.

  “It’s a mom superpower. No matter how old you get, your mom can always make you f
eel like you’re a kid again.” He glanced at Dani and caught her laughing behind her hand. “Isn’t that right, Dani?”

  “Oh yeah. My mom can make me feel like I’m six years old with a few well-chosen words.”

  Carla sighed and the light went out of her eyes for a moment. “I miss Grandma. When can I talk to her? It’s been ages.”

  “I know, bug. But it’s not easy, you know that. Maybe next week, okay? I have to talk to Grandma, too, and I bet she’s missing both of us.”

  Dave had spent half his life learning to read people, and he knew right away something was off. Dani was being deliberately vague for some reason, and she didn’t seem to be the type of parent to deny a child anything, especially not time with her grandparents.

  Dani glanced up at him again and caught him staring. Damn, the woman was getting to him and she hadn’t so much as batted an eyelash. Maybe his brothers were right. He’d been living like a monk for too long.

  “If you haven’t eaten, there are some more samples of the dishes I whipped up for Jared. Would you like a pulled pork sandwich and maybe a slice of deep dish apple and raisin pie?” she offered, and Dave’s stomach rumbled at the mere mention of food.

  “That sounds incredible, thanks. The last time I had anything to eat I was in a different time zone.”

  Dani chuckled softly. “So, your mom was right. You did come here to score a meal.”

  “Guilty as charged. I’ve been out of town for almost a week. There’s nothing edible in my fridge but condiments and half a jar of pickles.” He shrugged. “It used to be at least one of my brothers was here every night, foraging for food. Now that three of them are domesticated, it doesn’t happen as often.”

  “You mean they used to be here more than they are now? My parents run a restaurant, too, and not even free food could lure my brothers in more than once or twice a month. I’ve only been here two weeks and I’ve already seen all your siblings at least twice.”

  “And Chase! Chase loves cheeseburgers. Ben sneaks them to him when Kelly isn’t looking,” Carla announced with glee.

  “One day Kelly is going to catch him doing that, and Benji is going to spend a week in the doghouse while Chase gets his side of the bed.”

  Carla giggled. “Ben wouldn’t fit in a doghouse. He’s too big!”

  “We’re heading home in about ten minutes, kiddo. Why don’t you start cleaning up while I go get Dave his dinner?” Dani moved around the desk to kiss her daughter’s cheek, smoothing back the tumble of curls from her eyes. “If you’re quick, we’ll have time for pie when we get home. But only if you’re ready to go when I get back. Deal?”

  “Deal,” Carla agreed and immediately started gathering up her drawings. She picked up the one of the police cruiser and held it out to Dave. “Trade? You take this one and I get the one of the police horse.”

  “Deal,” Dave echoed her earlier statement and handed her his sketch. “I think yours is better than mine, anyway.”

  “Thank you!” Carla surprised him by bounding off the chair and running over to throw her arms around him for a quick hug.

  Unsure what to do, he gave her shoulder a gentle pat. “Uh, you’re welcome. You better get back to tidying up, though. Otherwise, you’re not going to get dessert.”

  “Okay.” She bounced away again, beaming. “Mom’s pie is the best. You’ll see.”

  “I don’t know about the best. My mom’s pie is pretty good. I’ll have to taste it first. Next time I see you, I’ll tell you which one I think is best. Good night, Carla. It was nice meeting you.”

  “Bye, Dave.”

  He followed Dani out of the office and back toward the kitchen. “You have a really special little girl there.”

  “I do. She’s the center of my world. Thank you for spending time with her tonight. That was nice of you.”

  “I like kids. They see things differently than adults do and have no problem saying so.”

  “You must be looking forward to the arrival of your niece or nephew in a few months. You’ll make a great uncle.”

  “Tag’s a lucky man. Less than a year ago we were all worried about his future, and now he’s got his own business, Jo, and a baby on the way.” Tag wasn’t just lucky. He was fucking blessed. Everything Dave had ever dreamed of having had fallen into his brother’s hands, and as happy as he was for him, it was hard not to be a little envious.

  “He’s a good man. I owe him and your whole family a debt I can’t ever repay.” Dani’s shoulders stiffened and she lengthened her stride a little, pulling away from him.

  He took the hint and didn’t ask the obvious question. Whatever had brought her and Carla to Chicago, she didn’t want to talk about it, and he didn’t need to know. They were strangers. There was no reason to get involved. In fact, it would be smart if he kept his distance.

  Very smart.

  He reminded himself of that fact every step of the way back to the kitchen. Even after they’d said a polite good night and parted company, he was still reminding himself that Dani’s story wasn’t any of his business.

  That didn’t stop him from heading out to the polished mahogany bar where Jared was standing, pulling up a stool, and asking about Dani before he’d even taken his first bite of dinner.

  Chapter Two

  “I see you’ve got a new chef. What happened to Jackson?” he asked Jared, trying to act nonchalant about his chosen topic.

  “Jackson’s been trying to go to half-time for more than a year. He and Dani are splitting the evening shifts for now, and he’s happy as hell. I’m not sure why I’m even talking to you, asshole. You actually showed Mom my text warning you off.”

  “Sorry, bro. Old habits die hard. I’ve been throwing you and the others under the bus so long it was pure instinct.”

  “You’re still an asshole.” Jared nodded to the platter of food in front of Dave. “So how did you manage to score that? It’s not even going on the menu until next week.”

  “Dani said she made extra and offered it to me. Is it any good, or am I about to commit gastronomic suicide?”

  “Are you kidding? She’s a classically trained executive chef. Her food is amazing, and she’s got the kitchen ticking over like a Swiss clock. Since Dani started, we’re busier than ever.”

  Dave took a bite of the sandwich and nearly groaned out loud. Goddamn, it was good.

  “See what I mean?” Jared asked and Dave could only nod in agreement.

  They talked while he ate, and soon he knew as much about Dani and Carla as Jared did, which wasn’t much, really. She was from Washington State, had been a victim of domestic violence, and was hiding from her ex. Whoever the guy was, he was dangerous enough that she’d uprooted her little girl and traveled thousands of miles to get away from him.

  Tag’s new security business, The Line, specialized in protecting women in Dani’s situation, but Dani was the first one of their clients needing to completely disappear.

  “How long have they been in Chicago?” he asked as he mopped up the last few traces of sauce from his plate.

  “Not long. She only started here two weeks ago. I’m lucky to have her. Normally a chef with her background would be working at a more prestigious place, but she can’t use her real name, which means no credentials without revealing her situation.”

  “So Dani isn’t her real name?”

  Jared shrugged. “I don’t know, and I didn’t ask. She’s only just starting to feel safe again. She’ll share when she’s ready. I think Mom knows more, but she’s not telling.” He cocked a blond brow at Dave. “So what’s with all the questions? Don’t tell me the family’s monk is actually interested in a woman. I’m sure that’s one of the signs the world’s coming to an end.”

  “I came to find you and found a cute little girl coloring in your office instead. I was just curious about her and her mom, that’s all.”

  “Uh-huh,” Jared drawled, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. “And the fact that Carla’s mom is smart, funny, and hot as
hell has nothing to do with it. I call bullshit.”

  “I’ve been to enough sexual harassment seminars to know you’re not supposed to describe your employees as being hot as hell,” Dave retorted, deliberately ignoring the point his brother was making. He didn’t want to think about his reasons for wanting to know more about Dani, or why it bothered him that he might not even know her real name.

  “I may not be a detective, but I know an evasion when I hear it.” Jared leaned across the bar. “Not that you asked for my opinion, but here it is, anyway. Not every woman in the world is like your ex. Jeanine couldn’t handle being a cop’s wife. She wanted the fantasy and bailed when she had to deal with the reality. Suck it up, buttercup. Time to move on.”

  Dave stabbed his fork into the pie hard enough to make the plate rattle. “I’ll start taking dating advice from you once you actually go out on a date. The last woman in your life was Lisa, and that was, what, four years ago?”

  “Three. And I’ve been out with other women since then. I’m just smart enough not to bring my dates here where they’ll be exposed to our crazy family. If you get together with Dani, you won’t have to worry about that. She’s already met the horde.”

  “I’ve got no interest in her or any other woman. I swear to God you’re getting to be as bad as Mom. I only asked a few questions, that’s all,” Dave grumbled, then took a bite of the dessert and lost his train of thought. “Damn, this is good.”

  “See what you miss out on when you don’t come around for a few weeks?”

  Dave shook his head. “It’s not like I was sitting around with nothing to do but hang around this place. I’m trying to make captain, remember? And then I was out of town for the convention. And God knows how high the stack of files on my desk is by now. I’m going to be pulling overtime this week to catch up.”

  “My condolences. Speaking of paperwork, I’ve got a few tons of it to shift around my desk before I can head home. Now that it’s quieting down out here and there isn’t a pint-sized Rembrandt sitting at my desk, I should get to it.”