Matty dropped her eyes to study the mint leaf she had added to her drink, noting that it was almost the exact same shade of green as the slice of lime.

"Well?" Elise prompted.

"Its a long story," Matty answered, taking a sip.

"It always is. Or we always think it is, even if its not." Elise countered.

Matty contemplated this for a moment before realizing Elise was right. It wasnt really a long story, it just felt that way.

"How much do you know about my relationship with Brad and the Brooks family?" Matty asked.

Elise lifted a shoulder then took a long sip from her drink. "I know the basics. You and Brad share a father. You and your mom lived in the Bronx while Brad grew up in Greenwich. When you were twelve, your grandmother, Brads grandmother, moved you to DC. From there you flourished into the woman you are now."

Matty managed to smile at that. "You make it sound so easy."

Elise let out a bark of a laugh that suggested shed been a smoker back in the day. "Its never easy. Life is never easy. Its complicated and messy and chaotic. For some more so than others." She finished off her drink with a long draw then stood to make another. "Of course, life is all those things, but that doesnt mean we dont often make it more complicated than it needs to be. So, let me make us both a fresh drink and you can tell me all about what Dr. Hubba Hubba did to make life messy."

Matty smiled at Elises assumption it was all Dashs fault and handed the woman her now empty glass. In silence, Elise mixed the two drinks, using more gin than tonic, then handed one over as she returned to her seat.

"Now that youve got a little liquid courage in your system, tell me all about it," Elise said.

Matty took a deep breath and let it out. "The night of the storm we camped out in the basement," she started then paused. For a moment she debated whether to repeat some of the things shed told Dash, things she never even talked about with her mother. But then, in a rush of awareness, she realized that the stories themselves werent what had brought her closer to Dash. No, what had brought her closer to Dash, what was the true sign of the trust she had placed in him, was him being the first person with whom shed shared that part of her. The first person with whom shed walked an unknown path, with whom shed held open her own vulnerability.

She recognized that the stories themselves no longer held any power over her now that shed shared them and survived. Not that they didnt affect her-they did and probably always would-but theyd been brought out into the light, losing the power to haunt her from the shadows.

"We talked. A lot," Matty continued. "I told him things about my childhood that Ive never told anyone else. Never actually even talked about before. Horrible things, of course. Stories about drive-by shootings, rapes, murders, drug dealing. Everything youve ever read about the projects pales in comparison to what its like to live there."

"I cant imagine what it was like," Elise said, taking a sip of her drink.

Matty inclined her head. "No, you cant. And I dont mean that dismissively. I just mean that, after a while, the press stops reporting things because it becomes old news. 'Another seven-year-old gunned down in the streets, or 'another fifteen-year-old girl gang-raped and beaten, begins to lose its novelty after the fourth or fifth in a single year. And if the press doesnt cover it, its as if it didnt happen." She fell silent for a moment, thinking of all the ruined lives.

"If you were at all like me the night of the storm, you spent a lot of hours in that basement," Elise commented after a bit.

Matty lifted a shoulder. "We did. And they were long hours, too."

"But good?"

Matty tilted her head in thought then answered. "In some ways, yes."

"And last night Steven White came to town and Dash threw all those hours away as if they were meaningless." Elises comment was so abrupt that Mattys head whipped up in surprise-at the fact that Elise knew about Steven, but mostly at her insight into what was really at the heart of the problem.

Because that was what was really the problem. For Dash to have so easily ignored, or not recognized, or not valued, the meaning of everything that had happened between them that night in the basement was what really stung. It wasnt the words that mattered when theyd talked, but everything it meant for her to decide to share them with him.

Matty took a long sip of her drink then swirled the ice around in the empty glass. "It doesnt feel good, thats for sure," she said.

"Of course not," Elise replied, rising and taking Mattys glass with her-this time filling it with water before handing it back.

"I suppose I should just get over it, I mean its kind of a no-harm-no-foul kind of situation. It felt like a big deal to me, talking to him about my past, but maybe it wasnt, maybe Im overreacting. Not that that excuses him, but . . ." Mattys voice trailed off and she shrugged.

"Dont be ridiculous, dear," Elise shot back. "Putting Dashs behavior aside for the moment, how do you feel right now? And I dont mean how do you feel about Dashiell Kent, I mean how do you feel?"

Several beats passed before Matty spoke. "Disappointed, I guess," she said softly. "Sad, too. I feel like I should be angry, but Im not. Not really. But none of that, none of those emotions really get me anywhere, do they? They dont change anything."

"Dont they?" Elise countered. Matty looked up from her glass.

"Oh, dont look at me like that," Elise said with a wave of her hand. "Dont look at me like Im some kind of relationship guru who will tap her magic wand and make everything alright. Ill have you know that my relationship with my late husband was complex and sloppy and definitely not one that inspired sage advice." Elise paused for a moment, looking lost in some sort of memory. That shed been married at all surprised Matty, though the minute Elise had mentioned it, Matty couldnt picture it any other way.

"But?" Matty prompted.

"But it was also fun and he was the love of my life," Elise said simply. "He died when I was forty-five. Its not that I lacked suitors or male company afterward, but I figured Id done the marriage thing, I didnt need to do it a second time. Or third, for that matter, at my age. So Ive stayed single."

"And avoided dispensing relationship advice," Matty added.

"But Ive never shied away from telling someone what I think about them."

"Which means you have something to tell me," Matty responded.

"I do. You think that all the things youre feeling right now, this tangled mass of mixed emotions, wont get you anywhere so you might as well not feel them, right? Wrong," Elise continued, not waiting for Matty to respond. "Whatever it is youre feeling, savor it, wallow in it, absorb it, and understand it. It will change things. It might not change the facts of what happened, it might not change the fact that Dash didnt come straight here to talk to you after he met Steven White, but it will change you. If you let it.

"It can change how you look at yourself, how you think about yourself, and how you deal with disappointments in the future. Because believe me, there will be more disappointments in life. And you should really believe me when I say that when you share your life with someone, like I suspect you and Dash might end up doing, you will disappoint each other at some point, probably more than once. Its almost as much a fact of life as death and taxes, but how you deal with it, what you do with that disappointment, is what will really define you, both as individuals and as a couple. Its what will make or break you. And if there is anything Ive learned about you, from Brad and my short acquaintance with you, you arent one to break," she added, fixing Matty with a firm look.

Matty studied her neighbor for a long time, letting the truth and meaning of her words sink in. She had never thought of her emotions as a tool before, as a way to make her stronger, better. Mostly because shed never let herself really have them, for all the reasons she had talked to Dash about. They would have been used against her in her childhood, but the idea of using them to make her stronger was a novelty. A concept she found both appealing and terrifying at the same time.

"So, if I dont let it break me, how do I let it make me? How do I let it help me deal with Dash?" Matty asked tentatively.

Elise shrugged. "That, my dear, is up to you. But Brad, who followed you and your career from afar, was never shy in talking about how much he admired your strength and resolve. I dont think it will be all that hard for you to figure it out. Of course, it doesnt hurt that Mary and Will Kent didnt raise any idiot children, even though it might not seem that way at the moment."

Matty had to smile at that. She actually had no problem picturing Mary and Will being completely exasperated with their son for his behavior. It didnt change things, it didnt change the disappointment she felt when she thought about how easy it was for Dash to doubt her, but it did make her smile. And it reminded her that Dash had a solid foundation as a person; he was a good person, with a good family and good friends. He may not be acting that way right now, but everyone made mistakes. Despite everything, she knew that the core of who he was hadnt changed. And in recognizing that, in allowing herself to look beyond the immediate hurt Dashs reaction had caused, she felt a sense of relief wash through her. The hurt wasnt gone, and she wasnt going to sweep the events of the last twenty-four hours under the rug, but she knew in her heart, and her head, that somehow, they could sort things out.

"If that look on your face is anything to go by, I think Ive done my good deed for the day," Elise said, rising from her seat as the dogs started barking. Matty shook her head and shrugged when Elise cast her a questioning glance, asking without words if she knew who was visiting.

Staying in her seat, Matty watched as Elise opened the screen door and poked her head out.

"I think the cavalry is here," Elise said, turning back from the doorway with a huge grin splitting her age-weathered face.

"Excuse me?" Matty asked as she rose from her seat and walked to the patio. Just in time to see Vivi, Kit, Carly, and another woman climb out of Vivis car. All of whom seemed to be carrying bottles that looked suspiciously like champagne.

Matty let out a groan. Its not that she didnt appreciate the obvious effort to cheer her up, but the thought of champagne following her gin and tonics was already giving her a hangover. And judging by the way Vivi was grinning as she led the group up the drive to the patio, Matty had a sneaking suspicion that what she was imagining she would feel the next morning was nothing compared to what Vivi had in mind.

Dash was sitting at the bar of Andersons when Marcus pulled a seat up next to him. It was late, he was tired, and he still hadnt figured out what to do about Matty. In his gut he knew there was more to the story than he knew, than what his imagination was hinting at. But that little part of him, that little part that freaked out at the thought of sharing the rest of his life with someone, wasnt so little right now. If he really thought about it, he might even wager that he was using the congressmans appearance as an excuse to avoid commitment. But that was so lame on so many levels, not the least of which was the fact that spending the rest of his life with Matty wasnt actually scary at all.

But still, something held him back. What if it was true? How well did they really know each other, anyway? Matty was the one who was always pointing that out. What if shed been trying to tell him something?

He took a sip of his whiskey.

Marcus ordered a beer, saying nothing to Dash. When it arrived, he took a long drink. Placing the glass back on the bar, he spoke. "I saw Matty earlier."

Dash clenched his teeth. He didnt like the younger mans tone, but he said nothing.

"It was interesting, actually. We had an interesting chat. Oh, by the way, she found what we think is the knife that cut off Bobs toe. I handed it off to Vivi to take up to the lab. Kind of freaked Matty out, but she has a good eye for that kind of stuff. Found it out in the field and recognized the fur caught in the hinge of the switchblade."

Dash flinched at the thought of someone with a switchblade anywhere near Matty. "Is she okay?" he asked without thinking.

Marcus took another sip of beer and tipped his head toward his shoulder in a vague gesture. "Shed be better if you werent being a complete asshole, but other than that, shes fine."

"Id be better if he wasnt being a complete asshole," Ian added, walking up behind the two men and joining them at the bar.

"Vivienne heard what happened," he continued, "and now shes rallied the troops for some girl-power hour or something like that because youre being such an asshole." Ian glared at Dash. "She, Carly, Kit, and Jesse are headed over to Mattys house right now with a couple of bottles of champagne. We have so damn much of the stuff since we got engaged," he grumbled, mostly to himself. "If only our well-wishers would send beer. Or whiskey," he added.

"Jesse?" Dash asked Ian, thinking of their mutual friend. "Matty doesnt even know who she is," he commented. Jesse was another born-and-raised Windsor resident. She ran the hospital down in Riverside, and though she hadnt been in the same class as Dash or Ian, their school had been small enough that most of the kids stayed friends, even into adulthood.

Ian ordered himself a whiskey, too. "Yeah, well, Jesse and Vivienne have become friends, and Jesses also friends with Kit and Carly, so they included her in the powwow. Now, Im alone for the evening, without my fiancee, so thanks a ton, Kent. Well done."

Marcus chuckled. Dash got the sense that they knew more about what was going on than he did, but he didnt want to talk about it. Mostly because he had a sinking feeling they were right, and now all his doubts were slowly melding into a panic that hed fucked up big time-so big time that he might not be able to make it right. Especially after the time he and Matty had spent in the basement during the storm when shed talked to him about everything and everyone. That night, those words, had been a big step for her. And how did he repay her? By doubting everything she felt about him.

"Fuck," he said, taking another sip of whiskey.

"Yep," Ian said, sipping his.

Marcus just laughed.

CHAPTER 21.

DASH WOKE UP WITH A MILD HANGOVER the next morning. He hadnt had too much the night before at the bar, not enough to impair his ability to get home, but once he was home, when he knew he had a backup vet on call and could actually get a good nights sleep, hed opened his own bottle of whiskey and partook of another glass or two. Long into the night, hed thought about Matty. By now, he knew hed messed things up. Hed let his own insecurity lead him to a bad decision and now he was just hoping it wasnt too late to fix it. He had thought about calling her when he got home, but knowing Vivi and the other women were with her deterred him. Lord knew what they were talking about or saying about him, but he probably deserved every word.

He rolled over, looked at the clock, and groaned. The pancake breakfast started in two hours and if he wanted to catch Matty beforehand, he needed to be up soon. Flopping back onto his back, he rubbed a hand over his face and stared at the ceiling. He was just getting ready to pull himself out of bed when his phone rang.

Hoping it was Matty, he grabbed the phone and answered without looking at the number. And was more than a little disappointed when he heard his mothers voice.

"Good morning, Dash," she said. And somehow his own disappointment in himself paled in comparison to the same sentiment he heard in her voice. Huh, clearly she was on the Matty bandwagon, for which he couldnt actually blame her, even if he didnt feel up to dealing with it this morning.

"Im on it, Mom," he said, responding to her unspoken accusation.

"I should certainly hope so. I did not raise my children to be assholes."

Dash blinked at the curse. His mother never cursed. "I said, Im on it."

She harrumphed.

"I take it you talked to her?" he ventured to ask.

"Of course I talked to her. Yesterday. Unlike you, I might add."

"I dont need the reminder, Mom."

"Well, you certainly need to be reminded of some things, thats for sure."

He sighed. "How is she?"

His mothers voice softened when she answered. "She didnt say anything specifically about you, which Im sure doesnt surprise you. But I think shes hurt."

"And angry?"

"You should hope shes angry. Anger is often easier to deal with than hurt," his mother countered. He had never thought of it that way, but now that his mother had vocalized it, he saw the truth in what she said. Especially for a woman like Matty. Anger would come easily for her, but to be hurt, to allow herself to be close enough to someone to be hurt by him, well, that was rare.

"So, whats the story?"

He should have known better than to ask. His mother let out a bark of laughter before answering. "Nice try, Dash, you dug yourself into this. And dont believe it will be the last time you, or she, does something dumb or thoughtless-youve got a lot of years ahead of you, Son. You need to figure your own way out of this one. You both do."

Dash let out another deep breath. He hadnt expected any different, but still, a little part of him hoped his mom would throw him a lifeline.

He sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side. "Im on my way over to her house right now," he said.

"Good, but youd better hurry. Shes due at the breakfast site in less than an hour."

"And she'll be there all day?"

"Yes, shes planning on it. But I told her she might want to consider leaving early since she helped so much yesterday with the prep work and is going to be there early to help set up."

"Great, thanks, Mom," he said as he headed toward the shower.

His mom paused for moment before answering. "Youre welcome. And Dash? For what its worth, I like her. I really do."

Dash inhaled deeply, amazed at how his mothers approval made him feel. It wasnt that he needed her approval-really, hed never doubted that his parents would like Matty-but the tone of his mothers voice was so genuine that he knew she liked Matty because of who Matty was, not just because he did. And because she liked Matty, his mother now wanted what was best not just for Dash, but for Matty, too.

"Yeah, I do, too," he said.

"Then youll go fix it?"

"If you ever stop talking to me long enough for me to get in the shower so I can be presentable, then, yeah, Ill go fix it."

"I can still cause you a world of hurt, Son. You remember that."

Dash laughed at the love he heard in his moms voice. "I dont doubt it."

She was still laughing when they hung up and quick as he could, Dash tried to make good on his promise to his mom.

When he pulled up Mattys drive thirty minutes later, he saw her walking toward her car wearing shorts and a t-shirt, her favorite kind of outfit. Her black hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she was carrying a variety of cooking utensils in one hand as she pressed her phone to her ear with the other.