Page 62 of Guarding Colton’s Witness

Ryan laughed. Yep, he wanted children who messed with each other the way the Colton kids did.

Kelly: What???? When? Are you okay, Matti?

Matti: Yes. All okay.

Kelly: We need a secret dinner.

“A secret dinner is us six and no parents,” Matti explained.

Matti: Yes! It’s been too long. D, when can you get away?

Matti: Dylan? Still here?

Dylan: Checking something. Tonight?

Kelly: Works for me.

Matti: I’m in. Bringing a friend.

She glanced at him and winked, then she looked at her brothers. “Tonight good?”

“I can make it,” Aiden said.

“Count me in,” Cal said.

Wyatt lifted his thumb. “Me, too.”

Matti: We’re all in, so secret dinner at the secret place. 7 work?

Dylan: Yup

Aiden: Forgot what my twin looks like, so this is good.

Wyatt: Dylan? Nothing to say to that?

“And, he’s gone,” Aiden said.

“We’re lucky he agreed to come to dinner,” Matti said. “I know it’s not easy to get away when he works undercover so much, but I miss seeing him.”

Ryan wondered at the relationship between the twins. Were they close? Looked alike? Dinner was going to be interesting to see the dynamics of all six siblings together.

* * *

The secret place turned out to be The Brewery, a beer garden on Main Street that Ryan had passed by many times but had never been to.

“Their craft beers are excellent,” Matti said as they approached.

Ryan held the door open for her. “Looking forward to trying some.”

After stepping inside, he scanned the interior. The place was big, and the owners had gone for an industrial look with exposed pipes painted black and large sheet metal air-conditioning ducts. He thought the tables were whiskey barrels with round steel tops. The tall stools were chrome legs with black leather seats. A long bar ran across the back of the building and on the right side of the room were three huge beer tanks.

“They make their beer on-site?”

“Yes. They have a brewery building behind this one, but they are also making beer in the tanks you see in here.”

It was all pretty cool. He really needed to get out more, discover other places like this in his town. Until Matti, he’d been content to work the long hours and not do much else other than eat and sleep. Now, having had a taste of a different kind of life, he wanted the new experiences and he wanted them with Matti.

“I see Kelly and Cal.”