Page 76 of Rescued Dreams

Amelia walked out of the interview room.

TWENTY-SIX

Ridge opened the oven and pulled out the tray of cookies, which he set on the wire rack on the counter. He’d give it a matter of minutes before one of the firefighters swung by to?—

Zack strode by the counter, on the other side where the coffee carafe was now empty, and tried to grab one of the cookies. From the hot tray. With his fingers.

The cookie bent in his grasp and started to fall apart.

Ridge rolled his eyes, looking for a spatula so he could transfer the cookies to the wire rack. “You need to let it cool.”

“Sorry, Mom.”

Ridge snorted. He couldn’t find the spatula, so he just lifted the tray and used the parchment to slide the whole sheet onto the rack. “Ten minutes. No sooner.”

Someone over on the couch groaned.

Zoe sat up, looking over the back of the couch. “Is there coffee at least?” She had a kids’ cartoon movie on the TV, and after the callout they’d just had, he didn’t blame her. And no one had asked her to put on something else.

“Coffee is Eddie’s job.”

The rescue squad firefighter jumped up from his seat, where he’d been playing a card game with Bryce and Della.

“I’m on it. Tell me when it’s my turn again.” Eddie jogged over to the container where they kept the coffee grounds, stealing a cookie on the way past. “Ah. Hot. Haha.” He chewed. “Okay, those are good.”

A distinctly teenage voice called out, “What did you make, Ridgey? Chocolate chip or the banana ones?” Maddie, of all people, stepped into the room at the far end, by the entrance. Followed by her sister.

Then Amelia.

Then Kane and Maria.

Ridge stared at them. “You guys are here.”

Way to state the obvious.But Kane had messaged him about Amelia getting taken in for questioning, so he figured he knew why they were here.

Everyone in the room, which was most everyone except the EMTs who weren’t back yet, stared at them.

“Of course we’re here.” Maddie widened her eyes, wordlessly telling him something was up. She came around the counter and wound her arms around his middle, giving him a side hug. “Banana?”

Ridge shook his head. “Just chocolate chips.”

“Sweet!” She eyed the coffeepot.

“No caffeine after dinner.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. Eddie looked over from his spot across from them and said, “Okay, she looked a lot like you when she did that.” Eddie glanced at Ella, then back at Maddie. “Your sisters…or?”

Yeah. They were young enough to be his kids—though only barely.

“Everyone,” Ridge started, keeping an eye on Amelia, who had gone to the kettle and hadn’t said a word. Something heavy on her mind. The real reason they were here—not just so the twins could break his separation rule. “This is Maddie and Ella. They’re my sisters.”

The firefighters gathered around, shaking the girls’ hands. Kane introduced them to Maria. Bryce told Maddie and Ella that he had a twin brother but that they weren’t identical.

Zoe beamed at them. “So great to meet you. Ridge doesn’t talk much about his family.”

Maddie said, “That’s cause they’re all losers except us.”

Ella snickered. “What she means is…”