A flicker of movement caught my attention as the door to the back patio opened. Mason stepped inside, shooting the kids and me a smile. But something about his grin rang false to me. A flicker of alarm ran up my spine.

“This is my favorite part, Mase. Come watch,” Lyla urged.

He strode over to the stove. “Can’t miss your favorite part.”

I studied his face. Beneath the easy expression were lines of concern. All I could wonder was if he’d heard from Keisha or someone else. “Everything okay?”

Mason’s eyes darted to mine. “Yup.” I didn’t look away. He shook his head, true amusement curving his mouth. “I swear, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll fill you in later.”

Lyla pushed the platter of diced chicken and veggies. “Come on.”

I ruffled her hair. “Impatient, are we?”

She grinned up at me. “I’m a growing girl. I need my fajitas.”

Mason patted his stomach. “Me, too. Hit it.”

I poured the contents into a large skillet I’d found in one of Mason’s cabinets. It was going to take time to get used to the space. And he had a gadget for just about everything I could imagine. And plenty of things that I had no idea how to use.

I let Lyla help me stir but warned her to watch the sizzle and pop of the olive oil. “Justin, can you grate the cheese?”

“You got it.”

Mason grabbed a cheese grater from a cabinet and handed it to him. “Extra for me.”

Justin took the kitchen tool. “Do I look like an idiot?”

“No?” Mason answered but said it as more of a question.

Justin laughed. “I always do extra cheese. A mountain of it.”

“Not the whole block,” I warned.

“Do the whole block,” Mason whispered.

I rolled my eyes and moved to put the fajita fixings onto a clean platter. Pulling open the oven I’d set to warm, I slid the food inside. “Where are your serving bowls?” I asked Mason.

He opened a drawer and pulled one out. “What needs to go in here?”

“Those chips.” I pointed to the counter.

As he moved to grab the bag, a beep sounded from his pocket. Mason tapped a few times on his screen and then put the phone to his ear. “Come on down, Walker.”

I stiffened at the police chief’s name. He was a friend, but with everything going on, his presence set my teeth on edge. “Was he supposed to stop by?”

Mason shook his head. “Come on, let’s see what he wants.”