“Oops,” Sydney whispered.
Her mom and dad came flying around the corner, the utter surprise on their faces would have been comical, if Sydney hadn’t heard them discussing a wetwork mission.
Their attention jumped from her to Tank, then back to her.
“Sydney! What a great surprise!” Her mom’s over-the-top attempt to cover made Sydney chuckle.
Her mom hugged her while her dad shook Tank’s hand.
“Mr. Austin,” Tank said.
“Good to see you, Tank,” her dad replied.
After the embrace ended, Sydney said, “Mom, Dad, you remember Tank?—”
“Fratello!” Gabriel sauntered into the foyer, his relaxed expression giving nothing away. He pulled Tank into a bear hug, then slapped him on the back before dropping light kisses on Sydney’s cheeks. “Ciao, sorellina.”
“This is something,” Sydney murmured.
Gabriel winked at her.
“How you doing, Mrs. Austin?” Tank asked.
“Are you hungry?” Sydney’s mom asked. “We’ve got so much food.”
“I could eat,” Tank said with a grin. “It smells great.”
“C’mon in,” her dad said. “We’ll get you set up. You like ribs?”
Sydney waited for them to leave before she eyed her mom. “Whatis going on?”
“Sydney, Dad and I have told you and Caroline that we don’t like pop-ins,” her mom replied.
“We thought it was because of the—you know—sexy times.”
Her mom laughed. “Well, thereisthat.”
“Ew, TMI, Mom.” Then, she fisted her hands on her hips. “What are you up to?”
“Sydney, why don’t you have something to eat?” Her mom guided her into the kitchen.
While rarely surprised, Sydney’s head was reeling from what she’d just overheard.
She found Tank ponied up the center island, his dinner plate filled with ribs, slaw, a twice-baked potato. Standing next to him, Gabriel cradled his mug while her dad was busy slicing into a cheesecake. Standing nearby, a man Sydney had never seen before was heads down on his phone.
“Sydney, this is Addison and Britain’s dad, Z. This is our oldest, Sydney.”
She shook Z’s hand. “Hello, Z.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Z said.
“From Addison or from Brit?” Sydney asked.
“From Langley,” Z replied matter-of-factly. “I’ve always wanted to meet a gold medalist, especially in marksmanship.”
Sydney eased onto a counter stool next to Tank. “Thank you. How do you know my mom and dad?”
Z stayed silent.
