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Quick as a cat, AJ landed in a pushup—a trademark Drake move. “I run and fall?”
“You run and duck. This isn’t an action movie. This is saving your life.” Extending a hand, he helped AJ to his feet, and each of them popped their hands to their hips. Madison smiled at the resemblance. “They might as well be the twins out ofThe Shining.”
“I heard that,” Alex said. He rushed over, his soft lips meeting hers. “Were we too loud?”
Madison nodded. “Yes. I think it was the kung-fu sound effects.” She made a few of her own, mixing in some Bruce Leewhah’sas well. She winked at AJ.
He stood tall. “Alex is teaching me to defend myself.”
“Well, you two keep at it. I’ll make breakfast.”
“No,” Alex said. “We’ll make breakfast.” He motioned his head for AJ to join him. “Self defense lesson number two: Don’t let Madison cook unless you want smoke inhalation.”
She smacked his arm playfully. “It was just the once.”
Alex kissed her forehead. “There’s a reason we have three fire extinguishers in the kitchen.”
CHAPTER16
MADISON
“We’re never going to find her,” Paco complained.
Madison had her earbuds in, not wanting to disrupt the festivities as she chatted with Paco and indulged him in a small freak out.
“Sure, you will.” Her words were stronger than her faith. Finding AJ’s mom had become a priority for everyone.
It had been well over a month and bordering on two since AJ moved in. Which, when you added his time with Paco, meant they were at the jumping off point for school.
Madison looked on as AJ sat behind the controls of Mark’s helicopter. With Mark behind him and Alex seated behind them, AJ was getting the full kit and caboodle.
They were at the Bishop-Donovan annual picnic, with bustling crowd of family and friends…and girls. Several girls walked past as AJ waved shyly. The girls giggled and walked on by.
One, in particular, let her gaze linger. AJ couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“Did you hear a word I said? Paco screeched in her ear.
“Nope. I was too busy witnessing the blossoming buds of puppy love.”
He repeated his questions. “Did you see the school forms?”
All Madison could do was shake her head. If he was this much of a nervous nellie with AJ, what would he be like with the twins?
Five alarm freakout, on the hour, every hour.
“Yes,” Madison said calmly. He was, of course, referring to the school admission forms.
She’d read them over and over again. No matter which school they looked at, the forms were pretty standard. All with the same tiny problem: no birth certificate.
Add to that no place of birth or verification of identity, or actual legal reason Alex and Madison should have the spry teenager, it was clear to Alex, Madison, Paco, and two dozen lawyers that they may as well have been applying for his early admission to the NASA Astronaut Training program.
Defeated, Madison sighed. “You have to keep trying.”
“Or, we could hook AJ up to a little sodium pentathol and just get the name.” Paco’s work was clearly bleeding into his frustration.
“Yes,” Madison agreed sarcastically. “That’s just what we need. Take a kid whose walls are built higher than the pyramids, and break him down with a few drugs and some light interrogation.”
“Do you have a better idea?” he asked, a twinge of hope in his questions.
