Page 34 of Colton Family Bodyguard (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

“Yes, but Carolyn would have never betrayed me.”

Callum moved to stand near her, gripping her shoulders and making her face him. “It’s okay to want to forge your own way in life. You don’t have to work hard to make others succeed. I think, deep down, you knew you had greater potential than what you got working for your friend.”

Hazel’s captivating, green-gold eyes met his soulfully, and she added a slow and telling shake of her head. He had nailed what she felt.

“Am I right?” he asked to make her confront it.

With teary eyes she nodded.

He drew her into an embrace. “You followed your heart, Hazel. No one can condemn you for that, least of all me. I did the same.”

His father hadn’t been happy with his decision not to join the Colton Oil team. Neither had his mother. “I know what it’s like to want something others don’t understand or expect from you.”

“I just hate to see good people fail,” Hazel said.

“I bet she’ll have a comeback. Maybe she won’t open another restaurant but she’ll find success somewhere.”

At last the first glimmer of a smile emerged on her pretty face. She had her hair back today, exposing her expressive eyes, prominent cheekbones and full lips he longed to kiss right then.

“That’s better. A woman like you should never be sad,” he said.

Her smile expanded. “Why me?”

Why indeed? He had to think a minute as to why he’d even said such a thing. Although he inwardly cringed with the truth, he said, “You’re beautiful inside and out.”

“Wow, the last man who said something that nice to me probably lied.”

He was glad she made light of such a serious compliment. “Ed?”

“Yes. He said sweet nothings to me a lot. He had me really believing I was special.”

Wait a second. Was she making light or did she think Callum had just said something nice and was being insincere about it?

“Surely you’ve had others. I can’t be the only one who complimented you over the last five-plus years.”

“No.” She shook her head and moved into the kitchen. “No one.”

He followed her, leaning against the island counter as she began to prepare dinner. “No one?” There had to have been someone.

“No one serious,” she said.

But she had dated. “How many have you dated?”

She made a funny face. “You make it sound like I slept with all of them.”

“Unintended. How many guys have you been out with?” He discovered he really wanted to know.

“Not many. Three. No, four. Two were one date and the other relationships lasted a few weeks.”

He reflected on his own experiences. Annabel had died almost five years ago. He and Hazel had been single and getting past old hurts for the same length of time. Maybe for too long. Hazel had a better excuse than he did. She had Evie to keep her busy, and it would be a lot harder for her to find a man suitable to take over a father role.

Father role.

“What about you?”

Hazel’s question spared him from painful memories. He had already faced more of those than he could deal with.

“Girlfriends?” Had she capitalized on the direction of their conversation?

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