Page 41 of Colton Family Bodyguard (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

He did.

“Tell me, Callum.” It would help him if he talked about it. And since she was losing her fight not to fall madly in love with him, her best interest was to help him help himself.

“I was protecting a witness in the trial of a drug dealer who murdered someone,” he said. “I did my job and saw that the witness made it to court, testified and sent the dealer to prison.” He stopped.

Hazel could see he had come to the most difficult part. She stepped closer and put her hands on his impressive chest, encouraging him without wo

rds. The painful storm in his eyes eased a little.

“No one knew he wasn’t just any dealer. He was high level and dangerous, with ties to one of Mexico’s most notorious cartels. Living in the shadows of the underworld. I was seeing Annabel during the trial. She lived in the city where we met. The dealer must have found out. She was run off the road and killed.”

Hazel felt his pain, shared it and wished she could take it away.

“I protected the witness but I couldn’t protect Annabel or our unborn child,” he said, grinding out the words with deep and barely leashed anger.

“Listen to me, Callum.” Hazel had to reach him now. He was vulnerable. “You didn’t know he would send someone to kill her. It is not your fault.”

“The person who ran her off the road was never found. I tried, but...”

Hazel touched both sides of his face. “You didn’t kill her. The drug dealer did.”

“He did it to get even with me. To make me pay.”

“It is not your fault.” She stopped him from turning away. “I know people say that too much, but it’s true, Callum. An evil man killed her, not you.”

“I vowed to never protect women and children after that.”

Hazel slid her hands to his shoulders. “But you protected princesses.”

“That was different.”

“How?” She watched him ponder that. Princesses were women. Some of them had to have kids.

“I don’t know. They didn’t make me think about Annabel.”

She had a question she dreaded to ask because she was pretty sure she’d hate the answer. “Do I make you think about Annabel?”

“You make me have to try very hard not to. You and Evie both.”

Well, that was better than an all-out yes. “You need to confront your grief, Callum. Have you talked with Annabel’s family?”

“Not since the funeral.”

“Maybe you should. It might give you closure.”

“They blame me.”

“That’s what they said? Are you sure they really blame you? Any parent would be distraught over losing their child. Have they tried to contact you?”

“They invited me to a gathering they planned on the one-year anniversary of her death, but I didn’t go. Even if I’d wanted to, I was out of the country. I didn’t get the invitation until after the memorial.”

“Do they know about the baby?” she asked.

“Yes. Annabel told them.”

“And no one in your family knew you went to her funeral?”

He shook his head. “At the time all I thought about was getting away.”

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