Page 44 of Colton Family Bodyguard (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

He put the room service on the table. “Coffee?”

“Sure.”

He felt her continue to evaluate him as he finished getting their breakfast spread out on the table.

“I’d like to talk with Kerry about what we can do to help with the investigation.” He watched her ascertain why he was so anxious to help. Or maybe she wondered why he’d so abruptly made that announcement. He needed something to do and he needed to get away from her as fast as possible.

“Okay,” she said slowly. She sat and sipped the coffee he’d poured.

He sat across from her. Evie bounded to the table and took her seat, oblivious to the tension between her mother and Callum. She scooped up her cereal and looked toward the television.

“What did you have in mind on the investigation?” Hazel asked.

“Nate Blurge was the murder victim Evie saw being kidnapped. Maybe we can find out more about him.”

She nodded a couple of times. “Okay.”

“Did you know him or of him at all?”

“No. I never went to bars like Joe’s.”

Of course, she wouldn’t. Not only did she have a young child, she wasn’t the kind of woman who would frequent places like that. Maybe he had asked just for something to say that wasn’t related to last night.

“You were up early,” Hazel said.

“Yeah. I couldn’t go back to sleep.”

“Something troubling you?” She took another sip, doing a poor job of appearing nonchalant.

“No.” He ate his breakfast, hoping she’d just let it drop.

Turned out, she did, but she was way too quiet as they left the inn to go to the police station.

Outside, he gave the valet his ticket.

Evie clung to Hazel, trying to swing off her mother’s arm.

His rental arrived and he opened the back door for Hazel to get Evie in her car seat. Then he opened the front passenger side and went around to get behind the wheel. She was still quiet as they headed out, but only for five minutes.

“Did you love her?” Hazel asked.

He had often thought of that. He hadn’t known Annabel long before she had become pregnant, but as time passed and the birth of their child drew nearer, he’d thought he could love her. They never had the passion he and Hazel shared last night. That confused him.

“I have to believe I did, yes.”

“Do you still?”

That stopped him for a few seconds. He hadn’t really contemplated that since she died. Now as he reflected on it, he realized he did not.

“No,” he finally said.

“Then...why?”

She was reading too much into him getting up before her. He got it that she was suspicious, but why grill him like this?

“I just woke up before you, Hazel. Did you want me to wake you?”

She didn’t answer right away and he let her take her time in contemplating what he’d said.

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