Page 90 of Colton Family Bodyguard (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

“Tell you what.” Marlowe leaned back in her big leather executive chair. “I’ll tell the family, and you go get this woman who’s done you so much good.”

Callum felt his insides twist with warning. “What? No. It’s not like that.”

Marlowe picked up a pen from the desk and dropped it in exasperation. “It’s not? Look at you. Listen to yourself. You just told me that meeting Hazel has brought you here, confessing something huge that you kept from your own family.”

He hadn’t thought how his inability to deal with Annabel’s death would affect his siblings. He hadn’t cared about his parents all that much. They were always too involved with Colton Oil. And other than with Marlowe, he wasn’t the type of brother to bleed out his soul to everyone. But Marlowe...

“I should have told you,” he said. “You’re right.” He ran his fingers through his hair, disconcerted.

“Stop,” Marlowe said. “Just stop.”

He looked at her, not sure of her meaning.

“You should have told me, but I understand why you didn’t. I know you like you know me. We are tough emotionally, and smart and strong. But we can be stubborn, Cal.”

“I know, but—”

“What I want you to hear from me—and you better listen—is you have met a beautiful and wonderful woman who won’t put up with your baggage if you can’t handle it.”

Nothing like putting it bluntly. He also liked the handling connotation. Baggage. Handles.

He laughed, deeply and from his core. “Marlowe, I love you.”

“Go get that girl, you fool.” She smiled and laughed softly in return. “There’s no escaping it. Take it from one who knows.”

She’d gotten involved with Bowie Robertson, the president of Robertson Renewable Energy Company, Colton Oil’s rival. She’d gotten pregnant and ended up falling in love. Callum still couldn’t tell she was pregnant. She looked great.

Resigned to the fact that she was probably right, he stood from the chair.

“Hey,” Marlowe said.

He met her teasing eyes.

“Do you love her?”

He recalled Hazel blurting she loved him and how that had made him feel. Confused. Scared. Weak, as his sister would say.

“Yes.”

* * *

Both let down by Callum’s brusque attitude and exceedingly excited to see Evie again, Hazel walked up to her brother’s house. Owen opened the door before she got there and Evie bounded out.

“Mommy!”

Immense joy burst in Hazel. She crouched as Evie ran to her and took her into her arms. “Hi, Evie. I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too, Mommy.”

Hazel kissed her cheek several times, making Evie laugh. Then she stood up.

Evie looked toward the street. “Where’s Cal-em?”

“He couldn’t make it.” Seeing Evie’s crestfallen face, Hazel felt a pang of guilt for not bringing Callum with her. She’d figured a clean break would be best for her daughter.

“But he said he would.”

“I know, honey.” She took her daughter’s hand and walked to her brother.

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