Page 21 of Colton Family Bodyguard (Coltons of Mustang Valley)

“Where is he?” Evie resumed brushing her doll’s hair.

“He...wasn’t interested in being with me.”

“Does he know about me?”

“Yes, but he has never met you.” Hazel glanced at Callum, who looked back at her somberly.

Evie lowered the doll and looked at Hazel. “Why not?”

“He left me, Evie. It had nothing to do with you.”

“But...doesn’t he want to meet me?”

“You’re awfully inquisitive for a young girl,” Hazel said.

“Some people aren’t prepared to raise kids,” Callum said. “Sometimes they aren’t ready until much later in life. He doesn’t know you, but if he did, he would see what a special girl you are.”

Hazel’s heart burst with appreciation and awe that, without prompting, Callum had told Evie something similar to what she had thought she would say.

“Do you have a daddy?”

“I do. We aren’t very close, though.”

That had surprised Hazel when he’d told her before. He seemed so concerned over his father. If they weren’t close, why weren’t they? Evie had looked up at him with his answer and Hazel could see a connection forming. Did Evie relate her lack of a relationship with her father to his?

“Do you have any kids?” Evie asked, a fountain of questions.

Callum finished brushing her hair and put down the brush. “No.”

“Are you going to?”

Hazel watched him tense up. She wondered—if it had been anyone other than a child asking, would he have retorted something to stop this grilling? She also began to worry about Evie’s unabashed curiosity about Callum. She seemed to have taken a liking to him rather quickly, which might not be a good thing.

“Evie, that’s enough. We barely know Callum. It isn’t polite to ask so many personal questions,” Hazel said, sure that Evie’s Curious George mode was too much for Callum.

Evie’s lower lip puffed out a little in a pout, but then she brightened quickly enough. “Can I go watch cartoons?”

“Sure,” Hazel said.

Callum helped her get the television on and tuned to the right channel and then returned to the kitchen island. Hazel had put the chicken into the oven and gone to work on the chops, getting a pan ready to sear them.

She busied herself in the kitchen for the next few hours. Callum had gone into the living room to watch television with Evie. The two were getting chummy in there. Callum had found a good family movie that adults could enjoy.

Hazel began putting food into microwavable containers and then into the refrigerator. Her customers could freeze what they wouldn’t use in the next day or two. Instant, delicious meals for busy workers or the elderly.

“Will you write down the addresses?” Callum asked. “The officer is outside. I checked.”

While that was reassuring, he couldn’t keep her penned up in here until the killer was caught. She had a life to live. But dragging Evie around with them wasn’t a wise idea, either. Damn that stranger. He was taking her freedom from her. She needed her freedom, but she was no fighter like Callum. Better that he did what he could. He was right. She and Evie were safer here.

“You’re doing an awful lot to keep us safe,” she said.

Callum stepped closer to her. He put his fingers beneath her chin. Heat coursed through her as she tried to figure out why he had touched her this way.

“It’s more than wanting you safe, Hazel. I have a personal reason for doing so. You see, I normally don’t take the cases involving women and children. Protecting them. It just so happens that I fell into protecting you and Evie and now I cannot turn my back. I have to see this through.”

He seemed to be trying to make her understand why it was so important to him that she stay here in their suite. She still didn’t get it. He had to see this through...but why him? Why didn’t he take cases involving women and children? Why make such a pledge?

“I can’t explain it right now. All I ask is you trust me,” he said.

---