Page 65 of Callum
His gaze shifted between her eyes before softening. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I should have let you handle that.”
She tilted her head. “Really? No speech about being a protector and how you’ll always step in if you can?”
“Nope. I mean, Iwillstep in if I think you need it. I can’t help my instincts when it comes to you. But I’ll try to wait to see if you kick him in the balls first.”
Her lips twitched. She wasn’t sure she believed him, but she appreciated him saying that. “Thank you.”
“Now…are you okay?”
She sucked in a long, deep breath. “Yeah. I just don’t know why he won’t leave me alone. We’re done but he keeps coming back. And he said I was giving him mixed signals at the wedding when I wasn’t.”
Callum growled. “The guy’s delusional. Did he touch you?”
“Not really, just the touch on my arm that you saw.” When his features hardened, she cupped his cheek. “But I’m okay. And I would have kneed him in the balls if he did anything else. Although…it was kinda nice to watch him squirm in your hold.”
“So my stepping in wasn’t all bad?”
“No. It wasn’t all bad.”
He lowered his head, his mouth hovering over hers. “Good. Because I like being your growly protector.”
CHAPTER21
“You sure you don’t need backup?”
Callum’s mouth stretched into a smile at Liam’s words. He was already almost at Tamarack Lodge to make sure Freddie was getting the hell out of town. So no, he didn’t think he needed “backup” to talk to the guy.
“He’s an accountant. I think I can handle myself.”
“Yeah, I was thinking more backup to make sure you didn’t do anything stupid.”
That was probably a fair call. If he turned up and the guy hadn’t packed his bag, Callum might just lose his shit. Not because he was scared Fiona might actually play into his hands, but because the asshole was harassing her.
“I can control myself. I’m also going to ask if he knows anything about those texts.”
Liam scoffed. “You think he’ll talk to you regardless? You almost broke his arm yesterday.”
“Exactlywhyhe’ll talk to me.”
“Fine, but no knocking the guy out or doing anything that warrants me bailing your ass out of jail.”
Callum bit back a laugh as he turned onto Walnut Avenue. “You have so little faith in my self-restraint?”
“When it comes to Fiona? Yes.”
Fine, he’d give his friend that. “No one’s getting knocked out or sent to jail. Hell, I’m hoping he’s already checked out and gone home.” Fat damn chance, but still. He pulled into the parking lot of the lodge. “Thanks for checking in. Now get back to work.”
“If I don’t hear from you in an hour, I’m coming to find you.”
He almost laughed. He could do a hell of a lot in an hour, and his friend knew it. “Deal.”
He ended the call as he turned off the engine. He hadn’t told Fiona he was paying Freddie this visit. He would…once it was done. It would be her lunch break soon—maybe he’d pop into the library on the way home, bring her a Reuben sandwich from Bigwood Bread as a way of softening her up so she forgave him.
As he climbed from the car, his gaze shifted around the lot. Unfortunately, the hotel didn’t have a high-tech booking system he could hack to find the guy’s room number, so instead, he’d have to go the old-fashioned route.
He stepped inside the small reception area to find a wooden counter to the right, and behind it, a middle-aged blond woman who wore black-rimmed glasses.
He plastered a smile onto his face before moving to the desk.
