“I’m saving one for Colin, too.”
Colin’s eyes widened and his lips quivered with amusement for a second before he locked it down.
Leave it to Juni to charm Mr. Tall, Dark, and Quiet.
He quickly turned back to the window, did a visual sweep, then gave Arden a small nod. She gave him one back.
“All right.” Arden looked back at Maren. “Out of your hair. Call me if you needanything.Even if you don’t know what it is yet.”
Maren smiled. “I will.”
“Bye, Junebug,” Arden called.
Juni came running out of the kitchen. “Bye, Aunt Arden.” Arden dropped to her knees and Juni threw herself into her arms. Arden closed her eyes, and the look of happiness on her face nearly undid Maren.
Juni atetwo helpings of lasagna.
Two. The kid who’d been picking at hamburgers and gas station snacks was on her second piece of lasagna with garlic bread and a fistful of salad croutons she had picked out and arranged on the side of her plate.
“Aunt Arden’s a good cook,” Juni announced through a mouthful.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Junebug.”
Juni swallowed elaborately. “Aunt Arden’s agoodcook.”
“She really is.”
Across the small kitchen table, Mac was on his second piece too. Colin had taken his plate to the front room. Maren had clocked the move when he made it, feeling the tiniest bit of disappointment. But that was silly—he was their bodyguard, not her date, and that’s what he was doing—guarding them. He could still see and hear them from where he was, he just wasn’t sitting at the table, she told herself. No reason to be disappointed that it wasn’t Mac instead.
Stop it.
“Mac?” Juni asked.
“Yes, ma’am?” Maren watched Mac’s whole face crinkle, ready for whatever question was coming.
“Did you ever have a pet when you were little?”
“I sure did. I had a dog named Toque. He was big and goofy.”
“You named him Took? What did he take?”
Mac laughed. “Not took,Toque.” He lifted his hands, pressed his palms against either side of his head, his fingers forming a peak. “It’s a winter hat. I think you guys call them stocking caps. But to answer your question, when he was a puppy he took a toque, one my mom had knitted, and ran around the house with it. It was about as big as he was.”
Oh, so he’s not from Minnesota or Wisconsin. He’s Canadian.
Juni considered Mac’s story. “Pretzel wouldn’t steal anything.”
“I bet he wouldn’t,” Mac agreed.
“Pretzel is going to grow up and be averygood dog.”
“That’s a fine thing to grow up to be,” Mac said. “Especially if he’s going into the military.”
Juni took a bite, nodding the way she did when she’d settled something to her satisfaction.
Maren glanced toward the living room. Colin was sitting on the couch, watching them. It was probably her imagination, but his expression told her that maybe he wished he was at the table, too. Her heart sped up.
Bath. Then the doll. Then bed. One thing at a time.
