He took a bite and Maren hated how much attention she paid to that. The way his lids lowered to half-mast for half a second.
“These are good,” he said.
Maren’s heart did a stupid cartwheel.
“They’re just from a mix.” She shrugged.
“Still good.Reallygood.”
Mac lowered his voice to a stage whisper and looked at Juni. “Told you he’d make an exception.”
Colin’s gaze moved to Mac.
There it was again. Not quite suspicion. Not quite irritation. Something tighter. Something Maren didn’t understand.
Mac understood it, though. She saw that much in the small lift of his eyebrows and the silent conversation that passed between the two men in a single look. Then Mac smiled, easy and open, and turned back to Juni. “What do you say, kiddo? After breakfast, we’ll clean up the kitchen then finish that unicorn masterpiece?”
Juni considered. “Can I make the horn green?”
“I believe the Colorado unicorn statutes allow for green horns before noon.”
“Okay.”
Maren set her fork down. Her hands were starting to shake. Not obviously, she hoped.
Colin noticed anyway.Of course he did.His gaze dropped to her hands, then lifted back to her face. The grimness was still there, tucked behind the gentleness he had put on for Juni.
When they’d finished, Maren started to stand.
“Maren,” Colin said quietly, stopping her with just her name. “Can we talk for a minute?”
There it was. Her stomach fell so fast she felt lightheaded.
“Sure.”
Mac stood immediately. “Juni and I can clear the table and start on the kitchen.”
Juni hesitated, looking at Colin. “Are you leaving again?”
“No,” Colin said without a hint of hesitation.
Juni looked at Maren.
Maren smiled, though it felt wobbly at the edges. “We’re just going to talk on the couch, sweetie. You’ll see us the whole time.”
Juni accepted that after another second of consideration. She slid off her chair, carrying her plate with both hands. Mac grabbed the other plates and silverware and hovered over her on their way to the kitchen—not taking the plate from her, just there in case syrup, gravity, or fate intervened.
Maren settled herself on the couch in the front room where she could watch Juni at the sink and hear her explaining that unicorns had to live near mountains because rainbows needed somewhere to land. Colin sat beside her, close but not too close.
That almost made her tension worse.
Maren folded her arms across her chest. “So, let’s just cut to it,” she said quietly.
“Are we still welcome here? Or did they find out something about my sister that makes you all not trust me?”
A flash of pain, then anger, then control showed in Colin’s eyes.
“What?”
