Colin laughed, as he looked at Maren. The grimness from the meeting had vanished.
“Guess I’d better go assess the damage,” he said.
“To the plates?”
“To Mac’s ego.”
Maren smiled before she could stop herself.
Colin stood, then hesitated. He looked back down at her, uncertainty crossing his face.
“Fair warning,” he said quietly. “I don’t really do kids. So if I screw up the dishwashing inspection or... whatever else, that’s why.”
Maren’s smile turned softer. “Colin, you made her a pinkie promise this morning and she hasn’t stopped talking about it. I think you’re doing just fine.”
He looked surprised. “Yeah, well. She’s...different.”
“She is,” Maren agreed. “But I don’t think it’s just her.”
Colin held her gaze for a moment longer than necessary, then headed to the kitchen where Juni was already explaining in great detail exactly where Mac had gone wrong with the dishcloth. Maren watched Mac accept the critique with noble suffering.
Maren stayed on the couch for a moment. They weren’t being kicked out. No one was separating her from Juni. Colin had her back.
Juni laughed. Colin said something low that made Mac protest. Morning light stretched across the safehouse floor, and for one impossible second, Maren felt hopeful.
She picked up her coffee before it got cold and went to join them.
ELEVEN
“It’stime we did a perimeter check,” Mac announced once the kitchen was clean. Colin could tell by the way Mac raised his eyebrows that there would be more to it than that.
“I need to brief you,” Colin answered.
“You can do that while we walk.”
“Wait!” Juni, back at the table and coloring, dropped her crayon, jumped down from her seat, and ran up to the two men. “Can I come with, Colin?”
She’s killing me. Absolutely killing me with that hopeful look.
“Sorry, Junebug. This is work. We’re only going to be walking around the yard, okay? I’ll be right back.”
“Can I see you? The whole time?”
Colin glanced up at Maren and hated the distraught look in her eyes.
She thinks she’s failing Juni.
“Juni, sweetie,” she started as she set her coffee down on the kitchen counter. “They will be right outside, like Colin promised, keeping us safe.” She ran her hand over Juni’s head.
“Hey, Juni,” Colin tried. “Could you, uh, color a picture for me while I’m gone?” He looked toward the kitchen. “The fridge doesn’t look right without some art on it.”
Juni’s eyes got round. “How did you know Mo—Auntie Mer puts my drawings on the fridge at home?”
Colin smiled softly as he dropped to his knees. “Because everything I’ve seen tells me she takes really good care of you. She does, doesn’t she?”
Juni nodded solemnly.
“What does she do? Besides put up your artwork?”
