“I don’t,” he insisted.
Mac grinned. “She’s a client. She’s not interested inme, either, I can tell you that.” Colin ignored the side eye Mac gave him. “And like I said, I’m not interested in her.”
Colin pivoted. “Whoareyou interested in?”
The tips of Mac’s ears turned red. “None of your beeswax, brother.”
“Beeswax? Anyone ever tell you that you sound like someone’s granny?”
Mac’s grin widened. “Nope. But we were talking about you.”
“We’re not.”
“We are.” Mac stopped walking and turned to face him. The smile faded, but his expression stayed warm. “I know what happened with you. Why you don’t like kids.”
Colin felt his chest tighten. “Mac. It’s not that I don’tlikekids, it’s?—”
“It’s why you’re pissed about how Maren’s been treated. Because it reminds you?—”
Colin held up his hand. “I don’t need the play-by-play.”
“Fine.” Mac took a step back. “But you need to hear this.” Mac’s voice stayed steady. “Maren’s situation isn’t the same. Someone she trusted lying to her, sure. Innocent woman who got blindsided, absolutely. And yeah, she stepped up as a mom when she didn’t have to.”
Colin looked away. His hands flexed at his sides.
Mac took a breath. “You’re triggered. I get it.”
“Oh, you’re a therapist now?”
Mac just narrowed his eyes. “Maren’s not going to be a client forever. And when she’s not?” He waited until Colin looked at him. “She might be worth the risk. She and Juni both.” Mac clapped him on the shoulder once, gently. “Just think about it.”
They finished the perimeter check in silence. When they got back to the safehouse, Mac pulled the door open and held it.
“Coming?”
Colin followed him inside. Juni looked up from her coloring page, saw Colin, and her whole face lit.
“You came back again.”
“Told you I would, Junebug.”
“I colored this for you!” Juni held up a picture of a knight squaring off against a dragon. She’d given the knight dark hair and eyes like his.
Over her head, Colin caught Maren’s gaze from the seat beside Juni. She was smiling at him, soft and warm and entirely unguarded.
Mac was right.
She was absolutely worth the risk. They both were.
But as broken as he was, was he worth theirs?
The knock came mid-day,light and apologetic. Kyle had radioed ahead, warning Colin and Mac. Colin still checked the window first and saw Arden’s truck in the drive, then he opened the door and stepped back to let her in.
“Hi there,” Arden said when her silver-gray eyes found Maren at the kitchen table with Juni. She had a picnic basket in her hands and guilt written all over her face. “I brought quiche and sandwich fixings for lunch and dinner. And an apology.”
Juni looked up from her coloring. “Aunt Arden!”
“You don’t owe anyone an apology,” Maren said.
