Juni opened her eyes. “Bad dream, bad dream, go away. I don’t like you, you can’t stay.” Louder this time.
Colin nodded. “Better. Now, how about one more time, even louder to really show that nightmare who’s boss.
That actually got him a grin. Juni pulled away from Maren and shouted, “Bad dream, bad dream, go away! I don’t like you.You. Can’t. Stay!”
“Good job, Junebug.” The nickname slipped out before he could stop it. “That nightmare’s off telling every other nightmare in the neighborhood to stay away from Juni Walsh.”
“I hope so,” she whispered back.
Maren swept her arm under Juni and stood up from the bed, holding her. Juni clung to her. “I’m going to take her back to my bed,” she told Colin. “It might help, too.”
“Mama,” Juni whispered, instead ofMaren.
Smiling at that, Colin was surprised to see something move across Maren’s face—heartbreak, there and gone in a blink.
“It’s all right, Juni,” she said, smoothing the girl’s hair down. “I’vegot you.”
It was the way she saidI’vethat struck him.
She doesn’t realize it, that when Juni saysMama, she’s not talking about Mira. She’s talking about Maren.
That hurt Colin to see. Maren had devoted her life to a little girl who loved her like her own mother, and she didn’t think enough of herself to accept the truth. In Juni’s eyes, shewasher mother in every way that counted.
He watched them disappear into Maren’s bedroom and fought the urge to follow them. They weren’t in danger, and that’s where his duties ended.
Or, should have ended. He wanted to go in and help soothe both of them, stand guard until they fell asleep. Maren carried the world on her shoulders, and he had a feeling she’d been that way all her life. He wanted to help, if only for a little while. Make her feel special.
That’s not part of the job.
He was having to remind himself of that more and more often.
Colin headed back to the couch. He ran his hand through his hair and scrubbed at the back of his neck. This had never happened to him on an assignment before. The principal was the principal, no more, no less, and it was his duty to keep that person physically safe until the job was over. Not stand guard over a little girl’s dreams.
Or reassure her mother that she was worthy of love. That she was the most selfless person that Colin had ever met, and she deserved to know that she was enough.Morethan enough, truth be told. Colin felt his heart turn over in his chest as he lay down, accompanied by something much lower down stirring to life.
Stand down, soldier. That’s totally inappropriate in this situation.
Colin punched his pillow and laid his head on it. The problem was, in addition to being sweet and selfless, Maren was lovely. She wasn’t your traditional beauty, but Colin didn’t care for that anyway. Maren was all curves and generous hips and breasts. When she wasn’t frightened, her eyes sparkled with good humor.And those lips…
Colin threw himself over onto his side facing away from the hallway and the woman just a few feet away.
Stop thinking about her lips. She’s in there comforting her daughter, and you’re out here perving on the woman. Now get some shuteye. With all the security this house has, you’re practically redundant.
As redundant as he’d be in Maren’s life. Those two were a closed unit, and that’s how it needed to stay. They didn’t need his intrusion.
I don’t do kids anyway.
Then why do I feel like that little girl has me absolutely wrapped around her finger?
TWELVE
It’s socute how Juni has Colin absolutely wrapped around her finger.
Maren watched the unthinkable happening in the safehouse living room. A tea party, complete with Colin as the guest of honor.
Oh, he could say he ‘didn’t do kids’ all he wanted, but at least in Juni’s case, that was an absolute lie.
He sat on the floor at one end of the coffee table, holding a tiny teacup—pinkie extended as instructed and insisted upon by Juni—in one hand, and the saucer in the other. On a plate in front of him sat several lumps of Play-Doh roughly shaped into cookies and ‘peddy-fours’ as Juni called the little cakes. He was eyeing them suspiciously, probably hoping she wouldn’t insist he take a bite. Maren was standing by to intervene if she did.
