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An answering anger started to flare on his face.
“I’ve never treated you like that and you know it.”
“Do I?”
They glared at each other before he suddenly reached for her, yanking her against his big body. She wasn’t sure if he was going to kiss her or yell at her, and perhaps he wasn’t either. Before he could decide, they were interrupted by a sleepy voice from the back hallway.
“Why are you hugging Mama, Temel?”
“Indeed.” Kalpar’s amused drawl echoed the question as he came in from the back porch.
Temel gave a frustrated growl and stormed off towards his study. The same frustration made her own eyes sting with tears and she hurried over to Tommy before Kalpar could say anything else.
“Let’s get you dressed, sweetheart.”
Before he could object, she bundled him out of the kitchen and into his bedroom. Dora popped her head around the door, looked from her to Tommy, then sighed and disappeared again. Terrific. She’d just have to hunt her down later.
Once she dressed Tommy, she sent him ahead to the kitchen. She heard the low rumble of Naffon’s voice, but before she could follow Tommy, Temel intercepted her in the hallway. She saw the yearning in his eyes before he hardened his expression.
“You know I think of you—all of you—as my family,” he said. “I will not abandon you, but my squad is also my family and I need time to consider what is best for all of us.”
Her temper flared again.
“Is that your way of saying ‘leave me alone?’”
“Of course not, but neither do I want you to believe that you are my dirty little secret.”
He gave her a long, assessing look, but before she could think of the right response he dipped his head and walked away.Dammit.
She forced down her anger and returned to the kitchen. She was quite aware that Kalpar was watching her, but she did her best to ignore him. Naffon didn’t seem to know anything about what had happened, talking cheerfully to Tommy despite a few quick glances towards Dora’s room. Both males left at the same time, taking Tommy with them, and she sank down at the kitchen table, exhausted by the effort of pretending everything was all right.
At last she hauled herself to her feet and made a pot of tea. Tears pricked her eyes as she looked at it and she dashed at them angrily. She’d always preferred to confront a problem head on. With Dora hiding out in her room and the rest of the house empty, this was the perfect time to force Temel to talk to her.
She loaded up the tea tray, adding a plate of cookies at the last minute, then marched past the now gleaming dining room table beneath the sparkling chandelier and into his study. She was so prepared for battle that it took her a moment to realize that the room was empty.
She placed the tray on the desk and threw herself down in his big office chair. Of all the times for him to decide to leave. Unless he was just avoiding her of course. She swung around towards the bookcase and then her breath caught in her throat.
One of Tommy’s drawings had been neatly framed and placed on an empty shelf right next to the desk. A drawing that included all of them from Temel to Angel, as well as Kalpar and Naffon. Tears sprang to her eyes as she picked up the image and slowly traced the lines that connected her hand with Temel’s. Perhaps he really did consider them all his family after all.
She was still staring at the drawing when the comm unit behind his desk buzzed, immediately followed by a frantic voice.
“Temel, Temel. Are you there? Come in, please.”
She bit her lip as the message repeated, the caller sounding even more frantic. There was a flashing green button on the device and she pressed it tentatively.
“Hello?”
It took her a moment to realize that she had to release the button in order to hear the other speaker.
“Where’s Temel?” the caller demanded.
“I don’t know. He’s not here.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Ida.”
“The human cook?”
