Colton Family Bodyguard

“I’m twenty-five,” she said. “Have you been married or in any serious relationships?”

She had confessed her failed serious relationship, so that justified her asking the question. “No to marriage. Yes to a relationship, but it didn’t work out.”

“What happened?”

“It didn’t work out,” he repeated, turning his head and not looking at her anymore.

She watched the tension on his face for a few seconds, then said, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“We should get going to the police station. Why don’t we go get her and head to the hotel?” Callum said.

She wanted to get to Evie as soon as possible—and slow down whatever was happening between her and Callum.

Waiting for Hazel to finish getting ready to leave, Callum struggled with what her questions had brought to the surface. Shortly after he had left the SEAL team, he had lost Annabel. He never talked about her and their unborn baby. After she died, he had told everyone they’d broken up. He couldn’t bear to face the truth and he didn’t like people asking him about her. No one had enquired about her in a long time, which probably explained the heavy emotion he felt right now.

When Hazel joined him at the back door, Callum left the apartment, carrying two of her bags with one hand, leaving the other free. He searched the parking area behind the bakery and at first everything seemed quiet. But then he saw someone sitting in a car parked at the end of one of the rows. It was different than the one that had nearly mowed down Evie and Hazel; this one was white with tinted windows. He couldn’t see the person inside, but the shape had the form of a man.

Alarmed that someone might try to harm Hazel again, he said, “Go back inside, Hazel.”

“What?” Her eyes searched his face beneath lowered eyebrows.

“I need to check out that car over there. Go back inside.” He had to keep her safe and she’d be safest in there for now.

Hazel looked out into the parking lot. “Oh, no.”

“It might not be anything. Just let me check it out,” he said as reassuringly as he could. He didn’t mean to frighten her.

She turned and went back inside. He saw her go to the window next to the door and watch.

Callum stepped down the stairs, leaving the bags on the landing by the door. He walked to his truck and started it, then drove closer to the building. There, he waited a few moments. The driver of the other car pulled out of the parking space and drove down the alley toward the street.

Getting out of the truck, Callum went to help Hazel as she came out of the apartment and locked the door. He searched the parking lot and alley, keeping his body between the direction the car had gone and Hazel. He picked up the two bags and followed her down. At the passenger door, he opened that and waited for her to get in, continuing to watch for the mysterious car.

Putting the bags in the back seat, he got behind the wheel and started driving.

At the street he pulled out into traffic, glancing frequently into the rearview mirror. As he suspected, the stranger had waited for them.

Hazel twisted to look behind them. “Is that car following us?”

“Yes.”

“Is it the same man?”

“I don’t know.” Callum turned a corner to see if the stranger would follow.

He did.

Callum turned another corner and the stranger turned, too. He was two vehicles behind them. Callum couldn’t see the man clearly.

He decided to drive to the police station. Who in their right mind would try anything in front of a police station? Someone out of their mind...?

Hoping to get a better look at the man, Callum slowed down.

“What are you doing?” Hazel asked in a scared tone.

“I want to see if we can identify him.” He watched in the rearview mirror as the vehicle behind him got into the right lane and passed them. The second car moved over next. The white sedan slowed with Callum, maintaining distance. Whoever was driving wouldn’t risk being seen up close.

Not wanting to incite the man into drawing a gun or doing anything else that might endanger Hazel, Callum sped up and drove the rest of the way to the station. As they made the turn into the parking lot, the other car drove by. Callum stopped his truck and looked out his window. He saw a man who probably was about six feet tall. He had a hoodie and wore sunglasses—at night—and looked right at him, lights from the dash meagerly reflecting on him.

Callum waited until the white car disappeared from view, having memorized the plate number.

He parked. “Wait for me. Don’t get out.”

Hazel stayed in the truck and Callum opened the door for her, looking for the white car. Then he put his arm around her and walked with her to the front entrance. Inside, he turned to the glass doors and watched for a few minutes. The car didn’t reappear.

He heard Hazel ask for Detective Wilder and turned from the door. A short while later Kerry appeared from a hallway.

“Evie is looking at mugshots,” Kerry said. “I thought you both should have a look as well. Right this way.” She waved her hand in encouragement.

Callum followed Hazel and Kerry down a hall to an office where Evie was perched on a desk chair that all but swallowed her. Seeing her mother, she hopped down and ran over on her little legs.

“Mommy!”

Hazel picked her up for a hug. “Hi, sweetie. Did you have fun?”

“Yes. The artist is really good. He said he likes his job.” Her innocent eyes were wide with excitement.

“Oh, really?”

“And I looked at pictures of bad people.”

The kid would probably go down hard when Hazel put her to bed. Who needed sugar when you had such an active imagination? Evie definitely needed a lot of stimulation mentally. She would probably do great in school. He often wondered what his daughter would have been like. Who would she have been? What would her personality have been like? His personality or her mother’s?

Callum went over to Kerry and told her about the white car, glad for the distraction. She went to the computer where Evie had been “working” and must have navigated somewhere that would tell her about the car.

“Reported stolen this afternoon,” she said.

Damn. The stranger was being very careful. Callum didn’t like how he had followed them. He had found where Hazel lived. What if he found them at the inn? He felt enormous pressure to keep Hazel and Evie safe, more so than his usual clients. This seemed more personal.

Before that thought could cause him some heartburn, he went with Hazel to the computer, where Kerry brought up the mugshots. They spent about an hour going through those, but none of them looked familiar. They also couldn’t say with any certainty that any of those who had the same type of build might be a potential suspect. Evie’s assessment was their best shot at this point.

He’d been so consumed with protecting Hazel and Evie that he hadn’t asked Kerry about the progress of the investigation into his father’s shooting.

“Hey, have you gotten any further on finding Nan Gelman?” Nan was a nurse who’d been working on the maternity ward at Mustang Valley General Hospital the day Ace had been born—and swapped with another baby. Though the hospital’s records had burned, the Coltons were trying to track down Nan to find out what had happened that day.

Kerry made a disgruntled sound. “No. I found a Gelman living in Mountain Valley, but they aren’t related to Nan. No one in that family worked at the hospital.”

Maybe he’d see what he could dig up. “I might be able to help. My company has resources that you may not have access to.”

She brightened. “That would be great.”

“Detective Wilder?” Callum looked up and saw an officer in the doorway. “We have a body. It might be related to the near hit and run.”

Kerry indicated for Callum and Hazel to follow.

Hazel looked at Callum. “Evie should probably have a tour of the station or something.” She should not hear about a dead body.

An officer approached at Kerry’s gesture and Evie happily went off to resume her fun-filled day at the police station.

Callum and Hazel went into a conference room, where other detectives had gathered.

“Kerry’s here now,” the chief of police, Al Barco, said. Fifty-two, mostly bald and with a slight paunch, he had calm, kind green eyes, despite his commanding nature.

And a man started talking through the speakerphone on the long table. “Hi, Kerry. It’s Dane Howman.”

“Hey, Howman. What have you got for me?”

“A hiker found a body on the banks of a river a few miles from where Evie saw him put in the trunk. Preliminary forensics suggests the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. He had a wallet and an ID. It’s Nate Blurge.”

“I know that guy,” one of the other officers in the room said. “He’s a wild twenty-six-year-old, been arrested three times for drunk and disorderly conduct. Practically lives at Joe’s Bar and always gets into fights.”

“Could one of the people he crossed have killed him?” Hazel asked.

“That’s a possibility,” Kerry said. “It’s where we’ll start in the investigation.”

Hazel looked over at Callum and he could feel her worry. How long would the investigation take? How long would she have to be on high alert?

“I’ll find the killer as fast as I can so you and Evie can have your lives back,” Kerry said.

Hazel answered with a slight smile that was more of a silent thank-you than anything else. The reassurance didn’t alleviate the fear, and Callum’s determination to protect them with all the skill he’d gained over the years redoubled.

Rejoining Evie, Hazel flashed back to Callum’s reaction when she had asked him about his past relationships. Clearly something bad. It bothered her that he had trouble talking about something personal like that and also made her doubly curious.

Again, both she and Callum added what little information they could to the description of the killer. Right now her daughter was transfixed by Kerry’s badge.

“I’ve booked out one of the two-bedroom suites at the Dales Inn,” Callum said.

Hazel looked at him, startled. “You mean...you and me and...” In one suite? “I can’t afford that.”

“I can. Don’t worry.”

She kind of did worry, but she decided not to argue. Keeping Evie safe was most important to her. He put his hand over his chest. “I’m a bodyguard. Consider this a professional courtesy. No charge.” Now he opened his arms in offering, and oh, what an offering.

She stared at him for long seconds. “Oh, I don’t—”

Hazel felt some trepidation at staying with a man she had only just met. Nearly being killed had frightened her but this was all happening so fast. Her routine had been disrupted.

“Actually,” Detective Wilder said, removing her badge and handing it to Evie, who took it and felt the top, “Until we find Blurge’s killer, I think you should stay at the Dales Inn with Callum.”

More than one night? “I don’t—”

“I’ve already offered my services as a bodyguard,” Callum cut in again.

Hazel hesitated.

“You’re in good hands, Hazel. He is one of the best bodyguards in the country. His company is known for that. They have a solid reputation. You can trust him.”

That made her feel marginally better, but it seemed excessive. And with a stranger.

Bodyguard.

She supposed if she thought of him that way...

“You would be my bodyguard?” she asked him.

“Yours and Evie’s.”

Hazel glanced at Kerry, still uncertain but wavering. “He isn’t a policeman.” Callum might be six-three and solid muscle, but cops carried guns.

“He’s licensed to carry a firearm.” Kerry looked at Callum, who moved his jacket aside to reveal the gun in a hip holster.

When Hazel said nothing, just looked over at Evie, Kerry added, “There isn’t an officer in this department who wouldn’t vouch for him. He does work for a top personal protection agency. Really, I can’t say enough good about him.”

Hazel put her hand to her forehead. “This is so sudden.” She lowered her hand and looked at Evie. The sketch artist handed her a detective shield sticker, which put a big smile on her face. She peeled the back off the sticker and stuck it to the left side of her chest.

“Hey, Detective Evie.” Hazel went to her and crouched where she sat at Kerry’s desk. Evie beamed, no doubt imagining she was a detective and would go to work just now. “We’re going to stay at a hotel tonight. It’ll be a vacation.”

Evie nodded, looking at Kerry, who had put her badge back on, clearly distracted.

Chapter 3

Having confirmation that the man Evie saw being dumped into a car trunk was dead unsettled Hazel much more than she’d anticipated. Evie had seen the man knocked over the head with a rock. They didn’t know if that had killed him. Sure, she had contemplated the possibility, even the likelihood, but having it become fact put them up against a killer. A killer!

Callum held the station door for her and Evie, whom she held since her eyes were drooping with the late hour. She saw him scan their surroundings. He put his hand on her back protectively and then his head stopped moving. She followed his gaze and saw a white car drive past the station again and then turn the corner. Apparently the vehicle had been circling the block while they were inside.

“Go and get Kerry,” Callum said. “Hurry.”

Hazel turned and walked quickly back to the door. When inside, she saw Callum had drawn his gun and was watching the street.

“Is something wrong?”

Hazel heard Detective Wilder and faced her. “The white car that followed us here is still out there. He’s going around the block.” Just then Hazel spotted the car in front of the station on the street, driving slowly. Callum took cover behind his truck.

Kerry hollered for two other officers and ran out the front door.

“Mommy?” Evie said sleepily.

“It’s okay, honey. Go back to sleep.” Hazel hoped it would be all right.

Evie rested her head on Hazel’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Hazel didn’t have time to savor the sight.

Callum opened the station door as Hazel saw Kerry racing away in her car, two other officers following.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Callum said. “Kerry’s on his tail.”

She carried Evie out the door.

Callum stayed close to her side with his pistol. At his truck, he opened the back door and guarded them while Hazel put Evie in the car seat he had thoughtfully put in there. Then he opened the passenger door and guarded Hazel again while she got in. Going around to the other side, he got behind the wheel and drove quickly out of the parking lot.

A few minutes later they arrived at the Dales Inn. Hazel knew it was upscale but she had never been this close before. Its grandeur towered before her, the double wooden doors with oval windows welcoming guests to promised luxury. A parking valet gave Callum a ticket.

“Welcome, Mr. Colton,” the valet said and then nodded to Hazel. “Ma’am.”

“Callum Colton?” a bellboy asked.

“Yes,” Callum answered.

“I’ll take care of your bags.”

“Thank you.”

All Hazel had to do was carry a sleeping Evie inside.

The richness of majestic white columns and dark polished stone floors beneath a high, ornately trimmed ceiling engulfed her. Numbly she walked to the reception desk with Callum.

“We’re checking in to a two-bedroom suite, please.”

Hazel thought about protesting again, but her anxiety over the driver of the white car stopped her. That and Detective Wilder’s unwavering praise of Callum’s good character.

He took the room keys, then guided Hazel with his hand on her lower back, something that was becoming a habit for him. Strangely, Hazel didn’t mind. She wasn’t accustomed to a man doting on her the way Callum did. She had always taken care of herself. He might be doing all of that as her bodyguard, but she still liked it. She felt pampered.

They rode the elevator to the top floor with the bellboy and their luggage. Her luggage. Hazel looked at the cart the bellboy had gotten and saw two additional bags. She looked up at Callum in question, Evie’s warm breaths touching her neck.

“I arranged for my things to be brought here.”

Who had he called? And when? He must have done so while he waited for her to pack. No doubt his family had all kinds of people who did such things for them. Hazel had a funny feeling about that. Ed had hidden his wealth from her, so he had never taken her to places like this, but his lies had hurt. She wouldn’t fall so easily for anyone again. Not that she was falling for Callum. He was extremely handsome, that’s all. What woman could be immune to that? It was like staring at a beautiful painting, unable to look away until she’d had her fill of the pleasure.

In the posh hallway, Callum stopped at a room door and unlocked it. Then he held the door for Hazel and the bellboy.

“Go ahead and put my bags in the room with one king,” Callum said to the bellboy.

“Yes, sir.” The bellboy walked down the hall and Hazel followed.

Going into the other bedroom, Hazel drew the covers back on the far queen bed and gently laid Evie on the sheets. She touched her daughter’s sleeping face as the bellboy brought in her bags.

“Thanks,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Enjoy your stay at the Dales Inn.” The young man left and Hazel shut the door before undressing Evie.

It was a bit of a challenge to get her daughter into pj’s but she finally succeeded without waking her. The poor kid was exhausted.

Hazel unpacked both of their bags, hanging some clothes and putting some in drawers. She put Evie’s toys on one of the chairs in front of the draperies and then spread Evie’s favorite soft blanket over her. Leaning down, she kissed her daughter’s forehead.

Going out to the main room, she saw Callum on his phone, standing between a four-seater dining table and a sectional that faced a gas fireplace with a TV over it. He talked to someone as he faced the corner windows, Mustang Valley town lights sparkling outside.

There were some things on the table, a computer and other equipment. As she neared, she saw three GPS tracking devices, several USB drives. Some devices looked high tech, others had tiny screens, and she saw bulletproof vests, one small enough to fit Evie. Now she knew why he had two bags.

“All right. Keep me informed,” he said and then disconnected.

Hazel went to the four bar stools at a marble-topped kitchen island with a sink in the middle. Three pretty orange-gold pendants hung from the ceiling. A four-burner gas stove with a microwave above was on the other side, and there were cabinets on both sides. It even had a pantry.

She put her hands on the back of one of the chairs. “This is very nice. I’m more of a two-or three-star hotel kind of girl.” Not a fiver.

He chuckled. “We need the space and you need a kitchen. Think of it as a home away from home.”

Hazel had told him she was a chef on the way to the Dales Inn but not much else. Leaving the chair, she went around the island and began going through the cabinets. The kitchen was fully stocked with all the equipment she would need. “The only things missing are food and spices.”

“Make a list and I’ll have that delivered in the morning.”

With the snap of a finger he’d do that? “Then I’ll pay you.”

“No, you won’t. I want you to relax and have as much semblance of your normal routine as possible. Don’t worry about anything other than doing your job and taking care of Evie. I’ll do the rest.”

Finished checking out the kitchen, seeing it had pretty much everything, she walked to the impressive windows. Mustang Valley looked bigger than she had always thought of it from here.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked.

She heard him walk up behind her and stop beside her. “I was there when the man tried to run you over.”

He had already indicated as much, but she wanted to know why he was here with her. Why had he offered his services, free of charge?

“Why this?” She turned as she swept her arm out into the room, facing him. “Why is it so important for you to help us?”

She met his incredibly blue eyes while he considered his reply.

“I don’t know,” he finally said. “When I first saw you, I had no intention of going out to meet you, but then I saw that car with the driver and instincts kicked in. This is what I do, Hazel.”

That sounded truthful enough. Why, then, did she have this feeling that it was more personal than that?

“Kerry called. She lost the white car,” Callum said, pulling her thoughts elsewhere. “She said the driver must know the town well. Otherwise he might not have gotten away as easily as he did.”

Hazel bit her lower lip in consternation. The killer had gotten away. Where was he now? Lurking outside? Did he already know they were here? Picturing Evie’s sweet sleeping face, she released her lip with a long sigh. If the killer knew the town well, he’d know the Dales Inn was the only hotel in Mustang Valley.

Feeling as though someone could see them through the windows, she went to stand by the dining table.

Callum went to the other side. “I sleep light, so don’t worry. And if you have any lingering doubt as to why I’m doing this, now you shouldn’t. I couldn’t leave a dog in danger like this.”

She believed that his work was second nature to him, but she still thought there was more to him than that, more that drew him to her and Evie, maybe even something he hadn’t acknowledged himself. Yet.

Looking down at all the items on the table, she pointed to the vests. “I take it we’re going to be wearing those?”

“Whenever we leave the inn. They’re knife-and bulletproof and made with poly-cotton netting that breathes to keep you cool or warm, depending on the weather. You can wear them underneath your clothes. They’re comfortable.”

Very high tech. And she would feel so much better knowing Evie would be protected as best as she could.

“What will you do with the USB drives?” she asked.

“Some are listening devices, others are cameras. One is for deleted file recovery.” He gestured to the USB devices. “We’ll put a GPS in your car, purse and Evie’s backpack. They all have extended battery life.”

Hazel couldn’t bear to think she or Evie might be abducted, but Callum would know where they were if it happened. He wasn’t taking any chances. She couldn’t imagine they would need to recover any deleted files in order to find the killer. Maybe that was another precautionary measure Callum had taken.

“I’ve got some night vision goggles and extra guns and ammo in the bag. I’ll keep those in a safe place.”

Out of Evie’s curious hands. That was comforting. Hazel met his eyes, thinking she could never get tired of doing so. She could stare at them for an hour and float on a cloud of infatuation. How many other handsome men had she seen and not had such a strong reaction? She had been quite attracted to Ed, but she had never felt this way with him. Callum might be ruggedly gorgeous but Hazel didn’t think he’d be a good match for her.

What made a good match? She did not know him at all, at least, not very well. He physically attracted her. What would she do with that? What if she had no control over what was between them?

Why are you doing this?

Why is it so important for you to help us?

Those two questions that Hazel had asked kept repeating in his mind and he couldn’t shut off the voice. He was tired of hearing it. Mostly he was tired of wondering why and feeling somewhere deep inside that he already knew the answers.