Colton Under Fire

“Children’s Hospital in Denver has treated a dozen kids with this virus. Two of them didn’t make it.”

His jaw sagged. “As in they died?”

The nurse nodded soberly.

He whirled and stared through the window at the toddler curled up in the stainless steel crib. He hadn’t been in touch with Sloane since high school, but it didn’t take more than two seconds of being in the same room with her to see that she adored her daughter. If anything happened to Chloe, it would kill Sloane.

The nurse added, “It gets worse before it gets better. And she’s a very young child. This little girl’s got a fight ahead of her. Several dozen children have died around the country from it.”

Sweet baby Jesus.

Sloane stepped out into the hallway, fully dressed, and smiled hopefully at him. Undoubtedly she didn’t know how bad Chloe’s illness was, or she wouldn’t be able to smile at all. His belly felt like glass that had been hit by a stone and shattered into a million razor-sharp shards.

It was hard as hell to do, but he forced a fake smile for Sloane’s sake and held out his forearm gallantly. “Shall we take a stroll along the promenade, madam?”

“You really don’t have to do this, Liam.”

“I’m working the night shift tonight.”

“Then shouldn’t you be out solving crimes?”

He was. He wanted to know why someone was watching her and had been lurking around her house. Were the two related?

“Tell me about where you live here in town,” he said casually.

“You saw it. Pretty street. Quiet. Lots of young families. Chloe will have plenty of kids her age to play with.”

“Fox was disappointed when you left the Crooked C. He liked having you and Chloe out there.”

She shrugged. “It was sweet of the gang out there to let us crash with them while I got my bearings and made some decisions. But Fox is a bachelor. He didn’t need Chloe and me hanging around getting in the way.”

“Why did you choose not to live with your parents? Goodness knows, they’ve got plenty of room in that house of theirs.”

“You mean the mausoleum?”

“It’s not that bad.”

“You didn’t live there,” she retorted.

“I spent a lot of time there with Fox.”

“Then you know that Russ and Mara were never at home.” She rolled her eyes. “I swear they had an ongoing contest going to see who could be more of a workaholic.”

“What about you? Did you grow up into a workaholic like them? You were one in high school, as I recall.”

“I just wanted to get into a good college so I could get away and be on my own.”

“Did you escape whatever you were running from?” he asked quietly.

She glanced up at him, her big hazel eyes dark and troubled. “You must be a heck of an interrogator, Liam. You cut right to the heart of the matter. You’re like a laser.”

“That’s me. Laser Man,” he quipped. “I cut away the lies and obfuscations to expose the naked truth. It’s my superpower. What’s yours?”

“These days, it’s making grilled cheese sandwiches and knowing the lyrics to every single princess musical ever made.”

“What about before Chloe came along?”

“There was life before Chloe?” she asked wryly.

He laughed. “I don’t know. You tell me.”

“Don’t get me wrong. She’s the light of my life. I didn’t know it was possible to love anyone the way I love her.”

“That’s obvious at a single glance. The way you look at her...” He searched for words. “It’s magical.”

Sloane shrugged. “I’m just a mom.”

“You’re a great mom.”

Sloane snorted. “And yet, my baby is in a hospital room fighting some awful illness that I should have seen coming. I had to have missed something—”

“You can’t control every situation every time. Sometimes life sneaks up on you.”

She snorted like a prizefighter who’d just been told she couldn’t use her fists in a fight.

He frowned and turned the corner into the cafeteria. “How were you supposed to know she would catch a nasty bug? Psychic powers? You’re being too hard on yourself. Chloe got sick and you got her to medical care in a timely fashion. There was nothing else you could have done.”

“Keep telling me that. Maybe I’ll believe you someday.”

He stopped and turned to face her. “I’m serious, Sloane. Cut yourself a break. Your little girl needs you to be calm and confident, not wracked by unnecessary guilt and distraction.”

Sloane took a deep breath. Exhaled it slowly. “Thanks for the reminder.”

“No problem. I just call it as I see it.”

She glanced up at him shyly and smiled. And lit up the whole darned cafeteria. Her smile transformed her heart-shaped face from pretty to radiant. Her gorgeous hazel eyes filled with warmth and gratitude.

“There it is,” he murmured. “The old Sloane Colton sparkle. Thought I’d lost you there for a while.”

“I’m still plain old me. Just a little older and hopefully a little wiser.”

He chuckled. “You were never plain. Do you have any idea how many guys Fox and I had to chase away from you?”

Her voice took on a stern tone. “No. I don’t. Do enlighten me.”

He grinned. “I’ll never tell. Just trust me...none of them were worthy of you.”

She planted her hands on her hips in what looked like indignation. “I thought I was a completely unattractive dork in high school because no guy would even look at me, let alone talk to me, or heaven forbid, ask me out. And you’re telling me that was your and Fox’s doing?”