She trusted him. Implicitly. After being hesitant to allow him to be around her children, Natalie had left them in his care while she went to Brandee Lawless’s house for a fitting. He’d helped load the car full of lacy material, measuring tapes and a sketchbook.
He smiled inwardly, recalling the way her nose had crinkled as she showed him the toy cabinet and location of all the supplies he would need for his childcare adventure. She’d kissed him deeply, been so appreciative of his help.
And he would not let her down. Picking up the apple turnover platter with his other hand, he turned to face Lexie and Colby.
Lexie twirled and twirled and twirled in her little pink dress.
“Mr. Max! Mr. Max! Look.” She leaped, almost like a ballerina.
“That’s perfect, kiddo. What do you say we eat some apple turnovers in the living room? Maybe watch some TV?” He smiled at her. So much energy out of one little body. He had to give Natalie even more credit than ever before. Taking care of two little kids was tougher, more exhausting, than any day he’d put in at the office. And she managed this while running a business.
He couldn’t even claim that distraction, since the B and B was empty for the morning, a slew of new guests due later in the day, the reason Natalie had opted to do the fitting now. She’d figured watching the kids would be easier.
Ha.
“Yeah, TV, TV, TV,” Lexie squealed, clapping her hands as she bolted off to the living room in a blur of pink.
Colby shifted on his feet, looked at him. “Can we watch Fishtales?”
The question had caught him off guard, the way the boy was warming to him rather than just answering questions. “Of course we can, Colby.”
“Cool.” A rare smile tugged at his little mouth. Miss Molly nuzzled her charge’s hand. Colby patted the side of his leg. “Come, Miss Molly. Let’s go.”
The trio walked to the living room. Lexie and Colby sat on the couch and sank into the cushioning. Max placed the plate of turnovers in front of them. Miss Molly, who had lain at Colby’s feet, eyed the plate. Praying for crumbs probably.
Max thumbed the television remote, pulled up Fishtales and hit Play. He settled into the armchair, content. They could blend their worlds, bring them together. Natalie had spent time with him in Seattle, and now here he was back in Texas, figuring out the domestic scene.
Things could actually be this good. He swiped one of the apple turnovers, enjoying the spice of the cinnamon and the fresh apples. Calm. Everything was calm.
Until his phone vibrated three times in a row. Retrieving it from his pocket, he saw he’d just missed a call from Will.
A break in the case? Looking back at Natalie’s children, he watched as they stared intensely, enthralled by a cartoon movie.
He would only be gone a few moments. He quietly excused himself, careful not to disturb their TV time.
Max made his way into the hall and pressed the call-back option on his phone. The phone rang once before Will’s gruff voice answered.
“Hey, I just wanted to let you know we’ve gotten a significant amount of data from the algorithm you designed. I think that we might be onto something,” Max’s friend said by way of answering. Will was no-nonsense, always down to business.
Though Max could barely hear his friend over Miss Molly’s whining. The dog came, nuzzled his hand. Whined again. Ran to the door and barked, distracting him from what Will was saying.
“I’m sorry, Will. Could you hold on a second?” Max asked, looking at the dog. Then back to the living room.
And only seeing Lexie.
He tamped down worry that threatened his focus and started walking through the downstairs, checking the bathrooms while his friend repeated whatever he’d said before. But Max couldn’t think about the conversation or the case. Each step through the Cimarron Rose only hammered home that he didn’t know where Colby had gone and there were no guests around who might have seen him or could help him look.
Miss Molly’s scratching grew more frantic, and was now partnered with barking. Max jogged back to the kitchen and looked out the windows. Still no sign of Colby.
To hell with calm.
Panic surged through him. “Will, I have to call you back.” He hung up, moving to the door where Miss Molly scratched.
Damn. He’d turned his back for a minute. Maybe two.
But it had been enough time for Colby to leave, slip out the back door. Maybe if Max had paid attention to Miss Molly’s whining sooner...