Page 44 of Protecting You
“Are you close to them?”
“Used to be. I loved taking care of them. I miss being around kids.”
He seemed to take that in, an unreadable expression on his face, which he schooled before she could examine it further. “Why aren’t you close to your sisters anymore?”
She shrugged. “I went off to college and then moved to DC. We just grew apart. Brooklynn, Cici, and Delaney are best friends. Kenzie and I are on the outside of their little…clique, and have been for years.”
“Are you and Kenzie close?”
“We don’t have a lot in common, and we’re so far apart in age.”
Callan worked on his cinnamon roll, and she took another bite of the bagel and sipped her coffee, which warmed her on the inside. With her jacket on, it wasn’t that cold out—maybe low fifties—but she was getting chilled sitting on the hard bench.
He finished the pastry and wiped his hands on a napkin. “What do we do for fun?”
“You probably need to tell me. I don’t have a lot of hobbies.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. I just…don’t. I work a lot. When I’m not working, I’m usually thinking about work. I like to read, sometimes. But that’s not exactly a couple’s activity.”
“Do you exercise? Play racquetball or pickleball?”
“I’ll take up pickleball when I turn fifty.”
“It’s actually really fun.” He chuckled. “I know this because my parents play.”
“Of course they do.” Though she had no idea what his parents looked like, she imagined a happy couple, laughing together, playing doubles pickleball—was that a thing?—and beating all the competition.
So different from her own parents.
Dad golfed. Mom decorated and shopped and had lunch with her daughters.
Dad consulted with government agencies and defense contractors.
Mom volunteered on committees and planned galas.
Rarely did they do anything together. When they did, usually one of them had to talk the other into doing it.
Not exactly a marriage made in heaven. Nothing like her aunt and uncle. Peggy and Roger made marriage look easy.
“You must do something for fun,” Callan prompted. “What do you love? Or what did you love as a kid?”
“I used to volunteer in the children’s ministry at church. I should probably do that again.”
He shuddered. “That’s not something we do together. Kids hate me.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
An expression crossed his features, almost…wounded, though that didn’t make sense.
She groped for a subject change, not wanting to cause him pain.
And there was a new experience. She’d imagined causing him pain for four years of college. She’d also imagined kissing him.
She needed to get both of those ideas out of her head.
“I walk every morning before work,” she said, “and sometimes after work, too, just to get me out of the apartment. What are your hobbies?”
