my friend. I wanted to—“
“Just give her some room to breathe.”
As people settled down, eyes began turning to Detective Phillips, who stood passively a few feet away, watching the lobby intently.
“Um….who’s that guy you came in with?” Lydia asked.
Kallie sighed. “He’s a friend of Hunter’s.”
“Does he always stand like a statue and ignore other people?”
“Come on, babe—he’s obviously a bodyguard,” Sean said, with barely suppressed frustration.
“Well, how should I know?”
Kallie’s mother grew anxious, looking at Kallie with frightened eyes. “Why do you need a bodyguard? Are you still in danger?”
“No, I’m not in danger.”
Her dad looked puzzled. “Then why is that guy with you?”
“It’s just a precautionary measure, guys. Everything’s fine. Can we go eat now?”
They went inside the hotel restaurant and were immediately seated in the rear, at a private table away from the rest of the patrons. Their waitress had clearly recognized Kallie, and she was blushing and fumbling as she took their drink orders.
“See what I was telling you?” Lydia said, elbowing Kallie lightly in the ribs.
Kallie smiled, as patiently as she could and tried to keep the sarcasm from her voice. “So good to see you, Lydia.”
“I wouldn’t dream of staying back in New York. After all, Sean was involved too.”
Sean had ordered a beer and seemed eager to guzzle it quickly down when it arrived at the table.
Kallie glanced at him, hoping he would flash one of his usual grins, but his face was drawn and humorless.
“You okay, Seany?”
“Never been better,” he replied, and belched unapologetically.
“Sean won’t say much about what happened,” Lydia sighed. “All I know is what I’ve read or seen on TV about it.”
“Well, it was a very frightening time,” Kallie said. “He probably doesn’t want to think too much about it just now.”
Lydia nodded, her large hoop earrings jangling. “Sure, I get it. Plus, Sean wasn’t a big hero like your guy.”
Sean made a face and laughed under his breath.
Kallie felt a wave of embarrassment on her brother’s behalf. Lydia just wasn’t a bright person, and she wasn’t particularly kind either—though she meant well enough.
“Sean was actually very brave, and I couldn’t have gotten through it without him,” Kallie told her.
Sean was surprised. “You mean that?”
She nodded. “Of course I do, Sean. I love you. You’re my big brother.”
“Awwww,” Lydia said. “That is so fucking sweet.”
Sean rolled his eyes and had another swig from his glass.
“Maybe your friend would like to join us for the meal,” Kallie’s father said, pointing to Detective Phillips, who was now standing guard at the door of the restaurant.
“I doubt it.”
“You should ask him if he’s hungry,” her mother agreed.
Kallie thought about it. She hadn’t seen the detective eat so much as a cracker since he’d begun shadowing her earlier in the morning. He must be hungry.
She didn’t really want him to eat with her family, but then again, it couldn’t go any worse than it was already going.
Kallie got up from her seat and went to where Detective Phillips had stationed himself. “Hey,” she said.
He turned his head and glanced at her stiffly. “Hey. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just wondering if you wanted to come eat with us.”
He shook his head. “I should stay here, keep an eye out.”
“It’s okay. You must be starving.” He didn’t answer. Just from his hesitation, she knew it was true. “Come on, sit down and eat with us. You can still guard me. In fact, if you sit between me and my brother’s fiancé, you’ll be protecting me from severe emotional distress.”
That brought a smile to Phillips’s face. “I guess I can do that.”
They walked back to the table and Kallie asked the waitress to add a table setting next to her, making sure he sat between her and Lydia.
Lydia began to pout, but Kallie
“Just give her some room to breathe.”
As people settled down, eyes began turning to Detective Phillips, who stood passively a few feet away, watching the lobby intently.
“Um….who’s that guy you came in with?” Lydia asked.
Kallie sighed. “He’s a friend of Hunter’s.”
“Does he always stand like a statue and ignore other people?”
“Come on, babe—he’s obviously a bodyguard,” Sean said, with barely suppressed frustration.
“Well, how should I know?”
Kallie’s mother grew anxious, looking at Kallie with frightened eyes. “Why do you need a bodyguard? Are you still in danger?”
“No, I’m not in danger.”
Her dad looked puzzled. “Then why is that guy with you?”
“It’s just a precautionary measure, guys. Everything’s fine. Can we go eat now?”
They went inside the hotel restaurant and were immediately seated in the rear, at a private table away from the rest of the patrons. Their waitress had clearly recognized Kallie, and she was blushing and fumbling as she took their drink orders.
“See what I was telling you?” Lydia said, elbowing Kallie lightly in the ribs.
Kallie smiled, as patiently as she could and tried to keep the sarcasm from her voice. “So good to see you, Lydia.”
“I wouldn’t dream of staying back in New York. After all, Sean was involved too.”
Sean had ordered a beer and seemed eager to guzzle it quickly down when it arrived at the table.
Kallie glanced at him, hoping he would flash one of his usual grins, but his face was drawn and humorless.
“You okay, Seany?”
“Never been better,” he replied, and belched unapologetically.
“Sean won’t say much about what happened,” Lydia sighed. “All I know is what I’ve read or seen on TV about it.”
“Well, it was a very frightening time,” Kallie said. “He probably doesn’t want to think too much about it just now.”
Lydia nodded, her large hoop earrings jangling. “Sure, I get it. Plus, Sean wasn’t a big hero like your guy.”
Sean made a face and laughed under his breath.
Kallie felt a wave of embarrassment on her brother’s behalf. Lydia just wasn’t a bright person, and she wasn’t particularly kind either—though she meant well enough.
“Sean was actually very brave, and I couldn’t have gotten through it without him,” Kallie told her.
Sean was surprised. “You mean that?”
She nodded. “Of course I do, Sean. I love you. You’re my big brother.”
“Awwww,” Lydia said. “That is so fucking sweet.”
Sean rolled his eyes and had another swig from his glass.
“Maybe your friend would like to join us for the meal,” Kallie’s father said, pointing to Detective Phillips, who was now standing guard at the door of the restaurant.
“I doubt it.”
“You should ask him if he’s hungry,” her mother agreed.
Kallie thought about it. She hadn’t seen the detective eat so much as a cracker since he’d begun shadowing her earlier in the morning. He must be hungry.
She didn’t really want him to eat with her family, but then again, it couldn’t go any worse than it was already going.
Kallie got up from her seat and went to where Detective Phillips had stationed himself. “Hey,” she said.
He turned his head and glanced at her stiffly. “Hey. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just wondering if you wanted to come eat with us.”
He shook his head. “I should stay here, keep an eye out.”
“It’s okay. You must be starving.” He didn’t answer. Just from his hesitation, she knew it was true. “Come on, sit down and eat with us. You can still guard me. In fact, if you sit between me and my brother’s fiancé, you’ll be protecting me from severe emotional distress.”
That brought a smile to Phillips’s face. “I guess I can do that.”
They walked back to the table and Kallie asked the waitress to add a table setting next to her, making sure he sat between her and Lydia.
Lydia began to pout, but Kallie
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