Free Hold On (Delos Series Book 5) by Lindsay McKenna Page A

really real!
    “And you’ll keep on cleaning out the diaper pail and diapering the babies?” She watched that chiseled mouth of his draw into a boyish grin.
    “Sure ’nuff.”
    “I think,” she said falteringly, opening her hands, “that feels like a good plan, Beau. Let’s give it a try and see how things go.”
    “I got it,” he promised her. “And for now, let’s enjoy our night together, okay? I have a lot of questions for you.”
    All her guilt and worry fled beneath his coaxing smile and those gleaming gray eyes of his as he sat up. “What kinds of questions?”
    “About your childhood. What kind of cute little girl were you in the first grade? What was your favorite thing to do in school? How many little boys’ hearts did you break?”
    Her lips formed a faint smile. “I was a freckle-faced little girl with pigtails in the first grade. And I had a heck of a temper. One little boy pulled one of my braids, and I turned around and smacked him in the face with my fist. That earned me a trip to the principal’s office.”
    Chuckling, Beau said, “Somehow, I already figured out you were a hellion from the time you were born.”
    “Well, my mom could sure attest to that. I was the second born, and she thought she had it timed to get to the hospital to birth me. My dad, who’s a surgeon, ended up delivering me in the backseat of our car.”
    “It’s that red hair,” he promised her, his heart swelling as she smiled.
    “That’s what Dad said.”
    “Does your mother have red hair?”
    “Yes.” Callie opened her purse and drew out her iPhone, going to her family pictures, turning it around, and handing it to him. “There’s all kinds of family photos there. Help yourself.”
    Callie watched his expression carefully as Beau held the iPhone and slowly scrolled through the photos. He turned it around, holding a photo up to her.
    “This is you in the first grade?”
    “Yep, that’s me. Two front teeth missing.” She laughed.
    “You were a very, very cute little girl,” he murmured.
    “I wasn’t the classically adorable type like my sister, Dara,” Callie protested. “There were plenty of other girls who were prettier than I was.”
    “Impossible,” Beau growled. “You look incredibly beautiful to me.”
    Heat streaked up from her neck and settled right into her cheeks. Callie wanted to slide down under the table.
    “And I like your blushes,” Beau added, recognizing her embarrassment.
    “I was a tomboy,” she admitted. “Dara was the feminine one. All I wanted to do was ride my horse with my grandpa on roundups, gallop in the pastures and be with him and his wranglers. Dara always liked dressing up, using cosmetics, and playing with her hair and nails.” She touched her red strands. “I just wanted to get it out of my way so I could see where I was riding.”
    “You’re not a tomboy now,” Beau said, handing her back the phone. “You’re all grown up now and one hundred percent woman. I can barely see those freckles of yours.”
    Groaning, Callie said, “I hated those freckles. I can remember how many times I cried, wishing they’d go away. The boys at school called me ‘Spot.’ I was so embarrassed by it.”
    “If I’d been there, I’d have taken on those boys and told them never to call you that again, or they’d answer to me.”
    Callie believed him. “Have you always been this protective of people you care about, Beau?”
    “Yeah, pretty much. I sometimes think that’s the reason I went into Delta Force—to protect the innocent, those who couldn’t defend themselves. My pa drilled into us boys from an early age on that we were protectors. We were stronger than women, more athletic, bigger, and that made us responsible to protect and provide for those we loved and cared for.”
    “You certainly do,” Callie agreed, sliding her phone into her purse. She remembered that the only photos he had of his family were taped on the inside of his locker door. Beau wasn’t