Page 43 of The Bodyguard

“So, water guns?”

“Those water cannons that you use to win prizes at a carnival? I’ve won the biggest stuffed animals you’ve ever seen.”

The corners of his mouth curved upward. “So you’re saying you’re good?”

Angela sat on her yellow couch and tucked her feet underneath her. “Are you still upset with me?”

“I was never upset with you.”

She side-eyed him. “I call bullshit.”

“More like concerned.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I was caught off guard. But I’ve had time to process.”

“What’s there to process?”

“You, Angela. You know jobs can go from ordinary to bat shit in the blink of an eye. I don’t want to see that happen when you’re involved.”

“Why?”

“Because…” He twisted his lips. “The idea of you walking into danger? That makes me uncomfortable.”

“Not doing something makes me more than uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, I’ve gathered that.” He stretched, acting as though he were buying time to gather his thoughts. “We debated. I heard the pros and cons, and now I’m on Team Let’s Do This.”

“Total buy-in?”

“Complete.” He nodded. “But we should prepare for the unexpected.”

“I have shot a gun before, all right? A water gunanda handgun, but not in a long time,” she admitted.

“All right, that’s good.”

“I’ve never been trained, but my dad showed me more than once when visiting the Poconos.”

Sawyer crossed his arms and nodded, taking all the information in. “I never hear about your dad.”

She laughed. “Me either. He’s a good guy. Busy. Very busy.”

“Busier than your mom?”

Angela considered. “Equally busy.” She shrugged. That lifestyle wasn’t one most could imagine. “My parents sort of live their own lives.”

“Was that a good thing or bad?”

She shrugged again. “It’s the only thing I know.”

He sat next to her on the couch. She liked him close. The conversation didn’t feel like an interrogation when they were side by side.

“What about your parents?” she asked.

The question seemed to catch him off guard again. He considered for a moment. “They’re very normal.”

“What does that mean? Happy? Not happy?”

An honest smile touched his lips and met his blue eyes. “Very happy. Good parents. Good role models. I had a very normal upbringing, and they wanted me to have a happy, normal life. It’s something that comes up when I visit—” The light in his expression faltered, and he forced a smile. “Theywould have been thrilled if I was settled down near them. But that’s not the path life gave me.”

“They think you’re married to the job?”

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