Page 44 of Colton On Guard
Even thinking this made her shudder.
“Have you decided?” Ty asked.
Since she’d barely even glanced at the menu, she asked him what he recommended.
“The chocolate lava cake,” he immediately answered. “It’s to die for.”
“Then I’ll have that,” she decided, passing him back the menu.
“And would you like a dog biscuit for your June Bug?” he asked. “On the house.”
Beaming at him, she nodded. “Thank you, I would.” She had to give him points for even remembering JB’s name.
When her dessert arrived, along with a baked bone for JB, she almost clapped. “That’s stunning,” she said, admiring the cake.She even went so far as to pull out her phone and take a picture of it before picking up her fork to dig in.
She’d just taken her first bite, briefly closing her eyes to savor the blast of chocolate sweetness, when the sound of tires screeching had her turning toward the road. She was dimly conscious of other diners around her doing the same.
Two cars had nearly collided, only narrowly missing hitting each other because one had slammed on their brakes.
It wasn’t this that made Genna freeze though. When she realized one of the vehicles involved was the same, black SUV, she nearly dropped her fork.
“Is something wrong?” Ty materialized at her elbow, his concerned gaze taking in her no-doubt pale expression and barely eaten dessert. “Is the cake not to your liking?”
Though her appetite had now completely deserted her, she managed to reassure him that the cake was, in fact, wonderful. “I’m just full,” she lied.
“I’ll get you a to-go box,” he said. A moment later, he returned with one. “Here you go.”
She thanked him and nodded, glad he hadn’t brought the check. She wasn’t about to tell him there was no way she’d be leaving while that black vehicle was anywhere in the vicinity.
Instead, she continued to watch, waiting for the driver of the SUV to emerge. She had her phone out, camera at the ready, intending to take as many photos of him or her as possible. While she waited, she got several pics of the SUV itself, though she didn’t have a good view of the license plate.
But while the driver of the other car immediately got out to look for any damage, no one got out of the black vehicle. Instead, it reversed, swerved around the intersection, and sped off.
Hands shaking, Genna’s first impulse was to call Parker. But she figured he’d be heading out with his tour group about now and she didn’t want to bother him.
The other driver had noticed her watching and waved. “Did you see that?” he asked, walking over to the wrought iron that bordered the restaurant’s patio area. “I didn’t even think to get his license number.”
She nodded, explaining she hadn’t been able to get it, either.
“Luckily, there’s no damage to my car,” the man said. With a friendly nod, he walked away.
Though she no longer had any appetite for her dessert, Genna forced herself to take a few more bites, eating slowly, trying to get her heart rate to slow. She didn’t understand why this person had decided to single her out, but this all needed to stop.
Now, the thought of leaving the restaurant terrified her.
Petting JB, she stared at the mostly uneaten cake, making no move to put it into the to-go box. Ty materialized and offered to take care of that for her.
Once he had, he smiled and left the check, telling her, “No hurry.” Good thing, because she had no intention of moving just then. She honestly wasn’t sure she’d be able to walk.
But eventually, she had to get up and vacate the table. It wouldn’t be fair to the restaurant or to her server for her to sit there so long after she’d finished her meal.
First, she clipped the leash to JB’s collar and walked her over to the grassy, shaded, fenced area that had been designated for dogs. Once JB had gone potty, Genna picked her up and carried her out to her car, continually scanning the parking area for any sign of the black SUV.
As soon as she got inside, she locked the doors and started the ignition. Slowly backing from her space, she drove slowly around the lot before exiting to the street.
A few blocks down she saw a large pet store. Since she could bring JB inside, this seemed like a safe place to pass a little more time. She needed to stock up on a few more dog supplies anyway.
June Bug appeared to enjoy riding in the shopping cart. Genna grabbed several more toys, another fluffy dog bed, this one for the office, and the perfect, pink harness. She wheeled up and down every aisle, including the fish and reptile area, hating that she had to constantly check over her shoulder. It didn’t help that she had no idea what her stalker looked like, so she simply avoided everyone, male or female.