Page 56 of Colton On Guard
Blinking, he stared. It took a moment for her words to register. “Can I help you with something?” he asked in his best professional voice.
“Not really.” Tone breezy, she casually touched his arm. “You just seemed really deep inside your head.”
Somehow, he managed not to jerk his arm away. Realizing she was flirting, which had happened more than once over the years, he managed to murmur some banal nonsense about justtaking in the scenery. Then he moved away, cleared his throat, and informed the group they were moving on.
This trip, the wildlife sightings were abundant, which meant no one should have a reason to complain. Not that anyone ever did. With one notable, recent exception. Miles Franklin. He wondered if Eli had talked with him yet.
They saw a black bear, from a respectable distance, across the water. Several bald eagles put in an appearance, as well as two river otters. A number of guests voiced their hope of seeing a wolf, but none was visible this day. Even so, between the gorgeous scenery and the wildlife, everyone seemed happy.
The woman who’d come up to him earlier stayed close, made sure she was first to comment when he addressed the group, and slipped him her phone number. He almost made her take it back, but didn’t want to humiliate her in front of the others, so he pocketed it. He’d toss it later.
When headquarters came into sight through the trees, the overwhelming sense of relief made him shake his head at himself.
It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the flirting, though he—and RTA—had an ironclad rule of not dating guests. Even if the company didn’t, he just couldn’t imagine himself with anyone else besides Genna.
His feelings for her no longer surprised him. The more time they spent together, the more he realized how well they meshed. Not only the sex, though that alone was amazing, but everything else. He’d come to love her. Even though he didn’t believe she felt the same way about him, he’d do just about anything to make sure she was happy and secure.
Once everyone had filed inside, he left them with Genna for checkout and took himself off to the break room. Once there, he grabbed a cold can of cola from the fridge and sat down to drink it.
From the other room, he could hear Genna talking sweetly to all the guests. He took the folded piece of paper from his pocket, tore it in pieces and dropped it into the trash.
Just that simple act made him feel better.
Before he had time to think better of it, he called Eli. When Eli answered, he sounded tense. “What’s up, Parker?”
“Is this a bad time?” Parker asked, already regretting making the call.
“No. Well, maybe a little.”
Parker could envision the other man checking his watch. “If you’re calling about the cookout, I already told Lakin I’d attend.”
“Cookout?” Since Eli sounded busy, Parker decided to let it go. “No, I wanted to see if you’d ever had a chance to talk to Miles Franklin about Genna’s slashed tires.”
“I did. He vehemently denies having anything to do with that.” Eli sighed. “Oddly enough, I believe him. He said he got his revenge by posting bad reviews online.”
Parker made a mental note to check. “Okay. Then I guess we’ll have to keep trying to figure out who did it then.”
“You know, it might have just been vandals. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. This Fiancée Killer case is taking all of my energy and time.”
“How’s that going?” Parker asked, genuinely curious.
“Not good. The killer is becoming more dangerous. There have been five bodies discovered so far and I keep expecting every day for there to be another.” He exhaled. “I’ve just learned one of the victims is the sister of a friend.”
“Who?”
“Noelle Harris.”
Parker winced. Eli had been in love with Noelle back in college. “Damn, I’m sorry.”
“Me, too. I’ll always regret losing her.”
Though Eli had never said this before, most of the family had long suspected. “That’s why you’ve always said we should always go after someone if we truly want them.”
“Exactly.” The sadness in Eli’s voice made Parker think. “And that’s why I’m going to say it again. Go after what you want, Parker. Don’t hesitate or wait too long. If you do, it might slip from your grasp.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Parker lied.
“Yes, you do. We’re not blind. Everyone knows how you feel about Genna. But I suspect she has no idea. If you truly want a chance with her, you’ve got to make a move.”