Page 59 of Colton On Guard
He met Genna’s gaze, his expression serious, before looking back at Kansas. “Be honest. You also heard she is staying with me, and you wanted to check out the situation yourself.”
Though Kansas had the grace to look sheepish, she simply shrugged. “Genna was kind enough to humor me.”
“Did she set you straight on the situation?” he asked.
“She did.” Kansas moved toward the break room door. “And now I have to run. I’ll see you both at the cookout.”
They followed Kansas into the front office. Side by side, they watched her drive off.
“How’s it been going today?” Parker asked. “Any more hang-up calls?”
“All morning,” she replied. “I’m even thinking about calling the phone company and having them check to make sure something isn’t wrong with our line.”
“That’s a great idea.” He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She allowed herself to lean into him, enjoying the comfort of his muscular body. But then she remembered Spence and his group were due to return soon and stepped away. The last thing she needed was to give the Colton family anything else to talk about.
She made a call to the phone company. After they promised to check the company phone lines, she hung up. Turning around, she saw Parker had taken the chair in front of the other computer and appeared to be checking the schedule.
“Are you okay?” he asked, glancing at her.
“Yes,” she replied. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
“Maybe because you seem a little bit jumpy?”
“Do I?” Then, without waiting for an answer, she continued. “You can’t blame me, though. I think anyone would be unsettled with all that I’ve got going on.”
“Agreed.” His smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. “I have an idea. How would you like to get away for a couple of days? After the cookout, of course.”
Intrigued, she nodded. “Tell me more.”
“We could take one of my favorite hikes,” he said, his smile widening. “Starting on one of the trails I take clients on, but branching off to another where they don’t go. It’s pretty remote. Perfect for camping out. We could spend a couple days out in the wilderness, just the two of us.”
“Isn’t that where the Fiancée Killer is finding his victims?” she asked. “On remote hiking trails?”
“On public land,” he countered. “This is Colton land. And, also, those women were all hiking alone. You’ll be with me. I promise, I’ll protect you.”
Though she’d never been the hiking or camping type, she really liked the idea. Except for one thing. The gossip their going away together would cause.
“You’re worried about my family, aren’t you?”
“Honestly, yes. They’re already talking about us,” she said. “The cookout has the potential to be brutal.”
This comment made him laugh out loud. “Not my family. They’re nosy. They’ll ask a lot of intrusive questions, but all of it will be out of love. Do you really feel you have to worry about what they think?”
“Don’t I?” she asked. “I do work for them, after all.”
“Come on, just think about it.” He got up and stretched, the movement drawing her gaze to the way his shirt stretched across his muscular biceps. “No pressure, but I really think it might do you good to get out of here for a while.”
“You might be right about that,” she admitted. “But we both have to work. I can’t just ask for additional time off when I haven’t been working here that long.”
“You have two days off already scheduled,” he said. “And I’ve moved mine so we’re both off the same time.”
Which explained what he’d been doing on the computer.
“I’ve never been camping,” she admitted, bracing herself for his reaction. This was Alaska, after all.
“Never?” he asked, clearly not sure if she was joking.
“I tried once, when I was in high school and a bunch of us partied a bit too hearty up in Crowder’s Meadow. They pitched a couple of tents, one for the boys, another for the girls. But Linda Sudan’s dad showed up and insisted we all load up in the back of his truck.” She shook her head, remembering.