Page 69 of Colton On Guard
Thinking of a fish fry, her stomach growled. She’d picked at the spread at the cookout, too nervous to sit down and do justice to the repast.
“You didn’t eat earlier?” he asked, his brows raised.
“I tried.” She shrugged. “I actually got kind of busy socializing. I did grab a pulled pork sandwich and some pasta salad, but that was early on. All this exercise has made me work up an appetite.”
His smile widened. “Me, too,” he said, the husky thrum in his voice making her think he wasn’t talking about food. Flushing, she ducked her head, which made him chuckle again.
After getting everything laid out in the spot he’d chosen, Parker showed her what he needed her to do to help.
The tent, once spread out, looked a lot bigger than she’d expected. “This is really nice,” she said, finally clipping June Bug’s leash on and setting her on the ground. Immediately, Revis ran over and sniffed his friend before bounding off, eager to show her around.
Aware of the leash, JB glanced up at Genna, as if pleading to be set free. Since Genna wasn’t willing to do that, she decided she’d take her little dog to follow Revis once they were done.
Her assistance mostly consisted of her standing around and holding poles up while Parker hammered pegs into the ground. June Bug, clearly bored with the entire situation, laid in the grass and watched them. Revis returned and sat down next to his little friend.
Once the tent had been set up, Parker thanked her for helping and immediately got busy doing other things.
“I’m going to take June Bug to go potty,” she told him.
“Okay,” he replied, looking up from where he’d begun stacking firewood for them to use later. “Don’t go too far. And stay close to the path. There are quite a few cliffs up here and if you wander off the trail, you could easily take a tumble before you realize the danger. Over the years, we’ve had more than a few hikers take nasty falls.”
She nodded, eyeing his growing woodpile. “I’ll keep that in mind. Do you want me to bring back any branches or anything if I find some?”
“If you see any good ones in your path, sure. Otherwise, I’ll just keep foraging. There seems to be no shortage of them right around us, in the woods close to the camp, so there’s no need to go out of your way.”
After double checking the leash onto JB’s collar, Genna waved at Parker and walked away. Luckily, even out here in the flatter area, the trail looked well defined and she stuck to it. Revis ranged ahead, but little JB trotted a few paces away.
Glad she’d had time to rest from the hike, Genna glanced around. It might only be her imagination, but the air felt clearer, the sky seemed bluer and the sun warmer. She felt…lighter, somehow.
As Parker had promised, out here in the wilderness she felt like she could look at things differently. As if her burdens had fallen away when they’d left civilization behind. When she got back to camp, she’d thank him. Imagining his reaction made her smile.
Despite the beauty and the sense of peace, she stayed alert and continually scanned the woods around them. She kept her bear spray handy, tucked into her pocket. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to use it.
June Bug seemed eager to explore. Genna smiled as she watched the little dog trot ahead of her, pulling slightly on the leash. Revis made joyous circles around them before bounding ahead and disappearing momentarily from view.
As they so often seemed to do these days, her thoughts circled back around to Parker. She’d never felt closer to another human being. Her feelings had slowly blossomed over time. Now she couldn’t imagine life without him.
Love. A word that, until recently, had only meant anguish, pain and bitterness. She’d thought she’d never trust her heart again. But Parker, sexy, kind Parker, had showed her there was another way.
Damn it, this had become more than next-level physical attraction. The sparks that blazed between them at even the slightest touch, the way his kiss rocked her all the way to her core. And the lovemaking. Oh, hell. She’d never had lovemaking so intense, so…perfect.
She loved the man. She just hadn’t said it out loud. Because she wasn’t sure he felt the same way. And if she scared him off…well, she thought losing him might just destroy her.
JB wandered off the trail and Genna followed her, careful to only let her go a few feet as she remembered what Parker had said about the cliffs. Above, in the tree canopy, birds sang and flitted from tree to tree. She’d hoped to see some smallerwildlife, a rabbit or a deer, but figured Revis crashing through the underbrush probably scared them off.
Again, she wondered how Parker would react if she told him how she felt. Just trying to imagine made her stomach ache.
Maybe it would just be better to keep going the way they’d been. Day by day. Hoping that once her stalker was caught and she returned home, she and Parker would continue to see each other.
Behind her, a sound. A twig snapping. Heart skipping a beat, she spun, canvassing the woods for signs of wildlife. JB whined. Quickly, Genna scooped her up, holding her close, ready to run if she needed to.
Revis returned immediately, panting. He came to Genna for a pet, sniffed JB, and then continued his exploration. Since he didn’t seem alarmed, she relaxed slightly. But decided it was time to return to camp.
Turning, she and her two canine companions went back the way they’d came.
At camp, she saw that Parker had up two chairs around the stone fire pit and had piled a neat stack of wood inside for later. The door to the storage building sat open, and he’d pulled out what looked like a small grill or cook stove.
Spotting Parker, Revis gave a happy woof and ran over to him, plumed tail wagging. Parker dropped down to his haunches and gathered his dog close to him. “He’s a good boy,” he crooned, which made Revis wiggle his entire body with joy.