Page 8 of Colton On Guard
“That’s what I told him. He didn’t seem to mind.”
“He doesn’t.” Moving closer, he studied her. “Personally, I think he thrives on chaos. How was your first day?”
“Part day,” she corrected, trying not to let her eyes roam over him. How any man could look so sexy while just standing there bemused her. “This job is definitely fast-paced. It’s not for the faint of heart.”
Her choice of words had his smile widening. “But do you think you’ll enjoy it? Or at least find it tolerable?”
Not sure how to respond to that, she made busywork organizing a stack of brochures and settled on a noncommittal answer. “It’s fine. I like it so far.”
“I’m glad.” He came a little closer, though he stayed on his side of the counter. “Listen, would you like to go have a drink with me after we shut this place down? My treat?”
As tempting as she found the idea, she knew she had to decline. Opening her mouth to tell him no, she lost the capacity for thought when his gaze met and held hers.
“Strictly as coworkers,” he continued, possibly noticing her hesitation. “I thought I’d invite the rest of the gang, too, so you can get to know everyone a little better. I know you already know most of them, but you’ve been gone awhile and might want to get reacquainted.”
Despite being tired, she appreciated the thought. “How about we do that, but maybe on Friday night instead? With this being my first day, I’m really tired.”
Immediately, he nodded. “Friday sounds great. I’ll let everyone know. Maybe we can do dinner and drinks.”
“I’d like that,” she replied. Hopefully, she’d have grown accustomed to being around him by then and she wouldn’t feel that low-key electric buzz under her skin every time he got close.
Gathering her things, she waved goodbye and left.
Her parents called shortly after she arrived home. Though they’d both lived in Alaska their entire lives, they’d decided to make a major change. Shortly after Genna had asked to move back home once her divorce was finalized, they’d decided to move to Hawaii. “We’re not getting any younger,” her father had announced, grinning from ear to ear. Her mother had been giddy with excitement. Now that they were retired, they said it was time to live somewhere warm. They’d leased a modern condo near the beach and were loving the tropical weather.
They were thrilled when Genna told them about her new job.
“That’s wonderful, honey!” her mother exclaimed. “You loved working there before.”
“I did,” Genna agreed. “And I’m sure it’ll be the same this time. Right now, I’m just relearning how the operation is run.”
“The Colton family do a great job with RTA,” her father said. “They treat their employees right and they have a greatreputation around Shelby. Heck, around all of Alaska, the Lower 48, and even into Canada. People come from all around to go on one of their adventure tours.”
“I see that.” Genna dropped onto the sofa, wishing she’d thought to pick up a bottle of wine.
“Any news on that serial killer?” her mom asked, not hiding her worry. “I hate that they haven’t caught him yet.”
“Me, too,” Genna answered. “But the police and FBI are actively searching for him.”
“But what about you? Are you being careful?”
“Yes. Me and every other woman in Shelby.”
They chatted a few more minutes. Her parents told her how much they loved their rental house, the tropical weather and the Hawaiian culture. “I do miss the beautiful wildness of Alaska,” her father admitted. “But not the cold.”
After the call ended, Genna wandered around the house where she’d grown up. Since the move had been more of an experiment, her parents had taken very little with them. The furniture and artwork made Genna feel as if she’d stepped back into the past.
This had been comfortable at first. Now, she found it stifling. Since her parents had needed a house-sitter and she’d been looking for a place to stay, the situation worked. For now. Though, lately, Genna had found herself aching to paint a wall here or there, add some color, brighten the dark rooms up. With wood-paneled walls, wood floors and dark furniture, the house often felt somber and stifling. The exact opposite of the colorful life her parents were now living in Hawaii.
Though they’d told her she could use the master bedroom, that had felt weird. Instead, she slept in her old bedroom, which her parents had blessedly changed into a generic guest room. Here, she’d decorated to her own taste, bringing in items she’d salvaged from the home she’d once shared with her ex-husband.
The one thing she really wanted to do was to have an alarm system installed. Once, Shelby had been relatively crime free. But with this serial killer on the loose, and being a single woman, she felt the need to protect herself. She knew she’d certainly sleep better at night once she had some kind of protection. She just hadn’t gotten around to calling someone to come out and do it.
Genna had even considered getting a dog. Something big with a loud bark. But she wanted to adopt and didn’t want a puppy. So far, she hadn’t made time to make the trip into Valdez to check out the animal shelter.
Despite telling herself she wouldn’t be in any danger from the Fiancée Killer, the truth was that no one had figured out what exactly his type might be. So far, four bodies had been found. Each of them had been clothed in a little black dress, a fake diamond on their ring finger. They’d been strangled before being partially buried with the head and left hand always visible. Thinking about this scenario kept Genna, and likely most of the women of Shelby, up at night.
As all women everywhere did, living in a larger city, she’d always stayed super aware of her surroundings, kept her keys in her hand when walking to her car, and if she thought even remotely that someone might be following her, she never went directly home.