Page 80 of Colton On Guard
Parker got her all set up on the couch with her coffee. He brought her breakfast, sat with her while she ate, and then took the plate away. He made sure she had snacks, some bottled water, the remote, a book, and anything else she could possibly need, before telling her he had to head to work.
“I’d rather go in with you,” Genna protested. “I can do my job sitting down.”
“Not until you see the specialist and you’re cleared,” he said, lightly kissing her cheek. There’d been a lot of that cheek kissinglately and she wasn’t sure why. She considered turning her head so his mouth connected with hers, but didn’t. If he didn’t want to give her a real kiss, she wasn’t going to force him.
“Hetty is going to fill in for a couple of days,” Parker continued. “I’ve got a couple of tours today, but if you need anything, just call the office. If I’m not in, someone else will make sure to get you taken care of.”
With that, he smiled, waved and disappeared out the door. As she listened to the sound of his truck starting and driving away, she tried not to feel depressed. It wasn’t easy.
For most of her life, Genna had never been one to sit around and do nothing. But having her ankle in the boot with orders to keep all weight off of it, and her arm in a cast, had severely limited her mobility. She knew she should count her blessings and be glad she had Parker and wasn’t dealing with this on her own, but she couldn’t seem to get there yet. Maybe she just needed to indulge herself and have a little pity party before she could get back to feeling semi normal.
It didn’t help that she kept obsessing about revealing her feelings for Parker to him. She wasn’t sure of the timing, or even if she should. Sometimes she thought maybe it was the kind of secret she should keep inside and take with her to her grave.
To occupy and distract herself, she tried watching TV, but found every show she tried annoying. Sitcom, drama, news or documentary—it didn’t matter. Finally, she turned it off and decided to try her book.
A few weeks ago, she’d purchased a popular new thriller with every intention of reading it. As of yet, she hadn’t even cracked open the cover. Parker had seen it on her nightstand and placed it near her on the coffee table just in case.
She read a few chapters, got sleepy and took another short nap. Her new capacity for sleep amazed her, but she also knew a lot of rest would help her body to heal.
Lakin stopped by shortly before noon. She’s knocked a couple times before letting herself in with a key. “Parker gave me his key and asked me to check on you,” she said, smiling. “He said you might have difficulty navigating the wheelchair around the kitchen, so I brought you something to eat.”
She held up a white paper bag. “Burger and fries,” she said. “Not the healthiest thing, I know. I actually almost got you a salad, but then I thought about how much it would suck to have a broken ankle and arm, so I went with this instead.”
Accepting the bag gratefully, Genna laughed. “Thank you. I really appreciate this.” She peered inside, saw only one wrapped burger and container of fries, and frowned. “Are you not eating?”
“Not that!” Lakin rolled her eyes. “I just had a protein smoothie, so I’m not hungry. But I can keep you company while you eat, if that’s okay?”
“I’d like that.” She thought for a moment. “Would you also mind letting June Bug out? Parker took Revis to RTA with him, so I just have her.”
“I can definitely do that,” Lakin said. “I imagine it’s a bit difficult navigating things in that wheelchair with only one usable arm.” She called the little dog. JB appeared uncertain, but when Genna assured her it was all right, she trotted out after Lakin.
Once she was alone, Genna sagged in her chair, a wave of exhaustion washing over her. Her stomach growled, reminding her she needed to eat to keep her strength up. And the burger smelled mouthwatering. She unwrapped it and took a tiny bite, and then another. She didn’t want to eat the entire thing while Lakin was out back.
A moment later, both Lakin and June Bug returned. “She was a good girl,” Lakin said, smiling. “What a special little dog you’ve got there.”
This compliment made Genna grin. “Thanks. I love her.”
“She loves you, too, I can tell.” She gestured at the unwrapped burger. “Does it taste all right? It doesn’t look like you’ve eaten much of it.”
“It’s delicious,” Genna replied. “I’ve been trying to wait until you came back.”
“No need. Go for it.”
Lakin chatted about her hotel renovations while Genna practically inhaled her burger. “This is so good,” she said, trying not to talk with her mouth full. “Thank you for bringing it. First, Eli got us pizza, and now you…”
“I talked to Eli this morning,” Lakin said. “It seems they brought your ex-husband in for questioning. Kansas is handling the case.”
Genna went still. “Chad? They think Chad had something to do with this.” Then, without waiting for a response, she shook her head. “I knew it. When he showed up at my hospital room, I wondered how he’d gotten there so quickly. And how he’d known that I’d been injured. He must have been there with Ann in the woods, waiting for me.”
Patting Genna’s hand, Lakin grimaced. “I’m sorry all that happened to you. What an awful lot to have to go through.”
“Thanks. I don’t know how I would have made it without Parker’s help. He’s been amazing.”
Lakin’s gaze sharpened. “He might be my brother, but I agree. He’s pretty special.” She gave Genna a thoughtful look. “I take it you two are getting along pretty well?”
“We are.” Genna could have elaborated but didn’t want to open the door to questions about the two of them and their relationship. Not yet. Especially since Parker had no idea how she felt about him.
Luckily, Lakin didn’t press. “I should be going,” she said. “But I wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Please, and I mean this, call me if you need anything. Anything at all.”