Page 100 of Sunkissed Colorado

“But what about if it’syouwho makes general manager? How do you think Zandra will feel about it?”

And there was another hefty dose of reality, courtesy of Winnie Peyton.

I didn’t want to think it was possible. But Zandra had already proven she was a woman who could hold a grudge.

What if I won this competition, and Z went back to hating me?

Late in the afternoon, I found Zandra putting cash into the safe in Manny’s office.

Well, it wasn’t going to be Manny’s office anymore in a couple of weeks. It would be one of ours.

Fuck, I didn’t want to think about that.

“Hey.” I shut the door behind me. Zandra stood up and smiled, meeting me by the door. Her arms went around my neck, and her lips landed on mine.

After a kiss that was just this side of filthy, she pulled back.

“That was quite a hello,” I said.

“Didn’t see you for a couple hours. I kind of missed you.”

“Missed you too.” My chest was all weird and tight, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.

“How’s the tasting going?” She sat on the edge of the desk. “I meant to go check on Russ, but I got caught up in a few things.”

I leaned back against the door and crossed my arms. “The fans have spoken, and they love it.”

“So Russ is having a great First Friday. What are you up to?”

Making my head hurt with all these questions spinning around, I answered silently. “Wondered what you’re doing for dinner.”

She frowned, like she suspected this was a trick question. “Same thing as usual. Hope that you or one of the guys will make food, and I’ll take care of the dishes. Why?”

“Would you wanna do something different? Just with me?” My hands dug into my pockets.

“Callum, what are you asking me?”

I’d invited her to my place for a cooking lesson, and that had practically been a date. Hell, I’d asked her to move in with me. Sort of. She slept in my bed nearly every night. Why was this so hard?

“Would youwant to?—”

My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out of my pocket instead of finishing my sentence. Because for the first time in over three decades, I’d decided to get shy around a girl.

“Anything important?” Zandra asked.

Actually, it was. “Text from Teller Landry.”

Her eyebrows drew together. “Yeah? He found something?”

Last week, I’d asked my buddy Teller to look into Tommy Pickering, since he was still our main suspect for the note left on Z’s windshield. But I’d cleared it with Zandra first. I knew she didn’t like the idea of a stranger getting into her business, especially anything related to Jessa, but since it also could involve vandalism at Hearthstone—the broken window—she’d relented.

I read her the text Teller had sent.

Teller

Finished background on Pickering. One arrest for drunk and disorderly last year, nothing else. Also confirmed he occasionally stays at the Pine Cone Motor Lodge when his wife kicks him out. Couldn’t find any other link yet to harassment of Ms. Alvarez.

“So he stays at that motel sometimes,” I said. “He could’ve seen you there.” The thought of Pickering watching her made me ill, but we still had no evidence he’d done more than that.