Page 40 of Sunkissed Colorado

Yeah, there was the fact that I was attracted to her and couldn’t help flirting shamelessly, but it wasn’t just about that. Wasn’t just about our two-month trial period either.

Zandra was complicated, and I liked that about her. Plus she clearly had some unresolved issues about our high school days, and I found myself wanting to smooth those rough edges.

Maybe it was the firefighter side of me. When I saw someone hurting, it was impossible not to charge in.

I headed inside the house, pausing immediately in the entryway.

Ceramic gnomes were perched on every available surface. Fishing gnomes on the mantelpiece, gardening gnomes clustered around potted indoor plants, reading gnomes propped against books on shelves. I blinked hard, wondering if I was having some kind of hallucination.

Nope. Still there. A hundred of them, grinning their creepy ceramic grins.

Shaking off my shock, I headed in and found the kitchen. More gnomes. Rosie was really committed to the theme. A few of them did look like Jimmy, though. Might explain some things.

I opened the fridge and started unloading the groceries from the bags, doing a bit of rearranging to get things to fit.

Zandra returned a couple minutes later. “Hey, could you give me a hand?”

I jogged to the front door and fount her rolling two suitcases with one hand and carrying a cat carrier in the other. She looked like she was about to fall over. “I’ll take the luggage.” Reaching forward, I snagged the two suitcases and hauled them inside.

Zandra knelt on the tiled entryway and opened the carrier door. A blur of orange fur shot out like a fuzzy missile, disappearing around the corner in a desperate bid for freedom.

“I’m sorry, baby girl,” Zandra cooed in a soft, sing-song voice that was completely different from her usual tone. “You’re safe now, sweet Chloe. Mama’s gonna get you all settled in your new place.”

My grin just kept growing. “So there really is a cat.”

Zandra stood, giving me a wry look. “She’s mad right now, but she’ll come around later.”

“That sounds familiar. Does that kind of sweet talk work with you too?”

Zandra actually laughed, and the sound sent warmth shooting through my chest. “Don’t try it,” she warned.

I just shrugged, committing all this to my memory for later.

Zandra looked around like she was just noticing the decorating theme in the living room. “Is it just me, or are there about a million eyes on us right now?”

“This is what happens when you do all your decorating at Ye Olde Gift Shoppe on Main Street. One day you’re buying a cute lawn ornament, and the next thing you know, you’re living in Santa’s workshop.”

She glanced into the kitchen next. “Thanks for putting the groceries away. It all fit?”

“It did. After a little organizing. I am a man of many talents.” I leaned casually against the kitchen counter and watched as Zandra walked around, peering into different doorways. Like many houses in Silver Ridge, especially historic ones near Main Street, the place wasn’t that big.

“I guess this is the guestroom. Rosie did say it was small.”

I followed close behind, looking over her shoulder through the doorway. “Yikes. Looks like one of those rooms where a serial killer keeps his victims.”

She glanced back at me. “What is the deal with you and serial killers?”

“I like true crime stuff. The darker, the better.”

“Should I be worried?”

I was standing less than an inch behind her, close enough that I got a whiff of her powdery scent. My pulse kicked up a notch. “I’d be more worried about those gnomes watching you while you sleep all night.”

She shuddered. “Don’t even start with that.”

“Okay, we’ll talk about something else instead. Come on. Follow me.”

“Where are you going?” Zandra asked.