Chapter 16 #2
“That was wonderful,” Genna said, covering her mouth as she yawned. “And now I’m going to close my eyes for a bit. Please don’t mind me. I just really need to rest.”
“I’d better be going.” Eli stood. He grabbed the empty pizza box while Parker gathered up their plates. Together, they carried everything into the kitchen.
“I’ll walk you out.” Moving quietly so not to disturb Genna, Parker led the way to the front door.
Outside, Eli stopped on the front porch. “How’s she doing mentally?” he asked, his gaze searching Parker’s face. “This is a lot for anyone to deal with.”
“She still seems to be processing it all,” Parker replied. “I’ve been awfully worried about her.” He shook his head. “To think it was Ann all along. Genna really thought moving five hours away had put an end to the harassment.”
“Normally, it would, at least under normal circumstances. However, that woman has been talking up a storm.” Eli grimaced. “We’re going to have to ask for a psych evaluation.”
“I imagine. Her ex, Chad, stopped by at the hospital.”
Eli went very still. “How did he know he’d find her there?”
“Good question. I have no idea.” Parker thought for a moment. “Are you thinking he was with Ann when all this went down?”
“Now I am. Because otherwise, wouldn’t he be back in Anchorage?”
“True. But when he visited Genna, he told her that he’d left Ann for another woman.” Parker shook his head. “Which seems about right, considering what Genna has said about him.”
“Did he now?” Eli asked. “Because Ann is somehow convinced that Chad and Genna got back together. She claims he told her so. When he left her, she decided to make Genna’s life a living hell. In the end, she decided to kill Genna. In Ann’s mind, that would make Chad go back to her.”
“Wow.” Unsure how to react to this, Parker finally shook his head. “Are you going to bring him in for questioning?”
“If we can find him, yes. I’ve had people looking for him since Ann was arrested.”
“He told Genna his new girlfriend’s name is Claudia,” Parker said. “He claims this Claudia had to take out a restraining order on Ann. Maybe that will help you find him.”
“If it’s the truth and not some BS he made up, it definitely will help. I’ll have Kansas look into it. Since she was very upset when she heard about Genna being attacked, she asked to be assigned to this case in addition to her Search and Rescue work”
“Once again, you two have proved it’s good to have family in law enforcement,” Parker said, his voice breaking. “I appreciate all your help with all of this.”
Eli eyed him, expression concerned. “Are you okay?”
“I am,” Parker replied. “It’s just been a long day. Genna and I went camping to get away from all the stress, and drama still found us. I don’t know that she’ll ever want to hike or camp again. Which really would be a shame, considering how much I love both of those things.”
“And her?” Eli asked quietly. “Do you love her?”
Parker almost didn’t answer. How could he confess his feelings to his brother before he’d even discussed them with Genna? But he knew Eli cared, and since Parker planned to talk to Genna as soon as possible, he didn’t see any harm.
“I do love her,” he admitted. “I have since the moment we first reconnected a year ago.”
Eli’s eyes widened. “That long?”
“That long.”
“Does Genna know?” Eli asked.
“Not yet.” Parker took a deep breath, about to admit his greatest fear. “I’m not sure she’s ready for any kind of committed relationship, to be honest. I really don’t want to screw things up.”
“I get that.” Eli nodded. “But I think she’s more into you than you realize. Haven’t you noticed the way she looks at you?”
With that, his brother walked away, climbed into his vehicle and drove off.
Parker stared after him, a hope so strong it hurt blooming inside his chest.
After eating the pizza and deciding to take a short nap, Genna slept so deeply that when she woke up in bed, she had no recollection of how she’d gotten there. She still wore the same T-shirt and shorts that doubled as pajamas. Her new boot had even been removed, though placed within easy reach.
Since her wheelchair had been pushed next to her, turned just the right way to make getting into it easier, she realized Parker had either carried her to her bed or put her in the wheelchair to get her there. What she didn’t understand was how he’d done all this without waking her up.
Her ankle throbbed, letting her know she’d need to take something to help with that.
“Are you ready for some coffee?” Parker appeared in her doorway, steaming mug in hand. He set it down on her nightstand and smiled at her. “I hope you feel well rested. You must have really needed your sleep.”
“I do.” Sitting up, she stretched, wincing slightly. “Let me get this boot back on and then, if you don’t mind, I could use some help getting back into my chair.”
After she swung her legs over the side of the bed, Parker knelt and helped her guide her foot into the clunky boot. She tried to close it up herself, but like just about everything else, it proved impossible to do with only one hand.
Once Parker had helped her with that, he carefully assisted her shift from the bed into the wheelchair.
Handing her the coffee he’d brought, he pushed her into the living room.
On the way there, she told him she wanted to use the bathroom, and also wash up and brush her teeth.
Despite knowing she’d probably need it, she declined his help and insisted she could do it all herself.
And she did, though none of it was easy. Finally back in her chair, she called for him to open the door.
“You’re doing great,” he said, pushing her into the living room. “When do you see the specialist?”
“I think they’re supposed to call me today.”
“As soon as you have an appointment, let me know. I’ll get you there. And if I happen to be working, someone else in the family will drive you.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I hate to be a bother, but I really appreciate all the help.”
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 kissing lately 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.