Page 41 of The Hero She Loves
CHAPTER NINE
Velma had outdone herself.
Sitting at the long, wooden table in the dining room, Jenna glanced out through the doors to the deck. A gentle breeze was blowing in from the lake. It carried some crisp coolness and ruffled her hair. She’d worn her hair down, something she rarely did, and wore a pretty, stretchy headband that hid her injury.
She looked back at the table. Colorful wildflowers sat in small, glass vases, adding a pop of color and whimsy. The rest of the surface was filled with platters and plates of food. There were three different salads, roasted chicken, salmon mac and cheese, and a delicious, slow-cooked, lamb dish.
Around her, all the guests were happy and laughing. The guy from Australia was hilarious, with outrageously funny stories from all his travels.
A new family had arrived that day. They had a daughter who was about five, with long, black hair, and big, blue eyes. Her name was Olivia. She was sitting on the other side of Parker, clutching her doll and jabbering away to him.
“We’re going to kayak on the lake tomorrow,” Olivia’s mother said to the Norwegian couple on the other side of the table.
Jenna shifted on her chair and sensation skittered up her legs. She had stubble burn on her inner thighs and she was sensitive everywhere. She grabbed a water glass and sipped.
Her belly did a flip flop. She was trying not to be drawn to Park more than she already was, but it seemed her body wasn’t listening to her head.
If this kept up…
No, she wasn’t going to fall for Parker Conroy. She wasn’t going to fall for anyone.
One, he didn’t want that. Two, her life was elsewhere. She’d capture Olson and then she’d be gone. Three, she didn’t trust love at all.
She’d loved her father…and he’d been a monster. She’d never seen it, and at first hadn’t believed he was capable of the things he’d done. But he’d fooled them all.
She ate a little more food off her plate, trying to shove all the churning thoughts and emotions away.
Focus on your job, Jenna. They were heading back out looking for Olson tomorrow. That was her main focus.
Her chest tightened. They had to find him, sooner rather than later.
She ate the last bite of her bread roll.Mmm. The rolls were homemade and so good. She had a serious weakness for bread.
Park was still talking with Olivia. Without looking at Jenna, he reached out and put his bread roll on her plate.
She stared at it, then at him. She snatched up the roll and tore a piece off.
“Do you like kayaking, Con?” Olivia asked.
“Kayaking? Yeah, it’s fun.”
The little girl leaned in and whispered. “But…I’m scared of what’s in the water. Like a monster, or an evil mermaid octopus witch.”
It took Jenna a second to realize it was a reference to the sea witch fromThe Little Mermaid.
“The water’s dark,” Olivia whispered. “I can’t see the bottom.”
“I promise you there’s just a few fish in there,” Park said. “There’s nothing that can hurt you.”
“You promise, Con?”
“I promise. Think about the fun things, not the things that worry you. Like gliding on the water, enjoying the sunshine, seeing the wildflowers.”
The little girl beamed at him. “I like flowers.”
Jenna’s heart melted as she ate more bread. He was so good with her. For a second, she had the image of Park holding a little girl in his strong arms. One with blonde hair and his dark eyes.
Jeez. She choked on a bit of bread. He turned and thumped her back.