Page 40 of Montana Heat

Lena let out a laugh. “That, and almost every other possible way. But trust me, the differences can be what makes a relationship so great. Opposites attract, and all that.”

I looked up to find Jensen watching me again with thosesexy, dark eyes. I squirmed a little in my chair and shot him a smile. Opposites attract, indeed.

“Even so, I won’t be here long. My job and life are back in Denver.”

She reached over and squeezed my hand. “Not every relationship has to be a forever one. Maybe you can just enjoy some…engine greasewhile you’re here.”

Maybe I could. The more I got to know about Jensen, the more I wanted to know. “Yeah. Engine grease is definitely growing on me.”

“And the stalker stuff? How are you holding up?”

I pushed my empty plate away from me. “It’s been a lot, especially today. But the guys have been very kind to offer to help.”

“Safety is a big thing for them all. They don’t like to see any woman in danger.”

Jude called Lena over, and she hopped up to respond to him. He kissed her and whispered something that made her laugh then waggle her eyebrows at him.

Love damn well permeated this place. Not just love between the different couples, although that was evident. Love between the friends, both male and female.

Love between them because they were a family. Not bound by blood—but bound bychoice.

Suddenly, I realized how long it had been since I’d been truly able to enjoy the company of my own friends or family because of the stalker. It felt like forever.

As much as I enjoyed spending time with Jensen and his family, I was homesick for my own. I had an overwhelming need to hear my mom’s voice.

I had just spoken with her earlier in the day, but I missed her. If I could just hear her voice for a minute, I’d feel better.

I stood and walked toward the hallway. I squeezed Lena’s arm as I passed by her. “Excuse me. I’m going to make a quick call.”

She nodded, and I made my way into the quiet hallway, hitting speed dial for my mom.

I frowned when the call went straight to voice mail. Mom always kept her phone on her in case of an emergency at the park where she worked as a ranger. It wasn’t uncommon for hikers to get lost, and she was one of the first people contacted when that happened, no matter what time of day or night it was. She even kept a charger on her uniform belt so she never ran out of battery when she was at work.

Maybe she was just busy. Her not answering didn’t have to mean anything nefarious. Trying to quell the worry churning in my gut, I called my dad.

His phone was off too.

Weird… I kept my breath steady, refusing to freak out. Maybe they were together and just couldn’t get to their phones at the moment.

I tried my mom one more time. This time, the call was picked up. Thank God.

“Mom?”

No response.

“Mom, are you there?”

But it wasn’t my mom’s voice. It was a man’s voice, sounding tinny and strange.

“If you care about anybody but yourself, you need to stay away from Colorado.”

Chapter Twelve

Jensen

I carried more plates to the kitchen, where Jude and Daniel were doing the dishes and Lucas was standing to the side, organizing some of the leftovers.

“Thanks for letting Kenzie come tonight,” I said to the room at large. “She needed it.”

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