Page 31 of Fatal Vision
Cuz yeah, she could ship him those, right?
Moron.
But she probably could hail someone locally to bring him a few. Someone who wouldn’t let everyone in town know he was setting up his own little weapons stash to protect Shelby.
People in this town liked to talk. You could buy a nail file at the drugstore at 0800 hours, and everyone would know about it by 0810.
He was pouring a fresh cup of coffee when he heard the sound of an approaching vehicle, saw the flash of a minivan outside the kitchen window.
Not your normal minivan, however. Nope, this was neon green with bright purple sunflowers painted on the sides.
Closing his eyes for a moment, he prayed that God made this particular soccer-mom-meets-flower-power vehicle turn around and drive away.
The sound of the driver’s door slamming let him know God had once again denied his fervent request.
“Hold on to your ass,” he told Salisbury as they both went to the front door. “This is going to get ugly.”
The woman pounding up the porch steps in pink leggings and yellow boots carried a box full of groceries. Her head snapped up at the squeak of the front door opening and she stopped at the top of the stairs, forcing a fake smile. “Colton. Heard you were back and had kidnapped Shelby. Bad pennies, and all that, right? It was so preposterous, I had to see it for myself.”
This town. Here it wasn’t even 0700 and everyone already knew he was back and that he’d ‘kidnapped’ Shelby. Jaya wouldn’t be the first person to drop by today, he’d bet his gold fillings on it.
Salisbury sniffed at Jaya’s ankles, then, seemingly satisfied, plunked down at her feet, staring up at her. Jaya glanced down. “That dog is so ugly, he’s cute.”
While there were plenty of Native Americans in the area, the mix of Irish with her Native blood made her one of the most exotic-looking women this town had ever seen. Her blue-green eyes flashed like the waters of the Caribbean. The purple and pink stripes in her curls had probably taken hours at the salon. Her salon. Some day-spa thingy where they used only natural, organic, blah-blah-blah products that she custom created herself. She’d probably been the one to trim Shelby’s hair into that side pixie.
“You’d know all about bad pennies turning up, wouldn’t you, Jaya?” Colton rocked on his heels, watching her eyes turn hard. “Nice alien-head syndrome there with the scrunchy, by the way. It really suits you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Where’s my girl?”
He eyed the box of groceries. Damn, he needed food and there it was, in the arms of Shelby’s best friend. “The beauty queen is sleeping. Nice of you to drop off groceries, though. Pantry’s a little bare after three months. I’ll let her know you were here.”
He reached for the box, and Jaya pulled it back. “I’m coming in.”
Go figure. “Not necessary. Like I said, Shelby’s sleeping and she needs her rest.”
Jaya pushed past him. “She needs her best friend, that’s what she needs.”
So much for a quiet morning.
He itched to set eyes on Shelby’s case file, but mostly he wanted to get them on her. While they’d been alone for the most part after he’d brought her home, they’d had little time to talk.
Throwing up ahelp me out hereplea to heaven, he followed Jaya into the house. A part of him knew it was better that he and Shelby didn’t rehash the past, and talking would certainly lead to that, like it had last night. All he could hope was that the shooting and Shelby’s subsequent coma might have changed her perspective on a few things. Trauma often did.
Jaya set the box on the kitchen counter and leaned over to pet Salisbury. She pointed at the half-empty coffee press. “You made that?”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t realize you knew how to work anything besides a drive-thru.”
“Hardy, har, har. Now you’re just trying to charm me.” Colton gave her an impertinent smile, fighting the urge to flip her off. Or haul her over his shoulder and deposit her back outside. “I know at least sixty-three ways to torture a man to get him to talk. You honestly think I can’t press water through some coffee grounds?”
She crossed her arms and looked him over. “Did you forget how to run the shower while you were learning how to torture people? You stink.”
He smelled one of his pits—not because he thought she was wrong, but just to annoy her. “That’s pure male sweat, girl. Real men do that, you know.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m going to check on Shelby.” Colton was on the receiving end of her stink-eye as she passed by him. “Make us some breakfast, smartass.”
He mock-saluted her back as she walked out, and so what if it was only with one finger. Salisbury’s eyes darted back and forth between Colton—who had the food—and Jaya—who was obviously a sucker for a cute face.
Colton waved Salisbury off, Jaya’s footsteps echoing up the stairs as the dog followed her. Jesus, he needed something more than coffee if he was going to get through this morning.
But Shelby,bless her heart, didn’t have a drop of liquor in the house. Most likely, her mother had cleaned out any that she did have.
What were the odds Jaya had brought something besides eggs and bagels?
He sorted through the groceries and his hope deflated. Nothing. Not even a bottle of wine.
Pulling out skillets and the toaster, Colton went to work. The best he could do was follow orders and make breakfast for him and Shelby. Some scrambled eggs for Salisbury would be good too.
Jaya, on the other hand, could make her own damn food.
