Colton's Dilemma (Shadow Breeds) by Dara Nelson Read Free Book Online Page B

said.
    He smiled with a playful glint in his eye, “Usually.”
    “Somebody’s going to have to do something about that,” she mumbled, smiling.  She sighed and closed the laptop.
    “Something wrong?” he said.
    She shook her head, “No.  I’m just tired of looking at this thing.”
    “Haven’t found anything yet?”
    “Nope,” she said then she turned and looked at him, “Since I might have to be here awhile, I think I’d like to know a few things about you.”
    “Like?”
    “Like, is there a Misses Colton Renner?”
    “No.”
    “Girlfriend?”
    “No.”
    “So you’re gay?  You and Hansen are a couple?” she asked, although she really felt that this one wasn’t true.  She felt it in her gut.
    Colton laughed.  “No. We’re not a couple. Not sexually anyways.  I suppose in every other way we could be seen that way – I mean we’re always together and we finish each other’s sentences.  But friendship is as far as it goes.”
    “So why do you live out here, in the middle of nowhere?   Are you agoraphobic?”
    “Me?  Afraid of people? Hardly,” he said.
    “Shy?” she said.
    “A little, I suppose.”
    “Are you a serial killer?”
    Colton’s head whipped around, “What?  Really? What do you think?  Do you think I’m a serial killer?”
    She stared at him for a minute, “No. I don’t think so.  But I’m guessing you wouldn’t tell me if you were.”
    “No.  I probably wouldn’t.”
    Suddenly a wolf howled in the distance – and Miss screamed.
    Colton was wrapping her arms around her before her next breath.  “Shhhh, it’s okay , Miss.  It’s okay.  Nothing is going to hurt you, I promise.”
    She dug her fingers into his arm as she tried to get herself under control.  She had never had a panic attack in her life – and she didn’t like it.
    After about fifteen minutes, her crying into his chest began to quiet down.  She tried to wipe the tears away from her eyes as she said, “I’m sorry.  I’ve never been afraid of w…www…wwwolves before.  I don’t know what came over me.”
    “You were being chased by wolves when you came to my house, Miss.  I’m sure that has something to do with it.”
    “I was being chased by wolves?  What the hell was I doing out in the woods?” then she suddenly got a surprised look on her face, “A house!  A white house with a green door!  I have something to do with a white house with a green door and a sign out front.  But I can’t see what the sign says.  I wonder if that’s where I work?  Or maybe it’s where I live?  Wait!  I remember that sign.  It says “Annie’s Place”  Is that me?  Is my name Annie?  I don’t know.  Why can’t I remember if my name is Annie or not?”
    “Calm down.  You’re trying to force it.  It won’t come back that way.  You have to relax. It’ll come to you.  I promise,” he said as her sobs started again.
    Colton automatically reached his arm around her shoulders.  Her head came down onto his thighs as she cried.  He caressed her hair as he tried to soothe her fears, “Shhhh.  It’ll be okay.  I promise.”
    She cried until she had no more tears left and then she drifted off to sleep.  Colton continued to caress her hair, even as Hansen quietly poked his head in the room and whispered, “Dinner for her, sir?”
    Colton shook his head and whispered, “She’s too tired tonight.  Let her sleep.  You can fix her breakfast in the morning.”
“And dinner for you, Sir?” Hansen said, giving Colton that ‘you have to go feed tonight’ look.
    Colton nodded his head, “I will.  As soon as she’s in a deep sleep, I’ll slip out.”
    Hansen gave him a ‘make sure you go or I’ll have to come back up here’ look.
    “I’ll go.  I promise.  Now go to bed.  That’s an order,” Colton said, smiling.  Hansen quietly closed the door behind him.  Colton stayed for another two hours – longer than he planned, but he wanted to make sure she was sound