Chapter Four
“Summer, I need a word with you.” Night’s deep baritone startled her as she strode toward her car.
Freezing, she took a deep breath, plastered a smile on her face, and turned to meet him. She dropped her hand from her hold on the door handle. His tone could mean anything but she assumed he disliked something about her care and had decided to rake her over the coals for some presumed error. She didn’t take harsh criticism well, especially undeserved critiques that sent her heart thudding and stomach to rolling. “Yes, Mr Kensington?”
He walked toward her—his natural ease and grace could’ve made a large feline envious—not stopping until he stood on the edge of her comfort zone. Those cobalt eyes bore down into hers, as if seeking some deeply hidden secret buried in her mind. “The agency was lax in providing background information about you.”
“Oh.” Does he expect me to whip out a resume on the spot? Perplexed, she tilted her head, holding her breath for his explanation.
“How long have you been a physical therapist? And where did you get your certification from?” He threw out the questions as if interviewing her for an opening in a company.
She sighed inwardly, but answered truthfully. “I worked as a physical therapy assistant through school. Three years ago I graduated with my master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Arizona.”
“I see.” He nodded slightly and leaned against her car. “I take it you work full time, going to patient’s homes, and assisting them with their exercise?”
She nodded, taking a moment to glance at her watch, hoping he might get the hint.
“You live nearby? Got a boyfriend?”
A red flag waved in her mind. Her muscles locked as she stood up straight. He didn’t need to know anything personal about her. Professional, fine. She would answer any and all questions he asked about her job and training. But, that’s where she drew the line. Too many crazy people lived in the world and she certainly didn’t want to encourage a stalker to show up on her doorstep one night. “I don’t see how where I live relates to my caring for your mother. If you don’t mind, I prefer to keep my personal life just that—personal.”
He stepped forward, glaring down at her. “Since you’re working with my mother, I feel it’s fair and necessary to know some facts about you. If you think that invades your privacy, then that’s too bad. But I won’t have less than the best therapist as well as an upstanding person, seeing to her needs.” His gravelly voice remained soft, but no less intimidating.
Summer bit her bottom lip, leashing the surging anger at his attitude. As much as she wanted to tell him exactly what she thought about his interrogation, she didn’t dare utter a single snarky comment. Her job depended on it. “Look, Mr Kensington. I fully understand your concern about your mother and who will be caring for her. I assure you I’m a good therapist and know exactly what I’m doing. As for the other part, I’ve never been arrested, never gotten a single speeding ticket. There are no ‘Wanted’ posters of me on the post office wall, although you’re more than welcome to look. I don’t drink myself to oblivion each night and I even pay my bills on time.” She took a breath and wrapped up her minor tirade. “If you believe I’m doing a poor job or you simply dislike me, that’s your prerogative. You have every right to call the agency and ask for a replacement.”
She spun back around, jerking open the car door in agitation. After plopping down in the seat, she tugged on the seatbelt out of sheer habit.
Night grasped her door, preventing her from shutting it. His expression eased, the harsh set to his mouth relaxing into an almost civil appearance. “Well said.”
Blinking, she studied him, confused by his rapid change in demeanor. “I’m sorry. You lost me.”
The corners of his mouth kicked up. “We’ll see you tomorrow morning, Summer. And, for the record, you’re doing just fine with Mother.”
She watched as he turned, long strides leading back to the house.
Jerk. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had somehow passed his little test. With that thought, she pulled out of the driveway, on her way to the next client.
* * * *
“What did she tell you?”
Night glanced over at his mother as he shut the front door. Her dark brown eyes sparkled with mischief, a look he knew all too well. “Nothing.”
A smirk appeared on the older woman’s face. “Told you to mind your own business, huh?”
He snorted.
She chuckled. “I figured that might be the case. Colton, you can’t go through life trying to intimidate information out of everyone you meet.”
“It normally works well,” he retorted and shook his head. Debating with his mother could be entertaining, but he rarely won. She found examples and loopholes in all his defenses. Hell, she could have been a top-level lawyer with those uncanny skills if she’d wanted. Instead, she’d worked at jobs she could find just to get them by. He respected her all the more for her tenacity in yanking them both from an abusive relationship, moving halfway across the country, and starting from scratch—not something any meek or timid woman would do. It only proved she carried all the bravery of her father, a man who had served in World War II as one of the infamous Navajo Code Talkers. His grandfather had returned home under a rigid vow of silence to the military with its highly classified status. Tragically, he’d passed away a mere two years later in a farming accident.
Night regretted, not for the first time, the missed opportunity to meet his esteemed and courageous grandfather. The stories he would have loved to have heard in his native tongue, just the ability to sit down with the man, a war hero, and hear what wisdom he had to impart.
He’d enlisted in the army, wanting to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps—or as close as he could get. In a short time, he’d climbed to the ranks of the prestigious Green Berets. After serving for five years on active duty, toughing out mission after grueling mission, he’d realized the job no longer appealed to him. Stereotyping and prejudice still existed, though no one with power in the army would ever admit to such a thing. More than once, he’d fallen short of promotion due to his heritage and coloring. For an organization that prided itself on equality, he’d rarely seen that in action.
Whether it was due to burnout or fatigue or simply needing a new direction in life and being sick of the bias, he’d resigned his position and had decided to enter the private security market. From there, he’d quickly picked up ideas, tips, and the mechanics of how a business worked. Then, he set his sights on his target population—those too vile and powerful for normal authorities to touch. The drug lords, gun runners, and others who thought they were above the law and flexed their criminal muscles in all kinds of ways. Those are the ones they took out. Permanently.
The military couldn’t be tied to such events, preferring to keep their noses clean with the notion of justice and trials, and using deadly force only when absolutely necessary. His position allowed much more flexibility and leniency, which he passed on to his employees.
Everything he wanted while serving in the military now became possible. Wages and hazard pay were well above what a typical solider made. Independence and group decision-making held top priority, as well the option to turn down any assignment. By treating his men the way he wanted to be treated, they meshed well, covered one another’s backs, became close comrades and friends, and filled their bank accounts from their efforts in dangerous and even suicidal situations. Not a bad life for those who lived on adrenaline.
“Colton? Oh, Colton?”
He glanced up at his mother.
She shook her head. “Daydreaming? Perhaps Summer has piqued your interest after all?”
The mention of Summer’s name recalled the image of her standing up to him, her dark eyes flashing with ire, her small frame tense, while she rebuked his efforts to delve into her business. No wimpiness in that one. A man could do worse in a woman. “Would you stop already with the matchmaking? I’m not interested in Summer or any other woman right now.” He glared at her.
She tsked. “You shouldn’t lie to your mother.”
With a growl of frustration, he stormed out of the living room, heading directly for his office.