Gina's Private Police Force [Men of Montana 3] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) Read Free Page A

anger at his words but he saw the smirk on her face disappear quickly. Realization finally sank in, or at least Connor hoped it had as sadness glazed over her features and her shoulders seemed to sag under its weight. He could see tears begin to pool within her eyes before she turned her head away.
    “Yes, Sheriff,” she whispered, sniffling a bit. “I understand.”
    “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Connor said, suddenly calmer. “I have tried to be as nice as possible since your father ran off, but I hope I didn’t do or say anything to lead you on.”
    “No, you never did. It was me. I acted horribly. I’m so sorry.”
    Believing her was easy since he had known her for so long, but he didn’t need her jealousy to rear its green head at him. “I am interested in Gina, and right now, she is in trouble. Did she ever talk about her past or anything?”
    The blonde head shook negatively at the question. “She didn’t talk to me about her personal life. She came to work and as soon as her shift was over, she was gone. You might want to talk to Glen. They talked sometimes. He seemed to have taken a shine to her, too.”
    Jealousy bristled below the surface in Connor. There was no way Glen was going to horn in on his and Jared’s woman. Calming himself, Connor touched the platinum strands that hung down around Tanya’s ears. “I know you dye your hair. Did Gina?”
    Confused at the question, Tanya nodded. Connor released her wrist and instinctively the woman brought it up and began to rub it with her other hand.
    “How do you know that she did?” he asked curiously, trying to see any telltale signs in her hair.
    “There were a few times when she let the roots get too long.” Then smiling, Tanya went on. “I swear, men don’t notice a thing when they have the hots for a woman.”
    Releasing the strands, Connor stood up, placing a foot or two of space between them. “What color is it really?”
    Thinking a moment, she remembered. “It’s a golden blonde. I remember I was surprised that she would dye it such a dark color compared to her real color. It made her seem pale.”
    Connor thought of Gina’s pale blue eyes and skin and realized that the chestnut color did seem too dark for her. She must really be trying to hide if she went that dark. No one would think twice about a brunette in a diner, working.
    A sigh escaped the man, his shoulders a bit hunched in defeat. “Thanks Tanya. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
    “Naw. Always been a fantasy of mine, though it ended a lot better,” the girl said with regret even as she smiled. “Gina’s a lucky girl.”
    The waitress re-entered the diner, going back to her duties and leaving a sulking Connor out on the sidewalk. Turning, he leaned against the wall, raising his right foot up against it. Watching the everyday bustling of the town, he had to wonder what caused Gina to not confide in anyone here. Was she in trouble? Truthfully, neither he nor Jared knew much about the woman.
    The bells clanged against the glass door as it opened and a flustered Glen stepped out followed by an irritated Jared. The bear of a chef stepped up into Connor’s personal space, his face inches from the sheriff’s.
    “First you run off my best waitress and then you haul my other waitress out to interrogate in the middle of the lunch run. What is wrong with you two?”
    “Tell me all you know about Gina.” Connor was abrupt with his request, staring the larger man in the eye.
    Glen was about the same height as Connor, if not just a tad shorter. His girth gave him the appearance of a barrel. His torso was large while his legs were thinner than expected. When not wearing an apron, his t-shirts were always tucked in giving the false image of a pregnant belly. Since the man’s hair and beard had changed from blond to white in the past few years, Glen had been harassed by the mayor to play Santa Claus at the annual parade and festivities. Glen didn’t appear to like anyone so it had