Hiding From The Sheriff (A Southern Kind of Love Book 1)

by Palmer Jones

  Addie resisted the urge to fan her burning hot face. In his full uniform, although still an awful tan color, Cameron was plain, old-school hotness. Like James Dean or Paul Newman. A little dangerous by the confident way he walked. Yesterday, he’d mentioned something about a girl named Lacy. No doubt his girlfriend. There was no way a guy that good-looking wouldn’t have one. Or a few.

  “Here we are.” Mrs. Dempsey pulled into a parking spot along the street a few blocks down from where they’d seen Cameron.

  Addie ran a hand down the front of her shirt as she stood from the car. It was almost like suiting up for a game. She’d started acting this way years ago to throw men off her tracks. It kept them from asking too many questions about her intellect if they were more focused on her looks. She never acted dumb. Flirty. Sexy. But dumb? No. There was a reason she wasn’t a paid actress, after all. Acting dumb was beyond her capabilities.

  But, in situations like this, when she really liked Mrs. Dempsey, the deceit became draining. Withholding an important side of her personality and only mentioning her perfume counter job shifted from survival to a straight out lie.

  Mrs. Dempsey was sharing her home. If she directly asked Addie about her computer skills, she would tell her what she could. Staying low key and avoiding the entire topic of conversation shouldn’t be too hard without her laptop here as a distraction. No one could witness the crazy side of her brain that could sit in front of a computer for ten hours straight. Or stay up all night, fueled on coffee and a drive to finish her jobs.

  Her fingers twitched. The quicker she got home, the better. Miss Alice, who ran White Rabbit, was probably pissed off by this point that Addie hadn’t checked in with her.

  Mrs. Dempsey walked inside the library, and Addie lagged behind, waiting on the sidewalk for Cameron. He even walked like James Dean. A swagger that dared anyone to test his confidence. His eyes scanned the street before landing on her. She couldn’t tell his expression this far away. He hadn’t seemed too interested in her, the way she’d been used to from other men. Not like he had a change of heart in the past twelve hours.

  While falling asleep last night, she’d tried to focus on the negatives of his personality to get past her crush. Like his attempt to beat Oscar the Grouch as the grouchiest person on Sesame Street. But his simple touch on her shoulder before he left had kept her distracted and leading to some fascinating dreams. Cameron Dempsey had gone from the cutest football wide receiver to the hottest cop in the country.

  Now, as he drew close, that strong, freshly shaved jaw clenched tight in irritation. If she couldn’t charm him into overlooking her real intellect, she would try to have a little fun with his strait-laced personality. He still saw her as nothing more than Trevor’s little sister.

  She set a hand on her hip. “You look pretty busy today,” she said, motioning to the almost empty street, “protecting the town from all the hardened criminals lurking around. Must be exhausting.”

  His stern expression didn’t falter. “I was coming to make sure you weren’t scoping out cars. Once a criminal gets a taste for the thrill of grand theft auto…”

  She pointed at the Sheriff’s station across the street. Cameron’s old blue truck, the one he’d picked her up from jail in, sat parked along the side. “Got my eye on that fine-looking truck. Heard it goes zero to sixty in about four minutes. Might be able to sell it for parts.” She lifted a shoulder. “Or scrap.”

  “I’d wager a guess that you’d never even set a foot inside a truck before mine.”

  “Not trucks that look like that.”

  He crossed his arms. “No. Yuppies like to drive Porsches or Bentleys.”

  “No.” She crossed her arms like him and shifted her weight to her other hip. “Fast, six-speed Mercedes are more my taste.”

  He narrowed his eyes and leaned down until they were nearly nose-to-nose. The green of his eyes still startled her. “You mean your boyfriend’s speed. That was his stolen car you were driving after all. Based on your background check, you don’t even own a car. Just living off”— he made a sour face—“Brian.”

  She could afford any type of car she wanted if she didn’t care about letting friends and family, or the world, know about her source of income. She out earned Brian by three if not four times.

  His lips twisted to the side, and he slipped his hands into his pockets. “Don’t get mad, Addie. I’m simply stating the facts.”

  “You’re clueless.”

  “No. I believe that adjective is already taken.”

  Addie suddenly didn’t care about her cover or her job. Proving herself worthy in Cameron’s eyes blew away any feelings for keeping her secret. She took a step, pointing her finger. “Listen—”

  “Cameron,” his mom called in a high-pitched voice as she exited the library, taking quick, long steps in their direction. “I heard about a new break-in. That makes the fifth one in a week, right?”

  The dark humor in his eyes disappeared. “Yes, it does.”

  “What did your dad say about it?” His mom waved to someone leaving the library and seemed to miss the flash of insecurity before he looked away. What was that for? He’s been nothing but an arrogant ass since they’d been reunited.

  “We haven’t talked about it today. Dad’s still in that meeting in Atlanta.”

  “I’ll make sure he calls you when he gets back in town. You guys need to get a handle on this.” Mrs. Dempsey rose on her toes and kissed his cheek in a motherly way. “Y’all will figure it out.”

  “Yup.” He looked out over the street. “I’ve got to get going.” His gaze snapped back to Addie. “I have hardened criminals to watch for, and I need to make sure I locked my truck.”

  Mrs. Dempsey pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll text your father now and let him know about it. I know he’ll come up with a plan.”

  Addie pressed her lips together. For some reason, instead of rubbing his nose in it, she wanted to make him feel better and take away that glimmer of uncertainty she’d seen when his mom suggested he needed his dad’s help.

  She ran a hand through her hair. “I’ll be sure to stay inside, so I don’t confuse you in the hunt for real thieves.” She winked, something she often did, but her world brightened when his crooked smile, the old one that melted her insides, reappeared for the first time.

  “Addie, dear, didn’t you mention that you needed to check your email? There are a couple of computers open in the library.”

  “Email? Is your phone not working? Didn’t you say you checked your email in the truck.” Cameron’s confusion made sense. She’d checked her personal email. Not for her real job.

  “The email on her phone can’t pull up her work email.”

  “Really?” They both stood watching her. She tried not to look nervous, or disappointed, but judging by the way Cameron analyzed her so intently, she didn’t do an excellent job of it.

  “Yeah, but no biggie. I’ll try again later.” She flipped her hair and glanced around the street. “Is there a nail salon in this town?” Any excuse to stay away from Cameron. She looked at her nails. “I would love a good mani/pedi. Relax after yesterday’s nightmare.”

  “There’s a lady that does nails, but we’ll have to schedule you an appointment.” Mrs. Dempsey motioned to the library. “Are you sure about the computer, Addie? I don’t mind waiting.”

  She focused solely on Mrs. Dempsey. “Yes. I’m not even sure I’d know how to get to the website to check my email.”

  “Since when is working the perfume counter really that serious?” Cameron asked.

  Addie lifted her eyebrows at the dig. And to think she felt sorry for him a moment earlier. “Between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, there are several new releases and other…things I need to know about.” That didn’t sound very confident. She really needed to work on a cover story for a reason to be on the computer. “Not everyone can pull off your pine trees and grass smell.”

  “Takes a real man to smell like one.” He set his
hands on his hips, his gun shifting. “What kind of cologne does Brian wear? Or does being a moron have a special scent you’re attracted to?”

  “More like the smell of success.”

  “Didn’t realize living off your parents’ money and one toothpaste commercial equaled success.”

  “Trevor told you to look into his background, didn’t he?”

  “He didn’t have to.”

  “Kids.” Mrs. Dempsey linked arms with Addie. “Let’s not fight.” She laughed lightly, maybe a little uncomfortable, and pulled Addie along with her. “You’ll have to excuse Cameron. Perfume and frilly things like that tend to confuse him. I can see how it can be an important job.”

  Cameron’s issues went beyond understanding perfume. Lacy must have a heart the size of Georgia. Addie didn’t know how anyone could stand to be in a romantic relationship with Cameron Dempsey.

  4

  Cameron sat at his kitchen table with the Saturday edition of the Statem Dispatch spread out in front of him. He usually enjoyed the small-town newspaper, until he read his cousin’s article about the thefts around town. Like always, Juliana had all the facts straight, but seeing his failure laid out in black and white stung his ego.

  Lacy propped her front paws up on his lap and tried to reach for the last bite of his honey bun.

  “Not today, girl.” He popped the bite in his mouth.

  She whined.

  He scratched behind her ear. “Don’t worry. I’m sure those treats I bought you taste just as good.” He stood and reached for her leash on the hook next to his keys. A puddle in the corner caught his eye.

  “Great.” He set the leash back on the hook and grabbed cleaning spray and a rag. “Guess there’s no reason to take you out for that walk, is there?”

  She barked and jumped up on him, pushed off, turned in a circle, and sat with another quick bark. She’d at least learned a few words. Other commands still remained an issue.

  “Fine.” He threw the dirty rag into the laundry room and opened the door, grabbing the leash but not clipping it on yet. She might like some room to roam free. “Stay close.”

  Lacy darted down the stairs and into the woods. “Lacy!” He shouted, but she’d taken off. Roaming free didn’t mean running away.

  He jogged after the dog as if his earlier five-mile run wasn’t enough. Lacy took off, fast, headed straight toward his neighbor, Nash Holloway’s house. If only she’d run the opposite direction. Give him a lame excuse to go see Addie at his parents’ place a couple miles in the opposite direction. For some stupid reason, he’d taken his morning run right past his parents’ driveway, like he might catch a glimpse of her.

  The attraction he felt, despite every warning signal to back away, annoyed him. Her presence, even a few miles down the road, made the hair on the back of his neck prickle.

  “Got her,” Nash shouted from the other side of the tree line. “Aren’t you a sweet girl,” he cooed to Lacy as Cameron caught up to them.

  “She’d be sweeter if she listened to a damn thing I said.” Cameron clipped the leash on Lacy’s collar.

  Nash picked up his toolbox, wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve. “She’ll learn. Geez, it’s hot. I sure wish January would cooperate and be colder than seventy degrees and 100% dang humidity.”

  “Not a chance.”

  “Meant to ask about your mom’s house guest. I saw her in town yesterday. My mom said that she hoped she was your new out-of-town girlfriend.”

  Cameron’s skin grew clammy. “Oh, no. Not a chance. Do you remember my friend Trevor? The one I stayed with for that camp the summer after my senior year?”

  “With the fancy house?”

  He nodded. “Yup. She’s his little sister. She’s staying with us as a favor to him. Nothing else.” Girlfriend? Attraction was one thing. Committed relationships were another. He and Addie couldn’t be more different. “Superficial women aren’t my type anymore, remember? Took all I could from Jennifer. Not going down that road again.”

  “I don’t blame you. At least you didn’t make it to the altar with Jennifer. I got to see my ex’s true colors after the wedding.” Nash didn’t talk about it often. His dad’s cancer had spread quicker than anyone had expected, and Nash still blamed himself for leaving him with the farm to manage alone. Nash shook his head and adjusted his baseball hat. “Man, life was so much simpler back in high school.”

  “Tell me about it. Thanks for grabbing the dog. I need to head back to the house. I’m headed in to work.”

  “On your off day? That case still got you stumped?”

  “Hard to solve a case without evidence or leads. Not one, damn fingerprint. Or witness. Nothing. I’ve been working on it for the past six days straight. I hate thinking someone is out there plotting their next hit. We’re lucky no one has been home yet when the thief has broken in. We could be looking at a different kind of crime entirely.”

  Nash patted Lacy on the head. “Maybe you need a distraction. I know you aren’t into marrying superficial women, but taking the hot house guest out on a date might help get your mind back in the right place.”

  “She’s Trevor’s little sister.”

  He grinned.

  Cameron knew that grin.

  “I wonder if she’d like to go out with me.” Nash had an inch or so on Cameron, a strong body used to work in the field, and had accumulated enough wealth to attract several women in the county after his divorce.

  “No.” The relaxed feeling drained out of Cameron’s body. One of his best friends since high school might be a great guy, but no way was he right for Addie. Not that he’d even come close to guessing who was right for Addie, but not Nash. Picturing Addie with anyone put a sour taste in his mouth. He already fought the urge to meet Trevor in Colorado to talk to Brian himself.

  “Hmm. I thought not.” He turned and walked to his ATV, setting his toolbox in the back. “How long is she staying?”

  “Two weeks.” Why did that matter?

  He crossed his arms. “A lot can happen in two weeks, my friend.”

  “Pretty sure there’s nothing you can say that would make me think Addie is even close to the type of woman I want to date. She has complicated written all over her.” Dating and relationships hadn’t been on the radar whenever he thought about Addie. Figuring out how to keep from touching her and feeling attraction was the more immediate concern. Purely physical. End of story.

  “But no one else can date her?” Nash paused a moment, his eyes, shaded by his baseball hat, locked with Cameron’s, expecting an answer. “I wonder why that is?”

  Because thinking of another man’s hands on her, be it his best friend or not, drove him mad. Especially her asshat boyfriend.

  “She has a boyfriend.”

  “That’s a valid reason not to pursue her. Why you didn’t start the conversation with that?”

  “Because he’s a dirtbag, and I had to bail her out of jail because of his stupidity.”

  Nash tilted his head up a fraction. “Good luck trying not to rescue the damsel in distress. That’s like your kryptonite.”

  “Won’t even be an issue.” Cameron tugged on the leash, and Lacy fell in step beside him as he headed back to his house. His attraction to Addie wasn’t a minor thing. Hell, only a wink had him thinking about her most of last night.

  How many men had she winked at that exact way? It didn’t mean anything to her. She knew how gorgeous she was and flaunted it to get what she wanted. So, no, he had no interest in dating her.

  He wasn’t the type of man to have casual sex even if she wasn’t off limits for every other reason under the sun.

  That left him dealing with the attraction for the next two weeks before shipping her home and out of his life.

  5

  Addie’s phone rang. She set the book she’d found in the room on Creek Indian culture to the side and scrambled off the bed, pushing her glasses back up on her nose. Big surprise. Not Brian.

  “Hey there, big bro.”<
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  Trevor’s familiar voice sounded on the other end. “How’s it going?”

  She’d been in Statem three days. That’s two days longer than she’d expected. Getting away earlier than her court date looked like a lost cause at this point. “Fine.”

  “You always say that, four eyes. Listen, I don’t have much time before I need to head into a meeting for Grayson, but I want you to know that I’m flying out to Vail to find Brian tonight. I have specific directions from the lawyer I hired to make sure you are released. But Brian has to cooperate.”

  Addie’s glasses shifted when she frowned. “I didn’t know you hired a lawyer. Can’t you represent me?”

  “No. I don’t handle this area of the law enough. I want you to have the best.”

  “I’m paying for this, Trevor. Not you.”

  “Addie, these aren’t cheap charges and the lawyer that’s necessary to fight it comes with a similar price tag.”

  “Have the bills forwarded to my email. I’ll handle them. I have some money put away.” Close to two million after working for her employer for the past eight years. That disclosure would really cause her big brother some stress.

  “We’ll see. Look, I’ll make sure everything turns out okay. Brian will have to explain himself. For both shitty moves. Not returning your phone calls and claiming his car was stolen in the first place. You really need to dump that loser. I’ve said that from day one. Hopefully, now you’ll listen to me.”

  And she’d ignored him because she knew there wasn’t any real relationship involved. Her heart was never in jeopardy. But not even the fake Addie would put up with being stranded in rural Georgia without so much as a phone call.

  They were done. Brian had been such a convenient guy to date. Cute, usually friendly, and somewhat uninterested in her personal life. Made it a great cover for her Hollywood alias.