by Palmer Jones
Mrs. Dempsey opened the door, shooting Addie a smile that looked forced. “I’m sorry about that. The past can’t stay buried, can it?”
Addie lifted a shoulder and took a drink of her beer. There was no way she’d get in the middle of that argument.
Cameron’s hand brushed over her knee under the table before it disappeared. She only choked a little on her drink, coughing a few times discretely while the cold brew burned in her throat. What was he up to? He’d gone a little farther than just being nice to her. Touching her. Kissing her boo-boos. Okay, that sounded a little strange, but it made it impossible to keep her typical wall erected.
His profile remained neutral. Unaffected. Opposite the reaction of every inch of her body. Finishing her beer, she rose and took her plate to the sink.
“Don’t worry about that, Addie. You cooked, the boys clean.”
Risking it, she looked at Cameron. He watched her with more interest than usual, despite the grim set to his lips. Did he feel the heat between them? Or was that only in her cheeks that had suddenly flushed?
Either way, she’d take the get-out-of-dishes card Mrs. Dempsey had offered her. “I enjoyed cooking with you.”
The tension drained from Mrs. Dempsey’s face. “Me, too, honey.”
Her eyes tracked back to Cameron. He rose, grabbing his dad’s half-eaten plate on the way by. “Guess I better get on the dishes. I still need to swing by and check-in on Lacy.”
“Is she doing any better?” Mrs. Dempsey asked.
His mention of Lacy threw out everything that had happened so far that evening. Why did she keep forgetting he had a girlfriend? Easy. He didn’t act like it.
Cameron brushed past her and set the plate on the counter. His body weight shifted, putting them shoulder to shoulder. “A little bit, but I still don’t like to leave her alone too long.”
Addie managed a polite smile. “What’s wrong with her?”
He shrugged, the movement rubbing their arms together. Why couldn’t she make herself move away? One step and there’d be a respectable distance between them. Instead, she felt the need to lean into him while they discussed his girlfriend. Torturing herself appeared to be her newest pastime. She couldn’t even summons up some silly remark or flirty distraction. Cameron finally looked at her like she was a real woman. It was a heady experience.
He reached for the dish sponge on the opposite counter, bringing them face-to-face for half a second. On purpose. Every time they touched he’d done it on purpose. Playing with fire. They both were.
“Lacy’s pretty insecure. It causes issues if she’s left alone.”
“Oh. That sounds miserable.” Addie really shouldn’t fault Cameron for being so caring of his girlfriend. Her opinion of him had changed in the past day. Lacy was pretty lucky to have a man like Cameron concerned about her.
Didn’t matter if she liked him or not. He had Lacy. Who knew what her own crappy boyfriend was up to at this point.
9
Lacy pulled Cameron along the riverbank like she knew where she led him. Everywhere she went it was an adventure. Tail wagging. Nose to the ground. His fishing pole dangled over his shoulder as his tackle box swung by his side. Perfect day-off. Blue sky and mild winter weather. Fish probably wouldn’t bite worth a damn, but his dad took his fishing seriously. His dad took everything seriously.
That was how Cameron hoped the rest of the town saw him as well. This job meant something to him. He’d do everything he could, the same way his dad had done, to protect Statem.
He spotted his dad in their usual spot, the fishing line already in the water. Lacy barked a few times to announce to the empty woods their arrival.
His dad’s shoulders shook with laughter. At least he had a good sense of humor about the dog scaring off any fish.
He tied Lacy to a low branch with equal access to the sunlight and the shade. She chose the shade, plopping down with a stick in her mouth. Man, it must be nice to have a dog’s life.
“How’s it going?” asked his dad.
“Good. Lacy managed to sleep through the night with a dry crate.”
His dad nodded. “It sounds more like you’re dealing with a child than an animal.”
“It’s a little bit of both, I guess. I feel like I’ve raised her by now.”
He cast his own line into the water along the bank. They fished in silence. Somehow, he bonded with him more when they didn’t have to keep up a constant stream of chatter. An hour later and Lacy had fallen asleep in the sunshine, and Cameron’s mind had thought more about Addie than the investigation that had stumped him. Two more people had come into the station yesterday to report stolen items. That made twelve break-ins without the first reliable lead. They’d increase the patrol, told the community to turn on outside security lights, if they had any, and look out for their neighbors.
“Any word on getting a subpoena or warrant for the lumberyard’s video?” His dad reeled in a small fish, tossing it back a second later.
“Nope. Judge is still reviewing it. The next judge that could issue one has a calendar that’s packed for the next three weeks.”
His dad nodded and didn’t make any other suggestions. Cameron should appreciate the silent vote of confidence that he could handle the investigation himself, but he only felt insecurity. He needed that video.
Another hour later and he followed his dad back to his mom’s house, finding Addie and his mom sitting on the front porch. Addie held her phone two inches from her nose, and his mom reading one of her typical romance novels with some long-haired guy holding onto a woman about to faint while a wave crashed behind them.
“Catch anything?” His mom tilted her head up for his dad’s kiss.
“Nothing worth eating. What are you ladies up to?”
Addie hadn’t lifted her head. Was she ignoring him? After his display during dinner the other night, he didn’t blame her if she felt awkward. His lousy day and exhaustion had skewed his judgment of the situation, letting his guard down enough to enjoy the beautiful woman staying with his parents. Of all the crazy things, she’d not flirted back. It was almost like him making any move had sucked that side of her right out. Interesting theory.
He climbed the steps. His shadow fell over her. She lifted her head.
She gave him a whisper of a smile, something that made the moment feel even more magical. Like she was surprised and possibly happy to see him. Another interesting theory.
“What are you doing?” He shifted to look at her screen, but she shut it off and slammed it face down on her lap.
“Nothing.”
“Addie…”
She stood and set her phone in the chair. Her hip jutted out, and she gave him that fake smile. “Did you catch any fish?”
He rolled his eyes. What the hell had made her act like that again?
“Is Lacy doing okay?”
He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets with his disappointment. “Yeah. She’s in the truck.”
Her eyebrows tilted down. “What? Where? I don’t see her.”
“I didn’t know how you’d react, so I left her there. I’ll go get her.” Cameron went to the passenger side. Lacy had snuggled down deep in his sweatshirt he’d worn this morning on his run. It didn’t make any sense to him, but she seemed to like it. “C’mon girl.”
Lacy bounded down from the truck. The fake look melted off Addie’s face. “She’s a dog?”
“I’m not exactly a cat person.”
“But I,” she started, running a hand through her hair. “I thought she was your girlfriend.”
“You thought I had a girlfriend?” And after the interaction they’d had together the other night? He might forget that she had a boyfriend by the way she acted most of the time, but he’d never touch another woman while having a girlfriend.
“Yes.” She squatted down as Lacy jumped up the steps. She rubbed her behind the ears. “She’s so adorable.”
The other Addie had vanished almost as quickly as she�
��d appeared. What made her turn it on and off? She looked like the same woman, today dressed in leggings the color of wine and a gray shirt that gripped her hips but was loose everywhere else.
“Cameron, I offered to your dad for me to talk to Kevin if you want. I can see if he will give over the video.” His mom continued to rock. He was a little amazed considering the angry look his dad shot in his direction.
“You still don’t have the video you need?” Addie rose from Lacy, her face uncommonly serious.
“No. We have to wait a stupid amount of time to get a judge to sign off on a declaration making Kevin hand it over. Big companies like that have almost everyone in their back pocket.” Cameron picked up Addie’s hand without permission, needing to feel her skin again. “Have you taken care of this?”
Her eyes stayed glued to his thumb, gliding back and forth across the bandage on her hand. “Do you know how the video is made?” she asked. “If they’ve updated the system in the past five years, they probably switched to digital and recorded on a server, right?”
Why did she care? She looked a little spaced out watching their hands linked, but he didn’t want to stop touching her. “I don’t think it’s like an old VHS or anything. The lumberyard is a remote plant, part of a million dollar business. I think the footage is linked all the way up. They installed those cameras not too long ago.”
“If they’re linked, it’d probably be through a network.”
He didn’t know anything about that sort of thing. “I guess.”
She gently tugged her hand away. “Have someone go in there and get the video.”
“We can’t. It wouldn’t be allowed as evidence, and we’d be charged with breaking and entering into the plant.”
“I meant to go into their system.” Her eyes centered on a point over his shoulder, her voice low, almost a whisper.
“That doesn’t change anything. We’re the ones who develop the case against him. We can’t obtain evidence illegally. The judge would throw it out.”
“What if someone else got the evidence?” Her eyes came back to his. The slight fear in her voice highlighted the seriousness of her statement even more.
“What do you mean, Addie?” His dad took a step forward. “Who else could gather that kind of information and not do it with the direction of the Sheriff’s office?”
Her lips pressed together, and her eyebrows drew tight together.
“Don’t you dare clam up now.” Cameron set a hand on her shoulder. He leaned down to force her eyes to meet his. “We need this video, Addie. Do you know of another way to get it that wouldn’t implicate us?”
She twisted her fingers together. He covered them with his own, careful of her burn. He’d never wanted to kiss a woman so desperately before in his life. To take away whatever fear she felt. The uncertainty. Something had put that heartache look in her eyes. Dealing with Addie when she acted fake was easier than witnessing this insecurity. At fifteen, she’d looked more confident than she did now.
“I know someone that can get the video for you,” she whispered.
He stepped a little closer. “We wouldn’t have to pay them? Give them directions? No one would find out?”
She shook her head.
“Who is it?”
She shook her head again. “No. No questions. I’ll let you know what happens.”
“What the hell does that even mean?” Cameron held onto her elbow. She looked like she might run at any second.
Both his and his dad’s cell phones rang at the same time. Using his other hand, because he wasn’t letting her get away, he fished it out of his pocket. “Dewey?”
“Cameron, you are not going to believe this. A log truck veered off the road.”
Stepping away from Addie, Cameron jogged behind his dad to the Sheriff’s car for a ride into town. “Anyone hurt?”
“The driver. But it took out two fire hydrants. Two cars have hydroplaned.”
His dad spoke in low, clipped words into his own phone. Judging by the directions, it was the fire chief. Addie hadn’t moved. It was a mental picture he knew he’d never forget. The way she stood on his family’s front porch, his dog sitting at her feet and concern on her face. Concern for him.
In a little over a week, she’d be gone. He concentrated on Dewey’s words describing the multiple wrecks. This was his job. His future. He’d enjoy the small amount of time he had left with her, but he had to remember she was his responsibility. Whatever was between them couldn’t go anywhere.
It was almost impossible to trust her with so many secrets she seemed to keep.
10
Addie swiped her finger under her lower lip, straightening her fruit punch colored lip gloss. The bright lips should distract attention away from the dark circles under her eyes that her makeup had a hard time concealing. Three hours of beauty rest after six hours of late-night computer hacking didn’t leave her looking, or feeling, very cute.
But cute would have to wait.
She had a job to do.
Too bad she’d worked on Cameron’s job most of the night instead of logging into her server and doing the job that she’d agreed to do. What in the world had prompted her to offer to help? After a mini panic attack and a hot shower, she’d refocused on the overall outcome. She could help.
She pulled her high-heeled boots out of the closet, slipped them on, and zipped them up. A small ,usually ignored part of her wished she had a little time to lounge around in sweatpants with no bra, binge watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and eat a big, carb-loaded bowl of sugary kids’ cereal and pick out all the marshmallows.
That’s how she imagined the other women of White Rabbit. Complete computer nerds with forgiving elastic wardrobes.
Twisting and turning to see how she looked from all angles, Addie felt a sigh slip out with the thought. She picked this life. Perfect hair. Perfect makeup. Body…well, no one was really perfect after all. It all added up to one impressive cover.
She’d let it slip too many times with Cameron. The video footage sat on a server she could access through their computer. She hadn’t had an email address to send it to, so she’d agreed to show it to him this morning.
She snagged her bottom lip with her teeth before remembering the lip gloss. Too bad what should be a cover was an almost unrealistic expectation by those around her now. She didn’t know how to change her situation, though, and still, do what she loved.
White Rabbit had entirely unrelated expectations of her. Most of which she’d failed at this point. She’d hoped Miss Alice’s last message, announcing she get busy before she finds another job, stood as code for some other meaning. But her boss was a hard woman who’d probably scare the shit out of Addie if she’d ever meet her. That would never happen.
She straightened her pale pink sweater, adjusting the neckline to the right position. After an hour of getting ready, the smell of breakfast began to scream her name in a tribal chant that pulled her feet out of the door of the bedroom.
Following her nose, she found the origin of her first love. Coffee. No man would ever, honestly, come between her and a hot cup of java.
Mrs. Dempsey sat at the kitchen table with no makeup and a loose-fitting shirt with a slogan supporting the Statem Sheriff's Office.
“Good morning!” She pushed back from the table, the chair legs scraping against the tile. “I have coffee ready and biscuits in the oven.”
“I’d love some coffee.” The scent of heavenly carbs wafting from the oven tempted her. “And one biscuit.”
One.
She accepted a pink mug with tiny roses dancing around the lip. “I love these mugs.”
Mrs. Dempsey grinned. “I’ve been outnumbered by men for over thirty years. I try to remind them I’m a female whenever possible.”
If Sheriff Dempsey was anything like Cameron, Addie understood. Cameron couldn’t hide his rough, male attitude and style if he dressed in a skirt, added some lipstick, and threw on a pair of glitter high heels. She sm
iled into the mug as she took a sip. He probably had great legs.
Mrs. Dempsey pulled on a light blue and green oven mitt with lace trim. “What did you do last night? Jimmy said he heard you on the computer when he got home from working that wreck.”
“I’m sorry if I disturbed anyone.”
“No. Not at all. Just wanted to make sure everything was alright.”
It would be alright if she could make herself hack into Sunflower’s network. She’d started to…twice. Rerouted her location. Blocked her signal the best she could. Nightmares of leading the drug lord right to Mrs. Dempsey’s sweet kitchen assaulted her each time she started to type.
So, she concentrated on Cameron’s video problem instead. Easing herself into that computer system didn’t pose nearly the threat of a drug mafia. Those were the types of people that’d kill you first and ask questions later. A lumber company with an army of lawyers not carrying assault rifles she could handle.
With a blast of hot air from the oven, the divine vision of biscuits appeared.
Addie gripped her mug tight.
One biscuit. Just one, girl.
Her stomach growled. Did they have biscuit eating contests like the hot dog one on July fourth? If Miss Alice kicked her out of White Rabbit, maybe she could earn a living eating dozens of biscuits for prize money.
“Here you go.” She set one on a pretty plate that matched the mug. “You said one, right?”
Yeah, but…
Addie almost cried as Mrs. Dempsey slid the second one on the plate.
“I won’t make it my priority to see you gain weight while you’re here, but life’s too short to look that dejected over a simple biscuit.”
Addie accepted the plate and butter. And jelly. And then experienced heaven on earth with her first bite. Her eyes closed. Mrs. Dempsey had annihilated her usual breakfast of a whole wheat muffin and a piece of fruit. The light, flaky biscuit melted on her tongue.
Geez, was the biscuit literally made of butter? She’d find somewhere to exercise to make up for it. She’d go run alongside the highway if nothing else. No way she’d refuse that second one now.
