by Palmer Jones
She took another bite. And another.
Totally worth the extra hour of exercise later. Much, much later.
“Please, tell me Addie didn’t eat all the biscuits.”
Addie jerked her eyes open at the sound of Cameron’s voice. He stood inside the screen door in his Sheriff’s uniform. She’d have to assess his cuteness later. It’d be dangerous to think of him on little sleep until her coffee and common sense kicked into high gear.
Her second biscuit sat there, all alone on the plate, and now she’d have an audience judging her decision. Brian wouldn’t have let her have the first biscuit, let alone make a joke about eating a whole pan. He never joked about his health or fitness, and he expected the same level of commitment from Addie. She usually kept her opinion to herself.
“I was joking,” Cameron said as he sat down next to her. His lips pulled back into a playful half-smile. “I do have a little bit of a sense of humor.”
Addie stared hard at her biscuit. “But this is food. I don’t joke about food.”
Cameron chuckled and waved at her plate. “Eat the biscuit, Addie.”
“I really shouldn’t…”
Mrs. Dempsey’s tinkling laugh floated from the other side of the kitchen. “Give her a break. She’s been scared of that second biscuit since she walked in here.” She pointed a purple spatula at Addie. “We’ll break you of that. The next meal you’re learning how to cook is sausage and sawmill gravy. We’ll use these leftover biscuits.”
Cameron’s eyebrows drew together. “What are you worried about? It can’t hurt you.” He picked up her knife and poked at it. “Yup. Good as dead.”
Of course, Cameron wouldn’t understand.
“Eggs, Addie?”
“No, thank you.” Eggs on top of biscuits? They’d have to roll her back to her room and prop her up.
“How many eggs, dear?” Mrs. Dempsey asked as she cracked open the first one into the pan. It hit the surface with a sizzle.
Fried eggs.
The smell hit Addie.
Fried in butter.
“Three.” His shoulder brushed Addie’s. He dropped his voice. “Eat the biscuit, Addie.”
“I’m not really hungry.”
“I dare you to eat it.”
“Dare me?” Addie frowned at him. “Are we seven?”
“You owe me for finishing that awful drink for Mrs. Latham. I did it, too. Finished the whole cup of liquid sugar.”
She had put him in a tight spot that he’d handled far better than she’d managed with a simple biscuit. The green in his eyes drew her in. Ridiculous.
“I figure you won’t back down from a dare.”
With her eyes locked on his, because she couldn’t stop staring anyways, she reached down and lifted the biscuit.
His eyes darkened a fraction as they gazed at her lips. His playfulness disappeared. When had her distress over the second biscuit turned into a sexy dare? Who was the last person to use “sexy” and “biscuit” in the same sentence?
The choice of venue or topic didn’t seem to matter when it came to Cameron. He was right. She didn’t back down from a dare. How had he guessed that?
She took a bite.
His fingers grazed her knee under the table as his stare intensified for such a fleeting moment before he sat back, she wondered if she’d imagined it.
The screen door opened, and Sheriff Dempsey entered. “Good morning.”
Mrs. Dempsey set a plate with three fried eggs on three open biscuits in front of Cameron. “Eat up while it’s hot.” She aimed a pleased look between the two of them and started to hum back to the stove.
“Did you find anything out about the video?” Cameron asked the question as though the sexual tension wasn’t pumping between them.
Addie slowly set her own biscuit down. She didn’t know how to say anything to them about the video. She could figure out a plan to keep away the truth and avoid directly lying to them. She sipped her coffee.
She waited for inspiration to hit.
Nope.
She had nothing.
“Yes, I have the video.”
Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing.
This time Cameron’s hand wasn’t a quick brush over her leg, his hand rested entirely on her thigh. She’d seriously have to reconsider sitting next to him if he felt the need to touch her. How could she think about what to say now? She looked at her partially eaten biscuit.
“I can pull up the video on the computer.”
“How?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Addie?”
“Cameron, either watch the video or I’ll delete it.” Her voice sounded calm under the circumstances.
He pushed away from the table, holding out his hand. “Can we watch it now?”
He’d made it impossible to stand up from the table without directly ignoring his outstretched hand. Both his parents watched the interaction, Mrs. Dempsey with completely unashamed interest and Sheriff Dempsey with impatience. No doubt he wanted to see the video as well.
She accepted his help but snatched her hand away as soon as possible before leading him down the hallway to the computer. She flicked on the power button and sat down. She’d never had anyone watch her work before. All she had to do was pull up her server on the cloud and show them the video. That was it. Her hand hovered over the mouse with a little tremor. Why was this so hard?
She twisted in her seat. He looked like a GQ model standing there with his shoulder leaned against the wall beside her and annoyance written all over his face. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, revealing tight arm muscles. Her eyes betrayed her, scanning down to his work boots and back up.
“Addie?” His green eyes narrowed a tad like he was trying to figure out her hesitation. He shouldn’t bother. She didn’t know what her problem was either.
She huffed out a breath. “Fine.” This was the moment she’d dreaded. Showing him her skills, demonstrating that she could do more than pick out a cute outfit. She wanted to trust him.
She turned to face the computer, ignoring how delicious her name had sounded coming from him.
His dad and mom came into the room, standing on the other side of her. She pulled up the server where she’d saved the video. Typing in her password, she shifted to the side to give them room to view the screen.
Her phone rang in the other room. Cameron left before she’d even asked him to get it.
With his eyebrows drawn tight, he looked ready for a fight. He shoved the phone in her direction. “It’s Brian.”
She took the phone and sent it to voicemail. He’d have to wait until she could switch her brain over to deal with that drama.
Cameron exhaled and crossed his arms, looking thoroughly pissed that she’d done that. “Why the hell didn’t you answer? He has to clear your name, Addie. You need to talk to him.”
“Cameron—” Mrs. Dempsey started.
“I’ll call him back later.”
“And then he won’t answer again. Call him back now.”
“Later.”
“Now.”
She sat up straighter at the loud demand. “I’m sorry I didn’t jump when Brian finally decided to give me the time of day since you’re the one that wanted to see the video. Brian can wait a few minutes since he’s made me wait this long.”
“Yeah,” Cameron said, shaking his head. “You picked a winner with that one. Maybe this situation will teach you not to date guys like him. Unless you enjoy being treated like dirt.”
What had gotten into Cameron?
“Cameron,” Mrs. Dempsey quietly scolded. “Mind your own business.”
But Addie didn’t care. He’d manage to redirect all the resentment she had aimed at Brian back at him. She stood up and waved her phone in his direction. “So, it’s my fault I’m in this situation? I’m the reason the car that he gave me to drive was reported stolen?”
“I didn’t say that.”
; “But you implied it. Do you think I’m an idiot?”
Sheriff Dempsey placed a hand on Addie’s shoulder. “I’m sure Cameron didn’t mean it like that.”
Cameron’s face turned a molten shade of red. His dad stepping in to try and rescue him was everything he was trying to get away from. Addie wanted to shove his face in it. Tear a hole in his ten-mile-wide ego. Show him how it felt to be belittled.
She couldn’t.
“No offense, Sheriff, but if Cameron wants to get his foot out of his mouth, then he needs to figure out a way to do it. You don’t need to apologize for him.” She spun around, leaned over and clicked through the screens, typed in a few more passwords before the video appeared. She directed her comment at Sheriff Dempsey. “Here’s the video. Please don’t navigate away from this page while I’m logged into my server.” She walked right past Cameron and out the kitchen door. How could he make her so flippin’ mad?
11
Brian didn’t deserve her. Cameron paced the length of the formal dining room. How had he gone from imagining how sweet her lips would taste when she bit into the biscuit to wanting to smash his fist into her boyfriend’s face?
Because if Brian walked through the door…
Cameron fisted his hands. It’d taken an insane amount of willpower not to answer her phone and tell Brian exactly where he stood in the world. If he ever came face-to-face with the jackass, he’d have a hard time not demonstrating his opinion.
Addie wasn’t arm candy, available whenever the bastard had time for her. Not anymore. He didn’t have any claim to her but he’d sure as hell use the rest of the time she was here to show her there were other options out there. How did she stand being treated like that?
Cameron needed to know more. That was the problem. He wanted to know every single thing that made Addie act the way she did. Brian’s perfect timing had amplified his frustration at being unable to connect with Addie.
He ran a hand over his head. The way she’d looked at him a moment earlier. Unsure of herself, wanting him to give her something she needed. He’d have given it to her. Anything she’d asked.
Dammit. A douche bag like Brian didn’t deserve her.
“Cameron, did you see this?” His dad pressed play on the video again. The image was grainy, but it looped. Each repeated section zoomed in a little more to the side yard. Laura’s car sat in perfect view. A shadow appears and then disappears. It came back into focus in the next second.
The fourth loop of video let him see a white male, probably six feet. Young, eighteen to thirty-five, based on the way he moved. Dark sweatshirt and jeans. Tan boots. Great. Half the guys in the town matched that description.
Had Addie made the loops in the videos and zoomed in? How did she know how to do that?
“At least we have something to go on.” His dad sat back and drummed his fingers on the desk. “Cameron, what’s going on between you and Addie?”
He snapped his head up. “Nothing.”
“Something is.” How did his father give him such a stern look when he was over thirty? Damn, it worked too.
He’d hoped to make light of the situation. “I think even in front of mom you’d admit Addie’s pretty.”
His dad’s lips flattened to a thin line, but there was humor in his eyes. “I don’t admit anything of the sort.”
His mom playfully slapped him on the shoulder. “I’m glad I’m married to a respectable man, but I’ll say it. Addie is gorgeous. And I know exactly why you like her.”
Cameron froze. Some things were not up for discussion with his mom.
“She’s sweet. And kind.” His mom motioned to the computer. “And smart. Everyone in this room knows all that eyelash batting is nothing more than some type of cover. Keeps people from getting close.”
His dad shifted in the squeaky chair. “I think you’d do well to remember that young lady has a boyfriend. And she’s in custody.”
Cameron pulled his gaze away. “Yes, sir. I remember.”
“Then don’t go confusing her during this little bit of time she’s in your life. She still has to go back to him. Don’t make it harder on either one of you.”
“Jimmy, just let it play out.” She started to walk away but stopped at the door. “Cam, when you were away at that summer camp, did you know your coach called me?”
“No.”
She tilted her head to the side. “He wanted to let me know that you had a bad habit of fighting.” His mom shifted her focus between him and his dad. “That you needed more structure at home to make sure you didn’t end up in jail for murder because he’d seen the anger inside of you.”
“That’s a little extreme,” Cameron murmured. He’d fought, never intending to kill someone, but he did hit hard enough for them to second guess whatever dumb thing they’d said or did.
“Not that extreme with how hard you hit. I’ve seen you fight. Picked you up from school for fighting. Each time you had a reason, and it was rarely for yourself. You got in fights to defend Becky and Juliana. You flattened that man when he said something about our heritage. You were sixteen at the time, and he had to have been twice your age and size. At camp, do you remember the reason you gave for knocking the front teeth out of that linebacker?”
He’d never forget. “Addie.” He slouched against the wall. “The guy said something to Trevor about Addie. Trevor started into a back and forth shouting match, and I heard what he said.”
“And you ended it. Why?”
“It pissed me off for a guy to say those things about her.” He still got pissed thinking about it.
“Because you thought of her as a little sister?”
Hell, no. He’d never thought of her like that. “She was fifteen. I was about to be nineteen. It creeped me out for even being attracted to her.”
“And now she’s not. Cam, I think you’ve always been attracted to Addie. Felt protective over her.”
His dad crossed his arms. “Tanya, he’s putting his career at risk by pursuing this.”
She rolled her eyes. “How did I marry such an unromantic soul? Honey, falling in love is risky. There’s no guarantee that it will work out.”
“I think I know that better than anyone.” Cameron shoved his hands in his pockets.
“No, you don’t. Jennifer was safe. Addie is a risk.”
He didn’t argue with her. Addie was a risk. Like his dad had said. She was his responsibility. She had a boyfriend. She lived across the country. Hell, the odds of a relationship starting in the next week and lasting were slim to none, anyway. It might suck afterward, but even if he couldn’t have her in the end, he’d make sure she knew she was worthy of someone better than Brian.
Addie held up her phone and pressed Brian’s number.
“Baby girl! How’s it going?”
Seriously? “Well, your baby girl broke out of the pen, narrowly escaping from a woman named Big Linda who tried to tattoo a six-legged starfish on my shoulder until I fought her off with my Gucci heels.” Addie paused, but the line remained silent. “Geez, I was in jail, Brian!”
“About that…” Brian’s voice became muffled before he shouted something and began laughing.
Addie took a deep, partway calming breath.
His laughter died down. “Sorry. Where was I?”
“You got me.”
“Look, baby, I’m sorry about that mix-up. My other car was stolen from the airport parking lot. The insurance company reported the wrong one stolen.”
“Why didn’t you call me sooner? Did you get any of my messages?”
“Honey, I’ve been busy networking. I saw I had some missed calls, but I knew you’d rather I concentrate on landing my big break than chit-chatting with you. I didn’t even know about the mix-up until Trevor showed up at the ski resort yesterday.”
“So, he found you?”
“Yeah. I get the feeling your bro doesn’t like me very much. I mean, I am taking care of his baby sister, so you’d think he’d have a little more respect.
Be thankful or something.”
Taking care of her…thankful…were they living in the dark ages? Working the perfume counter didn’t pay much, but she contributed to the bills what she earned. Helped out around the house. Supported his career. What she earned from White Rabbit sat in a separate account, over seven figures by now. She held zero qualms about not contributing it.
“Sweet cheeks, I think you should talk to Trevor. Tell him to chill out.”
“You can’t blame him for being a little mad. Brian, I ended up in jail and you never even called.”
“Well, I’m calling now. How was jail? Aside from your Big Linda joke. You do crack me up.”
“It wasn’t the best, but I managed.” Like she managed not to fly out to Vail right now and explain how a man should act now that she’d been around one.
“I knew you were a trooper. I gotta run. One of the assistants to the V.P. at a network is going to take some private lessons, and I am going to get in good with him. I heard they’re about to start shooting a new pilot about zombies. I think I’d make a pretty good zombie, don’t you? It’s all about who you know in the biz.”
“So, you keep telling me. You need to come here and clear this up at the court date next week.”
“Yeah. I’ll try to—”
“Brian! They’ll sentence me for stealing your car. Come here and tell them what happened.”
He chuckled sounding more annoyed than amused. “I already gave a statement to the lawyer, but I’ll make it. You and your brother sound the same when you get upset, did you know that?”
“No, I didn’t.” She suspected Trevor’s language might be a little stronger.
“I’ll give you a call later.”
“Don’t bother.”
The line went dead silent. She glanced at it to check the connection. Screw waiting until Brian cleared her name. If the lawyer had his statement, hopefully, that was enough.
“Brian, I think we should see other people.”
He laughed. “You’re stressed out about the whole court date thing, baby. It’ll be cool. The lawyer your brother made me call said my statement will get you off no problem. Hey, you should be thanking me, not breaking up with me.”
