by Erin Kern
Audrey watched as he tugged the bag open, steam billowing up, and poured the buttery popcorn into the metal bowl. Piper bounced up and down, then ran out of the kitchen with her pseudo-dinner.
“I’m going to let her eat that whole thing,” Cameron said. “And you know what else?” He lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned closer. “I’m even going to let her eat it in the living room.”
Audrey ignored the way he smelled. The way he always smelled: like clean man and musky and hot.
“Cameron,” she said as he chuckled and followed Piper into the living room, “you know she’ll get it everywhere.”
“Probably,” he stated without turning around. “And I may or may not clean it up, either. Maybe I’ll even leave the little kernels and dirty bowl for the morning.”
Audrey stared at him as he retrieved his cell phone, car keys, and wallet out of his jeans and tossed them on the coffee table. Then he reached behind his head and yanked his hooded sweatshirt off. The movement caused the black T-shirt underneath to lift, revealing a slice of skin that was offset by a strip of white elastic. Yeah, Cameron Shaw was a briefs guy. She’d already known that, having barged in on him a few Saturday mornings, earning herself an eyeful of bronzed, sculpted, holy-cow-chiseled chest. He caught her staring, of course, and flashed her a grin.
A grin of triumph. Of yeah-I-caught-you-checking-me-out.
Audrey cleared her throat. “Seriously, you…” She gestured toward Piper on the living room floor, who was sharing popcorn with Pinkie Pie. “You’re not going to leave that for the morning, are you? For the love of God, clean it up tonight.”
His grin widened as he threw himself down on the couch. “Yeah, I don’t think so.” He twisted around and glanced up at her. “I think I’ll leave it out. Just knowing that it’ll keep you up tonight will make the ants worth it.”
Audrey glared at him as she took a seat on the couch next to him. “You’re evil.”
Cameron jerked his head toward Piper. “But look how happy she is.”
“She can be just as happy in a clean living room.”
Cameron switched his attention back to her, and Audrey resisted the urge to squirm. The man kicked back like he had no plans to move any time soon. His long legs spread apart, his arms resting on the back of the couch. A man at ease. Except she knew Cameron was rarely at ease. And also…
His lap looked like it would be perfect for her to crawl across and straddle.
She shifted, and Cameron’s grin widened as though he’d gotten a peek at her thoughts.
“What did you mean earlier?” she blurted out.
“You mean the thing about you being a prison warden?” he questioned.
Audrey sent him a droll look.
“The gluten-free raisins?” he tried again.
This time Audrey glared. “When you said you got why I do it.”
“Ah,” Cameron said with a nod. “That.”
He knew what she was talking about. The man was just messing with her again.
“Just that I get why you fuss over her. You feel guilty,” he stated.
Audrey immediately opened her mouth to argue, then shut it. Did she feel guilty? What would she have to feel guilty of?
“Guilty,” she repeated.
Cameron gazed at Piper on the floor as she shoved handfuls of buttery popcorn into her mouth. He grinned when half the kernels landed on the floor.
“I’m not criticizing you, Audrey,” he replied with a glance at her. “I said I understood why.”
“And what about you?” Audrey said, needing to turn the conversation away from her.
“What about me?”
“You once said that you identify with her. You understand her loss.”
Cameron was silent a moment as he watched Piper and Pinkie Pie on the living room floor. Audrey hoped it was because he was remembering his own experiences and not taking the time to formulate the right answer, what he thought she’d want to hear.
“Yeah,” he finally said. Then he looked at her. “But you already knew that.”
Yeah, she did. But she still felt like she hadn’t been given the entire story.
“And you still think you’re not right for her?” Audrey pushed.
Cameron rubbed his chin, calling attention to the dark stubble shadowing his jaw. A shiver ran down her spine as she imagined how it would feel to get a little whisker burn from the guy. Maybe some on her neck. A little on her thighs. She barely held back a sigh.
“I—” He broke off when he looked at her, and his mouth quirked. “Audrey.” When she forced herself to make eye contact with him, her breath shuddered. “You’re not thinking dirty thoughts, are you?”
She opened her mouth, then shook her head. “Don’t change the subject.”
Cameron scooted closer on the couch. “Oh, but let’s.” The rough pad of his thumb stroked the hammering pulse at the base of her neck. “Let’s talk about what’s going on right here.”
She swatted his hand away and thought about moving away from him. “Let’s not.”
He lowered his head, and Audrey braced herself for contact, even though they were already touching on the couch. But his lips bypassed hers and went for her ear, where he nuzzled and breathed and drove her out of her mind with his warm breath and soft lips.
Audrey tried to pull back, but stopped. Not because Cameron was holding her down, but because she didn’t want to. “Do you enjoy torturing me?”
He grunted, then slid a chunk of her hair over her shoulder. “You owe me another pack of soda,” he said against her ear.
The bastard was smiling. She could feel it against her skin, and every feminist bone in her body wanted to tell the man off. “How do you know that was me?” she whispered. “Maybe Pinkie Pie grew a set of opposable thumbs.”
“Audrey,” he muttered against her ear, causing another wave of shivers, “I know it was you. You’re the only soda fiend in this house.”
She grinned despite herself. “Says the guy who keeps his fridge stocked with them.”
He pulled back and grinned at her, and she wanted to yank him closer. “Because I know you’ll come sneaking.”
“So why don’t you just buy them and put them in my fridge?”
Cameron brushed his hand along her collarbone. “Maybe I like knowing you’ve been sneaking around my house.”
Audrey placed a hand on his chest, ignoring the fact that he not only knew she’d let herself in here when he wasn’t home, but he also knew that she loved her some soda. She also knew the man was observant and wasn’t surprised at the little things he’d picked up about her. A month ago, it would have terrified her, but now…now she’d grown used to it. Not only that, but she sort of liked it. Liked knowing he paid enough attention to her. That he watched her. Made her feel all hot from the inside out.
Cameron glanced at her hand on his chest, as though waiting for her to push him away. Instead, she tightened her grip and leaned closer.
“Cameron…” Audrey licked her lips and summoned her courage. “I don’t have a great history with men,” she admitted. “I’ve been with guys like you before, and it never ends well.”
“That’s not the first time you’ve compared me with some douchebag ex of yours,” Cameron pointed out. “Why don’t you try explaining that one?”
She pulled in a deep breath. “Men who…like to have a good time. And don’t tell me you’re not one of those guys,” she added with a rush before he could argue with her. “You’ve already admitted as much to me.”
“Okay,” he answered slowly. “I won’t.” He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand. “So what’re you afraid of?”
She focused her attention on his hand covering hers, because looking into his deep blue eyes was too much. It was too much to see that he cared, that he got her, when she didn’t really want him to. Because then she was left defenseless, when she’d basically just admitted she wanted to jump in bed with him.
“I’m afraid of having m
y heart broken again,” she admitted.
“Fair enough,” he said after a moment.
“So?” she asked, looking at him. “Are you going to break my heart, Cameron?” Maybe she didn’t want to go home to Boulder, after all. Maybe her quick trip home was less about checking on her business and more about talking to Stevie. About maybe leaving the business with her. Possibly going into business for herself here.
“That’s the last thing I want, Audrey,” he told her, and she believed him.
Fifteen
I wanna do the merry-go-round again,” Piper announced as she tugged on Audrey’s hand and bounced up and down.
Audrey stifled a groan because they’d ridden the thing three times already. Wasn’t it enough?
Apparently not, because Audrey found herself in front of the merry-go-round for the fourth time, watching Piper climb on the same horse.
So far, Cameron had been decidedly absent from this carnival fund-raiser for the football team.
He was probably off doing his thing with the players and their parents. Certainly he wouldn’t go off with some other woman.
Just because other guys had done that to Audrey before didn’t mean Cameron would. After all, he did say he’d find them and take Piper to play some games. But she and Piper had been here for almost two hours, and still no sign of him.
Seriously, you must stop obsessing.
He’d find them. Hadn’t they turned a corner three nights ago in his living room? When she’d given him a semi-green light? Whatever the hell that was. Audrey still hadn’t figured out yet what she’d agreed to. She’d assumed he’d come knocking on the guesthouse door after Piper had gone to bed and slowly peel her clothes off. Instead, she’d gotten a polite text.
Still think you’d make a good prison warden.
Okay, so not so polite. But it had still made her smile. And then she’d texted back, stop texting me already!
Piper squealed, and Audrey was jerked back to the present. She grinned at the girl and waved as the merry-go-round spun around again. Her heart lightened to see the youthful joy on Piper’s face, and it was yet another reminder that Audrey didn’t want to leave. She could easily relocate here and start another business. Then she wouldn’t have to go through the gut-wrenching pain of saying goodbye to a little girl who’d stolen her heart. Her dearest friend’s daughter who was the personification of light and practically defined the phrase “starting over.”
Maybe Audrey ought to take a page out of Piper’s book.
The merry-go-round ended, and Piper came running off the ride. Then she grabbed Audrey’s hand and started rattling on about games and winning some giant pink giraffe. Because the kid didn’t have enough stuffed animals.
“How about another ride?” Audrey suggested instead.
Piper jumped up and down. “I wanna go win a prize. Please, please, please, please—”
“All right,” Audrey interrupted. “What game do you want to play?”
“I want to go shoot the ducks,” Piper said as she pointed to the game.
Audrey glanced over and stifled a shudder. Ugh, guns. “You want to shoot those poor ducks?”
Piper grinned up at her. “They’re not real ducks. They’re just pretend for the game.”
“How about the ring toss?” Audrey didn’t have the guts to admit how awful her aim was.
Piper made a face. “That’s for babies. I wanna shoot ducks.” Piper pointed a long, skinny arm at the game in questions. “’Cause look, you can win that giant cowboy hat.”
Audrey slanted the girl a look. “I thought you wanted the pink giraffe?”
“No, I want the hat. ’Cause I can wear it to school, and everyone will think it’s cool.”
Audrey resigned herself to her fate and made their way to the game. “I don’t think you can wear a hat that big to school.”
Piper bounced on her feet as they stood in front of the booth. “I can on hat day.”
Oh. Hat day. Well, then, she’d get Piper the damn hat.
The kid behind the booth handed Audrey the fake rifle and gave instructions. Basically shoot the ducks with…whatever this gun shot out.
It wasn’t, like, real bullets, was it?
Audrey raised the gun as the ducks came to life and spun around in circles. She missed the first two shots and felt an actual trickle of sweat slide down her spine. After all, she only had three shots to win the stupid hat, and Piper was watching with growing concern.
“That’s just about the worst shooting I’ve ever seen.”
Audrey’s hand jerked at the sound of the deep voice behind her. Luckily her finger hadn’t been on the trigger, otherwise she would have wasted her last shot. Then she’d have been in deep water with an expectant six-year-old.
She turned and clapped eyes with Cameron, and tried not to react at how he looked in his dark gray sweater and blue jeans.
“You think you can do better?” she taunted.
Cameron wagged his fingers at her. “Give me that thing.”
She passed over the gun and stepped aside. The game was still going, the ducks still spinning in circles like little yellow maniacs.
Beside her, Piper was practically bursting with energy. “You have you to win that prize, Uncle Cameron,” Piper quipped.
“Yeah, watch how it’s done,” he told Piper, but his gaze was on Audrey.
She shivered at his low tone and how the fake gun looked cradled in his big hands—as though the thing belonged there, and he’d done it before. “Those ducks are demonic,” she warned him. “Look, they’re laughing at you.”
Cameron slid her a look as he set the gun in place. “Pretty sure that’s quacking.”
She leaned closer and whispered, “Laughing.”
Cameron chuckled and set his sights on his target. “Sore loser, much?” Then he squeezed the trigger and one of the ducks was knocked over, signaling a bell, indicating he’d won.
When Piper realized what her uncle had done, she jumped up and down and held her hands out for the giant hat. The attendant behind the booth plopped the thing on her head, and it immediately slid down and covered her face.
Cameron picked the hat up and settled it more firmly on Piper’s head. “Looks good on you, kid,” he told her.
Audrey snorted. “It’s ridiculous.”
Cameron grinned as Piper adjusted the hat. “I think you’re jealous that you don’t have one of your own. Want me to win you one?”
Audrey rolled her eyes. “I think you’ve shown off enough for one night.”
“Thanks for my hat, Uncle Cameron,” Piper exclaimed. “Can we go win the giraffe now?”
“I’m all out of cash, squirt. How about another ride?”
But Piper didn’t even hear Cameron’s offer. “I see my friend Anna from school.” Piper looked up at them and pointed off in the distance. “Can I go ride the bumper cars with her?”
“Sure,” Cameron told her, and the three of them made their way from the games back to the rides.
Once there, Piper handed over her hat, because the thing kept slipping over her eyes, and ran off to join her friend. The two girls squealed as they were led into the riding zone and got to pick their cars.
“Don’t you think she’s too small to sit in one of those by herself?” Audrey questioned. “Maybe I should ride with her.”
Cameron leaned toward her. “You’re fussing again,” he said in a low voice.
Audrey blew out a breath as she watched a giant grin light up Piper’s face. “You’re right.”
Cameron leaned his forearms on the railing. “First time at a fair?”
“No, she’s been before,” Audrey answered.
Cameron’s mouth quirked. “I meant you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Funny.” Audrey sobered as she watched Piper. “The first fair she went to was with her grandfather.”
Cameron watched her for a moment. “My father?”
Audrey nodded, knowing she had be careful when broaching
the subject of Cameron’s family life. All this time she’d spent with him, and she still didn’t know much about his relationship with his dad or Dianna. She wanted to know more, because she had a feeling that past was what made the man tick.
“Actually, Piper doesn’t remember,” Audrey added. “She was just a baby. Your dad had come to town to visit, and he took Dianna and Piper to some fall fair in Denver.” She risked a glance at him, but he was watching Piper. “It was one of the last times they were together.”
Cameron grunted. “The old man was never much into family time.” He looked at her briefly, but it was long enough to see the tumult in his gaze. “It was more than he ever did with me.”
“Dianna always thought he was trying to absolve his guilt,” Audrey said. “Trying to spend time with her to make up for what he did to you.”
“Good of him,” Cameron muttered.
Audrey ran her finger along the edge of the railing. “If it makes you feel better…” But her voice trailed off, because she and Cameron had seemed to find a temporary reprieve and she didn’t want to spoil it.
“What?” he asked as he looked at her.
Audrey pulled her gaze away from his long lashes. “Dianna and your dad were never that close. I don’t think he made much of an attempt with her. Or Piper.”
His brow furrowed. “Why would that make me feel better?” he asked, as though insulted.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I just meant…you weren’t the only one who was abandoned by him.”
Cameron was silent a moment, and Audrey thought she’d lost him. That she’d said too much and he was mentally slamming the door on her. Then he surprised her by responding. “My dad wasn’t really father material. He’d been having an affair with Dianna’s mom for a year before he walked out on us.”
“I’m sorry,” she said lamely. “Your poor mom.”
But Cameron just shrugged. “She handled it pretty well. I don’t think I ever saw her cry.”
“I bet that was more for you, trying to be strong and all that.”
“I wish she wouldn’t have.”
Audrey watched as Piper got off the bumper cars, then followed her friend back around to the line so they could ride again. “What do you mean?”
