Her Forever Hero (Unexpected Heroes)

by Melody Anne

  “What are you doing in Billings? Making a bank run?”

  What in the world? Grace looked across the table at Cam, not knowing what to say.

  “What in the world are you talking about, Cam? And what are you doing here? Did you follow me?” Without giving him a chance to answer, she continued, “You know what? Never mind. I didn’t invite you to join me, much less to have a conversation with me, so don’t answer, just leave.”

  Cam said nothing for a few heartbeats, but she didn’t understand why he looked unhappy. He was the intruder, so if anyone should be in a snit, it should be her. And she wasn’t happy, either. So if a fight was what he was looking for, then a fight was what he would get.

  “Why are you all the way over here in Billings?” Cam asked.

  “What in the hell business is it of yours where I am, Cam? The last time I looked, I didn’t have to check in with anyone about where I go.”

  “You’re right,” he said, immediately backing off a bit. “It’s just that your case has me flustered and I’ve been trying to get you to see the importance of it and talk to me.”

  “And I’ve told you that it’s not my case. If I hire an attorney on the basis of this information, then it will look like I’m guilty. Is that what you want? Do you want me to spend time behind bars?”

  “That’s not how the law works, Grace. They don’t excuse you if you play dumb and pretend to know nothing.”

  “Isn’t a person innocent until proven guilty?”

  “In theory, yes, but unfortunately, that’s not always the way it works. I’ve seen innocent people get framed for crimes. And I don’t want that to happen to you.”

  “Why, Cam? We’re nothing to each other anymore. I told you when I first came back to town that I didn’t want to renew our relationship or our friendship. I’ve been saying the same thing emphatically for the past year. Let this go.”

  “You weren’t saying that a few months ago,” he reminded her.

  Grace closed her eyes for a moment to block him out. He was right. He’d caught her in a weak moment and she’d done something she knew she would regret. The thing was, she was still waiting for the regret to come. Instead, she just felt more loneliness.

  Dammit! She’d told herself she was over this man, the man who had broken her heart at the tender age of eighteen. Why did her pulse have to speed up every time she was anywhere near him? It was ridiculous. She was a twenty-eight-year-old woman, had been around the world, had dined with royalty, and her childhood crush still had the power to render her speechless.

  It was beyond irritating.

  “Let’s start over. I drove all the way out here, and I’m hungry.” Before Grace could say a word, Cam ushered the waitress over. “I’ll take a cheeseburger with the works, a big helping of chili fries, and a glass of Coke.”

  “Do you need anything else, ma’am?” she asked Grace.

  What the hell? She was stuck there with him temporarily, and now that her mother was gone, she found herself hungry. It wasn’t as if Cam was going to leave her alone anyway. She ordered a fresh club sandwich and soup.

  “You know, you haven’t changed at all—maybe just matured a little in a very appealing way,” Cam told her with a look known to melt young girls’ hearts.

  “I’ve changed in more ways than show on the outside,” she told him. “I’ve grown a lot stronger over the years. Aside from mistakes at weddings where I’ve drunk too much and ended up in the bed of a certain ex-boyfriend, I’m not so gullible anymore.”

  “Speaking of Spence and Sage’s wedding, you know she talks about you all the time, telling me you’re her oldest friend. She’s glad you’re spending more time with her.”

  “You do realize that you should never use the word old when talking about a woman, don’t you?”

  He was smart enough not to reply to that comment.

  Grace really wasn’t sure if she wanted more to smack this man or kiss him. He was a royal pain in her butt. Still, the more often he forced his company on her the more she wanted to see him, to talk to him. He was just one of those rare guys who could make a girl laugh and cry at the same time.

  She couldn’t pinpoint what it was about him that brought out her vulnerable side, but it closed her off, made her want to run in the opposite direction. She had no doubt he could bring her to her knees if she let him.

  “How’s the event-planning business going?” he asked as the waitress set plates down in front of them. While he waited for an answer, he dug in as if he hadn’t eaten in a month.

  She sipped her soup while she thought about whether or not to answer him. She finally caved. When in Rome . . .

  “It’s slow, but I have enough clients that it’s entertaining.”

  “Why do you do it, Grace, when you don’t need to work?”

  “I could ask you the same thing. You have boatloads more money in your trust than I have in mine and you practically live in your law offices, that is when you aren’t wrangling cattle,” she pointed out. “I work because I’m not some stupid little socialite who wants to do nothing more than sit on her hands all day while the rest of the world truly lives. I enjoy my job, the challenge of it, the opportunity to learn new things, and the chance to meet new people. I get to be creative and I won’t ever be like my mother.”

  She looked down, but she could practically feel his smile burning into her skull. It didn’t matter whether she snapped at him or batted her eyelashes. Cam was an easygoing guy, and it was nearly impossible to ruffle his feathers.

  When she looked back up, his smile was gone, but his eyes were hot. He reached across the table and took her hand. She pulled against him for a moment and then decided she was too dignified to struggle with this man in public, so instead she sent him an infuriated gaze and let her hand go limp.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” she said between clenched teeth.

  His eyes traveled over her face, then rested on her mouth, the look so intense, it sent a lingering pulse straight to her core. Her tongue came out and wetted her lips, making his eyes blaze even hotter.

  “Why do you continually fight me at each and every turn?” he asked her huskily.

  “Because I don’t like being manhandled,” she snapped.

  “Damn! Do you realize how tempting you are with fire shooting out of your eyes? You’re magnificent,” he said in an awed whisper.

  “So I’m cute when I’m mad? Well, you’re . . . you are . . . you’re insufferable,” she retorted, the anger draining. It was hard to stay upset when a man you desired was looking at you as if you were the main course.

  “If you really felt that way about me, you wouldn’t be so turned on by just a few words and my touch on your hand, Grace. You’re fighting yourself as much as you’re fighting me. If I thought this was all one-way, I would have dropped it long ago.”

  For a brief moment, he gave her a glimpse of the boy she used to know. His eyes were full of sincerity instead of arrogance, and his touch on her hand had softened. Beneath his layers of power, he was still the boy who had once been her lover and friend. She had tried to forget that, but she’d found, over the years, that it was an impossible task.

  “Maybe I just feel trapped, Camden.”

  Finally, he released her hand. “I don’t think so. I just think you’re afraid and that’s why you constantly run from me.”

  “I wasn’t the one who ran first, Cam,” she said, hating the sorrow this caused her. “But you seem to have quickly forgotten that.” So much pain accompanied these words.

  “Grace . . .” He trailed off, obviously at a loss for what to say.

  There wasn’t anything to say. There was nothing he could do to make up for what he’d done to her. They both knew it. She couldn’t keep fighting with this man.

  “Do whatever you want, Cam, but I’m done with this conversation. Thanks for lunch.”

  With that, she stood up and did exactly as her mother had done—walked out and left him with the bill. And she c
ouldn’t help but feel a small measure of satisfaction at besting him.

  It seemed that Cam was spending as much time as his brother was at the hospital where Spence was a top-rated heart surgeon. Although at one time the smells and sounds had set off unpleasant thoughts for Cam, now they were a comfort for him. He waited for Spence to focus back on him before speaking.

  “Have you ever done anything that you regret?”

  Spence gave him a look as if trying to figure out if Cam was serious or not before he considered his words.

  “Only about a thousand times,” Spence said. But he held up his hand before Cam could speak. “But then I realize that those mistakes I’ve made along the road of life have shaped me into who I am today. So, even though I might have regrets, I also appreciate those mistakes.”

  “That makes absolutely no sense,” Cam said. “If you regret doing it, then how can you also appreciate it?”

  “Because everything we do leads us to where we currently are,” Spence said as if it were the most logical thing in the universe.

  “But wouldn’t we still get to the end of the road with or without the mistakes?” Cam asked.

  “I don’t know. Each decision we make impacts us in one way or another. Maybe if you choose one option over another, it will take you on a different journey,” Spence told him.

  “Argh. I don’t know why I bother coming to you for advice,” Cam said, throwing up his hands.

  “Because you need me.”

  Spence’s pager went off and he looked down before moving over to the phone and calling someone. After a few moments and a few medical terms Cam was beginning to learn, Spence hung up.

  “Do you need to go?”

  “No. They have it under control. Let’s go outside for a minute. I need sun,” Spence said. He began moving without waiting for a reply. That’s what it was like to be a doctor—constantly moving and jumping to someone else’s tune. Cam wondered where the actual glamor was that so many people spoke of when speaking of being a doctor.

  To him it looked like a lot of hours and a lot of unappreciative people. But then, once in a while there was a case—that case that changes people’s lives for the better. That’s what Spence always spoke of.

  When Cam still didn’t speak when they made it outside, Spence led him along a path that wound down by the river. It was his favorite place at the hospital—quiet, secluded, where only the sounds of the forest animals scurrying along and crying out to each other could be heard.

  “You going to tell me why you’re here?” Spence finally said as he leaned down and picked up a few rocks, then began tossing them in the water.

  “I don’t know. I’ve just been so frustrated. I had lunch with Grace today. It didn’t go well.”

  “Was it a planned lunch?” Spence asked.

  “Well . . . not really,” Cam admitted.

  “So you once again blindsided her and then expected her to be thrilled you were invading her space,” Spence said.

  “I didn’t do that . . . not exactly,” Cam replied, defending himself.

  “Come on, Cam. You’ve been in love with this woman for more than ten years, but stubborn pride keeps you repeatedly making mistakes. You thought she’d just be sitting around, waiting on you while you traipsed around college doing whatever the hell you wanted to do, and then you were pissed to find that she wasn’t doing exactly that,” Spence told him.

  “I wasn’t traipsing all around,” Cam thundered. Spence’s brows went up. “Well, I wasn’t exactly doing that. And since when have you begun taking her side?”

  “Since I married her best friend, and I’ve heard more of the story. We were all asses when we were young, but we’ve now grown up. It’s time to start acting like it,” Spence told him.

  “Dammit, Spence! I didn’t come here to get lectured,” Cam told him.

  “Yes, you did. You know what you need to do, but you’re stubborn and need someone to set you straight. There’s no one like your big brother to do just that,” Spence said with a laugh.

  “Well, you nearly blew it with Sage,” Cam pointed out.

  “Yes, I did. But luckily I listened to not only those around me but also my heart, and I managed to catch the girl. It’s the smartest thing I’ve ever done,” Spence said. He looked at Cam and smiled. “I mean that, little brother, the absolute smartest. I could give up everything in my life, live in some cabin in the middle of the woods with no power, and still I’d be happy just as long as Sage was there by my side.”

  “Damn, Spence. I’m not sure I can ever get used to this side of you,” Cam told him.

  “Just wait. You aren’t far behind me,” Spence said. “But I will say this: Don’t let foolishness allow the girl to get away. If you want her to talk to you, then leave her no choice, but don’t be an ass about it.”

  Cam was about to reply when Spence’s pager went off.

  “Dammit, gotta run.”

  And just like that, Cam found himself standing by the river alone, his brother’s footsteps fading away. Now it was his turn to throw rocks into the water as he contemplated what to do next.

  “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”

  Grace could hear someone speaking, but she was exhausted. The damn cold she’d managed to catch had been playing havoc with her entire system, and she’d slept more in the last two days than she had in her entire life.

  “Go ’waayy . . .” she mumbled, turning over and snuggling back under the blanket, which seemed to be holding her down. She didn’t mind being held down. A few more hours of sleep and she’d be right as rain.

  “Come on, Grace, wake up. You should know better than to leave your apartment unlocked. Anyone could come strolling on in and do all sorts of things . . .” The person trailed off, and she started to become a little more alert. Then the voice registered, and her eyes shot open.

  “Cam! What in the world are you doing in here?” she croaked as she struggled to sit up. She had zero strength at the moment, though, and it seemed an impossible task.

  “I came to talk to you. I pounded on the door for a full five minutes. When I saw your car parked below, and there still wasn’t an answer, I got worried. I checked the knob and it was unlocked, so I came in to find you snoring on the couch.”

  Strong hands circled her waist and assisted her in sitting up before he made himself comfortable and sat next to her. Glaring at him as she clutched her blankets, she pulled up her knees and hugged them to her chest. “I do not snore!”

  “Out of everything I just said, that’s what you pick up on?”

  “Well, I don’t,” she stated. “And as a man of the law, you should realize you’re trespassing. I could call the cops and have you arrested right now.”

  “I’m shaking in my loafers,” he said, leaning back and making himself at home.

  “Ugh. You’re a pig.”

  “I’ve been called worse.”

  “And I’m sure you deserved it.”

  “Ouch, someone woke up on the wrong side of the . . . couch.”

  “Oh, my gosh, you always think you’re so amusing. Why don’t you leave and let me rest before I decide to breathe in your face and give you what I have.”

  “Baby, you can do a hell of a lot more than breathe in my face if you’d like,” he said, leaning too close.

  “Knock it off, Cam. This isn’t a fair fight. I don’t feel good,” she said, her heart picking up speed.

  “You’ve always felt good to me,” Cam said. “But I’m going to make you a hot cup of tea, and then we’re going to talk business. You ran out on lunch the other day, remember.” He jumped up from the couch and disappeared around the corner to her kitchen.

  She desperately wanted to tell him exactly where he could stick his hot cup of tea, but just the thought of it was doing crazy things to her parched throat. She could have called and asked her best friend, Sage, who just so happened to be a doctor, to come and take care of her, but Grace was independent, and she hadn’t wanted to admit she needed to
be taken care of.

  So she’d been miserable, barely able to move from the couch to the bathroom, let alone bustle around in the kitchen. When the teakettle whistled, she had to fan her face as her eyes burned with tears.

  Grace Sinclair did not cry. That was unacceptable. She especially didn’t cry over something as simple as someone making her a cup of tea. When she was feeling normal again, she’d kick herself, because weak women irritated the hell out of her.

  Cam walked back into the room a few minutes later holding her late grandmother’s lap tray, a pot with hot water in it, a china cup, a small cup of soup, crackers, and a tomato sandwich, her absolute favorite, cut in half on the diagonal. He remembered, and it took a strength she didn’t know she possessed to refuse to let any of this mean anything to her. So he opened a can and boiled some water. Big freaking deal.

  “You didn’t need to do this,” she said, her throat tight. She accepted the tray, though, and didn’t waste any time pouring her tea and adding a dollop of honey before she took ravenous mouthfuls of her soup.

  “I wanted to do it,” Cam told her before sitting back down.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled.

  “What was that? I didn’t quite hear you,” Cam said, and she sent him another withering look.

  “I said, ‘Thank you!’ ” But she sounded anything but thankful.

  “You always have had a difficult time thanking people,” Cam told her.

  “That’s because most people do things for selfish reasons, not because they’re truly selfless,” she said, then frowned when she realized her sandwich was gone.

  “Want another one?”

  “No . . .” But she drew out the no. His attentiveness was sapping her will.

  Cam laughed and climbed off the couch, grabbed her plate, then disappeared again. She could have tried to stop him, but the food was giving her some much-needed energy, and she hadn’t eaten in . . . hell, it had to be two full days now.

  He returned as she was pouring a second cup of tea. He set the sandwich on her tray and sat back down. “Feeling better? Do you need any medicine? I can make a pharmacy run.”