Pitch Perfect

by MCLANE, LUANN

  “Good to know,” she said in a businesslike tone. She looked at the washer and dryer with wide eyes that gave her away. “Nice and handy,” she said as she opened the lid to the washer and peered inside. She straightened up and looked around the kitchen, randomly opening drawers and cabinets. At one point she took her suit jacket off and hung it over the back of a chair. The silky sleeveless blouse clung to her curves, making it difficult to tear his gaze away. “The kitchen is nice. I really like the tile floor and countertops. The recessed lighting is a nice touch too.”

  Cam thought it was interesting that she noticed everything but the actual appliances. “Yeah, these condos are pretty sweet. I understand that they were high-end real estate by the river but the project was completed right after the drop in the economy. This whole town was in financial trouble until Noah and Ty brought the baseball complex to town. I heard there was another silent partner as well.”

  She gave him an odd look he couldn’t read but then said, “I’m glad that things are bouncing back here. Everyone is so nice,” she said but then scrunched up her nose. “Well, except for the mean old sheriff.”

  “Yeah, he was a jerk,” Cam agreed with a chuckle. “But believe me, I’ve been treated worse,” he admitted, but then he decided to change the subject. “Do you like to cook?” he ventured, as if trying to make small talk, when he was really trying to figure her out.

  “A little,” she answered vaguely, and he took that to mean a big, fat no. “Do you?”

  “Yes,” Cam admitted. “My mother worked a lot, so I learned how to fend for myself as a kid. I got pretty good at it over the years. If I could round up at least three things, I could find a way to make a meal out of it. My culinary skills became very creative.”

  “Oh, well, that’s good,” she said, but Cam didn’t really think she even heard him, and she continued to wander around the kitchen as if she were visiting a foreign country.

  “Not really. It sucked.”

  “Really,” Mia murmured from where she had just opened a drawer full of gadgets. She frowned down at them while tapping her cheek with her index finger. She picked up a meat tenderizer and peered at it with interest.

  “Yeah, my specialty was smoked rattlesnake,” he said, wondering if he would finally get her attention. “Would you like some tonight? My treat?”

  “Sure …” she mumbled, but then she dropped the tenderizer and whipped around to face him. “Wait. Did you just say rattlesnake?” Her voice rose an octave.

  “And here I thought you weren’t listening,” Cam replied with a shake of his head. “Sound good, does it?”

  “Are you serious?”

  “No.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said and actually blushed. “I’m just …” She trailed off, and when she suddenly appeared lost and vulnerable, Cam softened.

  “Something missing? If so, jot it down and we’ll pick it up.”

  “That’s just it.”

  “What, Mia?” he gently prodded.

  “Well.” She nibbled on the inside of her lip for a second and then said, “I have a confession to make.”

  “Go ahead.” In spite of his resolve to keep his distance, Cam’s ears perked up. When her tongue darted out and she licked her bottom lip, Cam remembered how sweet she tasted, but he forced his brain not to go there. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  “Although I went away to college, I had roommates. But I’ve never actually lived by myself before now.”

  “That’s it?” Cam sensed there was more, but she simply shrugged. “Really?”

  “Well … no.”

  “Go on …”

  “Nuking things is the only cooking I have ever done.” She gave him a small smile. “And even then I tend to make food explode. It’s amazing what happens when you reheat takeout too long. Are you getting the ugly picture?” she asked wanly.

  Cam had to grin. “Exploding food? Uh, yeah, pretty much.”

  “So, are you willing to help me in times of dire need, like showing me how to boil water? Scramble an egg?”

  Say no. “Sure,” he offered and wanted to kick his own ass for not keeping his mouth shut. “I’ve been on my own forever, so I know how to do it all. Cook. Clean. Even fix things,” he felt the need to add. Whatever spell she had cast on him was sticking like Super Glue, because he couldn’t shut up. “I’ve been washing my own clothes since I was a kid.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” When she gave him a look that bordered on sympathy, Cam turned away.

  “No big deal,” he said as he rummaged around in a drawer for a pen and paper. When he found it, he said, “Come on, let’s take a quick look around and make a list of things you need. These lower units are used to house baseball players, so they’re furnished and stocked with the basics. But let’s get any items you can think of while we have the company credit card.” When she gave him a blank look, he said, “I’ll help.”

  “Thank you!” Mia smiled brightly, doing funny things to his gut. The hold she had on him seemed to tighten. “You’ve come to my rescue once again.”

  Cam wanted to remind her that he was no hero, but her grateful smile had him biting back his usual curt remarks. “Do you need to get anything from the apartment above Wine and Diner?”

  “I have my suitcase there, but that’s about it. I feel bad about walking out on Myra without any notice.”

  Cam gave her a level look that made her giggle.

  “Okay, maybe Myra should throw me a going-away party.”

  Cam laughed. He liked that she could make fun of herself. But as he walked through the condo making notes of things she would need, like toilet paper and extra towels, he slid in a question here and there. “So you think you’ll like being the promotions manager?”

  Mia turned around from the shower stall she was examining. “Oh, I think I will! I’ve had some experience in event planning and have a few connections.”

  Cam waited, but that’s all the information she gave him. “Well, good, it’s an important part of a successful baseball franchise. Fans want to have fun at the ballpark.”

  “I’ll do my best,” she said as she walked into the bedroom. Cam made the mistake of following her. “Nice,” she commented with a nod. “Lots of closet space, not that I need it,” she added in low, wry tone. “And the bed looks comfortable.” She sat down with a bounce and a grin.

  Cam swallowed hard. Seeing Mia on a bed sent his arousal into full throttle. He had to clear his throat before he could speak. Something of what he was feeling must have shown in his face, because her eyes widened and she put her feet on the floor and stood up so quickly that she stumbled forward. “Whoa, there.” Cam reached out to steady her, and it was all he could do not to drag her into his arms.

  “Sorry, I’m so clumsy!” she said, but she didn’t move.

  “We should go,” he said gruffly, but he couldn’t make his legs move away from her, and his hands remained circled around her upper arms.

  “Yeah.” She nodded firmly, but her breathless voice gave her away. If she leaned forward as much as an inch, he was going to kiss her. And with the big bed right behind her, a kiss would be venturing into some dangerous territory. “I guess we …”

  “Yeah?” Cam’s eyes dropped to her mouth, which looked so soft and so kissable that he couldn’t look away. His head dipped a little bit closer and his hands on her arms tightened.

  “Should … ,” she continued just above a whisper.

  Screw caution! Cam dipped his head to capture her sweet mouth, and to his delight she tilted her head up, giving him the green light, but just when he was about to make contact, his cell phone chose that very moment to chime, “Take Me out to the Ballgame.” The unexpected sound had Cam dropping his hands and backing away. “I should get this.” He flicked a glance at her as he reached in his pocket and pulled the phone out, not sure if he should be pissed or grateful for the interruption.

  “Hello.” When Cam answered and it was an automated offer for a cell
-phone upgrade, he went with being pissed. “Damn telemarketing,” he grumbled, but when his head cleared slightly he decided that he should be grateful. The bed felt like a white elephant in the room, and he noticed that Mia was careful not to look in that direction. He also noticed that her cheeks were flushed and her breathing seemed shallow. Yeah, kissing her would have definitely been dipping into dangerous territory. But still, damn … she had a vulnerable set to her mouth and appeared a little confused. Cam could relate.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, glad that his voice sounded pretty much normal.

  “Oh.” She blinked as if coming out of a daze. “I just need to grab my kiss … I mean my purse,” Mia replied and turned beet red at her slip of the tongue. She quickly pivoted away, but not before Cam caught a look of disappointment and possibly even hurt in her expressive eyes, and he didn’t like it one bit. He guessed she must feel rejected and he knew firsthand how crappy that felt.

  “Mia …” Cam had a sudden urge to try to explain that this wasn’t a good time to get involved with someone. He had the feeling that they were both at some sort of crossroads and getting in each other’s way would cause nothing but trouble.

  “Yes?” she ventured softly, and when she turned and looked at him with longing, he dug deep and somehow found some resistance.

  “I have a black SUV sitting right outside. I’ll go open the windows and let the heat out for you.” He tried to keep his voice matter-of-fact to break through the spell.

  Her face fell, but she quickly masked it with a small smile. “Fine, I’ll be there in just a minute.”

  “All right,” Cam said in the same tone, but as he turned to go her voice stopped him.

  “Cam?”

  He pivoted slowly and faced her.

  “Thanks. I know you were strong-armed into doing this. Maybe I can get Madison or Bella to take me later on. I won’t let Noah know.”

  Mia was letting him off the hook, and he should have jumped at it. The words, however, simply would not come out of his mouth. “No big deal, Mia. I need a few things from the store myself.”

  “Okay. Well, good, then.” Her smile returned, and the force of it was enough to knock him for a loop. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  Cam nodded, but as he headed out the door he was having second thoughts. The more time he spent with her, the more he liked her, and she had let him know that she felt the same attraction. This might not have been such a bad thing except that there were still too many unanswered questions about her that tugged at his brain and warned him that trouble could be following her around. And he sure as hell didn’t need any more trouble. Cam clicked the keyless unlock button and firmly told himself to keep his damned distance. He would do this one thing that Noah requested, and then he was done hanging out with Mia Money. He simply couldn’t risk it.

  Cam lowered the windows and then tidied up the front seat, tossing mail, a baseball, and random items over his shoulders. After a moment he flipped down the visor and checked out his hair and then his teeth but then suddenly felt silly for worrying about the state of his vehicle and how he looked. “What the hell is coming over me?” he grumbled, flipping the visor back with more force than necessary. He slipped on his Oakleys and a baseball cap and told himself not to worry about his damned hair.

  Mia kept her word and came out the front door of her condo just moments later. Cam tried his best not to watch her progress and failed miserably. He was relieved, however, that the jacket was back on, hiding the sexy blouse that drew his eyes to her breasts. He considered getting out so he could open the door for her but decided to just sit there and chill. After all, they were having dinner, but this wasn’t a damned date! “Hey,” he said casually after she shut the door.

  “Hey yourself,” she replied, and he wondered if she was feeling any of the same emotions.

  “Ready?” he asked to fill the silent gap. But after the near kiss in the bedroom, Cam knew that the ride to Wilson’s was going to be more than a little bit awkward. So even though he had never been very good at small talk, to fill the silence he gave it a shot. “So did you add anything to the list?”

  “The list?”

  “Your bucket list.”

  “Well, I do want to see the Grand Canyon and—”

  “Mia, I meant the things you need from the store. Wait—you have a bucket list?”

  “I’ve had a list since I was a kid.” She tilted her head to the side. “Of course, I didn’t think of it as a bucket list.”

  Cam shot a frown her way. “Well, don’t start now!” He really didn’t like even the idea of her dying. “For Pete’s sake, you have lots of living left.”

  “Well, I hope so …”

  “Mia!”

  “Okay, geez, well, let’s see …” She reached inside of her giant purse, rummaged around, and after much grumbling finally located it. “Um, toilet paper. Towels.” She looked over at him.

  “That was what I wrote down.”

  She gave him a slight shrug. “I might require a little help.”

  “A little help?” He wanted to sound sarcastic, make her not like being around him so much, but his question came out teasing and made her smile. Damn, where was his jackass attitude when he needed it?

  “Okay, a lot of help.”

  “Right, domestic stuff isn’t your thing.” Cam flicked a quick glance at her. “I guess not having a mom around made it kind of tough..”

  Mia’s smile faltered. “Yeah. She divorced my father for someone who made more money.”

  “That sucks.”

  “Yeah, I’ve come to discover that, as they say, money can’t buy happiness. The root of all evil. All that stuff.”

  When he stopped for a red light, he looked her way again. “So I’m guessing your mother isn’t happy? Regrets her decision?”

  Mia gave him a startled look. “I guess I never really thought about it all that much.” She pressed her lips together and then said, “That’s not really true. I have thought about it now and then. I especially wondered if I wasn’t good enough, you know? Somehow caused the split.”

  “Mia, you were just a child,” he reminded her gently. “Sounds to me like she was just looking for greener pastures. It happens a lot.”

  Mia seemed to consider that for a minute. “Well, she sure loved her new family more than me. Or at least I always felt that way.”

  “Maybe you should talk to her about how you feel,” Cam surprised himself by saying.

  “We’re not close.” When she offered this additional bit of information, Cam hoped for more, but she fell silent and stared out the window.

  Although his question about her mother had been innocent, Cam felt like an ass for asking.

  She toyed with the strap on her purse and continued to gaze out the window. “I guess I just always felt like an outsider.”

  “I’m sorry,” Cam couldn’t help but say. He wanted to keep her at arm’s length, but he was doing a very poor job of it. For some reason Mia had a way of drawing him in. “That couldn’t have been easy.”

  “Nope. I have two brothers who are both in college. I always thought they were bratty, but they were probably okay.” She shrugged. “Maybe someday I’ll get to know them better. I guess I should have made more of an effort instead of disliking them so much.”

  “Maybe you’ll get the chance someday. Your life isn’t over, you know.”

  Her smile returned. “Good point!”

  “So are you close to your dad?”

  “Yes,” she said brightly, but then she frowned. “We’re going through a rough patch right now, but …” She paused to clear her throat. “I do know that he loves me.”

  “Well, that’s good.” He wanted to reach over and give her leg a reassuring pat but refrained.

  “Yeah,” she answered softly. “What about you? Sounds to me like your childhood wasn’t so easy either.”

  Cam swallowed hard and turned his attention to the road when a car behind him honked. He rarely mentione
d his parents, much less talked about his childhood. Drawing him in was one thing … but drawing him out was something he wasn’t willing to endure. Admitting his unhappiness felt like taking off his armor, and so he merely shrugged. “Let’s just say that I totally get your feeling of being unwanted.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said.

  “It is what it is … ,” he said with a shrug, but her admission touched him in places that he usually kept carefully guarded. When he was a kid, other parents, especially team moms, would often feel sorry for him and offer him cold sports drinks or snacks after a game because he was usually empty-handed. Although they meant well, Cam had often refused as if he wasn’t thirsty or hungry. Sympathy usually made him feel unsettled, but because they had this common ground he accepted her gesture with a grateful smile. “You know?”

  “Oh … well, we all have our baggage, I guess.”

  “True enough,” he agreed as he pulled into the local supermarket parking lot, which was as crowded as always. Cam had to cruise around to find an open spot. “Are you ready to do some damage to Noah’s credit card?”

  “Oh, I love to shop! Question is … are you ready for this?” She rubbed her hands together with obvious glee.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” He hated crowds and lines, but her enthusiasm was, as always, contagious. If Cam wasn’t careful, Mia was going to have him laughing and smiling all night long.

  16

  If the Shoe Fits …

  “WE HAD BETTER EACH GET A CART,” CAM ADVISED when they entered through the automatic double doors. “I have a feeling we’ll need it.”

  Mia grinned at him. “Most likely. I mean business when I get into the zone.” Mia tried not to like the fact that Cam kept referring to everything in terms of we. It made her feel as if they were a couple, and she liked the notion way too much. But when he slid a curious look at her, she busied herself tugging a cart from the long row. It refused to budge. She pulled with more gusto. Was there a trick to this? Not wanting to appear as if she had never been in a grocery store before, she tugged really hard, but the cart remained stubborn. Cam had no such trouble, so she decided to give it one last, hard, two-handed pull.