Tempting Cameron

by Karen Erickson

  No response. She had to be unconscious. And he was scared shitless to move her.

  What if she had serious injuries? Like to her spine or something internal? Removing her could be dangerous, risky.

  He glanced around, the utter silence that surrounded them unsettling. What if the car caught on fire? He knew it wouldn’t blow up. That was strictly for TV and movie purposes but holy hell, if there was a slow leak, it could ignite and send the entire vehicle into flames within seconds.

  Deciding he’d rather risk it than watch helplessly as Chloe was lost forever, he dived inside and reached around her. Cradled her back with his arm as he found and released the belt lock. She fell into him, her head thrown back against his shoulder, and he did his best to crawl out of the car with as little movement as possible.

  She weighed hardly anything. He stood, gathered her in his arms, and walked a few hundred feet, dropping to his knees under a small grove of towering pine trees. Flashing lights cast spheres of blue and red across him and within seconds he saw Deputy Mike Vargas headed toward them.

  “What the hell? Is that Chloe?” Mike stopped before them, grabbing the radio from his shoulder and reporting he was on scene. “What happened?”

  Cam studied her face. A bloody gash ran across her eyebrow, and already there was a bruise on her forehead and left cheek. She felt frail in his arms, downright lifeless, but he could feel the steady thump of her heartbeat. She would be okay. She had to be. God, finding her like that had taken him right back to his own accident. He wouldn’t wish that sort of terror on anyone.

  Especially someone he knew and…cared about.

  “I don’t know. I heard the screeching tires and ran over here. I dragged her out of the car.”

  “You the one who called 911?”

  Cam nodded, adrenaline still coursing through him. He felt helpless, wished Chloe would wake up and tell him she was okay. Wished he could tell her he was sorry for the terrible things he’d said to her.

  “What were you doing here? Where’s your car?” Mike whipped out a notepad.

  “I was walking home from The Tree.”

  “Why? Because you were drunk?” Mike’s gaze was razor sharp as it settled on him.

  Cam scoffed. Vargas was Chloe’s age. A little annoying twerp when they were kids, but he’d grown up, filled out, and now behaved like the typical cop. Suspect of everyone and trusting no one. “I wasn’t drunk; I had one beer. Ask Mac. He was there.”

  “And why didn’t you ride home with Mac?”

  “Why does any of this matter, Vargas? You act like I’m the one who caused this accident.”

  Mike shoved his notepad into his back pocket. “I pulled Chloe over about ten, fifteen minutes ago.”

  Shock coursed through Cam. “What the hell for?” She never broke any laws.

  “She was driving below the speed limit. I followed behind her for a few miles and she didn’t even notice me. I wanted to make sure she was all right.” Vargas’s gaze dropped to where Chloe lay still and silent in Cam’s arms. “She looked like she’d been crying.”

  Guilt squeezed Cam’s heart in its ferociously tight fist. He’d made her cry with his rotten words that had been full of half truths. He was a complete jackass.

  And was most likely responsible for the accident.

  A siren sounded and Cam glanced up, caught sight of the fire engine pulling to the side of the road. They were trained emergency responders—he knew Chloe was in good hands.

  But he didn’t want to let her go.

  The moment they arrived, first-aid kit in hand, the firefighters took over. Cam stepped back, wanted to stay out of the way, but didn’t want to take his eyes off Chloe. She had to be all right.

  Had to.

  “Why do you think she wrecked?” Vargas stood beside him, also observing the two men checking all of Chloe’s vitals.

  Cam shook his head. “I don’t know. That’s a hairpin curve if I’ve ever seen one but Chloe’s been driving that road since she legally could.”

  “Maybe a car coming in the opposite direction clipped her, sent her over the edge.”

  “Nah. I only saw one fresh set of skid marks on the road.” Cam glanced at Mike. “Shouldn’t you be up there investigating the scene?”

  “Yeah.” Mike scratched his jaw. “I want to make sure Chloe’s all right first. This sucks, man. The town is going to go nuts.”

  Cam remained silent. Everyone loved Chloe. She was sweet and kind and thoughtful. A second grade teacher, a hometown girl who never left, who stayed here and took care of her lonely mama. Sacrificed her life to ensure the happiness of others, a woman who did the right thing no matter what. He’d never forgive himself if something truly awful happened to her because of their argument.

  He’d treated her like absolute crap. Said horrible things that he could never, ever take back. Upset her so badly she became distracted and lost control of her car.

  It didn’t matter what they might find out in regards to the accident and its cause. He knew deep in his heart he was the reason she went over that embankment. He could only thank the good lord above that she didn’t land in the water and drown.

  He would’ve never been able to forgive himself.

  One of the firefighters approached, a guy who looked vaguely familiar, and Cam wondered if he’d met him through Chris, Jane’s new husband. “We’re going to take her to the hospital in Oakwood.”

  “Is she conscious?” Mike asked.

  “She came to for a few minutes, asked me to call her mom, then passed out again.” The firefighter’s expression was grim. “Doesn’t look like much damage except to her head.”

  Icy cold fear slid its fingers down Cam’s spine. “What sort of damage are you talking about?”

  The firefighter glanced at him, his gaze skeptical. As if he didn’t want to answer. “Did you find her?”

  “Yes.” Cam nodded, his throat suddenly clogged. Thick with emotion he didn’t want to acknowledge. “I’ve known her forever. We grew up together.”

  “It’s true. I can vouch for the guy,” Vargas piped up.

  Cam was grateful for Mike’s words. They seemed to ease the firefighter somewhat. “We’re going to have her kept at the hospital overnight for observation. She didn’t seem to understand what happened to her or where she was.”

  “Is that normal after a car accident?” Cam asked, glancing to the road to see the ambulance had arrived, as well as another sheriff deputy’s car.

  “Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Usually people are lucid enough to realize what happened but don’t quite remember how. With head traumas, we have to be careful and take every precaution.” The firefighter’s smile was grim. “She’ll be in good hands, trust me. You figure out what happened to her in the first place?” he asked Vargas.

  “Not yet. I’m going to head back up there and survey the scene,” Mike said, his gaze straying to the road. “I’ll go join Gus and see what we can come up with. Did this sorta ass backward but I had to know if Chloe was going to be okay.”

  The firefighter’s expression softened. “I get you, man. Everyone loves Chloe. She was my niece’s teacher last year and the kid adored her.”

  Cam had never felt any lower in his life than he did at that very moment. Not even when he’d been laid up in the hospital after his knee surgery, in pain and all alone. Not when he’d lost his job. Not when he’d been stuck in Afghanistan surrounded by death and destruction and constant, endless gunfire, thinking he’d never get out of that hellhole and see his family again.

  A family he took for granted. Hell, an entire town he took for granted.

  No, he was the lowest of the low because he’d caused the town princess to nearly lose her life in a car accident. All because she shed a few tears over him and the terrible things he said to her. She didn’t ask for any of this to happen. It was his fault.

  All of it.

  And he would do whatever it took to make it up to her.

  Chapter Four

/>   “I’m fine. Really I am.” Chloe tried to smile but it hurt too much. Her head was throbbing despite the pain medication the doctor had prescribed her. Oh, and she felt like she’d been punched in the face repeatedly, it was so bruised, battered, and scraped. Like her face had hit the pavement and been dragged along it for a solid fifty feet, though she knew that wasn’t true.

  It had been the airbag that did all the facial damage. She couldn’t complain. If it hadn’t been there, what might’ve happened to her then? She probably would’ve looked twenty times worse.

  Or she might’ve died…

  Her mother fretted over her, trying to get her to drink some water, asking if she was hungry. She wasn’t hungry. She wanted out of the hospital. The doctor said they’d release her more than an hour ago and she was still laid up in this bed.

  “Maybe you should look for the doctor and see when they’ll let me go,” Chloe suggested.

  She appreciated what her mom was doing, really she did, but she was exhausted. And confused. Despite everyone telling her what had happened, she didn’t remember any of it. Had no idea what caused her to go over the embankment, didn’t remember being pulled from the car, nothing.

  Chloe could hardly remember where she’d been prior to the accident. They’d gone to The Tree, she knew that, only because Alison had told her when she called her earlier. And that Mac and Cameron had been there. She sort of remembered eating the burger, drinking some beer…

  And that was it. She’d left—but why by herself? Why hadn’t Ali gone with her? Or one of the guys?

  When she thought about it too hard, it made her head hurt even worse, so she put it away. Figured it would all come back to her eventually. And then maybe she’d finally have some answers to her mind-boggling questions.

  “I’m going to go look for that doctor and see when you can leave, then.” Her mom smiled and patted her hand. “I’ll be right back.”

  Chloe watched her walk out of the room then closed her eyes, breathing as shallowly as possible. She’d suffered two broken ribs, a major concussion, and more bruises and cuts than she could count. She’d caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror earlier and almost screamed in horror. She looked terrible.

  A knock sounded at her door and she opened her eyes, lifted her head too soon, which caused it to spin. Hoping it was the doctor, she glanced toward the open doorway to find Cameron standing there, his tall, broad body filling up the space as he clutched a vase filled with giant sunflowers.

  “Hey. You up for visitors?” His soft, sexy voice reached her, rippled through her, and she wished she could cover her face with her hands and tell him to go away.

  Instead she tried her best to smile—which was difficult considering how much it hurt—and tilted her head. “Come in. I’m about to head on home anyway. Hopefully.”

  “Really?” He stopped at the edge of her bed, setting the vase on the small side table. A few other bouquets had been brought to her as well, including one Alison had sent from the gift shop, one from Mac, and one, oddly enough, from Mike Vargas. She hadn’t seen him in a while, so she didn’t understand why he sent her flowers.

  “The doctor said he would release me today. My injuries aren’t that severe.” She winced as she tried to shift. God, even her backside hurt.

  Cam’s expression grew somber as he watched her. “You cracked a couple of ribs and banged up your head pretty badly. I’d say that’s rather severe.”

  “You know what I mean. It could’ve been worse, I guess.”

  “Yes, it could’ve.” He exhaled loudly, looking away from her. “So. Are you still mad at me?”

  Confusion swirled within her at his out-of-the-blue question. “Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?”

  His gaze jerked back to her, equal confusion filling his gaze. His lips parted, as if he was about to say something, but she beat him to it.

  “I don’t remember much about last night,” she confessed softly. “I don’t remember the actual accident or what happened right before. It’s all sort of a…blur.”

  Cameron didn’t say a word, his eyes widening the slightest bit, the only indication that he’d heard what she said.

  “Weird, huh?” She spoke only to fill the silence. But it really was weird. Her doctor explained sometimes the human brain protected a person from horrible experiences by wiping his or her memory clean of the actual act. He believed the accident had been so traumatizing, she’d forgotten it on purpose.

  Which really was fine by her. Who needed to remember such a scary moment?

  “Very weird,” Cam finally said. “You don’t remember…anything?” He sounded incredulous.

  “Nothing.” She shook her head. “Ali’s planning on coming over to my house later to hang out, so hopefully she can help me fill in a few more details.”

  “You talked to Ali?”

  She frowned. “Of course I did.” Why wouldn’t she? Both Alison and Jane were her closest friends. And Jane wasn’t even here. She was off honeymooning at some exclusive Mexican resort. “Briefly on the phone. She reminded me that we were all at The Tree last night.”

  “We were,” he said carefully. “We sat together, had a few beers.”

  “She told me that, too.” Chloe pressed her lips together and glanced down at her clutched hands resting on her lap. She so did not want to talk to Cam about that kiss at Jane’s wedding reception. Maybe they already talked about it? And maybe that was why he asked if she was mad at him?

  “So, why would I be mad at you?” she asked.

  “Uh…”

  She glanced up, saw the nervousness in his gaze. Looked like he was scrambling for an answer, too. Huh. “We had a minor argument,” he said. “You know, a little trash talking between good friends.”

  Between good friends? Not what she’d describe them as before that kiss. Not necessarily how she’d describe them after the kiss, either. “Sounds kind of minor. Why should I be mad at you over something like that?”

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged, tried to smile. “I have this way of…”

  “Making women angry?” she offered kindly.

  He chuckled. “Yeah. That.” Out of nowhere he grabbed her hand, laced their fingers together, and squeezed. “I’m glad you’re okay, Chloe. I’ve been worried about you.”

  “I’m fine.” Her breath came quickly, her heart racing at his simple touch. “Really. Just a little bruised and scratched. I look a lot worse than I feel.”

  “You look great.”

  She rolled her eyes, didn’t believe a word he said. “I look awful. It’s probably going to take weeks to heal. And I bet a few of these cuts will scar.” She sounded like a complete whiner, especially considering what had happened to Cam’s sister Jane. She’d been burned over thirty percent of her body after escaping a deadly house fire that killed her first husband. Jane’s scars were visible, a reminder of the pain and trauma she went through during the long, hard recovery process.

  And here Chloe complained about a few scratches.

  “Consider them battle scars.” He squeezed her hand again, then let it go.

  “There’s our hero!” Chloe’s mom strode in, a giant smile on her face as she went to Cameron and embraced him fully.

  He appeared surprised, slowly wrapped his arms around her mom’s slight figure, and gave her a squeeze. “Hey, Mrs. Dawson.”

  “Goodness, call me Mary. You’re a grown man, not that sullen teenager who rear-ended my car.” Mary laughed when Cam’s cheeks colored. Even Chloe had forgotten about that particular incident. “And I can’t hold that against you. You saved my daughter’s life. I’m forever indebted to you.”

  Chloe looked between her mom and Cam, confusion swirling through her yet again. “What do you mean?”

  “Why, don’t you know? Didn’t he tell you?” Her mom patted Cam on the shoulder, beaming at him. “He came upon your wrecked car, Chloe. Pulled you out and away from the scene and held onto you until Deputy Vargas and the EMTs came.”

&n
bsp; Cam shrugged, his cheeks flaming red. “Anyone would’ve done the same.”

  “Not true,” her mom said. “Not anyone would’ve slid into that upside-down car and pulled my daughter out like you did, Cameron. Don’t downplay your heroics. We’re just lucky you happened to be nearby when the accident happened.”

  Chloe was stunned. No one had mentioned Cam was the one who pulled her from the car. That he’d held her while she lay there unconscious as they waited for the emergency crew to come. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked Cam, her voice a raspy whisper.

  He turned to her, his gaze meeting hers, dark and full of…was that regret? Sorrow? Worry? She couldn’t figure it out. But he looked frighteningly solemn. “Really, it’s not a big deal.”

  “You saved my life, Cameron. You pulled me out of my car.” Which was being evaluated by the insurance company and from what they hinted at on the phone earlier, it looked like it was going to be totaled.

  “He’s being so modest.” Her mom patted him on the shoulder again. “But right now, he’s the town hero.”

  He was her hero, Chloe thought, feeling more than a little starry-eyed as she studied him. The knowledge of what he’d done for her, practically saving her life, made her fall for him even more.

  Like she needed an excuse when she cared about him so much already…

  …

  Cameron felt like anything but the town hero. His saving Chloe had been an automatic response. He probably would’ve done it for anyone he’d come upon after such a horrific accident.

  Wouldn’t he?

  Mary Dawson was making way too big a deal out of this. And Chloe was watching him like he could do no wrong. Which made him feel extra guilty considering what had happened between them before the accident. The terrible things he said to her. The horrible realization he had meant every single word. That he was heartless enough to say such things to a woman whose middle name should be kindness.

  He was an ass. A damn lucky one, too, when he discovered that she remembered nothing prior to the accident.