by MJ Fredrick
What used to be her underwear.
She dropped the bag of food on the hood of the car and charged forward. “What happened?”
“She got into your bag. I don’t know how. Your jeans are okay. Your sweaters and…other stuff…are not in such good shape.”
“She ate my clothes?”
“I don’t think she ate anything. Just chewed.”
“And that’s better?” She closed her eyes and prayed for patience before glaring at him over the door. “It’s the night before Thanksgiving. Where am I going to get clothes?”
***
A big-box discount store, that was where. Cam and Willow sat in Brian’s car and ate their dinner, growing colder by the minute as Willow assessed the damage. Her shoes had been gnawed too, of course. And she was going to have to replace them at the only store open this late the night before Thanksgiving.
The parking lot was filled with last-minute Thanksgiving shoppers. Willow set aside her chicken sandwich and took a deep breath. The worst thing, she’d realized back at the restaurant, was that she’d brought the wrong credit card. Instead of her debit card, she’d slipped her almost-maxed-out-thanks-to-Judith’s-wedding-and-her-new-couch credit card into her wallet. She hadn’t noticed until she bought dinner and had to hold her breath while the transaction went through.
Okay, it wasn’t that bad. She had a few hundred dollars available. But she certainly hadn’t intended to replace her wardrobe.
“I hope they haven’t put their spring stuff out already,” she muttered.
“I’ll stay with Libby.”
Willow cast a glare at the dog. “Why? What damage can she do now?”
“Will,” he chided. “Don’t take too long.”
She looked around at the sea of cars in the parking lot. “Yeah, I’ll do my best.”
Half an hour later, she walked out of the store with purchases she wasn’t too disappointed in—new pj’s, two sweaters, a thermal shirt, two pair of shoes and new underwear and bras, for way less than she spent at her usual stores. Flashing lights drew her attention as she approached Brian’s Chevelle, and she stopped short to see two cops beside the car, one pressing Cam down over the hood, his hands behind his back, while Libby barked frantically.
“You have the right to remain silent,” one of them said, sounding breathless.
Cam lifted his head and met her gaze, then dropped his head to the hood as the officer snapped the cuffs on.
Chapter Two
“I’m telling you, it’s my brother’s car,” Cam insisted as he sat across from the two cops in the tiny police department office. He kept a wary eye on the jail cell in the back of the room. So far they hadn’t seen the need to put him in it, thank God. Maybe because he was the only one who could manage Libby. She sat trembling on his lap while Willow sat trembling by his side. He wanted to reach over to reassure her but he was still handcuffed. He held his hands in front of him now to calm the dog. At least Willow hadn’t been arrested too. She never would have forgiven him for that.
“If it’s your brother’s car, why did he report it stolen?”
“I don’t know.” Brian wasn’t even home to know the car was gone. “I tried to call him before I took it but couldn’t reach him. Can I call him now? He can clear all this up.”
The cop across from him—not even as old as Cam’s twenty-seven years, he was sure—narrowed his eyes. “How can we be sure you’re calling your brother and not someone who’s just going to let you off?”
“I don’t know.” Frustration tightened his voice. “You can ask him a question about the car. I’m sure he’ll even know the VIN by heart, he loves that car so much.”
The young cop chewed the inside of his cheek for a minute, then pushed the phone toward Cam. “Call him.”
Holding the receiver and dialing was impossible with the handcuffs, so he put the earpiece on his shoulder and recited Brian’s cell number for Willow to dial.
After waiting an endless six rings, Brian picked up. “Yo.”
Relief washed through Cam, weakening his tight muscles for just a bit. “Brian, I have your car.”
“Thank God! Jesus, do you know how bad I panicked when Kathy called to tell me it was gone?”
Cam looked across the desk at the young cop. “Pretty sure I have a good idea.”
“Why do you have my car?”
“Long story. Listen, there’s someone here who wants you to verify that I’m your brother and it’s okay for me to drive your car.”
“The hell it is. You know I don’t let anyone drive her.”
Cam closed his eyes and searched for the remnants of his patience. “Let me clarify. There’s a police officer here who wants you to verify that I’m your brother and it’s okay for me to drive your car instead of sitting in a jail cell on Thanksgiving.”
“Holy shit, have you been arrested?”
“A little bit. Can you get me off the hook here, Bri? And if you manage that, tell Mel there will be two more for dinner tomorrow, but we probably won’t get there until morning.”
Cam passed the phone back to the policeman. He didn’t hear Brian’s side of the conversation, but the expression on the cop’s face relaxed, and he lifted his gaze to Cam. He nodded to the other officer, who reached over to unlock the cuffs. Libby growled and the young cop snatched his hands away.
Cam scooted his chair back and set the pup on the ground, then presented his wrists again. Once he was free, he sat back and resisted the desire to rub his wrists. When Willow did it instead, he jerked his gaze to her. Exhaustion and worry creased her brow and he wanted to return her caress. Instead, he reached down and scooped Libby up. The little dog whimpered and licked his wrist.
They went back to Brian’s car after getting the name of a local motel where they could spend the night and make a fresh start in the morning. If they got up early enough, they might reach Mel’s by noon. Better than pulling in at two in the morning, which was what would happen if they pushed through.
“I’m a little short on funds,” he said as he pulled into the courtyard of the one-story motel complex. “Do you mind sharing a room?”
Willow shook her head. She hadn’t said a word since the police escorted them to the station. He’d known her nearly all his life and right now he couldn’t tell if she was pissed or what.
“I’m going to go in and get a room. Will you be okay with her?” He nodded at the dog.
“We’ll be fine,” Willow said in a faint voice, one he’d never heard before.
He hurried through the check-in process, signed the register and walked out to see Willow standing near a patch of grass, Libby at the end of the leash doing her business.
“Desperation,” Willow said.
Yeah, wasn’t that the theme of this trip? “We’re in that room right there, the only one with double beds.” He popped the trunk and got his bag, the remains of her suitcase and her shopping bag in one trip while Willow waited for Libby to finish.
Willow caught her breath when she walked into the hotel room, which might have been a mistake, since she probably inhaled a lungful of mold spores. She’d never seen a room so horrendously decorated, with make-your-eyes-bleed black-and-white-spotted wallpaper, and squares of red—meant to be art, maybe—hung on the walls. They weren’t quite the same color red as the faded polyester bedspreads. She let Libby off the leash and the dog bounded onto the bed where Cam’s stuff sat, the bed closest to the bathroom.
Cam crouched in front of the heater. “I can’t get it to kick on.”
“Did you call the front desk?” She unbuttoned her coat and considered tossing it on the other bed, then met Libby’s interested gaze and thought better of it. Instead, she tucked it on the top shelf of the closet, along with her bag of new clothes.
“Next on my list. But if this is the only room with double beds, it’s not like we can switch rooms.”
For just a moment, she let herself wonder what it would be like to curl up in bed beside Cam and feel his a
rms around her, his breath warming the back of her neck.
“Right. We’ll just have to make do.” She was glad she’d bought those thick socks, because she could see her breath in here. Maybe she’d pull down that coat after all. She couldn’t imagine taking a shower in this room. Her hair would freeze. “I’ll call for extra blankets.”
Of course, the motel had none. Willow wondered if every room was without heat. “It might have been warmer to stay in jail.”
He snorted and straightened, his gaze still on the radiator as if glaring at it would make it kick on. Then he sat on the edge of her bed. “We could use body heat.”
She looked at the bed, which suddenly seemed very small when she pictured him stretched out in it. “Dream on. Besides, Libby would never allow it.”
He grinned, the first time in hours, and the knot in her stomach loosened a little.
“That’s the truth. She’s like our chaperone.”
Willow laughed and went into the bathroom, which was just as frightening in decor but at least offered some privacy for her to react to Cam’s last statement. They’d never needed a chaperone—had his thoughts wandered in the same direction as hers? Was it the prospect of spending the night in the same room that had prompted the response, or had the idea been there longer? Brushing the question aside, she changed into her pajamas after deciding not to shower in the frigid room. No telling if there was any hot water. But the loose-fitting fleece pants and thermal shirt were cozy. She could sleep like this.
When she walked out again, Cam was stretched out on his bed, long, long legs crossed at the ankles as he watched the news.
“Weather looks pretty bad in Minnesota.”
“Have you called your sister?” She thought about it, then sat on the edge of his bed, curling one leg under her. Libby rumbled a warning but Willow ignored her.
He gave her a surprised glance. “It’s late. I told Brian to let them know we’re on our way. If he remembers to tell them.”
She shifted on the bed with a bounce. “Thank you again, Cam.”
He coughed out a laugh. “For what? Almost getting you arrested?”
“For coming to get me without a question. For not saying, ‘I told you so.’”
“I really wanted to say it,” he said with a grin.
“I know, but you didn’t.”
She lifted her hand, tempted by a stray lock of hair over his ear, then let her hand fall without touching him. They used to touch each other all the time, playing around, being affectionate, but sitting in a motel room, alone, the impulse felt dangerous, like playing with fire. This wasn’t the boy she’d grown up with, not anymore. He was a man, and the idea at once excited and concerned her. How much did she have to watch her actions with him now? When they were on the phone or online, she hadn’t thought about guarding her words or her thoughts. But here, alone with him, she was aware of him, aware of herself, in a way she hadn’t been before.
She moved onto her own bed and dropped back to the pillow, which released a musty odor. She wrinkled her nose. Not as if it was going to be easy to sleep tonight anyway. She tugged down the covers and tucked her feet inside, then wrapped her arms around her legs.
She had to find something to say. “I can’t wait to see Mel all round,” she said. “Have you seen her?”
“Not since Labor Day weekend. She was approximately the size of a whale then.”
“I’m sure she appreciated you saying so.”
“Hey, I didn’t say it to her face. I didn’t want her sitting on me.”
“Typical baby brother.”
“Seriously? She’s gorgeous.” His voice softened in a way that always made her envy his relationship with his family. “And you know she’ll be a great mom.”
“She has a great example.”
He stretched out on his side, facing her, propped on his elbow. “Mom will be happy to see you. You haven’t been around much.”
“Trying to make my fortune.”
He sobered. “Yeah, I guess.”
“So what about you? Are you going to be an IT guy all your life? What about that game you designed?”
He traced a pattern in the bedspread, but she got the idea he was avoiding her gaze. “Not as easy to move on that as you’d think. They have people doing that job every day, people who know the market better than I do. And there are a lot of role-playing adventure games.”
“Not one that takes place on every continent and puts the player in charge of saving the planet.” True to Cam, the game had elements that included oil-spill cleanup and saving endangered animals, as well as planting trees and rebuilding wetlands.
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“It means you can get excited about it, get behind it, talk it up.”
He sat up. “I’m no good at that.”
“I am. I could help you. You just do the research on where it needs to go and I’ll design something, a cover, a graphic, whatever you think would spice up the presentation. I hate seeing you stuck in that job. Don’t you want to do something you love?”
He shook his head. “You’re getting your hopes up.”
She tucked her hands under her bedspread. “I’m trying to get yours up. Why don’t you want to do this? Why did you design the game in the first place? Why are you afraid of change?”
As soon as she said it, she could have bitten her tongue off. Of course she knew why he was afraid. She’d been there when his fiancée Laura had been diagnosed with leukemia, too late to be treated. Cam had taken every step so cautiously since, as if he was afraid to move forward, afraid to hope. She’d hoped he’d find someone else who would allow him to get on with his life, but he hadn’t. Now, watching him, she was rethinking that solution.
No. She was the wrong person for him. Besides, given her track record, she needed to give up her right to make romantic decisions. She never made good ones when it came to men.
A scent stronger than the musty pillow wafted over and she sat up. “Oh, my God, is that the heater?”
He groaned and rolled to a sitting position, scooping Libby up in the same movement. “Time for a walk, Libs.”
The excuse to escape couldn’t have come soon enough for Cam. He definitely needed the air, and not because of Libby. He couldn’t tell Willow he had an interview with a video game company in Seattle on Monday. He didn’t want anyone to know—other than Brian, who’d heard the phone message—until he knew for sure.
He hated that he always had to be sure now. That was why he hadn’t acted on his feelings for Willow. He needed to be certain that she felt the same way, and, well, he was pretty sure she didn’t. So he was moving away and starting over in a place where he wouldn’t always be wondering what if.
She had no idea about his dilemma. Of that he was sure. Otherwise, why would she plop onto the bed with him, dressed in her pajamas? He missed the way she used to touch him, but to be honest, if she touched him now he didn’t know that he’d be capable of controlling his reaction.
Libby took her time, sniffing around for a good five minutes in the frigid air before squatting.
But Cam was glad Willow had talked him into going to Melanie’s. Another day to spend with her, even if it meant he needed to call Amtrak to change his ticket so he could depart from Minnesota. He took the chance now to call.
Once the arrangements were made, he stepped back into the room to see Willow curled on her side facing the door, asleep. He hated the disappointment that winged through him as he unhooked the leash from the dog.
***
Willow woke shivering. She shifted under the covers but couldn’t find a warm spot. She had doubled the bedspread and blanket, but she wasn’t warm enough. She listened to Cam’s even breathing from the next bed. The cold didn’t bother him. She remembered her coat in the top of the closet and cautiously crawled out of bed, feeling her way along the wall to the closet.
Her bag of clothes fell to the floor with a thunk. Libby barked and Cam stirred.
�
�What’s wrong?” he mumbled.
She closed her fingers around the fabric of her coat and tugged it down. “I’m cold. Getting my coat. Go back to sleep.”
She heard him stretch and shift.
“Bring your blanket over here and get in bed with me.”
Alarm and longing zoomed through her with equal speed—okay, maybe the longing was a little quicker. “Maybe not a good idea.”
“You’re cold, I’m warm. I won’t try anything.”
She wondered at the disappointment she felt as she made her way to his bed and heard Libby growl from the pillow beside him. “She won’t let me.”
“She’s on the other side. Get in, Will.”
Before she could think of any other reason not to, she grabbed her blanket, tossed it over his bed and climbed in beside him.
Immediately she felt warmer. “You’re like a furnace.”
He grunted and settled the covers over them, then lay down behind her, curving his arm over her and tucking her back against him.
Oh. Wow. Not only was he warm, but he was hard. All over. His arm, his chest against her back, his—well, what was she supposed to do about that? Ignore it? Move into it? In her imagination, making love to Cam had always seemed awkward and wrong.
Suddenly, not so much.
“Relax,” he said, his breath against her ear. “It’ll go away.”
Despite her hormones firing, she relaxed her muscles and eased into him. Within moments she was asleep.
***
She woke alone. The bed was cool when she slid her hands over the sheet, at once hoping to encounter Cam and wondering what would happen if she did.
“No hot water,” Cam said, stepping out of the bathroom.
“Great.” She nestled deeper into the pillow. “I’ll wait until we get to Mel’s.”
“Probably no hot water there, either,” he teased. “Not with the entire family in one house.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
He dropped his duffel on the end of the bed and zipped it up. “Come on, time to hit the road if we’re going to be there for dinner.”
