Among The Stars: A Shooting Stars Novella

by Osburn, Terri

  All of this left Cam stuck behind the bar until close. At nine forty-five, he’d taken two minutes in his office to call Veronica. She’d been disappointed, but understood the cancellation was unavoidable. He’d been surly the rest of the night, and by midnight, his employees were well aware that the boss was not in a good mood.

  At least he would see her this morning.

  The wedding rehearsal started at nine Sunday morning so the restaurant could open in time for lunch. Cam arrived to open the door at eight and verify the staff had arranged the third-floor tables per his instructions. The bride and groom and their families, plus the maid of honor and best man—who were both women—arrived at eight forty-five. He hadn’t realized how on edge he was until Veronica walked through the door. Once her hand was in his, the stress of the previous night faded.

  “Good morning,” she said, looking beautiful and well rested. “You look tired.”

  His lack of sleep was partially her fault. “Bad night.”

  “I’m sorry.” She lifted onto her toes to kiss his cheek.

  Cam squeezed her hand. “I’m the one who had to cancel.”

  “You had to be here. I get that.” Tucking in close against his side, she whispered, “I’m free once this rehearsal is over. How about you?”

  “I’m available,” Cam replied. “Did you drive here?”

  “Nope. I rode with Ash’s mom.”

  “Which one is she?”

  Veronica pointed to a tall woman standing away from the others. “The unhappy-looking brunette. Kathleen has forgiven Jesse, but she hates her parents.”

  If this turned into a family feud, Cam was kicking them all out. He wasn’t in the mood for more drama. “Forgiven her?”

  “Long story,” she replied. “The short version is that Ash and Jesse were high school sweethearts. The Rheingolds—that’s Jesse’s parents—are the reason they were separated for more than a decade.”

  A decade during which Ash had married Veronica. Cam didn’t care what the in-laws thought of each other. He only cared about the woman beside him. “What about you?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know Jesse’s parents, but they seem nice enough to me.”

  “I meant about doing this. Being part of the wedding.”

  Watching the happy couple, she said, “I’m actually fine with it.”

  Not the answer he expected. “Fine?”

  “I don’t know what happened. I was helping Ash with his song yesterday, and something snapped.” Her gaze lifted to his. “They belong together, and I’m okay with that.”

  An abrupt turnaround, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t pleased. Their connection had begun as Cam serving as a distraction from the man she wanted but could no longer have. He hadn’t feared the groom would change his mind, but he appreciated knowing that Veronica had.

  “That’s quite mature of you,” he pointed out.

  She smiled. “Maybe, but figuring out that he was never really the right guy for me also helped.”

  “How did you figure that out?”

  Wrapping her arms around his torso, she said, “Lucky for me, a better fit came along.”

  Before Cam could respond, the officiant arrived, and the gathering moved to the third floor to start the rehearsal. As the outsider, he watched from the back of the room. The pastor called out a series of orders, and then the mock ceremony began. From her place at the front beside the groom, Veronica caught his eye and wiggled her brows.

  Cam pulled his phone from his pocket, typed out a text of exactly what he was thinking, and looked forward to watching her read it.

  * * *

  The traditional rehearsal dinner had been changed to a brunch due to the morning run-through, and Veronica couldn’t think of any way to get out of it. To Cam’s credit, he agreed to tag along, though after the bride and groom had insisted, he’d been left with little choice.

  Jesse’s parents were staying at the very posh Hotel 404—courtesy of their future son-in-law—and the party moved to the hotel’s namesake restaurant across the street. Jesse’s maid of honor was her former duet partner, Taylor Roper. Veronica didn’t know her well, but she quickly learned that the aw-shucks persona was not an act. The two women seemed to have overcome the differences that had ended their collaboration earlier in the year, and Veronica envied their easy camaraderie.

  “When exactly did you two meet?” Ash asked, putting Cam and Veronica on the spot.

  What had they told her parents again? “After Thanksgiving?” she asked him.

  “Before Thanksgiving,” he corrected, clearly remembering their story better than she did.

  “You seem like you’ve been together longer than that,” Jesse observed.

  Veronica leaned against Cam’s shoulder. “It feels just a few days to us.”

  “Speak for yourself,” he said and whispered in her ear, “Check your phone.”

  The waiter arrived with their meals, giving Veronica time to follow his order. Slipping her cell from her purse, she spotted the notification for one unread text message. Opening the app, she read the note Cam had sent her.

  I want you naked.

  She tucked the phone against her chest and cut a what-the-hell glare his way. The man had the nerve to look innocent. Or as innocent as a sex god could look. Veronica checked the time on the message and realized he’d sent it during the rehearsal. A strong hand slid into her lap and dipped into the space between her thighs. She squeaked, gaining the attention of the rest of the party.

  To cover, she shooed an imaginary bug. “Stupid flies.”

  There were no flies in the middle of winter, and definitely not in this fancy restaurant, but no one called her on the lie. Conversations resumed, as did Cam’s hand up under her skirt.

  “What are you doing?” she mumbled behind her phone. His hand gently massaged her thigh.

  “You’re hard to resist,” he replied. Their food appeared before them, and he removed his hand. When she didn’t pick up her silverware, he leaned toward her. “The sooner we eat, the sooner we can leave.”

  Oh, yes. Doing her best to ignore the wetness of her panties, Veronica dug into her scallop toast. Thirty interminable minutes later, the check was paid—all by the groom except for hers and Cam’s. Her date had refused to let Ash pick up their tab. The valet brought Cam’s car around, and they quickly made their escape.

  “Isn’t your place closer?” she asked, anxious to fulfill his text message request.

  “I have company.”

  First he had a cat. Now he had company?

  “I’m going to need more information on that.”

  The BMW drew to a stop at the light. “My sister’s in town.”

  Now he was just messing with her. “You said you don’t have any family.”

  “Technically, I don’t. We aren’t blood-related. Janie moves around a lot, and now and then, she shows up. She got into town Friday night.”

  “Then she would have been there if I’d come over last night.”

  “Yes.”

  “Wouldn’t that have been awkward?”

  Cam shook his head. “She hits the bars at night and sleeps all day. I doubt you would have seen her.”

  So, now there was a mysterious cat and a mysterious sister. The man was full of surprises.

  “Can I meet her?” she asked, holding her breath. Telling her about his past was one thing. Letting her meet someone from it was another.

  “She’s coming to the club tomorrow night. I’ll introduce you then.”

  Veronica exhaled. “I’d like that.”

  They took the left onto her street, and Cam parked on the curb. Before she could open her door, he leaned over and took her mouth with his. Veronica melted into the leather seat as he reminded her how damn good he was at this. They were both breathless when he ended the kiss several seconds later. “I’ve wanted to do that for the last two hours,” he mumbled.

  “I’m not complaining, but unless we plan to give my neighbors a show, I sug
gest we move this inside.”

  Cam stepped out and charged around the car to open her door. Together they made the short walk to the house. Moments later, the door closed behind them, and Veronica found herself pressed up against it. Coats were removed, scarves flung through the air, and her purse landed somewhere near her feet.

  “Upstairs,” she said against his mouth.

  When he lifted her off the floor, she wrapped her legs around his hips with a squeal and clamped her arms around his neck. He continued to press hot kisses against her neck, never missing a step and getting them to her room in record time. At the foot of the bed, he put her back on her feet and took her mouth once again. In a daze, she vaguely remembered that she’d had a plan for this.

  “Hold on,” she murmured, pushing at his chest.

  He let her go instantly. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I just want to change first.”

  “Change?” he repeated, confusion clouding his darkened eyes.

  “Wait on the bed and I’ll be right back.” She moved toward the bathroom where she’d hidden the new unmentionables.

  Cam didn’t look happy, but he didn’t argue. He settled onto the bed and leaned against the headboard as she closed the bathroom door. With hurried movements, Veronica grabbed the pink-striped bag from beneath the sink before removing her boots and sweater dress. The thigh-highs were already on, as were the matching bra and panties. From the bag she pulled a baby-blue, see-through chiffon and lace baby doll nightie. Part of her felt odd donning such a thing in broad daylight, but then she wasn’t likely to have it on for long.

  Mussing her hair, she checked her reflection in the mirror. For good measure, she applied a layer of gloss to her lips, gave them a smack, and was pleased with the look. With a deep breath, she opened the bathroom door and stepped out. Unfortunately, not to the reaction she’d hoped for.

  On the bed, Cam was sound asleep.

  * * *

  Cam woke in a strange bed, alone. His last memory was of trying to get Veronica’s clothes off. After that, he had nothing. In the distance, he heard what sounded like a television and followed the noise downstairs to find the living room empty. A series of pops came from the kitchen, and he recognized the familiar scent. A beer commercial played on the screen as Veronica strolled out of the kitchen wearing gray sweatpants with a hole in the knee, an oversized Titans sweatshirt, and her hair in a messy bun.

  “Oh,” she said, stopping in her tracks. Her right hand held a large bowl of popcorn, and in her left was a glass of soda. “You’re up.”

  “I am.” He checked the giant clock on the wall and couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken a three-hour nap. Or any nap, for that matter. “What happened?”

  She crossed to the sofa and set her cargo on the coffee table. “You passed out.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me?”

  Ignoring the question, she said, “I have Coke, Sprite, water, and several of the local brews from Friday night. What can I get you?”

  “Coke is fine.”

  Veronica strode by him again, and Cam wondered if he’d been sucked into some domestic dream. She was acting as if him sleeping through the afternoon in her bed was a regular occurrence. He’d certainly planned to kill the day under her sheets, but not alone.

  “Here you go,” she said, setting the new glass on a coaster on the table and patting the cushion beside her. “Come sit. The Titans don’t play until tonight so I’m watching the Cowboys and the Giants.”

  “You watch football?” He took the offered seat on the couch.

  “I do. And this is why we’re having a get-to-know-each-other session.”

  Cam took the popcorn bowl she passed his way. “A what?” He wasn’t awake enough to follow her unpredictable mind.

  “A get-to-know-each-other day. You know every erogenous zone on my body, but you didn’t know that I like football.” Veronica tossed a piece of popcorn into her mouth. “I know you’re a neat freak used to being in charge at all times, but I don’t know how you take your eggs.”

  “Sunny side up,” he replied. “I’m not a neat freak.”

  “A person could eat off your bathroom floor. I’ve dated men who I wouldn’t eat off of their plates.”

  He didn’t want to know where she found these dates. “Being clean doesn’t make me a freak.”

  Veronica conceded his point. “That’s fair. And to be clear, I appreciate your cleanliness.”

  An odd compliment but he accepted it anyway. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” The commentators were discussing a Dak Prescott pass, and she lowered the volume on the TV. “Do you like football?”

  “It’s fine.”

  “That isn’t an answer.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  She tucked her knees under her and mumbled, “I knew this wasn’t going to be easy.” Propping her elbow on the back of the couch, she pressed her hand against her head and faced him. “Let’s try this again. Do you watch football?”

  “If it’s on at the bar.”

  “But not at home?”

  “I don’t have a television at home.”

  Blue eyes went wide. “You don’t own a television?”

  “You were in my apartment. Did you think I was hiding one?”

  “I figured it was in one of those cabinets. Like, you push a button and a giant screen magically appears. That’s a rich guy kind of thing, right?”

  “I wouldn’t know.” Cam did know, as he’d considered purchasing such a unit, but the way she described it made the feature sound pretentious. Which it was, he now realized.

  “That answers my question about your viewing habits, then. You don’t even watch Netflix on a computer or tablet? Rich guys love their gadgets.”

  That was enough stereotyping for the day. “What if I said the only thing women care about is how much money a man has?”

  “I’d have to punch you.”

  “Then stop insinuating that all men with money are shallow.”

  Instead of being offended, she shifted to spread her legs out over his thighs. “I was doing that, wasn’t I?”

  “Yes.”

  Veronica tossed more popcorn into her mouth. “Sorry. So tell me something else. Do you read?”

  “Regularly.”

  “I didn’t see any books in your apartment.”

  “I read on an iPad.”

  She tapped his chest. “So you do like gadgets.”

  A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I own an iPad for practical reasons.”

  “Sure you do. What else?”

  Cam had no idea what to say. He worked. He slept. He went back to work. Other than occasional visits to the golf course, there wasn’t anything else to tell. This line of questioning was making him realize that he didn’t have much of a life. In fact, he’d had more adventures in the last four days than he’d had in the four months before Veronica Shepherd fell into his lap.

  “Tell me something about you,” he said, turning the tables.

  She pursed her lips and tilted her head in deep thought. “Let’s see. I prefer reading magazines to books. I like my eggs scrambled, my wine white, and my bed soft.” The last one Cam knew. “I started playing guitar when I was nine, graduated from Belmont University with a bachelor’s degree in the music business, and my dream vacation would be a month-long tour around Western Europe.”

  In all his thirty-six years, Cam had never entertained the idea of a dream vacation. Not before he had money, or after. So much of his life had been about surviving, and then building his business had taken top priority. There’d been no time for dreams, at least not about vacations.

  “Did you ever try becoming an artist in your own right?” Her producing success said she had a talent for making music people wanted to hear. Why not make her own?

  “No one would pay me to sing.” Veronica leaned the popcorn bowl against his chest and reached for her drink. “I sound like a moose caught in a mouse trap.”
>
  Not a sound he was familiar with, but he understood how that would be an issue.

  “Your card says the Rhodes Hospitality Group,” she pointed out. “Does that mean there are other Rhodes Taverns out there?”

  This he didn’t mind talking about. “There are four bars in all, but only one other with the name Rhodes Tavern. That’s the original location in Chicago.”

  “Where are the others?”

  “Rhodes Blue Note is in St. Louis, and Memphis has the Cross Rhodes.”

  Her brow furrowed for several seconds before she said, “I see what you did there. Cross Rhodes.”

  Veronica held a piece of popcorn in front of his mouth, and he opened without thinking. As he chewed, she slipped one into her own mouth and licked butter off her fingers. Her lips turned glossy, and his body grew tensed.

  “I like when you do that,” he said, sliding a hand up her thigh.

  “Do what?” she asked.

  “Lick your fingers.” His hand reached around to cradle her ass. “It’s time to test my knowledge of all those erogenous zones.”

  A giggle filled the air. “You seriously want to have sex with me when I’m dressed like this?”

  “I want to have sex with you when you aren’t dressed at all.”

  “When you put it that way…”

  Cam set the bowl on the table as he laid her back on the couch and covered her with his body. In no time, Veronica was purring and grinding against him, proving he did, in fact, have carnal knowledge of all the areas that turned her on. And he used every single one for their mutual benefit.

  Chapter Twelve

  Two hours before the wedding, Veronica fought the urge to hurl her cell phone into the Cumberland River. Ash failed to mention that Veronica’s cell number had been included in all of the guest emails. Thanks to the rushed nature of the event, every flipping recipient had a question. Some didn’t understand that the wedding and reception were in the same room. Several failed to read to the end for instructions on how to enter the bar. And others called to ask what they should buy the bride and groom. On the day of the wedding.