by LuAnn McLane
“I might surprise you by doing some line dancing at the Wildhorse Saloon. Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think,” she joked but then realized that there was way too much truth to her statement.
“Yeah, maybe I don’t,” he said, and there was that tone again that Mia couldn’t put her finger on. It was almost as if he was trying to tell her something. “But if there’s something you want to tell me, go right ahead.”
Mia shifted in her seat and suddenly wondered once more if she should tell him her real name and get the whole charade out into the open. But she didn’t want to ruin the trip or upset Cat, and so she kept silent about her secret. “Now, what could that possibly be?” she asked in a teasing way.
“You tell me.”
“I’m a superhero and fight crime at night.”
“Ah, thought so,” Cam said but then fell silent.
Mia wondered what Noah Falcon was going to think when he knew the truth. She knew she was going to have to tell her father soon too. She missed him so much! Tears welled up in her eyes and constricted her throat at the thought that he wouldn’t be at opening day to see what she had accomplished in a short period of time. Mia simply loved her job, and Noah gushed about how good she was at it. Now that her car was ready and paid for, she could leave Cricket Creek, but she no longer wanted to move away from the town that had embraced her and accepted her without blinking an eye.
“Are you okay?” Cam asked. She could hear the concern in his voice, and it chased away her tears.
“Yeah,” she replied, but her voice was gruff with emotion.
“Doesn’t sound like it.”
“I guess the excitement of opening day has me a bit emotional,” Mia replied. “I want to have big attendance with lots of fun and games all season long.”
“Well, I hear that you’ve done a great job, Mia. Both Ty and Noah have said so.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really.”
Mia twisted her hands together. “That’s good to hear.”
“Hey, Ty McKenna and Noah Falcon Bobble-Head Night is already sold out. Wacky Hat Wednesdays is going to be a hit, and Thirsty Thursdays is classic in the minor leagues. I also think it’s pretty damned cool that you’ve got lots of events geared toward charity. Good causes are a great reason to come to the ballpark.”
“Oh, Cam, I’ve had so much fun with it!”
He smiled at her warmly. “What’s your favorite?”
Mia jumped all over his question. “A Taste of Cricket Creek is my favorite event so far. Grammar’s Bakery is providing all of the bread. Jessica from Wine and Diner is going to make Kentucky Burgoo and several desserts. Sully has promised to make his special wings and is trying out a rib recipe. We also talked about him doing a grub-and-stub promotion discount day.”
“Awesome ideas, Mia.”
“I want to have something special for the Fourth of July too … fireworks, of course, but something even bigger. I have a few more favors to call in.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I’m going to try to get Cat Carson to come back for Labor Day and maybe get some other country stars to put on a full day of music. A mini–music fest would be great, especially since we’re so close to Nashville.”
“That would be cool.”
“Cam, I can’t sleep at night because my mind just races with ideas!”
“Good for you,” Cam said, and her heart skipped a beat when he reached over and squeezed her hand.
“Thanks.” She was falling so hard for Cameron Patrick that sometimes she couldn’t fall asleep because she was thinking about him … but she wasn’t going to let him know it just yet.
“You should be very proud of the job you’ve done.”
“Well, now you guys need to win! Winning will fill the stands too. No pressure or anything …”
“Ty thinks we’re going to be competitive. The better we are, the more scouts we’ll get. But having cheering fans in the stands sure motivates a team. Your job is important, Mia.”
“Oh, it’s going to be a fun season, for sure. I might like to go to some road games to check out what goes on at other ballparks.” The added attraction would be seeing more of Cam when the Cougars went on road trips. As much as she hated that she was keeping a secret from him, Mia had to admit to herself that it was so nice to have everyone know her as Mia Money and not the daughter of a billionaire.
“Good, it will be a blast to have you on some road trips.” His hand remained over hers, making her fingers tingle.
“I will cheer like a crazy person.”
“Thanks, babe.” Cam had made it clear that his feelings for her were getting stronger, so she didn’t want her wealth to come between them. Mia also acknowledged that as much as she liked to travel and shop, she found the charm of Cricket Creek to be soothing and less stressful than Chicago.
Mia smiled, thinking she just must be a small-town girl at heart and just never had known it. “How much longer?”
“About an hour. You can snooze if you want to.”
“No, I’m okay.” Mia was a little bit tired since she hadn’t been kidding about staying up at night with her mind racing, but she wanted to talk to Cam on the way. “I prefer to keep you company,” she admitted and was rewarded with a smile.
“Good, I enjoy being with you. If there’s anything you want to talk about, let me know. This is a pretty boring stretch of highway.” Cam looked at her expectantly, but Mia shook her head.
“No, I just want to enjoy the trip.” A night in Nashville was going to be fun, and she wasn’t about to mess it up. Luckily she had remembered to tell Cat not to blow her cover. Her real identity was going to come out soon enough.
24
You Wear It Well
“WE HAVE SOME TIME BEFORE CAT’S FINISHED OPENING the concert,” Mia said as they approached Nashville. “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.” Cam looked her way. “What do you feel like?”
“Well, there’s a Hard Rock Cafe, and Jimmy Buffet opened a Margaritaville in Nashville if you’re in the mood for an awesome cheeseburger.”
“I’m always in the mood for a cheeseburger,” Cam admitted, “but have you ever been to the Loveless Cafe?” He grinned when she immediately gave him a bright smile.
“No, but I saw a show about it on the Food Network and it’s supposed to be amazing. Cat’s eaten there and I think her picture’s on their wall of fame.”
Cam nodded. “Lots of famous people eat there. It’s a bit off of the beaten path, so I don’t remember how to get there.”
“No problem.” Mia popped the GPS off the windshield. “I’ll punch it in. Gee, I miss having one of these,” she said with a slow shake of her head.
“So you had one in your Toyota?”
“No, in my Mer—another car.”
Cam hesitated. He wanted to tell her to drop the charade because it didn’t matter. Wait … He gripped the steering wheel tighter. It didn’t matter. It didn’t! He had enjoyed every minute he’d spent in her company, well, except for the first food-spill incident, but even now they both looked back on it with amusement. It would be something to tell our grandchildren filtered into his brain and shocked him so much that he actually swerved into the next lane.
“Are you okay?” Mia asked with a slight frown.
“I … I, uh, was just looking at the GPS. Sorry. I should keep my eyes on the road.”
Mia reached over and patted his knee. “It’s okay; I have those moments a lot. Don’t worry about it. Well, worry a little because you could crash.”
“Good point.” Cam laughed, but then again she was always making him laugh. “You’re funny.”
“I get that a lot—”
“Only you’re not trying to be,” he finished for her, and she stuck out her tongue at him.
“Oh, look—how cool! We’re on the Natchez Trace Parkway.” Mia pointed to a sign after they turned off the interstate. “I think it would be fun to travel all four hundred and forty miles of it. There is so
much history from here all the way to Mississippi … parks and points of interest. There’s everything from Indian mounds to waterfalls to cypress swamps. I would love to do it someday.”
Cam raised his eyebrows. “And you know this … how?”
“Well … I’ve watched a lot of travel and history channels on television. I know a lot of trivia.”
“So you’re a history buff?”
She lifted one shoulder. “No, not really, just lonely, I guess,” she answered with a sigh, but then true to form she shot him a crooked smile. “I watched a lot of crazy stuff but I learned a lot.”
Mia’s quiet admission touched him, and he once again felt the need to reach over and touch her. This time he reached for a lock of her hair. “Hey, I can totally relate. My mother was gone most evenings and my dad didn’t care. That’s why I ended up playing a lot of baseball. So you’re right. Our pasts have made us who we are, and I have to admit that we’re not too shabby.” He dropped her silky hair and fisted his hand for a knuckle bump. She looked at his fist in confusion, but when he wiggled it she laughed and knocked her small fist against his knuckles.
“Agreed,” Mia said with a grin.
“And the future isn’t looking too bad either.” God, but he wanted to kiss her. Maybe if he told her how he felt about her she would feel free to tell him her real name, but they pulled into the Loveless Cafe and he decided to take her advice and just enjoy the trip.
“Oh, how cute! I just love the old-school sign,” Mia gushed when they turned into the parking lot. “It must have been a hotel at one time.” She peered out the window and then pointed. “There’s a gift shop! Oh, and I finally have some money! I can shop!” She rubbed her hands together in glee and got out of the SUV before he could even kill the engine.
When they passed a small structure, the smell of smoked meat wafted their way, making Cam’s stomach rumble. “Oh, it’s going to be hard to choose what to eat. The breakfast here is amazing, but so is everything else on the menu.”
“It smells divine,” she agreed but then tugged on his hand. “Oh, look! There’s one of those things where you stick your head through and get your picture taken. Let’s do it!”
Cam laughed. She would be so much fun to travel with. Good thing, he thought, because baseball players sure did travel. But the thought rocked him once again. The only future he could think about was one with Mia in it, and he hadn’t even known her all that long. Crazy, but he couldn’t imagine his world without her in it. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and took a picture of Mia’s beautiful face pushed through a wooden painting of old-fashioned girls. She had to do all three before he laughed and pointed to the entrance to the restaurant. “Come on, we’d better get in there before it gets too crowded. I promise we can walk around after we eat.”
“Okay,” she said, and he had to admire her cute butt as she walked up the steps to the entrance. She was wearing hip-hugging Levi’s jeans and a short-sleeved, floral shirt with pearl buttons. She said she had picked them up at a vintage clothing store in Cricket Creek, and vintage or not she sure as hell wore them well.
“Oh, it’s just as cute inside,” Mia said when they entered the Loveless Cafe. Because there was already a fifteen-minute or so wait they were given a buzzer and told that they could walk all over the grounds and it would still buzz. Mia shook her head, making it clear that fifteen minutes of shopping would be pointless.
As promised, the walls of fame sported hundreds of framed photos of celebrities, mostly of country singers, but there were also politicians and actors. “Oh, look, there’s Cat Carson!” Mia pointed to a signed picture below Dolly Parton’s. “I can’t wait to hear her sing tomorrow. It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it too. Is she going to be in the parade?”
“Yes, she’s going to ride up front with Noah and Ty so she can get inside the stadium and get ready for the concert. She’s only singing a few songs and then the national anthem … and that took some talking to get her to do that.”
“Didn’t want to pull a Christina Aguilera?”
“Hey, Christina got a hard time about that, and it’s harder than it might seem.”
“Wait … are you friends with Christina Aguilera?”
Mia’s face blushed a shade of pink. “I wouldn’t say that we’re friends.”
“But you’ve met.”
“A time or two,” she said, but then she picked up a menu from a stack offered to those waiting and quickly changed the subject. “Well, now, you’re right. It’s going to be difficult to choose. Says here that they are famous for the biscuits, and I saw that lots of the signed pictures mentioned the same thing. Oh, and the jams are homemade too!”
Cam nodded and let the Christina Aguilera comment go. It stood to reason that as Mitch Monroe’s daughter, she must have rubbed shoulders with lots of famous people. Damn, he supposed that Mia was a celebrity in her own right, if he wanted to think about it. A part of him wished she was still little ole Mia Money, but then again, just like Noah had said, someday he might be a celebrity in his own right, and he certainly didn’t plan on changing one bit.
After they were seated in the crowded dining room, they both ordered sweet tea. Cam had decided on the sampler platter, but Mia was still looking over the menu. By the time their biscuits and jam arrived, she had changed her mind several times. Cam found everything about her cute, and the reminder that they were sharing a hotel room kept sliding through his brain.
“Oh dear God, these biscuits are simply to die for!” Mia closed her eyes and moaned. “I shouldn’t eat another one.”
“They’re small,” Cam said as he buttered his second one. He had to do something to distract his gaze from her mouth.
“I think I’ll try the strawberry jam instead of peach.”
Cam had to shift in his seat when she slathered a bit of biscuit with butter and strawberry jam. When she moaned again, he had to laugh.
“What?”
“Reminds me of when you had your first meal at Wine and Diner.”
“Oh, I have totally been bad, but I try to make up for it by doing lots of walking. And I’ve put on a little weight, but I try not to obsess over it.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve known people my age who have had lipo and Botox treatments. Crazy.”
“Have you done anything like that?”
Mia shook her head. “No, my father would have had a fit.”
“Well, you’re beautiful. You don’t need to do any of that crap.”
Mia shrugged. “Hey, I don’t care if someone decides to have work done to make them feel better, but it can get out of hand. And so can the whole not-eating thing.” She shuddered and then said, “My butt might be bigger, but I have more energy and feel a lot better than when I would pick at my food like my friends did.” She rolled her eyes. “They would make me feel guilty if I took a real bite or heaven forbid ordered dessert!”
Cam wondered if Mia realized that she was hinting at a more lavish lifestyle, but just when he would have steered the conversation in that direction, their waiter returned. Mia frowned at the menu but ended up ordering fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and creamed corn, all house specialties. Cam ordered the sampler, which included meat loaf, chicken, and barbecue. He went for the mashed potatoes and gravy and slow-cooked green beans. When he reached for another biscuit, Mia laughed.
“I’d tell you that you’ll spoil your lunch, but I know better. You can tuck it away.”
“You do realize that you’re starting to sound southern.”
“I’ve certainly discovered my inner southern girl.” She reached for her sweet tea and tapped her tall glass to his. “And I like it!”
“So do you think you’re going to settle down in Cricket Creek?”
Mia toyed with her straw for a moment and watched the lemon wedge float in a circle. Cam watched the emotion play on her face, and he wished he hadn’t promised not to tell her that Noah knew who she really was and that her father was
in town. Finally, she looked over at him and said, “I miss my father, but I really don’t miss much about the city. I love the sense of community and the feeling of belonging in Cricket Creek. I feel as if I matter there, if that makes any sense.”
“It does.” Cam nodded and reached over and took her hand. “It sucks to feel invisible,” he said, once again thinking that they had more in common than he’d first thought. He would have said more, but their southern feast arrived.
“Enjoy,” the waiter said with a smile. “I’ll be back with drink refills in a few minutes.”
“Wow,” Mia said, and they both stared at the array of food for a minute and then burst out laughing. She started with her fried green tomatoes. “Oh, yum,” she said, closing her eyes and chewing with appreciation.
Cam watched with a smile, and he suddenly realized that he smiled all the time when he was with her. He started thinking sappy lines from songs once again and chuckled.
“What? Do I have food on my face?” She widened her eyes and licked her bottom lip.
“No,” Cam said.
“Well, then?” She tilted her head and waited.
“I just like being with you, Mia.”
She smiled softly, and her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. “Then you won’t mind sharing some of that meat loaf?”
“I’ll trade a bite for a taste of your creamed corn.”
“Deal,” she said, and for the rest of the meal they shared bites, making Cam feel as if they had been together forever. It hit him that Noah was right. Had he known her true identity, he never would have approached her, and so it was all going to work out in the end … Well, he hoped so anyway.
“Okay, seriously, I can’t eat another bite, and it’s killing me not to be able to try one of those desserts.”
“We can get something to go and eat it later.”
Mia pointed a finger at him. “Smart thinking! But I’m going to have to do some dancing tonight to work this off.” She put a hand to her stomach and groaned.
Cam immediately thought of several ways to work off some calories. “We could go to Coyote Ugly and you can dance on the bar.”
