Listen to Me
Page 24
“You’re so weird,” Mia says, shaking her head. “You really need to let the man find his own woman.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want another woman,” Riley says quietly. “Maybe he still wants you.”
Cami swallows hard. “He can’t have me.”
Mia’s phone rings, and she frowns down at it. “Mom doesn’t usually call me this early in the day. Hello?”
“He’ll move on,” I assure Cami.
“What do you mean?” Mia demands, making us all freeze and listen. “Well, when will we know? Oh my God, Mama.”
“It’s Landon,” Cami whispers hoarsely.
“Call me, as soon as you know. Do we need to go there?” Mia’s eyes find mine.
Oh, friend. What’s happening?
“Okay. I love you too.”
Cami’s hand grips tightly to mine.
“What’s happened?” Cami demands as soon as Mia ends the call.
“Landon’s been hurt.” Mia’s eyes are full of fear as she wipes tears away. “We don’t know how badly yet.”
“But he’s alive,” Cami says. It’s not a question.
Mia’s eyes meet hers. “He’s alive.”
“When will we know more?” I ask.
“She didn’t know.” Mia buries her face in her hands and lets the tears come. I wrap an arm around Cami, but she just stares straight ahead.
“He’s going to be okay,” I murmur to her. “Landon’s a fighter.”
“He’s okay,” Cami repeats, then shakes her head, as though she’s coming out of a fog. She turns her eyes to mine. “He has to be okay.”
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author KRISTEN PROBY is the author of the bestselling With Me in Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type, fiercely protective and a bit bossy; and her ladies are fun and not afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate, and sunshine. And naps.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby’s Fusion series continues in
CLOSE TO YOU
Camilla, “Cami,” LaRue was five years old when she first fell in love with Landon Palazzo. Everyone told her the puppy love would fade—they clearly never met Landon. When he left after graduation without a backward glance, she was heartbroken. But Cami grew up, moved on, and became part-owner of wildly popular restaurant, Seduction. She has everything she could want . . . or so she thinks.
After spending the last twelve years as a Navy fighter pilot, Landon returns to Portland to take over the family construction business. When he catches a glimpse at little Cami LaRue, he realizes she’s not so little any more. He always had a soft spot for his little sister’s best friend, but nothing is soft now when he’s around the gorgeous restauranteur.
Landon isn’t going to pass up the chance to make the girl-next-door his. She’s never been one for romance, but he’s just the one to change her mind. Will seduction be just the name of her restaurant or will Cami let him get close enough to fulfill all her fantasies?
Coming August 2016
Praise for Kristen Proby
“A Kristen Proby book is a guarantee of a fantastic romance. Proby always delivers when it comes to heat, heart, humor, and ALL THE FEELS.” —Lauren Blakely, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“No one packs as much passion and romance on each and every single page the way Kristen Proby does.” —Jay Crownover, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“Kristen Proby’s stories are all sexy, swoonworthy must-reads!” —Laura Kaye, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“Kristen Proby is our go-to when we want to escape, when we want a love story with a slow burn, a stellar supporting cast, and heroes that have us swooning for days.” -Christina Lauren, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“Kristen Proby writes contemporary romance like no one else!” —Monica Murphy, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“No one does swoony alphas, strong women, and sexy love stories like Kristen Proby. She truly knows how to write romance with heart.” —Laurelin Paige, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“Kristen Proby is a master at creating hot heroes and tender romance. I love her books!” —Jennifer Probst, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
Also by Kristen Proby
Easy Love
Easy Charm
Easy Melody
Easy Kisses
Come Away with Me
Under the Mistletoe with Me
Fight with Me
Play with Me
Rock with Me
Safe with Me
Tied with Me
Breathe with Me
Forever with Me
Easy with You
Loving Cara
Seducing Lauren
Falling for Jillian
Credits
Cover design by Michael Accordino
Cover photograph by Michael Frost
Back Ad
Copyright
“If I Had Never Met You” written by Dan Keseloff and Brad Yunek.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
LISTEN TO ME. Copyright © 2016 by Kristen Proby. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
EPub Edition April 2016 ISBN 9780062434777
ISBN 978-0-06-243475-3
16 17 18 19 20 OV/RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Excerpt from Close to You
Prologue
Landon
“Are you packed?” My sister, Mia, asks through the phone. Her voice is husky with sleep, which makes sense since it’s the middle of the night back home in Portland, Oregon.
“I leave tomorrow, Mia. Of course I’m not packed.” She snickers. I just finished up my last debriefing meeting, my last day as an officer in the Navy. I grip the zipper of my flight uniform and sigh. “It’s not right.”
“I know,” she says quietly. “But you’re safe and whole, and you could be dead, Landon, so I’ll take it.”
I frown, staring at myself in the mirror as I unzip my uniform for the last time. I’ll never wear it again, never pilot a plane again.
What the fuck am I supposed to do now? The Navy gave me options, but if I can’t fly, there’s no sense in it. Flying isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am.
“You’re overthinking.” Mia says.
“I’m a pilot, Mia. This is what I love. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.”
“You’re alive.” she says.
“Am I?” I murmur, then shake my head and wince at the neck pain that still nags me from time to time. Ejecting from an F-16 will cause a crick in the neck. And a loss of an inch in height that may never return, along with an entire Naval career.
Son of a bitch.
“This has been the longest four months of our lives, Landon. We’re all anxious to see you.”
“I’ll be home in a few days,” I reply as I pull a T-shirt over my head and throw the last of my belongings in a box that the Navy will have sent to me from Italy.
I loved being in Italy for the past few years,
and God knows I didn’t plan to leave it like this.
But I am. Maybe Mia’s right; at least I’m alive and I can walk and live a normal life.
I just can’t fly.
And that’s what hurts more than any injury from the crash.
“What time should I come get you from the airport?”
“No need,” I reply, regretting calling my sister and waking her up. I just didn’t know what else to do when I came in here and was faced with boxes and the end of a career I love. “I’ll get there.”
“Landon—”
“It’s okay, really. I’ll see you in a few days.”
“Be safe,” she says. “And Landon?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s going to be okay.”
I force a grin and a nod though she can’t see either. “Of course it is.”
We say our goodbyes and I sit on the edge of the bed, scrub my hands over my face and take a deep breath. I hope she’s right.
Chapter 1
Cami
He’s back.
I take a deep, cleansing breath and push my hands through my blond hair, scrutinizing my makeup. I don’t wear much, and I’m certainly not as talented with it as my best friend, Addie, but it’ll do. My green eyes are accentuated nicely, lips are pink and heart is beating faster than ever.
“You’ve known him your whole life. It’s not like he’s new,” I remind myself in the mirror. “You’re just going over to say hi. It’s no big deal.”
I don’t look convinced, so I narrow my eyes and lean in. “He’s just an old friend. Suck it up, buttercup.”
Landon is my other best friend, Mia’s, older brother. Addie, Mia and I grew up together, and I’ve been in love with Landon for as long as I can remember. God, one look at him usually sends the giant birds in my stomach into overdrive. He’s handsome—understatement of the year—and sweet and . . . damn.
I’m ridiculous.
I shake my head at my reflection and turn away to grab my purse and set out to Landon’s parent’s place, where he’s been staying since arriving home a few days ago. Landon was in the Navy since he graduated from college. He was a pilot, until an accident a few months ago that resulted in him ejecting from the plane.
I’ve never felt fear like I did the day we received the call that he’d been hurt. And the past few months of him being on the other side of the world have been torture. I couldn’t see him to make sure he was okay. He had to recover, then go through the process of being discharged from the Navy before he could come home.
Thank God he’s back now. I gave him a couple of days to acclimate, but I just can’t stay away anymore. I need to see him.
And I’m nervous as hell.
I park at the curb by his parent’s house, gather my courage about me, and walk up the sidewalk to the front door, knocking with more conviction than I feel.
There isn’t any movement in the house, making me frown. It’s early enough in the day that he should be home.
I knock again, and just when I’m about to give up and leave, the door is yanked open and there he is.
Half naked.
Hair rumpled.
Eyes bleary.
Did I mention that he’s half freaking naked?
“What are you doing here?” he asks, his voice rough with sleep, snapping me out of my open-mouthed stare.
“Were you still asleep?” I ask, squaring my shoulders and schooling my face to seem as though I see half naked men every day.
Which I don’t. Certainly not tall, dark-haired men with ice blue eyes and olive skin and washboard abs.
Jesus.
“It’s early,” he mumbles and scrubs his hand over his face. He’s not asking me in. He doesn’t look happy to see me.
He hasn’t even hugged me, which probably isn’t a bad thing considering that he’s half naked and I’d probably do something stupid like tackle him to the ground and molest him.
Down girl.
“It’s not that early,” I point out and he turns narrowed eyes on me and firms his jaw, and I realize that not only is he not thrilled that I’m here, he’s irritated.
“I’m still shaking the jet lag,” he says. “What do you need, Cami?”
I take a small step back and shake my head. “I don’t need anything, Landon. I just wanted to stop by and say welcome home.”
“Thanks.” His voice is a little flat. I was not expecting this at all. Landon has always been welcoming, happy to see me. I don’t know what to do with this.
I do know one thing: I need to get out of here. I’m sorry I came.
“I’m sorry that I woke you up,” I murmur, my eyes on my feet as I turn away. “I’ll see you.”
“Cami,” he says, but I don’t stop to see what he’s about to say. My fight or flight reflex has kicked in, and all I can think is, get out of here.
“How embarrassing,” I mutter, fighting tears. “Why would he want to see you, Cami? You’re just his little sister’s friend.”
But it wasn’t always that way. Back in the day, we were friends. He and I always got along well, and I refuse to believe that it was just because of Mia. We had things in common, and we had conversations. And when he left for the Navy, he left a hole in my life that I tried to fill with a mistake of a marriage.
I miss him. I’ve missed him for years. And now he’s home and he doesn’t want me?
I’ll just have to learn to live with that. Besides, it’s not like I can claim that I know him well. Ten years away is a long time. He only came home once a year, and after I got married, he stopped contacting me because he said it wasn’t appropriate to continue to communicate with a married woman.
Divorced or not, why would I think that he’d suddenly be thrilled to see me and swoop me up in a tight hug, then want to share breakfast and conversation?
I sigh as I park in my driveway, kill the engine, and finally face the fact that despite our past, I don’t really know Landon anymore. I know the young man who left here long ago, and that’s not who he is anymore.
I’m not that girl anymore either.
I’ve been carrying a torch all these years for someone who doesn’t exist.
“Stupid,” I whisper and slam my car door shut and climb the steps to my porch, unlock my door, and to my utter shock, see a grey and white streak run between my legs and into my house, then stop at the entrance to my kitchen, turn and sit on its butt, as if it belongs here.
“Oh no, you’ve got to go,” I say sternly. “Come on.” I gesture to the door, but the cat just blinks, then licks his tail twice before returning his gaze to me.
I’ve never seen this cat before in my life.
“Where did you come from?” I ask, propping my fists on my hips and giving the cat my best glare.
It doesn’t seem to bother him.
“You need to go,” I say and march toward him. “Scoot. Outside.”
He simply runs out of my reach into the living room, watching me. “Meow.”
“No, you can’t stay,” I reply, as if I’m carrying on a conversation with the feline. “Seriously, I don’t like cats.”
“Meow.”
“Because they’re moody and snobby. I’m really a dog person.” I say, trying to reason with him. He flicks his tail and turns away from me. “Seriously, I’m not even allowed to have pets here. My landlord doesn’t allow it.”
Great. Now I’m lying to the cat. I own this house.
“It’s not you, it’s me,” I try, but the cat lays down on his back, exposing his belly, and stretches out on my expensive area rug, making himself at home.
“Meow.”
“You. Have. To. Go.” I clap my hands and move fast, trying to scare him out and through the open front door, but he runs in the opposite direction. “Seriously? You’re really starting to piss me off.”
“Meow.”
He jumps up on the back of my couch and crouches, watching to see what my next move is, so he can dodge it, I’m sure.
“I sa
id outside,” I say, my voice heavy with authority.
Finally, he jumps down and runs through my legs, toward the front door, and when I turn around, there’s Landon, with a shirt on now, leaning against my doorjamb with a smirk on his face and the cat weaving through his legs, purring.
“What are you trying to do to your cat?” he asks as he leans down and scoops the terrorist into his arms.
“He’s not my cat,” I reply and blow out a gusty sigh. “He ran in here and now I can’t get him to leave.”
“Smart cat,” he says and scratches the feline’s head. Landon’s blue eyes are on mine as he closes the door and sits himself, and the cat, on my couch.
“By all means, both of you make yourselves at home.” I roll my eyes and push my fingers through my hair. “What do you want, Landon?”
I frown. My voice had never been this hard when I spoke to Landon before. It doesn’t sit well with me.
“I’m sorry, Cam,” he says softly, watching the cat as it curls up in his lap and purrs happily.
“No need,” I say and sit on the loveseat to the left of him. “I shouldn’t have come over without calling first.”
I trace the pattern in the fabric of the loveseat, not wanting to meet Landon’s gaze. I’m still embarrassed, and disconcerted about the cat.
“I didn’t mean to snap at you,” Landon says.
“I’m fine,” I reply. “I was just going to say hi. No big deal. I have some stuff to do, so if you could just take the cat outside with you when you go, I’d appreciate it.”
I stand and move to leave the room, but Landon catches my wrist to stop me. Since I was young, Landon’s always caught my wrist when he wanted to take a bite of whatever I was eating, or just to catch my attention. He’s a touchy-feely guy. I frown down into his face and my heart catches. His blue eyes are sad.
And my arm is on fire from his touch.
“I really am sorry,” he says. “I’m just not myself these days.”