Tempting Cameron

chapter Three


Chloe drove home, the angry, bitter tears that flowed freely nearly blinding her. She couldn’t believe how mean Cam had been. The awful things he’d said. The awfully embarrassing and true things he’d said. She felt like she was fourteen all over again. That funny-looking, flat-chested girl with the dorky glasses and braces, she’d tried her best to capture Cam’s attention when all along, he’d merely tolerated her. Talked about her with his family and friends. Probably made rude remarks about her, too.

God. She was such a fool. Even worse, it only took her thirteen years to figure it out.

Wiping the back of her hand across her eyes, she squinted, tried her best to focus on the road before her. Did everyone really know she’d had a crush on Cam? And why hadn’t they ever said anything? If not Mac, then at least Jane, or any of the other girlfriends she’d had in high school.

Had they all enjoyed making fun of her behind her back? Did they think her pitiful, especially since she still had feelings for Cam?

She couldn’t believe how stupid she was. If she could go dive under the covers and not come out until the end of summer when school resumed, she’d be just fine with that. Facing everyone, knowing that they’d been aware of her crush on Cam all this time, was just…too humiliating to comprehend.

Flashing lights appeared in her rearview mirror and she groaned, pulling over at the next turnout. She furiously wiped at her face, not wanting to look like a crying, pathetic fool. Odds were she knew who pulled her over and she didn’t want him asking any questions.

A knock sounded on her window and she rolled it down, irritated to see it was indeed the local deputy Mike Vargas. He was a friend, someone she’d known forever. “Give me a break,” she muttered.

“Nice to see you, too, Miss Dawson.” He tipped his hat, peering closely at her. “You okay?”

“I’m fine, just trying to get home.” She shot him an irritated glare when he slapped his ticket book against his thigh. “I know I wasn’t speeding, Mike, so you can’t give me a ticket.”

He paused, his careful cop gaze meeting hers. “No, you weren’t speeding. You were driving seventeen miles below the speed limit. I could ticket you for that alone.”

“No way.” Great, so she was a lawbreaker because she drove under the speed limit?

“Yep.” He nodded, looking extremely pleased. Must’ve been a boring night if he couldn’t find anything else to do but harass her. “I clocked you going thirteen miles per hour for the last ten minutes. You didn’t even notice me behind you.” He paused, peering at her intently. “You know this winding road better than the back of your hand, Chloe. Why such a slow poke? Something on your mind?”

No way could she say a word to Mike, not that she ever would. He was the biggest gossip of their close-knit group. “I’m just…tired. Now tell me I can go or else I’m out of here whether you like it or not.”

He cocked a brow. “Do that and I’ll throw another charge on you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, grow up.”

Rolling her window back up, she put the car into drive and took off, bringing her speed back up to twenty-five at least. She knew Mike wouldn’t do anything. That this was his way of making sure she was all right without coming right out and asking her.

Chloe would usually appreciate the gesture, but not tonight. She wasn’t in the mood.

Her cell phone rang and, deciding she was already a lawbreaker of the nth degree, she answered it.

“Where are you?” Ali asked, her voice a harsh whisper. Loud music played in the background, indicating she was still at The Tree. “You totally ditched me.”

“Oh my God.” Chloe felt like such a jerk. She’d forgotten her own friend. “I’m sorry. I’ll come back and get you right now.”

“Come back? You already left? I thought maybe you were making out with Cameron in the parking lot.”

“God, Ali, shut up. Someone might hear you.” She put the phone on speaker and set it facing up in the center console. “I’ll turn around at the next driveway and come back to get you.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I’m getting a ride with Mac. It’s no big deal. Enjoy yourself,” Ali said in a sing-song voice.

“It’s not what you think, Ali,” Chloe said. “I’m not with Cameron.”

“Well, that’s a damn shame. Maybe you should come back here and nab him while you can. He certainly seems miserable enough.”

“He’s still there?”

“Well, he was ten minutes ago when I ran out to the parking lot searching for you. He looked like someone kicked his puppy.” Ali paused.

Good. Though the thought didn’t make her feel that much better. No, she even felt a little guilty, which was so ridiculous she hated to even think it. The man didn’t deserve her care or concern. He’d crapped all over it with his choice of words and how low, how pathetically stupid he’d made her feel.

He wasn’t nice. Nice people didn’t do that sort of thing. They were friendly. They were kind and always willing to lend a helping hand. Why couldn’t she find a guy like that?

Instead she picked the jerk. The rebel. The bad boy. The man who was so outrageously handsome and sexy he could kiss the brains right out of her head.

Then tell her it was a mistake and make fun of her.

She was such a cliché it was pitiful.

“Don’t tell me you two had a fight so early in the game. Hopefully you got a couple of kisses out of the deal before you argued?” Alison continued.

“No, there was definitely no kissing tonight, I’m not sorry to say.” Not that she’d wanted to.

Okay, she’d wanted to, but still. Once he opened that mouth and started spewing insult after insult, she was done.

“You have to fill me in on all the details tomorrow. Let’s get together for coffee.” Ali suddenly squealed, and the sound of a masculine voice filled the background. “I gotta go. Mac is attacking me. See you tomorrow.”

Chloe frowned at her now-silent phone. Mac was attacking Ali? What did that mean?

Sighing, she shook her head. What she’d hoped would be a fun, relaxing evening with friends had turned into a disastrous confrontation ending with her feelings hurt.

Oh, and her utter humiliation. Let’s not forget that part.

Without thought she pulled into the next driveway she came upon, backed out, then headed the way she came. The roads were quiet, the night sky bright from the moon. Its silvery light shone upon the lake, casting it in shimmery waves she couldn’t help but glimpse every time she rounded the curvy road that followed along the banks.

Her tears had dried up, had been replaced with a simmering anger that twisted her stomach. Maybe it was good she found out what Cam was really like now. That he was a world-class jerk who wouldn’t know a good thing if it hit him in the face. It could be the solution to her unresolved feelings for him after all these years.

Instead of focusing on him, she should focus on herself. Take an adventure like she’d talked about. She wasn’t trapped here indefinitely. And she wasn’t boring or bored. She could go anywhere she wanted.

Chloe instantly thought of her mom and frowned. Well, more like she could go somewhere temporarily. Maybe she should take a vacation all by herself. To…Hawaii. Though she’d gone there for her senior trip, she’d rarely left the Waikiki beaches. Or maybe she could go to New York City. Yes, she’d always wanted to see Times Square, take in a Broadway show.

A little smile curled her lips. That would be perfect. She had money saved. It was still early in the summer vacation. She could probably find a deal, go sometime at the end of July. Take a week and see the city sights alone. Or maybe Ali would want to go with her.

It would be great fun, though, going alone—a true adventure. What used to terrify her actually sounded promising. No one to listen to, she could make whatever decision she wanted and not worry about hurting someone’s feelings.

Because unlike a certain someone she knew, she did care about other people’s feelings.

She rounded another tight corner, gasped when she saw the majestic buck standing in the middle of the road. He didn’t move, the cliché deer in headlights flashed through her mind, and she realized he was what her father would’ve called a five pointer.

As she hit the brakes, they squealed so loud the sound scared her. Jerking on the steering wheel, she made a sharp right, fully expecting to slide directly into the buck that would surely wreck her front end beyond repair.

Instead, the backend of her car swerved wildly, causing it to fishtail. Sending her right over the edge of the road and straight into darkness.

Straight toward the lake.

…

The unmistakable sound of squealing tires made Cam lift his head and stop walking. Seconds later a loud thud filled the air and he knew without witnessing it what had happened.

A car had sailed over the edge of the road and probably hit the embankment. Not too far away from where he stood, either.

Taking off in a run, he headed toward where he thought the wreck might’ve occurred, rounded the sharp corner where many a car had flown over in the past. Usually it was a tourist who wasn’t familiar with the roads. Sometimes the cars were going at such speeds they were sent flying into the lake itself.

A few times, people even died.

Picking up speed, he ignored the pain in his knee and kept going. He hadn’t run like this since before the accident, before his knee got all screwed up. The pressure he put on it was tremendous, the pain shooting up his leg and reminding him that hell, no, he definitely wasn’t invincible.

But he pressed on. The scent of burned rubber filled the air and he saw the skid marks crossing the road, noted how they disappeared off the edge of the curve. Going to the top of the embankment, he saw the car flipped over on its top down below. Smelled the spilled oil and gasoline.

Shit. He scrambled down the dirt embankment, reaching for his cell phone in the front pocket of his cargo shorts. Dialing 911, he rattled off his location, reported the accident, and asked for an ambulance and a fire engine.

Sweat pouring down his face, more from the pain in his knee than the exertion, he went to the car, saw the front tire still spinning madly. He recognized this car. Had made fun of it in his head not more than fifteen minutes ago.

“Chloe!” He yelled her name, went to the driver’s side, and tugged on the door. Miraculously it opened, revealing Chloe hanging upside down, still strapped into the seat, held there by her seat belt, her head hanging at an odd angle. His heart nearly stalled in his chest. He needed to get her out of there. “Can you hear me?”

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.