by Dora Hiers
Stop it, Sierra! Have you already forgotten what you told Violet? That a man would just complicate their lives.
No. She had no use for a man in her life. None. And she surely didn’t want to risk losing her friendship with Camdon. Or her job. No. It was best if she didn’t allow her gaze to wander that way again. Not if she wanted to keep her friend and her job.
7
“There you go, Ms. Esther.” Camdon extended a hand to assist the feeble woman down the steps of the bus, surprised at the iron grip that contradicted the woman’s stooped shoulders, the stick-like legs, and the eighty plus years of age. He whipped the racing walker around and parked it right in front of her granny style shoes.
“Thank you, Camdon.” Ms. Esther gripped the walker like it was a steering wheel and sped off, hustling after her friends into the restaurant Sierra had selected for lunch.
He chuckled.
“That’s it. Everybody’s off the bus.” Sierra appeared at the top of the steps.
He held out a hand, and then changed his mind. Instead, he latched on to her waist and hoisted her so that those cute boots of hers never touched the stairs.
“Let me go. Just because you got pumped during exercise class doesn’t mean you can treat me like a barbell.” Her giggle was more like the nervous sound of a teenager than from actual enjoyment. She swatted his hand, but he didn’t let go.
A fruit and flower blend descended on him. Subtle as a misty fog that hovered just above the water’s surface on a winter morning. Soft and totally alluring.
He took a deep breath, shuttered the passion surely glowing from his eyes, and burrowed his lips into downy soft skin. His lungs stopped functioning.
The gasp that gurgled up from her throat forced him to back up two steps. His eyelids zapped open, and his jaw hinged. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. What had he just done?
Think, man, think!
“You smell good. What fragrance are you wearing?” Lame! He wanted to crawl back in the bus and disappear under a seat. What a foolish lapse in judgment on his part!
“The same thing it always is, Camdon Lambright.” Her voice came out on the breath of a whisper. Her eyes snapped in every direction except his. Almost as if she were afraid of him now.
Way to go, Lambright. Now, instead of gaining her trust, you’ve alienated her. He scraped a hand against the stubble lining his jaw. One step forward, three giant steps back.
This plan of his might take longer than he thought to execute.
****
He’d meant to kiss her. Hadn’t he? She would have sworn it, especially when his lips brushed the soft skin along her neck. Goosebumps rose along both her arms, and a tremor raced up and down her body, wreaking havoc with her nerve endings, all standing at attention now. And, if she was honest, she wondered what a kiss from Camdon would have been like. Oh, mercy!
He was closer than her own brother, and she was letting her mind wander to places it had no business going. All he wanted was to know what perfume she wore. She was making a mountain out of an anthill. What was wrong with her?
She huffed and marched to the restaurant entrance, her boots clicking the pavement.
His hand reached out and snagged her forearm, stopping her in her tracks. She whirled around.
“Hey.” Serious eyes regarded her, warming her with his concern. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I’m good. I just realized that fifty seniors are standing in line, waiting on me to pay for them to eat.”
His gaze flitted to the front of the restaurant. Crinkles fanned out from those gorgeous green eyes, and his cheeks scrunched. The name came out on a groan. “Deer Mountain Buffet.”
She nodded, smiling, knowing how he felt about eating at buffets.
“Sounds great.” His eyebrows dangled high on his forehead. His chest lifted with a heavy sigh.
“I know. I know. Buffets may not be high on your list of favorite places to eat, but the seniors love them.”
“Well, if they like them so much, they must be good, right?”
“If you say so.” She chuckled, warmed by his positive attitude, and patted his shoulder. “If it makes you feel any better, we’re eating at the resort tonight. Grilled chicken with some healthier sides.”
“Sierra, you know I don’t care where I eat. I can always find something on any menu that I’ll like. What really matters is the company. And this week, I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful companion.” His tender gaze focused on her for a full thirty seconds, with such intensity that she couldn’t breathe.
What did he mean by that? Those luscious brown flakes shimmered with some indefinable emotion, suddenly making her limbs weak and loopy.
His gaze dipped to her hand. When had it landed on his forearm?
Oops. What was she doing? They were just friends. She surely didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.
She jerked her arm back as if it was on fire and gestured for him to follow. “Let’s go. Those seniors have waited long enough.”
They ambled inside the restaurant, and Sierra paid for the group to go through the line.
From her spot at the back, she watched Camdon joke with the silver haired ladies. Each one of them had a smile on their wrinkled faces, and occasionally she heard Judy’s shrill laughter, which only made the other ladies laugh harder. Camdon, too.
Her lips rounded at the corners, as always when she was around him. He’d always been able to make her smile, but apparently his charm wasn’t exclusive.
Just then he turned and caught her staring at him. Again. The poor guy was going to think she was stalking him.
She quickly dropped her gaze to her boots and shuffled behind Wilmer, so that the old guy’s shoulders hid her. What was she doing? Wasn’t she supposed to be older, more mature than her daughter? Mercy! She was acting just like Violet.
She shook her head. Get a grip, Sierra. Camdon is your oldest, dearest friend. Stop pulling thoughts and ideas out of thin air or you’ll lose his friendship.
What a sobering thought. Losing his friendship was something she could not even imagine. What would she do without him in her life?
****
They still had an hour to kill before the bus came back to pick them up from the outlet mall. Camdon intended to use that hour wisely, especially since he’d almost blown it earlier. Did Sierra realize how close he’d been to kissing her?
Hopefully not. Or he’d be doing some serious damage control. Like repairing a decade long friendship.
Lord, I could use a little help here. This is tougher than I ever dreamed. It’ll take more self-discipline than I have in me. It’s up to you, Lord. Help her see me as someone who would cherish her and Violet forever, that I’m a man who would always treat her with respect and dignity and love. And help me to be that man.
“Let’s get some ice cream.” Her favorite dessert should score a few points for his Operation Romance Sierra, right?
“Now?” Sierra’s hopeful expression didn’t match the doubtful tone of her voice. “I’m not sure it’s even forty degrees outside, yet.” Her teeth chattered, and she tugged the jacket tighter around her shoulders.
“What? Sierra Danby is turning down ice cream? Seriously?” He inflected a teasing lilt to his voice, smiling when her eyebrows narrowed, and she swatted his upper arm. With his sports coat on over a sweater, her touch felt more like a love tap.
“Not on your life. Especially since you’re buying, big guy.”
He took her hand and tucked it inside his arm, leading her toward the ice cream parlor. “That’s more like it. I wondered what happened to your adventurous spirit.”
“It disappeared along with the sun and warm temperatures, but it came back when you offered to buy.”
“So I should add economical to that list?”
“Or cheap. Whichever works.” She chuckled.
He held the door open for her, the warmth from inside blasting him in the face. So, for his plan to work, they�
��d have to get their ice cream and wander back outside. “What’ll it be today? Cherry chocolate chip or toffee bar?”
“Hmmm…let me see what they have before I commit.” She slid past him, the forbidden scent and cool air clinging to her clothes, enticing him way more than the sweet smells coming from inside the shop. He resisted the urge to lean closer. Scaring her away again certainly wasn’t in the plan.
She bent over to study the flavors in the cooler, a long fringe of dark hair hiding her rosy cheeks. With her nose practically touching the glass, her boots inched along the front as she considered all of them, but he knew she’d pick one of the two he’d mentioned.
Smiling, he waited.
Finally, she glanced back at him. “I think I’ll take a couple scoops of toffee bar on a sugar cone, please.”
His grin grew wider. “Yep. Pegged it. Do I know you or what?”
Her dimple came out of hiding, and her eyes sparkled. “You were right.”
When the order was ready, Camdon handed Sierra her cone. “Come on. Let’s go back outside.” He cupped her elbow, hoping to lead her to the exit.
“Outside?” she squeaked around a mouthful, offering some resistance to his tug toward the door.
“Yeah.” Would his plan work? Or would she squash it right here, dashing his hopes for a little cuddling in the cooler temperatures.
Her dark eyebrows narrowed, but she complied, letting him guide her through the open glass door.
Mission accomplished. He sucked in a deep breath, this time from the frigid air that managed to slither through his layers of clothes. At least, finding a secluded bench that wasn’t occupied shouldn’t be a problem.
He spotted Wilma and Monty huddling close together on a bench in front of the cookware store.
No sweat. He wouldn’t have chosen that bench anyway. Too public. But he sure didn’t want Sierra seeing her grandma all gushy over the old codger. It would put a damper on his plan for her to be all stressed out about Wilma.
“Come on. There’s a bench this way.” He’d scoped one out earlier in a perfect location, nice and private. Camdon steered her in the opposite direction of Wilma.
Too busy licking her cone, she didn’t argue with him.
Eating their treat, they sat quietly for a few minutes, watching men and women rush by, most with harried expressions, some pushing strollers and chatting amiably with their companions as if they hadn’t a care in the world. What he wouldn’t give for the pleasure of enjoying sweet moments like this on a forever basis.
“Oops. You have some chocolate—” emerald eyes twinkled as she slanted close to peer at him “—right here.” She pressed a napkin to his chin, a curtain of hair hanging over her creamy cheek.
He steeled himself against her touch, so he didn’t do something stupid like moan or lean into her hand. He held his breath until her hand dropped away, and then chunked the last bite of the sugar cone in his mouth while she still worked on hers. Settling back against the hard wood, he stretched his legs out and draped his arm over the back of the bench.
She took a bite of the cone, her whole frame trembling.
“Are you freezing?” Would she insist on going back inside?
“I’m okay. But I’m wondering why you wanted to eat ice cream outside.”
She could keep wondering. He didn’t plan on enlightening her to the real reason. “What? And miss all the people watching?” He took off his jacket and draped it around her.
With one hand she draped it over her front and kept right on licking her cone. “People watching is fun, I’ll give you that, Camdon Lambright, but it has to be in the thirties outside.”
His arm dropped to her shoulder, and he gave it a gentle squeeze. “Come closer. I’ll share my warmth.” Being with her, breathing in that alluring blend of fruit and flowers, mingled with the cool air, made him plenty warm. No doubt about that. Fire zinged through his veins.
She scooted her hip along the frigid park bench, and he lifted his arm to bring her into his side. She curled those boots under her rump and snuggled against his sweater. Even wrapped a hand around his upper arm.
Oh, glory! Could she feel his pulse whooshing through his veins? He struggled to get his breathing under control. Not possible. Not as long as she burrowed so close to his side, springing all sorts of wild dreams to life. He closed his eyes against the ache, the possibilities, the longing.
You’re the giver and creator of life, Lord. I know You can make it happen. But could You make it sooner rather than later? Please?
8
Camdon clicked the keys on his laptop, checking emails and responding to the important ones, forwarding others that could be delegated.
He hit send on the last one in his inbox, and then went back to the email that snagged his attention. The one where Buddy reminded him that the deadline for applying for the city manager’s position was next week.
He still hadn’t even thought about it. Well, not much, anyway.
Camdon scanned through the email one more time then stood, stretched his legs and wandered to the window. He lifted the heavy drape back and glanced outside.
His room overlooked the courtyard with the fire pit. The resort staff already had it lit in anticipation of guests wandering around outside in the frosty late afternoon. His gaze landed on the vacant bench. Maybe that’s just what he needed. Time alone to pray, to consider what applying for the City Manager’s job would mean to him, to his future, and what it would mean to his family today—
He startled. Today was Halloween. The day his father had committed that awful deed. The day that had changed the course of their family’s future.
He hadn’t gotten a text or call from Remi or Carson since he’d left. Or his mother. What was going on? He usually heard from each of them every day, sometimes more than once.
He needed to call Remi. Even though Mason would be with her tonight, it wouldn’t hurt to check in. Make sure she was all right. He’d always worried about her the most since their father’s death.
He dropped the curtain and glanced at his watch, grimaced. Five thirty. He could spare a few minutes to pray and make the call. And if he was lucky, he’d have just enough time to freshen up before dinner.
He shrugged into his jacket. Time was running out on the job opportunity. He didn’t want to rush ahead hastily, but if he let it go, someone else would fill the slot, and another vacancy likely wouldn’t happen for years.
He rubbed the back of his neck, loosening the knots of tension, strung tight from thinking about this, but also from being around Sierra and fighting his feelings.
****
“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.” Sierra stretched out on one of the two queen-sized beds, cradling the phone between her shoulder and cheek. Wilma was off wandering the resort with Monty.
Sierra should be upset about that, but how could she work up any animosity toward the pair? Not after she’d seen the excitement sparkling from Wilma’s faded eyes and the spring in her step when Monty had knocked on their door and invited her for a walk.
“Yeah, I knew you would be. So will Camdon when I tell him. He’s the one who helped me ace the test.”
Sierra had never been good with complicated word problems, so she couldn’t help. Thankfully, Camdon had filled that empty hole for her daughter. Just like he’d filled so many of the empty holes in Sierra’s life.
“How’s grandma doing? Has she read at least four books by now?” Violet’s voice sliced through the quiet bedroom.
Sierra glanced over at the nightstand. Empty. No books. She scrunched her forehead, trying to think of the last time she’d seen Wilma with her head bent over a book. Had to have been the bus on the way here. “No…”
“Oops. Have to go, Mom. Wyatt’s calling.”
“O—” The phone went silent. “Kay.” Sierra finished the word and tossed the phone on the bed. Just before it blinked off, the notification that she’d missed a call flashed across the screen. She picked it up. Her boss’
s face stared back at her.
She glanced at the time on the phone. Six thirty. Why was Daniel calling so late? Was he still at work? She scowled. He didn’t usually stick around long after five. But he hadn’t been in the office when she left yesterday, so she hadn’t talked to him since Tuesday. Maybe he was just checking to see how things were going. But that wasn’t like him, either.
She connected the call. “Hey, Daniel. What’s up?”
A heavy sigh sounded over the phone, so clear it was if he was sitting next to her and not a couple hundred miles away.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard yet or not, Sierra, but the city council’s demanding more budget cuts.”
“Again?” How many years straight would this make? And weren’t times supposedly looking up?
“Yes. Again. I’ve been sitting here going over the budget for the umpteenth time. Must be thousands of line items. Enough to make me cross-eyed and mad as a hornet.”
That didn’t sound good. Daniel wasn’t a happy camper on a normal day. He couldn’t be in a good mood having to shave money from an already too-trim budget.
She dropped her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She’d never been one to accept bad news sitting down.
She could hear Daniel’s fingers tapping furiously against the calculator on his desk. “I’ve been crunching numbers all afternoon. Tried to consider every conceivable way to save money, but—” His voice faded, leaving a very pregnant pause.
She gulped. What was he trying to tell her?
“I don’t see any way out of this, Sierra, and I won’t tiptoe around. Your job is in jeopardy.”
“My j-job?” She barely managed to strangle the words out, past the fear squeezing her throat closed.
How could that be? How many years had she sowed into the city, pouring her life out for these seniors, for the residents? Thirteen, no, wait. She’d started at sixteen years old, so that made fourteen years with them.
On heavy limbs, she slogged to the window, her stockinged feet making no sound in the eerily quiet room. She lifted the curtain, her heart heavy, her mind still in shock.