Pure Will

by Kristi Pelton

  “My…parents. You ever watched the movie The Notebook?”

  A broad smile swept over her face and she nodded eagerly.

  “If you like that movie, you’ll like this story.”

  Her wide, innocent eyes stared at me…waiting.

  “My dad came from the wrong side of the tracks. His family was less well off, I guess. My mom came from money. A lot of money. And when she started dating my dad, grandpa was pissed. Forbid them to see each other. But Mom was crazy about her guy. They married the first time when Mom was 19 and Dad was 23. They divorced when grandpa sent her away to college. Dad went after her. While she attended Northwestern, he worked in Chicago to stay close. He got arrested twice for battery,” I chuckled saying this.

  “What did he do?” she laughed with me.

  “Beat up any guy who got too close to her.”

  Her brows shot up. “You mean like swearing to break their fingers if they touched her again?”

  She was making reference to my encounter with Landon the baseball player.

  I grinned. “Something like that,” I said locking her neck in my elbow and pulling her into me. She giggled.

  “So what happened?”

  “They married again. In Chicago. Nanny and Poppy didn’t know. After she graduated and got a job, she tried to hook him up with Hoch Oil. And there was no way he was going to work for THAT oil company.”

  “Hoch Oil?”

  “Yes. My mother is the granddaughter of William Hoch and my father didn’t want a penny of their money.”

  “Do they get along now?”

  “Yep. Poppy knew he was either going to lose his daughter or accept my dad. So, he accepted. They laugh about it now.”

  She smiled. “Your dad must have been a proud man.”

  I nodded. “That he was…is. Still is. In fact, wanna go for a drive?”

  Her brow furrowed and she shook her head. “I don’t think I’m ready to meet them.”

  Lifting her off the counter, I said, “No introductions. This will just give you a visual.”

  Chapter—Camden

  Unsure where we were going, it was still fun simply riding with him. This time when we got to the truck, he had me get in on his side. Sitting next to him seemed a little juvenile at first, but truth be told, I liked the closeness. His iPhone fed into the radio and I approved of every song that came on. He was as eclectic as I was. Eminem. Aerosmith. Kid Rock. Blake Shelton. Tim McGraw. I could have easily sung along but contained my inner Taylor Swift.

  “Give me a hint of where we are going,” I said.

  He nodded. “Do you remember how Donny and Marie were a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll?”

  “Who?”

  He laughed. “Nevermind. It was a TV show my mother watched when she was younger and she used to sing that song.”

  “OK. So a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll?” I was confused.

  He nodded. “I’m a little bit white trash and a little bit trust fund baby.”

  I smiled. I think I understood. But he explained this at his house. “OK…I understand but where are we going?”

  At the time, he turned down a gravel road. Trees hung over the road almost making the trek up the drive dark, but specs of sunlight would burst through like a strobe light. When we hit a clearing, the sun broke through shining down on the finest doublewide trailer I’d ever seen. I hadn’t seen a lot of trailers, though, so I wasn’t the best trailer connoisseur.

  “Daddy’s place when he needs to get back to his roots and forget about what he married into.”

  “So they are still married?” I asked.

  “After all this time. All these years. They are so in love.” He kissed my knuckles when he said that and my stomach flipped.

  “What brings him back here? To this place?”

  He held his hands out as if he wasn’t sure. “I think so much of what they have is from her money. From her family. Mom respects that he keeps this piece of him. She’s never tried to get him to sell it. I guess they say you can take the boy out of the country but never take the country out of the boy. My grandpa used to call him trailer trash and that only made daddy fight harder for her. He was going to prove to everyone that he deserved her.”

  A full-fledged grin covered my face. “I think that’s sweet.”

  Will narrowed one eye. “Don’t go give him a five-star rating just yet. He was a great husband and even better father but he has a quick temper and he’s done his fair share of sitting in a cell.”

  Jail? “He hurt you?”

  “Oh no. Never took a hand to me. And certainly never Mom. But he’d hurt anyone that came near someone he loved, especially her.”

  I placed my hand over my heart and took in a long, slow breath.

  “Don’t you find that romantic?”

  He rolled his eyes. “What I find romantic is the way you touch me when you talk, or the way your eyes can tell me exactly what emotion you’re feeling the moment I say something, like right there,” he said snapping his fingers. “You’re eyes opened wider for a split second and your lips opened slightly which then in turn makes me want to kiss them.”

  This time I smiled, but my teeth bit across my bottom lip. With his finger, he set my lip free.

  “You can kiss me. You don’t need my permission,” I whispered.

  “I always need your permission.”

  “Permission granted infinitively,” I said and one of his hands moved under my hair wrapping around my neck and pulled me toward him until his lips met mine. He started with only a peck or two. Almost as if he was kissing a bubble or something that could break; he was so tender. His other hand caressed my cheek until his hand raked through my hair gripping my neck. And not until my lips parted did his tongue touch mine as if it was boiling hot and he was testing the water. When he realized it was safe, his tongue softly explored inside my mouth, meeting my tongue with its warmth. As a soft whimper resonated up my throat, he slowed, and I mentally noted never to whimper again.

  He stopped kissing but didn’t pull away. His mouth barely an inch from mine. Our eyes so close, it was hard to focus.

  “Camden,” he spoke softly. “I’ve never understood my father until now. Meeting you. Holding you. Kissing you. I get it. I feel for the first time what might have been inside of him.”

  Was he talking about not letting someone else touch me? Most guys were like that. Territorial. I’d been raised around grown men marking their territory. Traveling with my dad and his teammates. Probably not the healthiest of an upbringing, but I was pretty protected…until Max.

  “I think I understand,” I said. Just then a knock on the truck window sent his arm flying against the window. It startled us both. The most handsome man stood at the truck smiling the widest smile. I knew instantly that it was his father because of the smile and his cobalt eyes. I didn’t know if this man worked out, but it sure looked as if he did. Will rolled his window down. The blue in his eyes even more penetrating.

  “Hey Dad,” Will said shaking his head.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” his father said with what my dad would have called a shit-eatin’ grin.

  “Dad, this is Cam. Cam this is my dad, Drew.” Will introduced us and rubbed my knee.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I said, my heart beating faster than I thought possible.

  “Oh darlin’, the pleasure is all mine,” he said with a twinge of a southern drawl while Will shook his head. It was as if they had their own little secret. “What brings the two of you out here to my place? Little William here doesn’t just up and bring girls home.”

  “We were just out driving,” I quickly said.

  “Looked like you were doing a little more than driving,” he teased and I smiled but felt a flush over my face. He’d clearly seen us kissing.

  “Dad. Don’t. We were just out for a drive. In fact, we need to head back.”

  His father grinned big. “I understand. Your mother will be sad she
missed you.”

  “Mom’s coming out here?” Will asked sounding alarmed.

  “Yep! Be here anytime. Well, what do you know…there she is now,” his father chuckled out loud.

  My grip must have unconsciously tightened on Will’s thigh because he glanced at me then took my hand and kissed my knuckles. His dad’s grin widened, then he left the truck and walked toward Will’s mother’s car.

  “I’m so sorry. He rarely comes here anymore and she never does.”

  This time I kissed his hand. “It’s ok. Are you uncomfortable with them meeting me?”

  He turned the key and the engine died. “Not one bit. But this has never happened before and….”

  “Will!” his mother said with such zest it forced me to smile. “Your father said…oh my goodness. I’m Abigail. Will bring her over to the house, please.”

  Will opened his door and slid out, capturing his mom in his arms, then whispered something to her.

  “Mom, this is Cam.”

  I slid from the truck and Will helped me down.

  “Oh Cam. It’s so nice to meet you.”

  I extended my hand and she shook it. She was stunningly beautiful. Blonde waves of hair cut in a classic bob. Hardly any makeup on her face and a smile that made me want her as my mom. Will’s dad hung out closer to the tailgate with his ankles crossed…still smiling.

  “What a lovely name. Cam. Is it short for something?”

  I nodded. “Yes. It’s Camden. Like as in Camden Yards.”

  “I don’t know what that is,” she said and her round blue eyes stared into mine.

  “It’s a major league baseball field. Her father played,” Will answered quickly.

  “Who’s your father?” his dad asked and Will had his head full of hair, but Drew’s was graying around the edges

  “Dave Biggs,” I said softly. My dad wasn’t something I liked talking about.

  He nodded. “Nice,” he said raising his brows then his eyes ran the length of his wife’s body. I looked back at her and she winked at him.

  I glanced at Will who shook his head.

  “We need to go,” Will said.

  “Cam. Please come back. We’d love to have you over for dinner or a movie or even just drinks on our patio over at the house.”

  “Hey,” Will’s dad said as he swaggered over toward his wife. “What’s wrong with my place?” he asked slipping his arm around her waist.

  “Ok. We are out of here,” Will said and I smiled.

  “There’s nothing wrong with your place, sweetheart,” she laughed and swatted his hand as he cupped her behind.

  They were the cutest couple and I could see what Will meant about the trust fund baby/white trash. Though I’m not sure I’d use the word white trash. His dad was more…construction worker like. Jeans. Leather work boots. Tighter t-shirt. Sexy as hell. And she was put together perfectly. At that moment, he leaned in and brushed his lips over hers.

  “Up in the truck,” Will said rolling his eyes as he helped me up into the cab.

  “Cam?”

  “Yes?” I said staring down at his mother.

  “Come back, ok?” Her eyes almost held a fear. She seemed to need me as much as I needed her.

  Will gave a simple nod from behind her and I nodded then too.

  “OK. I’d love too,” I said.

  Relief seemed to settle over her until his dad’s arm circled her waist from behind, then an ornery smile replaced whatever emotion was there first. Will hopped up and fired up the truck. We both waved as Will’s dad whisked Abby off her feet and started walking toward his trailer.

  Chapter—Will

  Are you kidding me? All I wanted to do was show her the trailer. Show her that small piece of my father and we have a damn family reunion right there in front of her. Could they have made it any more clear that they’d never seen me with a girl before? Cam probably wants as far away from me as she could get.

  “Sorry about that,” I said under my breath as I watched my mom kicking her legs as dad carried her into the house. Dad never hid the fact that he desired my mother. Outside of it being completely weird when I was a kid, I’d come to appreciate the passion between them. But seeing them today, touch each other, stare at each other made me think about Cam and what I felt toward her. It was odd really, this feeling inside of me after such a short time. I truly thought my dad was crazy having those types of feelings for someone. There was nothing in my life that had even come close…until now.

  I think about when poppy made mom move away…and dad went after her. How would I feel if Cam had to leave? My stomach tightened just thinking about it.

  “It’s ok. I didn’t mind,” she said softly.

  It wasn’t until that moment that I realized she seemed sad.

  “Camden? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing! Why?” She faked a smile.

  I simply offered her a smile. Clearly she wasn’t ready to say something. I couldn’t…wouldn’t pressure her. She wasn’t like most girls. She didn’t seem to play games or operate under false pretenses. She’d been more frozen in time for the past few years since the dickhead had his way with her.

  “Tell me you feel like I’ve offered up a piece of me now,” I said nudging her shoulder.

  She nodded and a tear slid down her face. What?? My heart faltered in it’s beat.

  “Cam!” I pulled over to the shoulder even though we were only a few blocks from the house and crammed the gearshift into park, jolting the truck forward since it hadn’t come to a complete stop.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered as she covered her face with both hands.

  “Tell me what it is. What happened?” I didn’t try to pull her hands away from her face; I just wrapped my arms around her.

  “It’s so dumb,” she said sniffing. “I’m so sorry for crying. I’m not a crier. I swear I’m not.”

  I leaned away from her and said, “You can cry anytime but I have to know why. Please tell me.”

  She swallowed and said. “You’re a family. They love each other. They love you. And your mom.” Her little chin quivered. What had my mom done??

  “What about my mom? What did she do?”

  “Will! She wanted me to come back!”

  This confused me. She felt pressure now. Damn it.

  “We don’t have to go back. Meeting them. Running into them was just a fluke. We don’t have to go back.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you kidding me? That was the most part of a family I’d felt in years. She’s your mom. And I think she liked me.”

  My mother had never met any girl with regards to me. I was way off base. Cam liked meeting them. She’d lost her mother so long ago and felt a connection to mine. This thrilled me to the bone.

  “Of course she liked you. Why wouldn’t she?”

  She shrugged and I couldn’t contain whatever emotion brewed in my heart. But I knew that I couldn’t get her close enough when I held her and she didn’t seem to mind my suffocating her.

  Though it was illegal, I didn’t buckle the rest of the short ride home only to keep her closer. Once at my house, we both slid out and went inside.

  “I’m sorry,” she said as we moved through the kitchen. Wrigley already nipping at her heels.

  “For what?”

  I got us both a bottle of water from the fridge.

  “For crying, I guess.”

  My heart was like a little chocolate chip in the Nevada heat, slowly melting to a sweet blob. “Listen to me. I know we’ve known each other for a month and been seeing each other for almost two weeks,” I snickered because it seemed crazy to me. “I don’t know how to say what’s in my heart without sounding obsessed and stalker like.”

  She giggled softly and this made me more comfortable.

  “Every day of my life in Lawrence, Kansas has been the same. I’ve lived here my entire life, and don’t get me wrong, I love it. But now, the thought of living here without you…I can’t imagine a single day. But worse than that,
is you crying. That hurts my heart Camden. I don’t want tears to touch your face.”

  “But those were happy tears, I think. Maybe combination tears. I miss her so much and you’re mom was just very sweet.”

  I brushed a kiss over her forehead and she closed her eyes.

  “She would never try to take the place of your mom, but she would love the opportunity to get to know you, I have no doubt.”

  The smile that crossed her face was exactly what I needed.

  I had met tragedy once and my life had been turned upside down. The following week with Cam, I fully understood how much she meant to me after a near tragedy touched us again.

  The weather all day had been warm and humid…muggy as hell in fact; the meteorologists were calling for a cold front to move through the area with the possibility of strong storms. Cam and I texted on and off the entire day. She’d told me she was scared of storms so my plan was to pick her up at her place after her tutoring and bring her back to my place because of the basement.

  I kept my eye on the radar and Topeka was getting hit sooner than expected. The building brutal storm was jogging right along the I70 corridor. Topeka was about thirty minutes away.

  Rather than texting, I called. She didn’t answer. So I drove to the sports center where she usually tutored. Her car wasn’t there. I called for a second time. Again, no answer. The swelling dark clouds lingered to the west but encroached upon my town. I sped directly toward her apartment. Kate and some guy were coming down the stairs. She waved.

  “Hey. Where is Cam tutoring?” The rain slowly started coming down.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve tried calling her a dozen times. This storm is going to be bad. Storms scare her.” Within seconds the rain was heavier.

  “Why don’t you get in? We can go back to my place,” I suggested.

  Looking at the guy, she said, “Want to come with us, Liam?”

  He shook his head. “No. You go. I need to make sure everyone takes shelter at the frat house. I’ll call you later.”

  Kate jumped into the truck as I dialed Cam’s number again. FUCK! No answer.