Only Us: A Fool’s Gold Holiday

by Mallery, Susan

  “I have some creative skills,” Cameron told her, shrugging out of his jacket.

  “Maybe you could audition,” Rina told him. “Do one and if we think it’s all right, you can do a second.”

  His daughter burst out laughing. “She’s kidding, Daddy. You can decorate as many cookies as you want.”

  “Thank you, baby girl.” He walked by Rina. “I’ll deal with you later,” he growled in a low voice.

  She glanced at him, then looked away. But in the split second when her gaze locked with his, he would have sworn he saw something. A spark. No, bigger than a spark, because whatever it was hit him hard in the gut. It made him think about being alone with her in a dark, quiet room. Just the two of them and all the time in the world. It made him want to hold her in his arms and kiss her. And more.

  He shook off the moment, telling himself it was just the season. Holidays were a time for belonging. While Kaitlyn was amazing, she was his kid, not his partner. Maybe it was time for him to start dating.

  He went to the sink to wash his hands, then he and Kaitlyn set the table. When the oven timer went off, he removed the garlic bread and put it on a plate. The dance of preparing dinner was a familiar one, formed over the past year. Rina stirred the sauce, while he dumped the cooked spaghetti into a colander. She combined pasta and sauce, then brought the serving bowl to the table while he poured Kaitlyn’s milk and a glass of wine for Rina and for himself. Noah settled into her bed in the corner of the kitchen, a dog biscuit held delicately in her teeth.

  “Maybe we could get our tree this weekend,” Kaitlyn said, her voice faintly pleading.

  “It’s a little early,” Rina told her, passing the garlic bread. “There’s a new delivery coming in next Thursday. They’ll be fresh. I love that smell.”

  “Me, too,” his daughter said. “You’re right. We should wait. If it’s fresh, we can keep it up through New Year’s.”

  Conversation flowed around him. A discussion about whether or not there should be more decorations on the lawn. His daughter talking about practicing for the holiday pageant and how she would start taking dance classes in January. That meant next year she would appear in the Dance of the Winter King. There were also not-so-subtle hints about what she would like for Christmas and a recounted conversation in which Rina had threatened to paint a cat’s nails.

  “How’s the adoption program coming?” he asked.

  “Good. I’ve been putting pictures of the pets up online, so people get an idea of what’s available. The shelter has been getting lots of calls.” She wrinkled her nose. “There’s a family interested in the iguana, if you can believe it. Why anyone would want a four-foot-long lizard that can live twenty years is beyond me. But they have a special room prepared for it and everything.”

  “Having the iguana adopted out will be a big savings,” he said.

  “I know. Based on the calls we’re getting, we have a lot of good prospective owners interested in other animals, too. I’m hoping for a big turnout.”

  “You’ve put a lot of work into the project.”

  Rina smiled. “The animals shouldn’t be stuck in a shelter—not even the iguana. Everyone should have a home to be part of, especially over the holidays.”

  When he’d bought the veterinary practice in Fool’s Gold, he’d wanted to find a welcoming community to raise his daughter. What he’d found was a place to call home. No one simply lived in the town. They became a part of whatever was going on.

  “You’re not really going to try to paint the cats’ nails are you?” he asked.

  “You’re going to have to wait and see what I do.”

  They finished dinner and then sat around the table talking. It was close to seven-thirty when they got up to clear the dishes. While Kaitlyn helped Rina load the dishwasher, Cameron walked Noah. When he returned there were boxes of decorations scattered across the coffee table in the living room.

  “Just a few more things,” Rina said, with a shrug. “We couldn’t resist.”

  “Where am I supposed to store all this?” he asked. “I’ll have to add on a second house.”

  That made Kaitlyn laugh. She spun in a circle, her long hair flowing out behind her, Noah chasing her. Dog and child collapsed onto the floor in a heap. Kaitlyn opened her eyes.

  “Daddy, look!”

  He followed the direction of her pointed finger and found a small sprig of artificial mistletoe pinned to the door frame.

  Turning to Rina he explained, “She read about mistletoe when she was six. Now she wants me to put it up every year. It’s kind of a family joke.”

  Only Rina wasn’t laughing and suddenly he wasn’t either. She was standing right under the tacky little plant—she probably hadn’t noticed it until his daughter had mentioned it just now. Emotions flashed through her eyes, emotions he couldn’t read. They were friends, he reminded himself. Good friends. Kissing would make things awkward between them and that was the last thing he wanted.

  “Daddy, kiss her.”

  It seemed easier to give in than to explain—at least that was what he told himself. He bent forward and lightly brushed Rina’s mouth with his own. There was a quick explosion of heat, then she drew back and sidestepped away.

  “Now where are we putting those dancing snowmen?” she asked.

  Rina had never been much of a believer in signs, but she was starting to rethink her position. Within a few hours of having a conversation with her friend Jesse about telling Cameron how she felt about him, he’d kissed her. Sure, it had been because of mistletoe and in front of his daughter and his dog. Hardly the hot, I’ve-been-desperately-in-love-with-you-for-months kiss she’d been hoping for, but still. It was a start.

  After quietly leaving a sleepy Kaitlyn in her bed, Cameron and Carina returned to the living room. Before Cameron could offer her a drink or suggest a movie, Rina decided she had to make her move. Telling him how she felt wasn’t anything she could imagine doing, but showing him… He’d broken the physical barrier tonight, and she wasn’t going to stop the momentum now.

  So when he looked at her and started to ask, “Do you want to—” she was ready.

  She put her hands on his broad shoulders, raised herself on tiptoe and put her mouth on his.

  For a second he didn’t react. There was only the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall and Noah’s sigh as she settled back in her bed. Then slowly, his lips moved against hers.

  Rina released the breath she’d been holding and allowed herself to relax. She tilted her head and leaned into him. His hands settled on her waist. But the best part was the sparks.

  They were everywhere: floating around, dancing against her skin, swirling through her belly and heating the most interesting parts of her body. Loving Cameron meant wanting him. She’d been aware of the desire lurking inside her, but it was a need without substance. She hadn’t known if they had that magical chemistry that would add passion to friendship. Until now.

  Now she longed for him even more than before. Her breasts ached to be stroked by him. Her thighs trembled and hunger burned. When he brushed his tongue against her lower lip, she parted for him immediately. When he swept inside, she felt herself getting lost in the moment, in the burning need and the taste of him.

  Strong hands pulled her closer. She melted against him, curves to his hard planes, female to his male. At last, she thought. They were both in exactly the right place.

  Chapter Three

  Cameron felt desire rising up inside him, threatening to overwhelm him. Reminding himself that his friendship with Rina was more important than any single night didn’t seem to be working. While some might say taking things to the next level made sense, he knew better. If he and Rina were friends, he would never lose her. To do more was to risk what they had and he couldn’t imagine his life, or his daughter’s, without her.

  Carefully, he drew back. His resolve nearly crumbled when he saw the passion in her blue eyes and realized her mouth was swollen with his kisses. She was
all lush curves and temptation. He could see her breasts rising and falling with every breath and, for a second, he didn’t think he was strong enough to hold back. Then he reminded himself what was at stake and he managed to contain himself.

  “Sorry about that,” he said lightly. “I guess I got carried away.”

  He hoped that was enough. That she would accept the words and everything could go back to the way it was before. Wishful thinking, he realized when she spoke.

  “I kissed you,” she told him.

  He nodded.

  “You kissed me back.”

  Another nod.

  “Cameron, I want more than what we have.”

  She laid him bare with her words. But what would happen later, to him and his daughter, if she tired of them and walked away? That had been difficult enough for him to go through once. He couldn’t risk Kaitlyn, as well.

  He drew in a breath. “I like what we have, Rina. We’re friends. Good friends. I don’t want that to change.”

  The passion in her eyes bled away, replaced by despair. “Thanks but no thanks?” she asked, her voice low. Tears glistened before she looked down. “Let me guess. I’m not your type.”

  “You are. It’s not that I don’t want you, I do. I just want our friendship more. If we started dating then everything would get complicated.”

  “Dating?” Her voice rose. “Dating? Is that what you think this is about? I’m in love with you, you idiot. I’m here nearly every night, sharing dinner with you, laughing with you, talking about our days. I’m crazy about Kaitlyn. I’m doing everything I can to show you that I’m exactly who you need, who you should love and want and you think I’m interested in a date?”

  He couldn’t have been more surprised if she’d taken out a baseball bat and hit him on the head. Love? He couldn’t begin to figure out what that meant.

  Rina stepped back. In a matter of seconds, she was shrugging into her coat and had her purse in hand. And then she was gone. He was left standing in the middle of his living room, not sure what had happened, but knowing it was bad.

  Noah raised her head and looked at him questioningly.

  “I haven’t got a clue,” he told the dog. “Not a clue.”

  Rina spent most of the weekend working with the holiday adoption committee. She was grateful to be running from meeting to meeting, helping write up descriptions and speaking with prospective owners. Being busy kept her from thinking and not thinking was much easier than feeling the burning emptiness. But come Monday morning, life would get much more complicated.

  Her weekday started as they always did, with her going over to Cameron’s house to get Kaitlyn ready for school. She almost cancelled, but didn’t want to disappoint Kaitlyn. Shortly after Cameron and Kaitlyn had moved to town, Kaitlyn had put in an appearance in Rina’s grooming salon. She’d thought the girl was charming and Kaitlyn had asked to spend time there…which had led to the official sitting job from Cameron. But Rina rarely thought of it as a job. Kaitlyn had become so much more to her than her boss’s daughter.

  Still, Rina wasn’t looking forward to seeing the man who had rejected her and trampled her dreams with one carefully worded statement.

  She let herself into the house, as usual. The smell of coffee filled the warm and welcoming home. After hanging her jacket on the coat hanger by the door and dropping her backpack on the table in the foyer, she squared her shoulders, drew in a breath and walked into the kitchen.

  Cameron was already there. He was freshly showered, wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. His gaze was steady, if a little wary, his eyes the perfect color of green.

  She wanted to run. Facing him after what she’d said would take more than she had in her. Only she refused to be rejected and be a coward.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d come this morning,” he said.

  “We have an agreement.”

  “I know, it’s just…”

  She poured herself a cup of coffee. At least her hands weren’t shaking. “It’s what you said,” she told him. “We’re friends.”

  Somehow she would figure out a way to make that okay.

  “You’re not going to disappear?”

  “No.”

  His body relaxed. “Okay. Good. We can get back to where we were, Rina. I know we can.”

  Then he was more sure than she was. But she would try. Because of his daughter. Because she wasn’t the kind of person to run from trouble. And because friendship was better than nothing.

  “I have a spelling test on Friday,” Kaitlyn said with a sigh later that afternoon. “My computer checks my spelling for me. Why do I have to learn words myself?”

  Rina wiped down the grooming table. She’d already finished her last client and was ready to leave. She’d spent most of Monday trying to act normally, all the while avoiding Cameron. A challenging prospect considering her salon was in the middle of his veterinary practice.

  “It’s important to be able to spell,” Rina said, unable to think of a good reason and hoping Kaitlyn didn’t ask for one.

  The eight-year-old studied her. “Are you sad?”

  “No. I’m fine. A little tired. I was busy with adoption-event planning all weekend.”

  “Maybe you need a boyfriend.”

  Rina did her best not to wince. “Maybe.”

  “You can find one on the computer. Daddy’s looking for a girlfriend there. He told me. He was in a chat room yesterday. I told him I wanted you to be his girlfriend, but he said that was out of the question. I never understand when he says that. I didn’t ask a question.” She continued talking but Rina couldn’t hear her over the fury creating a buzz in her ears. Of all the low-life, rat-fink, weasel things to do. Cameron had said they should stay friends and then he’d gone off to some chat room?

  She’d been calm. She’d been rational. She’d told herself that if he didn’t want her romantically, that was his right and she would have to get over it. She’d taped her shattered heart back together and had shown up that morning because it was the right thing to do and he’d been in some damn chat room?

  “Kaitlyn, will you excuse me for a minute?”

  The girl nodded.

  “I’ll be right back and then I’ll take you home.”

  Rina marched out of her salon. A quick glance at the clock told her that unless there was an emergency, Cameron would be in his office, updating patient records. She walked down the short hall, turned left, then stepped into his office and closed the door behind her.

  He glanced up and gave her a smile. She knew that smile, knew everything about his face, the way he walked and how vulnerable he looked when he was tired. She understood his moods, had cared for him when he’d had the flu, had even groomed his dog. She’d loved him and his daughter, offering all she had, including her heart. He’d rejected her and then had gone online looking for love?

  “I don’t think so,” she snapped.

  The smile faded and wariness invaded his gaze. “What are we talking about?”

  They both spoke in low voices. The practice was in an old house and the walls were thin. While Rina wanted to scream, she didn’t want everyone hearing every detail of what could be a very humiliating conversation.

  “You went online, looking for a girlfriend?”

  He tensed. “Kaitlyn told you.”

  “Of course she told me. She tells me everything. She loves me.”

  The reality of what she’d just said slammed into her and she had to clutch the bookcase to stay standing. The affection she felt for Kaitlyn went both ways. They needed each other. How was she supposed to fight against that?

  “I’m aware of her feelings,” Cameron admitted. “What happened Friday got me thinking about a lot of things. I realized that I haven’t been fair to either of you. I’ve let things go along as they were, without making sure everyone understood the rules.”

  By everyone he meant her. Her strength returned and she straightened. And glared.

  “So you thought you’d help both of
us by looking for a relationship on the computer?” she demanded.

  “I thought if I started seeing someone—” He cleared his throat. “—in that way, Kaitlyn would become less attached to you.”

  She got the truth then. It cut through her cleanly, a sharp blade against her soft heart.

  She’d told herself he wasn’t ready. That he had suffered through a horrible divorce, after his wife had simply walked away from him and their newborn child. She’d convinced herself that he was wary of relationships and love and that given time he would see they were perfect together. She’d thought that Let’s stay friends had meant not now, maybe later. Instead he’d been telling her no.

  It wasn’t that Cameron didn’t want to be with anyone, it was that he didn’t want to be with her.

  Rina’s eyes burned, but she refused to cry. Not here, not in front of her coworkers and Cameron and most especially not in front of Kaitlyn. Hope and love and dreams battled with cold, hard reality. As much as she wanted to ignore the truth, she couldn’t. Not anymore.

  “You’re wrong,” she said slowly. “About finding someone else. I have been there for you all this time. I know you like me and the way you kissed me proves…” She drew in a breath. “But you don’t want to go there. Fine. We won’t. I told you that I loved you and the first thing you did was try to go out with someone else.”

  She linked her hands together in front of her waist and thought about what it would be like once he stopped looking and started dating. Of being at his house in the evening, taking care of his child, knowing he was out with someone else. She couldn’t do it.

  “I’m leaving.”

  He stood. “Leaving? Where are you going? What do you mean?”

  She wasn’t sure, but as she stood there, the answer came to her. “After the first of the year, I’ll be moving my business out of here. You’ll need to find someone else to take care of Kaitlyn. I want there to be a gradual transition so she’s not upset, but you need someone else for daycare.”