by LuAnn McLane
“Thank you.” After inhaling a deep breath, Mia picked up her knife and fork, wondering just where to begin.
2
Delicious Surprise
“THANKS,” CAMERON SAID WHEN HIS FRESH BURGER and fries were placed in front of him. He flicked a discreet glance at Mia and when he witnessed her stunned expression as she stared at her food he had to hide his grin by popping a hot, crispy fry into his mouth. He would be willing to bet that Ms. Money had never eaten something as decadent as chicken-fried steak smothered with white peppered gravy, and mashed potatoes probably never got past those pouty pink lips. She had low calorie/high maintenance written all over her gorgeous face.
Wait … that face. Didn’t he know her from somewhere? “Would you please pass the ketchup?” Cam asked and took the opportunity to get a closer look at Mia Money when she handed the bottle to him. “Thanks,” Cam said but got only a polite, distant nod before Mia turned her attention back to her heaping plate of food. For some reason he didn’t like her curt dismissal but didn’t really understand why it bothered him so much. After all, he had been sort of a jerk to her, so he couldn’t really blame her. But hey, he just couldn’t resist putting snooty chicks in their place. Cam had been a pool boy while working his way through school and had been treated like a second-class citizen too often not to have a chip on his shoulder where rich chicks were concerned. So why was she getting to him?
Maybe it was because attention from women was something he took for granted and Mia was clearly snubbing him. Cam took a bite of his juicy burger and wondered again why he cared, especially since she was merely passing through town. And yet, after swallowing his food he felt the need to slide another glance her way. He watched with amusement as she gingerly put a small bite of chicken-fried steak slathered with gravy into her mouth. Her eyes widened while she chewed, making Cam wonder if she was going to spit the steak right out.
Oh dear God, but then she closed her eyes and moaned with what sounded like sheer pleasure. Cam squeezed his burger so hard that mustard dripped onto his plate. He tried but couldn’t keep from turning his head and looking at her. She was so engrossed in her meal that she didn’t notice his stare, and she dipped her fork into her mashed potatoes. She seemed to savor the potatoes before eagerly tackling the green beans, making sure to spear a hunk of ham in the process. After swallowing, she smiled as she sliced her knife through the steak and then popped a more generous bite into her mouth. “Mmm …”
When Mia moaned again, Cam had to look away, and it ticked him off that the prissy little chick could get to him so easily. He really did not care for snooty women, and she had snoot written all over her. “Would you please just stop?”
Mia stopped in midchew and swiveled his way. After swallowing she asked, “Stop eating? We are in a restaurant, in case you didn’t notice.”
“No, just stop … moaning!”
“I wasn’t moaning,” she hotly denied and then looked around as if to see if anyone was watching, but the diners seemed to have returned their attention to their meals now that all of the earlier commotion was over. She leaned close and said in his ear, “But then again, perhaps you’ve never heard a woman moan before.” Up came the snooty little nose, and with another lift of her chin she popped a green bean into her mouth.
Cam gave her a heavy-lidded look that he reserved for women he was trying to get into bed … not that he was trying to get her into bed or anything. He merely wanted to get the point across that he had no trouble in that particular area, and so he leaned in and whispered, “On the contrary.”
“I meant in pleasure.” She drew the word out and added a roll of her eyes but then blushed before she turned her attention back to her food.
“Oh, baby, me too.” His low, sultry tone was rewarded when she swallowed hard and coughed. Was he actually getting to Miss Priss? He sure hoped so. “And an occasional scream.”
She shook her fork at him and snorted. “As they’re running out the door?”
“Not hardly,” Cam boasted and then felt kind of silly, wondering why in the hell he was going this route.
“Are you always so full of yourself?”
“Are you always so full of food?” he asked and was rewarded with a slight grimace. She frowned down at her plate and he could see the calorie counter clicking away in her brain. She licked her bottom lip and then put her fork down before taking a drink of her water, as if trying to dilute the gravy swimming in her stomach. When she failed to start eating again, Cam suddenly felt like a horse’s ass. “Hey, I was only kidding,” he said more gently and nodded toward her plate. “Keep enjoying your lunch and I’ll leave you alone.”
“Do you promise?” she asked with such conviction that he wasn’t sure whether he should be offended or should reassure her.
“Yes,” Cam said, but she looked at him with uncertainty. Although it was obvious that she came from wealth, there was vulnerability in the set of her mouth and the depths of her eyes that brought out some protective emotion that Cam didn’t even understand. He wasn’t a dragon-slayer kind of guy. “Hey, I keep my promises,” he told her with a slight shrug, but it was true. Admittedly, he could be a real jerk, but he always kept his word. Cam took another bite of his burger and wondered again why he felt the need to tell her that. Mia Money was just passing through his life, and it didn’t matter squat what she thought of him. But while he tried to turn his focus back to his meal, Cam remained keenly aware of the woman sitting beside him.
He absently took a bite of his pickle spear and shifted his mind to baseball, the reason he had moved from Florida to this little Kentucky town in the first place. Noah Falcon, one of the owners of the Cricket Creek Cougars, was giving him a shot to get back into baseball after getting booted out of the Chicago Cubs farm system. Cam had proven his talent, but Noah Falcon had given him fair warning that he had to keep out of trouble or his days as a Cricket Creek Cougar were numbered. Ty McKenna, manager of the team, wanted no part of Cam’s wild ways, but Noah insisted on giving him a chance with the stipulation that Cam keep his nose clean.
Granted, he had always been somewhat of a head case, but because of his talent Cam was used to getting away with it. But the major leagues weren’t high school, where his wild ways had been brushed under the rug for the sake of a state championship. Nope, he found out the hard way that screwups wouldn’t be tolerated. He chalked it up to the recent rash of publicity involving pro athletes getting into trouble, which had forced franchise owners to clamp down on bad behavior.
Cam dipped a fry into ketchup while he thought back to the series of events that had ended his minor-league career. During a closely contested game, his hotheaded reaction to a blatant intentional pitch at his head had him storming the mound and taking a swing at the pitcher. Both benches immediately emptied and there was a nasty brawl that was played endlessly on YouTube and reported on ESPN. Cam shifted in his seat at the memory. Hey, the damned pitcher had gone further than just a brushback. He had given him some serious chin music! What was he supposed to do? Stand there and take it? Most players would have done the same thing.
Cam sighed before taking a long swallow of his water. Okay … there was a bar fight that resulted in fifteen stitches in his hard head and landed him a night in jail. Oh, and a reckless-driving ticket. Cam ground his teeth at the thought. He hadn’t been driving recklessly. He could damned well handle a car at over one hundred miles an hour. He was merely speeding and didn’t need to have his license suspended!
Cam sighed once more. He was going to have to tread softly and keep a low profile. There was only one problem: No matter how hard he tried, trouble had a way of tracking him down. He popped another fry into his mouth and attempted to ignore the intoxicating scent of expensive perfume wafting his way, but when Mia’s thigh brushed against his, he sighed again, drawing her unwanted attention. He wasn’t sure why, but he had the distinct feeling that trouble was sitting right next to him, and so he tried to ignore her stare. It was a damned go
od thing she was just passing through town, because uppity or not, he wasn’t sure he could keep his hands off of her.
“What’s wrong?”
Cam was about to give her a flippant response, but the sincerity in her eyes stopped him cold. Since he couldn’t tell her that her body brushing against his was driving him nuts, he simply shrugged. “Nothin’.”
“That was a something-is-wrong sigh,” she persisted, and although she didn’t say it, she had I-know-the-feeling written all over her pretty face.
Cam nodded toward her mostly full plate. “Stop worrying about me and eat your lunch.” He meant his tone to be dismissive, but he really did want her to go back to enjoying her meal. Then again maybe he just wanted to hear her moan once more.
Not good, Cam thought with an internal groan. Spoiled, rich women suckered him in and then spit him right back out. They always had a thing about his bad-boy image, and yet he was never good enough for mama and daddy. Of course, if he made it to the major leagues, they’d have no problem hanging his arm.
“Wait …” Her delicate blond eyebrows shot up. “You’re upset because I’m not eating enough?” She angled her head. “That’s so sweet,” she added and gave him a maybe-I-was-wrong-about-you look.
“Sweet?” Cam chuckled. “Believe me, there’s nothing sweet about me, Princess.” He nodded toward her plate. “Eat your lunch,” he added gruffly. The fact that she seemed genuinely concerned hit him in the gut. When was the last time anyone had cared? His deadbeat dad and his overworked mother never had. They both resented his very existence, but he sure bet that if he ever made it they would come running with their hands out. Lack of support and compassion from his parents was one of the things that had always driven Cam toward success. He wanted to show them he was worth something, dammit! Unfortunately, the huge chip on his shoulder also held him back. That was why he had to steer clear of anything that remotely resembled trouble, and it irritated him that Mia was getting to him. “It’s really none of my concern if you eat or not.”
Mia gave him a look beneath her lashes that suggested that she didn’t quite believe him and then sliced through her steak. She raised her fork into the air, showing him an almost normal bite. “Happy now?” She popped it into her mouth and smiled while she chewed.
Cam tried not to be drawn in by her smile. He wasn’t very successful but pretended otherwise. “Add a big bite of potatoes and I’ll go back to leaving you alone.”
“Good,” she responded firmly, but her smile faltered, and damned if it didn’t bother him! He needed to finish his burger and get the hell out of Wine and Diner. With that in mind Cam polished off his lunch in quick order and then motioned for Myra.
“Anything else I can get for you today?” Myra asked, and he swore she made a slight motion toward Mia. “Dessert maybe? I have some chocolate cake baked fresh this morning.”
“Sounds amazing, but no, thanks,” Cam replied. When Myra placed his bill in front of him, Mia reached over and snatched it up.
“Remember? I’ve got this,” she said in the firm tone that suggested that she was used to getting her way.
Well, not today, Cam thought and shook his head.
“No, I insist,” Mia said and would not release the small slip of paper to him.
“Okay, Princess, whatever you say.” Cam finally relented when he realized that people were starting to watch the exchange with interest. He really did need to keep a low profile, and it sure wouldn’t hurt her pocketbook to pay for his lunch, so he folded his arms over his chest, which was still a bit damp. “I won’t argue.”
When Mia leaned down for her massive purse, he noticed just how petite she was and reminded himself that he went for tall, leggy women, but when her pale blond hair slipped over her shoulder and onto his leg, he suddenly wished he was wearing shorts instead of jeans so he could feel the silky texture on his bare skin. When his pants suddenly became tighter, Cam shifted on the stool and got a little irritated at her for causing a sexual reaction. Women were another thing he needed to keep away from if he wanted to stay focused on baseball.
Cam was eager to leave and head on over to the stadium for some batting practice. Even though it wasn’t mandatory, he wanted to show Coach McKenna that he was serious. Ty McKenna was known as Mr. Triple Threat during his pro baseball career because he could hurt a team with his bat, his arm, and his impossible diving catches. He appreciated hustle, and Cam was going to show it to him. With opening day right around the corner, he wanted to secure a starting position.
“Um … ,” Mia said, drawing his attention.
“Yeah?” Cam looked over and noticed her fumbling through her purse.
“I seemed to have left my money in my car. I’ll be right back,” she promised and slipped from the stool.
“Okay,” Cam replied but then glanced down at his watch and grimaced. He swiveled around to stop her, but she was already near the door and he didn’t want to shout. Cam took off his cap and shoved his fingers through his hair. He really did need to get going. He had to change clothes before batting practice started, and time was running out. The little fiasco created by Miss Money had made lunch last longer than he had anticipated. With that in mind, he motioned for Myra. “I need to pay for my lunch.”
“Thought that cute little minx was taking care of ya,” Myra said with a wink.
“Well, I’m in a hurry to get to practice, so I’ll take care of myself.” Cam stood up and reached into his back pocket for his wallet, but while he was pulling out some money he remembered seeing a look of panic come over Mia’s face and he suddenly wondered if she was short on cash. He frowned. Chicks like her usually put everything on a card anyway. Something felt odd and his instincts were rarely wrong. “Hey, I’ll pay for hers too,” Cam said and gestured to Mia’s half-eaten meal.
“Sweet of ya,” Myra said with a nod that sent her big hoop earrings swinging back and forth. She accepted the money with a smile.
“Keep the change.”
“Thanks, sugar. Now, get your butt on over to practice. We want another winning season.”
“Will do.” Cam thought Myra was a pretty cool chick for someone who must be in her fifties. She wore hippie kind of clothes and said just about whatever she wanted. He liked down-to-earth, honest people like her. He also learned that this diner had belonged solely to Myra before she retired and handed the reins over to her niece Jessica, who was married to Ty McKenna. They had a little baby that Jessica often carried around in a pouch strapped to her chest while she worked. According to Coach McKenna, Jessica was a kick-ass chef at a popular restaurant in Chicago before coming home to take over the diner. She had an older daughter who worked at the diner on occasion but was some kind of writer, if he remembered right, and she was engaged to Jason, the friendly dude who was building a beer garden on the upper deck of the stadium.
Small towns, Cam thought as he walked out the door and into the sunshine. Everybody knew everybody and had some kind of connection, and if you listened closely enough you could learn just about everything about everybody. There was some backstabbing, but most of the gossip was on the friendly side. People were all smiles and waved to one another. He, on the other hand, had grown up in a trailer park and wasn’t used to such warm fuzzies. Sure, some of his neighbors had been good people, but others … well, not so much. And the rich clients he had cleaned pools for were for the most part arrogant assholes, or at least he felt that way. Daughters and even some wives would come on to him, and yet he would always be the culprit, often getting fired for no reason other than jealous husbands or fearful fathers. Yeah, he admittedly had a prejudice where wealth was concerned, which brought his mind back to Mia. She didn’t seem like she would dine and dash, but when Cam looked around the parking lot, he didn’t spot a luxury vehicle, which she surely would be driving.
“Really?” Cam mumbled under his breath when he spotted her very blond head inside the driver’s side of a beat-up old Toyota. With a frown he walked her way. “Hey,” he
said and leaned down toward the window. She yelped and put her hand over her mouth but then frowned.
“Did you have to sneak up on me?” she accused in a snooty tone that grated over his nerves.
“Sorry, but you were taking forever and I have to get to ball practice,” he replied tersely before noticing the heap of change piled in her lap. So she was counting pennies to pay for lunch? Something wasn’t adding up. Cam felt a stab of compassion, and his anger immediately cooled. All too often he had witnessed his mother scrounging for coins to pay for something as simple as a meal from the value menu at a fast-food restaurant.
“Oh,” she said in a softer tone and then chewed on her bottom lip while she stared at the small heap of change. When she raised those big eyes to look up at him, Cam knew that she was short.
Cam remembered the same look in his mother’s eyes and was glad he had paid for Mia’s meal. He also knew pride, so he tried to choose his words carefully. “Look, don’t be pissed, but I was in a hurry so I tossed down some cash. It took care of both of our tabs.”
“Thank you.” The arrogant tone was replaced with throaty emotion that she failed to mask.
Cam rested his hand on the roof of the car and leaned closer. “Are you okay?” he asked, and though he knew he shouldn’t get involved, those big blue eyes were drawing him in. Although she nodded, she also swallowed hard, and as sure as he was standing there, Cam knew that Mia was in some sort of situation. Someone as gorgeous as her might be running from some rich bastard. It would explain the crappy car but expensive clothes and jewelry. He hoped she wasn’t being stalked or threatened and on the run. Not your problem, his good sense whispered in his ear, and yet his mouth opened and said, “Are you sure there isn’t something I can do to help?” He wanted to bite his damned tongue for asking, but the thought of anyone harming her felt like a kick to his gut. He remembered his mother being smacked around by more than one jerk, and it was a memory that haunted him still. Cam also recalled that when he tried to step in and defend his mother, she would often turn on him instead of the hand that hit her. Getting involved meant getting hurt, and yet he still couldn’t stand to see his mother’s pain. He felt that same kind of emotional tug-of-war right now. Cam swallowed a sigh. “Mia?”