Pitch Perfect: A Cricket Creek Novel

by LuAnn McLane

  “Really now? Don’t be so sure. We’ve had a steady influx of city folk recently. You just might be next.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, Cricket Creek is a cute little town, but I don’t have any plans to move here permanently,” she replied, but at that very moment Cameron was ushered into the room. As soon as she laid eyes on him, her heart started beating faster and her stomach did a little fluttery butterfly thing, making her feel a bit light-headed. When their eyes locked and held, she felt warm all over, almost like she had a fever. What was up with that? Maybe she was coming down with something …

  “Oh boy.” Nancy took one look at Cameron and let out a low whistle. She winked at Mia. “Oh, sugar, I’d surely change my plans if I were you. Hot damn.”

  9

  The Calm Before the Storm

  “THANKS FOR BAILING ME OUT,” CAMERON SAID AFTER they stepped outside.

  “It was the least I could do. I should be the one thanking you for coming to my defense.”

  “No need.” Soft rays of sunshine were breaking through the clouds, but it did little to lighten Cam’s mood. He had missed a team meeting and this little incident could get him ousted from the team. “Those guys had it coming to them,” he added darkly.

  “No need to thank you? Are you kidding?” Mia put a hand on his forearm, causing Cam to pause at the top step. “You don’t even know me and yet you’ve come to my rescue twice now.”

  “Don’t go mistaking me for a hero,” Cam warned once more while trying not to be affected by the light touch of her cool hand on his bare skin. He almost succeeded, but her soft smile just about did him in. “I don’t deserve it.”

  “Well, that’s debatable.” The soft smile remained. “But lucky for you I’m not in the mood to argue. Now, what I do know is that you deserve for me to buy you dinner. But my, uh, funds are somewhat limited.” She scrunched up her cute, perky nose. “Okay, make that very limited. The best I can do is coffee or perhaps a beer at Sully’s.”

  “You really don’t owe me anything, Mia,” he said firmly.

  “Oh … okay.” When her face fell, he tried not to feel guilty.

  “Besides,” he said in a gentler tone, “I have to head over to the stadium and explain to Ty McKenna why I missed a team meeting. Hopefully, he won’t get wind of my arrest.”

  Mia’s eyes rounded. “Could you really be in big trouble?”

  “Maybe,” Cam replied, trying to sound casual.

  “Like in getting booted off the team?” She squeezed his arm and swallowed hard.

  “It’s … possible.”

  “Well, then, I’m going with you.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Oh, yes, I am!” Mia’s tone suggested that she often got her way without any argument, making Cam think once more that she came from wealth. But her pink uniform and the blue hoodie reminded him that she was a struggling waitress at the local diner and drove a beater car. “Come on, let’s go.” She started down the steps.

  Cam hesitated. He was used to fighting his own battles.

  At the bottom of the steps, Mia turned around and fisted her hands on her slim hips. She looked up at him with challenge in her eyes. “What are you waiting for? You don’t have to face the music alone.” Her chin came up. “Cameron, I’ve got your back.”

  Hearing his name in her reassuring tone coupled with the pleading look in her pretty eyes was his undoing. When had anyone come to his defense? For that matter, when had anyone given a rat’s ass about him, period? Other than how well he could play baseball? Never slammed into his brain and sank down to his gut. But while he had to admit that it felt damned good to have someone actually care, a flash of fear snaked down his spine. Letting down his guard made him feel vulnerable, and he liked to feel bulletproof. In Cam’s experience, depending upon someone else was setting himself up for a fall. How many times had he stood by the curb waiting for a ride home from baseball practice that never arrived, while other moms and dads picked their kids up in minivans? Cam had learned to ride his bike, fix his own dinner … and depend upon no one. “Thanks, but seriously, I’ll work it out.”

  “What? I’m your witness.” Mia raised her hands from her hips and reached toward the sky. “Come on, let’s go do this thing. I can help. Really.”

  Cam would have refused again, but something in her eyes told him that maybe she had never been taken seriously. “Okay,” he relented and slowly descended the steps.

  “Good.” She followed in those ridiculous shoes that didn’t fit the mold of a down-and-out waitress. “If you lost your spot on the team because of me, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. I won’t let that happen,” she stated, but the slight waver in her voice gave him pause. Cam suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that while he had always fended for himself, Mia had always depended upon others. But she seemed determined to prove something, and truth be known, he was in some deep shit and she just might be his only salvation.

  “We’ll have to walk,” he warned her with a glance at her shoes. “My car is back at Wine and Diner and we need to go in the opposite direction. Ty and Noah might not be there much longer and I need to get this cleared up. But we’d better get going because there’s a chance of a storm later.”

  “I’m getting used to walking,” she acknowledged with a slight grin. “It’s better for my calves than being driven around all the time,” she said when he reached the bottom of the steps.

  “Driven around?” Has she just let something slip?

  “I meant driving,” Mia quickly amended. “Silly me … ,” she added with such conviction that it didn’t ring true. He wanted to ask more, but she started walking before Cam could get more out of her. She was hiding something. He was sure of it.

  When they arrived at the baseball complex, Cam’s heart thudded even though the walk was relatively short. Even if he tried to keep the incident from Noah and Ty, this was a small town and news traveled fast. He might as well come clean. Cam took a deep breath and paused at the front door. He was usually an expert at keeping his emotions hidden, but some of his internal worry must have shown on his face because Mia put a gentle hand on his arm and smiled. Cam hated that his fear was apparent and narrowed his eyes. “What?” he asked a bit harshly. Being an ass had been his smoke screen all his life, and Cam usually took some satisfaction when it worked, but when her smile faltered it was like a swift kick to his gut.

  “I just wanted to tell you that everything will be okay,” she said softly. When she gently squeezed his arm, it was all he could do not to shake her off, but he didn’t want her to know how her concern was affecting him.

  “Yeah, well, they need me on the team.” Cam shrugged as if it didn’t matter all that much, when of course he was shaking in his shoes, but Mia’s sincere, unwavering gaze actually helped to calm his nerves just a bit. Even though he wasn’t at all convinced that everything was going to be okay, her attempt to reassure him felt … nice. As a kid he had often longed for a hug or even a slight indication that someone cared. Once in a while he got a rather clumsy bedtime pat on the head or a smile from his mother, and when he did, Cam soaked it up like a dry sponge soaked up water. But the rare show of affection always left him wanting more, so he had learned to harden his heart and expect nothing. The fact that Mia had managed to find a chink in his armor made him feel exposed, and so he frowned and pulled his arm away from her gentle touch.

  “Hey, you did the right thing,” Mia insisted. “You stepped in when others would have looked away. No one can fault you for that.”

  “You’d be surprised.” Cam chuckled without humor. Some of the fights he had managed to get himself into were actually because he was coming to the aid of someone or trying to break up a fight, but he always managed to catch the blame.

  Mia’s eyes widened again. “So you think you’re in some really deep trouble?”

  Once again he hated to see her in distress. “Look, when you’ve got something somebody wants or needs, they always manage to look the other
way where rules are concerned,” he said, even though he didn’t really think that about Noah Falcon. And Triple Threat Ty McKenna was a hard-nosed coach. Cam inhaled another deep breath. He was probably screwed, but he didn’t want her to know it. “Come on, let’s go. It will be fine.” He hoped.

  “I’m sure it will be.” Mia smiled but appeared worried.

  “Let’s go.” Cam pushed the front door open and held it for Mia to enter just as it started to sprinkle. A loud clap of thunder had her hurrying to get inside. “We need to go to the offices on the fifth floor,” he said as he walked over to the elevator. “Hopefully, Noah will still be here.”

  “It would be nice if you could get this straightened out pronto.” Mia nodded and pressed the red button.

  “You got that right,” he said and once again tried not to be curious. Really … who said pronto? Her language was often more formal than he was used to, and at times she seemed to be quoting someone older.

  On the way up she seemed to be deep in thought as she stared up at the blinking numbers. He hid a smile while wondering if she was practicing a speech to Noah in her head. Cam took the opportunity to study her profile. She really was pretty and looked so cute in the blue hoodie that he suddenly wondered if he was completely off base about her being rich. Not that he tended to pigeonhole people, but he was good at assessing a situation. With Mia, though, he continued to be at a loss. It made him feel a bit off-kilter, but not in a totally bad way.

  In baseball Cam had gotten the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and from all over the globe. While he didn’t like to stereotype, especially since he had often been on the receiving end, in his experience women of wealth were self-absorbed and wouldn’t be likely to go out of their way to come to his defense. He had never been worth the time or effort. He just couldn’t figure Mia out.

  Oh, but one thing he did know was that Mia had a full, lush mouth made for kissing, and damn if he didn’t want to push her up against the wall, taste her lips, and feel her body next to his. He inhaled deeply, trying to chase that erotic image from his brain, but her light floral fragrance filled his head and didn’t help matters. Crazy that his mind would head in that direction given his current circumstances, but it sure as hell did, and damn, it would not budge.

  When Mia turned and looked at him, something of what he had been thinking must have shown on his face, because her eyes widened slightly and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Again, this type of reaction wasn’t typical of a rich, confident woman. He had to be wrong. Or maybe he just wanted to be wrong since he had sworn off getting tangled up with self-absorbed, self-serving women a long time ago.

  “I was wondering … ,” Mia began, but before she could finish her sentence the lights flickered and the elevator jerked in staccato movements, throwing Cam off balance. He stumbled sideways and twisted to avoid bumping into Mia, but he ended up pushing her up against the wall. He flattened his palms against the cool surface on either side of his shoulders while the elevator continued to shake in tandem with the lights. “What’s happening?” she asked breathlessly and fisted her hands in his shirt.

  “Get down in the middle of the floor,” Cam ordered, and when she immediately obeyed he covered her body with his. If the elevator was going to crash he wanted to shield her from as much harm as he possibly could. She clung to him and he could feel her body tremble.

  “Cam, I’m scared!”

  “It’s okay. I’ve got you,” he said in her ear. The thought of any harm coming to her clenched at his gut, and he curled his body around hers while the lights continued to blink. The floor vibrated and the elevator lurched again, and then everything went dark. Cam held his breath, thinking that they really might plunge to the basement, but the vibration ceased and everything went completely still.

  “What do you think is wrong?” Mia whispered.

  “My guess is that the thunderstorm that had threatened all day long finally hit hard and the electricity went off.”

  “Oh.” Her hands remained fisted in his shirt, and Cam liked it. He also liked the feel of her curves pressed intimately against him. “Shouldn’t there be a backup generator or something?” She continued to whisper, making him grin.

  “Well, if there is one, it’s not working.” God, she smelled amazing. He barely refrained from nuzzling her neck. He should move and put some distance between them, but his aroused body would not even think of budging.

  “So we’re stuck?” Her soft breath caressed his cheek, and it was all he could do not to kiss her.

  “Yes,” he finally managed to articulate. “It seems that way.”

  “How long do you think we’ll be stuck in here?”

  “For a while, I hope.” Oh crap, he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

  “What? Why?” Her breathless whisper tickled his cheek again and sent a hot flash of desire south. Cam tried to cool his ardor and swallowed hard. “Cam?” she persisted and then shifted beneath him.

  Dear God …

  “So I can do this,” he finally replied and then lowered his head and covered her mouth with his. Cam didn’t know what reaction to expect, but having come from humble beginnings he knew not to hesitate when an opportunity presented itself. Having a beautiful woman pinned beneath him in the dark was one of those times when it was better to react than to think. Besides, after this sucky day, what did he have to lose? If she gave him a quick knee to the balls, then so be it …

  But she didn’t.

  With a soft moan Mia opened her mouth beneath his and kissed him back like there was no tomorrow. Which, given the situation, maybe there wouldn’t be, he thought with dark humor. So … why fight it? At least that’s how he justified his actions, and with that thought in mind he deepened the kiss, savoring her sweet, soft lips. When he trailed the tip of his tongue over her full bottom lip, she let go of his shirt and threaded her fingers through his hair, slanting her mouth as if asking for more, and Cam gladly gave it. Their breath mingled, tongues tangled, and he didn’t want the kiss to end. He rocked against her and devoured every inch of her sweet, warm mouth until a trickle of sweat down his back reminded him of the dire straits they’d found themselves in. In the back of his befuddled brain he knew he should try to call for help. He kissed her for another long, delicious moment before he reluctantly pulled his lips from hers.

  “What are you doing?” The touch of disappointment in her tone had Cam smiling in the dark.

  “We should probably call for help,” he replied and almost groaned in disappointment when she released her fingers from his hair. After rolling away, he shoved his hand into his pocket for his cell phone.

  “Oh, you’re right,” she said, but she scooted closer to him in the pitch-black darkness.

  When Cam’s cell came to life, he looked at the glowing screen and shook his head. “No bars in the elevator. I was afraid of that.”

  “There should be an emergency call button that goes to a twenty-four-hour service,” Mia said.

  “Right, I’ll try it.” Cam turned his cell phone to illuminate the wall and then reached up and pushed the button. “Hello?” he shouted into the speaker, but he got only crackling static in return. “So much for that.”

  “What do we do now?” she asked while shrugging out of her hoodie.

  “Well, what you’re doing is a start.”

  “I’m hot!” she explained.

  “I won’t argue with that,” he said and turned the cell phone in her direction to illuminate her face. When she giggled, he thought once more how cute she was and leaned forward to give her another lingering kiss. Perhaps it was being trapped in the elevator or the leftover emotion of the wild and crazy day, but Cam couldn’t remember when he had been this attracted to a woman. No, it wasn’t just attraction. He was drawn to her in ways he couldn’t even explain. And while he knew he should back off for a whole slew of reasons, at this very moment he simply couldn’t. Besides, it kept his mind off the fact that they were trapped in an elevator
for unknown reasons, after hours, with no way out. And for the moment he didn’t have to think about being tossed off the team for getting thrown in jail.

  “Wow … ,” Mia said when her giggles ended.

  Cam kept his phone illuminated and directed at her face. “What?”

  “Who knew that there was such a charmer beneath all of that broody bad-boy sulkiness?”

  “Nobody.”

  “Excuse me?” When Mia tilted her head in question, Cam refrained from telling her that he was anything but a charmer and that she was bringing out attributes in him that no one ever had squeezed out of him before. “Explain yourself.”

  “Nobody, Mia. Like I said, I’m not a hero or a charmer by any stretch of the imagination.”

  “Once again, I beg to differ.”

  “Well, maybe I’m just rising to the occasion.”

  She arched one golden blond eyebrow. “Is that a double entendre?”

  “Not at all,” Cam answered with a deep chuckle and then leaned back against the elevator wall. “It’s a fact.”

  “Really?” she asked, but even in the low light of the cell phone he could tell that she was blushing.

  “Want to find out?” He kept his tone teasing, but he sure hoped that she said yes.

  “I think I—,” Mia began, but she was cut off when the lights flickered and then came back on. The elevator groaned and then began to move upward while they blinked at each other. “Thank God!”

  “Yeah.” Cam nodded his agreement, even though he was thoroughly disappointed that he didn’t hear her answer. While he didn’t want to be stuck here all night, a little while longer would have been just fine with him. A few seconds later the elevator reached the fifth floor, but just as the doors began to inch open, the lights went out again.

  “Oh no!” Mia exclaimed and clung to Cam. “What do you think is going on?”

  “Well …” Cam leaned forward and tried to pry the doors open without success. He peeked through the small opening. The light was dim but he could see over to a window, and a flash of lightning confirmed his suspicion that a thunderstorm was the culprit. “I’m pretty sure this is a power outage from a storm.” He stepped back for her to see.