A Reason to Be Alone (The Camdyn Series Book 2)

by Christina Coryell

  “Did you really say that, Camdyn?” Rachel asked with a snicker.

  “Yes, I think I did,” I told her with a laugh as Cole draped his arm around my shoulders.

  “So I told her I wasn’t going to kill her, and when I realized she was lost, I offered to have her follow me to the bed and breakfast. The power was out, so we couldn’t get a real good look at one another, and I could tell she was pretty leery of me at first. She went to change into something dry, and I should have gone home, but instead I found some clothes I left at Aunt Rosalie’s. Then I started making hot chocolate so I would have an excuse to stay. After a minute, the lights came on, and when she turned to look at me, I noticed some blood on her forehead. I walked over to her, and she was staring into me with those big blue-violet eyes, blushing just a little, and all of a sudden I had to fight the urge to kiss her. So I’m standing there thinking how crazy I am, because I didn’t even know her name, and I felt like nothing I said was making any sense. Anyway, she took her suitcases to the bedroom, and I was waiting there for her with the hot chocolate in my hand, and I remember thinking, ‘God, if this is the girl, you have really outdone yourself.’”

  “And they must have gotten along fine, because he texted me at around three o’clock in the morning to tell me that he had met the girl of his dreams,” Rachel inserted, reaching out to poke Cole in the ribs. He messed her hair up a little and then pulled me closer against him.

  “I would say we’ve all done pretty well for ourselves,” Cole stated as he pressed a kiss against my temple.

  “I would second that,” Tony stated ceremoniously, holding his can aloft for another round of aluminum can toasting.

  Chapter Nine

  The moon shone brightly overhead on the cloudless night as Tony pulled out his guitar and began playing softly. I rested my head against Cole’s shoulder next to the fire, thinking things couldn’t get more perfect. Well, I probably would have been more comfortable if I had my shorts on like everyone else, but close to perfect, anyway. I watched as Sara walked away from camp into the darkness, vowing to myself that I would not trek into the wilderness to take care of business until it was absolutely necessary. When Tony paused between songs for a moment, I took the opportunity to ask if he would play at our wedding.

  “It would be an honor,” he stated seriously. “Do you want acoustic stuff, or the whole band?”

  “The whole band, definitely, so we can rock out,” I suggested with a laugh. Cole nodded his head silently beside me.

  “I am totally cool with rocking out,” Tony agreed. “When is this shindig taking place?”

  “June first,” Cole told him. Sara emerged from the bushes just then and gasped.

  “June first?” she exclaimed in surprise. “Y’all are insane. You don’t waste any time, do you?”

  “Not a single minute,” Cole assured her as he kissed me on the forehead. “Although we haven’t even thought about a time and place or any of that yet, have we?” He laughed, and for a minute I thought that we might be a little insane after all.

  “Rosalie and I actually talked a little about that today,” I explained. “I think maybe we should get married at the bed and breakfast, and she was fine with that if you were, Cole.”

  “That is an awesome idea!” Rachel exclaimed. “There are so many pretty spots around the yard.”

  “Yeah, I like that,” Cole agreed with a smile.

  Tony handed the guitar to Jeff, who said he had a special song to dedicate to Cole. He started singing something about being a fireman, and the country twang he was adding to his words made me laugh. I could tell he was a pretty good singer, even though he was joking around. When he was finished, he rested the guitar against his knee and grabbed his soft drink.

  “You’re pretty good with that guitar, Jeff,” I told him. He smiled as he looked across the fire at Cole.

  “Cole and I have been playing for a long time,” he stated. “Back in high school, we could really make the girls swoon. Well, mostly him.”

  “Aw, Jeff, I loved listening to you sing,” Rachel assured him.

  “Go on, play something,” I suggested to Cole, gesturing toward the guitar. He wrinkled up his nose and shook his head. “Please? I haven’t ever heard you play the guitar.”

  “I haven’t played in a long time,” he sighed. I narrowed my eyes and looked at him from the corner of my eye.

  “So those guitars in your house are just for looks?” I asked cynically, trying to suppress a smile. He saw right through me and laughed out loud.

  “Okay, I guess I mean I haven’t played in front of anyone,” he admitted.

  “So you’re afraid of being embarrassed?” I blurted. “I have been attacked by a fish tonight and fell in the river, so you can’t use that argument with me.”

  “The lady has a very good point,” Tony acknowledged. I bit my lip as I smiled tentatively at Cole, watching his face relax as he prepared to relent.

  “How am I supposed to say no when you look at me like that, Cam?” he moaned. “Alright, I’ll do it, on one condition. You want me to do it, you have to do it too.”

  “Not sing,” I shook my head, and his face broke out into a beguiling smile. “Stop smiling at me like that!” I giggled, but I knew I would give in. I really wanted to hear him play that guitar. He reached for it carefully, giving me a look to see if I was in agreement, and when I smiled at him he brought it up to his lap.

  “Ooh, play that song Steph always wanted you to play,” Rachel requested, humming a little of it. I glanced at Sara quickly, but she was looking at Cole. I knew Stephanie was that other bond between all of them, with the exception of Tony and me. Even so, I would much rather hear the “remember when” stories than hear about Cole’s ex.

  Cole strummed the guitar a couple times, and immediately I completely forgot about Stephanie. I watched his fingers against the strings, and when he started singing quietly, I turned my attention to his eyes. I told myself I should stop staring at him, but I was absolutely mesmerized, and I couldn’t manage to pull my gaze away. I almost felt as though he could sense my thoughts, and I wrapped my arms around myself protectively. He looked down at his fingers for a few seconds, and when he raised up again and found my eyes still on him, he smiled, and that was my undoing. I could feel my blood pumping hotly through my veins, and I raised my hand to my chest and pressed it firmly against my heart. He winked and then turned his face so he wouldn’t be staring at me anymore, and I let out a sigh as I looked at the fire. I dared to glance at him once more when the song was ending, and he was looking down at his fingers again, so I felt relatively safe.

  “Why don’t you look at me like that when you’re singing, Tony?” Sara spoke into the silence, causing Tony to chuckle.

  “I don’t think I can take myself seriously for that long,” Tony told her. Cole was passing the guitar to me, and I opened my eyes wide.

  “A deal is a deal,” he stated, winking at me again. He must have seen the terrified look in my eyes, because he leaned close to my ear and whispered, “You can do it, Cam.”

  “I don’t know how you expect me to follow you,” I managed to say quietly enough that only he could hear. He cupped my face with his hands and pressed his forehead to mine.

  “I am so in love with you,” he breathed before he lowered his lips to mine, eliciting a load moan from Jeff.

  “Can we do without the mushy love stuff, please?” Jeff complained. Cole pulled away from me and resumed his seat on the log, and I pulled the guitar closer and contemplated running into the bushes. If it hadn’t been quite so dark, I might have made an attempt. As it was, I knew I had no way out, so I decided I would fumble my way through an old Jewel song. Considering the fact that I was inwardly shaking and wished I could escape, I think I managed to do a pretty good job. Cole was smiling at me to give me reassurance, and honestly, he made me feel like I could do just about anything. By the time I was finished, I really wasn’t nervous at all. I handed the guitar over to Tony and
did a little bow – very slight, because I was still missing my shorts – and then I settled back onto the log next to Cole.

  “I love your voice, Camdyn,” Sara stated across the fire. “I think that’s a perfect way to end the evening.” She stood up and moved toward the tent, and Tony packed his guitar back into its case. When Rachel and Jeff stood up as well, I moved to the tent and grabbed my black satchel. When I turned around, Cole was standing behind me and took the bag from my hands.

  “What’s so important you couldn’t do without it?” he asked quietly. “Come on, what is it? Lotion, deodorant, shampoo…” He peered inside, and then he just smiled. “Can I have one?” I nodded, and he pulled a toothbrush out of the bag and popped it into his mouth with a laugh. I took one too, and then I tossed the bag back into the tent.

  “What are you guys eating?” Rachel asked as she came near us.

  “Toothbrush,” Cole stated matter-of-factly.

  “Of course, you two with the toothbrushes,” Rachel giggled.

  I walked resolutely into the bushes, realizing that the time had finally come to take care of business. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I had been able to see what was around me, and if there wasn’t something fuzzy touching my leg. I’m pretty sure it was a weed. Actually, I have no idea whether it was a weed or not, but that was the only explanation that kept me from screaming, so I went with it. When I returned from my trek into the unknown, Rachel was waiting for me. I retrieved my shorts and slid them on deftly as she watched me with a smirk. They were mostly dry, and I could live with that, I decided. As the two of us stood there in front of the tent, neither of us moving or talking, I started to feel like I was missing something.

  “What are we doing?” I finally asked Rachel. She shrugged and looked at me.

  “Cole’s talking to Jeff about sleeping in our tent.”

  “What’s wrong with this tent?” I asked with a frown. I certainly didn’t want the thing collapsing on me in the middle of the night.

  “Cole doesn’t want to sleep in it,” she said. I scanned the shadows to try to see Cole, but was unsuccessful.

  “Why?” This wasn’t making any sense, and I was starting to get pretty tired. Plus, I had already taken care of business, and if we waited too much longer, I would have to do it again.

  “He wants me to sleep in the tent with you,” Rachel told me then. “I don’t know.”

  Suddenly the whole situation really dawned on me, and I rolled my eyes and let out a laugh. Rachel glanced over at me with a smile as I opened the flap of the tent and crawled inside. I unrolled one of the sleeping bags and sat on it with my legs crossed, and then I set the other one next to me so Rachel could do the same.

  “What’s funny?” she whispered as she unrolled her sleeping bag. I let myself fall back and stared up at the top of the tent.

  “Nothing, really, it’s just…” I paused for a moment, unsure how to explain the situation to Rachel. “Cole’s got this thing about being alone with me.”

  “A thing?” She looked over at me with raised eyebrows, leaning back and supporting herself on one elbow.

  “He wants to show me respect, or something like that, and not be tempted…” I felt stupid trying to put into words the beautiful sentiments Cole had expressed to me, so I just let the things I had stammered hang in the air awkwardly.

  “Oh, I get you,” Rachel whispered. “This is fun, anyway, like a slumber party with my new sister!” She asked me if I would braid her hair like mine, complaining that she was terrible at doing her own hair. I couldn’t really see what I was doing in the dark, but I moved my fingers back and forth quickly through her thick brown hair.

  “I didn’t sign up for this trip to sleep with you,” we heard Jeff remark as he made his way back into camp.

  “Oh, stop being such a baby,” Cole told him. “If it bothers you that much, I’ll sleep outside.” Rachel giggled as we heard the tent being unzipped, and Cole popped his head in to retrieve his sleeping bag only to find Rachel across it. She offered to give it to him, but he said he would take hers from her tent.

  “You won’t really have to sleep outside, will you?” I asked him frankly, and he smiled.

  “No, Jeff’s just messing around,” he insisted. “It’s a nice night, though, so it wouldn’t matter.”

  “Okay, well, good night then,” I whispered. He crawled through the tent opening and kissed me, then pulled back and paused just inches from my face.

  “I’m sorry, I thought I could handle it, but then you started ripping your clothes off…” Even in the darkness I could see his smile.

  “A fish was attacking me,” I stated emphatically, causing him to chuckle.

  “I saw the way you were staring at me while I was playing the guitar,” he continued. “I’m a little afraid you might pounce on me even now.”

  “Yes, I’m very dangerous,” I told him with all the fake sincerity I could muster. “You should remove yourself from the tent while you still have a chance.”

  “I think I will heed your warning,” he chuckled, kissing me quickly. “Goodnight, fair maidens.”

  “Goodnight, village idiot,” Rachel whispered as he backed out of the tent. As soon as he zipped it up, she fell onto her back and sighed. “Cole’s kind of cute when he’s in love, the way he can’t keep his eyes off you and he’s giddy about everything. I can tell you’re crazy about him, too, the way you light up when he smiles at you. There’s just one thing I want to know.”

  “What’s that?”

  “How many toothbrushes do you have in that bag?” I started laughing as I rolled over to look at her.

  “Enough for a week!” I chuckled. “Goodnight, Rachel.”

  -§-

  I awoke to the smell of bacon, and for a moment I thought I was back at Rosalie’s. When I rubbed my eyes and peered into the morning sunlight filtering through the tent, I saw Rachel in front of me and instantly realized where I was. Grabbing another one of the tiny toothbrushes from my bag, I carefully unzipped my tent and stepped out into the brightness, squinting and holding my hand in front of my face. I looked at the fire to see where the bacon scent originated, and my eyes stopped on Cole, who had his back to me. Walking over to stand next to him, I watched him cook for a moment.

  “I didn’t know you could cook bacon on a campfire,” I muttered. When he turned toward me slightly startled, I smiled around the toothbrush in my mouth.

  “Where’s my toothbrush?” he asked with a laugh. “Don’t hold out on me – I saw that giant stash you have.” I returned to the tent and dutifully retrieved a toothbrush, bringing it back to him before I went out into the bushes yet again. In the daylight, I found it to be more disgusting but less frightening. I couldn’t decide what was worse.

  When the others managed to make it out of their tents, we enjoyed a breakfast of bacon and eggs. Sara remarked that she wished she could braid her hair like Rachel’s, but hers was too short. I told her I could probably pull it into two braids instead of one, and we sat together for a few minutes while I played camp hairdresser. When I was finished, Tony jokingly asked if I could braid his hair too. When I told him I could, he insisted that I prove it, so I spent the next few minutes French braiding his green-tipped mohawk. I thought it looked a little silly, but Tony himself was so goofy that it strangely fit.

  After packing up the campsite, Rachel drug out her sunscreen and was fairly insistent about making sure Sara and I were completely covered, since we were both blondes and she was certain that we burned easily. When she was finished, I pulled the white hat down over my head.

  “I should have brought a hat,” Rachel whined teasingly. “You look so cute.” I offered it to her, since I had the sunscreen on my face, and she pulled it across her thick brown braid and smiled before she told me thanks. She then handed me the sunscreen and told me to make sure Cole used it, because he always forgot. He was loading up his truck, so I stood there awkwardly holding the white plastic bottle until he came close to me.

/>   “Rachel demands that you use sunscreen,” I told him with a smile as I held out the bottle. He folded his arms across his chest as he regarded me with a grin.

  “Are you sure this isn’t just a trick to get me to take my shirt off?” he asked warily, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “No,” I told him mockingly. “Here – you take it. I don’t want you accusing me of anything.”

  “Easy, I’m just kidding,” he assured me. “You’ll have to help me with my back, anyway.” He refused the bottle and spun around, stretching his t-shirt up and over his head and then keeping it in his fist as he lowered his arms. I stared at his back for a minute, slightly tan with the skin pulled taut over his muscles. My eyes moved to the curve of his biceps and triceps, and the heat suddenly became very oppressive there by the river. Forget that it was fairly early in the morning, I was beginning to be extremely uncomfortable.

  “Were you teasing about the sunscreen?” Cole asked me then. “I don’t feel you touching me.”

  The thought of touching Cole made me realize I didn’t need any sun on my face to turn my skin fiery red – I just needed to stand near this man and react like a crazed teenager. I chided myself for being so pathetic, thankful that no one was standing near me, and quickly squirted some of the sunscreen in my hand. As I rubbed it across his shoulder blades and down the side of his arm, I was determined to stop blushing before he turned around and saw the evidence written on my face. When I pushed my fingers around the side of his abdomen, I noticed goose bumps spread down his arm. Biting my lip, I finished as fast as possible.

  “Back’s done,” I muttered as he ran his hand over his arm.

  “Your hands are so soft, you gave me goose bumps,” he chuckled as he turned around to face me. When his eyes met mine, I looked up and away to the right in an attempt to prove that I was not gawking at him as I handed him the sunscreen, which made him laugh harder. I was taking a step back and preparing to turn away when I caught a glimpse of something dark against the left side of his chest, and before I realized what I was doing I reached my hand out and ran a finger across the writing on his pectoral muscle. Proverbs 4:23. When I saw his muscle tense underneath my hand, I jerked back and glanced up at his face.