After watching their headlights disappear, they walked back to the truck. No reason to get in a hurry considering they could not get any more soaked than they already were.
Cam placed his arm lightly over her shoulders as they walked and Lana leaned her head onto his shoulder. She had bonded with this man; there was no denying it. They had been on the road for less than nine hours and yet it felt as though they had been together for a while. A good while.
She really liked him—liked his kindness, his goodness—and there was no denying it. He opened her door and waited for her to get inside. “Your poor seats. They’re going to be ruined.”
“Not a problem. This is a working ranch truck. It’s no big deal.”
There was nothing she could do about his seats so she climbed inside, cringing as she sank onto the leather. “They will never look the same again.”
Cam chuckled. “Stop it. They’re seats.” He closed her door and then strode around the front of the truck, the rain shining in the headlights on him. When he climbed inside and slammed the door, he immediately turned up the heat. “As soon as I see a place with an overhang that I can park this rig under, I’ll stop and let you change in the sleeping quarters of the trailer. Then I’ll do the same. I’ll dry the seat some while you’re changing. I’m sorry it’s taking us so long.”
“My dad would have been upset if we hadn’t stopped because of him.”
“Well, you’re very gracious. And I know you’re worried about your dad. But I have to tell you that I like how you put your own needs aside and wanted to stop and help them.”
Lana took a deep breath. “I’m praying my dad is still holding stable like my brother last texted me. I texted him while you were out in the storm and told him what was going on and he told me everything was still good. But, like I said, my dad would have wanted us to stop and help them.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting your dad.” He pulled back out onto the highway and got the truck up to speed.“Like I said, when I find a place to park this rig I’ll dry the seat while you’re changing into dry clothes. Then I’ll change.”
“Sounds good. And just so you know, you’ll be on my dad’s good side for what you’ve done so far.” She chuckled.
“Not if you catch a cold because you’re soaked.”
At the next exit, he pulled under the protective awning of a gas station and while he filled the truck up with gas, she changed inside the small quarters at the front of the horse trailer. It was a really nice setup. Very similar to the one her family owned. There was a double bed on the upper level and a small couch used for seating in the small kitchenette area. It was decorated beautifully, with plenty of room to move around.
After she’d changed, she headed outside. He smiled at her and butterflies fluttered in her chest. Oh yes, it was definitely a moment of acknowledgment that this guy had her interest. Despite her bad relationship before, Cam was quickly overcoming any reservations she might’ve had.
“You look like you feel better,” he said, filling the sudden awkward silence looming between them.
“I…do.” Nerves rattled through her and he seemed nervous too.
He moved so she could see the passenger seat. “I put a towel on the seat for you. The leather was still damp.”
“Thank you. Now, please, it’s your turn to head in there and dry off.” She needed him to head in there and give her a moment to get her head on straight. There were so many reasons she shouldn’t be feeling this attraction. But right now all she wanted to do was kiss the man. He’d been so wonderful this entire trip.
“I think I’ll do that.” Instead of moving, he lifted his hand and ran the back of his fingers against her jaw. “I’ll be right back.”
And then he strode away. She didn’t start breathing again until he disappeared inside the trailer.
Chapter Eleven
It was two in the afternoon when they finally rolled into the hospital parking lot.
Cam was not ready to say good-bye to Lana. He’d realized during the ride that he wanted to pursue a relationship with her. Wanted to get to know her better because he thought she was special. The way she’d wanted to help that couple on the road and had never complained though they’d gotten soaked had made an impression on him like none other.
He was tired and ready for a nap but he didn’t want to leave. She’d freshened up on the last stop and though she looked tired, she was as pretty as a picture.
“I’m going to forever be grateful for you for doing this,” she told him again.
“You don’t have to be grateful to me. I was glad to do it and I wouldn’t have missed getting to know you better. That was a bonus.”
She smiled. “I feel the same way.”
“I’m going to park the truck in the back of the parking area and I’m going to get in the trailer apartment and catch a couple of hours sleep. You go see your dad and then I’ll message you before I get back on the road. Maybe you can come down and see me off.”
“I would like that. I also want you to come meet Dad before you go. He would be upset if you left without meeting him.”
The doors of the hospital opened and five cowboys walked outside.
Cam saw the smile that came to Lana’s face. There was no mistaking who they were by that look on her face but he would have known who they were even if she hadn’t been smiling…the resemblance was striking.
“Oh boy, you’re about to meet the Presley brothers. They must’ve been waiting. We are kind of noticeable with this large horse trailer behind us.”
He laughed. “I’d say so. And I’ll say this again—I’m glad I got you here safe or my hide might have been toast.”
She chuckled at that. “I hate to say this, but you might be right. Though I have a good feeling you can handle yourself quite well.”
He’d have said more but there was no time as the brothers arrived…and surrounded him.
Lana couldn’t believe how great it felt to see her brothers. The last time she’d seen them, it had been strained. They had all been together at Christmas but they had been unhappy that she’d moved away from the ranch and family. But this was different. Relief swamped her. Relief that she was here with them…her family—Shane, Drake, Cooper, Vance, and Brice—and she needed hugs from them so bad.
They weren’t smiling—her stomach dropped. “Is Dad okay?”She had the sudden horrifying thought that they’d told her Dad was okay just to get her home safely when he was really not okay.
“Hold on,” Cooper and Drake said at the same time.
“He’s fine,” Drake added, quickly. “I told you he was fine. He’s waiting to see you.”
“You can breathe now,” Shane added and moved to hug her. “We’re glad you’re home. We all came to greet you because we’ve missed you.”
Brice tugged her away from Shane. “Yeah, bug. We did miss you but we also wanted to meet the man who brought you home to us.”
She hugged him back, suddenly wanting to cry as all her brothers hugged her.“Y’all are going to make me cry.” Then she caught a glimpse of Cam. He was watching them with a smile. She broke away and moved toward him.
“This is Cam. He found out I was going to drive and insisted on driving me since I was upset.”
Cooper squinted and held out his hand. “You insisted and she did what you wanted? How does that work? I’m Cooper. And this is Drake, Shane, Vance, and Brice.”
Cam shook all their hands as each one needled him about her agreeing with what he wanted.
“Okay, guys. Stop teasing. Cam is worn-out and is going to go catch some shut-eye before he heads on to his ranch and I’m going to go see Dad.”
“We’ll take you up,” Drake offered. “Cam, thank you. I know you need to go rest but before you leave, come see Dad if you have time. You’re more than welcome to drive out to the ranch and rest.”
“Thanks but I’ll stay here. I’m only going to nap,” Cam said. Stepping up, his gaze slid to Lana. “I’ll see you in a
couple of hours.”
She nodded. “Good. I’ll be right here.”Where she belonged. But that didn’t stop the tug at her heart knowing he would be leaving soon.
Cam watched Lana head into the hospital with her brothers. He was glad he’d brought her home. He climbed back into his truck and drove around to the back of the parking lot and parked the truck. It had been a long drive and fairly stressful with the weather but still he thought he might have trouble sleeping. He could tell her brothers cared about her. He had a feeling they’d given her a hard time about the jerk of a boyfriend she’d had because they’d known he wasn’t worth his salt. Still, he understood her side of the trouble between them. It would have to be hard to be the only female up against a herd of brothers and a dad who all cared for her. She’d been smothered. He’d heard his sisters complain about him and his brothers smothering them and there had been four of them. His sisters bonded together to set their Sinclair brothers straight. He smiled, thinking of all the times there had been battles at home, growing up, between the brothers and the sisters. Poor Lana had been one against six.
But there was love here and that was clearly evident. But would she want to come back here? She’d said she loved Windswept Bay…
Lana entered her dad’s room. Her brothers waited outside to give her time alone with him. Her heart stuttered as she saw big, strong Marcus Presley wearing a green hospital gown and all kinds of IVs and monitors hooked up to him. She stopped short and her breath caught in her throat, aching with the sudden tears that threatened to overflow.
As if sensing her presence, he opened his eyes. “Baby girl,” he said, her nickname.
She bit back the tears, forced them down and pulled herself forward. “Dad, this is a little extreme, don’t you think? I’d have come home for a visit if you’d just asked. You did not have to have a heart attack.”
He chuckled and held out his hand. “Whatever it takes to get you home.”
She crossed to his bed and leaned over the bed, into his open arms. Unable to stop the tears, she felt his hospital gown dampen as she buried her face against his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re okay. You scared me.”
His arms tightened around her and she felt him kiss her head. “I love you, Lana. Don’t you ever forget that.”
Her heart ached and though she had held it together for miles across five states while getting here to him, the worry for him had been clamped around her heart. The storms and the weather had been great distractions from the stress that she felt but seeing her dad in this hospital bed, wearing a stupid hospital gown instead of his regular Western shirt and cowboy hat and jeans, killed her.
“Don’t cry, baby girl.” He patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry, so sorry. I should have understood why you wanted to leave. I should have supported you in your being upset about the breakup between you and that jerk instead of expecting you to just brush off the pain he’d put you through.”
She pulled away and looked down at him. “It’s okay, Dad. No need to talk about that now. All that matters is that you’re alive and going to get better.”
His gray eyes narrowed. “We’ll talk about it later. But tell me about this fella who brought you home. Sounds like a good guy.”
She smiled, thinking of Cam. “He is a really good guy.”The best of the best.
Cam had been wrong. He’d set his alarm for two hours, lay down on the bunk in the sleeping quarters, and the next thing he knew, it was going off, letting him know it was time to get up.
He sat up, rubbed his face and then stood. It was time to see Lana again. He moved into the small bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. He stared at his stubble on his face and thought about shaving but decided he’d wait until he got home to do that. He wondered whether Lana liked a man with a beard or a smooth face. He’d never considered what a woman would prefer or not prefer until now. But truth was Lana had him thinking about a lot of things he’d never considered before.
Leaving her was going to be hard.
He checked on his horses and knew they’d be more than happy to get to the ranch but they were still doing fine. He wouldn’t hang around long, though, because he needed to get them home. At least the horses’ needs would give him a strong reason to get in the truck and drive away from Lana.
A few minutes later, he headed to Marcus Presley’s room. He knocked on the slightly ajar door and waited until she pulled it open. “Cam, you’re awake. Come in.” Her smile was instant, sending his heart thundering and causing a feeling of longing to flow through him.
“Sure.” He removed his hat as he stepped into the room.
“Dad, this is Cam Sinclair.”
The man in the hospital bed looked sharply at him, assessing him. He looked about as comfortable in a green hospital gown as Cam would be and though he had a little gray hair at his temples, Marcus Presley, on any other week than the one he’d had a heart attack in, would probably look younger than his fifty-something years of age.
Today he looked a bit weak but the determination in his gray eyes told Cam that he’d be fighting his way back to health with every coming day.
Marcus held out his hand. “Excuse the IVs. They seem to think I need them. I want to thank you for bringing Lana home and getting her here safe through all the storms I heard y’all had to get through.”
Cam shook his hand, and like he’d thought, Marcus’s handshake was strong. “It was my privilege to do it. You have a great daughter. How are you feeling, sir?”
Marcus folded his hands.“Glad to be alive. And happy to see Lana. Something like this makes you understand what’s important in this world. I hear you have a ranch over near Madisonville. I’ve heard good things about your livestock.”
“I think so.” They talked about their ranches while Lana listened but didn’t say much. He could tell she was just glad to listen to her dad talking. He decided on the drive between here and his ranch that he’d call his own dad and talk to him.
An hour later, Lana walked him out to the trailer.
“Thanks for talking to Dad and for putting up with my brothers.”
Her brothers Drake and Vance had come back up from the cafeteria before he’d left and he’d enjoyed talking to them. Her other brothers had gone back to the ranch to work.
“You have a great family. I like them.”
“They are great. Obstinate but they mean well.”
He slipped his arm over her shoulders as they neared his trailer. “They care about you. So tell me, are you going to be all right here?”
She smiled. “I’ll be great.”
“What about if you run into that ex-boyfriend?”
She laughed. “I’m pretty sure it’s not going to bother me at all. Somewhere along the road here, I stopped caring at all.”
He stopped walking and cocked his head to the side, studying her. “I’m glad to hear that. You’re worth more than that.”
“Thanks.”
“Call me if you need me. And if you need a ride home, give me a call.”
She chuckled. “Thank you, but I’m going to stay at least a week, maybe a little longer...” Her expression grew troubled.
“You’re worrying again.”
“Yes. I can’t tell you how hard it was seeing him lying there. I just don’t know if I can leave.”
He kissed her forehead, couldn’t stop himself. “You’ll figure it out. I’m here if you need me.”
“Thank you.” She kissed his cheek. “For everything.”
He wanted to talk more, to ask more, but now was not the time. He kissed her lips in a brief brush and then stepped back. If he’d let himself, he’d have kissed her forever. But now wasn’t the time for that either. “I’ll be talking to you. Take care of yourself and I’ll be keeping your dad in my prayers.”
“That means a lot.”
And then, far too quickly, he was on the road again. Headed away from the first woman he’d ever had the desire to marry.
And he knew that was exactly wha
t he felt for Lana. Somewhere between Windswept Bay and Ransom Springs, Texas, he’d fallen in love with Lana Presley.
Chapter Twelve
Three hours later, Cam pulled into his ranch and as always, the feeling of home overcame him. He loved Windswept Bay and loved going home to visit and see his family but his heart was here in Texas on this ranch. He wanted more than anything to bring Lana here. To have her come see where he lived and what he’d built.
He dropped the horses off at the stables with one of the cowboys who worked for him and then he went to his house. Made of Austin rock and cedar, it had a rustic but inviting look to it. He wondered whether Lana would like it. That had become the question of the day.
He rubbed his eyes as he entered the side entrance, stopped off in the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee and then he headed for the shower.
Unlike all the other times he’d come home, suddenly his house seemed lonesome. Too quiet. Too big. Too empty.
He was thirty-three years old and although he’d started hoping that the right woman would come into his life, he’d not been rushing it. He’d been content. That feeling did not describe what he was feeling right now.
He’d known Lana for a little less than a week and she felt right. She probably would think he was crazy but right now that was how he felt…crazy about her.
He finished his shower and dressed quickly. One thing he’d decided on the drive home was that he wasn’t about to let this opportunity with Lana slip away.
He took the time to shave and then he went and lay down on the bed, knowing it was time to get more than a couple of hours of sleep. He’d been awake for fifteen hours, not counting the catnap he’d taken. Hopefully he would sleep because first thing in the morning, he was heading back to the hospital. He owed Lana a nice meal.
With This Promise (Windswept Bay Book 7) Page 9