“Maureen, you don’t want to stay at the bed and breakfast…”
“Well, listen to you, trying to keep us at arms’ length,” Maureen complained. “Nice try, cousin, but I have a feeling there are more hunky men lurking about your town, and I intend to meet a few.”
“I thought you wanted some peace and quiet,” I heard Hannah counter.
“Maureen, I was just thinking…” I stalled, trying to come up with an excuse. “Maybe you would want to stay with us instead?”
“Don’t be silly. The B&B is fine. We’ll come see you when we’re settled – I’m sure Rosie can give us your address.”
“Sure, but why don’t you let me pick you up from the airport?” My heart was pounding, and I was truly scared for Hannah.
Or was I scared for Rita?
No, of course not Rita. It has to be Hannah.
“It’s a little too late for that,” she informed me solemnly. “We’re about twenty minutes away from the place, according to my directions.”
“Twenty minutes?” I asked hopelessly. “Maureen, I’ll…”
“…losing my signal…see you…hunky guys…”
Oh, no.
-§-
About ten minutes after Maureen’s bizarre phone call, I showed up at Rosalie’s bed and breakfast, perspiring a little, dressed in running clothes, and with the front of my hair plastered to my face. There was no doubt I looked a mess, but Maureen had sent me into a bit of a panic. Once I was at River Rock, though, and there was no sign of Rita, I tried to put my mind at ease.
“Camdyn?” Rosalie wondered aloud when I meandered through the front door. “My lands, it’s good to see you, honey, but you look a fright.”
“I feel it too,” I muttered, strolling into her kitchen and leaning against the counter.
“Needing dinner ideas?” she asked, wiping her hands on a towel and then folding her arms across her chest. “How’s the little one treating you?”
“The kumquat is knocking me for a loop,” I teased, “and unless you’re the one making the dinner, I’m not interested today.”
“I hope you didn’t jog all the way over here,” she added then, giving me a very stern look.
“Nope. Just finished jogging when I found out you might have some interesting guests coming today.”
“Today? Not that I know of – just a couple college girls on a relaxing holiday. They are probably wanting to do something on the river.” Taking a cookie from the counter, she held it out to me with a sly grin. Forcing myself to look away, I took a deep breath. I was still holding down that toast, and I didn’t need any trouble.
“Maureen is my cousin, and she’s bringing Hannah with her,” I blurted, giving her crazy-wide eyes for emphasis.
“Oh, well, goodness sake!” she reacted in a bit of a fluster. “Had I known, I would have put a little more effort into those fresh flowers upstairs. Your family is my family, honey. You know I want them to feel at home.”
“Of course I know that,” I assured her, “and I’m sure you will be most gracious. You’re not the problem.”
Standing up a little taller, she actually huffed at me. “Well, what exactly is the problem, missy?”
Enjoying her sass privately somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I tried not to laugh as I shifted my weight a bit and gave her a sad grin. “Maureen is bringing Hannah, Rosalie. As in my half-sister Hannah? Which makes her…” The full impact of what I was saying definitely sunk in, because her coloring changed visibly as I stood there staring at her.
“Goodness, honey, what should I do?” She began pacing back and forth across the kitchen, clearly sharing my worry at that point. “Poor Rita, being blindsided.”
“Poor Rita?!” I exclaimed. “Seriously, poor Rita? Hannah has no idea what she’s walking into, Rosalie. They don’t know Rita is staying here.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do?” she whined.
“I don’t know, just let me think.” Wandering around the room, I pressed my hand to my forehead. It wouldn’t do to have Hannah ambushed with Rita, but how was I going to convince Maureen not to stay at Rosalie’s? That wasn’t really fair to Rosalie, anyway, taking her guests away.
Think, Camdyn, think!
“Maybe she could stay with Jerry Farner…” I muttered more to myself than Rosalie, but she gave me a very stern glare.
“Shame on you, young lady.” Her mouth formed a very thin line as she glared at me across the kitchen, and I realized with a jolt that Rita had definitely broken through Rosalie’s defenses. From current appearances, I might have even thought they were…
Ugh, friends.
“I was half-joking,” I assured her, even though I wasn’t entirely certain that I had been. Rita had stayed with Jerry before, after all, and of her own free will. Plus, she had brought this trouble upon herself, both through her previous life choices and trying to reconnect with me. She deserved to be a little uncomfortable.
“You know darn well I won’t be sending her back to Jerry’s place, so you just keep those impertinent thoughts inside your head,” Rosalie practically commanded in a very motherly fashion. My mouth gaped open for a split second, but then I seriously considered giggling, which would have probably worsened the lecture I felt coming.
“Yes, ma’am,” I stated simply, biting my lip to keep from smiling. “Tell me what you want to do! I’m drawing a blank.”
“Well,” she began, glancing back at Rita’s bedroom as though she were in the house, “why don’t you take Rita home with you?”
“Are you kidding me? No!” My astonishment at her suggestion surely showed on my face, because I sensed that my eyes were nearly bugging out of my head.
“I suppose I could put her up in a hotel over in Jackson,” she mumbled, “but how would she get to work?”
The fact that Rosalie was willing to go to such lengths to help Rita made me instantly angry, and I fought back the bitter words. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re not using your own money to help her.”
She sat at the kitchen table, looking almost defeated as she stared blankly out the window. It simply wasn’t fair that Rosalie had to bear any part of the burden, and the fact that she was taking responsibility for it bothered me more than it should have. Forget Rita and Hannah being uncomfortable – the truth was, I felt more of a family connection to Rosalie than either of them at that moment, and seeing her distressed hurt me immensely.
Letting out a long, extended sigh, I slumped next to her at the table. “I’ll take her.”
“What?”
Darn it, do I really have to say it twice? It was hard enough the first time.
“Rita can stay with me,” I said, wincing and shaking my head even as the words crossed my lips. “When Bill brings her home from the café today…I don’t know…just take her to our place. I will have to figure something out.”
That proud motherly grin she expressed was probably supposed to make me feel better, but instead it made me feel like a total sucker. “You’re a good girl, Camdyn.”
“No, that’s not true,” I informed her with a hint of attitude. “My affection for you has turned me into a complete idiot. It’s quite unbecoming.”
“I think it’s lovely.”
“Well, you’re free to be wrong.”
“Knock, knock! The door was open…” I heard a familiar voice sing, and I closed my eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath. “Hannah, grab my suitcase too, will you? I’m super glad we had such good directions from your website, because I might have never found this place. Get within fifteen miles of here, and phones are useless. I hadn’t thought of that, but I guess it’s bound to happen, being in the middle of nowhere.” Turning, I fully looked at my young cousin, her rich brown hair hanging about her shoulders and straight as a pin, dressed in a pink button-up shirt and a pair of knee-length khaki shorts. She looked like a violin player from the music institute, or whatever her mom had told me, and not a college girl on a holiday. I nearly smiled, until she gasped at me.
; “Camdyn?! Wow, I really didn’t expect you to bring the welcome wagon around or anything. You look terrible. Are you sick? Seriously, you look disgusting.”
“It’s nice to see you, too, Maureen,” I stated with a chuckle as I stood, pulling down the bottom of my sweaty t-shirt. “I was jogging before you called, and I came right over.” The abrupt rise from my chair was not being handled well by the kumquat, who was apparently in turmoil over whether or not he or she would in fact keep the toast.
“Well, you didn’t have to rush over on our account. You could have at least taken a shower.”
She might have been about to continue on her hygiene lesson, but her words were cut short by my swift departure from the room as the kumquat won that battle. Admittedly, I remained in the bathroom a little longer than necessary, chiding myself for agreeing to take Rita home, and wishing I hadn’t been put in that awkward position.
After splashing a little water on my face and appearing to look a little more presentable, I returned to my family – both the flesh and blood relatives and the heart type. Hannah simply gave me a quizzical little grin, but Maureen looked like she was full of mischief.
“I knew you looked sick, but Rosie insists you’re fine,” Maureen goaded me. “I think our Camdyn has a secret, don’t you Hannah?”
“Just leave her alone, Maureen,” Hannah pleaded, giving me a knowing smile.
“I was going to tell you all in a couple of weeks,” I answered lamely, trying to return Hannah’s grin.
“Oh, I can’t wait to tell Mother,” Maureen added with a giggle. “Camdyn is going to have a Teeny Mr. Steamy.”
-§-
I hung out with Maureen and Hannah on the front porch for a while listening to Maureen regale me with tales of all her exploits, and naturally that included filling me in on life post-Vandersnoot Smackdown. According to Maureen, whose tales I was only reluctantly inclined to believe, Olivia had made the choice never to act on the stage again (which was no great loss) and Adam had gone to Cancun for two weeks to try to “figure out his life.” He had seen me on Almost Midnight with Jamie Price, Maureen told me, and he called her three times in a persistent quest to relay a message to me.
The message? He wanted me to know that I was wrong about him, and he would like to apologize to me in person. No doubt that was the case (insert sarcasm), but I had a sneaking suspicion that, if I ever did find myself face-to-face with Mr. Vanderhuff in my lifetime, his apology would likely somehow find its way to a recording device. Since I was determined in my newfound celebrity status (mostly joking about that celebrity thing) that I would not be performing any embarrassing new actions, I mentally vowed never to find myself in the company of Adam Vanderhuff again. (Not that I needed his presence to embarrass myself – ahem, Trent Bauer, vomiting, national television... Every time I thought about it I still cringed.)
Besides, the real reason Maureen decided to drag Hannah along to see me did seem to be for the sole purpose of finding and hooking a man like Cole. Alongside the fields of corn we apparently planted for fun down in these parts of Tennessee, and the chickens we all kept in our backyards, we were growing a healthy breed of strapping, muscle-bound, attractive, romantic, and gentlemanly southern boys that Maureen simply had to see for herself.
Part of me really wanted to offer to introduce her to a nice southern bachelor and then take her over to the pawn shop to meet Jerry Farner. The look on Maureen’s face would have been absolutely priceless. He would have probably brought up Rita, though, so my little joke would have backfired on me. Anyway, I really didn’t want to hear any more about his foot or Bessie the cow, so it was best to leave Jerry alone for the time being.
There were available men around – most likely several close to Maureen’s age – but I knew they wouldn’t be what she envisioned. The only one I could conjure up in my mind that might catch her interest was Jake, and I wasn’t about to unleash him on my innocent young cousin.
Yeah, I know she’s most likely not innocent, but I don’t want to think about it. Besides, even though he has a habit of calling me heartbreaker, I’m pretty sure Jake deserves that title more than I do.
After a while, Rosalie emerged from the house to tell us she had fixed lunch. I couldn’t help but give her a smile, because I knew she had only done that as a favor to me. We enjoyed the chicken Caesar salads she prepared, and even Maureen commented about the quality of the food, which I found humorous. She was also impressed by the River Rock’s “charm and ambiance,” or so she told Rosalie.
When lunch was over, I gave the girls a tour of the outside of the bed and breakfast, including a walk down to the river. The three of us chatted about Philadelphia, our grandfather, and my baby news. Time went by quicker than I realized, and when we returned to the house, we were only there about ten minutes before our conversation in the living room was interrupted when the front door opened. Maureen immediately sat up a little straighter, and I turned to see Cole standing in the doorway.
“Camdyn,” he breathed quickly, “I’ve been looking for you. Jake and I went back to the house to pick up a couple tools from my trailer, and…” He stopped abruptly when he fully realized Hannah and Maureen were sitting on Rosalie’s couch. “Oh…hey ladies.”
“Look who has come to visit us!” I answered hesitantly. “Can you believe they came all this way, Cole?”
“I’m in total shock,” he said, and his face reflected exactly that statement.
“It’s lovely to see you, Cole,” Maureen felt the need to add.
“No flirting with my husband, Maureen,” I commanded. “I forbid it.”
“So bossy,” she muttered, giving me a slight glare.
“Parker, did you find…” Jake began, walking up behind Cole. “Oh, never mind. Heartbreaker, you decide not to take a shower today? You look rather interesting.” I might have stuck my tongue out at him, admittedly. “Did you know that your mo…”
“…months’ worth of hair supplies finally arrived?” Cole interjected, giving Jake a look that convinced him to stop talking. “I know you were wondering about that this morning.”
Impressive cover, but still kind of rude. Hair supplies, indeed!
“Thank you.” I gave him a slight smirk as I stood from the couch. “Jake, this is my cousin Maureen, and my…sister, Hannah.” That still felt so strange to say out loud.
“Well, this day just got interesting,” Jake said with a sly grin. “Nobody told me our heartbreaker had a sister or a cousin. You ladies look like you’re in need of some entertainment, and you’re in luck, because you came to the right place.”
“Back off, Jake,” I insisted. Not at all surprising, Maureen had risen from the couch and stepped slightly closer to Cole’s handsome friend.
“Maybe you ladies will accompany me to B’s tonight,” Jake continued, undeterred.
“Maureen’s underage,” I was quick to blurt.
“I’m very nearly twenty,” Maureen huffed. Jake gave me a quick glance to gauge my reaction, and I gave him a look that dared him to pursue the subject further.
“How about mini golfing in Jackson?” Cole suggested. Had it been directed toward anyone else but Jake, I might have thought that was a great substitute; however, leaving Maureen to Jake’s advances was still making me a little leery.
Walking across the living room to join my husband, I placed a hand on his arm. “That’s a great idea – we should all go.”
“Can’t,” he responded. “That batting practice thing starts tonight, remember?”
Yeah, how could I forget? You’ve been going on about that clinic for weeks.
“Well, what do you say, ladies?” Jake went on. “I’m game if you are.”
“I’m in,” Maureen chimed. Hannah looked hesitant, but I knew she wouldn’t let Maureen go alone.
“Sure, could be fun,” she finally answered.
“Heartbreaker?” Jake inquired, trying to focus his enticing grin on me. I rolled my eyes a bit before I answered.
“How can I say no?” I wondered.
No, seriously, how can I, when I feel obligated to protect Maureen? Bleh.
“So it’s settled, then,” Jake easily decided. “I’ll pick you ladies up at about six. Heartbreaker can just meet us here.”
“We’ve got to go,” Cole interrupted. “Cam, you want to join me for a second?”
“Bye, Jake,” Maureen crooned. I kind of wanted to throw up, and it had nothing to do with the kumquat. Stepping closer to the door, I grabbed Jake by the arm and practically shoved him through the doorway, ensuring that he was in my direct line of vision. There was no doubt that he didn’t see my intentions, because he gave me a knowing grin.
“I’ll be in the truck, lovebirds,” Jake stated, pretending to tip his non-existent hat to me. Sighing, I turned toward Cole as we walked out the doorway and onto the porch. As soon as he shut the door, he had me about the waist and lowered his face to my ear.
“You’re aware that Rita is at our house right now?” he whispered, his breath warm against my neck. “She was just sitting on the porch. She told me Aunt Rosalie had Bill bring her over there, but she has no idea what’s going on. I let her in the house. Is that okay?”
“Uh-huh.” He was standing way too close to me for my brain to function properly.
“I’m guessing this has something to do with Hannah and Maureen? And can you wait until I’m finished talking to you before you do that?”
“Do what?” I asked, slightly taken aback.
“You know, that begging to be kissed thing. You’re leaning into me, tilting your head up…”
“I am not,” I protested.
“So you don’t want me to kiss you?” He gave me an enchanting grin, and I tried to appear aloof. “Because I’ve got to tell you, you are a mess, and I’m finding that kind of irresistible.”
“Well, maybe I’ll just stop taking showers then,” I teased, as he wrapped his hand around my cheek and brushed his thumb across my skin. “Are you sure you want to keep working? You could stop now, and go home to prepare for your baseball stuff. And maybe…” My head was filling with fanciful little daydreams that had taken the temperature up a couple notches, and I smiled to myself just thinking about them.
For No Reason (The Camdyn Series Book 4) Page 8