Camilla & Dallas (Palmers of Copper Creek #4)

Chapter 1

Seven Years Ago

Camilla Palmer

“Come on, Camilla. You’re twenty-one! We have to celebrate.”

Camilla eyed the woman seated across from her at the coffee shop.

They’d only just met when they reached for the same romance novel in the bookstore.

Camilla was so excited to meet someone in Copper Creek who loved romance novels as much as she did.

Finding friends when you’re the new girl in a small town could be challenging.

Was it any wonder that they’d hit it off so perfectly? They both loved reading. They both worked with animals. Where Camilla helped train the ranch dogs they raised at her family’s ranch, Cheyenne worked at the animal shelter part-time while she finished up her English degree.

One difference between them was their looks.

Cheyenne had golden brown hair and blue eyes, with a smattering of freckles across her nose and dimples when she smiled.

Camilla felt like the opposite with her unruly dark hair, brown eyes and golden skin.

Another difference was that Cheyenne was way more outgoing and talkative, more everything really.

“Believe me,” Cheyenne insisted, “I had my twenty-first birthday last year and we did nothing.” The last word was said with a groan. “It’s the one biggest mistake of my life I wish I could take back.”

Camilla laughed despite herself. Already she could tell this girl was going to mean so much to her.

They’d only met an hour ago, and it felt like they’d known each other in another lifetime.

Releasing a groan, Camilla shook her head.

“Okay, okay. I get it. We need to go out and do something fun and crazy.”

Cheyenne’s eyes lit up. “We could go to that new country club. I hear that’s the place to be. We could go dancing, hit on some hot guys…” She wagged her eyebrows suggestively.

“Fine. You can stop twisting my arm. I’ll go.”

Her new friend rose to her feet with a huge smile on her face. “Meet me there at seven. Then we can celebrate and find you a cute guy to dance with.”

With another shake of her head, Camilla waved Cheyenne off.

Sixty minutes. That was all it took for someone to break down her walls and make a friend.

Her oldest brother had moved all his siblings to Copper Creek.

Mateo had insisted this was the place they could carve out a name for themselves—one that was all their own.

Sometimes she wondered if her parents were more upset than they let on that all six of their children moved away.

It had been a little scary putting all her trust in her oldest brother.

But they were all in this together and were going to make something big from their small start.

Word was getting out about how good they were with cattle dogs.

One day, the Palmers would be the top name associated with raising working dogs. And she’d have a hand in that.

The music pumped through the country club. It wasn’t dark and seedy like most dance clubs were. This place practically begged its patrons to mingle and get to know each other in a way that felt wholesome. This was community, through and through.

Camilla stood on her toes in search of her new best friend. Cheyenne had said she was here in the text message she’d sent. But she hadn’t said where to find her in the vast space where bodies moved to the music.

Someone bumped into her and a deep voice seemed to seep right into her skin, being absorbed by her very being. “Sorry, ma’am.”

She snorted as she turned toward the intrusion, only to have her world tilt on its axis.

He was tall—at least six-three to her five-six frame.

His brown hair seemed to glow with strands of blond or maybe from the light of the setting sun through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the far side of the room.

His blue eyes were the color of cobalt. When he smiled, flashing his perfectly white teeth, she thought her knees might buckle right there.

This man wasn’t a man at all. He couldn’t be. Whatever he was, he wasn’t human. An angel, maybe? She’d been reading a lot of vampire romance books lately… He could have come straight out of one of those novels.

He tilted his head as his eyes swept over her, and immediately, she blushed.

While she’d been told she was pretty most of her life, she had always managed to find something she didn’t like about her appearance.

Her hair was too coarse. It would never stay straight or curled no matter how much product she put in it.

Instead, it always managed to find its way back to the uneven waves she despised so much.

Tonight, Camilla wore a pair of tattered jeans with a form-fitted T-shirt.

But the ethereal being before her had slacks and a white button-down with sleeves rolled to his elbows.

From the looks of it, he wasn’t a cowboy. But then that didn’t say much because sometimes her brothers didn’t fit the bill, either.

He chuckled. “Are you okay?” He reached forward, and with the tip of his finger, he lifted her chin to assist in closing her mouth.

Which only made her blush deepen.

Camilla let out a strangled laugh, but it might have sounded more like a dying animal.

“Fine. I’m… fine.” Then, so she didn’t embarrass herself further, she thumbed over her shoulder.

“I better get going. I’m meeting someone.

” Before he could say anything more to her, she darted into a crowd of people who had just finished line dancing.

She rushed through the room, and as luck would have it, she collided with someone else. Only this person was prepared and her hands reached out to wrap around Camilla’s upper arms. “Camilla? There you are!” Cheyenne grinned. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Camilla looked over her shoulder, half hoping she’d see the man again and half praying she’d never come in contact with him as well. No contact meant no more embarrassing moments.

“Camilla? You okay?” Cheyenne ducked her face closer to Camilla’s. “You look like you saw a ghost.”

“I might have,” Camilla muttered.

“What?” Her friend barked with laughter.

“Nothing,” Camilla insisted. “Come on. I’m here. Let’s have some fun.”

There were enough people filling the space that it wasn’t hard to stay hidden from the embodiment of Adonis. True to her word, Cheyenne made sure Camilla was so busy having fun that there were moments she forgot all about her collision with the most gorgeous man on the planet.

After about two hours, Camilla was starting to feel worn out. It was only nine, though. The country club was still full of young adults mingling and dancing. Camilla had danced with her share of eligible young men tonight—but not him. Would she regret that if she left without doing so?

Quite possibly.

“I have to use the ladies’ room,” Cheyenne called over the start of a new slow song. “Want to come?”

Camilla shook her head. “I’m good. I went a little bit ago.”

Cheyenne hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go too far.” She winked. “And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Rolling her eyes, Camilla let out a laugh. She watched her friend slip into the fray of people then she exhaled a sigh. She had no clue how she was going to get Cheyenne to agree to end the night early, but she was practically dead on her feet.

Warm breath at her ear coincided with that deliciously low voice. “Care to dance?”

She didn’t have to turn around to know who was asking. The hairs on the back of her neck and all along her arms were standing at attention. She could smell his woodsy cologne, and the scent did something dangerous to her insides. Slowly, Camilla turned around and looked up.

His smile was blinding. His aura pulled her in.

Without realizing it, she was swept into a fairytale.

They danced and his touch felt… right. His name wasn’t Adonis, after all.

It was Dallas—so, close enough. He was a local, born and raised.

And he was attending an online school to be a wildlife researcher.

By the end of that one song, Camilla felt like she knew everything about this man. Something about his soul spoke to hers. She had never believed in love at first sight. Soul mates were a fairytale in storybooks.

But as Dallas guided her off the dance floor and toward the open doors that led to a veranda outside, Camilla couldn’t help but wonder if dreams were meant to come true after all.

They both leaned their forearms against the railing outside as they stared out at the property that surrounded the country club.

Or, rather, she stared out at the property, but he was staring at her.

It should have unnerved her—his attention—but surprisingly, it didn’t.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and let out a quiet laugh.

His grin deepened. “You know, from the moment I bumped into you, I knew we were going to be something special.”

She laughed again. “You’re crazy.”

“And you’re lying to yourself if you say you don’t feel this connection, too.”

Camilla peeked at him once more. “Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t.”

His laugh was magic. Maybe it was the high she felt being out tonight with Cheyenne. Or maybe it was Dallas. Camilla usually had really good instincts when it came to people. And she didn’t get any bad vibes from this guy.

“I’m telling you, darlin’, we’re meant to be. It’s only a matter of time.”

His words had a choir belting within her chest. Her heart danced along with music only she could hear.

“Only a matter of time, huh?” She arched a brow.

“Yup. If I were any lesser of a man, I’d scoop you up and take you to Vegas tonight.”

She gasped, turning to him, fully expecting to see a teasing smirk on his lips, but he was dead serious.

His calm, collected demeanor said it all.

Dallas really believed they were meant to be.

Her heart went from dancing to pounding against her ribs.

Could she do this? Could she allow herself to jump in with eyes shut tight and have faith that there would be a happily ever after waiting for her on the other side?

Staring into Dallas’s eyes, Camilla wanted to believe it with her heart and soul. Maybe that was the reason she replied, “I’d settle for a first date.”

Dallas’s eyes twinkled knowingly. “Deal.” He moved closer to her, reaching out with his hand before brushing her hair behind her ear.

“You’re so… different than the other girls I’ve met,” he murmured.

His voice was soft, reverent. His gaze swept over her face before landing on her lips.

He dipped his head closer to hers, his hot breath fanning her face as he said, “I know this sounds crazy, but I’m already falling in love with you. ”

It was crazy.

So utterly, earth-shatteringly crazy. Mateo and Sophia would tell her to keep a level head.

They’d tell her that there was no way someone could develop feelings for someone that quickly.

But they weren’t her. And as Dallas’s lips grazed over her own, inciting an electrical current that made her whole body tremble, Camilla knew she’d never be the same.

“Camilla?” Cheyenne’s voice tore through the quiet night air. Camilla broke apart from Dallas, flushing furiously as she turned toward the interruption.

She let out a laugh at the shocked expression on Cheyenne’s face, then gestured toward Dallas. “This is—”

“What are you doing?” Cheyenne demanded, her voice low and dangerous.

Camilla’s eyes widened, but she realized Cheyenne wasn’t looking at her. She’d directed the question to Dallas.

No. They weren’t together, were they?

Dallas only smirked, his hand reaching for Camilla’s. No matter how hard she tried to pull away, his grasp remained firm. “Hey, sis.”

Camilla’s eyes darted from Cheyenne to Dallas. Siblings. They were just siblings. And that was when Camilla felt everything officially fall into place. Nothing could be more perfect than being best friends with the sister of the guy she was also falling for.