Chapter 5
Dallas
There was something about being back in Copper Creek that Dallas couldn’t put his finger on. He’d be lying if he said it was the crisp, fresh air. Or that it was the people he’d grown up with. No. None of that held the allure of coming back.
Coming home.
Copper Creek had been home for nearly all his life. He’d grown up here. He’d learned who he was here.
He’d fallen in love here.
The flings he’d had in high school didn’t hold a candle to the feelings he’d had for Camilla.
Dallas rubbed at the spot where his heart rested in his chest. It had been nearly a decade without a word from her.
He’d been surprised at his own ability to restrain himself from reaching out to her—something he’d promised in his letter.
If Camilla wanted to keep the lines of communication open, he’d leave the ball in her court.
It was embarrassing, to say the least, how often he’d checked his phone after he’d left. He knew she wouldn’t have been happy with his deception, which was why he’d expected her to reach out, if only to put him in his place.
But she hadn’t.
Radio silence.
Dallas breathed in deeply, closing his eyes as he attempted to force his nerves to settle. He hadn’t planned on taking this assignment. In fact, after not hearing from Camilla after the first year, he’d been content never to return.
But then, life never turned out as expected.
He dragged a hand down his face as he attempted to dredge up what little courage he had to head over to Winding Creek Ranch.
He didn’t have a vehicle, which meant staying on-site would be a necessity.
The department didn’t have the funds to give him one, and he’d assured his supervisor it wouldn’t be a problem.
Unfortunately, he must not have been thinking clearly. His brain must have been in a complete fog—not realizing he’d be bumping into the first love of his life.
Dallas muttered under his breath. At this point he wasn’t certain he would survive this assignment. Cheyenne had been more than generous with her information on Camilla. She hated him. No one had betrayed her quite like Dallas had.
He’d wanted to blame Cheyenne—for insisting he make something of himself. He’d wanted to put her in her place for the advice she’d given him. But then he couldn’t deny that she might have still been right about the whole thing.
Camilla deserved everything. She deserved more than he’d been able to offer her back then. And he wasn’t going to be the man to tie her down to someone who couldn’t give her what she deserved.
The fact that she was unattached was what caused him the most turmoil. She was here, in Copper Creek, and she was single—a fact he had to drag from his sister’s own lips.
“Ready,” Cheyenne snapped.
He tossed a glance over his shoulder, seeing his sister in all her furious glory behind him. Her hands were on her hips, and she was making it perfectly clear how she felt about his decision to ask Mateo for this favor.
“I don’t understand why you couldn’t ask someone else. I heard that both the Bakers and the Callahans have had wolf sightings. Why not ask them?”
Dallas rolled his eyes. “We’ve been through this. Their properties aren’t close enough to the national forest for my research.”
His sister scoffed. “Whatever. You’re just doing this so you can be close to Camilla. But it’s a lost cause. You’ve been gone too long. You broke her heart and… she’s moved on.”
He scowled but refused to argue with her on this topic again.
The second she’d heard he was coming to town, that’s all she wanted to talk about.
There was nothing she could do to change his plans.
He’d gotten them approved by his supervisor and Mateo.
At this point, he didn’t have the energy to request any changes.
There was far too much red tape for him to go through when he wanted to make changes.
Blowing out a breath, he got to his feet and picked up his duffle bag. “Mateo says there’s a hunting cabin they recently built on the outskirts of his property. He’s offering it to me for free, and I doubt Camilla and I will cross paths at all. It’s a long ride on horseback to the cabin.”
“But you won’t be riding a horse.”
“No,” he drawled. “I’ll be borrowing one of their ATVs.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what? It doesn’t even matter if you do bump into her. She’s dating.”
He stiffened, his blood running cold. “I thought you said—”
“I lied, okay? I didn’t want you to be in a bad space when you got here.”
Did he hear a degree of pity in her voice? No, that couldn’t be right. His eyes narrowed as he studied her in search of any amount of deception, seeing none. He swallowed, wanting to ask who Camilla could be dating but not daring to.
Like Cheyenne had said, it didn’t matter. Whether she was involved with someone or not, it didn’t matter. Camilla was supposed to move on. It had been years. She was allowed to find her happiness.
At his silence, his sister must have sensed the unvoiced question. “Some cowboy working for Mateo. He helps out in the kitchens too.”
Numbly, Dallas nodded. Okay, so Camilla was taken—all the more reason to keep his distance.
The second that thought crossed his mind, Dallas dismissed it.
He could no sooner stay away from Camilla if he’d suddenly become deathly allergic to her. His was an addiction. Dallas already knew he’d want to see her, to get to know her again. It wasn’t just the love he still harbored for her; it was the connection they’d made all those years ago.
A friendship.
Inwardly, he shivered—and not in a good way.
How could he settle for something like that? He’d been ready to swear his heart to her for the rest of their lives. Heck, his whole reason for leaving was to give them a chance of a better future—together. Was it even possible for him to get into a comfortable relationship with her again?
Not likely.
But he had to try, right?
“Come on.” Cheyenne sighed. “Get in the car. I told her I’d stop by and say hi, and I don’t want to be late.”
The second Cheyenne pulled up to the Palmers’ house, Dallas knew he was going to be sick.
He didn’t know how he managed to hold himself together as she put the car into park.
And he definitely didn’t know how he was going to expect himself to exit the vehicle without shaking when he caught sight of her.
Camilla.
She stood on the porch. Her stare sharp, unyielding. He could already hear the argument that might start if he even attempted to approach her.
He really shouldn’t.
He knew he shouldn’t.
But it had been seven years.
Seven years of dreaming about her.
Seven years of seeing her face when he closed his eyes.
Seven long years of wondering if she thought about him as much as he thought about her.
She was still as breathtaking as he remembered. His heart was in danger of sprinting to its death at this rate. He absently rubbed at that spot on his chest again, but it wouldn’t soothe the ache.
“Get out, Dallas.”
He looked in Cheyenne’s direction.
“And don’t even think about talking to her.”
“You’re not the boss of me.” He really should have been embarrassed by how that came out, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret the words and ended up doubling down. “And you’re not her keeper either.”
Cheyenne groaned. “Seriously? I thought you cared about her enough to give her space.”
“I did—do,” he stammered. “I care about her, Cheyenne. I never…” He couldn’t finish that statement. He’d never gotten over her. His heart still belonged to Camilla, no matter how much he’d like to deny it.
His eyes drifted toward Camilla, only to find she was no longer standing on the porch.
“Just…” Cheyenne sighed. “Just go find Mateo and get situated. I promised her I would play interception.”
His eyes snapped to her. “You what?”
She rolled her eyes. “She’s my best friend, Dallas, and—”
“And you’re my twin.” He’d long since realized that Cheyenne wasn’t on his side when it came to Camilla. She loved him. She always would. But she’d picked Camilla’s side and had drawn a line in the sand.
Cheyenne jutted a chin toward his window. “There’s Mateo. Time to go.”
Dallas watched her climb out of the car without a second look in his direction.
So much for being able to count on his twin.
Wasn’t she supposed to be his biggest cheerleader?
He loved her. He’d been there for her every time she’d had her heart broken.
When he’d left, he’d made sure to call her on every birthday and holiday.
He’d made an effort to keep those lines of communication open.
Apparently, she couldn’t get past the fact that he’d broken her best friend’s heart.
A built-up breath escaped his throat as he shoved his way out of the car and headed for the man who had given him the green light to come.
“Dallas, good to see you, man,” Mateo called out, a grin on his face.
“You’re looking good.” Dallas pulled Mateo into a short hug and a clap on the back. “Married life suits you.”
Mateo chuckled. “It does.” He looked Dallas up and down. “No offense, but you look a little worse for wear. They don’t have razors and shaving cream where you’ve been staying?”
Dallas chuckled, scrubbing at the beard he sported.
His last assignment hadn’t given him much opportunity to stay groomed, and he’d come straight here after it was done.
He’d planned on getting a haircut and a decent shave before arriving at Winding Creek Ranch, but Cheyenne was in a rush and she was his ride.
“I don’t suppose that cabin out in the woods has running water? ”
Mateo grimaced. “There’s a pump outside that you have to prime. And there’s an outhouse. Sorry.”
Dallas merely chuckled. “I’ve had worse.”
This camaraderie was strange to say the least. The last time he’d seen Mateo was when he’d asked for Mateo’s blessing to marry Camilla. Mateo had told him it wasn’t his call but that he’d happily welcome him into the family.
Mateo never asked what had changed, for which Dallas would be eternally grateful. From the sound of it, he hadn’t told anyone, either. Dallas’s plan to propose had remained a secret. It was for the best.
His friend slung an arm around Dallas’s shoulder and led him toward two waiting ATVs. “I’m sure you’re itching to get out there and check it out. If you want, you can come back for supper—”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m good.”
Mateo’s smile faltered. “She’ll get over it.”
Dallas flinched. “That bad, huh?”
“I’m not gonna lie. She doesn’t want you here.”
Nodding, Dallas fought the urge to look toward the house where he felt a distinct pair of eyes drilling into the back of his head.
“If it’d help, I’m happy to ask her to help out—”
“Don’t,” Dallas muttered. “I’m not going to force her to spend time with me. It’s not like I’ll be here that long anyway.”
The look Mateo gave him made it clear Mateo didn’t approve.
“Besides, she’s moved on. We both have. It’s better if we don’t rip open any old wounds, you know?”
“Alright,” Mateo conceded. “But if you change your mind—”
“I won’t.” Dallas tossed his duffle onto the back of the ATV. “Let’s start the grand tour, okay?”
Mateo nodded. “Yeah, man. Let’s head out.”
Against his better judgment, Dallas glanced toward the house. He didn’t see her. Of course he wouldn’t. And while he knew it would probably backfire, he already knew he wouldn’t be able to stay away from her.
At the bare minimum, she deserved an apology.