1 #3
At first, he’d thought it possible that she was just teaching the dude a lesson. Maybe he’d let her down, or somehow insulted
her and she’d hoped to use Kam to even the score.
Now, with the car tires flat and that look in her eyes, he knew it was more. “Normally in a pinch I’d call Tanner, but not
on his wedding night. One tire I could have changed with a spare, but not two.”
Mike held out his arms. “I can give you both a ride.”
Glory’s expression twisted his heart and expanded his uneasiness. Protective instincts, learned in his youth and honed in
his maturity, rose up, urging him to study Mike more closely.
Just then, Dan Fellows joined them. “I was about to leave but heard you talking. Problem?”
Kam glanced around. “Where are you parked?”
“In the side lot for employees. Everyone has gone and I’ve locked up, but if you need something—”
“A ride?” Kam gestured to the cars. “Glory and I both have flats.”
“Hmm. That’s curious.” Dan circled the cars.
They all ignored Mike—until he introduced himself. “I offered them a ride, so you can—”
“Dan Fellows.” Around the handshake, Dan asked, “Your tires flat, too?”
“No, sir. I’m just here to give Glory a ride.”
Glory sidled over next to Fellows. “I know it’s a huge imposition, but if you’re able to help us out, I’d be so grateful.”
Fellows smiled down at her. “I’d be glad to. Plenty of room in my car.” In a quick dismissal, he said to Mike, “Nice to meet
you. Drive safely now.”
Dumbfounded, Mike watched as Glory rushed to the driver’s side of her car, opened the door and got out her purse before locking
it again. Without glancing at Mike, she gave Kam an expectant look. “I’m ready.”
“I’ll call you,” Mike said.
“That’s okay.” Again, she turned to Kam.
“I’ll be right there, honey. Give me two minutes.”
Her gaze shifted from him to Mike and back again before she worked up a smile. “Of course . . . babe.” Her heels clicked on the blacktop pavement as she kept pace with Fellows.
“Take your time,” Fellows said before he started a low conversation with Glory.
Fighting a grin, Kam turned back to Mike. “So.” He walked to the back of Glory’s red Mustang. “Hell of a thing, right?”
Distracted, Mike stared after Glory.
Kam didn’t like the intensity in his gaze. “Don’t you think?”
“What?”
Yeah, old Mike was very lost in thought there, and Kam was willing to bet none of those thoughts were appropriate, given how
Glory had turned him down. “Flat tires on the only two cars still in the lot.” He glanced around. “Where are you parked, by
the way?”
“On the street.”
As if that made sense, Kam nodded. “How is it you’re here? Did Glory call you?”
Mike hesitated, then probably realized that Kam could find out the truth easily enough. With another happy-go-lucky grin,
he said, “Nah, you see that she’s upset with me right now.”
“I noticed that, yeah.”
“I was out with our group earlier today, making plans, when Tina called to see if Glory would want to join us. She said she
couldn’t, that she had the reception tonight.”
“And somehow you got all the deets?”
“From Tina, yeah.” All magnanimous and shit, he lifted a shoulder. “I knew she’d be alone because she hasn’t dated since our
disagreement.”
“When was that, by the way?”
“I don’t know. A month, maybe? Anyway, I figured I had let her stew long enough, so I came to save her.”
Kam could barely suffer the ass. “Save her, huh?”
“Glory hates going to functions alone.”
“She’s not alone,” Kam reminded him. Before Mike could protest that, he asked, “Did Tina tell Glory you were coming here?”
“No idea. I took off to play her hero, but you see how that worked out.” He gave a little chuckle. “Shouldn’t have wasted
my time.”
“Probably not.” Kam made a point of looking beyond him, toward the section of street he could see, but there were no parked
cars in view. “So you and Tina and other friends live nearby?”
“Not really.”
Interesting. “How far was your drive?”
Congeniality faded from Mike’s expression. “What is this? Why are you grilling me?”
“Seems to me that Glory has been clear.” Kam watched him. “That should be the end of it.”
Mike deflated. “It can’t be. I love her.”
“Sucks for you, but I’m telling you right now: leave her alone.” He turned and walked away.
Mike said nothing else.
Having him at his back didn’t feel right, so Kam glanced over his shoulder, and saw that the guy was already gone.
Gone where, he didn’t know, but Kam had an awful feeling it wouldn’t be the last he saw of him.
Glory wasn’t sure what to do. Or where to go. She had hoped Mr. Fellows would drive her to her home, but the second Kam got
in the car, he instructed that they should both be taken to Addie’s. And really, she didn’t want to be a bother, so she kept
quiet. Except . . .
Did Kam expect her to sleep there? Long ago, she and Callie had spent a night in the finished attic, before Callie’s home next door had been cleaned and refreshed.
The attic was nice enough, sort of like a recreational space for when Kam and Tanner had been younger.
Tonight, she didn’t have anything with her—none of her toiletries, no makeup, no toothbrush .
. . She didn’t even have a change of clothes.
Other than Callie, no one saw her morning face, with puffy eyes and messed-up hair.
As far as she was concerned, no one ever would—definitely not Kam.
“I feel like a chauffeur,” Fellows teased.
“Sorry.” Kam, who’d gotten into the back seat with her for some reason, gave her a taunting grin. “Now that Glory has announced
that we’re together, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to be near her.”
“Ha!” Fellows said. “I knew it. I could tell when the two of you danced.”
Glory sputtered. Kam knew why she’d fudged things just a little, hinting that they might be together, but Dan didn’t.
“No one could miss it,” he continued. “Just the way you two look at each other—very romantic. Reminds me of my own energetic
youth.”
Almost choking, Glory said, “But we don’t—”
The way Kam squeezed her close stole her breath and interrupted her attempt to correct him. “And here we thought we were subtle.”
Held too close to Kam’s hard body, she stared into his green eyes and breathed, “What in the world are you doing?”
His gaze dropped to her mouth and stayed there. “This.”
The heat of that whispered word teased her lips—right before his lips pressed to hers.
Unlike the surprising kiss in the parking lot where she’d been too stunned to feel it, this kiss nearly stopped her heart.
Too many times she’d thought about kissing him, but never would she have admitted it to anyone, not even Callie. It was too obvious that Kam disliked her.
Although, he didn’t exactly kiss her with dislike.
And she didn’t exactly reject him. In fact . . . she might have melted against him.
A few seconds later, when he ended the tantalizing contact, she opened her eyes to see he was smiling.
Of all the nerve! Glory shoved away from him, earning a chuckle from Mr. Fellows.
“Guess your pal, Mike, is out of luck,” Fellows observed, clearly amused. “I could have told him he was wasting his time.”
“Glory did tell him,” Kam said, then added, “I’m just not sure he’s listening.”
“Natalie figured it out, too, or at least that’s what she said when she came back into the hall.”
Distracted, Glory asked, “Who’s Natalie?”
“She’s one of our waitstaff. Very nice young lady. Thought she had plans with Kam but I agreed she must have misunderstood.”
“Damn,” Kam said. “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize—”
“It’s my fault.” Glory felt bad. Sort of. She really didn’t like the idea of Kam with the pretty young woman, but she had no claim on him, either. If only Mike hadn’t
shown up . . . “I shouldn’t have involved Kam.”
Kam tugged her close again. “None of that. We’re together,” he teased. “Naturally, I’m involved.”
She slanted him a look. Oh, he was definitely having fun. Not for a second did she think he actually wanted involvement. No,
he just enjoyed her predicament.
As Fellows took a turn, he said, “Don’t worry about Natalie. She’ll be fine.”
“I was just thinking . . .” What am I going to do? She definitely could not stay over tonight, but her home wasn’t close enough for her to walk.
Kam spoke into her ear: “Relax. I have a plan.”
If it was to confuse her, mission accomplished.
Just then, Mr. Fellows pulled into the driveway. There were no lights on inside, but the outside floodlights lit up the yard.
Callie and Tanner would be in the next house over, enjoying their first night together as a married couple.
“Thanks, Dan,” Kam said. “I owe you.”
“Nonsense. After allowing me to host that beautiful reception, I’m thrilled to do it.”
After Kam stepped out, Glory said, “The hall was perfect. Thank you for everything.”
Mr. Fellows smiled back at her. “Never thought I’d see the day that Kam Norwood would settle down. You hold on tight to him,
okay? He’s a good one.”
“Oh, um . . .” When Kam offered her a hand, she lost the opportunity for corrections. Sending Mr. Fellows a wan smile in return,
she gathered her skirt and slid out.
Immediately, Kam put his arm around her. “Smile and wave, Glory. Don’t confuse the man.”
She smiled. She waved. And she badly wanted to leap away from Kam. He was far too tempting. Only the fact that he didn’t actually
like her, that this was all a joke to him—that she was the joke—kept her spine straight and her shoulders proud. When she got him alone . . . What? What could she do?
He’d assisted her, he’d gotten her away from Mike, so maybe she should just let him enjoy the moment.