Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Cameron
The next morning, I was in my office, trying to focus on work, when my ex came strolling through the door like she had a right to be here.
“Get out of here, Kelly. I’ve got work to do.”
She held her phone up, flashing a picture of me making out with Rylee at the bar. “What the hell is this?”
I barely glanced at it before I said, “What does it look like? It’s a photo of me kissing a gorgeous woman, after she stepped off stage.”
Her eyes flashed with anger before she slammed her phone down on my desk. “How could you? She’s—” She stabbed a finger in the direction of her phone. “Too young for you! Too… wild! Too reckless! You’ve got a reputation to consider. You can’t be doing things like that, with women like her!”
I glared at her, clenching my jaw. “Pretty sure I can do whatever I want, with whoever I want. There’s no law against sleeping with a woman—”
She gasped, flattening her hand against her heaving chest. “You slept with her? You can’t be serious.” She shook her head. “I know you’re just saying this to get back at me. You wouldn’t do that. It’s just because I had that little fling with Smyth, and you’re trying to hurt me—”
“Kelly, read my lips.” I pointed at my mouth. “I don’t care about you, and I don’t care about Smyth. Do whatever you want with him.”
“I don’t want him! I want you! But you’re too damn stubborn to give me another chance. You really think your new girlfriend is so pure and innocent? You think she won’t cheat on you when she’s on the road? Women like that—”
“Get. Out.” No way would I let her stand here and shit-talk Rylee, who had more character and integrity than she would ever have.
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Defend her all you want. I know women like that.”
“Women like what, Kelly?” I didn’t know why I was even engaging her, except that she’d roused my protect-Rylee-instincts.
“Women who are strong? Women who are honest? Women who have character and integrity and talent and work ethic…? I could go on and on listing Rylee’s attributes, but I don’t have any more time to waste on you.
So kindly get out of my office. I have work to do. ”
I’d already wasted enough time that morning with my deputies, all demanding details about my relationship with Rylee. I swear, the sheriff’s office was worse than the local high school sometimes, with all the gossip circulating.
Her gaze drifted to the photo I’d just framed of me and Rylee.
It was one we’d taken at the farmer’s market.
She was sitting on my lap, in the back of a pick-up truck, with her arms around my neck, kissing my cheek, and it summed up the way we were both feeling that day.
Happy. Hopeful. And totally into each other.
“I don’t believe this.” She rolled her eyes so hard I was surprised they didn’t get stuck. “Are you really going to flaunt your relationship with that—”
I held my finger up. “Be careful what you say about her.”
She huffed. “With that… little attention monger? Can’t you see she’s just using you to give her career a boost?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Her career doesn’t need a boost. She’s doin’ just fine on her own.”
“Grow up, you’re Eden’s brother. Of course, hooking up with you would further her career.”
“Pretty sure her close friendship with my sister and Austin would further her career more, but whatever.” I let her stew on that, since my sister had never been her biggest fan. “If you’re done weighing in on my love life, you can leave.”
“Your love life?” she shrieked. “Are you telling me you’re in love with this… child… now?”
“God, you’re giving me a headache.” I rubbed the bridge of my nose. “Either you leave voluntarily or I’ll have one of my deputies escort you out.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
She glared at me before grabbing her phone, storming out, and slamming the door hard enough to rattle the paintings on the wall.
I had to chuckle at the absurdity of her calling Rylee a child.
Before I could get back to work, my cell phone rang and Rylee’s name popped up. “Hey, baby. How’s your day going?”
“I was about to ask you the same question. Did you get any grief about us your first day back?”
I laughed. “Other than my deputies grilling me and my ex-girlfriend having a full-blown meltdown in my office? No, no grief at all.”
“That bitch! Did she really?”
I kicked my booted feet up on the desk and tilted my swivel chair back after glancing at the time on my computer monitor to confirm I had twenty minutes before my next meeting.
“Who cares about her? I’d much rather hear about you.”
“Oh no, you don’t. I want to hear every word she said.”
“Ry, it doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me.”
Since I knew this was an argument I couldn’t win, I gave her a rundown of the conversation and tried to contain my laughter as Rylee called Kelly every colorful expletive she knew.
“Cam! Are you laughing at me? Do you think this is funny?”
I bit my lip, trying like hell to keep a straight face, even though she couldn’t see me. “Sweetheart, as cute as it is when you get all riled up like this, you’re wasting your energy on her. She doesn’t matter. What she thinks doesn’t matter. What matters to me is you. Full stop.”
She released the breath she’d been holding in a huff. “How can I stay mad when you say sweet things like that to me?”
“I’m hoping you can’t.”
“Thank you for being honest with me about what happened with her. I’m sorry if it seemed like I was blowing it out of proportion, but it gets to me when people who don’t even know me judge—”
“Honey, I hear you. But I only have a few minutes before my next meeting and I really do want to talk about you. Not her. So, indulge me, will you?”
“Tell me about your day,” she said. “What have you got goin’ on, Sheriff?”
I loved that she cared enough to ask about my day. “I had a command staff briefing a while ago. Dealt with a few issues there, allocated resources to deal with some problem areas.”
My gaze wandered to the photo of us and I smiled. Just the sight of her sweet face made my day better.
“I’ve got a budget meeting in a bit. This afternoon I have to meet with county commissioners to discuss funding.
A press conference to address a domestic overnight that resulted in a homicide.
” I glanced at my schedule, since I honestly couldn’t remember everything I had on the docket for that day.
“Ah, a meeting to brief me on major cases, and dinner with a mayor friend.”
“Sweet Jesus,” she said, whistling low. “That’s an average day for you? You really do have a lot on your plate, don’t you?”
“Some days are busier than others. Today is manageable.”
“How do you handle the stress?”
I smiled when I thought about de-stressing with her.
“I work out. Go fishing, hunting, have a few brews with the boys when I can. But my favorite way of managing stress lately is bedding down with a blonde bombshell who managed to reel me in, in record time.” And I didn’t even mind. Buddies might call me whipped. And for this girl, I just might be.
She giggled. “I like that I’m your favorite way to de-stress. You’re mine too.”
“Your schedule is probably crazier than mine a lot of the time. How about you, sexy? How do you de-stress when I’m not there?”
“The usual,” she said, sounding a little wistful. “Bubble baths, writing, the occasional spa day, going for a walk in the woods—”
“Not alone, I hope.” The thought of anything happening to her made my gut clench.
“You’re so cute when you go into protective mode, Sheriff. I have this little trail not many people seem to know about it. It’s—”
“Jesus, Rylee.” I swiped a hand over my head, suddenly feeling the sweat on my forehead.
“Don’t you know those are the worst places for a woman to go alone?
You think no one else knows about them. But I can promise you, predators do.
You know how many cases I’ve worked where women got jumped on trails just like the one you’re describing? ”
“I can’t live in fear, Cam,” she said, gently. “I learned a long time ago how to mitigate my risks, weigh the pros and cons, feel the fear, then do it anyway. Because I refuse to let fear hold me back, especially when it comes to doing what I love.”
Everything she said made sense, but I knew I’d think of her on those damn trails every day now, praying she’d be alright.
“Just do me a favour? Not after dark. And make sure when you do go, text me when you hit the trails and when you get back. And send me the coordinates.”
It may seem like overkill to her, but I was in law enforcement. I knew better than to take someone’s safety for granted, especially someone I cared about so much.
“If it would make you feel better, I can do that,” she said, sounding amused. “But I have to admit, having someone looking out for me, and worrying about me, will take some getting used to. I’ve never had that before.”
It was hard for me to imagine someone Rylee’s age never having anyone who cared, but that sad truth just made me care about her more. I wanted to be that guy who showed her life could be better when someone had your back.
“I can’t believe none of your other boyfriends have looked out for you like that.”
I was quickly learning how easy this woman was to love and I was sure I was one of many guys who’d fallen for her.
“To be honest, musicians are a different breed, babe.” She laughed. “Fair warning, we can all be a little self-absorbed when we’re in the zone. And unfortunately, a lot of the guys I’ve dated have had issues of their own. Family stuff, substance abuse, mental health, you name it.”
I wondered if she chose guys like that because it meant they didn’t have the energy to go all in with her.
“So, will you know what to do with a guy like me?” I thought it was fair to warn her; I could be intense. “Someone who may be a bit of a workaholic, but will always make you a priority?”
“I love that.” Her voice sounded so sweet, like she was relishing every word. “Deep down, I think I always wanted someone… like you. But I was afraid.”