Chapter 4
CAMILA
Iopen my eyes, and the smile I woke up with fades away immediately.
He’s gone.
I feel it. The loss, like a missing limb. I don’t have to look around my house to know it. Not when all the candles he set out and the bottle he brought are long gone. If it weren’t for the bread still sitting on the coffee table, all wrapped up, I would have questioned if last night even happened.
I roll onto my back and look up at the ceiling, wondering what the hell is wrong with me. I’ve all but thrown myself at him, and he didn’t even kiss me. Didn’t even try. Maybe he’s gay? I wonder for a moment but shake it away. I felt his attraction to me.
He was hard. Wasn’t he?
“Get over it, Cami!” I groan to myself before getting up and walking to the kitchen to start my coffee machine. He obviously isn’t into me.
I have a silly crush on my hot, older neighbor. I need to build a bridge and get over him. That’s all this is. A crush. It doesn’t matter that I feel all warm and gushy around him. Or that I feel safer than I ever have in my life.
Nope.
That doesn’t matter. I pour my black coffee and wince at the heat that stings my tongue.
I need to get out and head to town. Meet new people.
That’s what my problem is. Forced proximity.
I read a romance book like that. Two people stuck together who fall in love because, well, honestly, there was no one else.
Moonlit Pines has tons of people out and about in town.
I just have to meet new people.
Reed Woodman is not the only person around.
With a plan in mind, I walk into my bedroom and get ready.
I’ll start work a little later than usual.
Since I work from home, I basically make my own hours.
I could even grab lunch from the diner I scoped out and finally check out the little bookstore at the center of town.
Maybe even grab a second coffee and Grind and Pine, the cute little coffee shop!
I quickly get ready, choosing a dress with a frilly skirt and long sleeves.
I pair it with fleece-lined leggings and cute tan booties I found on clearance last year.
Wrapping my bright marigold scarf around my neck and securing the matching beanie with the tan poof at the top, I grab my tan coat and step out.
All the motivation to leave starts to fizzle out as my eyes gravitate to the cabin across the street. His house is quiet, but I can make out the faint sound of power tools roaring from his workshop.
My driveway has been shoveled, and I don’t have to ask to know who did it. He’s just being a gentleman, I remind myself as I get into my car and start it up. I sit there for a moment as it warms up and am tempted to go over and give him a piece of my mind.
But I won’t. If he didn’t bother to say goodbye or at least leave a note, why should I waste my breath?
When someone shows you who they are, believe them. My mom’s voice plays in my mind, and I try not to argue about the way he showed up to make sure I was okay during the power outage. The way he held me and let me have the best sleep I’ve had since she passed away.
Because at the end of the day, he still left. Like a thief in the night. Possibly taking a piece of my heart with him.
I sniffle and shake my head, about to put my car in reverse, when a knock sounds on my driver’s window, and I scream.
“Shit!” Reed’s deep voice curses, and my eyes go wide and then I scowl.
“Why would you do that!” I scold the moment my window is completely rolled down.
“Are you… are you crying?” he asks, obviously horrified by the idea. Why doesn’t that surprise me? The big guy is one of those men scared of a couple of tears.
“No!” I lie, and I know he knows I’m being dishonest by the way his jaw clenches.
“You’re going somewhere?”
“To town.” I exhale slowly, willing my heart to slow down.
I don’t know if it is the scare he gave me or the fact that’s he’s here, standing right by my car, his hair down, a little disheveled.
He looks like the best marketing campaign for travel to Moonlit Pines ever imagined.
He’s the epitome of an honest to God mountain man.
Romance authors would have a field day, fighting to get him on a cover of their books.
“Why?” He asked, disgust on his face.
“Excuse me?” I ask, wondering why he feels the need to know.
“You went to town two days ago,” he blurts, and I can tell he didn’t mean to by the way the tips of his ears are turning pink.
That coloring has nothing to do with the cold air or the snow on the ground.
I open and shut my mouth, not sure of what to say.
“I just mean, umm…” His voice dies down, and it only reminds me that for whatever reason, the man can’t seem to make up his mind about me.
And that’s fine. I don’t have to be his cup of tea, but I will be damned if I’m going to be the type to just stand around and wait for him to decide.
“Do you need something?” I cut him off a little harshly and see his cheek tick. I feel bad for being a brat. My shoulders drop. “From town, I mean. Can I bring you anything?”
“Oh… uhh, no.” He pushes himself off my door and steps back. “Just be safe. Those aren’t snow tires, and you should probably get chains for them.” He points, and I feel two inches tall. Of course, that’s what he’s worried about. Being a gentleman and all that.
“Oh.” I feel like the world’s biggest jerk. It’s not his fault I have a crush on him and that he only probably sees me as his annoying neighbor. “Thanks. Is that like chains from a hardware store?” I ask and wince at myself.
“No.” His lips twitch, and that itty-bitty change in his expression feels like a gift. Like the sun shining through the clouds in the sky. “How about I go with you and help you out?”
“Go with me?” I repeat, wondering who this man is. He’s so anti-social but now wants to go to town with me? “I was only going to check out the bookstore and pick up lunch from the diner,” I share, and he nods. “Maybe a coffee.”
“Sounds good to me,” he says, shocking me again. He opens my door, and I frown as he reaches in and undoes my seat belt.
“Umm, excuse me?” He stops and looks at me.
“What?” What? Just what he says, like this is a normal thing to do.
“What are you doing, big guy?” I ask, and it happens. Reed leans in closer, his face a mere couple of inches from mine, and smiles. His lips quirk upward, and my heart flips inside out at the sight.
My neighbor is a man through and through.
Devastatingly handsome no matter what, but it’s like a shot to the heart when he smiles. His straight white teeth gleam against the freshly fallen snow and a contrast against his beard. Whatever bit of my heart he took, he steals another piece. A bigger chunk this time. All with a simple smile.
“I’m going to town with you,” he explains.
“Okay…” I sound out slowly. “But, umm…” I try not to stutter as I try to get my footing with what’s happening. “Why are you taking my seat belt off?” I ask softly. His hand moves and cups my face. I fight the need to close my eyes to soak in his caress fully and completely.
“I’m driving.” My eyes widen at his words.
“You’re driving?”
“Yeah, babe.” He extends his hand, and without thinking, I take it and step out.
The easiness of his smile disappears as his eyes soak me up, and I swear, hand on a bible, he growls.
Or at least I think that’s a growl. I’ve never heard a man make that noise before.
“What are you wearing?” he asks, taking his hand away from mine and running it through his long locks.
But his gaze never moves from me. He looks me up and down, and his jaw clenches.
“What?” I look down at myself. I’m in my coat and beanie, but you can see the dainty colorful pattern on the skirt of the dress underneath it.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I ask, feeling slightly self-conscious.
If I were paying attention and not feeling like I messed up or did something wrong, I would notice the very pronounced ridge in the front of his jeans.
“You need to change,” Reed demands, and I laugh. There is no way he can be serious right now!
“Excuse me?” I give him the chance to change what he just said to me.
“You need to change and—” And I’ve had enough.
“Nope,” I say, letting the ‘p’ pop loudly. He folds his arms in front of his chest. His biceps and the muscles at his shoulders flex and become even more pronounced. How is that even possible?
“Excuse me?” He sounds a little flabbergasted this time, but I’m not going to listen to a word of it.
“Look, big guy, I don’t know what you’re playing at, and honestly, at your age, you would think you would be over the whole playing head games with someone.”
“I wasn’t—”
“Never had a dad, and my mami, God rest her soul, is in heaven. Hopefully partying with his purple highness, Prince.”
“What? Sunshine—” he tries to talk, but I’m past the point of listening.
“No one tells me what I can and can’t wear,” I point out.
“I’ll get the tire chain thingies figured out in town.
On my own. I’m sure I can ask someone and they will be all too happy to help.
Thanks for the offer, and seriously, thank you for worrying about me yesterday.
It was sweet and appreciated more than you know.
That being said, I’ll be grabbing an emergency kit, and I’ll look into purchasing a generator.
You won’t have to worry about me anymore.
I’ll be better prepared from here on out. ”
I have no idea where the fierceness is coming from, but I embrace it as I get back inside my car. I ignore his stupid handsome face with every passing second as I put my seat belt on and drive off.
When I look at my rearview mirror, his eyes are set in the direction of my car, not moving away from my driveway. And even though I’m pissed off, I know the bits of my heart he’s stolen are still in his hands.