Chapter 12
IZZI
It was raining when they left the Candy Apple Café – a fine, fresh mist that wet Izzi’s cheeks, waking her up. She pulled her coat tighter and immediately bumped into Cameron as he abruptly came to a stop just outside the door and tugged on Cupcake’s lead.
‘It’s just a bit of rain – it’s a fine evening other than that,’ he pleaded, pulling again, looking glumly at the dog who was now spreadeagled in the doorway.
‘You can’t really blame him, it is wet,’ Izzi said, trying not to yawn again as a gust of wind blew into her face bringing with it a handful of vibrant orange leaves.
‘You should take this then,’ Cameron insisted, making to undo the zip of his waterproof. He’d come prepared, while she’d strolled out of the house wearing her best coat and fluffy scarf because she knew it suited her and had wanted to look pretty. Idiot. Well, she’d pay for it now.
‘I’m fine,’ Izzi said because she didn’t want Cameron to get cold because of her poor planning. She was used to living with the hand she was dealt and didn’t want to be a burden.
She tugged her scarf tighter, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a dog treat.
At least she’d remembered to bring those.
Then she knelt, swiping mist from her face until she was level with the dog.
‘I’ve got treats,’ she said seriously. ‘If you walk, I’ll give you this.
’ She waved the biscuit back and forth, far enough away that Cupcake couldn’t grab it.
‘Good thinking,’ Cameron said, and Izzi couldn’t tell by his tone if he was impressed.
It was annoying that she couldn’t read all his moods yet.
She was usually adept at picking up on emotions, which wasn’t a surprise after spending years tiptoeing around tempers and sulks.
But Cameron’s moods weren’t all bad – sometimes he smiled, and she could definitely pick up on attraction when it flooded his eyes.
She hadn’t been able to fully interpret the myriad of emotions that had crossed his face in the café. They’d sent her insides into a tailspin. It had made her unsteady, but it had also felt good. Good enough to wonder whether she should throw caution to the wind with this man.
She’d be meeting her mystery relative in less than a week and hopefully after that she could come clean about why she was in Honey Haven. Which meant she could probably let herself dive face-first into the chemistry burning between them. What the hell could go wrong?
The list was so long she almost laughed.
Cupcake let out a low howl as he regarded the biscuit, but he finally got to his feet, so Izzi gave it to him. ‘Good dog – Vader,’ she suggested tentatively, but he gave her an unimpressed look before heading onto the pavement. ‘Not a Star Wars fan, huh?’ she asked.
His tail flicked back and forth slowly before curling into the air and Izzi imagined he was giving her the dog equivalent of the finger and found herself smiling because she was growing fond of his grumpiness.
Cameron had been right – Cupcake was definitely all bark and no bite. A bit like his owner, perhaps?
The rain began to fall harder as they walked down the high street in silence.
They passed the pet shop and its colourful hand-painted sign.
The corner shop was closed too – probably because Erin was helping in the café – but Izzi stopped for a moment to stare into the large window, admiring the ordered shelves stuffed with products ranging from fresh fruit to fragrant hand cream.
She made a mental note to buy more flour tomorrow.
Cool fingers of rainfall slid down the back of her neck and she shivered, tugging the scarf tighter still as she walked.
She was going to have to be more prepared for this kind of weather if she was staying in Honey Haven until Christmas.
She spent a moment trying to calculate if she’d be able to afford to buy a raincoat with her first pay cheque from Maud.
‘This isn’t okay,’ Cameron suddenly snapped, stopping in the middle of the pavement outside the beauty salon and shrugging off his coat before handing it to her. He was wearing a thick navy jumper – it was bulky but didn’t hide the shape of his toned chest.
‘You’re going to get really wet now,’ Izzi complained. ‘And it’s not your fault I don’t have a proper coat.’
‘But I insist,’ he said and glared at her.
‘You could wear mine?’ she suggested, looking down at herself.
‘I think we already established I wouldn’t fit into any of your clothes.
Besides they look better on you,’ he said roughly, the unexpected compliment creating a curl of lust inside her.
She flushed and pulled the extra layer on and found herself leaning in when Cameron reached up and gently tugged the hat over her head.
‘I can handle being wet,’ he said, avoiding her eyes as if he was embarrassed. ‘We should probably walk faster, though.’
She sped up but noticed Cameron held back, matching her pace.
His legs were longer than hers and Izzi guessed if he put his mind to it, he could be home in minutes but knew he wouldn’t leave her alone here.
He was such an odd mixture of contradictions.
A man who’d kiss her senseless before pulling away.
A man who clearly didn’t trust easily but would literally give her the coat off his back.
She’d expected to see him in the kitchen when she’d returned from the café after work, determined to keep her distance even as she checked in on him as Flora had asked.
But when he hadn’t been home and hadn’t left a note, she’d been bitterly disappointed.
She’d spent an hour creating a special meal which she’d left in the oven, knowing even if she couldn’t tell him how she was starting to feel, she could show him with food.
‘Your friends were nice.’ She tried making conversation as they continued to walk in silence.
Cameron stopped suddenly and swung around so he could frown down at her. ‘Lachlan is a playboy, I’d advise you to steer clear,’ he grumbled.
‘Well, I wasn’t going to date him,’ she said, her eyes widening. ‘I mean he’s handsome and everything but…’ She stopped when she saw white-hot anger burn across his face. Was Cameron jealous and is that why she suddenly had butterflies?
‘I’m just saying, that’s all,’ he said gruffly, swallowing and looking embarrassed before he swung away and started to walk again, faster this time, although not so fast she couldn’t keep up.
‘Okay, well thanks for the heads up,’ Izzi said, wishing she could tell him she only had eyes for him.
For those broad shoulders and long legs.
For the way he looked at her sometimes with those tiny lines marring his forehead, like he was trying to drill into her mind to find what she was hiding there.
‘Um, you’ve been friends for a long time? ’
‘Yep. Long enough to see him break plenty of hearts,’ he said sourly as a sudden gust of wind blew up the street, almost knocking her backwards.
Cameron grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to his side.
‘This storm is getting stronger, but we’re almost there,’ he said, still holding on.
‘Are you going to be okay to hang out in the cabin?’ he asked.
‘It’s going to be noisy and there are lots of trees in the garden… ’ He sounded worried.
‘I’ll be fine. I don’t usually spook easily. Besides, I enjoy a good storm. I like the drama of it, the fact that you don’t know what might happen next.’
It reminded her of him. Izzi smiled into his coat as she looked down, trying to avoid the rain which was now blowing into her eyes. She gripped onto his hand, relishing the size of it, the warmth. The way it sent hot sparks rocketing up her arm. Oh yes, she was wide awake now.
Letting herself feel this way was wrong, but after years of being alone – of feeling like she didn’t matter to anyone, it was hard not to be seduced. Hard not to want to just lean into it and go with the flow.
They didn’t speak again until they reached the house.
The wind was howling louder now, bending the branches on the trees, sending leaves dancing past them as they were lifted and swept away by the squall.
They paced into the garden and Izzi swore she saw a large black shape scamper behind her cabin.
It could have been a shadow, but it was too dark to be sure.
It didn’t scare her, but she wondered what it could be.
A ghost or an omen? Was it connected to whatever Flora’s tea leaves had predicted for Cameron?
‘Well, goodnight,’ she said as he untangled their hands and began to unlock the back door of his cottage. Heavy rain and wind battered the two of them.
‘I need my coat,’ he said, turning to frown at her again.
‘Now?’ she asked, looking down at herself. Didn’t he trust her to give it back? She thought they’d got past that. ‘Of course.’ She began to unzip the waterproof, but Cameron huffed and shook his head.
‘I didn’t mean here,’ he said, sounding insulted.
‘I thought you might want to hang both the coats up in the utility room so they can dry properly.’ He opened the door and indicated she should go ahead.
She did, then waited until he followed and saw his eyes widen.
‘You’ve been cooking again,’ he said surprisedly as he sniffed and the edge of his mouth slowly rose.
Izzi couldn’t say why, but that tiny hint of a smile made her want to fling her arms around his neck. The pure appreciation in his expression was intoxicating. ‘I made a beef bourguignon,’ she said shyly. ‘It’s in the oven. There’s some fresh bread from the café to go with it and—’
‘Chocolate,’ Cameron rasped, shrugging off his shoes and following his nose into the kitchen. Izzi grinned as she took off the dripping waterproof and her soggy coat and laid them over her arm, following Cameron and slipping off her shoes on the way.