Page 2 of Finally Home

West stood, a smirk tipping at his lips. The kind of smirk that instantly made her heart go pitter-patter, even after all these years. “Mom sent me up here to pick up some spiced pecans and a fresh wreath for the door.”

Cami inhaled, trying to ignore her body’s reaction to West. “She could have gotten them from my mom and saved you the trip up here. The ranch is a hell of a lot easier to get to than trucking up the mountain roads.”

“She told me your mom was out, but that the outfitter up the mountain carried them as well.”

“Of course she said that,” Cami snapped with more attitude than she’d intended. It wasn’t his fault their mothers were meddling hens. That didn’t mean she was happy about it. She bit the inside of her cheek, struggling to keep her emotions in check.

“I have a hunch our mothers just wanted me to run into you.”

Cami huffed and muttered under her breath, “Fucking meddling women.”

It was exactly like their mothers to have a hand in sending West up the mountain. The two of them had never gotten over the breakup. They clung to their past more than Cami did. It didn’t matter he’d broken her heart when he’d left her. Especially to her own mother. Lately all she seemed to care about was pairing her off with any eligible bachelor, because according to her, Cami’s biological clock didn’t have much time left.

West chuckled. “They never have been able to mind their own business.”

“That’s an understatement.”

West raked a hand through his hair, and she noticed that a bit of gray speckled his short locks. A stark contrast to the dark brown she’d always known. She fought the urge to reach out and touch his temple and glide her fingers through his hair.

Whoa, girl. Calm the hell down. He’s not yours anymore and hasn’t been for a long time.

His voice was steady but soft. “How have you been, Cami?”

“No. We are not doing this, West. I’ll get you your wreath and pecans, and then you need to go.” Mostly so her heart would stop feeling as though it was going to beat right out of her chest.

“I just wanted to—” He stopped himself as if he had thought better on what he was going to say. “Okay, thanks.”

Cami came out from behind the relative safety of the counter and padded across the store to the display holding handmade wreaths and pecans. “I don’t have many left this close to Christmas. Which do you think your mom would like?” She held up the two wreaths she had left. “Big red bow or pine cones and poinsettias?”

“The one with the flowers.”

She grinned at his answer and handed him the wreath and a bag of her mom’s famous pecans. Her hand brushed his, and her stomach somersaulted. Traitorous body. She’d need to remind her hormones they should loathe the man in front of her.

“What do I owe you?”

She considered charging him double but remembered the items weren’t for him. “Nothing. Just tell your mom come summertime she’ll need to send some of her boysenberry jam up here.”

He smiled, the kind of smile that had once made her go weak at the knees. “I’ll get out of your hair then. It was good to see you.”

She nodded, afraid if she opened her mouth, she’d either unleash all her pent-up anger toward him or give him the impression she was okay with him visiting her. Which, after the onslaught of emotions his presence had provoked, she most definitely was not.

West turned and left, a reminder of the day he’d walked out of her life, breaking her heart. She’d come to terms with the fact that leaving was the best thing he could have done for himself and his family. That didn’t mean it had hurt her any less.

Right outside the front door, an engine roared to life, and Cami released the breath she’d been holding. She hadn’t been prepared to see West again. In fact, she’d avoided it at all costs over the years. Any time she’d suspected he’d be in town, she’d purposely avoided the spots she knew he’d frequent.

Finishing the last of her shop duties, she turned off the lights and headed for the door. As she flipped the lock, a loud crack echoed through the mountain pass.

Shit.

An uneasy feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. She’d bet money that was the sound of the shelf of snow just above the road giving way. It’d built up over the last week, and while it wasn’t large enough to be considered an avalanche, the snow would do some damage. Not to mention block the road completely, making it impossible for her to drive into town.

Or for anyone else to do so.

Fuck.

Panic gripped her throat, and the world slowed down as realization hit her square in the chest.

West was on the road.

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