Page 28 of Finally Home

“Yes, sir. Looks like you’ll get to enjoy Christmas with your mama and Tiffani after all.”

West’s jaw ticked, and he nodded in response. He didn’t deny it. Didn’t correct Chief Thompson that Tiffani would not be spending the holidays with them.

This was it. He was leaving. She thought they had more time. Believed that maybe they could figure out a way to make it work.

That was before brunette Barbie showed up on her doorstep. She hadn’t even known Tiffani was still a factor in his life. A minor detail he’d left out.

Okay, it was a major detail.

Or maybe she was reading too much into it and West was in as much shock as she was.

Cami tried to tamp down all the thoughts running through her mind. Was it possible West had spoken with Tiffani his entire stay? Did he know she was coming to Aspen? No. He wouldn’t have done that to her. Would he? She’d been with him the whole time, so there was no possible way he could have done that without her noticing. Yet he was still allowing her touch, doing little to dissuade her.

Ultimately she didn’t know. She barely knew the man standing next to her. Just because he’d told her his story didn’t mean she meant anything to him. They had a history together. An understanding. That didn’t mean they had a future. She was foolish to believe it had.

“Thank you, Chief Thompson.” West reached out and shook the police chief’s hand. “I’m sorry my mom gave you hell, but it will be nice to see her for the holidays as planned.”

“No problem. You know that once your mom has her mind set to something, she’ll make sure it happens come hell or high water.”

“That I do.” West raked the hand Tiffani wasn’t holding through his hair.

“If you’d like, I can give you and Tiffani a ride back down the mountain,” Chief Thomas offered. “We can have a tow truck up here to get your vehicle first thing on the twenty-sixth.”

“I appreciate that, but if you could maybe take Tiffani back to the station, I’ll gather my things and have Cami give me a ride down. We have a few things to clear up.”

The hell they did. His actions with Tiffani were enough. She didn’t need him to try to mansplain them away.

Tiffani opened her mouth to complain, but Cami cut her off. “I think it would be better if you go now.”

A smug smile formed on Tiffani’s perfect lips, and she snuggled against West’s arm.

“But, Red, it’s not—”

“No, West. You should go. It was nice catching up. I’m glad we got to clear the air between us.”

His gaze hardened, and she prayed he didn’t fight her. She didn’t know if she would have the resolve to push him away again. This was how it had to be. If there needed to be a boundary set, if one of them needed to walk away, it should be her. Because even if she drove him to town, he’d still walk away from her, potentially with Tiffani. And that would be too damn much for her to handle.

“Are you sure?” He shrugged Tiffani off his arm and reached for her hand.

Cami pulled it to her chest before he could touch her. “Yes. Go have a merry Christmas with your family.”

West paused and gave her a puzzled look. “If that’s what you want.”

She nodded, unable to speak without her emotions betraying her. Of course it wasn’t what she wanted. But how could he not see the writing on the wall? He clearly had unfinished business with Tiffani, and she was not about to play sloppy seconds to that.

West didn’t look at her after that. He ran upstairs to gather his belongings.

Cami tugged her robe more snugly around her, trying to keep a smile on her face while they waited for West to return.

Tiffani squared up with her and plastered on a fake smile. “Thank you so much for taking care of him. I don’t know what I would have done if anything happened to him.”

Jaw clenched to the point of pain, Cami inhaled deeply. She’d much rather cuss this bitch out than play nice, but more than that, she wanted everyone out of her house so she could fall apart alone. “Of course. I’m glad he’s okay too.”

West returned dressed in the clothes he’d been wearing when he’d first walked into her shop. Cami took a moment to memorize every last detail as he walked toward them.

His eyes met hers, silently trying to communicate something, but she was too closed off to figure out what.

It didn’t matter. This was for the best. That was what she’d keep telling herself.

---