Page 5 of Finally Home

Karma was a fucking bitch. Not more than an hour ago she was wallowing in loneliness. Now she was stuck with the only man who had ever made her heart flutter, and the kicker was, she couldn’t even take a trip down memory lane with him for the holidays because he was married.

Cami tried to breathe deeply, but her breaths came out short and erratic.

“You okay?” West picked his head up from the headrest and looked toward her. She’d thought he’d been sleeping. He didn’t need to see her freak out. He’d want to know why, and that was the last conversation she wanted to have.

Her grip tightened on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“About as fine as a sinner in church. I know panic when I see it. What’s up, Red?”

“Don’t call me that.” Too many memories came with that name. “My name is Cami.”

“I know what your name is. You’ll always beRedto me. Or maybelittle fawnwould be better. Though you aren’t gangly anymore.”

She didn’t need to look at him to feel the heat of his eyes raking over her.

“I like the name of the outfitter, by the way.”

Cami slammed on the brakes and glared at him as he jerked against his seat belt.

“What the hell, Cami? It’s not like I wasn’t just in a fuckin’ wreck.”

“You listen here, West. You don’t get to come in here and call me by every pet name you once used as a term of endearment. You lost that right when you left me standing on the porch fifteen years ago.” She tried to keep it together, but she could practically feel the steam erupting from her ears. “Seeing as we are stuck together for the foreseeable future, you can call me Cami, or you can freeze your ass off outside.”

West cocked a brow at her, and she hated that she found it sexy. “You aren’t panicking anymore.”

Smart-ass.Cami seethed, hating with every fiber of her being that he was right. She focused her gaze forward and continued toward home, ignoring the tickle of warmth and familiarity brought on by the ease with which West settled her.

After she pulled up to the cabin and threw the truck in park, West reached across the cab and grabbed her arm. She turned, and his expression softened. “I’m sorry, Cami. I didn’t mean to upset you. I know this isn’t ideal, but thank you for taking care of me.”

Cami lowered her eyes, trying to find her next words. Every part of her wanted to fight with him. To pull out every emotion she’d felt when he left and unleash it on him.

It would serve him right.

She thought she’d moved on from Weston James. Why couldn’t he have just stayed gone?

Seeing him. Hearing him call her by the names he’d whispered against her ear while they made love in the bed of his truck. It stirred feelings within her that were better left where she’d buried them all those years ago.

Where she would keep them buried. Even if it was the last thing she did.

She raised her eyes to meet his, the mask she wore to hide her feelings firmly in place. “You’re welcome. Let’s get you inside. You can call whoever you need to and let them know where you are.” She exited the cab and walked around to his side of the truck, using the time to breathe in the mountain air and steady herself.

Although he likely didn’t need it, she helped West from the truck and up the stairs to the cabin. With each step Cami managed to steel her heart and mind against the man at her side. She didn’t know if she’d be able to make it through the holidays unscathed by him, but she was sure as hell going to try.

CHAPTERTHREE

WEST

The world felt right with Cami tucked against him. Even if he was using her as a crutch after he’d wrecked his truck. And had used her as emotional support through a flashback. And had barged into her life unannounced, effectively ruining her favorite holiday. Damn. He was zero for three, and the odds of evening that score were not looking good.

Still, West wasn’t upset at the prospect of getting the chance to make up for everything that had happened. He’d have to thank his mother for sending him to the outfitter. There was no way the meddling woman could have known there would be a snowslide and that he’d get stuck on the mountain with Cami, but there was no doubt in his mind she had planned on the two of them reuniting.

He should have known something was up when he saw the name of the place. Little Fawn. It had been his nickname for Cami when they were growing up. Before he’d ever noticed her as a woman. Before they’d fallen in love. Before he’d royally fucked everything up.

Before.

Their families had been close, with their moms often volunteering for the same church duties. Cami was tall and gangly as a child. He used to enjoy watching her run when they played, because she looked like a little deer who hadn’t grown into its limbs. Which was why he had dubbed her his little fawn when he was eleven and she was nine.

She had hated him for it. But maybe not as much as she’d let on.

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