Page 10 of Cam
“I… um, didn’t know who you were the other night,” I admitted.
He smiled. Fuck, hesmiled.“That’s okay. I think we can say there’s a connection that goes beyond names.” He laughed. “Hell, that sounds corny, doesn’t it?”
My lips twitched, but it was a sad smile. He wanted me.Me!
Except he didn’t know the whole truth. Women had found Ted Bundy a really attractive man, but once they learned he was a serial killer, they had acompletely different opinion. I wasn’t a mass murderer, but well, I got pretty close enough.
“I made a mistake.”
“Oh?”
“Had I known who you were, I’d have left you alone. Let Amber or even Jenna kiss you.”
His gaze narrowed. “The other women at the bar? I’m not interested in them.”
I sighed, glanced down at the buttons on his shirt. “You’re not going to be interested in me, either.”
“Why?”
I swallowed, tipped my chin up and looked him in the eye. I was going to own this like I owned what happened over the summer. “I’m Taylor Reeves.”
“Taylor–” He figured it out. It took him two seconds.
His smile fell. His body went tense. He tugged his hand away as if I was poisonous. Stepped back.
“You almost killed my father.”
A lump of tears clogged my throat, “I know. I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry? You fucked with my sister’s horse. Do you haveanyidea what could have happened to her with an animal hyped up like that?”
We stood in a stable. I’d worked in them for years,took care of others’ horses like they were my own. Rode one competing right alongside his sister.
“Yes.”
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, as if trying to wipe away what he’d done to me on Saturday night.
“Jesus, my mother–Pops was…” He was so upset he couldn’t articulate his words. His chest heaved, face red, veins in his neck distended.
“It’s my fault. I’m to blame.” There was nothing else to say. I’d told that to his family in the ICU back in July–although Cam hadn’t been there. If I hadn’t gotten mixed up with Rod, nothing would have happened to anyone in the Wilder family.
He pointed toward the stable entrance. “Get out of my fucking sight.”
I stared at him for a moment as he settled his hands on his hips and looked away.
I expected this. I deserved this.
I nodded and willed back the tears that were threatening to fall until I got to my car. He was a vet. He’d take care of the horses.
It took a few tries for my car to start, again. It was old and I was hoping it would keep struggling for a while longer. I didn’t have the money for a repair. Plus, the only mechanic in Devil’s Ditch was Shep Wilder.The last thing I wanted was another face-to-face with someone else in that family. Cam made it very clear where I stood.
As I drove home to a father who was going to either be passed out or an angry drunk wanting dinner. Tears slid down my cheeks as I wondered, who would ever take care of me?
6
CAM
I stormed into my parents’house, setting my hat on an empty peg by the back door. Four of them were already hung one after the other, so I knew at least three of my brothers were here, the last one being Pops’. The scent of garlic and fresh bread made my stomach rumble.
