Page 186 of Story of My Life
I dropped my fork into my salad. “When you say it all together like that, it sounds bad.”
“Haze, you know I love you. You are one of the smartest people I know, but I think Cam manipulated you into an actual relationship.”
I shook my head, slowly at first and then harder and harder. “No. No, that can’t be right.”
“See you later, Miss Hazel!”chirped the three eight-year-olds as they steered their bikes back toward Main Street. They’d spotted me bunny hopping off a curb and had demanded a lesson, which had led to thirty minutes of good old-fashioned two-wheeled fun.
“Ride safe,” I called after them.
I pedaled home with the sun and a smile on my face. I’d woken up that morning to Cam’s hand gripping my thigh in his sleep, I’d gotten my words written by noon, and Chevy at the bookstore had twenty paperback orders for me to sign. We had half a dozen vendors signed up to participate in Summer Fest, and I’d managed to work my charm on Gator to get him to pullsome of his old rental kayaks and canoes out of storage. To top it all off, I’d run into two readers at the bookstore who had listened to one of my audiobooks on their road trip to town.
Maybe I’d celebrate by learning to grill steaks tonight? I’d recently uncovered an ancient charcoal grill in the garage. Meat plus fire sounded easy and appropriately summery. And Cam seemed like a steak kind of guy.
I was lost in meaty thoughts when I turned onto my street and barely had enough time to react when the drywallers backed their van out my own driveway in front of me. I hit the brakes, planted my foot, and executed a perfect controlled slide, whipping the back end of my bike around and stopping inches from their rear tire.
I pumped my fist in celebration. I still had it. Another win for the day.
“Sorry, Miss Hart! We didn’t see you there,” Jacob the driver called.
“All good,” I promised.
“Uh-oh,” Jacob’s passenger said.
Cam was storming through my front yard toward us. He gave the gate a kick and sent it flying open.
“Maybe you guys should take off,” I suggested.
Jacob threw the van into reverse and floored it backward down the block.
Cam continued his angry march toward me.
“Did you see my sick bike skills?” I called out.
“That’s it,” he said, reaching my side. He plucked me off the bike and carried it and me into the yard.
“What’s it?” I demanded, making erotic mental notes about his casual display of strength.
Cam left my bike leaning against the fence and tossed me over his shoulder. “Gage!” he bellowed.
Gage wandered onto the front porch. “Nice save, Hazel. You’ve got skills.”
“Thanks,” I said, struggling against Cam’s hold. “Why is your brother carting me around like a bag of concrete?”
“You’d have to ask him,” Gage drawled.
“Keys,” Cam demanded.
“Yours, mine, or Hazel’s?” Gage asked.
“Mine.”
I gave up struggling and went with plan B. Pinching Cam’s perfectly formed ass. He growled, but that was as far as the communication went.
“Here,” Gage called and tossed Cam his keys. “Have fun with your abduction.”
Cam carried me out to the street and set me on my feet next to his truck. He handed me the keys. “Let’s go.”
“Go where? I have important things to do.”
