The Thing About Trouble (Crystal Lake 1)

With a small wave to Cam, she took off again, this time with the dog at her side. Cam and Blue watched until she disappeared down the path that led to the street and then Blue reached for him. He felt like a king when she slid her small hand into his.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I will be.”

“That’s my girl.”

“Let’s go home,” she whispered.

“My place or yours?” he asked, bringing her in close to his side. Which was exactly where she belonged.

“I don’t care,” she said softly. “As long as Tawny’s with us.”

27

Blue couldn’t sleep. So much had happened over the past few days, and her mind was still working to catch up. Carefully, she extracted herself from Cam’s embrace and rolled out of bed. She gently pulled the comforter back up and, with a full heart, stared down at the man who’d made her whole again. For the first time in forever, she had hope for a future. She was happy and she was loved.

So why did she feel so damn restless?

She stepped over the pets, who’d decided Cam’s bedroom was the best place to sleep. Rufus and her cat, Giselle, were curled up together, one purring, the other snoring softly. Padding quietly out to the kitchen, Blue hunted for the kettle, deciding a cup of hot chocolate would help her insomnia. Once she had a hot mug in her hand, she settled into the oversized and overstuffed chair in the living room and let the silence of Cam’s home soothe her mind.

Yet it did nothing.

Blue had a few more sips of hot cocoa, her mind going to places she hadn’t gone in a good long while. The ghosts of her past were circling, and they wouldn’t leave her alone until she banished them. She set down the mug, and before she could change her mind, Blue got up and found her purse near the door where she’d tossed it when she and Cam had walked through the door hours earlier. She pulled out her cell phone, slid her feet into her boots, and grabbed Cam’s jacket. Then she let herself outside onto the front porch.

It was snowing, and she gazed up at a night sky filled with soft, feathery flakes. She watched them drift lazily down and smiled as they fell on her face, melting instantly. Her breath made twin plumes of mist, and though it was cold, she liked the feel of it. She looked down at her cell and scrolled through her contacts until she found the one she wanted. And then stared at the name that glowed green in the darkness.

Heart thumping against her chest and breath falling in rapid bursts, Blue had to take a moment to gather her thoughts and to calm her soul. She could do this. She had to do this. If not now, then never. She hit the Call button and waited. It took a bit for the connection to go through, and then she heard the chime. Biting her lip, she waited, eyes fixed on the mist that fell with each deep breath she expelled. Her heart beat faster, her stomach felt weak, and her knees knocked together.

She couldn’t do this. Ripping the phone from her ear, she was about to end the call when she heard it.

“Hello?”

Blue froze, eyes locked on the phone in her hand.

“Hello?” The voice was like a trip down memory lane. “Who is this?”

“It’s me,” Blue said quietly.

“Bluebell?”

She nodded. “Yeah. It’s me.”

There was nothing at first and then she heard a throat clear. “It’s five in the morning.”

“I know.”

“What do you want, Blue?” The voice sounded tired. Wary. There was no warmth or concern, no hint of love.

“I…” She could do this. “I forgive you.”

Silence so loud, it made Blue wince filled her ear, and she grabbed at the railing because her knees did give out.

“Are you kidding me?” The harsh voice ripped into that silence and made Blue jump. “You forgive me? Oh my God. You’ve got your nerve. I gave you everything you needed. A home and the best clothes. And all that money I spent on dance? You were the luckiest girl in the world, and you could have had it all. But you opened your legs and you were stupid and you got pregnant. Do you know how humiliating that was for me? How the other parents talked? My God, you should be ashamed of yourself. You should—”

“I just wanted you to know.”

Blue ended the call and gripped the phone so tight, her fingers cramped. She stared across the frozen yard, out past the snow-covered road, and into the darkness that surrounded her. This place, this small patch of paradise in Michigan was her home now. Her face relaxed as all the tension in her body melted away.