That Night in Texas

Vivi stared at a point past his shoulder. “I can’t... I’m not good at accepting help.”

“I don’t care. Today you’re going to.” Cam stood up and flipped the shower taps to maximum. “So, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to shower and while you wash that river off you, I’ll make you some tea, maybe something to eat. Then you’re going to climb into bed.”

Vivi shook her head. “I can’t, Cam. I need to collect Clem, I need to find a phone, make arrangements for a car.”

Stubborn had a new name and it was Vivi. “Yeah, you’re not hearing me, Viv. I’m not going anywhere. For today, I’m your phone, I’m your lift, I’m the barrier standing between you and the outside world. I’m going to do whatever you need to do because you need to rest.”

Vivi opened her mouth to argue, took a breath and slowly nodded. “I’ll take two hours from you. Two hours and a cup of tea.”

“Three hours, a cup of tea and a grilled cheese sandwich. And we’ll pick up Clementine together.”

Vivi shook her head. “I don’t think I’m ready for that, Cam.”

Cam lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “I don’t think I am, either, but that’s what’s going to happen.” He nodded at the shower before taking a step toward the door. Because the room was so damn small, one step was all it took to put him by the door. “Call if you need help.”

“I won’t.”

Cam closed the door behind him and rested his forehead on the thin door. She acted so independent and determined, but was she really? Despite his so-called infallible BS detector, he had to wonder if he was reading her wrong. Was she just lulling him into a false sense of security, acting independent so that when she finally stung him, when she finally asked something of him, he wouldn’t mind? Could she be that manipulative, that wily?

Yeah, he was cynical but he hadn’t become that way by fluke and coincidence. And what was the point of worrying? He’d wait and see. Vivi would either disappoint him as so many had before her, or she’d surprise him. He’d expect the first and not hope for the second. That way he wouldn’t feel let down.

Again.

Four

Three hours later, Vivi staggered out of her bed, thoroughly disoriented. Standing by the side of her bed, she stared out her window, surprised to see that the sun was still shining. She looked down at the pair of men’s boxer shorts she’d pulled on and the thin tank top and wondered why she was dressed in her pj’s in the middle of the afternoon. And why was it so quiet?

She had a toddler. Quiet was not good.

“Clem is safe, you’re safe. Take a breath.”

Vivi spun around and saw Camden McNeal standing in the doorway to her room, wearing designer jeans and a dark green T-shirt. His hair was shorter, there were fine lines around his eyes that hadn’t been three years ago. And what was he doing in her house on a—God, what was today?

And where the hell was Clem?

Vivi lifted her hand to her throat, panic closing her throat.

“You had an accident. Clementine is fine. She’s at the sitters. Charlie?”

Vivi sat down on the edge of the bed and dropped her head down, waiting for her dizziness to pass. Memories pieced themselves together. Near drowning, Cam as emergency contact, hospital, concussion. It was all coming back to her now. Blowing air out of her cheeks, she slowly lifted her head. “How long did I sleep for?”

“About three hours. I was just coming to wake you.”

Vivi nodded her head and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the freestanding, secondhand mirror in the corner. She’d fallen asleep with wet hair and it was a mass of tangled, frizzy curls. She had a pillow crease on her left cheek, a bruise forming on her eyebrow, cheek and jaw. She was almost scared to look down, but she did. Black and blue with a few wonderful scrapes to break the monotony.

Because she wanted to cry—partly because she looked like hell in front of the ever-delicious-looking Camden McNeal—Vivi tried humor. “Holy crap. Clem is going to insist on kissing all these bruises better and that’s going to take some time.”