Nerves clanging in her stomach, Chloe swallowed past the sudden nausea that threatened. “Great,” she said weakly.
Ali laughed. “Wear your Sunday best, my friend. You’ll want to look good for your new kissing partner.”
Chloe smiled in return but worry consumed her. What if Cam didn’t want to be her new kissing partner? And was that the lamest thing to call him, or what? What if he ignored her the entire night instead?
She didn’t think her fragile heart could take it.
…
“I can’t believe you dragged me here,” Cam grumbled irritably as he followed Mac into the Pine Tree Bar and Grill.
Mac flashed a grin over his shoulder. “It was either here or hang out with Mom and Dad for another fun-filled night. You tell me which option sounds better.”
Cam didn’t answer. He’d been staying at the ’rents house but had already spoken to Patrick earlier about crashing at his and Lyssa’s place for the summer. He craved privacy. Jane and her kids had moved out a few weeks ago, since now they lived with Chris.
Tomorrow he was grabbing his bag and going to Patrick’s. Patrick’s family had already headed back home to the bay area. They’d bought the cabin years ago and usually stayed there when they came to visit Lone Pine Lake, the only exception being when Jane had lived in the house with her kids for almost a year.
A huge-ass empty house on the lake sounded perfect to Cam’s loner soul.
“I offered you to stay at my place.” Mac had a condo not too far from the town’s center.
“Your place is too small. Besides, Patrick said I could stay at his house,” Cam answered.
They stood by the bar counter, scanning the room, looking for Mac’s group of friends. “How long do you plan on staying here, anyway?”
Cam shrugged. “I don’t know. A couple of months.”
“Seriously? Through the summer? I’m surprised.” When Cam scowled at him, Mac laughed. “You try your hardest to avoid this place. It’s like you hate your hometown.”
He didn’t reply, kept his gaze trained on the flat screen TV that hung over the old jukebox, which had stood there since he could remember. The place was less than half filled. No surprise, considering it was a Sunday night. Most locals stayed home before they started the workweek and the weekend tourists were already gone.
But Cam had no place to go tomorrow, nowhere to work. He was on a semi-permanent hiatus. Hell, even his family didn’t know the extent of what he suffered while overseas. He hadn’t wanted to worry anyone, strike panic in their hearts when it wasn’t necessary.
He could handle the scary shit on his own. Didn’t need anyone else.
They went to a larger table and sat, ordering a pitcher of beer and a couple of burger specials. “Who else is coming?” Cameron asked after the waitress left.
“Alison and Chloe for sure,” Mac answered. “A few others might show up later.”
His heart jerked. “Chloe?”
“Well, yeah. I hang out with her and her friend Ali a lot.”
“Who’s Ali?”
“Alison Sullivan, resident kindergarten teacher at Lone Pine Elementary. She moved here a few years ago and she’s good friends with Chloe.”
“Huh.” Cam grunted, then muttered a thanks when the waitress brought them the pitcher of beer accompanied by frosty mugs. He poured himself one and took a sip as he thought about Chloe.
Again.
Damn it, he couldn’t shake her. He wanted to. Desperately. But the memory of her lips pressed to his, that sharp inhalation of breath when their mouths first made connection, the velvety sensation of her tongue tentatively touching his…
He should forget all about her. He was leaving soon and had no business contemplating kissing her again, let alone actually locking his lips with hers. She’d been a part of his life since…forever. No way could he fool around with her like he did with other women and then leave her, most likely heartbroken.
He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for that. Avoiding Chloe was the smart, responsible thing to do.
“Ah, there’re the girls,” Mac said, interrupting Cam’s thoughts. “Listen, don’t flirt with Alison. You’d break her heart in an instant.”