Changing the Rules by Erin Kern (4)

Cameron had expected Audrey to turn down his offer flat. She’d probably enjoy giving him the big, fat no too. Nothing about their encounters so far had indicated she was anything other than bossy and way too opinionated. So when he’d stood in his kitchen window at lunchtime the next day and seen Audrey and Piper open the front door of the guesthouse, Cameron had been amused. Surprised, definitely. But amused because he had a feeling that taking his offer went against everything she stood for. He couldn’t help but feel triumphant at the knowledge that he’d stuck it to her something good.

He watched as Audrey and Piper disappeared inside the house for a moment before walking back outside, Piper dragging that dirty-ass stuffed cat with her. Then Audrey left Piper on the front porch while she returned to the car, turned it around so the trailer backed up to the house. He should probably offer to help her because it looked like she had a lot of stuff. Instead he just stood there and observed the way she moved. She flowed in an economical way that wasn’t typical of a woman. Especially a woman who looked like her. She didn’t stop to adjust her clothing or mess with her hair. She didn’t check her reflection in the rearview mirror or double-check that everything was in the right place. It defied everything he knew about women, which wasn’t surprising because he’d already spent enough time with her to know that Audrey wasn’t like most women.

Audrey rounded to the back of the trailer and opened the door just as Piper jumped down from the porch and began running around the backyard. She pumped her little legs, Jellybean flying behind her, from one side of the yard to the other. Every so often she’d toss a wary glance at his house, as though she was still undecided about being there. Or about him personally.

Yeah, she wasn’t the only one who was wary.

His thoughts were interrupted when his cell rang. He answered just as he saw his mom’s name on the caller ID.

“Hey, Mom.” Piper ran across the yard again, then stopped by some bushes to watch a butterfly.

“Okay, what’s wrong?” she asked instead of returning his hello.

And how could she tell he was distracted? “What makes you think something’s wrong?”

“Your voice has that tone. Like something’s on your mind.” Pamela Shaw was way too observant for his liking. “Tell Mother about it,” she insisted when he didn’t answer.

Cameron switched his attention to Audrey, who was carrying a box up the porch steps. With a deep breath, he recounted the last twenty-four hours, from the time Audrey had shown up at the school until meeting her at the diner last night.

“Well, then,” she stated after he finished. “I bet you didn’t see that one coming.”

“Not funny, Mom. I don’t know what to do with this kid.”

“She probably doesn’t know what to do with you, either,” she pointed out.

Cameron closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the sliding glass door. “You’re not helping.”

“But I’m being serious. This little girl just lost her mother and is probably just as scared and uncertain as you are.”

Logically, he knew that. The way Piper kept shooting unsure glances at him touched a place deep inside his chest that hadn’t been touched in a long time. A part of him wanted to help the kid, to place a hand on her skinny shoulder and assure her life wouldn’t always be so shitty. Problem was, he wasn’t sure she’d believe him, because he hardly believed it himself.

“You remember what it’s like to lose a parent,” Pamela pointed out.

Cameron opened his eyes and saw Audrey accept a yellow flower Piper and picked off a bush. Cam’s gaze fell to Audrey’s seriously slamming ass as she went back to the trailer. “Having a parent die from cancer isn’t the same as one leaving,” he reminded his mom.

“I realize that,” his mom agreed, because she didn’t need reminding of what they’d gone through when his douche of a father had walked out on them. “But my point is, you were a vulnerable kid once. You know what it’s like to have your family fall apart.”

Okay, he’d give her that.

“And,” his mom went on, “after your dad left, you still had me. She has no one, honey. She didn’t ask to be put in this situation, so it isn’t fair for you to take your anger for your dad out on her.”

Cameron turned from the door. “That’s not what I’m doing.” Was he, though? Cameron liked to think he wasn’t that much of a shithead, even though sometimes he could be. His resentment for his old man walking out had become so ingrained that he no longer knew how to separate it from everything else.

“Maybe not deliberately. But I know you. When you see her, you’re reminded of everything you felt when your dad left us. I don’t even think she has much of a relationship with your dad, does she?”

“I think Dianna was all she had,” Cameron admitted; even saying the words pinched his chest, because his mother was right. Cameron had been that kid once. After his father had ditched them, Pamela had been all he had. She’d been the rock, making sure Cameron had everything he needed, loving him enough for two parents. There was no way he’d have made it through those first few years without her. His world would have ended if he’d ever lost her.

Cameron turned back to the backyard and watched as Piper plopped down on the grass and talked to her stuffed cat. The thing was a mess, discolored and tearing at the seams.

She’s my best friend.

The girl’s small and quiet voice floated around in his head, solidifying what he hadn’t seen before. She really was alone, except for Jellybean. And Audrey. She had Audrey too, who was willing to slay dragons for the kid. As annoying as she’d been yesterday, Cameron respected her for the way she’d taken Piper in and protected her.

“Cameron?” his mom said when he’d been silent.

“I don’t know what to do with her,” he admitted.

Pamela laughed softly in his ear. “You think I knew what to do when you came along?”

Cameron smiled, despite himself. “Yeah, but you planned me.”

His mom made a sound of agreement. “True. But Piper didn’t plan this either. I think you’re both probably going to have to feel your way around each other.”

“Yeah,” he agreed absently as Audrey reappeared through the front door of the guesthouse and went to the trailer.

“Listen, I’ve got to run. I’ll see you for Sunday dinner next month.”

They disconnected the call and, without really thinking, Cameron slid open the back door. Piper jerked her head up when she heard him and clutched Jellybean tighter. Shit, she wasn’t afraid of him, was she? Had he been that much of an ogre? He didn’t think so. In fact, he’d been more preoccupied with Audrey and ruffling her feathers than anything else. But maybe that was the problem. Maybe he hadn’t been attentive enough.

Maybe he should, like, try a smile. Or something.

Piper watched him with those deep green eyes; then her face softened a fraction when he grinned at her.

“Catch any good butterflies?” he asked. Audrey had walked back inside the guesthouse.

Piper set Jellybean down on the grass. “No, they’re too fast for me. I was trying to catch one for Jellybean because she loves butterflies. Now she’s sad because she doesn’t have one.”

Cameron thought Piper was the one who was sad, but he kept that to himself. He glanced around and spotted a yellow ladybug on a bush near his feet. He squatted, collected the insect, then walked over to Piper. Her gaze tracked his movements when he lowered himself to her level.

“How about a ladybug? You think she’d take that instead of a butterfly?”

Piper observed the ladybug crawling over Cam’s hand. “Jellybean doesn’t like ladybugs.”

“What about you?”

Piper chewed her lip. “Ladybugs scare me,” she admitted.

“Naw, ladybugs are harmless,” he told her. “Hold out your finger.” Piper hesitated and Cameron lowered himself to a sitting position next to her. “I promise it won’t hurt you. See?” He held out his own hand to show there was nothing to be afraid of.

Piper finally stuck out her index finger, which was pale and skinny. Her worried expression turned into a giggle when the bug crawled from Cameron’s finger to Piper’s. She turned her palm over to track the insect’s movements, and her grin widened.

“It’s tickling me,” she marveled. She let out a squeal when the ladybug started crawling up her arm. But the fun was over when it unfolded its wings and flew away.

For a second, Cameron thought Piper was going to burst into tears, because that’s what kids did, right? He braced himself for the barrage and let out a sigh of relief when she just blinked at him. “Can you tie my shoe?”

He hadn’t been expecting that, but he glanced down anyway as she stuck her little foot out. Her white-and-pink sneakers were dirty with the pink sparkly shoelaces loose and untied. Holding back a grin, Cameron tied them as tight as he could, then patted her knee.

“All set,” he told her.

“Can I go sit in your swing?” she questioned as she pointed to the wooden swing on the back porch.

“Sure,” he told her. Then she was gone, snatching up Jellybean and bounding up the porch steps.

Cameron stood, then paused when he spotted Audrey, standing next to the trailer watching him.

He approached her, taking in her tight skinny jeans, knee-high boots, and flannel shirt. The sleeves were rolled to her elbows, revealing pale, delicate forearms. And why was he even looking at her forearms?

“How long have you been standing there?” he asked.

Audrey shrugged, sending her high ponytail swishing along her back. “Long enough to know what a sucker you are.”

That’s really what she thought of him?

Audrey took another box out of the trailer. “But seriously, that was a really sweet thing you did. She’ll remember that for a long time.”

Cameron just shrugged. “It was nothing.”

“That’s right, because you don’t even like her.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “I never said that.”

Audrey hefted the box higher in her arms. “But you don’t want her here.”

Cameron took the box from her, ignoring the exasperation that swam in her eyes. “I never said that either,” he told her as he climbed the steps and entered the guesthouse. The place wasn’t that big, just two small bedrooms, with one bathroom, and an L-shaped kitchen with a love seat. There wasn’t even a place for a table, so Cam had stuck a couple of stools under the bar top so his guests would have a place to eat.

“Okay, so I’m the one you don’t want here,” Audrey remarked as Cam stuck the box on the couch.

He straightened and considered her. “I didn’t say that either.”

“But you haven’t exactly been very welcoming.”

Okay, that was true. “Cut me some slack here. You show up on my doorstep with a niece I’ve never met and expect me to know exactly what to do.”

Audrey crossed her arms over her chest and seemed to think about that. “Okay, I’ll give you that. But technically I didn’t show up on your doorstep.”

He tucked his hands in his pockets and scanned his gaze over the freckles lining her nose. “Are you always such a stickler for details?”

She offered a coy smile, which was like a punch to his gut. “Always.”

He nodded. “I’ll try to remember that.”

She regarded him for a moment, as though she didn’t know what else to say. Cameron understood her confusion, because he didn’t know what to say around her either. Something about her muddled his brain as though she were a mesh of contradictions that he hadn’t figured out yet. As he took a step closer, Cameron reveled in his aha moment when her pupils dilated. Yes, she had a weakness, another side she kept hidden from the world, him included.

She wanted him. And she didn’t want to want him. She probably hated herself for wanting him.

The control she prized so much wasn’t able to stop the quickening of her breath when his attention zeroed in on her mouth. It was a kissable mouth, with full lips that were bare, perfect for capturing and moistening with his tongue. They’d probably swell when kissed hard enough, and they’d be unbelievably responsive, just like the rest of her. Cameron liked a woman who was responsive and owned her body.

She cleared her throat, abruptly ending the moment. “So, this is a cute place,” she commented.

Maybe they should chat about the weather too. “It was here when I bought the house,” he replied, without taking his attention off her. “It came furnished too.” No one had ever actually stayed here. He’d christened one of the bedrooms with an old girlfriend, but he wasn’t about to tell Audrey that.

A red flush bloomed up her neck. “Do you use it a lot?” she asked, as though sensing his thoughts.

“You’re the first,” he replied. “It needs some repairs, but it should be sufficient for the two of you.”

Audrey nodded and bit her lip.

Nervous much?

Cameron embraced the swell of gratification at the knowledge that he made her fidgety. “Do you need some help getting the rest of your stuff unloaded?”

“No, I’ve got it. And why are you here in the middle of the day? I figured you’d be at the school.”

She was right. Normally he worked through lunch, but today he’d decided to come home. Yeah, right. You just rushed over to see if she was here. “I came home to grab some quick lunch.”

Just then Piper ran through the door, dragging Jellybean behind her. “Audrey, I have to go potty.”

Cameron glanced at the kid, taking in the rosy cheeks and messy hair. He pointed down the hall. “The bathroom is across from the first bedroom.”

Audrey clasped Piper’s hand in hers. “I have to take her. She’s terrified of toilets.”

“She won’t go to the bathroom by herself?”

“Nope.”

He didn’t get it. “What’s so scary about a toilet?”

Audrey leaned closer, giving him a hint of lemons. Made him think of lemonade. Which made him think of hot summer days. Which made him think of sex in the sun. “Probably because she used to watch her mother throw up from chemo treatments.”

Ah, shit. Wasn’t he the big asshole?

He peered down at the girl, noting the way she clung to Audrey’s leg like she was about to be dragged off for surgery. But instead of prying Piper away, Audrey embraced her, cupping one hand over the girl’s head and the other running in circles over her back. They were good together, the two of them. Cameron suspected they needed each other, possibly filling a void that nothing else could reach.

“The football team’s having a pancake breakfast on Saturday,” he blurted out. First he hadn’t wanted Piper in his life, and now he was inviting them to team functions? “It’s a fund-raiser,” he added.

Cameron waited for a reply, kicking himself for tossing it out so casually. Then Audrey smirked, and he got the impression she was laughing at him. “Are you asking if we’d like to come?”

Yeah, Cameron, are you?

“It would be a good way for Piper to see what I do,” he answered, because that sounded way more reasonable, as though the initial invitation had more to do with helping Piper’s transition. Which was strange, because he still wasn’t sure he wanted the girl here.

Audrey looked down at Piper. “What d’you think? Want to go have some pancakes on Saturday?”

Piper looked up at Audrey, then switched her gaze to Cameron. “Can they make them into a Mickey Mouse shape?”

Cameron held back a grin, thinking about the reaction he’d get by asking tough seventeen-year-olds to put Mickey Mouse ears on pancakes. “I’m sure we can make that happen.”

Piper offered a shy smile, cutting through the brash exterior he’d been throwing out since meeting them. How could one girl make him question his own solitary existence? And how had his life changed so much in twenty-four hours?

“I don’t want these anymore.”

Audrey paused in the act of dialing a number on her cell phone and glanced at Piper. For lunch she’d asked for chicken nuggets, so Audrey had hastily thrown a handful on a plate while she’d been on the phone with the elementary school. Piper was supposed to start kindergarten this year, and school had been in session for almost a month already. Instinctively she knew inquiring about school was something Cameron would overlook, so she’d taken the initiative.

Audrey set the cell phone on the kitchen counter. “But that’s what you asked for.”

Piper glanced at the plate and spun back and forth on the barstool. “I don’t like them anymore.”

Audrey bit back a groan and reminded herself that Piper was a fickle six-year-old who constantly changed her mind. But ever since Dianna passed away, Piper’s indecisiveness had worsened, especially when it came to food. She’d ask for a corn dog, take one bite, then ask for something else. It had been a learning process for Audrey, one that was rife with frustration and lots of designer label counting.

“So what would you like?” she asked the girl.

Piper thought for a moment. “Popsicles,” she announced.

In the two days they’d been there, Audrey had unpacked everything and run to the store for necessities. Unfortunately, Popsicles weren’t a necessity.

“We don’t have any Popsicles,” she told the girl.

Piper dragged Jellybean off the bar top and hugged it close. “Do we have any ice cream?”

They did, but she wasn’t about to tell her that. “You can’t have ice cream for lunch.”

“What can I have?” Piper asked with a blink of her big green eyes.

Audrey pointed to the plate of food. “You can have the nuggets you asked for.”

Piper stuck out her bottom lip and pushed the nuggets around the plate.

“You just had nuggets a few nights ago,” Audrey reminded her. “What happened?”

“I just don’t like ’em anymore.”

Audrey picked up her cell again and rounded the bar top. She dropped a kiss on Piper’s clean, blond hair. “Well, that’s what we have so if you’re hungry enough you’ll eat them.”

Piper bounced in her seat. “Jellybean’s gonna eat them instead.”

Whatever. Usually what Jellybean ate, Piper ended up eating too, so Audrey wasn’t going to argue. She left the girl to her food and walked toward the front door. When she’d gotten up that morning, she’d propped the door open to let in the early-morning cool breeze. The brisk wind had felt good on her face, reminding her of how much she loved Colorado. The sky was clear and the mountain peaks soared around them. She’d reveled in the quiet of the day with a cup of coffee in her hand and the birds chirping around her. With Piper still asleep, she’d taken advantage and sat on the porch steps, making sure to avoid the bottom one since it had a broken board.

But when she’d sat, she’d noticed a yellow piece of paper stuck to the wood, flapping in the breeze. Audrey had set her mug down and glanced at the Post-it note.

Just looking at Cameron’s handwriting had brought all sorts of tingles along her spine. Even now, hours after finding his note, Audrey stole a glance at his house. She knew he wasn’t home, but that didn’t stop her from taking in every detail of his property. The craftstman-syle log home was beautiful with a manicured lawn full of trees and flowers. The guesthouse sat behind the home, giving her a perfect view of the back porch, kitchen window, and sliding glass door. She and Piper hadn’t seen that much of Cameron since they’d arrived two days ago. He’d been gone all day yesterday and hadn’t arrived home until almost seven. Then he’d been up and out the door by the time she’d gotten out of bed.

But not before fixing the broken step.

It was such a minor thing, repairing a piece of wood, but Audrey felt a tiny flutter in her belly. He could have left the step the way it was. After all, he didn’t intend for Piper to stay, right? So why go to the trouble for them?

Underneath the grunts and steely glares was a man with values and honor. Of course, she hadn’t really known him long enough to make such an assessment, but she trusted her instincts, and her instincts said that Cameron wouldn’t turn Piper away.

She also suspected underneath was a body made for Under Armour commercials and loincloths. He probably had ridges in places most men didn’t. Ridges that were perfect for a woman to run her tongue over.

Audrey smiled while simultaneously telling herself to put a halt to her fantasies. Cameron was bad news all around, and if she was going to keep her wits about her, she needed to stop imagining the stuff underneath those sweatshirts he wore.

Audrey tossed a glance at Piper over her shoulder. She was still feeding nuggets to Jellybean, holding the food to the cat’s mouth, then setting it back on the plate. She then dialed her business partner’s number.

She and Stevie had started their home staging business five years ago, contracting out to real estate agents who needed to quickly spruce up a house before putting it on the market. When Audrey had graduated from college, she’d planned on being an interior designer. She’d stumbled on the staging business by default when she’d done a favor for a Realtor friend by redecorating a living room. A few months later, she and her friend Stevie, whom she’d met in college, had poured every bit of blood, sweat, and tears into starting their business. It had been tireless, thankless work, and they hadn’t broken even until two years later. Things had picked up and they’d finally turned a profit this year. Stevie hadn’t been happy when she found out how long Audrey planned on being gone.

Her friend answered on the third ring. “How’s it going?” she asked, knowing the uphill battle Audrey had ahead of her.

“As expected,” she answered with a sigh. “Difficult.”

“How’s the little one?” Stevie asked, referring to Piper.

Audrey smiled because, as capricious as Piper could be, she always warmed Audrey’s heart. She’d lost her mother, but her strength and resilience astounded her, especially since Audrey knew how it felt to lose a mother. “Coping.” Audrey paused. “Actually, she’s doing pretty well considering. I got everything unpacked yesterday and made a call about enrolling her in school this morning.”

“You unpacked all your stuff in the hotel?” Stevie questioned.

Shit. Audrey hadn’t even realized her slip of the tongue. Now her friend would ask all kinds of questions, and Audrey didn’t want to talk about Cameron. “Yeah,” she answered slowly. “Piper’s uncle has a guesthouse.”

Stevie was silent a moment before answering. “This guy offered up his guesthouse after you just met him?”

“You should have seen his reaction when we first got here. He wanted me to take Piper and go back to Boulder.”

“You’re kidding!” Stevie exclaimed. “What an ass. So what made him change his mind?”

“I’m not sure he has,” Audrey admitted.

“You think he’d send his own niece away?”

Audrey watched as a squirrel dragged an acorn across the grass. “I don’t think he would. But he’s not pleased we’re here. He keeps saying he doesn’t know what to do with a kid.”

Stevie snorted. “Most bachelors don’t.” There was a beat of silence. “He is a bachelor, isn’t he?”

Audrey opened her mouth to answer a confident no, but now that she thought about it, she wasn’t sure. She knew there was no wife, and he hadn’t mentioned anything about a girlfriend, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have one. Or a string of women panting after him. The thought of leaving Piper with a man who had a revolving door of women made Audrey uncomfortable. She’d have to clear that up with him later. He had to understand that Piper’s needs and welfare had to come first.

“I think so,” she finally answered.

“You’re not sure?” Stevie asked with a disbelieving laugh. “What do you know about this guy?”

Not much. “Midthirties, coaches high school football.”

“Yeah? Is he hot?” Stevie wanted to know.

An automatic fire leaped into her face, spreading back to her hairline and blooming across her chest. In Cameron’s case, hot was an understatement. The man was in a category that hadn’t even been invented yet. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Stevie was silent a moment, as though trying to read too much into Audrey’s response. “I’d say everything, judging by your tone. Now give me the lowdown on this guy.”

Audrey picked at the splintered wood of the step, unable to control the heat still filling her cheeks. “I already told you about him.”

“You gave me his stats,” Stevie complained. “Now give me the goods. What’s he look like? How tall is he?”

“I don’t know. Six-two maybe.” Tall enough to make her feel all fragile and feminine. Towering over her like some…big man. Good one, Audrey.

“And is he in good shape? Or is he kind of dumpy?”

Audrey’s grin widened. What was she, some teenager crushing on her lab partner? “There isn’t anything dumpy about him.”

“Yeah, baby,” Stevie responded, with a smile lighting up her voice. “Now we’re getting somewhere. So who’s he look like?”

Audrey’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Compare him to someone.”

“Like, someone we know?” Stevie would be hard pressed to get a decent answer. Cameron wasn’t like anyone Audrey knew.

“No, like a celebrity. I’m trying to get a picture of this guy in my head.”

Audrey blew out a breath and racked her brain. “I don’t know. He kind of reminds of Taylor Kitsch a little bit. But with less shaggy hair. And maybe not as broody.” Even though Cameron could brood with the best of them.

Stevie whistled. “Damn. No wonder you ran to his guesthouse.”

“That’s not why.” Except it totally was.

“Okay, then,” Stevie answered with a snort.

“So how’re things up there?” Audrey asked, desperately needing to change the subject.

“Crazy busy,” her friend automatically answered. “Do you know how much longer you’ll be? Because I can only handle all this work for so long.”

“I can’t leave until I’m sure Piper is completely settled.”

“That could be months,” Stevie complained.

Audrey guessed technically it could. And maybe a subconscious part of her wanted to drag it out because the thought of saying goodbye to Piper gutted her.

“I don’t think it’ll take that long,” she assured her friend.

“But it could,” Stevie argued.

She guessed it could, but she knew, realistically, she couldn’t be gone from her business that long.

“Just try to make it as quick as you can,” Stevie went on.

“I promise,” Audrey answered. Why are you making a promise you’re not sure you can keep?

They said their goodbyes, and her phone vibrated almost the second she disconnected.

Bring Piper to practice after school today.

Audrey blinked at the words and stuffed back her annoyance. He knew good and well not to text her, and he’d done it anyway. Probably to piss her off. No please. No Hey, if you’re not doing anything…

He just demanded and assumed.

Two days ago when he’d helped her move boxes, she thought she’d turned a corner with him. The way he’d interacted with Piper, so gentle and understanding, then attempting a halfway civil conversation with her that didn’t involve grunts and one-word answers. Sure, he’d invaded her personal space and sent her pulse skyrocketing, but he’d been sort of decent. Almost…nice.

Probably because he was having an off night.

She suspected Cameron rarely let anyone have the upper hand. Probably one of his defense mechanisms. Well, she knew all about defense mechanisms and could give as good as he could.

She dialed his number and pressed the phone to her ear. The other line rang, while behind her, Piper stepped through the front door.

Audrey peered at her to see Jellybean dangling from one hand and ketchup smeared across one cheek.

Cameron’s voice mail picked up after the fourth ring. Damn, even his clipped tone telling people to leave a message sent chills through her midsection.

“Piper and I will have to check our schedules,” she told him. “We’re busy people, you know,” she added, just to get his hair up. “By the way, I know you texted me just to get under my skin. It won’t work.”

She hung up and turned to Piper.

“Did you finish your lunch?” she asked the girl.

Piper nodded. “I have to go to the bathroom now.”

Ten minutes later, after she took Piper to the bathroom and hovered over her to assure her nothing bad was going to happen, her phone vibrated.

And her back teeth ground together before she even checked the message.

You don’t have anything else going on, Cameron’s message said. And we both know I’m totally under your skin.

Audrey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Diane von Furstenberg, Dolce and Gabbana…” She made it all the way to Emilio Pucci before she realized Piper had already flushed the toilet and left the bathroom.