Branded As Trouble(13)
“Sorry. I spaced out. What’d you say?”
“Wondered what was keeping you busy at your place because you ain’t been in town all week.” Cam wiped the sweat dotting his neck. “India mentioned you missed the Tuesday night meeting.”
Unreal. He’d been sober three years and missed one meeting in the last two and a half. “And here I thought that was supposed to be confidential information.”
“It is. She told me you’re not returning her phone calls.”
“So? She ain’t my keeper.”
“She’s worried about you.”
“She drop any hints on whether you knew if I’d fallen off the wagon or not?”
“Nope.”
“That’s good. Where’d you see her? At the diner?”
“I haven’t been in the diner since Friday night.”
“Why? They stop givin’ law enforcement officers free coffee or something?”
“Or something,” Cam muttered.
“What’s up?”
Cam braced his elbows on his knees and pointed his face to the floor. “Evidently Domini saw me giving Doc Monroe a ride home Friday night after your unplanned piercing. The arctic princess blasts me with an icy glare if I so much as step foot on the welcome mat in Dewey’s. Then she starts cursing at me in Ukrainian and stomps off.”
“Huh. I didn’t realize you and Domini were datin’.”
“That’s the thing; we’re not. I’m not dating the good doc either. She and I are just friends.”
“So Domini is jealous?”
“Hell if I know. Meantime, I’ve been forced to drink the black sludge from the Conoco station.”
Colt fiddled with the cap on his water bottle. “You could remedy the jealousy situation and ask Domini out.”
Cam laughed. “Right.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
“What about her has you runnin’ scared?”
“Everything. She deserves better than half a man.”
Colt widened his eyes in mock shock. “Did part of your dick get shot off at the same time as your leg and your hand?”
The look on Cam’s face was hilarious. “No!”
“Then you ain’t half a man.”
“What do I have to offer her? A soft, sweet, beautiful girl like her don’t wanna get mixed up with a fucked-up man like me, guaranteed.” The plastic bottle crumpled in his big hand. “I have dark edges she couldn’t handle.”
“Don’t we all?”
“Not like mine.” Cam’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe you oughta take your own advice.”
“You want me to ask Domini out?”
“Fuck off. Maybe you should quit mooning around India and do something about it.”
Colt chugged the last of his water. “I have done something about it.”
“What?”
“Given up.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Nope. I realized India ain’t ever gonna see me beyond a drunk she’s counseled or her best bud, so I asked someone else to the community dance Saturday night.”
“Who?”
“Fallon Jacobson.”
Cam’s jaw dropped. “No fucking way.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because she’s so not your type. She’s…”
Irritably, Colt said, “She’s what?”
“Nice. Normal. Quiet.” He sipped his water. “Kinda plain.”
“And that’s bad?”
“Hell no. That’s just not the type of woman you’ve chased after in the past.”
“It’s been so long since I’ve done any chasin’ I figured my tastes have changed.”
“How’d you hook up with her?”
“She was in the hardware store Monday mornin’. We got to talkin’ and the next thing I knew I was askin’ her out.” His determination to move on had happened far quicker than Colt planned. “Maybe you should ask Domini and we can make it a double date.”
Cam scowled. “Yeah. I’m a one-legged dancing machine these days. Thanks, but I’ll pass from that public humiliation.”
“You can run five miles but you won’t two-step? That’s sad, man. Lemme know if you change your mind.” Colt stood. “I’m gonna hit the shower.”
“Me too. Later.” Cam grabbed his duffel and headed for the exit—the opposite direction of the showers. He never took off his prosthetic in public.
When Colt climbed into his pickup, his cell phone buzzed in the seat. He didn’t have to pick it up to know who’d called him. Three times.
India.
Seeing her name—and no one else’s—pop up on the screen, strengthened his resolve to put physical and emotional distance between them.