“I FEEL this is really poor planning on your part,” Pippa chides from the other line of the phone.
I sigh, taking a seat on one of Linda’s front porch rockers. “I understand that now. However”—I say dramatically—“you lecturing me doesn’t help whatsoever. Are you going to come pick me up or not?”
Pippa sighs. “I’m just saying that maybe if you and Cade had just texted one another that you were planning on doing these big, elaborate gestures, that the two of you wouldn’t have literally missed each other at the airport by a couple of hours.”
“I wanted to surprise him in Sutten, Pip. Not once did I think Cade would be planning on flying all the way to Chicago at the same time.”
“You know if you would’ve just told me you were coming back, or called me when you landed instead of hiring a driver, I could’ve told you he was planning on surprising you.”
“Yes. I should’ve told you. For once in my life, I’m sorry I kept a secret from you.”
She laughs nervously. “Technically, it’s not the first. I’m on my way, but there’s just one little thing…”
“Wait to tell me when you get here. Focus on driving. Speed a little. Sherriff Phillips will understand.”
“Miss Betty is a huge fan of yours.”
I turn pink thinking about trying to talk Pippa out of a speeding ticket by offering up a signed book to our sheriff’s wife.
“No more talking,” I instruct. “Get here so we can hopefully catch Cade at the airport.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter under my breath, gawking at the man sitting in the passenger seat of Pippa’s work van.
Pippa leans forward, her hands gripping the steering wheel as she stares at me with wide eyes. “Mare,” she begins, looking from the man to me and back again. “You might remember Camden.”
My mouth hangs open as my eyes bounce between the two of them. Yes. I remember Camden. It’s hard not to remember the asshole of a man sitting shotgun in Pippa’s work van.
He stares back at me, an unreadable look on his face. I don’t know why on Earth he’s willingly sitting in Pippa’s van. And why she’s letting him.
“Oh my God, Pippa, did you abduct the asshole tourist?” I try to whisper inconspicuously.
Pippa laughs uncomfortably. “Technically, no.”
Camden shoots her a look. His jet-black eyebrows rise to his hairline. “Abduct might not be the best use of words. Blackmail? Maybe that’s better…”
Pippa rolls her eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic.”
“The last time you talked about him you said, and I quote, ‘There’s no way that man has a big enough dick to be that big of a dick.’ And then I think you said something that his terrible attitude is his way of compensating for his ‘small dick’ and ‘lackluster looks.’”
Pippa squeaks as Camden aims a menacing look her way. It’s so cold and intimidating that I get goosebumps just from witnessing it. Camden is quiet for a moment, running his finger over his lip. When he turns to face me, there’s a fake, cold smile on his lips. “Pippa didn’t seem to think my cock was small when she was trying to fit it in her mouth when you so rudely interrupted us with your rather desperate call for help.”
Pippa’s forehead falls to the steering wheel. The van lets out the tiniest squeal of a honk.
I stare between the two of them, wondering what in the actual hell is going on.
Pippa is hooking up with a tourist? This tourist?
Apparently more has happened in my absence than I was expecting.
“Pippa, it appears we have much to catch up on,” I say, still completely shocked about what’s transpiring before my eyes.
“Pippa,” Camden begins, copying me. His voice is low as he turns to look at her. “You’ll be paying for those little comments of yours later.”
I try not to grimace when my best friend looks excited by the words coming from Camden’s mouth. A weird sound comes from my mouth as my lips flap open and shut like a fish because I can’t comprehend what’s going on in front of me.
Camden sighs, aiming an annoyed look in my direction. “Are you going to get in or are we just going to keep gossiping?”
I narrow my eyebrows at him. “I’ve known Pippa longer, so I get the front seat.” My eyes pop to the back of the van. There’s one tiny little seat, the rest of the van meant to hold deliveries and not another person.
Camden clicks his tongue. “I’m not sitting in the back.”
Pippa pats him on the shoulder. “In all fairness, we’re doing the whole dramatic rush to the airport scene for Mare. She should get the front seat.”
Camden looks appalled at Pippa’s words. Pippa doesn’t look apologetic in the slightest. His menacing glare doesn’t seem to deter her. “You’re the one who insisted on coming. Get in the back. And hurry, we’ve got to go!”
He lets out a low growl, shocking me by getting out of the front seat.
Oh my God. He just listened to Pippa?
There’s way more to this story I’m dying to find out. But first, we’ve got to get to the airport.
Camden gets in the back of the van, a few curse words coming from his mouth as he squeezes his tall body into the narrow space.
I hop in next to Pippa. She takes off immediately. The van shakes along the bumpy gravel driveway.
Pippa sighs. “You know, we could just call Cade and tell him not to get on the plane. Or to come back here.”
“That would be the logical thing to do,” Camden pipes up from the back of the van.
I shoot him a look. “I write romance novels for a living. That isn’t romantic and I wanted it to be a surprise that I’m back.”
“We could make up an excuse?” Pippa offers. “Come up with some reason to make him not get on the plane and come back home?”
My heart beats in my chest when I think about reuniting with him again. I shake my head at her suggestion. “No. I want to meet him at the airport.”
Before I can say anything else, Pippa slams on her breaks, sending Camden roughly against my seat. “What the fuck!” he shouts, his large hand grabbing the head rest of my seat to right himself.
Pippa laughs, undeterred by his harsh words. “Sorry!”
“Tell me, why couldn’t you just drive yourself?” Camden asks.
I chew on my lip. “I haven’t really driven a car in years. I haven’t had to.”
“We’re going on a little mini road trip to win Mare her man! Think of it as fun, Camden. You need more fun in your life.”
“My idea of fun was watching you choke on my—”
“Okay then!” Pippa yells, talking over Camden. She turns up the radio, and a country song blares from the speakers.
I look between the two of them, trying to piece together what has happened with Pippa in the months I’ve been gone. I keep my questions to myself—for now. Soon I’ll ask her what’s going on. I have to know how she apparently started hooking up with him of all people.
For now, I focus on getting to Cade. On making sure we get there before he boards.
I’ve got one question I need to ask Cade.
