Page 26 of Hiding Hollywood

Cameron brushed past her and set the plate on the counter. His body weight shifted, putting them shoulder to shoulder. “A little bit, but I still don’t like to leave her alone too long.”

Addie managed a polite smile. “What’s wrong with her?”

He shrugged, the movement rubbing their arms together. Why couldn’t she make herself move away? One step and there’d be a respectable distance between them. Instead, she felt the need to lean into him while they discussed his girlfriend. Torturing herself appeared to be her newest pastime. She couldn’t even summons up some silly remark or flirty distraction. Cameron finally looked at her like she was a real woman. It was a heady experience.

He reached for the dish sponge on the opposite counter, bringing them face-to-face for half a second. On purpose. Every time they touched he’d done it on purpose. Playing with fire. They both were.

“Lacy’s pretty insecure. It causes issues if she’s left alone.”

“Oh. That sounds miserable.” Addie really shouldn’t fault Cameron for being so caring of his girlfriend. Her opinion of him had changed in the past day. Lacy was pretty lucky to have a man like Cameron concerned about her.

Didn’t matter if she liked him or not. He had Lacy. Who knew what her own crappy boyfriend was up to at this point.

9

Lacy pulled Cameron along the riverbank like she knew where she led him. Everywhere she went it was an adventure. Tail wagging. Nose to the ground. His fishing pole dangled over his shoulder as his tackle box swung by his side. Perfect day-off. Blue sky and mild winter weather. Fish probably wouldn’t bite worth a damn, but his dad took his fishing seriously. His dad took everything seriously.

That was how Cameron hoped the rest of the town saw him as well. This job meant something to him. He’d do everything he could, the same way his dad had done, to protect Statem.

He spotted his dad in their usual spot, the fishing line already in the water. Lacy barked a few times to announce to the empty woods their arrival.

His dad’s shoulders shook with laughter. At least he had a good sense of humor about the dog scaring off any fish.

He tied Lacy to a low branch with equal access to the sunlight and the shade. She chose the shade, plopping down with a stick in her mouth. Man, it must be nice to have a dog’s life.

“How’s it going?” asked his dad.

“Good. Lacy managed to sleep through the night with a dry crate.”

His dad nodded. “It sounds more like you’re dealing with a child than an animal.”

“It’s a little bit of both, I guess. I feel like I’ve raised her by now.”

He cast his own line into the water along the bank. They fished in silence. Somehow, he bonded with him more when they didn’t have to keep up a constant stream of chatter. An hour later and Lacy had fallen asleep in the sunshine, and Cameron’s mind had thought more about Addie than the investigation that had stumped him. Two more people had come into the station yesterday to report stolen items. That made twelve break-ins without the first reliable lead. They’d increase the patrol, told the community to turn on outside security lights, if they had any, and look out for their neighbors.

“Any word on getting a subpoena or warrant for the lumberyard’s video?” His dad reeled in a small fish, tossing it back a second later.

“Nope. Judge is still reviewing it. The next judge that could issue one has a calendar that’s packed for the next three weeks.”

His dad nodded and didn’t make any other suggestions. Cameron should appreciate the silent vote of confidence that he could handle the investigation himself, but he only felt insecurity. He needed that video.

Another hour later and he followed his dad back to his mom’s house, finding Addie and his mom sitting on the front porch. Addie held her phone two inches from her nose, and his mom reading one of her typical romance novels with some long-haired guy holding onto a woman about to faint while a wave crashed behind them.

“Catch anything?” His mom tilted her head up for his dad’s kiss.

“Nothing worth eating. What are you ladies up to?”

Addie hadn’t lifted her head. Was she ignoring him? After his display during dinner the other night, he didn’t blame her if she felt awkward. His lousy day and exhaustion had skewed his judgment of the situation, letting his guard down enough to enjoy the beautiful woman staying with his parents. Of all the crazy things, she’d not flirted back. It was almost like him making any move had sucked that side of her right out. Interesting theory.

He climbed the steps. His shadow fell over her. She lifted her head.

She gave him a whisper of a smile, something that made the moment feel even more magical. Like she was surprised and possibly happy to see him. Another interesting theory.

“What are you doing?” He shifted to look at her screen, but she shut it off and slammed it face down on her lap.

“Nothing.”

“Addie…”

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