Page 6 of Hiding Hollywood

Cameron let out a slow, pent-up breath, waiting for another hit of that sugary, vanilla smell that filled up his truck. She did it on purpose. No doubt men made fools of themselves all the time. The way she talked, walked and dressed. Nothing like the sweet girl he’d remembered with her nose stuck in a book and big, black-rimmed glasses. Her brown hair now replaced with bleach blonde.

It was annoying as hell.

He’d rushed to the small, Florida jail, wanting to protect his best friend’s little sister. It’d confused the shit out of him to see her again looking like…that.

Gorgeous.

She held up her phone, moving it back and forth. “Don’t you have any cell phone service out here? I got my email to download, but I can’t get a call to get out.”

“Nope.” He kept his eyes on the road. “Not for a little bit.”

She ran a hand through her long hair, dropping into that fake, seductive voice. “What is considered a little bit?”

“At the top of that hill, you’ll get a signal.”

“I guess I’ll try to call Brian.”

“Then, it will disappear until Statem.”

“How far until Statem?”

“Three more big hills after this one.”

“Never heard of someone counting hills for distance,” she muttered.

Cameron met her gaze. “We do in the country.”

She rolled her eyes, her leg bouncing with impatience.

Trevor had always bragged about her intelligence. Impossible. She seemed to have the personality of Jessica Rabbit, not a Computer Science degree from the University of Southern California.

But even with the airhead vibe, the look in her eyes still threatened to draw him in. Just like when he was eighteen. Like she had the world figured out, and he didn’t. It’d made him uncomfortable.

He squeezed the wheel. Now, that same look made it hard to remember how Trevor’s little sister had a big “hands off” sign flashing over her head.

“Trevor didn’t mention what you did for a living.” He could handle small talk.

Her eyes lifted slowly from her lap. “I work the perfume counter at a high-end department store.”

“Ah. So, the computer thing didn’t work out?”

Her expression didn’t change, but her lips pursed together a brief second. “No. Although, I can work a register pretty well.”

She went back to her phone, pushing her hair away from her face again.

“Finally!” She twisted in her seat, facing the window for privacy, but she never lowered her voice. “Brian. Give me a call. Please. I’m out of jail, but I can’t leave for another two weeks. The quicker you call, the quicker I can go home.”

She tossed her phone into the floorboard, landing perfectly in her purse.

What kind of jerk left his girlfriend in jail? A stupid one. Cameron rolled his window down to bring in some fresh air and cool his skin. In his line of work, he’d seen his share of low-life boyfriends and husbands that women stayed with no matter what. Addie didn’t look or act like Brian abused her. Some women hid their scars, though.

Trevor certainly hated the boyfriend. The next call he expected would be from Trevor, asking for another favor to come and bail him out of jail once hediscussedAddie with Brian. Cameron hoped he had the opportunity.

As they topped the hill, Cameron spotted a black Honda parked on the shoulder of the two-lane highway. A man in his late sixties stared down at the back, rear tire. Shannon Klein. He limped alongside the car, rubbing his thigh. Cameron had heard the story about being shot in Vietnam enough times to recite it for the man. Getting down and changing a tire this close to the main highway didn’t seem possible for him. Although, Shannon wouldn’t ever ask for help.

“Another flat tire,” Cameron said as he pulled his truck into the emergency lane behind Shannon’s. “I’ve already filed one complaint with the logging company about the number of flat tires on this stretch of the highway. We’re lucky it hasn’t caused a wreck yet.”

Addie didn’t respond. Her phone was back in her hand with her fingers flying fast. Better she ignored him than do all the flirting she’d done before. That act had shocked the hell out of him. Left him tugging tight on his control before responding like any other red-blooded male.

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