Page 23 of Freeing Camila

“Yeah. About time you stopped hogging the prettiest lady in the place,” said Eggs with a wink.

A blush, hot and intense, rose in her chest and spread up across her face. “Take it easy, guys,” Wade admonished.

Voodoo, another name she was curious about, asked. “You’re new to town, right? How are you settling in?”

“Great. I really like it here. Especially now that I have a job.”

“She works at the bakery,” Wade announced, a certain pride coloring his tone, though she couldn’t fathom why.

“Mrs. Lenzer’s eclairs are to die for,” Eggs sighed with a wistful expression. He licked his lips, as though he could already taste the eclairs he was talking about.

“I haven’t tried those yet. Getting her coffee business running smoothly has consumed all my time. It’s been a whirlwind of ordering supplies, perfecting recipes, and setting up the new equipment I talked her into buying.”

“Wait. I’ve heard about you,” Voodoo said. “Haley’s been raving about the improvements in Flour Power’s coffees.”

“Haley works with us, too,” Wade murmured, his warm breath ghosting across her neck, sending shivers down her spine and a flutter to her stomach.

Eggs next words pulled her out of her daze caused by the man standing beside her. “So, I’ve been wondering. You’re what? Twenty-eight? Twenty-nine?”

“Twenty-nine,” she replied.

“Right. So what prompted a grown woman like you to climb a tree?”

That ever-present blush, a faint rose just beneath the surface, bloomed once more, warming her cheeks. “Just something I wanted to do.”

“Why?”

She searched for an answer that wouldn’t reveal too much about her nightmarish past. “I, um, had kind of a sheltered childhood. So when I got older, I made a list of things I wanted to experience.”

“Like a bucket list?” Eggs asked.

“Something like that.” Her Little Victories Bucket List went beyond the typical bucket list. Common childhood experiences, things most people had probably lived through while growing up, filled the list. Events and situations that would resonate with the universal themes of adolescence.

“What else is on your list?” Voodoo wondered.

Cammie shrugged. “Simple things, like flying a kite. Learning to ride a bike. Sleeping under the stars. Stuff like that.”

“That sounds like fun,” Eggs said. “I bet Jeeves would be happy to help you complete your list.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary.” Although she tried to casually dismiss the offer, the guys were persistent and unwilling to let her refuse.

“That’s a great idea,” Hoot remarked.

“Excellent. Then it’s decided,” Eggs declared, regardless of the lack of agreement from Wade or her. “You should exchange numbers so you can meet up on your next day off.”

“Eggs,” Wade murmured, his exasperation evident in the rough, gravelly tone of his voice.

Eggs waved off Wade’s mumbled aggravation. “This will be good for both of you. Cammie’s new to town. You could show her around while checking things off her list.”

“Right,” Voodoo agreed. “Give her the lay of the land.”

“Helping a friend is the right thing to do,” Spark, who’d remained silent up until this point, said. Despite his distant demeanor, Cammie sensed the man’s sharp awareness; a subtle alertness suggested that he was privy to every detail, every nuance of his surroundings and the people around him. The realization made her shiver.

Misinterpreting her shudder, Wade swiftly shed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders, his touch brief but warm. The worn leather, cool against her skin, invited her to bury her face in its softness, taking a deep breath of the now familiar scent clinging to the collar. The rich aroma of woodsmoke and leather enveloped her, a comforting warmth that spread from her core to the tips of her fingers and toes.

She completely lost track of the conversation as she lost herself in the sensations swamping her. With the band launching into their next set, a wave of sound washed over her, effectively anchoring her back to reality.

To make sure she could hear him above the loud music, Wade leaned in close to her ear and spoke. “More dancing?” he asked.

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