Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The chime of the doorbell cut through the silence, and Cam glanced out the window into the fading twilight. Who the hell could be here?

Had they found new evidence in the Gill case? Almost as quickly as the thought came to him, he pushed it away. If there'd been a break in the case, dispatch would have contacted him instead of sending someone to the house.

That only left a handful of people who would show up at… He glanced at the clock. Eight o'clock. Lead settled in his gut, apprehension sweeping up the back of his neck as he yanked open the door. On the other side, Kinley's tear-streaked face greeted him.

Without thinking, he looped an arm around her and yanked her toward him. Threading his fingers through the silky waves of her hair, he tucked her face against his chest and kicked the door closed with his foot.

Her arms slipped around his waist as a sob broke free, slicing through him like a knife. God, he hated seeing her upset.

He wrapped his free arm around her back in a fierce embrace, holding her tight as sobs wracked her slight frame. Hot tears soaked his shirt and he gently rocked her side to side, whispering against her hair. "Shh. Everything's gonna be okay."

He'd held her plenty of times over the past couple of years during her relationship with that asshole, Ted. But she'd finally broken things off with him a few weeks ago. So if it wasn't Ted… What the hell had happened?

"Talk to me, sweetheart. What's wrong?"

Kinley was quiet for several moment before finally inhaling a hiccuping breath. "Ainsley's getting married."

Her words were muffled against his shirt and he hesitated for a long moment, not entirely sure what to say. Was she sad? Jealous?

Her head lifted away from his chest and her eyes searched his, heartbreaking in their vulnerability. "What's wrong with me?"

Christ. The pieces of the puzzle all fall into place, and red filled his vision. He was going to kill that asshole for making her think she wasn't good enough.

Cam pulled back and framed her face with his hands. "Nothing," he said fiercely. "There's not a goddamn thing wrong with you—not one damn thing. You are smart and beautiful and perfect. Ted was an idiot for letting you go. Don't you dare shed one more tear for that prick, because he doesn't deserve it."

The bleakness in her eyes threatened to gut him. His arms slipped down around her back like a vise and he held her tighter. "You mean the world to me, Kinley. You know that, right?"

She lowered her head to his heart and nodded. He rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I'll always be here for you. I don't care if it's the middle of the night, you can always come to me."

"Thank you," she whispered.

He pulled back a bit and lifted her chin. He waited for her to meet his gaze, then offered a small smile. "You know what'll make everything better?"

A watery smile curved her lips as he tipped his head toward the kitchen. "Come on. I've got your favorite. Go sit and I'll bring it to you."

He released her and made his way to the kitchen where he pulled the container of cookie dough ice cream out of the freezer. He always kept it on hand, because it was her favorite. He crossed the room and grabbed a spoon before heading to the living room.

Kinley had settled on the couch, legs tucked beneath her, arms wrapped around a pillow in her lap. Remnants of tears streaked down her face, and he gave a slight shake of his head.

Instead of sitting next to her, he plopped down on the coffee table directly across from her and grasped her chin. Directing her attention to his, he studied her for a long moment. "You good?"

She swallowed once then gave a slight nod. "Yeah. Thanks," she whispered.

Leaning forward, he briefly brushed his lips over her forehead. "Good."

Before she could overthink the kiss, and before he would do anything he'd regret later, he ripped the lid off the carton of ice cream and tossed it on the table beside him. Digging the spoon into the soft, creamy confection, he scooped up a bite and held it to her lips.

With a tiny smile her mouth closed around the metal, and she tugged the spoon—and the carton—from his grasp.

He grinned, glad that he'd lightened her mood, and slid off the coffee table and onto the cushion beside her. They sat just like that for several minutes until she abruptly dropped the spoon into the carton, then reached over and set them on the table.

"I thought we would get married."

It was the last thing he expected, and it took every ounce of control to school his expression. He had no idea what to say, and a million questions whirled through his mind. Was that why she was so upset? Did she miss him—still want to be with him?

He dreaded the answer to those questions. "What happened?"

She quirked a small smile. "Isn't it obvious?"

Her smile fell away when he didn't respond, and she fiddled with the corner of the pillow. "He didn't want me."

A combination of bitterness and sadness tinged her voice as she continued. "Well, that's not true. He wanted me—but only for Addie."

He tipped his head in question. "What do you mean?"

"He really just wanted a babysitter, a built-in nanny for his daughter."

He'd had his suspicions about that. Kinley adored kids, and Addison was no exception. She'd loved that little girl, had gone to every recital, play, and ballet practice. She was more of a parent to Addie than Ted was.

All of a sudden it clicked. "He asked you to marry him so you could take Addie off his hands."

"Basically." She nodded. "I knew things weren't great," she started. "but I thought we could get through it. You know he took me to his favorite Italian place for our anniversary?" He nodded at her rhetorical question, and she continued. "Over dinner, he pulled out a small box and slid it across the table."

She gave a little shake of her head. "It caught me off guard, and I asked if it was a ring. He just laughed and said ‘hell, no!' Like I wasn't even worth asking."

Anger churned in his gut. "Why didn't you say anything before now?"

She turned her despondent gaze his way. "I know you've never liked him."

"No, but I would have supported you if that's what you'd wanted." Even if it killed him. "But I'm not sad things ended. You deserve better than someone like him."

She gave a little nod. "I know."

Her eyes were slightly puffy from the earlier tears, but there was a hint of resolve in them now. She took a deep breath and began to speak. "I picked out carpet today," she said softly.

"Really?"

She nodded. "It's scheduled to be installed tomorrow."

Cam smiled. "That's great, Kins. I'm really happy for you."

"And... I met a realtor this evening," she continued, looking up at him with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. "He offered to list my home."

Cam shot her an encouraging smile. "It sounds like everything's falling into place."

"It is, isn't it?" Kinley smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"You're welcome to stay the night, if you want," he offered softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

Kinley shook her head slowly and pushed to her feet. "Thanks, but… I should be there tomorrow when the workers get there."

"If you need anything, let me know. I can't wait to see it," he said as he stood.

He couldn't begin to imagine what she was dealing with at the moment. As much as he wanted to push, he knew he shouldn't.

Instead, he walked her to the door and held it open for her. "Call me tomorrow."

"I will."

As she walked away, Cam watched her go, a mixture of emotions swirling in his chest. He was happy for her, glad that she was taking steps to move forward, but he couldn't help the worry that gnawed at him.

He lifted a hand to wave as she pulled out of the driveway, and he watched her car until the taillights disappeared from view. Closing the door, he let out a sigh and scrubbed a hand over his face. She needed time and space to deal with everything, and he had to respect that.

She'd come to him tonight. It was a start, and for now, that was enough.