then again, surely she didn’t imagine what happened yesterday and last night. I should give him the benefit of the doubt. Though she and Cam were mates, if something happened to Gabriel or Damon, she would drop everything in an instant to be with them. “All right.” She plopped down on the couch. “If you change your mind …”
“I’ll let you know. Goodbye, J.D.”
“Bye, Cam.” And the line went dead.
Her cat dug its claws into her stomach, making her feel even more uneasy. You’re being silly, she told herself. Besides she and Cam didn’t really know each other. This was the time they were supposed to use to do that, and this was part of it. Also, a day or two away from each other would slow things down and let them figure out how they were going to do this.
Her animal, however, disagreed and sank its claws deeper into her, as if telling her that something was wrong.
“Silly cat,” she said, brushing her inner animal’s protest away. Getting up from the couch, she decided to drink her hot chocolate for breakfast and then see what movies were on the television. She looked at the boxes of decorations sadly, but maybe Cam would finish early with his family emergency and they could still make something of today.
The rest of the day passed and there was no call or even text from Cam. And J.D. was sure she didn’t miss any because she constantly glanced at her phone. Every notification made her jump, but none of them were from him. She ordered pizza for lunch, had leftovers for dinner, and then went to bed. He’ll call tomorrow, she told herself.
But Cam didn’t call the next day or the day after that. The diner had opened on Sunday, at least, so she was able to get out of the house and go somewhere for a meal instead of eating day-old pizza and Chinese food again. She didn’t want to call any of her friends to hang out because they were all busy, and inevitably, they would ask her where Cam was. She couldn’t bear to tell them that she didn’t know. When she got home, the sight of the bare tree and the decorations in their boxes made her stomach clench. Her cat sniffed and flicked its short tail in a motion that she read as I told you so.
By the time she went into the garage the next day, her disappointment had turned to irritation. Contrary to what most people thought, if J.D. was having an off day, she was never irrationally angry at her employees. No, Pop would never have stood for anyone taking out their frustration on loyal people. She really only got mad when they did shoddy work or treated customers badly.
However, everyone in the garage knew to never cross her, and today, it was as if they could sense the simmering anger bubbling inside her, and they steered clear. For most of the morning and the rest of the day, she was quiet and sullen, giving them only one-word answers and mumbles when they asked her anything.
The afternoon rolled around, and there was not even a peep from Cam. Well, now J.D. was furious. Her cat spurred her on, vexed at her for not seeking their mate out earlier and very much pissed at him for not coming to see them.
It wasn’t even quitting time when, in a fit of indignation, she grabbed her keys and left the garage. As she drove up to the Blackstone Rangers headquarters, that simmering anger had slowly turned into full-blown rage.
She arrived at HQ, fit to be tied, bursting through the doors. “Where can I find Dr. Spenser?” she asked the ranger guarding the front desk.
The young man looked up at her, eyeing her warily, probably sensing her and her animal’s mood. “Uh, maybe I can help you, ma’am?”
“You can help by telling me where Dr. Spenser is.”
He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down nervously. “Who?”
“Cam. Spenser.” She slammed her palm on the desk, emphasizing each word. “You know. Tall, blond, broody polar bear? Wears gold-rimmed glasses?”
“I—”
“Hey, J.D., how’s it going?”
Whirling her head, she saw Daniel Rogers coming up to them. “Daniel, thank God you’re here.”
“Yeah? What’s up?” He lifted his chin at the other ranger. “Hey, Dune, how’s it going?”
Dune’s eyes widened. “Um, hey, Daniel. Maybe you can help out Miss … Miss … uh …”