Confessing to the Cowboy - By Carla Cassidy Page 0,69
heart squeezed tight and for a moment no words would form in his head. Sheer emotion nearly overwhelmed him. If he could ever conjure up a son in his imagination, it would be a kid like Matt. “You know I’m always here for you, Matt,” he finally managed to say. “If you ever need to talk about something, I’m available.”
Thankfully at that moment he pulled up in front of the café. “Are you coming in?” Matt asked him.
Cameron shut off the engine. “I believe I will. I haven’t had lunch so I guess I’ll grab an early dinner.”
Before Cameron could get out of the car Matt laid a small hand on his arm. “Thank you for going back into the fire to get Twinkie. That was the bravest thing anyone has ever done for me in my whole life.”
Cameron smiled. “Your mother has done some pretty brave things for you, too.”
“I know, I’m lucky to have both of you in my life.” With those words Matt exited the car. Cameron was slower getting out, his head racing with thoughts of Mary and Matt.
There was no question that Cameron wanted them in his life, not just temporarily, but forever. But there was also no question that he’d felt Mary distancing herself from him the moment after they’d made love.
She’d only been under his roof last night because her place was uninhabitable. It certainly hadn’t been a choice she’d made eagerly with her heart. Once her place was ready for her, she’d go back.
He also had a terrible fear that once Jason McKnight and anyone else involved with the crimes was no longer a threat, Mary Mathis would find some fine cowboy to hitch her star to, and Cameron would simply be the man who had awakened her to a future of possibilities.
Chapter 14
The first time Mary saw her living room she felt as if she’d been sucker-punched. The actual event of the fire felt like a bad dream that had occurred in the middle of the night. In the light of day, she saw how quickly, how easily the fire might have spread, how easily she might have been trapped and died in her attempt to get her son out of his room and to safety.
Evil. She felt it getting closer with each day that passed. It was an evil that she’d never felt before, not even in the years she had lived with Jason. This evil had deepened and matured over time. It was no longer an impulsive, alcohol-driven rage, but rather one that had patience and cunning.
She’d spent only a few seconds staring at the fire damage and then had gotten to work in the café. The breakfast rush was busy, with the main topic of conversation the fire that had taken place in the back rooms.
Everyone was sympathetic. Even George Wilton, who for the first time ever had no complaints about his coffee or his breakfast.
She realized by now that most of the people in town knew that the suspect was her ex-husband, but nobody mentioned it to her and for that she would be forever grateful.
The lunch rush was just as busy, with people coming and going, wanting the inside information of the fire and any other gossip that might be floating in the air.
The brightest spot in her day was when Matt came in, followed by Cameron. As Matt raced to the back room to see the damage, Cameron sat on one of the counter stools.
“Drinking or eating?” she asked.
“I’d like a burger and a scotch, neat.”
She smiled. “I can help you with the burger but you’ll have to go to the Cowboy Corral or someplace else for the scotch.”
“I was afraid you’d say that. Guess I’ll take a burger and fries and a vanilla milkshake.”
She nodded. “I’m assuming last night yielded no new clues.”
She could tell that he hated that she’d asked and that he hated even worse his reply. “Nothing except the possibility that our perp wears size ten or eleven in snow boots with a tread pattern on the bottom that is common to most snow boots sold in the state.”
“At least with that information you can rule out small-footed men.”
“What size shoe did Jason wear?”
“A ten and a half.” She leaned slightly forward, allowing her to catch his familiar scent. “I feel it, Cameron. I feel him getting closer with every minute that passes. He’s evil, pure and simple. When we were married he swore he’d make me pay if I ever