Chapter Sixty Six
This chapter runs at the same time as Jim, chapters 63-65
Bo Duke wandered into the kitchen, half awake and headed for the coffee pot when he realized the aroma of coffee was already filling the kitchen, the light over the range was on, and a cup was in the sink.
He came fully awake instantly, tensing as he listened. He had left Trixie asleep in bed, and none of his children were early risers.
Then his eyes fell on the paper propped up on the table. In two long steps he crossed the room and snatched it up, heart pounding as he recognized his daughter’s writing.
Out jogging. Back soon. A
Bo sank into a chair, his legs shaky. Since when did his daughter jog? Was that a codeword for run? Had she taken off again? She couldn’t. She had promised him. Promised him she was back for good,
Dixie padded into the kitchen, tail wagging. She often joined Bo early in the morning before Sean got up. He suspected it was because he always gave her a small treat.
She sat in front of him and whined softly. He looked at her, his eyes worried. “Did you hear her leave, big girl?” he asked. “Do you know where Aralyn went?”
Those pale blue eyes of hers could unnerve him with their knowledge and expression. Right now they were calm, reassuring. He reached over and rubbed the top of her head. She scooted over and rested his large head on his leg in comfort.
Trixie found them that way later. She flipped on the light.
“Bo? What are you doing sitting here? You need—” her voice cut off when she saw his handsome face was blank, the eyes vacant. “What’s wrong?”
Her eyes went to the paper under his hand and she bolted to the table, snatching it up.
“Jogging?” she asked faintly. “Seriously?”
Bo shrugged. “She didn’t mention it to me but that doesn’t mean she’s really out there.”
Trixie went to the window and peered out, but it was still dark outside.
She sank into a chair at the table, her eyes locked on the note.
The twins wandered in a while later.
“I’m in serious need of—” Logan paused when he saw his parents. Leif ran into his twin with the sudden stop.
“What’s happened?” Leif asked.
Trixie pulled herself together and got to her feet. “Your father and I were having a moment.”
She couldn’t let Sean find out they thought his sister had disappeared again, and her youngest was due in the kitchen at any time.
Logan’s blue eyes narrowed. His parents were hiding something.
Bo got to his feet. “I need to get dressed,” he said shakily.
The twins exchanged a glance. Leif glanced behind him to make sure Sean wasn’t within hearing distance.
“It’s Ari, isn’t it?” Logan demanded.
“She’s taken up jogging and didn’t tell us is all,” Trixie stuck the note in her pocket. “She’ll be back soon. Are you ready for breakfast?”
When the twins headed upstairs to get ready for school, Sean ate his breakfast and Bo returned downstairs, dressed but unshaven.
Trixie sent Sean off to brush his teeth and turned to Bo. “She’s been gone for hours.”
“She’ll be back,” he said faintly.
The kitchen door to the garage opened, but it was Dan Mangan who walked through.
“Morning, Dukes!” he greeted them cheerfully. “I hope you have some coffee ready.”
Instead of the usual banter, he was greeted with silence and stunned expressions.
“What is it?” he demanded.
Trixie whispered, “Ari’s gone.”
Dan raised one eyebrow and shook his head. “She’s right behind me. She’s jogging, it looks like.”
His friends visibly relaxed, and Trixie put one hand on Bo’s shoulder for support.
“She’s gotten rather rude, too,” Dan laughed.
The door opened as Aralyn came in. “You honk the horn at a girl, she’s likely to flip you off,” Aralyn said cheekily.
Her parents stared at her. She wore fluorescent orange sweat pants, a heavy gray sweatshirt with NAVY on it, big enough to be Tim’s, and a fluorescent orange hat over her faded blue curls. Her cheeks were red from cold and exertion but she seemed in a good mood.
She headed for the fridge and got a bottle of cold water out. “I forgot how cold it gets here,” she said. “I’m going to have stretch a lot more before my runs.”
She turned to face them and paused when she saw their faces. “Mom, Dad? What’s wrong?”
“We thought you left,” Trixie said softly.
“What?”
“I came down and there was coffee but you were gone,” Bo added.
Aralyn’s eyes widened as she realized what her parents meant. “I left a note!” she exclaimed. “I left a note so you wouldn’t worry!”
“We got it,” Bo said calmly. “We just…misinterpreted it.”
Aralyn frowned. “I said I went jogging. How’d you misinterpret that?”
She saw Dan shake his head slightly at her and she dropped it. There was something more going on, she thought.
“Anyways, Dan, don’t be a perv and honk at young girls jogging.”
“I was blinded by the beacon of light shining from those pants,” he snorted, starting a fresh pot of coffee. “Where’d you get those?”
“Hunting store,” she answered. “Tim gave me the sweatshirt.”
Slowly, the tension left the room and by the time Luke arrived to drive in with Dan and Bo, things were normal again.
***
Aralyn stifled her yawn. Jack was about the most boring guy she had ever met. The charismatic, charming young man she had met the day before at the bookstore was gone, replaced by this boorish, football reminiscing idiot. She had gotten dressed up and had her mother help her with her hair for this? The fact that he was still wearing a high school letterman's jacket should have tipped her off, she thought.
While he had charmed her in the bookstore with a roguish smile, twinkling eyes and enough personality to almost rival her cousin Tim, over dinner he had turned into football idiot. Forget their flirty texts, this guy had a one track mind. First of all, for their date, he had taken her to a sports bar. Aralyn didn’t mind them occasionally; they were sometimes okay places to meet guys. But generally, she didn’t care for them for dates, especially a first date.
He had been so gung-ho about where he had picked out for dinner that she was amused, and expecting something nice. The dive bar with a dozen TVs, too greasy fries, and flat soda, was not her idea of a good time. Supposedly they had great barbeque but who ate messy barbeque on a first date?
And half a dozen of his friends were there, which really made her uncomfortable. How could they get to know each other when his eyes were glued to the TV and his friends were all checking her out? And why were his friends here, present on what should have been a more intimate occasion?
She had met him at the bar, not wanting some strange guy to know where she lived, and she was ready to escape. She had pulled up in the 4-Runner, thinking the address was a joke. But it wasn’t.
Inevitably, his friends had come over and joined them at the table, and she realized that Jack wasn’t just a football nut, these guys were washed-up football players, clinging to their glory days of high school.
Aralyn actually enjoyed football, and knew plenty about the game. It was hard not to in her family. But instead of enjoying the game, these jackasses just wanted to complain about how they would have run the play from the game the night before. And she was tired of hearing her date’s high school football stories about his heroic saves in the game. Every game.
She couldn’t help but let her mind wander to Jax Teller. Now that had been a fun date. He had opened her eyes to a whole new world of sexual pleasure in one night, and this guy didn’t even stir up the urge to kiss him. She wouldn’t let herself even think about Cam the last week. Not while he was still with Ellen, which according to Natala, he was. She had run into him and Ellen twice, and Aralyn had made a fast exit while Ellen gave her the evil eye.
Aralyn decided it was about time to fake a text message for a ‘family emergency’.
Finally, Jack caught her checking her phone for the third time, and signaled for the check.
“You still up for that movie?” he smiled at her, and the charming young man she had met the night before reappeared.
She hesitated, but agreed. She didn’t really want to go home and brood.
And she did want to see the movie. Tiffany and Natala were in the city overnight for some fashion thing, and she wasn’t ready to go home.
“All right,” she agreed.
So she had gotten in his old convertible and he had driven to the movie theater.
During the movie he tried to put his arm around her but she managed to politely refuse it. Finally, they were in the car, and Aralyn hoped he was taking her back to her car.
“Gosh, I’m tired. I shouldn’t have stayed up so late last night,” she smiled apologetically at him.
“Aw, come on. It’s still early. It’s a nice night out, why don’t we go for a drive?”
It was a nice night, and he had been pretty nice since they left his buddies behind. There were no sparks on her end at all but she could manage for another hour. It was nice to have some male attention that wasn’t Richie.
“Okay,” she agreed with a smile. "But a short one. I do need to get home."
It didn't take long, she realized with a slight panic they were headed toward Lucky Lookout Point, also known as Hookup Point among the teens. They hadn’t had much snow yet, so the roads were dry and clear.
“Um, Jack, where are we going?”
“I thought we’d go hang out at Lookout Point, talk a while,” he said smoothly, his hand sliding up her thigh.
“I really don’t feel up to it. Would you please take me back to my car?”
“Aw, come on, it’s still early.” he was still giving her the smile, which started to creep her out.
“Jack, I want you to take me back to my car!” Her temper was flaring.
Jack pulled the car over. “Look here, you agreed to come up here. You know that means some talking and kissing. Or we can skip the talking part,” he leered. He couldn’t wait to get her naked and under him. He liked the way her clothes clung to her body. “I never was big on talk.”
“Really? You're going to pull this crap?” she asked, with an annoyed sigh. “Don’t play games with me, Jack. Take me back to my car. After you manipulated me with ‘let’s take a drive’? Not funny.”
“Everyone knows what ‘Let’s take a drive means’.”
“I’m not everyone and I’m not the girl to pull this kind of stupid crap with. Take me back, now.”
“Not till I get a kiss. Come on now, one little kiss isn’t going to hurt you.” He leaned in and when the palm of her hand smashed into his nose, he pulled back, howling in pain as blood spurted out.
“You bitch!” He grabbed for her but she caught his hand and twisted it back just like Bo had taught her. Tears came to his eyes.
“Forget it, you jackass Neanderthal,” she snapped. “I’ll find my own way home, and you can comfort yourself tonight with Rosie Palm and her five sisters. Maybe you need to get your head out of your ass and realize that attacking your date will land your sorry ass in jail, after I kick it.”
Aralyn almost spit in his face but decided not to. Instead she opened the door, grabbed her purse, got out, slammed it shut, and started walking. It was several miles back to town but she wasn’t going to spend another minute in the car with him. She cursed Tiffany for suggesting the killer heeled boots she wore. Killer indeed, she thought. They might be gorgeous and make her legs look even longer but she’d never make it down this dirt road in them. And it was too cold to take them off and walk barefoot.
Angrily, he sped off, shouting vulgarities and insults at her as the tires kicked up gravel at her. He didn’t see Aralyn stumble in the darkness as he zoomed away.
Pain shot through her ankle foot as it twisted, and she fell to the ground.
“Dammit!” she yelled, throwing a rock into the distance. “Nice going, Duke, get yourself stranded up here.”
This night hadn’t started out well, and it was rapidly getting worse. Why hadn’t she just gone with Tiffany and Natala? Sure, she would have been bored, but at least she’d have been with her cousins, and not stuck up out here. It would be a long walk either up to the Point where there would be cars with steamy windows, or down to town.
With a heavy sigh, she groaned and got to her feet. She really didn’t want to disturb her parents as she dug her phone out of her purse. Bo would want to hunt Jack down. Dana had her license but it was Friday night; she was probably out on a date. She was still pissed at Aralyn, but she would come if called. But then all the cousins would know. Rayma and Lyris were in the city with Tiffany and Natala. Aralyn wished she was with them, but she had opted for this disaster of date instead.
She had no idea where her brothers were but they only had their permits. Same for Miles and Mabon. Surely one of her cousins could come get her but then the whole family would know what had happened and that was just an annoyance. She would never hear the end of it. Jace would keep his mouth shut but he was probably off practicing football with his friends. Jesse was away at his freshman year of college. She just didn’t want to deal with any of them right now. Brian would keep it to himself but he might lecture her. She could call Regan, she thought, but he’d want to hunt the boy down too. Dan and Daisy were probably enjoying a romantic evening, same for Mart and Diana. She could call Jim. Aralyn nixed that immediately. If she called Jim instead of her father, Bo’s head would rotate. She didn’t want to drag her grandparents out in the middle of the night and get a lecture either. Dean would come get her but she remembered he had a photography shoot or something tonight, which was why Nat was with Tiffany.
Pressing her lips together, she found the number she was scrolling for, and thought for a long moment before she dialed.
*
“What’s wrong?” Cam’s voice answered on the second ring.
“Hi, uh, you, uh, busy?” she asked, twisting a strand of hair around her finger.
“Not really, what’s up? Are you all right?”
“I, uh, was wondering if you might be able to come pick me up.”
“Where are you? What’s happened?”
“Bad date. I’m out somewhere on the road to Lookout Point.” She felt like smacking herself for being so stupid.
“Are you hurt?” he demanded.
“Just my pride. Actually, I’m really just pissed off. And I twisted my ankle.”
“How did you—never mind, I’m on my way.”
“Thanks,” she said softly. She’d swear she heard him grin.
“Anytime. Give me twenty minutes.” They hung up.
*
Ellen had sat up from where she was leaning against him on the sofa and was glaring at him. “You’re going to go pick that girl up in the middle of the night?”
“She’s my friend, and she’s in trouble. It’s hardly the middle of the night but if it was, yes, I would go help her.” Cam sat up and reached for his shoes.
“I’m getting real tired of there being three people in this relationship,” she snapped. “Ever since your ex-girlfriend came back, you’ve been thinking about her. We run into her and you get all silly looking and can’t take your eyes off her. I don’t know how she’s managed to wiggle her fat ass into our relationship but I’m sick of it!”
“You’re the one who lets her in, and don’t insult her again. She’s my friend, get over it.” Cam said coldly as tied his sneakers. “She needs my help.”
“Precious little Aralyn needs her big hero to come save her?” Ellen mocked. “Last time I checked, she had a father and scad of siblings and cousins. But no, she calls you, the ex, just to purposely make things worse between us.”
“You’re the one who lets things get worse,” Cam said, standing up. “She’s still my friend, and if she called me, then she can’t ahold of anyone else. Stop making this a big deal.”
“It is a big deal!” she shouted. “She snaps her fingers and you come running. You completely disrespect me and our relationship!”
Cam shook his head, sick of this song and dance. He wanted, no needed out.“This is the first time she’s called me since we broke up, a year and a half ago. Stop blowing this out of proportion. She’s my friend, and she needs my help. I’m going to go help her.”
“You go get her, you don’t bother coming back,” she snarled.
Something inside of Cam suddenly perked up and shouted in joy. Things had deteriorated greatly since Aralyn’s return, especially after Ellen found out he had been involved in helping find Tiffany, and had spent time with Aralyn. Cam was at the breaking point with her, and he felt it snap.
“You sure about that? Because I can make sure I never return,” he said coolly, as he pulled his sweater over his head. Suddenly, he was glad he didn’t have anything over here at her apartment other than a toothbrush. She would call tomorrow, begging him to come back, but suddenly he realized he was finally going to be free of Ellen Murdock.
He rose from the sofa. She sat up. “Cam? Cam, I didn’t mean it!”
He didn’t answer as he walked towards the door. She grabbed him from behind.
“Cam, don’t go!” her voice was rising.
He turned and removed her arms from him. “My friend is in trouble,” he said firmly.
“Don’t leave me!” she screamed, throwing herself at him.
Cam braced himself for her impact and caught her before she could wrap herself around him again.
“Ellen, this is absurd. Let go.”
“No!” she shouted. “You’re mine! Aralyn can’t have you!”
“I’m not yours!” he yelled back, temper finally snapping. He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't. Dean was right. “I’m noone’s! Now let go!”
He easily overpowered her and lifted her up to get her out of such close proximity to him, while she kicked at him, legs flailing.
“You know what I’ll do if you leave!” she screamed.
Cam set her down, his blue eyes sad. “Ellen, you need help. More than what I can give you. I have tried and tried to be patient with you. You’ve lied to me repeatedly about getting help, and I’m pretty sure you lied to me about telling your parents. You have an unhealthy obsession with both me and Aralyn. There is nothing going on between us, and there hasn’t been. This is all in your head.”
“It’s her fault!” Ellen grasped his wrist. “She came back and cast her spell over you again, just like in high school!”
Cam shook his head and gently pried her fingers from his wrist. If she really managed to kill herself because of him, he'd never forgive himself. He had to do something, call someone.
“No, she didn’t, and she’s gone out of her way to avoid me. She doesn’t have designs on me Ellen, that’s your paranoia talking.”
“I’m not paranoid!” she shouted, grabbing a vase and swinging it at his head.
He ducked easily, eyeing her warily. “Yes, Ellen, you are. You’re paranoid and I’m worried that it goes deeper than that. You need professional help, Ellen, and I can’t give it to you.”
Tears streamed from her eyes. “I just need you,” she sniffled, reaching for him.
Cam stepped back, his hand on his phone. “I’m not trained nor equipped for this, Ellen. I didn’t sign on for all of this. I’m not happy with the relationship and I don’t think you are either.”
“I am,” she sulked. “Except for when your stupid ex-girlfriend enters the picture!”
Cam recognized the sudden mood shifts as a warning. She was trying to react in the manner that would most affect him, adjusting her response to keep his attention, he realized. She was truly unbalanced and needed help.
He moved towards the door and she screamed his name.
“Ellen, enough!” he shouted. “We’re done! I can’t take this anymore, and I won’t. Stop acting like a child just because I’m leaving to go help a friend!”
“You know what I’ll do,” she threatened him, her body tensing to pounce.
Cam looked at her sadly, wondering how they had gotten here. She had been focused and determined in high school, but now…she needed help. Real help.
“I don’t know why you keep resorting to that threat,” he said quietly. He had removed the sharp and large knives from the kitchen after her last threat earlier in the week. “You have so much more to live for than me or our relationship.”
“No, I don’t!” she screamed. “You’re everything to me!”
Cam moved closer to the door. Her tears started up again. He shook his head and left, ignoring her screaming his name.
He shut the door behind him as he was dialing 911. He heard her throw herself against the door as he relayed the info about an unstable woman at the apartment to the dispatcher and requested an immeidate amubulance, as she was threatening to hurt herself.
She threw open the door and yelled his name, but didn’t come after him. She came out a few steps, yelling his name.
Cam kept walking as he finished the call, hearing the door slam.
By the time he reached his Jeep, he had her father on the phone and he could hear the sirens approaching. A neighbor had come outside to check on her after hearing her screaming, and was knocking on the door. Sirens and flashing lights flooded the complex, both police and paramedics. He waited until the they were running upstairs before he left.
Had he done the right thing? He wondered. Her father was on his way as well, and she was in the hands of the authorities now. Ellen needed help. Serious help. Guilt ate at him. Guilt for staying with her because he was too scared to leave her, too scared of what she’d do. Guilt for letting her get more attached to him when he didn’t really want the relationship but he didn’t want to be alone. She might have been emotionally blackmailing him, but he had only enabled her by letting it go on so long. He had helped create this mess.
His phone chirped and he glanced at it. Ellen’s father.
“Yeah,” he answered, his heart pounding in dread.
“She’s still alive and in custody.” was all he said, before her father hung up.
Cam breathed a sigh of relief. She'd be taken care of now, actually get the help she needed. That soothed his soul a little.
***
Aralyn was sitting on a large rock when she saw the headlights approaching about forty five minutes later. For a fleeting moment she thought about hiding, it could be anyone, but the jeep was driving slowly and flashed its lights. She stepped out of the shadows and he pulled up and stopped.
“Need a lift?” Cam smiled.
“Actually yeah, my foot is killing me,” she smiled ruefully. “I don’t know what I was thinking, letting Tiffany talk me into wearing these stupid things.”
Shutting off the engine, Cam was out the door in a flash, around the jeep and lifting her in his arms.
“Cam, I was joking!” she laughed. “I could have managed.”
“Yeah, well, what kind of rescuing knight would I be if I didn’t go the full nine yards?” he grinned, setting her into the jeep. His heart felt lighter than it had in months. Ellen was safe, in professional hands, and Aralyn had called him for help.
Neither mentioned the prior weekend, and their painful goodbye on her porch.
Driving home, Cam didn’t say much, just let Aralyn fume over Jack.
“Can you imagine the nerve?” she demanded, kicking the floorboard. “Telling me I had to kiss him so he’d turn the car around!”
“And your little Duke pride got rankled up, didn’t up,” he was almost amused. “I’d like to give the guy a bloody nose myself," he muttered darkly.
Aralyn laughed. “Yeah. You know, I never know which side it comes from. Mom’s just as bad, truthfully.” She sighed. "What was I thinking, agreeing to get in a car with him? How stupid was that?"
“I hope you broke his nose,” Cam said cheerfully. The thought of someone forcing her to kiss him made Cam’s blood boil.
“Nah. I just used enough pressure to cause some blood flow. And bruise the Hell out of him,” she laughed.
“Where’d you learn that? Tim mentioned something about judo?”
She nodded. “That move Dad actually taught me a while back. But when I was…gone, I found this awesome dojo. I spent a lot of time there, working with the owner, and found that by focusing my energy into something like martial arts…it helped me calm myself. Helped me center, and get a better handle on…being me.”
“That sounds great,” he glanced over at her and smiled. He noted the bruises and cuts on her beautiful face from her fight with McQuade had healed nicely. Her short, curly hair was golden again, making her look more like her mother. It was a little disheveled but adorable.“I’m glad you got your hair back.”
She laughed. “On my God, you should have heard Sulan when he saw it. Daisy and Mom dragged me in there but they all she told him was that I screwed up my hair again. I’ve never heard so much profanity in French before. It took him hours to restore it. He said if I ever did something so stupid again, he wouldn’t fix it, and I’d have to suffer the embarrassment of looking like some white trash college kid who got bored on a Saturday night.”
Cam laughed. He liked it. It was short and curly and golden again. And sassy, like her.
“So I promised him no more experiments that wouldn’t clip in or out.”
“It’s sexy,” he said without thinking. “It makes you look more like your mom.”
Aralyn started laughing. “So my mom is a MILF?”
“What?” Cam looked startled as he glanced at her and his face turned red. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“But you think my mom is hot,” she teased him.
“I-I meant, your mom is a very attractive woman and your hair now makes you look more like her,” he kept his eyes on the road, embarrassed.
Aralyn laughed again. “I don’t think you should let my dad hear you say that. I don’t think he’d take kindly to you lusting after his wife.”
Cam just shook his head, grateful for the dark to hide his red face, and changed the subject.
“Home?”
“Yeah, I don’t think I should try to drive with my foot like this. We’ll get the 4-Runner in the morning.”
“How’s Tiffany? Dean says she’s been really quiet.”
Aralyn nodded. “Yeah. She’s managing. Some PTSD, which is to be expected. But she’ll come through it. She’s tougher than people give her credit for.”
They made casual chitchat the rest of the drive, Aralyn talking about what her various cousins were up to these days.
“Here we are,” Cam pulled into the driveway, an ache in his heart as he looked at the once familiar house he had spent so much time at. The drive had been too short, he thought wistfully.
“You want to come in for a while? I’ll make some hot chocolate,” she offered, “sugar free.”
“Sure. You just want to be carried in,” he grinned.
Aralyn giggled, “Admittedly, it’s a perk,” she grinned. She hated admitting she just wanted him to hold her in his arms again. He was so strong, and comforting.
Cam carried her to the front door and she let them in. He had just set her down when there were footsteps in the stairwell.
“Aralyn?”
“Hi, Daddy!” she said cheerfully.
Bo Duke, half asleep, stood staring at his daughter, whose arm was around the neck of Cam Kent, who had both arms around her.
“Sorry to disturb you sir,” Cam said apologetically as Dixie appeared on the steps behind Bo.
Bo’s blond hair was rumpled, he was shirtless, and Cam was surprised to realize Bo was still in really good shape, for a middle aged man. There was a touch of gray at his temples that Cam hadn’t noticed a few weeks ago.
“Did I miss somethin’?” he asked sleepily. “I thought you was goin’ out with someone named Jack.”
“Jack wasn’t much of a gentleman, so I called Cam and he came and rescued me,” Aralyn said over her shoulder as she limped toward the kitchen.
“She busted his nose, sir,” Cam chuckled. “Then she got out of his car and called me.”
“Where’s the 4-Runner?” Bo asked.
“This little dive bar called The Floating Rib. We can get it in the morning.”
Bo ran his hand through his tousled hair. “I know the owner, I'll call him” he told her. “An old friend, Luke Spencer, owns the place.”
Dixie circled Cam, sniffing, and Cam wisely held still, eying the dog. He had only seen the dog once before and had forgotten how massive she was, easily one hundred pounds or more. Dixie nudged her head under his hand and he rubbed the soft fur. Then she followed a limping Aralyn to the kitchen, fluffy tail wagging. He followed the dog, assuming at this point he had her approval.
“I appreciate you bringing her home in the middle of the night,” Bo shook hands with Cam. When was his daughter going to wake up and realize the perfect man for her was standing a few feet behind her?
“No problem,” he smiled. “Besides, she bribed me with hot chocolate.”
Bo chuckled and dropped his voice. “You, uh, any chance, you two might—”
Cam shook his head. “She doesn’t want to. So we’re friends. I can handle it.”
“But you don’t like it,” Bo grinned.
Cam smiled regretfully. “No. Is it that obvious?”
“Only to a man who’s so in love with his wife of twenty years he can’t see straight,” Bo grinned. “She’ll come around, you just be patient. Sometimes these Belden women are a bit stubborn about what’s in front of them.” He winked at Cam.
Cam grinned back. “One can hope.”
“Hey, the milk is warming. Daddy, you want some?” Aralyn hobbled back into the room.
“No sweetheart, I’m going back to bed. Old man like me needs his rest.”
Aralyn snorted and almost lost her balance but Cam caught her.
“It’d be easier if you just let me carry you,” he pointed out, sweeping her up as she giggled.
Bo just shook his head and grinned.
Cam sat at the big kitchen table, Aralyn sitting next to him on the end as the milk warmed. She had offered him some carrots, but he declined, amused by her diving into the Oreos instead. He opened the freezer and found the ice pack. Against her protest, he propped her foot up on a chair and wrapped the ice pack in a towel, laying it across the swelling ankle.
“Sorry if I woke you,” she smiled sheepishly as he took his seat across from her. "It just occured to me you might have had other plans and i probably interuppted them.
“I wasn’t asleep,” he shrugged. “Actually, you did me a favor really.”
“What’s that?” she asked, taking a cookie out of the package.
Cam hesitated a long moment before he answered.
“Ellen and I are done, for good. Ellen had a fit, if not a complete meltdown. She told me not to come back if I left to help you, and I took her at her word.”
Aralyn’s eyes widened. “Oh, Cam, I’m so sorry!”
“Don’t be,” he shrugged, “things had run their course.”
“What about her problems? What if she, you know, tries to hurt herself?”
Cam sighed and ran one hair through his already rumpled dark, wavy hair. “I called 911 before I left and I waited until they arrived. I called her father too, and told him I couldn’t do it anymore and he needed to come take care of her right then. He called me on the way to get you to tell me she was safe. I finally realized Dean is right. I can’t let her hold me hostage anymore, and she has problems that go way deeper than what I can handle.”
“I’m sorry it had to reach that point.” She touched his hand lightly. “I hope she’ll get the help she needs."
“Me too.” He squeezed her hand, rubbing his thumb over the soft skin. “I never should have let it get started. It was stupid of me to ever get together with her and by the time I realized how troubled she really was, it was too late to just walk away.”
To break the heavy mood, Aralyn gave him an Oreo grin that made him laugh. Even with black cookie crumbs all over her teeth, she was the most beautiful girl he knew.
“Well, I never did like her anyway, you know,” Aralyn wrinkled her nose, and rose to make the hot chocolate. “But the way she was always dragging you around and cooing at you; made me kind of nauseated really.”
Cam laughed. “You and me both. She only did that around you or Natala.”
“Then why’d you put up with it? You dated her for what, six months?” Aralyn bit into another cookie.
“Longer, unfortunately. Dating her seemed better than being alone,” he shrugged, sipping his chocolate. “That’s a really stupid mistake I’ll never make again.”
“Being alone isn’t all that bad,” she gave him a pretty smile this time and he got the message. She rose to make the hot chocolate.
“I didn’t say it was bad,” he smiled back, “just lonely.”
“Hey,” her eyes lit up, “remember when we went camping?”
“Well, sure,” he smiled at her.
It was almost dawn, when the conversation petered out and they fell into a comfortable silence.
“I should get going,” he said.
“I should get some sleep,” she laughed.
She hobbled to the door, assuring him she’d be fine, she'd have Brian look at her ankle tomorrow.
At the door, she looked up at him, and bit her lip nervously. Did she dare kiss him, she wondered. He literally had broken up with his girlfriend hours before. Was it trashy, she wondered, to make a move so soon? Had she sent him mixed signals tonight, letting him sit here for hours so they could talk?
Cam saw her nervous hesitation, and went for it. He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, crushing her into a long kiss.
He heard the angels sing and felt the heat spread through him as she wrapped her arms around him, eagerly meeting his embrace. He was drowning in her, lost in the taste and touch and scent of her as he crushed her against him and she clung to him, pressing her body against him as if she could merge them.
Cam lifted her easily and she wrapped her legs around him, as he pressed her against the door for balance.
She couldn’t get enough of his lips, his hands, and when they finally broke for air, she murmured, “Come up to my room.”
“Are you insane? I don’t want to be on the business end of your dad’s gun!” he panted.
“We’re adults. And we can be quiet,” she was kissing his neck and his brain was turning to mush almost instantly, dissolving coherent thoughts other than the most basic, which was that he wanted her. Desperately.
“Can’t,” he murmured, his hands slipping under her shirt to feel the soft skin of her back. “Not like this, Goddess.” He reluctantly, gently set her on her feet, kissing her lightly, fighting the urge to carry her upstairs and lock her bedroom door behind them.
The old nickname sent a shiver down her back.
“Sofa?” She ran her hand through his thick, dark hair and grinned wickedly at him.
He growled in response and she giggled.
She looked up him, her eyes glazed. “I’ve missed you so much, Cam.”
“Me too,” he said softly. “But Aralyn…”
“What now?” she asked, impatiently, her hands moving under his shirt.
He chuckled and ran one hand over the silky blonde curls. “I don’t want a roll in your bed with you. I want our relationship back. I want a second chance, I want to start over. The whole shebang.”
The smile that he loved so much spread over her face. “Good. Because I do too.”
With a grin he lifted her up for another long, all-consuming embrace, broken only by Cam’s fear that Bo was lurking at the top of the stairs, gun in hand.
“What are you doing today?” he murmured, nuzzling her ear.
“Stay for breakfast. Mom will be up soon.”
“Can’t, I promised Dean I’d go with him on an early shoot. Lunch?”
“Can’t. Tiff and Nat want to bore me with fashion stories from last night.”
“Dinner?”
“I’m all yours,” she murmured in his ear and he almost dropped her at the sensation.
Ten minutes later, clothes still on—barely—Cam left the Duke house, practically dancing to his Jeep, and Aralyn floated happily up to her room.
***
Aralyn slept so late that morning, she was rudely awakened by her cousins arriving and flopping themselves on the bed. The fragrant smell of coffee filled the room.
“Rise and shine!” Natala chirped.
“You’re not made of feathers, you know,” Aralyn groaned, raising her head.
Tiffany set the lattes on the nightstand. Dixie licked both cousins’ hands and went in search of her breakfast.
“I do know,” Nat grinned. “I’m also almost up to target weight. But what I don’t know, is why Cam Kent came home last night, or should I say this morning around dawn, beaming like the sun itself and looking as if he had just admitted been to heaven.”
Aralyn buried her head under the pillow, which was promptly snatched away by Tiffany.
“Last we knew, you were on a date with some football Meathead. And when you didn’t answer your phone, we decided to come over early. And then Bo said you came home around midnight, being carried in, literally, by one Cam Kent. So we want details. Now.”
Aralyn chuckled and sat up, running a hand through her bedhead, Trixie-like curls. Tiffany handed her the latte.
“Meathead was right.” She filled her cousins in on the story, and then sheepishly added, “and since I didn’t want to bother any of you, I called Cam.”
Natala raised one eyebrow. “Interesting. Out of 16 siblings and cousins, 13 or so parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents, you choose to call the one person who thinks the earth revolves around you.”
Aralyn turned red. “I didn’t need the whole family knowing I was stranded out at Hookup Point.”
Natala made a ‘uh-huh’ noise that clearly was sarcastic.
“And now he’s free from the Ellen the Hag,” Tiffany said triumphantly. She and Natala toasted their latte cups. “He told Dean, who told Nat who told me, since you were otherwise engaged, which is why I assume there was no text or phone call announcing this?”
Aralyn laughed. “I wasn’t going to call you at six am on a Saturday!”
Tiffany ‘hummph’ed.
“As for the Ellen thing…that was just timing. The stars just fell into place.”
“Bullshit,” Nat countered. “He only hooked up with her because you were unavailable. He’s wanted you back since you dumped him, but her emotional issues have had him trapped. Last night was what he needed to break those chains and come flying back to his true love.”
Aralyn sipped the latte, still blushing. “We’re just taking it slow. Starting over. Don't go all fairy tale on me.”
Natala snorted. “And the sun rises in the West. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other and I’d be willing to bet the only reason you two might not have torn each other’s clothes off last night was the fact your dad owns a large and impressive collection of guns.”
Aralyn rolled her eyes but her red face gave it away. “Can we not talk about this?”
“Are you kidding? We’ve been waiting forever for this! I want all the details!” Tiffany laughed.
Aralyn tried to bury back under the covers but her cousins wouldn’t let her.
“Besides, if you don’t get moving, we’re going to be late anyway.”
“Late? Oh, the apartment!”
Aralyn climbed out of bed and rummaged for clothing.
In addition to lunch, they were looking at potential apartments today: two with 3 bedrooms, and a townhouse for rent.
Natala and Tiffany had steady income from working at Daisy’s company. Aralyn was diligently job hunting,and prepping for college to her parents delight. Duncan had insisted she apply to school as part of the deal for him to train her.
Natala dedicated most of her free time to schooling, and was on the level of a high school freshman. It wasn’t unusual for her to study with various cousins; even the twins were willing to help her out with quizzing and memory tricks. Natala had discovered she loved learning, and reading. She was hoping to take her GED test in the next year.
And then there was the matter of their trip to North Carolina that she still needed to talk to the parents about. That was going to be fun. But she had already talked to Duncan and everything was set for them to leave in just a couple of days. It was time for Tiffany and Natala to meet Duncan McLeod.
Meet the cast in full & see the family tree!
***
Author’s Notes
- A huge yeee-haa to Ronda, my lovely editor who helps keep me on track!
- Yes, Luke Spencer and The Floating Rib are from General Hospital. They are owned by ABC Studios and borrowed lovingly without permission and for no profit.
- Word Count, 7,242
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