Oceans Apart (Ocean Dreams Book 1) (27 page)

“Hey, Bowie, how are you, girl?” Annie gave her a rub behind the ears and Bowie licked Annie’s cheek in reply. She dropped back to the ground and followed Annie inside the house.

She knew Cam wasn’t about but she still felt nervous. Maybe it was cowardice on her part, coming to the house while he wasn’t here, but she needed to keep a clear head in order to find her way to an answer. Annie went straight into the main bedroom she had shared with Cam for the last few weeks. The space had felt more like home than her apartment ever had. Blocking out the torturous smell of Cam’s aftershave, which tickled her senses, she forged ahead, found her suitcases, and began packing them.

Annie returned from the bathroom with her arms loaded up. She didn’t want to leave a trace of her for Cam to moon over. With her head still up in the clouds and her thoughts elsewhere, Annie didn’t notice Carol sitting on the other side of the bed. Throwing her toiletries in the duffle bag, Annie zipped it closed, sighed aloud, and finally looked up.

“Holy crap! I mean…I didn’t see you there, ma’am. I thought I was alone, besides the dog that is,” Annie said to Carol with an awkward smile. She felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden.

Carol rose from the bed and walked over to Annie. Without a word, she embraced the lost looking girl. “Oh, sweetheart,” she started. Annie felt safe in the comfort of Carol’s arms and in this bad situation, it brought some comfort to her knowing that she cared. Releasing Annie, Carol looked at her with a cheeky smile that looked every bit the same as Cam’s. “I thought I told you to call me Carol.” She winked and Annie couldn’t help but release a nervous giggle.

“Come on out to the couch and have a chat with me,” Carol said sweetly. Annie followed her into the living area, sat next to her on the couch, and held her hands together in a tight grasp. Bowie took the place at Annie’s feet and settled there as if she needed to protect her.

“Relax Annie. I’m not here to interrogate you.”

“You’re not? You’re not mad at me for running away from Cam?” said Annie with a puzzled expression on her face.

With a small chuckle to her voice, Carol replied, “Of course not, honey. I wanted to make sure you’re okay? I have no doubt hearing the news about Cam’s impending fatherhood would have come as a shock. I don’t think it has really sunk in for him either.”

Annie looked down at her hands and bit hard on her bottom lip trying to keep the tears from flowing freely. She just nodded in reply to Carol. There was no way she could say anything without tears so a silent reply was going to have to suffice.

“You know he loves you very much?”

Annie nodded her reply again before taking a quick breath in and saying, “I love him, too.”

“So, what was going through your mind? Did you think he would stop loving you?”

Annie shook her head. “I know he loves me and cares for me a great deal. But this innocent little baby is going to need his daddy.” Annie paused to calm herself as she could feel her chest tightening and those pesky tears returning to her eyes.

Carol handed her a tissue and Annie dabbed each eye before continuing. “It’s already going to be hard for Cam, with all of his travelling, to spend quality time with the baby. It would just be easier to bond with his baby without his girlfriend hanging around too. I feel like I would just cause more tension in his relationship with Lana and he can’t have that with the mother of his child,” Annie rattled out her thoughts quickly.

“Annie, while that is very considerate, he will need the love and support of his partner to help him through this. He will need someone to turn to when things get tough, and if I hazard a guess, they are bound to with Lana.” Carol sighed as she tilted her head to one side. “It’s not because you are scared he will treat you as second best, is it? You know he would never do that.”

Annie thought for a moment before nodding her head slowly. “Maybe. I’ve always been second to the people I thought cared for me. I’m honestly not sure if Cam would or wouldn’t, but I don’t know if I’m strong enough to find out.” She needed to be honest with his mother and herself. There was no point in hiding her feelings. That approach hadn’t helped her in the past. Today was about moving forward and trying a new approach. She needed to take care of herself.

Pulling Annie in for another hug, Carol sighed aloud. “Oh, Annie, Cam would never make you feel second best. That’s not like him.”

“I know he wouldn’t mean to but…” her words trailed off into quiet sobs as she sniffed and wiped the tears away. She sat in the comfort of Carol’s embrace. The one thing her mother had never done was hug her like there was no tomorrow and she really didn’t want to let this feeling go, but Annie knew it couldn’t be like this…at least not for now.

“Oh, I’m so sorry to interrupt.” Carol and Annie turned to the voice that had surprised them from behind. Kirby was standing there looking as beautiful as ever. Her red locks pulled back into a sleek ponytail with just a few strands framing her face. He legs looked even longer than normal in her tiny denim shorts, which had a black tank top neatly tucked into it and a silver studded belt around the waist.

“No. It’s fine. It’s fine.” Carol rose from the couch and walked over to Kirby. “It’s been a little while, Kirby, but it is so lovely to see you again.” She smiled as she gave a quick hug to her daughter’s old friend.

“You too, Mrs. Hart.”

“I’m glad Annie has someone like you taking care of her. She needs a little TLC and I believe you are the perfect person to show her some.”

“I’ll do my very best, Mrs. Hart. It’s been lovely to get to know her and I’m only too happy to help out.” She gave a smile to Carol, then looked over at Annie and raised her eyebrows in question.

Annie explained, “Cam’s mother just wanted to make sure I was doing okay.”

Kirby nodded. “Ah. I see. You were always so caring and considerate, Mrs. Hart.”

“It’s just what any decent person would do…and you better stop with this Mrs. Hart nonsense, missy. We’re all adults now, so please call me Carol.”

“No problems,” Kirby said to her. “Umm, I have the car parked just outside. I kept circling around until one became free and I nabbed that bugger straight away,” Kirby said it with a satisfied smile.

Annie just laughed. “You didn’t have to do that. We could’ve walked if we needed, but it is much appreciated. One of those suckers is a little heavy.”

“Great. Well, I will take one down and meet you downstairs. It was so nice to see you again Mrs.…” Carol narrowed her eyes at her. “Carol.” They both laughed and Kirby moved to the bedroom to gather the luggage.

Annie stood and followed her new friend. Kirby took the large case and left the room. Annie picked up the smaller case and hooked her duffle bag on her shoulder. Turning to face Carol, she said, “I have been so fortunate to have met you and your beautiful family. I don’t know when I will see you again, but I do hope I will someday.” Annie’s chin started to tremble and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Annie, this is not goodbye at all. I promise we will see each other again. I just have two things to ask of you before you go.”

Annie nodded as Carol held one of Annie’s hands in hers. “Number one. If you need anything at all, while you are here, you call me. No matter what happens, I am here for you.”

Annie smiled. “I will. Thank you.”

“Number two is…” She paused for a moment before saying, “I want you to meet with my son.” Annie could feel the color drain from her face. She wasn’t ready to talk to him or even think about talking to him.

“Don’t look so scared, darling. Give it a day or two and when you are ready…organize it through Kirby, Chelsea, or me and meet in a quiet spot somewhere.”

Annie didn’t need to think about it. She knew she couldn’t just leave it how it was. That wasn’t right. Maybe a few days would bring them both clarity and the calmness to talk to each other.

“I can do that.”

“Good.” Carol was satisfied Annie would be true to her word and give both her son and herself a fighting chance. “You best be off. I’m not sure how long Chelsea was keeping Cam away.”

Annie turned and made her way down the stairs and stopped at the bottom. She turned around and called up to Carol, who had been watching her. “Thank you for everything. You’ve been more of a mother to me in the short time I have known you than my own mother ever was…and I’ll never forget it.” Before Carol could reply, Annie hurried out the front door and closed it before Bowie could get out. She heard the sweet dog whine from behind the wire screen. “I’ll miss you too, Bowie,” she said under her breath. Annie quickened her pace out the gate and to the waiting car.

Apprehension and anxiety were coursing through Cam’s body as Bowie trotted out in front of him on her leash. He certainly wasn’t looking or feeling his best. Annie hadn’t given him time to shower or change when she called only twenty minutes before. He had been out for a swim in the surf and only just returned home when he heard his phone ringing. Annie insisted they meet but it had to be in half an hour at a park halfway between his home and where she was staying at Kirby’s. Cam had quickly changed into clean shorts and t-shirt before grabbing his sunglasses, wallet, and keys. At the last minute, he decided to take Bowie, thinking it might be a bit of a buffer between him and Annie or at the very least ease some tension.

He followed Bowie and rounded the corner. They followed the concrete path, which led to the green reserve. The grassed area stretched out in front of him, to either side, and hugged the coastline. Native trees were dotted around and the occasional bench seat was beneath the larger trees, giving plenty of protection from the ever-increasing summer heat. Standing at the opposite end of the park, leaning on the pine railing separating the park from the rocky coast below, was his Nashville Angel. Looking out over the ocean, Annie’s hair was gently moving in the light breeze. Approaching her from the side, he could see she was lost in her thoughts. Her face was serene and her eyes were relaxed but fixed on the waves below. She appeared to have such a calm manner about her and Cam was reluctant to disturb her. Unfortunately, he had missed her so much since she had run away from him just three days ago; he needed to get his fix of her. He needed to be near his woman and to hear her voice and maybe, if he was a lucky S.O.B, to touch her. Her scent and the way she felt would never wane in his memory, but it wasn’t anything to the way it truly felt when they enveloped his senses.

Bowie noticed Annie and pulled the leash from Cam’s grasp. She bounded up to the familiar face and barked excitedly at the friend she hadn’t seen for a few days. Annie heard her and started to kneel down when Bowie jumped up against her and almost bowled her over. She laughed aloud as she took a step back to steady herself and greeted Bowie with a cuddle and a good rub behind her ears.

“Bowie.” Cam called out to his mischievous pet, trying to admonish her; but he couldn’t be mad at her when he saw how happy she had made Annie. He never realized how much of a relationship they had formed and knew it must be breaking Annie’s heart to be parted from Bowie.

Annie was still giggling as she stood up straight and smiled at him. It was only a half-smile, which failed to reach all the way across her face. Cam could feel her melancholy mood radiating from her but was unable to decipher if it was a good or bad thing. All he knew, right then, was he missed her and would do anything in his power to make things right for them.

“Hey,” Annie said quietly.

Cam returned her smile. “Hi. Sorry about Bowie. I guess she’s missed you?”

“I certainly missed her. She is wonderful company,” Annie said as she leaned down a little to give the loyal dog a pat on her head.

Cam lifted his sunglasses and placed them atop his head. “I miss you, too,” Cam said, staring directly at her and willing her to look at him.

It took a few tense moments for her to look at him. When she did, the smile had disappeared and been replaced with an odd look he couldn’t quite read.

Annie nodded in reply. “It’s been a rough couple of days. Lots to think about.”

“Not for me,” Cam confidently said. “I know what I want and I know who I want in my life and it all centers around you.”

Annie tilted her head slightly to the side as the sad smile found its way to her lips once again. “Come and sit with me in the shade.”

Cam wanted to reach out and take her hand in his and never release it, but he was letting her take the lead with the meeting and didn’t want to scare her into any rash decisions. Following her to the nearest bench, which was shaded by an old gum tree, he watched as she sat down. His eyes followed her lightly tanned legs up to the short denim skirt she was wearing. Cam sucked in a sharp breath, remembering the last time he had seen that skirt. It had been bunched around her waist as he claimed her against the bedroom wall one lazy afternoon just last week. He could feel his dick rising to half-mast at the memory of that day.

Shaking his head clear, Cam continued his scan up her body. Annie’s tight black t-shirt hugged her breasts nicely and he smirked when he finally took note of the sweetly curved mound’s exposure, due to the low V-neck of her top. When he finally finished his perusal of her torso, he looked up at Annie’s stern looking face. Her eyebrows were furrowed, her brown eyes had zeroed in on his face like a torpedo on its target.