Hiding Out At The Circle C

she'd been locked in the conflicting and disturbing memories of South America, then of the sweet comforting feel of a man's warm, hard body against hers. Cameron's body.

She showered and yanked on Nellie's clothes, wishing she could buy her own things. She had money. Lots of it, actually. Lloyd had been a generous man and she'd rarely spent a dime. But the simple truth was, she was afraid to be found. It was far safer to remain a pauper for now.

Breakfast was fairly easy. All she had to do was repeat yesterday's magical performance. God help her when they tired of eggs, because she had absolutely no idea how to cook anything else.

But even knowing what she was doing, she went about the omelet and potatoes slowly and meticulously, whispering each step to herself to ensure success. Turning away from the stove, a pan of eggs in one hand, a spatula in the other, she stopped short, startled.

At the table sat Jason, Zach and Cameron, each waiting with a smiling, expectant face. Max sat on the floor, his little tail going a mile a minute. She had to laugh in embarrassed amazement. 'I didn't even hear you guys come in.'

'That's because you concentrate so hard,' Jason said, watching as she put down the pan to fill plates up. She dropped bread into the toaster. 'Jeez, I've never seen anyone cook so intently before.'

She must have looked startled because Zach hurried to say, 'Not that we care how you do it, Haley. Just that it tastes as good as yesterday.'

Jason nodded, looking hopeful. Haley turned to glance at Cameron, who sat perfectly still with his hands in his lap. She raised her eyebrows, waiting for his comment, but he just grinned.

'Following your strict orders from yesterday morning, ma'am,' he said with an exaggerated drawl, saluting her with his fork. 'I'm not saying a word. I'm just hoping for a handout, is all.'

She was busy trying to hide her laugh when Nellie waddled in, holding her back. Jason jumped up to pull out her chair, giving her a quick, smacking kiss. 'Hey, Nel, just in time.'

'Ahh.' She sighed loudly as she sat. 'No, Haley, honey, you don't have to serve me,' she protested as Haley hurried to bring her some orange juice. 'We'll get our own plates, I just want to sit a minute.'

'I'll get it,' Haley insisted as she took down another plate, worried about Nellie's pallor. 'Stay. You look beat already.'

'I am.'

'Well, if you'd keep your hands off me, baby, you wouldn't be so tired,' Jason joked.

'You guys are going to have to move that bed away from the wall,' Cam said with a straight face. 'It squeaks.'

Nellie giggled guiltily and Jason leaned in for a long, passionate kiss. Haley hovered between being embarrassed and touched, but Zach just appeared disgusted.

'Oh, please,' Zach said, pushing away his plate. 'Not at the table.'

Cam laughed and slathered his toast with butter. 'Zach, if you'd just ask Thea out, you could get it whenever you wanted, too. Has anyone seen how she looks at him?'

'With stars in her eyes,' Jason quipped, lifting his lips from his wife's. 'That poor woman, Zach. She wants you bad.'

Zach closed his eyes and bore the moment. 'She's the librarian.'

Jason grinned. 'Ask her out, man. Then she wouldn't have to drive all the way out here on the pretense of retrieving your library books.'

''Oh, Zach!'' Cam squealed in a falsetto. ''You owe me twenty-five cents, Zach.''

Zach growled and stood. Cam blinked at him, the picture of innocence.

Jason hooted. 'Do us all a favor, Zach. Just kill him.'

A wrestle would have ensued then, but Nellie shut them all up when she gasped and held her stomach, grimacing.

Utter silence, then everyone spoke at once.

'Nel? What's the matter, baby?' Jason leaped to her side. Cam stood too, then moved behind her to rub her shoulders, his face tense and worried. Zach reached for the phone, swearing up a storm.

'Stop,' Nellie said quietly, raising a hand. She let out a slow, controlled breath. 'I'm fine, really. Just a twinge.' Then she laughed a little, as they all stared at her with wide, terrified eyes. 'Stop it, I'm fine.'

With a collective sigh, the men sat beck down. From where she stood by the sink, Haley glanced at Nellie, sick with worry. Nellie winked, and Haley stared at her, flabbergasted. She'd faked that contraction. Just to make peace. And in the process, she'd tamed three huge beasts. Struggling with a huge smile, Haley turned away. But her humor faded quickly enough.

Breakfast, or any meal with these people, was far more than just the sharing of food. And they were much more than merely related by blood. Zach's quiet voice telling a story everyone listened to, Jason and Cam's merciless teasing of Nellie, Nellie getting them all back with a mere batting of her eyelashes. They fought, they laughed, they loved. And dammit, just watching them caused a lump in her throat that couldn't be swallowed away.

Haley shoved dirty pans into the sink, and stared at the greasy water. What was it like to belong with people like this? People who accepted you just for who you were. Nothing more, nothing less. For years, the only meals she'd bothered with had been wolfed down between long periods of quiet study and work. As a child, she'd been forced into silence at a table full of other, equally bright, and equally terrified children, watched over by hard, ungiving caretakers. Meals had been stifling and lifeless, nothing like the lively exchange that even at this moment was going on behind her.

She made herself get over it and moved back to the table, juggling three full plates. She placed one before Nellie and Jason, then Zach.

Cam looked at her.

She held his gaze evenly.

With a sigh, he pushed back his chair to get his own plate. He'd just started to rise when she plopped down yet another full plate in front of him, biting back her smile.

A heavenly scent wafted up from it, mixing with the rising steam. Cam took a second to appreciate that, then smiled, slow and wide. She'd served him. He looked up. Haley's straight, unwavering gaze had an instant liquid warmth swimming through him.

'Thanks,' he said.

She nodded, and when she turned away her arm brushed against his shoulder. He physically jolted as if she'd cattle-prodded him, and it was the strangest thing. If he closed his eyes, he'd feel her slight body in his arms, just like last night. But he didn't close his eyes because they were glued to the soft swaying of her hips as she walked gracefully back to the sink. She had the most squeezable little-

'Cam?'

He scowled and looked at Jason. 'Yeah?'

'Take a picture, it lasts longer.'

Zach choked on his toast Nellie smacked Zach on the back, then elbowed Jason, while shooting Cam a dirty look.

Haley glanced over her shoulder, frowning. 'What's going on?'

'Nothing,' Cam said quickly.

'Then why,' she slowly asked, putting her hands on her hips and looking at each of them in turn, 'is everyone staring at me?'

Cam looked to the others at the table for support, but he shouldn't have bothered. Immediately, three pairs of eyes lowered and food was shoved into three very busy mouths. So much for 'thick and thin' and all that crap. His family had bailed ship. 'Because you're so pretty?' Cam smiled innocently at Haley, laying on the charm.

Haley's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she moved back to the counter.

'Aren't you going to eat?' he asked when he realized she had no intention of sitting with them.

'No,' she said, not looking at him, her hands busy with dishes. 'I'm fine, thanks.'

'Haley,' Nellie said around a full bite, 'please, come sit with us. We don't expect you to serve us like this. It's not right. We want you to eat with us, as part of the family.'

'But I'm not,' she said softly. 'Excuse me.' She left the room.