“Blake told us about you and your little girl,” Annabelle continued.
“Oh, Piper’s not my daughter. She’s…” Audrey’s words trailed off, because she didn’t know how much they knew. The only interaction she’d had with Blake Carpenter was the day she’d arrived in town and asked if he knew where to find Cameron. Had he assumed Piper was his love child? If so, what had he assumed about Audrey?
“She’s Cameron’s niece,” she finally explained, deciding it was better to just be out with it.
The two women flicked a glance at Piper; then the woman who introduced herself as Stella ran her gaze over Audrey. She glanced at the field, then back at her. “Something tells me you’re not Cam’s sister.” Stella leaned forward when Audrey had only gaped at her. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he’s been too busy sliding glances your way to coach his players. And no man I know looks at his sister like that, if you know what I’m saying.” Stella arched a brow. “And if he did, he’d be in some serious need of therapy.”
Um…
“Stella,” Annabelle chastised.
But Stella just shrugged, totally unaware of the fact that Audrey had just swallowed her tongue. “Just saying,” she replied.
Annabelle offered a comforting smile. “Like I said, you’ll have to excuse her.”
Audrey managed a smile, which was pretty difficult considering her tongue was lying at the bottom of her stomach. Had Cameron been checking her out? How come she hadn’t noticed?
“It’s all right,” she offered. She opened her mouth to say something else, maybe something witty to offset the fact they’d noticed Cameron looking at Audrey. An excuse, or something equally reasonable, like maybe there was a giant clock mounted outside the announcer’s box and he didn’t want to lose track of time. And that was why he kept turning his head in her direction. But she had nothing. Literally nothing.
Stella considered Audrey for a moment, as though trying to work the facts out in her head. Audrey wanted to put a screeching halt to it, because these women not only knew Cameron, but they were also way too observant for her comfort.
“So you’re not his sister,” Stella commented. “And I know you’re not involved with him, because you’re way too nice.” She paused, then added, “Cam has awful taste in women.”
“He really does,” Annabelle agreed.
Good grief, had she stepped into an episode of The Twilight Zone?
Audrey had no clue how she was supposed to respond.
“I’m just here for Piper.” There. Nice and safe.
The two women just blinked at her. Were they expecting more?
“I’m sure Cameron will fill you in eventually,” Audrey continued.
Stella laughed. “I wouldn’t count on that. The man is annoyingly secretive.”
Annabelle placed her hand on Stella’s arm. “But we understand if you’re not comfortable talking about it.”
Stella tossed her friend an exasperated look. “Speak for yourself. I want the dirt.”
“How long are you in town?” Annabelle asked, probably in an attempt to hold her friend back.
“I’m not sure,” Audrey answered. “A month or so.”
Annabelle pulled a granola bar from her pocket and opened it, making Audrey wonder if she was the pregnant one. “Where are you staying?”
Now, this was a tricky question. Given the way the conversation had gone so far, Audrey didn’t want Stella to take the information and run with it. So far the woman had proved too observant and canny for Audrey’s comfort.
“I was at the Sunset Inn,” she answered, and left it at that.
The horrified look on Stella’s face told Audrey the woman was all too familiar with the Sunset Inn’s shortcoming. “Nice call relocating. That place is a dump.”
Annabelle took a bite of granola. “So where are you now?”
Audrey racked her brain for something, anything, other than so let me explain…
But Stella, the human lie detector/psychic took advantage of Audrey’s silence to draw her own conclusion. She placed a hand on Audrey’s shoulder. “Wait, don’t say it; let me guess,” she quipped. “Cameron offered you his guesthouse.”
“No way,” Annabelle said with a shake of her head.
Stella nodded. “Yep, he did, didn’t he?”
“So, let me explain,” Audrey blurted out, just as she had told herself not to.
Annabelle swallowed. “He seriously offered to let the two of you stay with him?” At Audrey’s weak nod, Annabelle shook her head. “I need to have a talk with that man.”
About what?
“Don’t you dare,” Stella ordered. “He has a nice, attractive woman who will hopefully rub off on him, and you’ll ruin it.”
Audrey ignored the “rubbing off” comment, because she didn’t want to do any rubbing of any kind with Cameron. Rubbing turned into other things that led to heavy breathing and panting. Okay, she knew Stella’s words were figurative, but that didn’t stop the graphic image that formed in her mind. The two of them rubbing, hands roaming all over. Mouths seeking each other. It would be hot and sweaty and messy. But good. It would be too good for Audrey to remain objective about her mission, and she needed to keep her mind clear.
“He’s just trying to do me a favor,” Audrey explained. “It was an economic decision. Plus it’ll help him get to know Piper better.”
Both women’s attention switched to the child, who was still engrossed in her coloring game.
Annabelle nodded as she finished her granola bar. “Okay,” she responded.
Hoping the subject was now dropped, Audrey glanced at the field to spot Cameron talking to a man dressed in slacks and a button-down shirt. Cameron’s back went straight as they talked, but his gaze remained firmly on his players. For some reason he didn’t want to give the other man the time of day, and Audrey’s interest was more than a little piqued.
She turned back to Stella and Annabelle. “Who’s that man talking to Cameron?”
“That’s Drew Spalding, the district’s athletic director,” Annabelle answered. “He and Cameron don’t exactly get along.”
Stella snorted. “They hate each other.”
Audrey glanced back
