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“Just go by there, Sheriff. Please, just go check on him. He ain’t got no one… that family of his—”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Walter,” I said as I quickly stood up. Walter snapped his mouth shut as I patted him on the shoulder. “Try and take it easy.”
He didn’t respond to me but as I was leaving the room, I saw him pick up the phone next to his bed. I found myself stopping just outside his room and listening with bated breath for Walter to speak. But when there was just the sound of the phone being placed back in the receiver, I knew Ford hadn’t answered.
I shouldn’t care why he hadn’t.
Ford wasn’t my problem… never had been. He’d been a distraction and nothing more. It was better that things had ended before they’d really begun.
Before my inner voice could even call me out on the blatant lie, I muttered, “Shut the fuck up.” A passing nurse glanced at me. I shot her a quick smile and then nodded my head at her before turning to leave.
I spent the entire drive back to Pelican Bay repeating the same three words over and over again.
Not.
My.
Problem.
But not five minutes after I crossed over the town line, I turned left instead of right so I could go take one quick look at the home of the man who had somehow become very much my problem.
“I’m down here, guys!” I called when I heard the footsteps overhead. “Just trying to figure out this wiring shit,” I continued. “Looks like a couple are corroded… a mouse or something must have chewed through them.” I turned to look over my shoulder at Dallas and Maddox and froze when I saw Ford at the base of the basement steps instead. “Oh,” I murmured. “Sorry, I thought you were…”
I let my words drop off, not only because he’d likely heard me calling out to Dallas and Maddox, but because my throat seized up when I saw the black-and-blue marks on the left side of his face.
“Ford,” I breathed with a shake of my head. I could actually feel tears stinging my eyes and I ended up dropping my head so he wouldn’t see them in case I couldn’t keep them from falling. “I’m going to fucking kill him,” I whispered beneath my breath.
I heard Ford approach me but couldn’t allow myself to look up. If I saw those bruises on his face again before I got control of my rage, I’d surely stride over to his house and beat his brother so bad, he’d never be able to lay a hand on Ford again.
“Cam, I’m—”
“Not now, Ford,” I ground out. “I just… I need a minute, okay?”
“Cam, I really—”
“Ford,” I snapped with a shake of my head. I was too busy imagining that the fingers I had wrapped around the flashlight in my hand were wrapped around Jimmy’s throat instead.
Why the fuck hadn’t I just gone to Ford’s door the night before and talked to him? Jimmy’s car hadn’t been there when I’d driven by… maybe I could have convinced Ford to come with me… to leave—
That was the last thought I had before Ford’s gentle hands forced my head up. Before I could really focus on the bruises that went from his cheek down to his chin, Ford’s mouth covered mine. I let out a little gasp of surprise. Ford’s tongue sought out mine as his warm hands cradled my cheeks. It took about three seconds for me to register what was happening, then I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him back.
The kiss didn’t last nearly as long as I would have liked. Ford was the one who broke it so he could press his forehead against mine. His eyes were shut and he was still holding my face.
“I’m so sorry, Cam. Please don’t hate me. I… I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you okay? I could never forgive myself if I…”
He fell silent and just shook his head. His voice sounded strangled and thick with tears. I could only assume he was talking about our encounter at his studio.
I used my finger to tip his head up and waited until he opened his eyes.
“Ford, I’m okay, I promise. Yes, it hurt to see your reaction after what happened between us, but I get it. It was your first time and you were disgusted and I should have stopped it before it even started—”
“What?” Ford cut in. “You think I was disgusted by what happened?” He shook his head and took a step back. “No… no, that’s not… no, I wasn’t! I…”
He looked utterly confused and distraught. His hands went to his hair. He gave the strands a hard tug as he shook his head yet again. “No, I… I loved it. It was so…”
