Page 10 of Among the Stars
Chapter Three
“I’m not kidding,”Veronica repeated for the third time. “You can celebrate with my family.”
Cam had no desire to crash anyone’s holiday gathering. “That isn’t necessary.”
“Of course, it is. You probably saved my life last night. The least I can do is offer you a holiday meal with all the trimmings.” Growing more animated, she turned to face him. “My mother makes way more food than the ten of us can eat. One more person won’t hurt anything.”
“Ten?” he repeated. He hadn’t been in the same room with ten family members since a Rhodes reunion when he was five.
“Ten,” she affirmed. “Mom and Dad, two sisters, two brothers-in-law, one nephew, and two nieces. Plus me, of course.”
That sounded like a nightmare. “I appreciate the offer, but—”
“You won’t be intruding.”
Yes, he would. But that was beside the point. “I don’t—”
“All right, fine,” Veronica cut in. “I have an ulterior motive.”
Cam mentally kicked himself for not letting Trina take care of their unconscious customer.
“An ulterior motive?” he asked. She’d turned him into an echo machine.
“The person I was trying to drink away last night is my ex-husband. This is the first Christmas I’m not bringing him with me, and I don’t have the energy to deal with the questions and pitying looks.”
He’d never been married, but Cam knew the pain of a tough breakup. Fresh off a divorce, especially at the holidays, was a good reason to tie one on. But he didn’t see what this had to do with him.
“Then don’t go.”
She laughed—a deep, sexy laugh—as if he’d made a joke. When he glanced over with a straight face, she sobered. “You’re serious.”
“I am. If you don’t want to go, don’t go.”
Veronica crossed her hands in her lap, and the ends of his coat sleeves flopped together. “You’ve clearly never met my mother.”
He preferred to keep it that way. “Tell them you’re sick.” The green tint had left her cheeks, but Cam doubted the headache had faded.
“Being sick does not excuse you from Christmas. Not in my family.”
Then he was out of ideas. Following the GPS, he made a left at the stop sign. When Veronica held silent, Cam thought the conversation had ended.
He was wrong.
“All you have to do is pretend we’ve been on a few dates, eat as much ham as you want, and maybe show my dad this car.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “He would love this car.”
She couldn’t really believe he’d do this. “We’re complete strangers. I know nothing about you.”
Undeterred, she said, “How much would we know about each other after a couple of dates?”
“More than occupation and home address.” The GPS said her house was ahead on the right. There was no driveway, so he parked along the curb in front of the one with the correct street number displayed on a gray porch post. “I’ll walk you to the door, and then take my coat.”
Veronica turned pleading eyes his way. “I know what I’m proposing sounds crazy, but it’ll be virtually painless. A few hours of your day, and then you never have to see me again.”
In Cam’s experience, large family gatherings were never painless. And he never said he didn’t want to see her again.
Of course you don’t want to see her again. Get her out of the car and drive off. Hell, let her have the damn coat; just don’t fall for those baby blues.
He held silent long enough for the hope to leave her eyes, and his willpower snapped. The club wouldn’t open until after five anyway.