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Devon shrugged but didn’t look away from the television. “I didn’t have time to wait. I gotta be back at the studio by a quarter after one.”
“What’s got your attention, man?”
Devon sat the mug down. “Haven’t you heard? There’s a pretty big tropical storm out in the Atlantic right now.”
Campbell’s eyes widened. September was the peak hurricane season around these parts, but things had been relatively quiet over the last few years. “Good grief. What’s going on with it?”
“Just watch the news report, man.” Devon kept his gaze on the screen.
Campbell looked, as well, paying close attention to both the on-screen graphics and the words of the local meteorologist.
“Tropical storm Hester is churning in the Atlantic as we speak, folks. She’s an angry one, but due to the cool front approaching from the west, we don’t expect her to be upgraded or to come on shore for the mainland. However, she does pose the threat of heavy rain, strong winds, rough surf and possible flooding to the islands off the coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina. We expect to see the main impact from the storm over the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours.”
Well, shit. Campbell hoped the storm wouldn’t cause too much damage. MHI always kept storm preparedness supplies on hand and crews on call this time of year, but the island was abuzz with the cast and crew of The Shores, as well as all the extra tourists who’d come in with them.
Devon turned his way after the weather report ended. “It’s looking kind of dicey on the weather front. I’d better have the crew film as many scenes as they can this afternoon, in case we have to close down production for a few days.”
Shaking his head, Campbell signaled for Maddie, the waitress. “I hope it won’t be too bad. With all your people here, plus the folks who came onto the island trying to get on camera when y’all are filming, there are a lot of extra people on the island.”
“Yeah. I bet the police and fire people are getting geared up.”
“Probably.” Thinking MHI should brace for any impact the storm might bring, he fired off a quick text to Savion, letting him know to alert the crew that they might be needed over the next week.
Maddie came over then, and Campbell ordered a buffalo chicken salad and bottled water. After she left, he turned to Devon. “So, I had a meeting with your star earlier today, about a rental unit.”
Devon nodded. “So you met with Sierra. She’s something, isn’t she?”
He whistled. “Yes. She’s gorgeous, even more so than she is on-screen.”
Devon swallowed a mouthful of food, eyed him closely. “What are you saying, Cam? You trying to get with her?”
He shook his head. “Nah. I mean, yeah, but not really.” He waved his hand in front of him, dismissing the idea. “I don’t stand a chance with the ‘Ice Queen.’”
With a chuckle, Devon popped a fry into his mouth.
“What does that mean?”
“I’m saying, Cam. Don’t sell yourself short. Plus, Sierra isn’t nearly as cold as people make her out to be.”
“Really?” He folded his arms over his chest. “She seemed all-business this morning.”
“That’s how she is during business meetings, and that’s how she should be. Otherwise no one would take her seriously.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin and tossed it aside. “But when you talk to Sierra on a friendly basis, you’ll find out she’s really sweet.”
Cam’s thoughts wandered back to the image of her from this morning, which had embedded itself in his mind. She’d been dressed casually, in a pair of skinny jeans, a close-fitting white top and flats. Despite the casual outfit, there was no hiding her curvaceous frame. “I doubt I’ll ever get the chance for all of that with her.”
“You never know.” Devon drained the last of his root beer. “You’ll see her again, right?”
He nodded as Maddie slid his salad and drink in front of him. “Yeah. Tomorrow I’m meeting her at her condo with the keys.”
“See? Talk to her, and you’ll see what I mean.”
Campbell nodded, but he still had his doubts. Parts of him were now even more curious about just who Sierra Dandridge really was. I guess it’s not really fair to make a judgment about her personality, since we just met. Sure, any sighted man could see she was fine. But he really didn’t know anything about her beyond her physical appearance.
He’d make conversation with Sierra and see where it went. After all, as property manager, it was his job to make her feel welcome.
“I can see the gears turning over there,” Devon remarked. “What are you up to?”
Shaking his head, Campbell ignored the question and dug into his salad.
Devon folded his arms, waiting. “Cam?”
Campbell chuckled. “Let’s just say, when I see her tomorrow, I just may shoot my shot.”
Chapter 3 (#uc2cc61a1-a734-5991-92e7-04619660c197)
Sierra peered through the rain-slick windshield of her rental car as she drove down the road Wednesday afternoon. The trip from her hotel to the gated community took her halfway across the island, and she was glad the drive was almost over. What had begun as an overcast day with soft, drizzling rain had morphed into a dark, gray-skied downpour. The wipers ran at their fastest speed, giving her enough visibility to operate the car safely. But if the rain increased much more than this, she wouldn’t be driving anywhere else today.
Pulling up to the gate at The Glenn, she rolled her window halfway down and gave her name to the guard. The iron gates soon parted, allowing her entry to the complex. Driving through the area, she could see it looked just as picturesque as the photographs in the booklet. The buildings were built from multicolored bricks and accented with stone, and the grounds were manicured with shrubbery and flowers. The images in the brochure had been taken on a sunny day. Today, the plants looked beaten down by the rain and wind, but at least she knew they would look better once the weather cleared up.
She found her building, and pulled into a parking spot in front of it. A tall figure stood on the landing above her, and after she cut the engine, she took a closer look at his face. Campbell. Good, he’s already here. With her purse on her shoulder, she opened her umbrella and got out of the car. Jogging through the sheets of rain, she climbed the stairs to the second level of the building.
Beneath the canopy of the roof she closed her umbrella, and walked up to the door of unit 202 B, where Campbell stood. Before she could stop herself, she looked him over. He wore a pair of dark slacks and a light blue button-down shirt with the MHI logo on his front pocket. It was a very different look from the suit she’d seen him wearing in the office. Guess these are his casual work clothes. He looked just as good dressed this way as he had before, but she pushed that thought out of her mind, telling herself that what he wore and how he looked weren’t any of her concern.
She looked back to his face to find him smiling at her.
She blinked, tried to match his smile. Had he seen her staring at him?
Finally, he spoke. “Some weather we’re having.”
She nodded, relieved. Either he hadn’t seen her staring, or had decided not to bring it up. “Yeah. The storm must be pretty darn close.”
“Well, let me get you inside before the weather gets worse. The forecast says Hester’s gonna hang around for a while.” He extracted a single, silver key on an MHI key chain from his pocket.
She watched as he put the key in the lock...or attempted to.
His brow furrowed as he tried a second time to put the key into the lock. “What in the world?” After lifting the key chain in front of his face, he flipped it over and looked at it. He frowned, uttering a single word. “Crap.”
Confused, she asked, “What is it?”
“This isn’t the right key.” He slipped it back into his pocket. “The Glenn is laid out with two condos to each floor, an A unit and a B unit. This is the key to 202 A.”
She glanced to the left. “The unit next door? Can’t you just lease me that one, since we’re already here?”
He shook his head. “Sorry. That unit was rented earlier this morning. Aside from that, your unit is already set up with grocery delivery and everything you requested.”
Hopeful, she asked, “You got me a guard?”
He cleared his throat. “Let me revise that. Almost everything you requested is set up in this unit.”
She sighed, turning to face the parking lot. Moments later, the wind changed direction, and a spray of fat raindrops hit her in the face.
Wiping away some of the dampness with her hand, she looked to Campbell. “What do you need to do to get the right key? I’d really like to get out of this weather.”
“I’ll call my intern, Jacob. He rented the other unit, so I’ll see what he can tell me.”
While he talked on his cell phone, she moved away from the railing, resting her back against the wall in hopes of avoiding another involuntary shower. She tried to eavesdrop discreetly, but all she heard were a few of his deep-voiced words, in between the bouts of wind and rain.
When he disconnected the call, he turned her way. “The key is still at the office, but Jacob had put it away with the paperwork for the other unit. Even though it was rented today, they’re not moving in until tomorrow.”
“Is that policy? If so, why didn’t you put my key with my paperwork?”
He looked sheepish. “That was an error on my part. I had another appointment right after you and I didn’t match up your key. Sorry about that.”
She pursed her lips. Fine as he was, he seemed a little forgetful. “So, what happens now?”
“Jacob is going to bring the key here.”
She blinked several times. “So we’re just going to be waiting here, in this weather?”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Dandridge. But it’s either that or go sit in our cars until Jacob gets here.”
She looked out at the sky. It had grown even darker since she’d arrived, not to mention the heavier rain and the insistent winds. She shook her head. “Nah. I’ll wait here. I’m not going back down there.”
“I’d hate for you to have to stand up this whole time.” He moved closer to her.
Her heart rate sped up for a moment before she realized he was walking past her.
“Can I borrow your umbrella?”
She nodded, handing it off to him.
He opened it, then dashed down the stairs and into the driving rain. She watched as he went to his car, took something out of the back seat and locked up. Holding something close to his body, probably to keep it dry, he jogged back across the sidewalk and up the stairs. Once back on the landing, he closed the umbrella and dangled it over the railing, giving it a little shake. Then he handed the umbrella back to her, along with the thing he’d retrieved and had been clutching to his chest.
She took the soft bundle.
“I always keep a blanket in the car for emergencies. Fold it up a few times so you’ll have somewhere to sit.”
She did as he asked, and after she’d folded the thick, plaid blanket into a neat rectangle, she placed it next to the door and took a seat to one side. Looking up at the handsome man towering over her, she thought she’d follow her mother’s sage advice. When life gets salty, make margaritas. Rachel Myers Dandridge was known for her odd little sayings, and that was probably one of Sierra’s favorites. It meant make the best of a less than ideal situation. To that end, she patted the blanket next to her. “You can sit here. There’s plenty of room.”
He seemed surprised. “Really?”
“Sure. No reason for you to stand up the whole time, either.”
“Even though I got you into this mess?” He seemed pretty disappointed with himself.
“Everybody makes mistakes, Campbell. Besides, it’s your blanket.” She patted the spot again. “Join me.” Even as she asked him to sit, she realized how rare it was for her to do something like this. She hadn’t earned her nickname by being cordial to men, especially those that inconvenienced her. But something about Campbell intrigued her. There was something endearing, and, if she were honest, enticing, about him.
Finally, he nodded, and took a seat next to her. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” She realized her rectangle wasn’t as long as she’d thought, because now that he’d sat down, his muscular outer thigh pressed against her own. A tingle went through her body, originating from the point of contact and radiating through her every cell.
* * *
Campbell shifted a bit to his left, trying to put a little distance between them out of respect. But there wasn’t much farther he could move without ruining his slacks on the concrete landing, so he stilled. Their thighs were touching, and there was no way she hadn’t noticed. If it bothered her, she didn’t let on.
The swirling wind and rain continued to pound the building, and he grabbed her umbrella and opened it in front of them to protect them from the elements. The lengthening silence between them made him feel nervous, so he spoke. “Tell me a little about yourself.”
She nodded. “Let’s see. I’m an only child, and I’m from Los Angeles. My parents still live there. My father owns a welding business and my mother writes historical novels.” She paused. “What about you?”
He wanted to hear more about her life, but thought it only fair to divulge a little about his own. “I was born and raised on the island. I’m sure you know my younger sister, Hadley. She’s married to Devon. We have an older brother, Savion. MHI is the family business, and we kids took over about six years ago when our parents retired.”
“I see.” She looked straight ahead, as if focused on the falling rain.
He observed her, enjoying her regal beauty in profile. She was dressed just as casually as the previous day, this time in jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Her hair was up on top of her head in a messy bun, with a few tendrils hanging around her face. She appeared thoughtful, and he kept quiet to avoid interfering with whatever gears were turning in her mind.
The stormy weather filled the air with the sounds of rain and howling wind, and he kept quiet and listened to the cacophony.
Jacob’s car pulled up then, parking a few spots away from Sierra’s. As Jacob jogged through the rain with the key, Campbell met him halfway up the stairs.
“Thanks!” He switched keys with Jacob, raising his voice to be heard over the wind. “Now try to get home before the storm gets any worse!”
“Yes, sir!” Jacob ran back to his car, and soon pulled off.
His shirt damp with rain, Campbell returned to the door and slipped the key into the lock. Turning it, he swung open the door. “Welcome to your unit, Ms. Dandridge.”
She started to get up, and he offered his hand to assist her. On her feet, she smiled as she passed him, entering the condo.
He gathered the blanket and the umbrella and followed her inside, closing the door. The sound of the rainstorm was now buffered, but he could still hear the rain and wind. “Let me give you a quick tour, and I’ll be out of your hair.”
“Okay.” She trailed him around the unit and let him show her all the features and amenities it had.
“You’ve got plenty of space to stretch out here.” He showed her the living room, kitchen/dining combo, the hall bathroom and the guest bedroom. In the master suite, he showed her the king-size bed and the attached bathroom, complete with soaking tub and separate shower. She lay across the bed for a moment, as if to test it, and he turned away to keep his thoughts from going in that direction.
As if sensing his discomfort, she sat up and got on her feet again. “Everything looks wonderful. Anything else you want to show me?”
He gestured for her to follow him back up the narrow hallway. “There’s a terrace off the dining room. You can access it by those glass doors. Nice views of the inlet from out there.” He pointed at them as they returned to the main living area. “But you’ll probably want to wait for better weather to check that out.”
She chuckled. “Definitely.”
It was the first time he’d heard her laugh. The sound, brief as it had been, seemed to brighten his world. He walked over to the stainless steel double-door refrigerator in the kitchen, and opened both doors. “As you can see, our shoppers have stocked your fridge with everything you requested from the list.”
She came over and inspected the contents, grabbing a Gala apple from a shelf. “This is great.” She closed the doors, then went to the sink to rinse the apple.
“That’s about it. Sorry again about the whole key mix-up.”
She’d searched out a knife and cutting board, and was busy cutting up her apple. “It’s okay.”
“I’m gonna head out and leave you to relax, then.” He bundled up his blanket, tucked it under his arm and walked toward the door. As he swung it open, greeted by the fierce winds, he thought he heard her call his name.
