Broken Beginnings: A High Heat Small Town Romance Suspense (Citrus Cove Book 1)

I WOKE UP, fixed the bed, took a shower, got dressed, and made a pot of coffee, all before the sun rose. Last night, I’d barely been able to sleep, and that uneasy feeling didn’t seem to want to go away.

I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table, scrolling on my phone absentmindedly. When I had spare moments, I set up posts for social media to auto schedule for me, which took a load off. I checked my messages from Emma, appreciating that she’d created a digital folder with all the information we needed to take to the police. She was organized like that.

All in all, it felt like I’d lost everything. The wound was deeper this time. I’d watched someone die, and now all of my belongings were destroyed. The police were working the case, but so far, they hadn’t found anything.

I was frustrated and scared. I felt sick. But even with the two hours of sleep and the feeling of despair, I felt a flicker of hope.

I steeled my nerves as I heard Honey upstairs.

My worry for her meant I’d keep my mouth shut for now. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her but that I couldn’t stand the thought of putting more on her shoulders. Not after everything she’d done for me.

Within a few moments, she came down, raising a brow. She was already dressed for the day in calf-length pants and a boat neck floral shirt. “You’re up early. Long night?”

“I got home around midnight.” I didn’t want to relive last night.

The other thing that kept me up was Cameron Harlow.

He’d been there for me last night. Kept me sane. Held me while I fell apart and didn’t judge me.

“Do you want a cup of coffee?” I asked, starting to get up.

“I’ll get it,” she said, waving her hand at me. She was grumpy right when she woke up, and I fought the urge to laugh at her despite everything.

“What? I can’t pour you a cup of coffee?” I teased.

She snorted, shooting me a knowing look. “Not when you’re being sneaky.”

I turned my head before our eyes could meet. How the fuck did she always do that?

The sound of wheels on pavement had me pulling the curtain back to peek out. Cam’s truck stopped where my car was normally parked. I started to get up, but she waved at me again, already heading toward the front door.

“Damn it,” I mumbled.

Part of me hoped I’d be able to slip out before she was up so I didn’t have to come up with an excuse as to why Cameron Harlow was at our front door this early on a Thursday morning.

I heard Honey and Cam chatting at the door, followed by her soft laugh. She ushered him into the kitchen, giving me a smug look behind him.

“Morning, sunshine,” Cam said, offering me a smile. He held two to-go cups of coffee in his hands. “Got a little caffeine for us.”

“Morning,” I said. “That’s perfect. Let me put this in the sink and grab my bag, then we can go.”

“Where are you two going?” Honey asked, raising a brow. She glanced at the clock on the oven. “It’s awfully early for a date.”

Cam glanced at me warily. I’d begged him not to tell anyone what he knew, and it seemed he planned to do as I asked.

I could have told her then. And maybe I should have. But it was too early in the morning to tell my grandmother that someone was possibly out there who wanted to kill me.

Cam saved me last night. I’d broken down, and he’d held me, and then I’d pulled myself back together because I had to.

“We’re going to do some training,” Cam said, clearing his throat.

“Training, huh. Don’t think I didn’t notice her little race car is missing,” Honey said, smirking. “Want some breakfast, Cam?”

“No, ma’am,” he chuckled. “Her car was making a weird noise last night, so I brought her home. I’m taking her to the shop.”

“Mmhm. I’ve been on this earth for a while now, Cameron Harlow.”

He gave her the most innocent smile he could muster, and it took everything in me to not laugh. I finished the last sip of my coffee, snatched my bag off the table, and gave Honey a kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll be home in a while, Honey,” I said.

“Sure, sure. You kids have fun.”

The two of us made it out of the house and to his truck. I climbed into the passenger side and slammed the door shut, and so did he before we both burst out into laughter.

“She’s onto me,” Cam said as he cranked the engine.

“She’s always been intuitive,” I snorted. “I just didn’t have it in me to tell her this morning.”

That sobered both of us. He reached over, giving my thigh a gentle squeeze. “It’ll be okay.”

I hoped so. I really hoped so.

I was silent on the drive to the police station. It was all of five minutes before we were pulling into the parking lot. My stomach twisted.

“I don’t know what I’m going to tell them,” I said.

“Tell them everything. And maybe they can contact the station in Baltimore. I’ll be with you the whole time,” Cam said.

We both got out and went inside. He surprised me by pressing his hand against my lower back, offering comfort that I hadn’t realized I needed.

The receptionist lifted her head. “Cam Harlow,” she chucked. “You and David go at it again?”

I raised a brow, looking up at him. He winced. “No, Tammy, I’m here for another reason. Actually just here to support Haley. Is Bud in?”

“Sheriff Johns is,” she corrected.

Cam snorted. “You know he plays golf with my dad, and I’ve known him since I was in diapers.”

“Right, but he’s still the sheriff in this building, Harlow. Go on back. You know his office.”

Cam slipped his hand into mine and led me down a gray hall. My stomach twisted.

“Did you and David fight fight?” I whispered under my breath.

“We went a couple rounds, yeah. He never won.” There was a hint of pride there.

I shook my head as we came to a doorway. A man in uniform was sitting at a desk, his balding head shining in the yellow lights. He looked up, raising a brow.

“I’m not here for me. I’m here for her,” Cameron rushed out.

I fought the urge to laugh at him.

The sheriff chuckled. “You just gonna stand there, then?”

I let out a breath and stepped inside, Cameron following me. There were two chairs that looked like they hadn’t moved since the ’80s, and we each took one.

“I’m Haley Bently,” I said. “Sheriff⁠—”

“Just call me Bud,” he said.

“Bud. Someone is trying to kill me.”

Both of his brows shot up so far I thought they might end up on the top of his head. “Hell of a way to start an introduction. Start from the beginning, Ms. Bently.”

* * *

I kicked Cameron’s tire as hard as I could, letting out a frustrated noise. “That was a load of horse shit,” I growled, looking up at Cam.

He winced as he went to the driver’s side. “Sorry, Hal. I thought there would be more they could do.”

More than jack shit. The only thing that Bud said he could do at the moment was reach out to the Baltimore department. As of right now, there were no suspects, the killer had been meticulous and left nothing to connect him to the crime, and the BPD had no hard evidence to connect what happened to my apartment to what happened to the neighbor. And since I left Baltimore, I was now out of their jurisdiction, and they wouldn’t have someone keep an eye on my place.

No leads. No help. It felt like there was nobody in my corner. No one but Cam and Emma.

I yanked open the passenger door and climbed into Cam’s truck, sinking into the leather seat.

“What now?” I was fighting back tears. I’d barely slept last night, was worried about watching my back, and had somehow ended up with Cameron Harlow as my wingman in this entire situation. My entire world had been flipped upside down.

“How about we go get breakfast? I think some food might help the situation.”

I narrowed my eyes, stealing a glance at him. He looked a little more rugged this morning, and I found that I liked him like that. He was hot. Hotter than he’d ever been in high school.

“Sure. I don’t think I can deal with Honey right now. Sarah won’t even return my text messages, my brother-in-law is apparently a drunk bastard, and my nephews are just now getting to know me. And now I have to deal with a police department that doesn’t have any leads, all while watching my own back because apparently “you’re next” isn’t substantial enough to protect me. And now all I’m going to be able to think about is when he’ll find me. I really wish I didn’t have to deal with any of this and just crawl into a hole and disappear.” I blew out a breath, slumping in my seat.

“But then I’d miss you,” he whispered.

His voice was soft and gentle, but his words sent a bolt of pleasure through me. I blushed and looked away. He was trouble. That much hadn’t changed.

“I won’t let him get to you,” Cam continued. “I promise.”

I stared at him for a moment and felt a flicker of guilt. “You don’t have to get involved in this,” I said. “You don’t have to be my protector.”

“I know that.”

“You don’t even have to take me places.”

“I know.”

There was a steady silence between us and he gave me a soft smile.

“I’m still going to, though,” he said. “I’m here for you. And while you are perfectly capable of handling things, it doesn’t hurt to have someone else, right? And also, your best friend did threaten me. Not that she needed to in order to keep me around.”

I chuckled, despite everything feeling like it was spiraling. “Alright. I just don’t want to be a burden to you.”

“You could never be one. What are you doing tomorrow?” He backed the truck out of the station and hit the road, taking us to whatever breakfast place he had in mind.

“Trying to hunt down a serial killer.”

“Hal, come on,” he said, his voice part plea, part amused.

“I don’t know,” I said, fighting a smile.

“I was thinking…”

“You do that a lot, it seems.”

“I was thinking maybe I could take you on a picnic. And we could do that wine tasting. And cider, if you’d like.”

“For work?” I asked, raising a brow.

I was going to give him a hard time. A harder time than necessary. I wasn’t new to flirting or dating and while I’d mentally been going back and forth on my feelings about him, I still felt the chemistry.

His jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing on the road. “Not for work.”

“Oh? For what then?”

“Well, you know…” He trailed off.

I was fighting giggles now. “Are you going to keep speaking in caveman or say, ‘Hi, Haley. Would you like to go on a date with me?’”

He barked out a laugh, stealing a glance at me. His grin was wicked. “Hi, Haley. Would you like to go on a date with me?”

I looked out the window, doing my best to hide my smile. There was a giddiness running through me that made me want to kick my feet because god damn it. He wants me. 

“You sure you aren’t playing a prank on me?” I asked.

“Far, far from it,” he breathed out. “Fuck. I’m not an idiot. Well, I can be sometimes. But I want you, Hal. And I want to know you. And I want to prove myself to you.”

I bit my bottom lip. “Sure, then,” I said casually. That tone was a straight-up lie though. My heart pounded in my chest. I felt like a schoolgirl.

I didn’t need someone’s approval or desire, but it felt damn good having it. Especially from him.

I could see his reflection in the glass, and the way he instantly relaxed.

“I do have a condition,” he added.

I laughed, turning my head. “And what’s that, boss?”

“You let me drive your car. Just once.”

“Not a chance in hell,” I snorted.

“What if I beg for the chance to?”

I shook my head. “You’d have to get down on your knees.”

He was silent as he pulled into a small parking lot outside a robin’s-egg-blue building. The sign out front said Citrus Cove Cafe and was one of the new places I hadn’t seen before in Citrus Cove.

He got out of the truck and shut the door. I frowned, wondering if I’d said something wrong. I’d been teasing him, mostly. I unbuckled right as my door opened, and I let out a squeak as I looked at him.

Cam took a step back, and I watched as he lowered himself, his blue-jean-covered knees hitting the gravel.

“Cam,” I hissed.

“On my knees, sunshine. I’m begging you to let me take you on a picnic and spoil you and for you to let me take a ride in that Corvette.”

I blushed from head to toe, if that were even possible. My entire body warmed, my heart drumming in my chest. “You’re such an idiot,” I said, breaking into a giggle. The entirety of the last few weeks had been a nightmare, but my old enemy was the ray of sun striking through the darkness.

I slid out of the seat and landed right in front of him, stumbling enough that he rose up and caught me.

“Fuck,” we both whispered.

His body was warm against me. I grabbed his arms, feeling his biceps, even if I didn’t mean to. He shook his head, his eyes never leaving me. “You’re perfect, you know that?”

“And you’ve got a silver tongue,” I whispered.

“I mean it, Hal. You’re so fucking beautiful it hurts. And you’re smart. Stubborn.” He lifted his hand slowly and slid it behind my neck. “All I want to do right now is kiss you.”

“Don’t,” I whispered, swallowing hard. “The whole town is going to be talking now.”

“Let them talk,” he murmured.

I was about to lean up on my tiptoes and kiss him when I heard a voice break through.

“What the hell are you doing here? You stalking me, Harlow?”

Cam stiffened and turned. I looked past him, seeing my brother-in-law and my sister.

Fuck. I hadn’t seen Sarah in so long. Hadn’t heard from her. And here she was, alive and well, in the flesh in broad fucking daylight. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun, a couple of lines crinkling around her eyes that hadn’t been there the last time I’d seen her. She looked pale and tired and—why was she avoiding me?

“I was taking Haley to get some breakfast,” Cam said, his voice cold. I could hear the temper simmering underneath the easygoing words. “Which, last time I checked, is in fact allowed, David.”

“Don’t talk to me like that,” David sneered. “You’re stalking me. I just know it. Fucking creep. Makes sense that you’d be with her.”

Cam bristled next to me, his hands curling into fists. He took a step forward, but I pulled him back.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Don’t,” I said.

I ignored David’s insult, focusing on my sister.

“Sarah,” I whispered, still staring at her. I took a step forward, reaching for her. Needing her now more than I ever had before. I could feel myself falling apart all over again, desperate to have my sister. Desperate to have the relationship we’d always had. “I haven’t seen you in so long, and I need to talk⁠—”

She took a step back, her lips pulling into a very tight line. She shook her head. “Not interested in what you have to say. I’m okay with you being around my sons if Honey is around, but I want nothing to do with you.”

“That’s right,” David said, his arm going around her shoulders. The way she stiffened worried me. “Let’s go, Sarah.”

My breath left me. I felt Cam’s arm loop around my waist, pulling me against him.

“Fucking hell. I’m so sorry,” he said, watching them go.

I couldn’t believe it. I went through everything I could in my mind around the time when we’d first stopped talking. It had been gradual at the beginning, and we’d had some arguments but nothing that justified being treated like dirt.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered.

I watched her and David get into a truck and leave.

“Something’s wrong,” Cam murmured. “I don’t know what. And I’ve tried to help. That’s what started some of the blowouts with that fucking asshole. But I couldn’t get through to her.”

I felt myself deflating. Cam pulled me against him, planting a kiss on the top of my head.

“Let’s get some food in you, sunshine. This place has the best breakfast in town.”