From Best Friend to Bride. Jules Bennett

going home to wait on her freeloading brother to show, Cameron would be right there with her. No way would Evan try to pull her into this latest mess. Hell no.

      “I need to head out, too,” Cameron stated. Work was always beckoning, so he knew everyone would just assume that’s why he needed to go. “And she’s my ride.”

      Cameron and Megan said their goodbyes and stepped out of the church. The bright sun hit them as they descended the concrete steps. Cameron pulled his glasses from his jacket pocket and slid them on to block the brightness. A headache from lack of sleep and plenty of worry had settled in, and the fiery glare was making it worse.

      “Skipping out?”

      Cameron turned to see his other brother, Drake. Right at his side was his fiancée, Marly, and Marly’s daughter, Willow.

      “Megan and I need to head out,” he told Drake.

      “You look pretty,” Willow said, standing beside Megan and looking up at her as if she were looking at a movie star. “I like your hair.”

      The free-spirited little six-year-old had on her beloved cowgirl boots, as usual, and was sporting a new grin, sans two teeth.

      Megan bent down and slid her hand through Willow’s long ponytail. “I love yours, too. I used to wear my hair just like this when I was your age. You have good taste.”

      “I was going to call you,” Marly told Megan. “Nora and I were hoping for a girls’ night sometime soon. You interested?”

      Megan smiled and nodded. “Sounds good. Just let me know when.”

      More goodbyes were said, and finally Megan and Cameron were settled back in her SUV and headed toward their neighborhood.

      “That was a beautiful service,” she commented after a bit. “Thanks for inviting me.”

      “You’re family.” Cameron tried to hold back the yawn but couldn’t. Damn, he was getting too old to pull all-nighters. “You belong here, too.”

      “You know, one day you may actually replace me with a girlfriend or a wife. I doubt she’ll understand if I’m still hanging around your family.”

      Cameron snorted, shifted in his seat and rested his elbow on the console. “For one thing, you could never be replaced. For another, I think you know my stance on committed relationships and marriage.”

      “Your reasons may be valid, but they can’t be your crutch for life.”

      “It’s not a crutch,” he muttered in defense.

      Megan threw him a glance and a smile as she pulled onto their road. “You never know when the right woman will come along and claim you.”

      The only woman he’d ever allow to “claim” him was sitting right next to him, but he’d never do that to her. He’d seen firsthand what being a cop could do to even the strongest of marriages. Even though he and Megan had a bond that rivaled the toughest relationships, he wouldn’t put that kind of strain on something, or someone, so important.

      She was part of his life in the deepest way he could allow and he’d just have to be satisfied with that. The fact she would likely marry one day was something he couldn’t even think about right now. If he thought of Megan with another man, Cameron would likely lose that wall of control he’d built up.

      Megan put on her signal to turn into his drive.

      “I’m going to your house,” he told her.

      Totally ignoring him, she pulled up to his garage. After throwing her SUV in Park, she turned to face him, her green eyes studying his face. “You need to go in and get more sleep.”

      She was preaching to the choir. Unfortunately, even if he went in, he wouldn’t be able to just close down and relax. Besides, he wanted to make sure Evan didn’t show up and try to pour on more guilt or ask for any favors.

      “I’ll be fine,” she assured him, patting his leg as if he were some toddler. “I know what you’re doing, but don’t worry. I’ve handled Evan long enough.”

      Cameron slid his hand over hers and squeezed. “And that’s the problem. You shouldn’t have to deal with a grown man whose behavior is that of an out-of-control teen.”

      Megan tilted her head, and her hair spilled over her shoulder; the strands tickled his arm on the console. “I deal with you, don’t I?”

      He couldn’t help but smile. “You only keep me around to set your mousetraps in the winter.”

      “True.” With a smile, she turned her hand over in his and squeezed. “Seriously. Go sleep.”

      Stroking his thumb along the backs of her smooth fingers, Cameron stared into those eyes that were too often full of worry—eyes that had captivated him on more occasions than he could count.

      “I’m a guy and a cop. I can’t help but want to take care of you.”

      Drawing in a shaky breath, she offered a sweet smile, one he’d witnessed for years and never grew tired of seeing. Megan’s genuine, contagious smile that came from within, that lit up a room...that’s what kept him going.

      “I love you for that,” she told him. “But really, you need to take care of yourself, and I’m going to make sure you do. Now go.”

      Stubborn woman. She wouldn’t pull out of this driveway until his butt was out of her car. Fine. He was just as stubborn, but he knew how to play the game. He knew his Megan better than anyone else did. She would always put herself out to make others comfortable, to keep those around her happy. But Cameron wasn’t about to let her fall down his priority list. She was, and always had been, at the top. Just like family.

      “All right,” he conceded. “You will call me if you need anything.”

      It wasn’t a question, but she nodded anyway as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Go on, Chief. You can’t protect the town if you’re dead on your feet.”

      “Yes, Mommy.”

      Cameron tugged on the handle and stepped from the SUV. Turning to rest his arm on the open door, he peered back inside. “You know, tough love is a good thing.”

      “Yeah.” Megan sighed, and her shoulders fell slightly. “It’s just easy to say and harder to do.”

      Cameron hated how torn she was between loyalty and forgiveness. He, too, was torn between loyalties right now. Megan had been his everything for so long. Yet he couldn’t protect her, couldn’t even warn her of the evils hovering so close to her life.

      Tapping the top of her car, he stepped back. “I’ll call you later.”

      As he made his way up to his porch, Cameron knew he wouldn’t be sleeping. Too much was on his mind, and it all involved work and Megan. She always seemed to be the center of his thoughts. Unfortunately, this scenario had nothing to do with his desires.

      Yet Megan’s odd declaration earlier alluding to something or someone she wanted still weighed heavily on his mind, too. They shared everything...at least all the personal stuff. What was she keeping from him?

      Granted, he’d been holding back his own feelings for so long, but he didn’t think she reciprocated those emotions. Or did she? That would put a whole new spin on things and add another layer of worry to his already stressful life. Damn it, why couldn’t he just have those friend feelings or that brotherly bond? When had he taken that turn into wanting more?

      Cameron waited until Megan headed down the narrow road toward her own house before he turned in the opposite direction and took off for a much-needed walk around their neighborhood. He needed to clear his head and figure out how best to approach this delicate situation with Evan.

      Cameron also needed to figure out how to get the image of Megan in that classy yet sexy-as-hell red dress out of his mind. No other woman could shoot for polished and timeless and come off as