Picture Perfect Lie Read online

  “Absolutely.”

  We head to our seats. Holding my breath, I lay Hazel in the middle of the pile of blankets.

  “Please keep sleeping. Please keep sleeping,” Campbell whispers beside me.

  When the baby doesn’t wake up, I high five Campbell. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

  Campbell’s fingers slide in between mine. “I feel like I can’t stop saying thank you, but I can’t seem to help myself.”

  Heat arcs between us, making me acutely aware of the way she feels, the way she smells, and the way she fits so perfectly with me. I give her hand a gentle squeeze and let go. I have to let go because I can’t allow myself to think our chance meeting is anything more than that. She’s not looking for a relationship at all, and I’m... Well, I have nothing to offer her.

  “Promised to watch out for you and Hazel,” I say roughly, then clear my throat.

  “Has the temperature dropped?” she asks, shivering and wrapping her arms around her herself. The t-shirt she has on is long-sleeved, but the material is so thin I can almost see the golden color of her skin.

  For a split second, I focus on the air around us instead of the heat she inflames. It is getting colder. With floor-to-ceiling windows all along the outer wall and very little carpeting, there’s barely anything keeping out the cold.

  “Want to borrow my sweatshirt?” I fish it out of my rucksack before she can say no and hand it to her.

  She pulls it over her head, the sheer size engulfing her. “You got a bed in there, too, Mary Poppins?”

  “I wish.”

  “Me, too.” Campbell yawns, stretching. “I haven’t slept in forever.”

  “After River’s mom took off, Duke looked like a zombie...” I give her a once over, enjoying how she looks in my sweatshirt. Yeah, it swallows her up, but knowing it’s keeping her warm makes me feel all kinds of manly. “You still look damn good.”

  She blushes. “Every new mom needs to hear that at least three times a day.”

  “Then I’ll tell you again at dinner,” I say with a wink.

  Her brows rise. “Dinner, huh?”

  I shrug. “I figure we’ll be here at least that long.”

  Panic flares in her eyes. “I hope not... I’m not prepared for—I...” She nudges her bag with her hand, her voice so low it’s a damn good thing we’re sitting close. “This is all we have.”

  “I can—”

  “Do nothing,” she insists. “You’ve already done more than any person in their right mind would do for a stranger.”

  “Then consider me not in my right mind.”

  She sighs. “Knight... I’m not joking. You’ve done enough.”

  “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”

  “Fine. Spend your last dollar on me.” She throws her hands in the air, clearly aggravated. “But don’t say I didn’t tell you to stop.”

  “Never have been good at following directions.”

  “Which makes total sense for you to join the Army,” she points out.

  “I’m a contradiction to be sure.”

  Her pretty eyes narrow. “Oooh. You are so—”

  “Happy to be stranded at the airport with you.” I mean it. Really and truly mean it.

  Campbell bursts out laughing. “I can’t even stay mad at you.”

  “Good.” I make a move to grab her. When she doesn’t scoot away or protest, I plant her right beside me. “Here’s what’s going to happen next—you’re going to lean on me and sleep. That’s an order.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain.”

  “That’s Lieutenant.”

  She presses against me, her slight weight nothing I can’t handle. “Whatever.”

  As we sit there and she dozes, the terminal fills up with more people. There is less and less space available. “Let me get Hazel out of the way.”

  Campbell, obviously exhausted, murmurs her agreement. The baby hardly weighs a thing as I lift her. Her hands fly out, like she’s trying to catch herself as she falls, but I quickly soothe her by wrapping her up like a tiny burrito.

  I can’t claim this bit of baby knowledge came solely from my niece. I’d dated a single mom once, for about eight months. She ended up back together with her son’s father, though. Can’t say I was too tore up about it, but I did enjoy my time with her and Elliot. For some reason only known to God, or maybe simply a sense of self-preservation, I never got attached to him.

  Or maybe it was because his mom never committed fully to our relationship.

  The fine hairs on the back of my neck prickle. Sure enough, two of my buddies are recording me with their phones, grins wide on their faces. I don’t even want to know what they’ll do with the video. I can only imagine how Campbell and I look, all cozied up, her head on my shoulder while I hold Hazel. The two of them are asleep, and I’m halfway there.

  “Cut it out, or else,” I half threaten.

  “Don’t worry, Big Papa. We’ll only share this on Facebook,” Boston says with a snicker.

  I roll my eyes. “Whatever, man. Just don’t be stupid.”

  “I’ll text you the video and pics.”

  “Oh, c’mon. You took pictures, too?”

  Boston laughs. “You bet I did.”

  I flip them off, and they respond in kind before jetting off again.

  “Are you upset?” Campbell asks.

  I turn slightly to look at her upturned face. “Nah. Busting my balls is how they show their love.”

  She smiles slightly. “Only men.”

  “We make life interesting.”

  “Oh my gosh,” she gasps, pointing at the window. “Is that snow?”

  I look outside, trying to find the best angle, and groan. “No that’s... ice.” Shit. I know what that means. Our flights are about to be cancelled, and we’ll be stranded for the night while Atlanta shuts down. It’s the South. We can’t deal with snow or ice because we’re not equipped for it.

  I jump to my feet, managing to not knock Campbell over in the process. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  “No problem.” She cocks a brow. “What are you planning now?”

  “To try to secure some accommodations.” Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I take off for the USO Lounge. We’d passed it on the way, but since our layover was only an hour, I didn’t think to check in there.

  Luckily no one’s at the front counter when I step inside, reading their policy on who’s allowed inside—active military and their families. Fuck. Doesn’t matter if I have to lie again; I swore to watch over Campbell and Hazel, and I am man of my word. “Hey there. So, I need three rooms, two for my buddies, and one for my wife, baby, and me. She’s a newborn. The baby, not my wife.”

  I wait for the guy at the counter to see through my lie, to escort my ass out of there with the promise to let my superior know, but he smiles, his fingers flying all over the keyboard.

  “You’re mostly in luck.” With an apologetic grin, he says, “We have two rooms left. Hopefully your buddies won’t mind doubling up?”

  As opposed to sleeping in a chair on our last night in the States? “We—they’ll make do.”

  “All I need are IDs for you and your fellow soldiers, as well as a credit card in case of damage.”

  I slap my ID and a credit card on the counter, then text Boston and our commanding officer. “Can I pay for them and have my buddies follow up with you, with their IDs?”

  “Absolutely... Lt. Knight.” He takes my card and my ID, making copies of both. “Will you need a pack n’ play?”

  “A pack n’ what?”

  “Definitely a new dad.” He smiles at me. “For the baby to sleep in.”

  “How many beds are in the rooms?”

  “One queen and the other has two doubles, with private en-suite bathroom accommodations for each.”

  Three huge soldiers in two beds that will actually be more like singles. Oh, well. All of us have slept in worse.

  “How long have you been married?” he asks
, keeping up the conversation while he writes a fucking book. I don’t know how anyone behind a front desk keeps from getting cramps with all that typing.

  “Just married, actually.”

  “New baby and a new wife.” He chuckles. “Can’t say I’ve never heard of that before.”

  The printer behind him comes to life. He grabs the paper it spits out, has me sign at the bottom, and then hands over a copy.

  “Best wishes to you and your bride. I’ll make sure to put something special in y’all’s room.”

  “That’s... uh... that’s not necessary.”

  “Actually, it’s my job.”

  I can’t argue with the man. He’s trying to do the right thing.

  “Thanks. Looking forward to staying here.”

  “Especially with the ice storm on its way.” He glances over my shoulder and sucks in air through his teeth. “In about an hour, actually. Not to worry, though. We have anything you might need, including diapers, formula. In fact...” He nods, as if he’s working something out in his head. “Give me fifteen minutes and your rooms will be ready.”

  “No problem. Thank you.” I shake his hand, because not only does it seem like the right thing to do, but I also have a sneaking suspicion this dude is going above and beyond what’s required of his position.

  I jog back to Campbell. She’s sitting in the same spot I left her, nibbling on her fingernails. Her eyes are wide, panicked. “They made a bunch of announcements while you were gone. Everything is cancelled. Monster ice storm on the way.”

  “No worries, sweetheart. I got everything covered.”

  Chapter 4

  Campbell

  ALTHOUGH I HAD SWORN to never be a woman who needs a man—well, to never be that woman again, I find myself being led by Knight and following him like he’s leading us to the Promised Land.

  “Free food, free hot shower... and my company,” he says as we walk to the USO Lounge. “What else can you ask for during an ice storm?”

  On second thought, maybe he is leading me to the land of soft beds and all the food I can eat.

  “There’s something I didn’t tell you,” he says, stopping short of the entrance.

  Unease scuttles through me. “What’s that?” I hold Hazel closer to me, breathing in her baby scent like it’s a talisman that can protect us.

  “They think we’re married.”

  Nervous laughter bursts from my throat. “We might as well be at this point.”

  He runs a hand through his short, dark hair. His grey eyes are earnest and sweet. Kind. I want to shrink back from that goodness. Not only do I think he has the wrong impression of me, but because I don’t quite trust my judgment when it comes to men.

  Although, the men I trusted before were nothing like Knight. They were slick, charming, and polished in a sleek sort of way that’s reserved for politicians and old money. They had Ivy League educations, trust-fund incomes, and positions of power that made them untouchable.

  “The thing is, you and Hazel can’t stay here if we’re not.”

  Is he serious? “Only married people can get a room—not families, like... brothers and sisters?”

  “Well, fuck. I guess I could have said you were my sister.” His cheeks flush, and my heart lurches. “If you’re not comfortable, I’ll figure something out.” He snaps his fingers. “Let’s get in a fight, and then you make me sleep out by the gate as punishment for being an asshole.”

  He’ll sleep out by the gate? Before he goes off to war and gets shot at, he wants me to kick him out of a room I wouldn’t even have access to if it wasn’t for him in the first place? “No.” I shake my head. “We’re not fighting and you’re staying. We’re adults, and I... You’re staying, and that’s final.”

  If he says no, I won’t be able to live with myself.

  Please stay.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He steps closer, his voice low. “Nothing bad will happen to you and Hazel while you’re with me. I’ll sleep on the floor to prove it to you.”

  I bite my lip, pushing down emotions I’m struggling to keep tightly locked up, but this man makes it nearly impossible. “I know you would, which is why I’m not going to let you.”

  “We’ll see.” He puts his large hand on the small of my back, guiding me to the front desk. “Ready?”

  I nod. “Yup.”

  A man stands behind it, a huge grin on his face. “Welcome, Lt. and Mrs. King. Your room is ready.” He hands Knight the key. “Go to your left, then take the next right. Room three.”

  OUR ROOM HAS A SOFA, but it also has a huge bed that dominates it. It’s all I can look at.

  “So stupid,” I mutter, forcing my gaze away.

  Of course the bed is the centerpiece. It’s a hotel room for goodness’ sake.

  Knight pulls on the cushions, and it starts to expand into a sofa bed. “Looks like your plan to keep me from sleeping on the floor panned out.”

  My breath whooshes out of me. “I wasn’t worried.”

  He stands, pointing behind me. “Check out what they put in here for Hazel.”

  I turn, my mouth dropping open.

  “What in the world?” I can’t believe what I’m seeing. There’s a pack n’ play in the corner. Inside it, there’s a huge basket filled with baby supplies—like diapers, formula, bottles, wipes, blankets, and even clothes.

  Knight grabs the basket, setting it on the table in the corner. “Take a closer look.”

  “Did you do this?” I ask.

  “Nope.” Knight grins. “This is all courtesy of the guy behind the counter.”

  Gratefulness overwhelming me, I sit on the bed, holding Hazel even tighter to me. She squirms, and I loosen my grip so she doesn’t start to cry.

  “I don’t understand.” I look around the room, avoiding Knight’s gaze. “This entire day has been like a dream. I’m afraid to wake up.”

  Knight comes to stand in front of me, then kneels. His smile is soft, gentle, and everything I’ve come to associate with him over the past few hours. “I don’t know who hurt you so bad, but I’m here to tell you this isn’t a dream. There are good people in the world, Campbell.

  “More importantly, you deserve to be treated right,” he adds.

  He’s so close now. His lips so inviting I can hardly breathe.

  I shouldn’t feel this way, shouldn’t even think about him or his perfectly kissable mouth.

  Hadn’t I learned my lesson with tall, good-looking men? Hadn’t I learned men are not to be trusted? They only take what they want. When they’re done or when women don’t do exactly as they say, they leave.

  They lie.

  They cheat.

  They hit.

  My entire adult life, I’ve been on the receiving end. I’ve been the one who gives and gives.

  The one who loves.

  The one who tells the truth.

  The one who stays...until I found the courage to leave.

  The one who refuses to take handouts, especially when they’re meant for someone else. Someone who isn’t lying about her relationship with a good man.

  “I can’t accept the basket,” I say. “It’s too much.”

  Knight touches my knee, and heat ignites. “Yes, you can, because it’s freely given. No strings attached. Just a good person doing something kind for another good person.”

  I sigh thickly, lowering my chin so I can nuzzle Hazel’s sweet head.

  Maybe, just for this precious sweet moment in time, I can allow myself to receive, allow myself to trust, allow myself to feel like a woman who is worthy of love, hope, and safety.

  “You make it sound so easy,” I say.

  “Believe me when I say it is,” he says. “After all, if you can’t believe in a man whose job is to protect everything he holds dear, then who can you believe in?”

  I burst out laughing. “Did you really just use a line on me?”

  “Thought I’d give it a try,” he says with a confident smile on his face. “You probably feel like you’r
e taking advantage of me, but I’m here to tell you that you’re not. I want to do this for you. Let me help you, Campbell. Let me keep helping you until you’re finally back home.”

  Sincerity shines in his eyes so brightly I have to look away. “I used to be the kind of girl who could trust,” I admit. “But that girl turned into a woman who just can’t allow herself to be vulnerable again.”

  “What happened, sweetheart?”

  “The short version—I married a monster.”

  “Hazel’s dad?”

  I shake my head. “No. Her dad was a different kind of monster. Obviously, I have really, really bad luck when it comes to men.”

  “Are you... are you still married?”

  There’s no judgment in his question, but I still feel like the whore of Babylon. “No. I divorced him two years ago. He got everything because I walked out on him. Conditions of the prenup.”

  “What did he do to make you leave?”

  His reaction is so different from my parents, my friends... everyone who thought Baylor was a serious catch and I should count my blessings someone from his high and mighty background wanted to marry a girl like me. I wasn’t a catch in Eden Grove. I was an outcast in my own home.

  I peer up at him. “He cheated on me. When I confronted him and refused to believe his lies, he hit me so hard he gave me a black eye. Then he acted like he was horrified by what he’d done. He cried, literally cried, and said he’d never do it again.”

  I can still see his expression, the tears in his blue eyes. The pain on his face... I’d thought by marrying a man like Baylor Smythe-Winstead—one who was so different from the boys I dated in high school and more mature than college guys who asked me to frat parties—he’d give me something they couldn’t. Namely, love, the right kind of attention, respectability, and finally approval from my parents.

  I was right on one account. No man or boy had ever raised their hand to me, ever hit me in anger... not even my coldhearted mother believed in violence. While my father... my father was afraid of his own shadow and never even raised his voice—not even to stop his wife from verbally abusing their children.

  “Except he did,” Knight says, his face turning into sharp planes as his jaw works. His eyes narrow like a predator’s as I nod.