Veer (Clayton Falls) Read online

  Veer

  By Alyssa Rose Ivy

  Copyright © 2012 Alyssa Rose Ivy

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written approval of the author.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Cover Design: Once Upon a Time Covers

  To anyone who has ever lost one dream just to discover another.

  Acknowledgements

  As always, this book would not have been possible without the support of my family. Thank you especially to Grant for your endless encouragement and faith in my writing. Thanks to Jennifer Snyder for being both a wonderful friend and writing partner. Thanks to Karen Allen of Red Adept for another fantastic editing experience. Thanks to Kristina Scheid for a great proofread. Thanks to all of the bloggers who have helped spread the word about my books, and of course, thank you to all of my readers for giving me the opportunity to share my stories with you.

  Chapter One

  Becca

  There were no warning signs. The car just went from running, to a slow sputter, and then completely dead. Luckily I was able to coast the car over to the shoulder. Thank goodness for the little things in life.

  Fishing my phone out of my purse, I prayed for service. Two bars. It would be enough. I dialed Molly. She’d come get me. I waited for the call to go through, but nothing happened. I hung up and tried again. Nothing. I couldn’t hold off the first hint of panic.

  The sun descended quickly, and I was stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. Hitting Molly’s number again, I waited, but got only more dead air. I considered getting out of the car to see if I got better service, but that seemed too much like what would happen in a horror movie. Girls in those kinds of movies always did stupid things like getting out of their cars.

  I sat for another few minutes, contemplating my options. An SUV pulled up behind me. I stiffened. Was this going to be help or just someone using my car breaking down as an excuse to kill me?

  As I sat there freaking out about the possibilities, I heard a knock on my window. My heart just about jumped out of my chest. Hesitantly, I looked up and saw a tall hulk of a man right outside the car. He gestured with his hands for me to open the door. I shook my head no. This guy was huge. There was no way I was opening the door.

  He nodded, held up a finger as if telling me to wait, and disappeared. I waited, wondering what he was up to and whether I could find any sort of weapon. I settled for closing my fist around the small container of mace I kept in my bag.

  I heard another rap on the window and glanced over. The man held a badge up for me to read. He was a cop. Of course anyone could fake a police badge, but that seemed extreme even for my imagination. I decided to take a chance and open the door.

  Before I could even open it all the way, the guy ducked his head down to talk to me. “Having car trouble?”

  I tried to appear more confident than I really felt. “Yeah, it looks that way.”

  “I can take a look at it for you, but honestly, I’m not great with cars. I’m guessing by the Massachusetts plates that you’re not from around here.”

  “No, I’m not.” Cop or not, I wasn’t going to give him more information than I had to.

  “Where are you headed?” He squatted down, making eye contact. He was good at this—yeah, he was really a cop.

  “Umm, Clayton Falls?” I looked down at the Google directions I’d printed out in case my GPS failed. Molly hadn’t talked much about her town, so the name still sounded foreign on my tongue.

  “Clayton Falls, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You wouldn’t happen to be Molly’s friend, would you?” A faint smile played on his lips. It gave him an almost boyish look that was at odds with his size.

  How’d he know? “Yes…”

  “I’m a friend of hers.” He held out his hand. “Gavin Powell.”

  “You’re Gavin? The Gavin?” Molly had told me about her near fling with the hot cop in her hometown, but I thought she’d exaggerated his good looks and size.

  He smiled. “So you’ve heard about me? As far as I know, I’m the only Gavin.”

  I remembered my situation. Not the time to flirt. “Is there any way you can help me get through to her? My phone isn’t working.”

  “Yeah, service is iffy out this way. Why don’t I give you a lift? I’ll take care of getting your car towed.” He leaned in closer, his body heat making an already warm evening hotter. His brown hair was messy, and I had a feeling he never really bothered to fix it. His friendly hazel eyes begged me to trust him, but I couldn’t.

  “That’s really generous, but really, I can wait for Molly.”

  “Listen, Ms…” He looked at me, waiting for me to fill in the blanks.

  “Harris. Becca Harris.”

  “I appreciate your hesitation. It’s smart for a woman to be careful, but we’ve already established I’m a police officer, and we share a mutual friend. You can trust me.” His voice was low and rich with a sexy drawl that got under my skin.

  He was probably right, but I still wasn’t willing to make a stupid decision. “For all I know, the badge is fake.”

  “And I just happened to know the person you were coming to see?”

  “No, but—”

  “Come on. It’s getting late, and I can’t leave you out here.” He shook his head at me in frustration.

  “Fine.” If I was debating chances of survival, taking a ride was probably the better option.

  He reached out a hand to help me out of my dead car.

  “I’m fine.” I let go of the mace, put my purse over my shoulder, and got out. I went around to the trunk, popping it open to retrieve my suitcases.

  “I’ve got them.” Gavin placed a hand on mine as if to get me to release the handle of the first bag. I tried to ignore how nice the momentary contact felt. I hadn’t felt the warmth of a large, capable hand in a very long time.

  “You sure?” I turned to look at him, but in the growing darkness, I saw more shadow than anything.

  “Yeah, is this it?”

  “I just have a garment bag in the backseat.” I went around and pulled it out. The bag contained the most important part of my wardrobe—my suit. I wasn’t sure how much I’d need it in Clayton Falls, but I didn’t want to be caught without it.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Uh huh.”

  I followed him to his car, one of those huge SUVs I’d never pick in a million years, and waited as he stowed my bags in the back. I stepped up into the passenger seat, wondering for the umpteenth time what I was even doing in North Carolina.

  The impersonal email letting me know I wasn’t being asked back to work in the DA’s office for the summer had been the final straw. I’d wanted to work for the District Attorney since I was 17—I didn’t have a backup plan. My second year of law school had been a disaster. Starting the year without my best friend Molly had been hard enough—but then a few months later, my Mom died.

  “You okay over there?” Gavin started the engine and eased us back onto the road.

  “Yeah, sorry.”

  He glanced over at me and frowned before turning his attention to the road. “You aren’t what I expected.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “I guess I expected someone more like Molly.”

  “Oh, did you?” I guess Gavin wasn’t as over my friend as she’d thought. Of course, she probably hadn’t thought much about it since getting married to her high school sweetheart, Ben, the pre
vious summer. I hadn’t been able to make the wedding on the short notice she gave, but I’d never heard her happier than when she called me the next day. It’s not that I blamed Gavin for having trouble moving on. Molly was a gorgeous blond with a big heart.

  “Yeah. Maybe it’s the accent or something.”

  “My accent?” I asked, surprised that he wasn’t talking about my appearance. With my long dark hair and at least five inches on her, Molly and I definitely couldn’t pass for twins.

  He turned to look at me. “You don’t think you have an accent?”

  “It’s not as bad as yours.” Molly had made fun of my Boston accent more than a few times over the years, and I’d always thrown the taunting right back at her.

  “I don’t have an accent,” he said indignantly, as if I’d slapped him.

  “Okay, whatever you say, Mr. Southern Drawl.”

  “Now I remember why I hate northerners,” he grumbled. His once friendly expression darkened.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. You’re all the same.”

  I coughed. “Please tell me you’re joking.” Great, I hoped I wouldn’t be dealing with the northerner junk all summer.

  “No. I’m just wondering what made you come down here. You’re going to be a fish out of water.”

  “Are you done?” I wasn’t going to listen to more of his condescending attitude.

  “Maybe. Are you?”

  “What? All I did was mention you had an accent too.”

  “Mr. Southern Drawl? That’s just mentioning it?”

  “Okay, let’s just agree to drop it. No more talking about accents.”

  “Fine by me.” He nodded. “We’ll be there soon, anyway.”

  “Good. I just want to get to Molly’s.”

  We rode in silence. I still wasn’t sure how I’d managed to set him off, but evidently he was sensitive about the accent thing.

  I glanced over at Gavin a few times, but he just stared stiffly straight ahead. For such a good looking guy, he had a horrible personality.

  He pulled off the interstate and onto a small highway. With no lights or any other cars, there was something kind of eerie about it.

  I felt the urge to break the silence. “You’re not from here, right?” I remembered Molly mentioning something about it.

  “Nope.”

  Add wonderful conversationalist to his long list of good traits. “Is there any reason why you’re being rude to me?”

  He laughed dryly. “Rude to you? I’m giving you a ride, aren’t I?”

  “Sure, but you’ve barely said two words.”

  “I’ve said more than two.”

  “Oh, does everything have to be literal with you?”

  “Does everything have to be a question with you?” His hand tightened on the wheel. “Listen, you’re Molly’s friend, so I’m taking you to her place. I never agreed to provide any entertainment.”

  “Okay…”

  I took out my cell again. This time I had service.

  Molly picked up right away. “Becca? Hey, where are you?”

  “I’m almost there, but I had to get a ride from someone. I’ll fill you in when I get to your house.”

  “Wait, who gave you a ride?”

  “Gavin.”

  “You’re with Gavin? What happened?”

  “I’ll tell you later.” I didn’t want to go into details with Gavin listening. He’d probably find another reason to argue with me.

  “Okay, see you in a few minutes.”

  I hung up, replacing the phone in my bag. Gavin never glanced over.

  Gavin drove around a square that looked as if it came straight out of a 1950s sitcom or something. The stores still appeared to be mostly mom and pop places. I hadn’t thought those stores were still around. We moved into a residential neighborhood, and I looked out the window rather than at Gavin. Rows of modest, but well-kept homes lined the streets.

  He pulled into a driveway, and before I could even register we’d arrived, Molly had my door open.

  “Becca!” I jumped down and let her pull me into a hug. I heard some light laughter and looked past Molly to find her husband.

  “You must be Ben.”

  “Yes, and you must be Becca. It’s nice to finally meet you.” He smiled warmly, and I understood immediately what it was about him that appealed to Molly. He had such a genuine feel about him, like what you saw was what you got. I prided myself on being able to read people. Unfortunately, I couldn’t read Gavin at all.

  As soon as Molly released me, Ben went to help Gavin pull out my bags.

  “Okay, now do you want to explain to me why you’re with Gavin?” Molly asked.

  “My car broke down.”

  “Old Faithful broke down? Never.” She failed to suppress a smile as she spoke of my beat-up, old VW bug. I refused to give it up no matter how often parts broke. Of course, it had almost stranded me in the middle of nowhere. It might have been time to reconsider.

  “And Gavin just happened to come up on you…”

  “Come on, Mol, would I ever turn my back on a damsel in distress?” There was an edge to his words, and I didn’t know how much of it was sarcasm and how much was hurt.

  Molly brushed off his comment. “Well, thanks. Did you call for a tow truck or should I?”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Thanks, man,” Ben said politely. I knew there was no love lost between the two of them. Gavin hadn’t been happy when Molly decided to make things permanent with Ben.

  “All right. Good night then.”

  “Thanks.” I realized I hadn’t said it yet.

  “You’re welcome.” He actually smiled at me before getting back in his dark green SUV. I’d originally thought it was black, but in the light I could see its true color. There was something genuine about the smile that made me wonder if the rudeness was just a knee jerk response.

  Chapter Two

  Gavin

  Becca’s scent lingered in my Yukon as I pulled away from Molly and Ben’s house. Something about that last look she gave me—the small thank you—threw me off. I’d been a jerk to her, and yet she’d still bothered to say thank you. It didn’t fit. It was like her bags: they were all worn and mismatched. They matched her car, but not her. I doubted I’d ever figure her out, but I shouldn’t have cared.

  What was it about the girl that I couldn’t get her out of my head? From the north and just in town for the summer, she was the opposite of what I needed in my life. The last northerner I’d fallen for had pummeled my heart into something barely recognizable. I refused to even think about Dawn.

  I was running late, but I could still make it to poker night if I went straight over to Matt’s house. I figured a night with the guys was exactly what I needed. Maybe it would at least get me to stop thinking about Becca. I needed to forget her.

  I parked along the curb out front of Matt’s blue split-level. We always met at Matt’s because he had a nice setup in his basement. I made sure to go around back so I wouldn’t wake his kids by ringing the bell.

  “What the hell took you so long?” Tom greeted me as I stepped through the door. We’d been meeting a few times a month to play for as long as I’d lived in town, and if anything, I was always early.

  I grabbed a beer from the mini fridge. “You know, just a typical day in my life: helping a girl who was stranded on the side of the road.”

  “You really never take a break, do you?” Matt leaned back in his folding chair.

  “I couldn’t just leave her there.” When I first saw the car on the side of the road, I knew I’d have to stop. There was no way I could drive past. I figured it had to be a woman. No man would drive a faded yellow bug with flowery initials on the back window—at least not around Clayton Falls. It’s not as if I’d ever leave anyone on the side of the road, but a woman? Forget it.

  “So was she hot?” Greg tossed around a few of his poker chips, trying to act disinterested.

  Hot? That was an under
statement. When I’d knocked on the driver’s side window of her car, I’d expected a woman, but not a face like that. I noticed her large, chocolate brown eyes first, but it was the whole effect that got my attention, and that long brown hair. She was beautiful, and beautiful women were always the most dangerous. I thought about how good Becca’s ass looked in her tight jeans—not something I needed to be focusing on.

  I avoided the question. “Isn’t that supposed to be Ronny’s line? Where is he anyway?”

  Matt shuffled a deck of cards. “He isn’t coming. Something to do with work.”

  “Really? Is he suddenly getting responsible on us?”

  Tom laughed. “Maybe, but you never answered Greg’s question about the girl.” Leave it to my best friend and partner to bring it back to her.

  “She was attractive, but that wasn’t the important part. She’s Molly’s friend from Boston.”

  “Seriously? You just happened upon her? How random is that?”

  “I know. That reminds me, I need to call in a tow eventually.”

  “To Dale’s?” Greg finished off the last of a bag of Doritos.

  “Where else?” I don’t know why Greg even bothered to ask. He worked at the only garage in town.

  “So what was she like?” Matt set aside the cards.

  “What do you care?” I took a seat next to Tom, throwing a twenty down on the table and grabbing my chips.

  Matt played with a beer lid, trying to make it spin. “She’s working for me this summer, remember?”

  “And the fifteen minutes I spent with her were supposed to somehow enlighten me about what kind of employee she is?” I couldn’t picture her working at the law office Matt shared with his father.

  “I guess I’ll just have to wait until Monday and find out for myself.”

  “I don’t buy it. You’re holding back on us.” Tom opened a beer.

  “Oh come on. I gave the girl a ride. I have nothing more exciting to report.” I really didn’t, unless they wanted to hear about our argument. I still didn’t understand how that happened. I’d just been trying to make conversation when it all spiraled out of control.