Desperate Measures (An Aspen Falls Novel) by Melissa Pearl & Anna Cruise

Author:Melissa Pearl & Anna Cruise [Pearl, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-08-17T16:00:00+00:00

23

Monday, September 10th

8:00 am

Cam got to Lulu’s first. The little coffee shop was bustling with customers, and the line to order was at least eight deep. Rosie Sweet, an employee at the shop and Blaine’s girlfriend, was busy restocking the bakery section, sliding muffins and scones and chocolate-filled croissants onto the display trays.

Cam didn’t think she was hungry—her stomach was still tied in knots over her heated exchange with Alex—but everything looked and smelled so good.

She waited her turn, a little impatiently, and kept glancing toward the door each time the bells attached to the handle jingled. A lot of new customers streamed in, but Nate wasn’t one of them. She sighed and glanced at her phone. She’d gotten there right at eight, despite how hard Alex had tried to prevent her from leaving. So where the hell was he?

Finally, it was her turn to order. The young guy stationed behind the counter was someone she knew well.

“How’s it going, Bram?”

The dark-haired kid smiled. “Good, Detective Perez. Really good.”

“I’ve told you a million times, call me Cam.”

He shook his head, still grinning. “Can’t do that. I was taught to respect my elders.”

Cam nearly rolled her eyes. “An elder? I’m like ten years older than you.”

“Still.”

Bram was a success story, a troubled kid who had made a series of poor decisions that had put him squarely in the crosshairs of the AFPD. He’d been caught breaking into cars and garages, stealing items that he could later resell online. Cam had honed in on the operation, worried it might be part of a larger group. When she discovered it was just Bram, and that his motivation had simply been to put food on the table for him and his disabled mom, she’d quickly turned her attention to helping him find services as opposed to throwing the book at him. His story had hit a little too close to home for her.

She’d contacted Melina Pryor, one of the social workers in Aspen Falls, and together, they’d worked with the district attorney’s office to arrange a plea deal that involved a whole lot of community service and counseling as opposed to serving time in a juvenile facility.

Melina had approached Louanne, the owner of Lulu’s, to see about finding Bram a job so he could bring in some much-needed cash. True to Louanne’s nature, she’d obliged immediately. Bram had been working at the coffee shop for a few months, and it seemed as though things were going well. Cam was thrilled; he needed some good news in his life. And she liked that he was a visible reminder of a success story, a kid whose path was altered by compassion and the belief that he could do good things—the right thing—if he was just given the chance.

She ordered her coffee, a white mocha concoction, and he called it out to the barista, a girl Cam hadn’t seen before.

She stepped to the side, glancing once again toward the door when the bell clanged. This time, Nate walked through.

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