by Melody Anne
“Well, you should have told me, Cam. Still, I’m sure it was nothing.” But if it was nothing, why was she so alarmed?
“I’m hoping it was nothing, but you live here all alone. I don’t think that’s wise. I think what would be wiser would be for you to come and share my place. I’m even generous enough to let you share my bed. Let’s just say I’m a stand-up guy. The bed’s quite comfortable. You remember, right?” he said, taking a step back toward her.
“Stop right there!” She shook her head violently and scurried around to the other side of the table. There was no way she was doing this with him again. If his lips touched hers, the two of them would be going nowhere anytime soon.
“If I promise to lay off . . . for now.” He made sure to inject a long pause. “Will you just come to the get-together at your best friend’s house?”
She thought long and hard about it before nodding her agreement. That didn’t mean she was going to ride with him. They could argue about that in the parking lot.
“Good then. It’s all settled. You can sit by the fire, have a few laughs, and if you get too cold, I’ll make sure to keep you warm,” he said with a wink.
“You just said you were going to lay off,” she pointed out.
“I said ‘for now.’ ”
“Ah, you’re always such a gentleman,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Let me tell you, though, that if I need warming up, I am perfectly capable of finding someone . . . else . . . willing to do it.”
The flare in his eyes told her he didn’t like that response at all. That was just too bad for him. It made her feel a lot better to get under his thick hide.
“Don’t forget your coat. The sun’s almost down. It’s going to cool off within the next hour.”
Before she could get it herself, Cam was gathering up her coat, handing it to her, and pushing her out the door. They reached the top of the steps together, and for once, Grace was incredibly grateful Cam was there, because her foot slipped, and she almost went tumbling down the solid wooden staircase.
If it hadn’t been for Cam’s quick thinking, she didn’t know what would have happened. He dropped her salad bowl but caught her, and the two of them teetered for a few terrifying seconds while he regained his balance.
“What the heck?” she cried out as she clung to him.
“You’re not usually so klutzy,” he said, his voice a little breathless. “That scared the hell out of me!”
“What did I slip on?”
Cam backed up, still holding on to her, and they both glanced around for the culprit. Something green and slimy was on the top step. “What is that?” Cam bent down to take a closer look.
“Jell-O?” she asked.
“I don’t know, but if your neighbors drop something, especially right here, then they should have the decency to clean it up before someone else comes along and gets seriously hurt,” he said, looking both ways down the open walkway. “Give me your keys. I’m going to run inside and grab some paper towels. We don’t want someone else to stumble on this.”
With that, he took her keys and did exactly as he said he would, getting the mess cleaned up in no time at all. “This is what I hate about apartments. The low maintenance is great, but the shared space isn’t so wonderful.”
“When have you ever lived in an apartment?” she asked with a pointed look.
“I lived in one all through college,” he bragged, as if proud of himself.
“What? No mansion on the hill? I thought the privileged Camden Whitman would simply insist on taking over one of the frat houses.”
“Come on, Grace, you didn’t exactly grow up in a cottage,” he told her with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah, but I wasn’t nearly as arrogant as you’ve always been.”
“Ha! I didn’t live in that big house on the hill until my father adopted me,” he reminded her, his bravado dropping away, and for a moment the lost little boy who’d been found by Martin Whitman showed up in his beautiful eyes.
Grace could have kicked herself. How in the world had she forgotten that Spence, Jackson, and Cam had all been adopted by Martin after they had saved his only biological son, Michael, from drowning? Of course, no one ever really thought about it, because Martin didn’t treat them as adopted children at all. They were just his sons.
“Sorry,” she mumbled feebly.
“Don’t start. I hate it when people do that. I was far more fortunate than most, because I got out of the system and was taken into a home full of love. And I got three brothers out of the deal as an added bonus. Not even a tiny percentage of kids in the system get it as good as I did.”
“Okay.”
“Now, Grace, back to this apartment situation . . .” he began.
“It doesn’t really matter. My house is going to be finished next week. I’ve lived in these apartments for over a year now, so it will almost be sad to leave,” she said before turning and giving him a smile. “I’m totally lying. I can’t wait to have a huge tub and a deck I can sit on while I drink my morning coffee.”
“If you had decided to build when you first came back, you could have been living there now.”
“I wasn’t ready then to make that decision, Cam. I wasn’t sure if I was staying here or not.”
“So you’ve decided to stay for good?”
The hope in his eyes was almost too much to take.
“Or maybe I just want a good investment and I’m going to rent the place out,” she told him flippantly.
“Come on, you know you’re moving into the place you designed,” he said, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips.
She decided to give him a break. “Yes, for now I’ll be moving in there.”
“In that case, I’ll be sure to come help with the boxes.”
“Don’t worry about it. Sage and Spence are helping, and I don’t have a lot of stuff.”
“When someone offers to help you, Grace, the polite thing is to say thanks and give a grateful smile,” he said before leering at her. “And, of course, to jump into their arms, wrap your legs around them, and lay a big, fat, juicy one on their waiting lips.”
He opened the passenger-side door of his car and stood close enough that she had no choice but to brush against him as she climbed in.
“Do you think about anything other than sex?” she asked him.
“Not really. I’ve got the proverbial one-track mind.”
“You’re impossible, but if I need a favor that I’m supposed to repay with kisses, I’ll have to remember that the next time Mr. Longsteine offers to take down my trash for me,” she said as she made herself comfortable in the passenger’s seat.
“Isn’t he something like eighty years old?”
“Yep, so I’ll probably give him a heart attack.”
“You’re an evil woman, Grace.”
“I try.”
Cam shut her door and was climbing into the driver’s seat within seconds. It wasn’t until they were on the road that she realized he’d kept her so busy, she’d forgotten that she hadn’t wanted to ride with him in the first place.
Camden Whitman was too smooth for her own good. What on earth was she going to do about it?
A get-together at any of the Whitmans’ places wasn’t just a casual dinner and small talk around a table. Oh, no. It was laughter, music, noise, children running around, and hardworking people letting go on a Friday night.
Cam and Grace walked inside the mansion her bestie Sage referred to modestly as a “house,” and people were scattered throughout.
“Let’s head to the back. That’s where the real fun is,” Cam told her, and before she could refuse, he was taking her hand and leading her through the maze of hallways.
A brightly burning fire, at a safe distance from the house, caught Grace’s immediate attention, and the smell of barbecued meat filled the air. She hadn’t felt hungry up until that very moment and she was surprised when she began to salivate and the muscles in her stomach started to constrict and growl.
Surveying the tables to the right, she winced slightly—her salad hadn’t made it to the event when countless other delightful dishes had.
“Grace. You’re late,” Spence said as he came up and pulled her away from Cam. She missed the wink he sent his brother, but she didn’t miss the scowl Cam shot him.
“I dropped the salad and almost fell down the stairs. It’s a long and boring story. I’m sorry,” she told him as she gave him a quick squeeze to return his embrace.
“Bummer. I love your salads, but I’m certainly glad you didn’t fall and break something. Of course, with two excellent surgeons here, we would have fixed you up in no time.”
Cam guffawed. “Any chance to brag, huh, brother?”
“Well, of course,” Spence replied, feigning innocence as he kept his arm around Sage.
Sage felt as if she were in a battle of wills, and she wanted no part of it. She shifted on her feet and planned her escape route.
“Grace, you’re acting like a fish out of water. Knock it off. You know everyone here,” Sage said as she joined them.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I guess I’ve just been sort of antisocial the last few months,” Grace said with a laugh, grateful for the interruption.
“It’s about time that ends.” Sage was emphatic.
“I agree. I never see you anymore.” Alyssa Whitman, Jackson’s wife, broke through the crowd and gave Grace a hug. “We haven’t done a girls’ night in what seems like forever.”
“Maybe because you’re about two years pregnant,” Sage replied.
“I know! I think this baby is protesting the whole idea of coming out,” Alyssa said. “I warned my doctor that if she doesn’t enter this world on her due date, I’m leaving her no choice.”
Jackson spoke now. “I want you both safe and healthy, but I have to admit, I’m pretty excited about meeting my new daughter.”
“Wow, Jackson, three girls in one house. You’re getting overrun,” Spence teased.
“And I’m loving every minute of it. Angel is the biggest blessing I could ever imagine, and this new little girl is going to wrap me around her finger, too.” His eyes softened instantly as he talked about his daughters. The world thought Jackson was so hard, but he was a puddle of mush when it came to his family.
“Yeah, she’ll have us all wrapped,” Cam chimed in.
Against her will, Grace felt her heart begin to melt even more at Cam’s confession. One thing she’d always considered pretty amazing about Cam and his brothers was the deep bond they shared with their neighbors, friends, and children. The world didn’t seem to grow men like that anymore.
Shaking her head to clear those thoughts away, Grace tried to tune back in to the conversation again. She didn’t need to be thinking about what a great guy Cam was. Sure, he was wonderful, but their time together was long past. They’d given it a shot when she was a teenager and it hadn’t worked. They’d both be much better off looking ahead and not behind.
“As much as I love my husband,” Alyssa said, “I’ve had enough of his overprotectiveness this last month, so let’s ditch the men for a while and see what treats the neighbors brought.” She took Sage and Grace’s arms and led them away.
“It’s only because I love you!” Jackson called out after them, and the three women grinned at each other.
“I can’t believe how much I adore that man,” Alyssa said with a sigh. “But my back is on fire, and I haven’t seen my feet in two months, so when I do deliver this child, I don’t think I’m going to be loving him so much.”
“At least it’s a healthy pregnancy and this little girl is going to come out chubby and smiling,” Sage replied.
“Amen to that. I have never been so scared as when Angel came too soon. I didn’t even know babies could be that tiny,” Alyssa confessed, her expression somber.
“She’s still a petite little thing,” Grace said, “but with those blond curls and big brown eyes, she’s about the cutest little girl I’ve ever seen.”
“Yes, I agree, but then, I’m pretty dang biased,” Alyssa said with a wink.
“Enough about food and babies. I want to know what the deal is with you and Cam. You guys drove here together?” Sage asked.
“How do you know we didn’t just get here at the same time?” Grace replied, with one eyebrow raised but otherwise giving nothing away with her features.
“Um, pretty obvious when you walked back here hand in hand,” Sage told her with a knowing stare.
“Crap. You would have to notice that,” Grace moaned. “He just showed up at my apartment and told me I was riding with him, then I almost slipped down the stairs, he caught me, and I suddenly found myself in his car. I didn’t plan on riding with him.”
“I almost miss the days when Jackson was chasing me,” Alyssa said with a laugh. “Wait, he still chases me around, so I don’t really know what’s changed except that we sleep in the same bed every night now.”
Sage had to put in her two cents’ worth. “I fought like crazy not to fall in love with Spence all over again. But it was a lost cause from the beginning because I never fell out of love with him. We can put our love on hold, as I’ve told you, Grace, but once you feel true love, you can never push it away again. You might as well just admit defeat now.”
“He just wants to be friends,” Grace insisted, and the other two women rolled their eyes. “Okay, he might want to be ‘friends with benefits.’ But a happily-ever-after is completely out of the question. It’s come and gone.”
Grace needed to believe what she herself was saying right then, and the problem was . . . she didn’t.
“Well, then you might want to alert Cam to that fact, because right now the man is drinking in every part of you with his eyes. He can’t seem to look away.”
“You two are horrible, and I refuse to stand here and fight when I’m sure to lose. So let’s talk about kids, childbirth, the government—anything other than Camden Whitman,” she begged with large pleading eyes.
“Fine,” Sage told her. “We’ll be good for at least fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll be happy with fifteen minutes. Because that gives me time to consume at least two drinks, and then I’ll be numb to whatever you have to say.” Grace injected her words with a syrupy sweetness, and she batted her eyelashes to heighten the effect.
The three of them got something to eat and drink and went in search of a comfortable place to sit—not an easy task for Alyssa, with her belly sticking out a mile.
“You lush,” Alyssa told her with a pout. “It’s just not fair that someone in my condition can have only virgin drinks. The boat sailed on my virginity a long time ago.”
“My heart bleeds for you,” Grace countered. “Your life with Jackson must be a living hell. But this is goooooood. I don’t know what’s in this so-called jungle juice, and I probably don’t want to know.”
“Stop trying to torment me. I’d kill for just a glass of wine,” Alyssa groaned.
“I’ll have one for you. I’m not on call tonight.” Sage smiled broadly.
“You’re just too kind.”
“I know, Alyssa. Oddly enough, I get that a lot.”
The three women sat back, and soon Grace did feel better. She let her worries drift away and simply basked in the pleasure of spending time with her friends. Soon she wouldn’t even notice that Cam was there. Even if she had to lie to herself and play tricks on her mind. The brain was a powerful tool, one that you could program to do what you wanted. At least if you were determined enough.
When there was a murmuring in the crowd, Grace didn’t pay the least attention. There were dozens of people around, so a little chaos was expected. But soon her eyes shot open, when her foot was kicked, making her jump and causing her to spill some of her much-needed drink.
Looking up, she found Kitty standing before her, clutching two pieces of blue fabric in her hand, murder in her eyes. What the hell?
“Kitty? What are you doing here? Were you
invited?” Grace asked as she sat up and stared at her client from hell.
“No, I wasn’t invited to this hillbilly festival,” the woman snarled, and looked around in disdain.
“Then what in the world are you doing here?” Grace didn’t notice the crowd quieting so they could all listen in.
“I couldn’t reach you on your cell, which I find quite disturbing, since you are working for me, so I called your mother to find out where in the world you were,” the woman said, looking Grace over to find the device.
“I don’t have it on me. When I’m with my friends, I find it rude to play with my phone,” Grace told her.
“It’s your job to be available to me 24/7, Grace. And there’s an emergency,” Kitty snarled.
“What possible emergency could there be? The wedding is over a month away,” Grace reminded her.
“Does this look like Persian blue to you?” Kitty practically screamed as she thrust one of the pieces of fabric in Grace’s face. “Does it?”
Grace was so caught off guard she didn’t know what to do or say. Her cheeks heated as the display continued in front of her friends.
“When I called the supply house, I told them Persian blue, and it said Persian blue on the tags, so I assumed that was exactly what it was,” Grace told her.
“This isn’t Persian blue,” Kitty snapped. “This is,” she said, holding up a piece of fabric that looked identical to the one she was waving about in anger.
“Honestly, they look exactly the same to me,” Grace told her.
“How can you call yourself an event planner if you can’t even tell the difference between Persian blue and whatever the hell this color of blue is?”
Grace was quickly losing her cool. Finally, she stood, going face-to-face with Kitty. She had to tell herself to remain calm. No matter how bad the client was, she was still a client, and it was Grace’s job to make her happy.
“I’m so sorry, Kitty. I will take the two swatches to the supply house and make sure we fix this mess.”
When Grace spoke calmly, it calmed Kitty somewhat. She was still practically shaking with anger, and it took all of Grace’s control not to snap, but somehow she was beginning to defuse the situation.