“I don’t know,” he contends. “I’m pretty safe in my assumptions.”
“I bet you are. I’m also pretty safe in mine.”
“And what would those tell you, Dominic?”
“That you care about your sister as much as I would care about mine, if I had one. But you took a well-placed concern and ran with it in the wrong direction and now your sister won’t talk to you.”
“How is that any of your business?”
“If she’s hurt, it’s my business.”
The line trembles with the banter, each of us flexing our proverbial muscle through the line. I hear him breathing. I’m sure he can hear mine as I await his reply.
“What do you want from her, Dominic?” he sighs. “Can you just wrap up whatever game you have going on and do it with someone else?”
“Yeah, I could. If that’s what it was.”
“Don’t tell me you’re in love with her,” he scoffs. “I don’t want to hear that.”
“You don’t have to hear that. You didn’t have to take my call either, but you did. That tells me no matter how much of an asshole you are, how much you posture up right now, you know—you know this thing between your sister and I isn’t just going to go away. And while that probably scares the fuck out of you, it shouldn’t.”
“You’re right,” he says, the sound of a chair squeaking in the background. “It does. I don’t know what your intentions are. The reports I’m getting aren’t stellar, if you know what I mean.”
“That surprises me.”
“That people are balking a little at you?”
“Oh, no,” I laugh, “not that. I’m used to that. Lived it my whole life and I’d probably be a little disappointed if anyone just gave me a gold star. What surprises me is a man of your caliber putting that much stock in other people’s opinions. I know you didn’t get to where you are today—sitting in that big corner office overlooking downtown Savannah—by listening to everyone else.”
The chair squeaks again. “Maybe I underestimated you.”
“I guarantee you did. But just so we’re on the same page going forward, because there will be a forward, I don’t want her money. I don’t want her things. I would destroy anyone that hurts her, including Nolan if I ever see that piece of shit again. I want nothing from Cam, only that she’s happy. Right now she’s not … and that’s your fault.”
He sighs, blowing out a breath.
“Call her,” I demand. “You can hate me all you want; I really don’t give a fuck. But she’s your sister and she needs you as much as she needs me. Fix this. Soon.”
I’m taken aback when he laughs. “You are not what I expected.”
“Imagine that.”
“I have a call coming in that I have to take, but this has been an eye-opening experience. Thanks for the call.”
“No problem.”
I slide the phone back on the table just as the doorbell rings. Taking the few steps from the table to the door, I can hear Ryder jabbering before I even get it open.
“Dom!” he shouts, giving me a high-five as he races by me. “Where’s Daddy?”
“The shower,” I laugh, watching him fly down the hallway. It’s then that I set my sights on her. “How are you?”
She doesn’t answer with words, just a long, leisurely kiss.
“That good, huh?” I say against her lips.
She giggles, pulling back. “I missed you last night.”
“I spent the night with two seventy-year-olds reminding me how much they were sweating every six-point-two seconds,” I groan. “It was not fun.”
“It sounds horrible.”
“So what are you doing today?” I ask, shutting the door.
She wrinkles her nose. “I have the charity event at Picante. Remember?”
“That’s right,” I say, although I didn’t remember it was tonight specifically. “Are you excited?”
“I’d be more excited if you would come with me.”
“I do make things fun.” Hearing her laugh behind me, I head into the kitchen. “How was Ryder last night?”
“Fun,” she says like it amazes her. “We colored pictures of lizards and it’s safe to say I still have my coloring skills.”
“Never know when you’ll need those,” I wink.
Her cheeks blush as she looks down. “I’ve been thinking about getting with Mom and seeing about putting something together for small business owners. Something that would help them spruce up their storefronts or something. I think it would be fun and could really help people out.”
“Really?”
She nods, still not looking at me. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
I lift her chin with my fingertip. “I think whatever you want to do is a good idea. And, yes, I think you need to do something that makes you happy. Besides me.”
“You make me happy.”
“I hope so.”
Our lips touch, sweetly at first, but as her hands scoot under the hem of my shirt and roam the ridges of my back, her lips part. I deepen the kiss, craving the taste of her.
Lifting her, I sit her on the counter. Her legs wrap around my waist. “If you won’t go with me tonight, will you at least stay with me after?”
“I want to say no just to get you going,” I say, kissing up the side of her neck, “but I can’t even pretend I don’t want you.”
“Is that a yes?” she moans.
“Uncle Dom,” Ryder says, coming from nowhere. “Are you kissing Cam?”
My head drops to Cam’s shoulder as I move my hips so he doesn’t see the outline of my cock in my shorts.
Cam giggles. “Ryder, if you were a superhero, you would totally be the invisible one.”
“We’re gonna put a bell on ya, kid,” I mutter.
Camilla swats at my shoulder as she jumps off the counter. “I need to go anyway. I have to run by the Farm and pick up my dress for tonight. They delivered it there rather than to my house for whatever reason.” She looks at me and cocks a brow. “Was that a yes?”
“You know it was.”
Blowing me a kiss, she heads to the door. “I’ll see you boys later. Behave.”
The door closes and Ryder looks at me. “She’s the best.”
“Yeah,” I smile. “She is, isn’t she?”
Twenty-Four
Camilla
“Hello, Camilla.”
“Oh!” I say, my hand falling on my chest. “I didn’t see you, Rose. You scared me.”
The sweet lady smiles at me from behind the desk in the living room at the Farm. Her hair is piled in some chignon from decades gone by, her pearls shining in the late morning sunlight.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” she says.
“Oh, I know. I didn’t realize Barrett was back in town.”
“Yes,” Barrett’s personal secretary says. “We came in for the event this evening. Alison was not about to miss it.”
It makes me proud that my sister-in-law, the pregnant wife of the Governor, for heaven’s sake, supports my function to this degree. “She’s awesome.”
“I agree, Camilla. She’s made my job a whole lot easier.”
“I bet she has,” I laugh. “So where are they?”
“They took the golf cart down to the lake so Huxley can fish for a little bit. Alison didn’t feel like walking and Barrett wasn’t leaving her behind.”
“I didn’t see their car.”
“Troy took it to town to run a few errands and grab some lunch. Do you want something, dear? I could have him pick some up for you.”
“No, thank you though. I just came for my dress. Have you seen it today?”
“Yes, actually. It’s in the hall closet by the bathroom.”
“Thanks, Rose!” I meander through the Farm, not going straight to the closet but stopping in the living room first. It’s quiet, unlike most times I’m here.
The walls are sprinkled with pictures of us throughout the years. There are goofy pictures of Lincoln an
d Sienna at a car wash one summer and of me in my cheerleading outfit from high school. Those are mixed with images of Ford graduating from military school and Barrett taking the oath of office. It’s a wall of memories, one that makes me a little nostalgic.
We’ve spent so many hours, days, years here together celebrating good times and convening for the bad ones. Tears from joy and sadness have been shed, screams for wonderful announcements and terrible declarations have been heard by these walls. No matter what, we’ve done it together. As a family.
My heart twists in my chest, tears dotting my eyes, when I turn to see Graham and Lincoln watching me from the back porch. Turning away, I refuse to let Graham see me weak. But, in typical G fashion, he’s in the door and in front of me before I have a chance to flee.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, any traces of his recent venom gone.
“Nothing,” I sniffle. “I was just thinking about all the things we’ve done in this room. Ford’s wedding, Barrett’s election celebration. Our sixteenth birthday party.”
“I had fun that night!” Lincoln chimes in from the porch. “Taylor Thompson. Wowza.”
Graham and I chuckle … until we look at each other. Our grins falter.
“Look, Swink,” he says, clearing his throat. “I want to talk to you for a minute.”
“We’ve been through this.”
“Cam, I’m sorry.”
Squinting, making sure it’s Graham I’m seeing in front of me and not Barrett, I shake my head. “What?”
“Come on,” he chuckles. “Don’t make me say it again. It hurt enough the first time.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“Does it matter?”
“Absolutely.”
Shoving his hand in his pockets, he sighs. “I’m sorry for acting like a dick.”
“Because …” I lead him on.
“Because someone pointed out today that it’s really stupid to make judgements on people based on someone else’s opinion.”
“That’s true. So what were you doing? Basing it off of Linc’s?”
“Don’t throw me in this!” Lincoln shouts.
“Will you butt out?” Graham shouts back. Shaking his head, he focuses on me once more. “I need to trust that you know what you’re doing. You’ve never given me a reason to doubt your judgement—not really.”
“Oh, give me one bad decision I’ve made.”
He crooks a brow. “Ten grand ring a bell?”
“That hasn’t been proved to be a bad decision. Just like the idea of you proposing to Mallory hasn’t been proven to be a bad one.” I crook a brow back. “Catch my drift?”
“Don’t change the subject. You’re an adult and I need to give you the benefit of the doubt. Just be smart about things, Cam. Please. And if you need anything, whether you’re mad at me or not, call me.”
His features soften and I feel my anger wane. “Thanks, G. But I think I’ll call Dom now. Maybe I’ve outgrown you.”
“I wish Lincoln would,” he groans.
“Not a chance!” our brother shouts from the porch again.
Graham and I laugh before he pulls me into a hug and all is right in my world.
Twenty-Five
Dominic
“It’s busy in here tonight.” Joe stumbles through the door of The Gold Room and takes his usual seat on the end. He smells a little like urine and a lot like whiskey and I wonder which bar he hit up on the way here. “Do I got room on my tab for somethin’ to eat?”
“I’ll check.” I head to the back, without checking his tab, and grab the hamburger I made for myself before we got busy. “Here you go,” I say, sliding the plate to him.
He doesn’t say thank you, doesn’t acknowledge me in any way, just scoops up the sandwich with both hands and eats nearly half of it before I can look away.
“Where’s Nate?” Billy calls from the other end.
“He’ll be here in a second.”
“Gotcha.”
I lean on the bar and watch the television that hangs overhead. It’s covering the Landry Charity Gala at Picante. The anchor is talking about how charities get so much more attention, and money, when the Landry’s are attached to them.
They have a mini-red carpet set up leading into the hotel lobby. Baseball players, a B-level movie star, and a few musicians have all been interviewed before they disappear through the doors.
I’ve seen this before. It’s not unusual. The Landry’s are well-known for their charity work. But now that I know Camilla and know she’s there … it’s weird.
“What are you thinkin’ about, baby?”
I look up to see an older woman, leather skin and bright red lips, leaning towards me. Her tits are resting on the bar, laying it out there that if I want it, I can have it.
“Just wondering what it’s like up there tonight,” I say truthfully, nodding to the cameras.
“Fancy clothes, fancy cars. More money than they know what to do with so they give it away.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right,” she breathes. “They’re a whole different level than us.”
I’m on the verge of admitting how right she is when my phone buzzes on the shelf below me. I see Cam’s name on the screen.
“Do you need anything or can I take this call?” I ask her. “It’s important.”
“Oh, take it,” she says, waving a hand through the air. “I got nowhere to be.”
Swiping the screen and heading into the back, I feel my heartbeat soar. “Hey,” I say once I can hear.
“Hey.” Her voice is sweet, but missing the warmth I usually hear. “Where are you?”
“I had to fill in for Nate for a little bit.”
“So you’re at the bar?”
“Yeah.” I hear her sadness and want desperately to make it leave. “Hey, your brother’s buddy Travis called today.”
“Troy’s brother?”
“Yeah, that one. He’s coming by tomorrow to look at some stuff for Nate. He’s a cool guy.”
“Travis and Troy are both awesome. I knew you’d like him.”
“So what are you doing?” I ask like I have no idea.
“Well, I’m in the car on my way to Picante,” she sighs. “I wish you were here.”
“It’s on T.V.,” I tell her. “I’ve been waiting to see you.”
“They’re supposed to interview me when I get there. I hate that part of it.”
I laugh, picking up a glass and putting it in the sink. “You’re famous.”
“Hardly,” she groans. “We’re pulling up. I’ll see you after?”
“Let me know when you’re home and I’ll come over,” I promise. “Have fun tonight.”
“I’ll miss you.”
“You, too, Cam.”
She’s gone before I even get it all said. With a frown that I hate wearing, I tuck my phone in the pocket of my jeans and head back to the front.
“Can I get a Jack and Coke?” someone shouts right away.
I make the drink and deliver it to a man next to Billy. When I look up, I see her on the screen.
She’s breathtakingly gorgeous in a light yellow dress that sits off her shoulders. Her hair is pulled up, diamonds in her ears, and her make-up so minimal, if she has any on at all, that she looks like an angel.
“She’s pretty, all right,” Red Lips says, sidling up to the bar again. She sighs a rough, smoker’s cough. “I wonder what it’s like to be one of them.”
“I have no idea,” I say, fascinated by Camilla. She smiling, not looking at all like the mellow woman I just talked to on the phone. She laughs, teasing the interviewer, before posing for a few pictures and disappearing inside the hotel.
“I’ll never know,” Red Lips admits. “Hell, you could dress me up in one of those dresses and dot me with diamonds and I’d still look like a poser. You can take the girl out of the trailer park but you can’t take the trailer park out of the girl.”
She laughs at her joke
, repeating it to the guy that joins her at the bar. He laughs too.
I, on the other hand, do not. Not because she isn’t funny. Because she’s right.
Twenty-Six
Camilla
“Are you tired of smiling yet?” Sienna whispers in my ear. “My cheeks ache.”
“Mine too. And my feet hurt.”
My twin sister, sheathed in a navy blue strapless dress, stands with me in the back corner of the room. “At least we’re at the point where they’re drinking enough to want to talk to themselves and not us.”
“Excellent point,” I laugh.
“Who has an excellent point?”
We look over to see Mallory and Ellie headed our way. Ellie’s stomach is just starting to be noticeably more round than usual, but only if you’re looking for it.
“Ellie, you are beyond adorable,” I say.
“She is, isn’t she?” Mallory adds.
“Trust me, this doesn’t feel adorable,” she groans, her hand resting on her belly. “I’ve been sick for weeks straight. I’m over it. Can I have this baby yet?”
We laugh as she slumps into a chair and looks at us in defeat. “I’m not kidding, guys. I’m exhausted.”
“Just sit there and I’ll grab you some water. Okay?” Sienna asks.
Ellie looks grateful and Sienna takes that for a yes and disappears into the crowd. I feel Mallory’s eyes on me.
“What?” I ask, giving her a look.
“I just want to say I’m thrilled you and Graham made up,” she says. “He was this close to being thrown out of his own house.”
“You should’ve. He deserved it,” I huff. “But he acted like a man today and apologized, so I forgave him.”
She pulls her brows together. “You know why he apologized, right?”
“Don’t tell me you made him.”
“No, not me.” She flashes me a mischievous grin. “Dominic.”
“What?” I gasp. “What are you talking about?”
“Dominic called Graham.”
The Landry Family Series: Part Two Page 38