by Meg Ripley
Cameron ran a hand through his hair, rumpling it once again. “I don’t know. I can understand him just fine, but he was a lot clearer just then than he usually is. I think he was surprised that you actually wanted to know about him instead of just making adult conversation.”
“It’s a shame that’s so unusual for him,” she replied honestly. “Sometimes I think I’ve gotten so used to talking to children that I don’t know how to talk to adults anymore.”
“I think you’re doing just fine,” he said with a smile as Andy returned, cutting off their private conversation.
The boy had brought an armful of toys with him, and Samantha scooted back her chair so she could see them. He dumped them in her lap before picking them up one at a time to tell her all about them. “Dis is O-O-Optimus Pwime, and he’s a T-T-Twansfowma. And dis is de f-f-fastest caw I’ve got.” He held up a Hot Wheels car proudly, showing off the flames on the paint. He continued to introduce her to several Ninja Turtles, ThunderCats, and G.I. Joes.
“That’s wonderful,” Samantha enthused, making sure she admired every toy he held up for her inspection. “As much as I’m enjoying this, Andy, I think you’ve completely forgotten about your dinner. You don’t want it to get cold.”
He obediently ran back to around the table and jumped in his seat, eating zealously.
Cameron shot her a pointed look, and Samantha gave him a slight shrug. Things seemed to be going well, and she could only hope they continued on that same track.
When they were finished eating, Cameron turned to his son. “What do you say we give her a tour of the house, buddy? She’s going to be living here with us, so she’ll need to know where everything is.”
“I want to show her de p-p-poow!”
“When we get to the pool, I promise you can be the one to tell her about it. Let’s start in the kitchen while we rinse these plates.” Cameron led the way through a double door into a lovely kitchen with stone countertops and dark cabinets. “I have a housekeeper that comes in several times a week, but Andy and I always do our best not to make her job too hard on her. She dusts, vacuums, does the laundry, and tidies up the kitchen, but I never expect her to pick up Andy’s toys or have to deal with socks all over the floor.”
Who was this man, and how did he end up a Hollywood hotshot? Samantha hadn’t been in town long, but she imagined that most people who could afford a house like this weren’t so considerate. “Not a problem at all. I’m used to cleaning up after myself.”
“There’s a list of emergency numbers here by the phone, which I think is pretty self-explanatory. My office number and my cell number are both on there. If there’s anything you need, even if it’s just a question that you think can wait until later, you won’t be bothering me by calling. I know it’s going to take some time for you to learn the ropes, and I don’t want to leave you hanging.”
Samantha nodded, certain that she’d never had a boss who was so considerate.
“Can we do de poow now?” Andy asked without a stutter.
“Not yet, sport. I think it would be more polite to show Ms. Parker where her room is.” Cameron opened the doors that led back out into the foyer and pointed at the small pile of Samantha’s luggage. “A gentleman always helps a lady with her bags.”
“Okay!” Andy shot forward and wrapped his little hands around the smaller suitcase. With a determined look on his little face, he began dragging it up the stairs. It banged and slapped against each one as he made his way up to the landing and then turned to the right.
“Sorry,” Cameron whispered.
“It’s quite all right.” Andy was so darling, and she knew he was only trying to help.
When they reached the top of the stairs, they found Andy standing in the hallway looking confused.
“What’s the matter?” Cameron asked.
“I d-d-don’t…” He trailed off, unable to finish. He turned nervous eyes to Samantha and took a step backward.
Cameron took him by the hand and led him a little further down the hall, subtly gesturing for Samantha to stay behind. She patiently waited near the stairs, pretending not to watch as Cameron knelt down and had a whispered exchange with Andy. He nodded, straightened, and brought Andy by the hand back to Samantha. “Andy is concerned about hurting your feelings. He knows that Welda’s room was the closest to his, but he’s not sure how he feels about you staying in the same room. I told him that the one across the hall from his room might suit you better anyway, and that I didn’t think you would be offended.”
Samantha’s heart squeezed, both in affection for the boy who was so concerned for everyone around him and for Cameron, who was the most involved and understanding father she’d ever met. “That would be perfectly fine, and I’m not offended in the slightest.”
Reassured by this, Andy took the handle of her suitcase once again and led the way down the hall to a door on the right. He pushed it open without waiting for them.
Samantha stepped inside and caught her breath. “Oh, my.”
“You don’t w-w-wike it?” Andy asked, tears welling up in his eyes.
She fell to her knees to wrap an arm around the sweet boy. “On the contrary, it’s quite pretty. It just surprised me, that’s all.”
Back in Illinois, she’d decorated the master bedroom in the home she and Mark had shared, and she’d been proud of it. The mauve comforter, mini-blinds, and potted plant in the corner had given it a sleek modern look that she’d enjoyed, but it completely paled in comparison to this.
The spacious room held a beautiful queen-sized bed dressed in pale pink. A half-canopy had been attached to the wall, draping matching fabric down behind and around the headboard. To the left, frothy pink curtains surrounded a set of white French doors that led out onto a second-story balcony. An overstuffed white chair and ottoman made a reading nook in one corner. Samantha shouldn’t have been surprised, considering what the rest of the house looked like, but it still took her breath away to see that a guest bedroom should be so well done.
“There’s a private bath over here.” Cameron pointed to a door on the right. “If it’s all right, we can set your bags in here and then Andy can show you his room.”
Andy was out in the hallway in a flash, bouncing up and down on his toes as he waited for the slow adults to catch up with him. He opened a door to a light blue bedroom that was far more modern than everything else in the house. Samantha guessed he’d picked out the decorations himself, from the Transformers bedspread to the large play tent in one corner.
“It’s wonderful,” Samantha gushed, seeing the expectant look on Andy’s face. “I can tell you have a lot of fun in here.”
“Oh, yeah! Check dis out!” He pointed to the floor, where a large rug looked like a track for cars.
“Andy, why don’t you get your pajamas on and brush your teeth? Ms. Parker and I need to go over some grown-up things. We’ll be in the study when you’re done.”
“Okay, Daddy!”
Cameron showed Samantha down the first flight of stairs and back up to the other side of the second floor, where he stepped into a room lined with bookshelves on two sides and a large fireplace on the far wall. “Have a seat.” He gestured to a cluster of leather couches and chairs.
Samantha perched on the edge of one couch, unable to read her new boss for a moment. Was he unhappy with her? She didn’t think she’d done anything wrong.
Maybe he was just trying to remember everything, as he retrieved a packet of paper from a desk and handed it over. “Here’s Andy’s basic schedule for the week. He’ll be starting kindergarten in the fall, so of course that will change things up a bit. Right now, he doesn’t have to stick to this down to the minute, but I do expect him to stay on a steady sleep schedule and make it to his classes. I always make sure I’m home for at least three dinners during the week, but I do have days where I need to work late.”
Samantha looked at the papers. Andy had a karate class on Thursday nights and what looked like a standing play
date with a cousin. He had things to do, but nothing that was too overwhelming for a child his age. “I think I can handle this.”
Cameron sat down across from her, bracing his elbows on his knees with one fist under his chin as he looked at her thoughtfully. “I’m sure you can, but I have to tell you, I’ve never seen Andy like this.”
This had her attention. “What do you mean?”
“I guess it isn’t obvious to you because you don’t know him like I do, but you have a knack for drawing him out of his shell. He’s usually very shy, and he doesn’t open up to people like he has to you.”
“It’s probably just because he knows I can understand him,” Samantha considered. “You said he’s had a lot of trouble with that, so I imagine it’s a relief for him not to feel judged or misunderstood.” She didn’t think she was performing any miracles, but she was glad she could help the dear little thing.
He stood and paced to the window, looking out with his hands tucked in his pockets. “I hope you weren’t upset by the way he reacted to finding a room for you. The truth is that I wasn’t going to put you in Welda’s old room, anyway. There are still several of her things in there that I’ll need to ship to Germany for her, but even so, it’s not as nicely decorated as the one across the hall. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t presume to know your tastes.”
Samantha wanted to laugh, but Cameron was being serious. “I promise, it’s more than fine. It’s lovely.”
He turned to her then, concern wrinkling his eyebrow. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you. I should have been more direct about it at the club, but Jane had assured me it wasn’t a problem.”
“Yes?”
“I think you probably already know, but Andy and I are both shifters. For the most part, he knows not to change form unless I’m home with him and he has my permission. It’s not always an easy thing for him, and I don’t want him to be reckless with it. Still, he’s a kid. Do you think you can handle that?”
Samantha didn’t want to answer his question too quickly. While she knew the truth about her new boss, it wasn’t something she’d really had the time to consider. “I think so,” she said after a moment. “I’d like to think he and I will learn to get along well enough that he won’t give me too much trouble. That’s not to say I’d reject a little advice from you on the subject.”
Cameron smiled, looking a little more relaxed. “I think you’re right. And if he does act up, just tell him he won’t get any TV time before bed. That usually straightens him up pretty quickly.”
“Sounds to me like he’s not that much different than any other child.” As she smiled across the low coffee table at him and he returned the gesture, she felt her body surge forward. He was so attractive, with a charm that made her feel both excited and comfortable. Had it ever been like that with Mark? She didn’t think it had, and she’d have to make sure she went out with Jane on her nights off to find some distractions. “Is there anything else?”
“I don’t think so. We’ll just need to tuck Andy in and then you can get settled for the night. I think I hear him thundering down the stairs right now.”
As they stepped out in the hall to greet him and followed him back to his room, Samantha couldn’t help but notice how much the three of them felt like a family already. She tried to shove the thought away, knowing she shouldn’t be admiring the width of Cameron’s shoulders or the way his eyes turned to blue velvet when he looked at her, but her mind refused to listen to reason. The two of them took turns hugging Andy, and Samantha could feel Cameron’s eyes on her as she told the little boy to sleep well.
Cameron paused in the hallway as she was about to go to her room. She sensed it and turned to him. She could tell he wanted to say something. “What is it?”
He gave her a weak smile. “Just, thanks. I’ll see you in the morning.” He went toward the stairs.
Samantha stayed still for a moment, watching him go and noting the pause in his step as he reached the landing. That wasn’t all he wanted to say, and she knew it in her bones, but she wasn’t going to push him. That wasn’t her job. He would tell her when he was ready, whatever it was.
Chapter Five
Cameron had originally planned to take a few days off work while Samantha and Andy got used to each other. It’d seemed like a good idea, considering how attached Andy had been to Welda and how much he seemed to dislike the temps. But after spending just one evening with Samantha in their household, he knew he had nothing to worry about.
The next morning, he went to work as usual. There was no point in delaying the film, not since he trusted Samantha so much with his son. He drove slowly to the set, the thought of turning around rolling back and forth across his mind. Would Samantha see it as an insult? If she did, should that really affect his decision? It was his house and his child in question. He had every right to be there.
Cameron growled at himself as he pulled into the parking garage for the studio. Never before had he worried about things like this, and he shouldn’t be now. “You just like her because she’s a fox,” he muttered to himself as he put his car in park. “You wouldn’t care so much if she was an old lady like Welda.”
And as he got out and headed toward his office, he knew there was some truth in that statement. Samantha struck him in a way no other woman had. There was physical attraction, certainly, but there was something more. It took a lot more than a pretty woman to make his inner best fight so hard against him. It hadn’t helped that he hadn’t been taking his nightly flights ever since Welda left, giving his other side a chance to come out for a while. It hadn’t seemed prudent, and the temps never wanted to stay with Andy any longer than they had to. Maybe that would change as Samantha settled in. She’d known Andy for less than a day, and already, she treated him like her own.
Briefly, Cameron allowed himself a fantasy of bringing Samantha to work with him. Everyone would think she was an actress, the latest talent looking for a starring role. The other actresses on the set, who usually flirted with him because they thought it would get them better parts in his movies, would be jealous as hell.
“What’s so funny?” Eileen asked as he walked into his office.
“Hmm?”
“You’re smiling. I don’t think I’ve seen you smile first thing in the morning since, well, ever.” His secretary was a brassy and bold woman of about forty-five who often treated him like he was much younger than he was. Her motherly outlook ensured that his office was always neat and orderly, and he never missed any of his appointments unless he wanted to feel her wrath.
“It’s just a good morning so far, that’s all.” When he’d left the house, Samantha had Andy up, dressed, and sitting down to eat his breakfast.
“Well, you might not think so here in a second.”
His shoulders sagged. “Why?”
“I’ve had several of the crew members call in sick. You’re short a camera man, a boom operator, and a gaffer.” She waved the pink slips she had written the messages on in the air and looked at him over her designer eyeglasses.
Cameron wasn’t going to let that get him down. “We can make do without the gaffer for today, since most of the sets should be fine. Find an intern for the boom mike, and we’ll just shoot with one less camera.”
“And…” Eileen said as he started to go through the door to his office.
He paused. “And?”
“And Stacy Grafton is in your office. Again.”
The rest he could handle, but this wasn’t the way he wanted to start his day. “Eileen, I’ve only had one cup of coffee. You know I can’t do this right now. Why did you let her in?”
The secretary shrugged. “Hey, there’s only so much I can do. She was waiting outside before I even had the door unlocked, and she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Said she had some ‘important matter’ she had to discuss with you.” Eileen waggled her fingers in the air for emphasis.
“Right. Fine. But if I don’t come out in fifteen minutes, you might want t
o send a search party.”
“Okay, but I doubt there will be anything left of your body to find.” Eileen flashed him a smile.
As promised, Stacy Grafton was waiting for him in the chair across from his desk. She wore a slinky yellow dress that clung to her curves and matched her stiletto heels. Her bottle-blonde hair had been fluffed and teased to its limits, and she smiled at him with blood-red lips. “Good morning, Mr. Collins.”
Cameron held back a sigh as he sat down in his chair. “Good morning, Miss Grafton. What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to talk to you about my role. You know, in private.” She wiggled suggestively in her seat, pouting her lips.
He’d dealt with his share of bimbos, but Stacy was by far the most obnoxious, convinced that her sexuality could get her whatever she wanted. “I think we’ve pretty much talked about everything. You came in here and we went over the script because you didn’t like the dialogue. Then you came in and we talked about your costume because you didn’t think it flattered your figure. I’m not sure what else we can change within the parameters of the movie.”
Stacy thrust out her chest and tossed her hair. “It’s not too big of a deal. You see, I just think my character should play a bigger part. She’s really important to the storyline.”
Cameron wondered who’d coached her to say this. “Stacy, you have two lines in the whole production.” She was little more than scenery, as far as he was concerned, but he knew better than to say so out loud.
“But that’s exactly my point!” she said as she widened her eyes and sent her fake lashes up to her brows.
He tuned her out as she rattled on about how vital she was the to film and what a big mistake he was making if he didn’t give her more screen time. His mind wandered to Samantha, wondering how she was doing with Andy. She’d told him at the breakfast table that she was going to let Andy show her his favorite park. It was a beautiful day, and if Cameron were honest with himself, he was jealous that he couldn’t go with them.