by SJ McCoy
“Sorry, I was late back,” said Gene.
“No problem.” Cameron smiled at him. He looked tired. “Has it been a long week?”
“No.” Gene shook his head, looking puzzled. “It’s been fairly light, but I’ve got to tell you, Cameron, it doesn’t feel like it. I think I might be getting too old for this game.”
Cameron laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He hoped so. Gene was in his late fifties, and Cameron assumed he’d be with them until he retired—though he wasn’t sure what age pilots did retire.
“I wish I was. I’m worn out, and I don’t have reason to be. I’ve only flown a couple of short hops this week. Speaking of which.” He looked out the window as the fuel van pulled away from the plane. “It looks like we’re set for your short hop.”
“Do you feel up to it? I could drive.” Cameron didn’t really want to drive; that’d take hours, but if Gene didn’t feel up to it, he’d rather he went home.
Gene shook his head. “No. Of course not. This one’s an easy flight. I’ll be back here in no time and home early enough to make my wife smile.”
Cameron laughed. “That’s always a good thing.”
Gene nodded vigorously. “It sure is.”
“Okay, let’s go then, so you can back.”
As he followed Gene out onto the tarmac, he sent Piper a quick text.
I should be there at seven.
By the time he’d taken his seat and fastened his seat belt, she’d answered.
I’ll be there waiting.
He couldn’t wait to see her again.
~ ~ ~
“What are you doing back here?” asked Luke as Piper pushed her way through the main doors of the FBO building.
She laughed. “Nice to see you, too.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that you’ve been working your ass off all week. I thought you’d be glad to be out of here and off enjoying the weekend.”
“I will be very soon. I’m only here to pick up a friend. Anyway, what are you still doing here?”
“I was teaching. My student just left.” He grinned. “Nice try at changing the subject, but can I guess who this friend is?”
Piper shrugged. She liked Luke. She had a feeling he was going to be a good friend. They’d chatted a few times during the week. She’d told him a little bit about her and Cameron, and he’d told her a little bit about him and Angel. Neither of them really had much to tell—yet, but they were both hoping to. “Probably.”
“So, he’s come back to see you?”
She grinned. “Yes.”
“That’s awesome. I hope you have a great weekend.”
“Thanks. You too. Will you be seeing Angel?”
Luke made a face. “Only if I take myself over to the lodge at Four Mile and sit around while she works.”
“Aww, doesn’t she ever get any time off?”
“I think she could if she wanted to, but she never takes it. She’s a workaholic.”
Piper shook her head. “I bet she wouldn’t be if you’d just show her how much fun she could be having instead.”
“Yeah, I’d love to try, but I haven’t had any luck so far.”
“I’ll keep them crossed for you.” She waggled her fingers in the air, then turned to look out the window at the sound of jet engine approaching. They both watched as it touched down.
“Perfect landing,” said Luke. “One day I’ll be as good as him.”
Piper smiled. “Yes, you will. He’s been flying for over thirty years.”
“Yeah, he’s a nice guy. I chatted with a him a little last weekend.”
“He is.”
Luke grinned. “But he’s not the guy you want to see right now. It’s the guy he’s bringing. Listen, I’m out of here. You have yourself a great weekend.”
“Thanks, Luke. You, too.”
She went to wait at the doors that led to the ramp. Gene let down the steps and stood back to let Cameron exit the plane. Piper sucked in a deep breath at the sight of him. He was gorgeous! She didn’t know if she liked him better in jeans and T-shirt casual like he was right now, or all dressed up in a tux like he’d been last Saturday. She smiled to herself. Maybe her favorite was buck-ass naked like he’d been out on the beach in the moonlight.
She was surprised that he didn’t come straight to the building. Instead, he waited for Gene while he closed up the plane and was ready to join him. They came in together, and Cameron greeted her with a hug. “Hey.”
“Hey.” She smiled up at him. He felt so good with his arm around her like that.
“Would you mind if we give Gene a ride to the resort?”
“Not at all.” Piper smiled at him. “It’s good to see you again. I didn’t realize you were staying the weekend.”
Gene shook his head. He smiled, but he looked exhausted. “Neither did I. I was planning to fly home, but I don’t feel up to it.”
Piper frowned. “Do you need a doctor?”
“No. Thanks. I don’t think I’m sick. I’m just plain worn out.”
Piper scowled at Cameron. “Have you been flying a lot?”
Gene chuckled. “Don’t go blaming him. I’ve had a light week. It’s not work; it’s me.”
“Let’s get you to the resort, then. It sounds like you need a good night’s sleep.”
“Thanks.”
When they reached the resort, Piper had to drive around the square a few times before she found a parking spot. “Did you call Ben about a room?”
Cameron nodded but didn’t say anything. He looked a little embarrassed. Gene got out of the car and went around to the trunk for his bag.
“I hope you’re not going to be mad at me,” said Cameron, “but the resort is all booked up for the weekend. So … I offered Gene my room.”
Piper stared at him. Why would she be mad at him? That was a sweet thing to do. “Oh.” She smiled when she understood. “And where are you going to stay?”
He grinned. “With you, if you want me.”
“You know I do!”
Chapter Twelve
“Thank you.” Cameron reached across the table and took hold of Piper’s hand.
She met his gaze with a smile. “What for?”
“For being so sweet with Gene.”
“I just did what anyone would do.”
Cameron shook his head. He couldn’t think of another woman who would have been so understanding and gone so far out of her way—well, except Mary Ellen. Piper had invited Gene to have dinner with them, but, to Cameron’s relief, he’d declined. He didn’t feel up to going out. The resort didn’t offer room service, so Piper had asked what Gene wanted, and she and Cameron had gone down to the restaurant to get take out for him. Gene had been a little embarrassed that his boss was running around after him, but Cameron was more embarrassed that Piper saw it as completely natural to take care of the guy, while he’d thought he’d gone above and beyond by giving Gene his room. “You might think that, but not everyone is as kind-hearted as you are.”
She shrugged. “I just hated to think of him having to drag himself down there and wait around for his food when he obviously feels like crap.”
The server came to take their order. Cameron looked at Piper. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah. I’d like pizza.”
Once they’d ordered, Cameron looked around. He liked this place. It was quieter than the resort.
Piper smiled at him. “What do you think? Did I choose well?”
“Yeah. I like it. And I like that it’s quieter.” They’d come to a little restaurant named Giuseppe’s on the edge of town.
“Me too. I like the resort, and I like the band, but this is more me.”
“It’s funny, when we were at the bachelor party, I thought you were the clubbing kind.”
She laughed. “What on earth gave you that idea?”
“The way you were up dancing most of the time, the way you gave guys the brush off. It looked like you were used to it.”
She shook her head. “No. Not at all. I was up dancing because Kenzie and your sister kept dragging me up there, and as for brushing guys off, I’m not used to that at all.” He raised an eyebrow, and she laughed. “I’m not! I don’t normally get dressed up, and guys don’t tend to notice you when you wear boots and jeans and sweatshirts.”
“I noticed you the first time I saw you. I’d notice you no matter what you were wearing.”
She laughed. “I doubt that. Even the first time you saw me, I was all dressed up by my usual standards. I was here on vacation, visiting Laura. I’d bought new clothes and everything.”
Cameron smiled. He was more used to women who wore thousand-dollar dresses and dismissed them as this old thing. Piper’s attitude was so refreshing. “So what made you buy a whole bunch of new clothes and go on vacation?”
She shrugged. “I was bored. I was tired of being stuck in the same old rut, but I didn’t see any way out of it. I knew a break from work would do me good. I’d been miserable for a long time. And, in case you’ve never noticed, when a woman is feeling down, she tends to buy new clothes to help her feel better more than to make her look better.”
He had noticed that. It made him wonder if that was why Chelsea and Mary Ellen were going shopping this weekend. Was his sister down about something?
Piper gave him a puzzled look. “What’s up?”
“Sorry, I was just thinking about Chelsea. I think there’s something going on with her.”
“She seems nice. Do you work together?”
“Not really. I told you she never wanted to come into the offices. Chelsea’s more an outdoor kind of girl. She took over one of the wineries and made it her own. Whereas I oversee the whole operation, she’s very much the winemaker—and a damned good one.”
“Wow. That’s so cool. I tend to think of winemakers as men; it’s nice to think of her doing that.”
Cameron laughed. “She said the same thing about you being a pilot.”
Piper grinned. “I think she and I would get along well.”
“I know you would. In fact …” He hesitated; he’d been about to ask her to come to Napa next weekend. He’d like her and Chelsea to get to know each other, but at the same time, he didn’t want to throw her to the wolves, as Mary Ellen had put it.
“What?”
He decided he may as well lay it out for her. Let her decide for herself. “I was thinking it’d be cool if you wanted to come see me next weekend. We could hang out with Chelsea. I know the two of you would hit it off. I’m hosting a big charity dinner. I’d love for you to come, but …”
She was frowning at him. “But what?”
Was he really going to warn her about Larissa and Mel and Natasha? No! He wasn’t. She’d been so leery of him when she’d thought he was just a player. He didn’t want to go reinforcing that by telling her how all the women he usually slept with would be there. “But I don’t know if you’d enjoy that kind of thing, and I don’t even know if you’d want to go there with me for the weekend.” He smiled, hoping to get her to relax again. “Maybe you just want to import me as a plaything for the weekends till you get settled here.”
She looked incredulous for a moment, and then she laughed. “Me import you as a plaything? Ha. That’s funny. I can see that being the other way around.”
He shook his head. He didn’t want her to think that was why he was asking her to go to Napa, but he could hardly tell her that he had no shortage of playthings there. “Nope. You’re the one with the upper hand here, sweetie.”
Her eyes widened, but he nodded. “It’s true. Think about it. You’re just getting on with your life. I’m the one who’s going out of his way to be around you.”
She made a face.
“Because I want to,” he added quickly.
“Okay. Well, I want to go out of my way for you, too.” She smiled. “I want you to know this is a two-way street. So, if you want me to, I’ll come to you next weekend. I’d like to meet your sister and go to your fancy dinner.”
“Great.” The server came back with their pizza, and Cameron was grateful for the interruption. It gave him time to ponder whether he should warn her about Larissa, Mel, and Natasha. He decided against it—at least for now. There’d be time before next weekend, and he didn’t want to worry her this evening.
~ ~ ~
After dinner, they walked back to the resort. Piper smiled when Cameron took hold of her hand. She looked up at him. “Thanks for coming.”
He nodded. “Thanks for inviting me.”
As they made their way down Main Street, Piper took it all in. It was still hard to believe that she was here—let alone, here with a guy.
“Do you think you’re going to like it here?” asked Cameron. It was weird how he seemed to be able to read her mind.
“I already do. I was just thinking that it’s hard to believe, though. It’s a big change, and it’s all happened so quickly.”
He nodded. “It seems the best changes usually do.”
She looked up at him curiously. “What changes have you made in your life?”
He cocked his head to one side. “I don’t suppose I’ve ever made any big ones. Not personally. I’ve lived in the same place my whole life, only ever worked at Hamilton-Groves. I suppose I was thinking more about the business. Usually, when a new idea comes up, it either gets implemented quickly and turns out great, or it gets discussed and analyzed until its moment has passed, and it dies on the vine.”
She nodded, wondering what it must be like to run such a huge company. “Do you think you’ll ever do anything else? Go anywhere else?”
“I can’t see it. Like I told you, I’m happy, and apart from that, I feel responsible for the company—the family and the people who work there.” He met her gaze. “Maybe that’s egotistical of me. Maybe if I were to get some crazy idea to go somewhere else, do something else, we’d find someone else to take over the helm, and they’d do a better job than I do.” His smile faded. “But I don’t see that ever happening. I don’t want to. I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to do with my life.”
“That must be an awesome feeling.”
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“I’ve always felt that I’m doing what I can with my life. I’m proud to be a pilot, and I’m even prouder now that I’m here and I’ve taken it a step further, but what I’m supposed to do with my life? I have no clue. I figure you probably need to feel like you belong somewhere—that you matter to people—before there’s anything you’re supposed to do.”
He stopped walking and held on to her hand so that she stopped, too.
“What?”
He was looking down at her so intently. “Maybe you’ve found where you belong now.”
She sucked in a deep breath. For one crazy moment, she wondered if he meant that she belonged with him. But no, he just meant here, in Summer Lake. She smiled. “Maybe, but I think it’ll take a while to see if that’s true. I’d like to think I have, but maybe this is just another step on the way to somewhere else. Or maybe I don’t belong anywhere.”
He wrapped his arm around her and drew her to him. “I think you do,” he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers. Her hands came up around his shoulders, and she kissed him back. She loved the way he kissed her. There was nothing new or awkward about it. He kissed her like he’d been doing it their whole lives. She froze as a thought struck her—he kissed her like they belonged together.
He lifted his head. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, sorry. I’m just not used to kissing on the street.”
He looked around as if he hadn’t realized where they were until she said that. “Sorry.” Then he grinned. “Let’s get back then, huh?”
When they reached the resort, Piper wondered if they shouldn’t stop at the bar for a drink. It wasn’t late yet, but the place was crowded, and she could see a few of Laura and Smoke’s friends sitting out on the deck. She liked them, but she didn’t want to sp
end the rest of the evening with them. Cameron smiled as she tightened her grip on his hand and led him toward the lodge instead.
Once they were back in her room, she smiled at him nervously. “Do you want to check on Gene, see if he’s okay?”
Cameron shook his head slowly. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
Piper pursed her lips. She couldn’t think of any other distractions.
Cameron seemed to take that as a disapproving look, though. “Sorry. I will, I just didn’t want to disturb him if he’s resting.” He took his phone out and tapped out a text. A few seconds later a reply buzzed in. “He says he’s fine. He enjoyed his dinner, he’s watching TV, and he’s heading home in the morning.”
Piper smiled, glad to know he was okay. “Good.” She went to the dresser and touched the roses he’d sent her. “Thanks for these. You made my day.”
“I’m glad you liked them.”
“I love them. No one’s ever sent me roses before. It’s a first” She couldn’t figure out the look on his face. For a moment, she wondered if he looked so uncomfortable because she sure as hell wasn’t the first girl he’d sent roses to. No. She had to get past that. He was a sweet guy.
“Did you decide what you’d like to do this weekend?” he asked.
She smiled. She wanted him to make love to her again—and soon—but that wasn’t what he was asking about. He was trying to make conversation before they went there. “I thought we could take a boat out again; that was fun, and I checked with Lily, and we could go horseback riding if you want.” The look on his face said that might not be his favorite option. “Or we could go four-wheeling in the mountains.”
He nodded.
“There is one more thing I want to do if you wouldn’t mind.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ve looked at a few houses this week, but I still haven’t found anywhere I’d like to rent. Austin, the realtor, called me earlier to say there’s one just been listed, and I can go see it tomorrow.”
“Great. What time? I can make myself scarce while you go do that.”
“I was hoping you’d come with me.” She smiled. “Point out any downsides that I don’t see.”