by Marie Force
Cameron gasped and sputtered. “Will! That’s ridiculous! I’d never want to impose on Hannah that way. He didn’t tell me he was going to ask you that.”
“I don’t mind,” Hannah said with a gracious smile. “I’ve got nine bedrooms sitting empty upstairs. You’re welcome to any one of them.”
“No.” Cameron shook her head. “I wouldn’t feel right.”
“Why not?” Will asked. “She said she doesn’t mind.”
“What else could she say with me sitting right in front of her? You put her on the spot.” To Hannah, she added, “I’m sorry about that.”
“I grew up with seven brothers, Cameron. Do you honestly think there’s anything they could do that would surprise or upset me anymore? I’d be delighted to have a roommate for a little while. It gets awfully quiet rattling around this old place by myself. We probably won’t even see each other that often. And, if I minded, I would’ve said so. Honestly.”
“See?” Will said with a satisfied smirk. “I told you she didn’t mind.”
Cameron held back the retort that hovered on the tip of her tongue. She’d deal with him when they were alone. “I’d want to pay rent or something.”
“Don’t be silly,” Hannah said with the wave of her hand. “The rooms are furnished but unused, and I own the house outright. I don’t need your money, but I’d be happy to have your company.”
“You’re sure?” Cameron asked, still feeling uncertain despite Hannah’s graciousness.
“Positive.”
“Okay, then. Thank you so much.”
“It’s all settled,” Will said, pleased with himself. “I’ll help you move from the inn today and drive you to work until Nolan gets your car fixed.” To Hannah, he said, “Speaking of Nolan, I saw him yesterday. He asked for you.”
“That’s nice.”
“You’re really not going to cut him a break?”
“Stop it. I already got an earful from Hunter about that. Having my brothers plead his case isn’t helping his case.”
“The poor guy,” Will said with a silly pout. “He’s crazy about Hannah, but she won’t give him the time of day.”
“Shut up, Will. That’s not true. I’d happily give him the time of day if he asked, but that’s not what he’s asking for. Now, knock it off.”
“Sorry,” Will said, but he didn’t look one bit sorry to Cameron.
“Sure, you are.” Hannah got up and opened a drawer, rustling around before she produced a key that she gave to Cameron. “For the front door. Please make yourself completely at home.”
“That’s very kind of you. Thanks again.”
Will stood and stretched. “We’d better get to the office. Thanks for the coffee, Han.”
He bent to kiss his sister, and she pulled his hair hard enough to draw a wince. “Mind your own business, you hear me?”
“What fun is that?”
“Nice to meet you, Cameron. I guess I’ll be seeing you soon.”
“Nice to meet you, too, and thanks again for your hospitality.”
“We’ll be back with her stuff later today,” Will told his sister as she showed them out.
“See you then.”
The instant the door clicked shut behind them, Cameron pounced on him. “I can’t believe you did that! Why didn’t you tell me you were going to ask her if I could stay there?”
“Because you would’ve told me not to.”
“You’re damned right I would have! That was so rude! What choice did she have but to say yes with me sitting right there?”
Despite her best efforts to shake him loose, he kept a firm hold on her arm on the sidewalk and let go only to open the passenger door for her. Fuming, she brushed by him and got into the truck.
“I knew she wouldn’t say no,” he said, closing the door before she could reply.
In the short time it took for him to walk around the front of the truck and get into the driver’s side, her fury tripled. “Why would you do that? It was so embarrassing!”
With his hands on the wheel, he stared out the windshield. “We all worry about her incessantly. She tells us she’s fine, she says exactly what we need to hear, but no one believes her.” He finally turned to look at her, and the sadness she saw in his gorgeous eyes tugged at her emotions and defused her anger. “She’s stuck, Cam. She can’t get over what happened to Caleb, and she refuses to consider going out with someone else, even Nolan, who’s the nicest guy you’ll ever meet.”
“He was really nice to me about the car,” she conceded, touched by Will’s assessment of his sister’s life since she lost her husband. “I’m not going to spy on her for you, if that’s what you think.”
“I’d never ask you to do that, but it occurred to me that having you around might be good for her.”
At that, Cameron’s fury completely fizzled. He was a concerned brother looking out for his grieving sister, and she did need a place to stay that wasn’t three hundred dollars a night.
“She’s sick of listening to us,” Will continued. “I thought a potential new friend might be good for her.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that before we went in there?”
“Because you would’ve said no, and I didn’t want you to say no.”
“You’re making me crazy. Do you know that?”
He turned the key to start the truck. “Is that crazy in a good way or a bad way?”
“I refuse to dignify that with a response.”
“Ahh, so crazy in a good way.”
“I never said that!”
“You didn’t have to.”
The hours in the office rushed by in a series of conversations, mini-meetings, plans and preliminary site mapping. At various points during the day, Ella, Charlotte and Wade all made a point of telling Cameron they were looking forward to working with her on the website.
She didn’t mention their change of heart or ask if they were being sincere. Rather, she appreciated the show of unity, which would ultimately make her job a lot easier. She’d yet to see Hunter, but she’d heard he was still meeting with auditors.
Lincoln was positively ebullient over the site project moving forward. He insisted on treating her to lunch to celebrate, and over tacos, he regaled her with stories and interesting facts about the store that had her reaching for her notebook out of fear that she might forget them later.
When she shared some thoughts about how they might feature his Beatles memorabilia collection on the website, she made a friend for life. During the time she spent with him, she tried to think of him as a client, and not as Will’s dad. As a client, she chatted with him the way she would any other client. The second she allowed herself to think of him as Will’s dad, her thoughts became muddled.
They emerged from the Mexican cantina after an hour of delightful conversation to find Fred strolling down the middle of the street like he owned the place. Drivers waited patiently for him to pass before continuing on their way.
“Does he do that often?” Cameron asked, astounded by the sight of the huge animal smack in the middle of the street.
“Couple times a week,” Lincoln said. “He likes to keep an eye on things.”
“And no one is ever afraid of him going all ‘moose’ on them?”
“Nah, he’s a pussycat.”
Cameron eyed the massive animal and didn’t see anything resembling a pussycat. Then he let out a large “moooo” and she startled.
Lincoln rested a hand on her shoulder. “He’s totally harmless.”
“Try telling my poor car that.” She could tell he was fighting back a smile. “It’s fine. You’re allowed to laugh. It’s kind of funny.”
“It’s not funny that you got hurt.”
“The rest of it is.”
He let out a low chuckle and offered her his arm for the walk back to the office. “It’s a bit amusing. I’ll give you that.”
Charmed by him, she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. “Old Fred has given me a reputation I’ll never live dow
n around here.”
“There’s a T-shirt in the store that says ‘What Happens in Vermont Stays in Vermont.’ Underneath that it says ‘Nothing Ever Happens in Vermont.’”
“That is so not true!”
“I had a feeling you’d say that, but your secrets are safe with us.”
“That’s good to know.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Cam. Is it okay if I call you that?”
“Absolutely. That’s what my friends at home call me.”
“I’m glad you’re here, and I’m delighted the kids came around on the website. I think they’ll love it when it’s done.”
She didn’t point out that most of the “kids” hadn’t, in fact, come around on the website. “I hope so.”
“I didn’t choose you for the job only because you’re my friend’s daughter.”
“You didn’t?”
“Nope. I did my research, and I could see the effort you put into all your projects. You get to the heart and soul of the organization, and that’s what I want for our site. I want people to know what we’re doing here. I want them to know old-fashioned values still have a place in today’s world. I want them to know a family can work together successfully.”
“Your family is very special. I’ve already seen that.”
“I’m proud of what Molly and I have accomplished with our kids. They continue to surprise us every day. Take today, for example. We found out our baby is going to give us our first grandchild. Imagine that!”
“I heard that news. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. Not sure how I feel about being a grandfather at my young age, though.”
“Fortunately, you have some time to get used to the idea.”
“That’s true.”
“I really liked Max. He may be young, but it seems like his head is screwed on straight.”
“He’s a good boy, despite being spoiled rotten his whole life as the baby of the family. He’s a charmer, that one.”
“He’s not the only one.” The words were out of her mouth before Cameron could remember she was talking to Will’s father.
“I’ve noticed you’ve been spending some time with Will, who, in my humble and unbiased opinion, is also a very good boy.”
Cameron laughed. It was easy to see where his sons had come by their charm. “Humble and unbiased, huh?”
“All the way.” He whistled for Ringo and George the second they entered the office mudroom. The scurry of dog paws on the wood floor upstairs preceded them down the stairs. “Hey, guys. Anything happen while we were out?”
Cameron was treated to the same enthusiastic greeting. “Thanks for lunch, Lincoln.”
“A pleasure, my dear. I’m at your service during your stay with us. Anything I can do, just let me know.”
“I will, thanks.”
She was back in Will’s office checking her email and wondering where he’d gotten off to when Hunter came in with an envelope that he handed to Cameron. Unlike his brothers, who wore flannel and denim to work, Hunter had on a blue-and-white-striped dress shirt with charcoal dress pants and wingtips. He looked every bit the corporate CFO. “Down payment on the website.”
“Oh. Thank you.” She tried to be casual about the way she accepted the slip of paper that would save her company from ruin.
Hands in pockets, he studied her with intent dark eyes that made her want to squirm.
“Is there something else?” she asked.
“I want you to know I’m not at all in favor of this project.”
“Okay.”
“And I question whether it’s being done for the right reasons.”
“What would be the wrong reasons?”
“That’s between my brother and me.”
Cameron waited, wondering if he would elaborate.
After a long, pregnant pause, he said, “My feelings about it have nothing to do with you. I thought maybe I should say that at the outset, so you don’t think I’m a total jerk.”
“I appreciate knowing that. I promise to do a very good job and to leave you with a product you can be proud of.”
“I suppose there’s nothing more we could ask. I’ll let you get to it.”
When he left the room, Cameron sagged into the chair. Whereas Will was mostly light and easygoing, Hunter was darker and broodier, intense. She sensed he’d make for a formidable adversary and was relieved that he wouldn’t be her adversary while she was here. It was good of him to spell out that his objections weren’t about her.
She got up to speak to the receptionist, Mary. “I need a FedEx box. Is there one nearby?” The check was too big for mobile deposit, which probably wouldn’t work anyway with the crappy connection.
“The closest one is in St. Johnsbury.”
“Do they pick up here?”
“Only with twenty-four hours’ notice.”
That was inconceivable in the city. “What about the post office?”
Mary checked her watch. “The overnight mail has to be posted by noon, so you missed that.”
“I guess I’ll have to get to St. Johnsbury then.” Lucy would need to deposit the check tomorrow to give it time to clear before the payroll was called in on Wednesday of next week.
“Here’s an envelope and weigh bill.”
“Thanks.”
“I absolutely loved that dress you had on yesterday,” Mary said in a confiding tone. “Where’d you get it?”
“At a big sale at Neiman’s.”
“Where’s that?”
“Neiman Marcus in New York City.”
“Oh. I’ve never been there,” Mary said wistfully. She was about fifty with short-cropped brown hair and brown eyes.
“You should come down sometime. I’d be happy to show you around.”
“You would? Really?”
“Sure, anytime.”
“That’s really nice of you.” The ringing phone took her back to work with a regretful grimace for Cameron.
Back in Will’s office, she went to the window to look across the street at Nolan’s Garage where her car was still up on the lift. She hated that she’d have to ask Will to take her to St. Johnsbury, but what choice did she have? The check needed to be in New York tomorrow.
Will’s heavy footsteps announced his return, triggering the tingle of awareness along her backbone that she was beginning to get used to whenever he was around.
She turned to him and stopped short at the look of raw yearning she saw on his face before he blinked and it was gone.
CHAPTER 11
Don’t spoil Saturday night by countin’ the time to Monday mornin’.
—The gospel according to Elmer Stillman
“Everything okay?” he asked, dropping a stack of mail on his desk.
Cameron was still trying to process what she’d just seen on his face. “Uh-huh. I need to go to the FedEx box in St. Johnsbury. I hate to ask you—”
“It’s not a problem.”
“Can we go before four?”
“I can go now if that works for you.”
While she yearned to make use of the reliable Internet connection in the office while she could, she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything until that check was on its way to New York. “That’d be great. I was also thinking we need to let the employees in the store know about the site. I’ll be spending a lot of time there, and it would help if they knew what I’m up to.”
“Charlotte put out a memo to the staff earlier today, so you should be all set.”
“You all are pretty efficient.”
He shrugged. “We work well together. We make a decision, and we get busy making it happen.”
“We try to be that way, too, but we aren’t all siblings who grew up bickering with each other.”
He waited for her to gather her belongings and step out of the office before he grabbed his own coat, turned off the light and shut the door behind them.
On the way downstairs, he said, “I’m not going to pretend it isn’t chall
enging at times to work with my dad and brothers and sisters, because it is. But at least I know they’re not talking shit about me behind my back when I leave the room the way people do in some workplaces. Or at least they don’t usually do that. This week? Who knows?”
“You think they’re talking shit about you?”
“I think they’re wondering what’s going on between you and me and what it’s got to do with my sudden interest in a website for the store. I guess I can’t blame them. I’d feel the same way if it was one of them doing what I’m doing.”
He helped her into the truck and stowed her computer bag behind the seat. It occurred to Cameron that he did such things without even thinking about them. The manners were ingrained in him, which was just another thing to add to her growing list of qualities she found attractive in him.
“What is it that you’re doing?”
With his hands on the wheel, he stared straight ahead for a long time before he looked over at her, slaying her with those amazingly expressive eyes of his. “I’m muddying the waters. I’m mixing business and personal. I’m crossing lines I’ve never crossed before, and I’m doing it all with my eyes wide open to the potential fallout. I don’t even care that there might be fallout. And that’s not me. It’s not me at all.”
“Will—”
“Don’t. Whatever you’re going to say, don’t say it. I don’t care if it’s muddy or messy. It’s mud season in Vermont. The perfect time of year for muddy waters.”
Despite the lighthearted comment, there was nothing lighthearted about the way he looked at her as he said it.
Cameron’s protests died on her lips as she realized she didn’t care about the fallout either. She couldn’t resist him, which is why she released her seat belt this time and leaned over the console.
Thankfully, he met her halfway.
She put her hand on his neck and drew him into the kiss, the first she had initiated. Even though her heart pounded erratically, she kissed him until she felt him relax.
“What was that for?” he asked when she had no choice but to come up for air. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“It was to say I don’t care about the mud either.”
The left side of his mouth lifted into a half smile that made his eyes sparkle. “Let’s go to St. Johnsbury and get you moved into Hannah’s. We’ve got a snowman to build.”