by DJ Jamison
“I guess, but you don’t ever really leave grief behind, even if you do move on.”
“I suppose,” Miguel said, in the casual manner of someone who hasn’t experienced serious grief. I knew better. Losing my father when I was so young made a big impact on me, and I still had days when I felt sorrow swamp me out of the blue.
“You deserve this break, Cam,” Miguel said, and I couldn’t argue that. “Don’t you dare give this listing to her.”
“I wasn’t going to,” I said. “It’s not really mine to give away anyway. That’s up to Reid.”
“Don’t run and tell Reid so he feels like he has to give her an olive branch either. She didn’t stay in touch with the family or Reid would have known to contact her when he listed. If she’s unhappy with how things worked out, she can approach Reid herself. Either way, you deserve this chance.”
“He’s right. In real estate, it’s every man or woman for themself. Hell, my own nephew listed with Miguel and didn’t even apologize.”
Miguel grimaced. “Sorry. I didn’t know until after it sold.”
“Them’s the breaks,” Cora said, before using her napkin to wipe her face and standing to throw away her trash.
“Come on,” Miguel said. “Let's go down by the pond until the drawings start. Maybe it’ll be a bit cooler.”
I agreed. As I trailed him, I thought about what I’d learned. I wasn't about to hand over Ivy Lane, but I wasn’t sure it was right to keep the truth from Reid. Sherrilyn had been his family at one point, and he might like to know it.
It was too hot to think deep thoughts, so I put them aside and joined Miguel in another beer and crossed my fingers I’d win some cash. Lord knew I could use it.
Chapter 14
Camden
Even though I’d cleared Austin’s name — more or less — Reid’s suggestion that the break-ins at my apartment and Ivy Lane could be linked stuck with me. I was the only common denominator between the two places. I couldn’t figure why someone would target me, so I decided to do a little research. Fields was a small town. If there was a rash of break-ins, it’d make the newspaper. Heck, a good bread pudding recipe made the news around here.
I looked online and found the mention of my apartment in the police reports, which were printed line by line. But I didn’t spot any other home burglaries. I read about a drunk and disorderly that involved my ex. No great surprise there. A domestic dispute. A possession of marijuana.
To cover my bases, I scrolled through the online news archives for a couple of weeks in each direction, but there was no sign of a sudden crime spree. I checked the week that the Ivy Lane break-in should have been reported, but there was no mention of it. Reid must not have called the police. An attempted break-in was reported at a local law office, but no arrests had been made.
I didn’t know what to make of any of this. I was the obvious link between my apartment and Ivy Lane, but why would anyone be targeting me? Reid would point to Austin again, but I knew he wasn’t capable of it, much less interested.
“Camden? You coming?”
I glanced up from my computer, where I was doing my “hour of power,” as they liked to say in real estate. It was a fancy way of saying you were working on your website, calling leads and trying to find your next sale.
In my case, it was for pondering useless questions and reading police blotters.
“Yeah,” I said, shutting down the computer and joining Miguel at the door. He’d offered to buy me lunch and even though I already felt like a mooch for living with him, I couldn’t afford to turn him down. I hadn’t won any of the cash at the real estate picnic, just a bottle of wine. I’d passed it on to Jeremy in the hopes it’d sweeten him up. I was counting the days until he lost all patience and kicked me out.
We went to a little Italian place with unlimited soup and salad. Miguel ordered a meatball soup and I went for the classic minestrone.
“So, what do you think of Reid and Lee?”
I blinked free of wandering thoughts about break-ins. “Uh, what do you mean?”
Miguel shrugged, but I knew him too well. He was trying to act too casual. “You must be getting to know them better. They seem like kind of an odd couple, don’t they? And the way Lee looks at me—”
“Miguel!” I hissed across the table. “You have a boyfriend. Please tell me you’re not messing around with Lee.”
Given the way Reid had hit on me and his cryptic comments about Lee, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were unfaithful to each other. Maybe they even had an open relationship. Not that it mattered because I wasn’t touching a mess like that with a ten-foot pole. I was a one-man kind of guy through-and-through.
Miguel snorted. “You’re one to talk. You spend more time at Ivy Lane than you do in the office.”
“I'm helping with repairs for a little cash. I haven’t had much luck getting a sale yet.”
And that was still a sticking point between us. Miguel didn’t want me to doubt my success would come, and all I had were doubts.
“Please tell me you’re behaving,” I said again. “I know things are tense with Jeremy, but that’s mostly because of me. I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.”
He sighed. “Relax, nothing’s happened. I saw him working at the cafe. I was meeting a client there to sign some paperwork.”
“Mm-hmm. And?”
Miguel took a spoonful of soup, apparently taking his time to savor it.
“Miguel!”
“Lee was friendly, that’s all. There were ... sparks.”
I groaned.
“Look, I’m not a cheater.”
“Good to know.”
“But something seems off with them don’t you think? There’s not a lot of warmth there.”
He wasn’t wrong. I’d sensed it the first night I met them, come to think of it. There was something in the way Reid and Lee touched, as if by plan rather than natural affection. Add to that Reid’s implication they weren’t committed to staying together, and there was definitely something to Mig’s words.
“Yeah,” I mused. “Maybe they’re on the rocks. You can take Lee and I can take Reid. We’ll all live happily ever after.”
Miguel laughed. “Sounds good.”
I threw a breadstick at him, and it landed in his soup. He grabbed it and bit off the soup-soaked end.
“Yum.”
“Everything goes your way, as usual.”
“Not everything,” he argued. “Jeremy rarely goes my way.”
I lifted my brows. “He still mad about me crashing on the sofa?” I nearly had enough money saved to put down a deposit on a new, better apartment. A few more odd jobs and a few more hours working on the Ivy Lane house, and I’d be out of their hair. If I had to go sooner, I could afford a motel, but that would severely eat into my ability to save up rent.
Miguel shrugged. “It would be easier to tell you what he’s not pissed about. It’s not just you.”
“Sorry, man.”
“Fuck it. Let’s eat some soup and fantasize about taken men.”
I laughed, but there was a part of me that knew I was too hung up on Reid. Miguel’s comments lit a spark of hope in me that Reid and Lee would break up, and that was just wrong. But I couldn’t deny I was curious about their story. Why weren’t they warmer? Why did they glare, warn each other with loaded looks and then flirt with other men?
Wishful thinking, but they didn’t seem much like a couple.
Chapter 15
Camden
I pulled up to Reid’s house just after noon. The sun was hanging hot and heavy in the sky, and the A/C was broken on my car so I was a sweaty mess. I might care more, but I was fixing to get dirty with Reid, and not in an enjoyable way. The sooner we got this house on the market, the better. That Reid paid me to help him was just gravy.
“Camden, come around back. You’re just in time,” Reid hollered.
Great, it looked like it was going to be yardwork again. Reid seemed to have found
a passion for ripping out old bushes and trees and digging in the dirt. He had big landscaping plans, which would look great, no doubt, but I was dying for some cool air.
I walked around the side of the house and found him on his hands and knees. His ass was in the air and his thigh muscles were flexing as he shifted in a crouched position.
He didn’t seem to notice my eyes casing his ass as if I was going to invade later, thankfully. Ever since the almost kiss, Reid had been careful to keep his distance. I’d also done my best to keep my guard up around him. No more intimate confessions or lying side-by-side on the floor. No more brushing against him as I walked past, or allowing him too far into my personal space. I couldn’t breathe his air without wanting to kiss him.
As a result, we hadn’t talked about anything outside of the projects we were tackling each day. I told myself that’s why I hadn’t gotten around to talking to him about Sherrilyn and her connection to the house. Truthfully, I didn’t want to talk about her partly out of fear he would decide to give her the listing. Not only because of their family connection, but because things were a bit strained between us lately.
“Come check this out,” Reid said by way of greeting. “Robert must have been off his rocker.”
I joined him on the dirt near an overgrown rose bush. Instead of telling me about the latest wacky plant or weed he’d found, though, Reid lifted a dirty metal lockbox out of a hole in the ground.
“What the heck? That was buried?”
Reid grinned like a kid. “Yeah, I stumbled across it while trying to uproot some of these weeds. I was digging away when clank, my trowel hit something hard. I’m wondering if my old uncle subscribed to the backyard school of banking.”
My eyebrows shot up. “You think there’s money inside?”
“Let’s go find out,” he said.
“If there is, I call halfsies,” I teased.
He looked at me far too seriously. “Cam, if there’s lots of money in here, I’ll run away with you to a desert island.”
He winked playfully, but it felt like kidding on the sly. Would Reid run away with me if he could? I pushed the thought away and followed him into the house to see what treasure the rusty old box might hold. Reid wasn’t mine to run away with, and I’d do well to remember it if I didn’t want Lee to cut off my dick.
***
Reid
Camden followed me into the kitchen, sighing dramatically as the cool air hit his flushed face. I realized how hot and wilted he seemed. I’d been so excited with my find I hadn’t taken the time to read the signs of heat exhaustion.
“Sit. I’ll get you a drink.”
Camden nodded and slid into a chair in the dining room. That alone told me plenty. Ordinarily he’d tell me not to bother or he’d insist on waiting on himself. Cam worked incredibly hard when he joined me on house projects, but I wondered if he was pushing himself too hard.
Grabbing some ice from the freezer, I added water to a tall drinking glass. He needed to hydrate.
I returned to find him staring down the lockbox. Every bit of his body sagged, but when he noticed me he straightened up and fixed a smile on his face.
“You don’t have to do that.”
I handed him the glass, and he chugged he water. When he’d finished, he gasped for air. “Do what?”
“Try to look perky for me. You’re worn out today. And overheated.”
He pulled a face. “I’m fine. I got too hot, but I’m already feeling better.”
I didn’t bother to argue. I’d made my point. Instead, I fetched my toolbox and grabbed a crowbar to pry open the lock on the box. I had to put some muscle into it, but it popped open on my third try.
Cam leaned forward to peek inside as I opened the lid and I tried to ignore the smell of sweat and ginger body wash. It smelled better than it should. I kind of wanted to push Camden down over the table and lick him.
“Baseball cards!”
Sure enough, the box held plastic sleeves of baseball cards. That wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped, but Camden was bouncing with energy.
“Holy shit, that’s a Jackie Robinson card. Oh man, that is worth some serious money. Oh wow, and he has some Babe Ruths, too. Jesus.”
“You’re into baseball cards, huh? I didn’t know that.”
Camden looked at me, smile so big I saw dimples for the first time. He was so adorable he was going to kill me.
“Yeah, my dad collected them. He gave them to me when he got sick. They were all I had left of him after he died.”
The joy drained out of him as he spoke. Damn, I hadn’t meant to bring him down.
“It’s good you have something of his, though.”
He glanced up, his expression falling further. “Yeah, except they were stolen. When my apartment ...” He swallowed hard.
“Oh damn, I didn’t know you lost something precious,” I said. I reached into the plastic sleeve and pulled out the Jackie Robinson card.
He looked down at the card in my hand and his eyes went wide. “God no, I couldn’t. My cards weren’t worth much. They had sentimental value.”
I grasped his hand and laid the card in it. “I know this can’t replace what your father gave you. But maybe you can rebuild your collection in his memory.”
Camden’s blue eyes met and held mine for a long moment.
“It’s worth a lot of money. I don’t know how much, exactly, but more than you should give away.”
“You can sell it if you want.”
He shook his head. “I’ll never sell it. I’d live in my car first.”
I chuckled and unable to resist, leaned forward and grazed his cheek with my lips. “I believe you would. But Cam, promise me if it comes down to that, you’ll come to me first.”
He drew back, increasing the space between us. Cam often did that. I pushed our boundaries, and he carefully maintained them. I’d been making more effort to respect his wishes since I’d tried to kiss him that last time. I wanted Cam, but I knew he’d never knowingly “cheat” with me, and I also knew that if I pushed too much, I’d lose his respect, and with it, any chance with him in the future.
“I can take care of myself. I don’t need charity.” He placed the card on the table and I wanted to kick myself. He’d never accept it now, and I only wanted to ease his pain.
“I know. I’m just trying to be a friend.”
“Then put me to work,” he said with a smile. “Plenty more treasure to be found in this place.”
“Or trash,” I murmured.
“Make sure you get the cards appraised. I spotted several high-dollar cards and I’m no expert.”
“Will do.”
I didn’t want him to work, but I also didn’t want him to leave. So, I guided him into the laundry area stacked high with boxes, and we got to work sorting out the trash from the treasure.
For Uncle Robert, it had all been one and the same.
***
Camden
I parked down the street from Ivy Lane and cut down the alley and behind the row of old two-stories. Ignoring the peeling paint, overgrown yards and sagging garages, my eyes locked on Reid’s house.
Between my conversation with Miguel about Reid and Lee’s missing chemistry and Reid’s shady comments about their relationship status, I was convinced something didn’t add up. Then there was the screwy behavior. The alarm system and the insane tackling of the contractor and the gun. Maybe Reid was just showing his big-city paranoia, but I didn’t think he was the type to fret and his actions seemed extreme, even with the recent break-in at the house.
All these tidbits had been niggling at me for weeks, and I’d carefully been pushing them into the back of my mind. I liked Reid and I needed his business. I didn’t want to believe there was anything shady going on, but I couldn’t deny that Reid had looked too comfortable with that gun in his hand. Kansas attracted its share of gun owners, but there had been something about the look in his eye: Reid had seemed ready and willing to shoot first and ask
questions later.
I edged into the backyard, the back of my neck prickling in the gloom. I could feel eyes on me, but I was sure it was my imagination. I ducked down behind a rosebush and slowly raised up to peek in the window, where I’d purposely left the blinds up an inch. Luckily Reid hadn’t noticed or adjusted them.
A twig snapped under my foot and I gasped and dropped down. “As if he can hear a twig from inside,” I whispered to myself. “Just calm down.”
I eased back up and peeked inside. I could see the dining room and half of the living area.
Lee slouched on the sofa, snacking on crackers and some kind of dip. His eyes were trained on the television.
Heart beating fast, I cupped my hands around my eyes and tried to get a better look inside. Reid walked into my view and stopped directly in front of Lee. I couldn’t hear anything they said. I didn’t know what I expected to hear anyway.
“Come on,” I muttered. “Kiss or cuddle so I can get the hell out of here.”
If I could just see some sign of affection, some confirmation they were a real couple … then what? I could shut down my suspicions they weren’t what they seemed? If nothing else, I could squash my inappropriate crush for good.
But they didn’t kiss or cuddle. I pushed at the window, hoping to slide it open an inch or two, but it didn’t budge. It was painted shut, and even if it wasn’t, it was probably locked. This whole adventure was a complete wash.
Reid shifted, moved a hand between him and Lee, and suddenly I saw their position in a new light. Lee no longer ate; his head was tilted down slightly. They were in the perfect position for a blow job.
What the heck am I doing here? I didn’t want to see this. No amount of crush-squashing was worth the memory of that. I’d never be able to look Reid in the eye again.
I lurched back from the window. I stumbled into the rosebush next to me, and cursed as thorns grabbed at my clothes and one stabbed my palm. I jerked free, hurrying around the side of the house, when my foot hit a hole in the lawn.