“What do you think?” Lainey sat at the small table in her month-to-month rental with financials spread out, her phone clamped between her shoulder and ear, speaking with Mark, who’d received the most recent documents a couple of days before.
“I can’t find anything wrong.” Mark flipped through his notes as he held the phone to his ear with his other hand. “She’s had the business for twenty years, the profits are consistent, and like you said, there’s room to expand, add a private kindergarten or additional preschool space. That’s the only way you’ll be able to increase your income.”
“And the sales price?”
“I think there may be room for negotiation. She’s including her house in the total amount. That’s the part I believe to be a little high, especially given the real estate market in your area.” Mark paused a moment. “My question is, do you like the house?”
“I love it and she’s kept it up. It’s in a good location, a few blocks from the old downtown, and a mile from the preschool. Still, I don’t want to over pay.”
“Tell you what. I’m due for a break. How about I come down, see the house and business in person, and give you my opinion?”
Relief washed over Lainey. “That would be wonderful.”
“Good. Today’s Wednesday. How about I come down next Friday and plan to stay through Tuesday? That should give us plenty of time.”
“Whatever works with your schedule. I really appreciate it.”
They hung up with Lainey feeling optimistic about the business and the house. If the purchase went through, she’d be buying a nice Victorian with restored kitchen and baths. It came with some furniture, so she wouldn’t need to put much money into it right away.
She walked toward the small convenience kitchen in her rented apartment and pulled down a cup for tea. The edge of a small piece of paper hiding beneath a magazine on the counter caught her attention. Lainey pulled it out—Cameron’s email. She stared at it, then stuffed it into her pocket.
An hour later she finished the last of her work and pushed back from the computer, then thought of the piece of paper in her pocket. Why not? She typed out a quick email message to Cameron. The odds he’d respond after all this time were slim. She pressed Send, then headed to bed, never expecting to hear back, yet hopeful she would.
******
Cam stretched out his long legs and lifted his hands behind his head before leaning back into the large, tapestry covered sofa in Megan’s living room. They’d been seeing each other for several weeks—dinners, movies, lunch a few times, riding horses around the ranch, and even driving to Phoenix for a hockey game.
He enjoyed her company. No drama, no stress, and easy conversation. They had a slow, steady pace with no surprises or commitments—and no sparks. That seemed to be the part holding Cam back from letting himself get any closer. He was attracted to Megan, and even though they’d slept together a couple of times, he still felt no overwhelming pull, no electricity, or desire to reach out and draw her to him. Their relationship was consistent and predictable—exactly what he wanted. It worked, and with his hectic schedule, it seemed the best type of situation. He could walk away at any time if he felt pressure from Megan, even though he sensed she felt the same way he did. At this point, he had no desire for anything more.
“Here you go. One coffee.” Megan handed Cam the cup and sat down next to him. “Do you want to watch a movie?”
He sat up, cradling the hot cup. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll head home. I have a big day tomorrow with the board meeting. How about we go out Friday night?”
“That’s fine. I’m pretty bushed also.”
Cam drove the half-hour to his cabin, thinking of where to take Megan to dinner. He heard the new steak house had a great dessert menu. She loved dessert. He already knew what she’d order. Steak, medium, a baked potato with butter and nothing else, steamed vegetables, no bread, and dessert. She’d eat half the steak, half the potato, and all of the dessert. Nothing like her business partner, Zell, who always cleaned her plate and still had dessert.
He chuckled when he thought of Eric and Zell. They’d been going out as long as Cam and Megan, yet their relationship appeared to be the polar opposite of his. Both were energetic, headstrong, and driven. He’d seen them go head-to-head several times on what Cam considered small issues—the choice of a restaurant or who picked out a movie. Eric and Zell were both competitive, almost to a fault.
Even though Cam liked Zell, he just couldn’t see Eric spending his life with a woman who aggravated him much of the time. Cam was surprised the two had lasted this long.
He closed the front door, threw his keys on the dining room table, and walked into the second bedroom where he kept his computer, turning it on while he changed clothes. Cam grabbed a glass of water and sat down to see emails loading. One caught his attention right off. He didn’t recognize the address and almost hit Delete before changing his mind and opening it. His gaze froze on the name at the bottom. Lainey Devlin.
Cam scanned the short message. She said nothing about her fiancé or job, or much of anything, really. She asked how things were going with him and mentioned she had some changes coming into her life. What does that mean? Cam wondered. The message ended with an invitation to email back if he still had an interest in connecting. An interest? Hell, yes, he still had an interest. Then he thought of Megan and the ease of their situation. He guessed any involvement with Lainey would require work and compete with the life he pursued.
Cam pushed away from the computer, turned off the light, and walked across the hall to his bedroom, an image of Lainey rolling across his mind. Ebony hair, infectious smile, and the most beautiful emerald green eyes he’d ever seen—eyes that drew him in—wide, honest, and searching.
He threw himself onto the bed, covering his eyes with an arm, and tried to understand what it was about her that fascinated him so. Yes, he’d found her attractive, even in her rescue gear with soot and dirt smeared across her face and hands, fierce determination evident in the set of her jaw and mouth. The intensity he saw in her eyes as she dragged the female hiker down the mountain had left no doubt in Cam’s mind that Lainey would have saved the woman or died trying. Her mental strength captivated him.
His thoughts drifted to the email and what she didn’t say.
Cam sat up and swung his legs around to stand, then stopped. He had to make up his mind how far he’d be willing to go in his pursuit of Lainey if he found out she’d called off her engagement. And that’s what it would be—absolute pursuit. Even though she lived in another state, there wasn’t a doubt in Cam’s mind he’d go after her with a single-mindedness imbedded in his genes. And that pursuit would be at the expense of the goals that had always mattered to him the most.
******
Lainey sat up, drenched in sweat and shaking. It had been a long night, with little sleep, interrupted by strange dreams, including one that jolted her awake. She’d grabbed a glass of water and gulped it down, searching for calm. Her eyes landed on the clock. Two in the morning. She hadn’t had the dream for years and thought it had been relegated to her past.
Flames, screams, people rushing past while pointing toward something behind them. Even in her sleep, she could sense her heart rate quicken. Her eyes darted in one direction then another as hot, leaping streams of fire surrounded her. An explosion pierced the air before a massive wall of water appeared overhead, crashing around her, and sweeping everything into some unseen darkness.
Lainey shook her head, forcing her thoughts to the present. Her eyes darted around the bedroom, searching for the television remote that lay a few feet away. She clicked the power button, settled against her headboard, then gave up after fifteen minutes and slipped back under the covers. The old clock that had belonged to her mother continued to jump from minute to minute, marking off the passage of time. Sometime during the early hours she’d drifted off.
Lainey woke to bright light streaming through her bedroom window and the s
ounds of children playing outside. She jumped out of bed when she saw the time, made coffee and fired up her computer, waiting as emails downloaded. She scanned them in quick fashion, and a tinge of disappointment washed over her when no response from Cameron appeared. It was Saturday. Maybe he’d gone out of town, perhaps on a rescue mission and hadn’t seen her message. Regardless, she had work to do.
By noon she’d spoken with Helen, the owner of the preschool. They scheduled a time to walk through the house with Mark, visit the preschool, and meet afterwards.
Checking her email once more, Lainey spotted a message from Mark asking that she provide a contact at the CPA firm looking for an additional partner. He didn’t come out and state his interest, although Lainey had trouble keeping her excitement under control at the realization Mark had decided to consider it. She picked up the phone and called Helen, who’d first mentioned the firm. Within minutes she’d sent Mark what he needed.
Lainey looked at her to-do list for the day. She grabbed her purse and dashed out the door.
“Hi. May I help you?”
The man behind the desk looked familiar. Lainey pushed the thought aside as she stepped forward and stuck out her hand.
“I’m Lainey Devlin. It looks like I’ll be buying a business in town and want to find out if you have a need for more SAR volunteers.”
He clasped her hand. “Frank Moretti. We’re always looking. Do you have any experience?”
“Yes, sir. I have a little over four years in SAR and have completed numerous mountain rescues, and a few mounted rescues with my team in Idaho. I’d very much like to get involved here, if there’s room.”
“Idaho, huh? Were you part of the Montana rescue a few months ago?”
“Yes. And the one at Castle Canyon in Colorado.”
“That one turned out real well.” He reached into a drawer and pulled out an enrollment packet. “Complete this and bring it back. Or, you’re welcome to sit over there, if you have the time.”
Lainey took the envelope and smiled. “I’d like to do it now.”
“Great. Just call me when you’re done. I’ll be in the back for a while.”
Frank pushed through the doors to the gear and operations area to see Cam walking through the back door, carrying a backpack in one hand and a cup holder with coffees in the other.
“Hey, Cam. What brings you in today?” Frank accepted the coffee and sat on a stool near the lockers.
“Need to drop off my extra pack. It’s in pathetic shape after the search a few weeks ago.” He looked toward the open back door. “You get a new SUV?”
“SUV?”
“Yeah, a shiny red one parked out front.”
“It must belong to the woman in the office. She came in to complete the paperwork for admission to the team. Has some experience. We could use at least one more person.”
“Hope she’s good.”
“According to her she’s done some mountain and mounted rescues. I’ll check out her application first of the week. You want to meet her?”
“No, don’t have time. Eric and Heath are expecting me at the ranch. Mom’s planning a BBQ tomorrow and requested all of us be in attendance to setup.”
“Well, Cam, a man’s gotta do…and all that.” Frank pitched the empty cup into a trash can. “Guess I’d better see if she’s finished up. I’ll invite her to our next meeting if everything checks out.”
“See you then, if not before.” Cam left the way he came, glancing once more at the SUV and hoping Frank and Jake would find her suitable for the team. In his mind, you could never have too many trained volunteers ready to respond to an emergency.
“You all done?” Frank stepped next to Lainey who handed him the completed forms.
“Here you go. When will I know?”
“In a hurry to get on board?” Frank asked as he looked over the paperwork.
“Always.”
“Good. I should be able to get back to you by midweek.” He stuck out his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Lainey.”
“Same here.” She pulled her car keys out of a pocket and turned to leave.
“By the way, if everything checks out, I’d like you to be at our next meeting. Week after this on Wednesday night.”
“I’ll block it off now,” she smiled back at him and pushed through the door.
Lainey pulled a small piece of paper from her purse. SAR application, post office, grocery store, car wash, gas—her list for the day.
She checked off each in turn, walking through the door to her apartment an hour later and setting the grocery bags on the counter. Four o’clock on a Saturday and her day was done. Now what?
She read through all the material on the preschool until her eyes felt buggy, pulled an energy drink from the refrigerator, and fell onto the sofa. Her eyes roamed the small apartment, searching for something that would hold her attention until she took her evening run. Maybe a stop at the YMCA gym would be good, too.
Her eyes landed on the laptop.
Lainey opened her email and read a confirmation from Mark that he’d received the information and already spoken with one of the partners. He’d be meeting with them during his trip, which he’d extended for a few days. She glanced at the other messages, one from Deb in Bluebird Falls, asking her to call when she had time, three messages from Robert, who she’d been ignoring since her arrival, and a couple from friends on her former SAR team. No response from Cameron.
She changed clothes, jumped into her car, and headed toward one of the lakes. The day was clear and warm, drawing a lot of families to the popular picnic and campground areas. Stowing her purse under the seat, she stuffed her keys in a pocket, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and started at a slow jog down the trail to the lake.
******
Cam parked as his phone began to ring. He glanced at the caller ID.
“Hi Eric, what’s up?”
“You took off before mom could find you. She wants you to bring Megan to the BBQ tomorrow.”
“Sure, if she’s available. Last night at dinner she mentioned something about being in Phoenix today and tomorrow. I’ll check. Are you bringing Zell?”
“I don’t know. We got into another one of our disagreements last night. She stormed out and I haven’t spoken to her since. Something stupid.”
“Like all of them.”
“Guess so. The making up is good, just don’t know if the angst in between is worth it. What can I say?”
Even the flip response couldn’t hide Eric’s frustration with the woman he’d been dating.
“Why don’t you call it quits and move on?” Cam had asked this same question a couple of weeks before and watched Eric balk.
“Hell, I don’t know.”
Cameron paused a minute. “You ever hear from Amber?”
Eric’s silence told Cam all he needed to know. Eric’s high school and college sweetheart, the woman everyone thought he’d marry, had abruptly changed direction during their junior year in college. A drama major, she’d met a professor who encouraged her to move to New York to pursue her dream of acting on the stage. She’d begged Eric to move east with her, transfer to one of the schools in New York, and finish his degree. He’d been too stunned and angry at the time to think it all through. Instead of giving it time, looking at the possibility of supporting her dream, Eric had told her to make a decision—him or New York.
She’d given him two weeks to reconsider. When he held firm, she made her choice. New York.
“Well, you sure did go from one extreme to the other. Amber to Zell. Who would’ve thought?”
“Yeah, who would’ve thought?” Eric’s voice had lost all hint of life, making Cam wish he’d never brought up Amber’s name.
“I’ll call Megan, then let mom know. Regardless, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Cam closed the phone and slid it in his pocket as his eyes locked on a runner on the other side of the lake. Something about her seemed familiar, he just couldn’t pinpoint what. The woman was
in shorts and a t-shirt, her dark hair pulled into a ponytail that swayed as she ran along the trail. He pulled his eyes away and once more, an image of Lainey flashed through his mind.
As much as his mind told him he had no business getting into anything more complicated than what he had with Megan, he still yearned to see Lainey one more time, spend a day with her. The chance lay back at his house, waiting in the email file on his computer. All he had to do was respond, ask some questions, and hit Send.
Chapter Five
“About time you showed up.” Eric walked over with a can of beer in each hand, and gave one to Cam.
“Thought we said noon.” Cam swallowed the cold liquid and looked up to survey the scene. “How many is Mom expecting anyway?”
“About a hundred people.”
“A hundred?” Cam’s eyes widened. “I thought she invited family and few friends.”
“She did, plus the ranch hands and their families. At least the ones that live on the property. Cassie is coming up from Phoenix, Matt Garner will meet her here along with the rest of the Garner clan. The list just keeps going. We thought Trey, Jesse, and Trevor would be here but they had to cancel at the last minute.”
“Where’s Zell?”
“I didn’t invite her. It’s time for us to take a break—maybe a long one. Megan?”
“She’s in Phoenix and not coming back for a few days. She did mention they have a lead on a potential partner to buy into their firm. Some guy from out of state. He’ll be here the end of the week.”
“Zell never mentioned it to me. Guess that tells you the state of our relationship.” Eric finished his beer and pitched the empty can into the recycle basket.
“Has anyone heard from Brooke?”
Eric shook his head, disgust evident in the set of his eyes and mouth. “She bailed, like always. I don’t know what’s going on with her. Ever since that dic…, uh, jerk, Perry, dumped her for his married college professor, she’s been a wreck. I’m thinking we need to make a trip out there and find out what’s going on.”
Cam thought of his younger sister. She’d always been the girl-next-door type, smart, pretty in a cute way, and way too trusting. Neither he nor Eric had liked Perry, an egotistical PhD candidate who thought way too much of himself and too little of Brooke.
One More Day: MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary, Book Three (MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary series 3) Page 4
