Cam’s head jerked up. “She’s off limits,” he growled, surprised at the edge to his voice.
Eric looked at his brother a moment. He’d never heard Cam respond like this to a comment about an available woman. In fact, Cam rarely snapped at him about anything. Eric lowered himself into a chair. “You want to tell me about it?”
“No.” Cam’s jaw worked but he said nothing more.
“Okay. You won’t talk about it, yet you’re ordering me to stay away from her?”
“She’s not your type.” Cam’s eyebrows drew together in a frown.
“And you know because …”
Cam put his pen down and sat back. “I’ve met her, more than once on searches and again at the monthly SAR meeting.” He ran a hand through his hair as his gaze settled back on Eric. “You can go after any woman you want. I’d never try to stop you.”
Eric noted Cam’s set expression and fixed eyes. There’d be no messing around on this one.
“I know you wouldn’t stop me, and you know I won’t go after any woman you have an interest in. The question is, what does she mean to you?”
Cam rose from his chair. “Hell, Eric. I wish I knew.” He crossed his arms, settling his hips against the edge of his desk. “I’ve decided to call it off with Megan. It won’t ever go any further for me. As for Lainey, well, I just don’t know. She’s intelligent, interesting, and everything I’d want if I were looking to settle down and build a family. I’m just not certain my life is ready for a relationship that requires work or time.”
“Have you dated her?”
“No.”
“But you want to?”
“I’d like to do a lot more than date her, and that’s my problem.” Cam’s mouth tightened. He checked his watch. “I have a meeting downstairs in ten minutes, after that I’m heading home to get ready for dinner.”
Eric stood and opened the office door. “Beers tomorrow after the game. No excuses.”
Cam let out a breath, irritated at the exchange and angry at himself for responding like such a possessive jerk. He had no claim on Lainey—didn’t know for certain if he wanted one. Their kiss had affected him much more than he’d intended. He’d wanted a taste, just enough to see if they had any chemistry. Now he knew a relationship between them wouldn’t be anything like his affairs in the past. He’d never had an actual date with her, barely knew her, and already she messed with his mind.
He grabbed the meeting folder and headed downstairs, determined to push her out of his system, at least until he’d broken it off with Megan. If this is how Lainey affected him now, she had the potential to seriously affect everything he’d worked toward. He couldn’t afford to get off track, not now, and especially not over his body’s reaction to a woman.
******
Eric climbed into his truck and started the engine, letting it idle while he punched in a number on his phone.
“Hey, Brooke, it’s Eric. Just checking in to see how you’re doing. I hear Mom might be headed your way in a week or so. Call me back.”
He set the phone down. His sister still hadn’t responded to his emails or messages, and his initial irritation had turned to true worry. He knew their mom was flying out to San Diego within a few days. She’d figure things out.
Eric drove toward The Tavern, a local pub favored by the Friday after-work crowd. He thought of Cam and their discussion a couple of hours earlier. He couldn’t recall the last time Cam had sounded so possessive over a woman.
He’d heard about Lainey from one of his friends in the SAR unit, how she’d already found a lost kid, and the way she filled out her tight jeans. Yes, she was already becoming the talk of the singles circuit even if she’d done nothing to warrant the attention. And now to realize Cam had a thing for her shocked Eric. No matter how Cam positioned it, she’d already gotten to him, and damn if Eric wasn’t glad.
He pulled into the tavern and got out as Jake Renner parked alongside him.
“Hey, Jake.”
“Eric.” He looked into the truck. “Cam with you?”
“No. He has dinner plans with Megan tonight.”
“Not Lainey Devlin, huh?”
“What do you mean?” Eric opened the tavern door, allowing Jake to walk past.
“They left the SAR meeting together Wednesday night. Went for coffee or something. Anyway, he seemed to be pretty smitten.”
“I’ll be damned,” Eric muttered.
“What’d you say?”
“Nothing. Just surprised. Well, I guess anything’s possible.”
******
“You sure you don’t mind coming along tonight?” Mark sat in the living room, ready for his dinner meeting with Megan and Zell. He’d invited Lainey, believing it would be good for her to get to know the two women better, make some connections in her new home town.
“Not at all. It’ll be great to go out for a night. Where are we going?”
“Some steakhouse Megan likes. She mentioned bringing her boyfriend who’s some big shot in town. His family is pretty well known in Arizona. My guess is he’d probably be another good connection for each of us.”
“Sounds good. I’m always up for meeting new people.”
Thirty minutes later Mark opened the door to the Cattle King and followed Lainey inside, noticing the dark wood interior, beautiful oil paintings on the walls, and plush carpet.
“May I help you?”
“We’re meeting Megan Morena.”
“Please follow me.”
Mark spotted Megan and Zell at a round table in the center. He shook their hands and introduced Lainey as they took their seats.
“Your friend coming?” Mark asked Megan.
“He should be here any minute.” Megan looked past Lainey to the entrance. “Oh, there he is now.” She waved him over.
“Sorry I’m late,” Cam leaned down to give Megan a kiss on the cheek, then straightened. His eyes locked on the woman across from Megan, dumbstruck at who sat at their table.
“Cam, this is Mark Hill and Lainey Devlin.” She looked up at Cam. “This is Cam Sinclair.”
Cam dragged his eyes away from Lainey long enough to shake Mark’s hand. “Good to see you again, Mark.” He shifted his gaze back to Lainey to see hurt, disappointment, and pain cross her face in a matter of seconds. His stomach clenched as he swallowed the lump in his throat. “Hello, Lainey.”
The initial shock Lainey felt had turned to hurt, then anger. Mark’s words came back to her. Megan’s bringing her boyfriend. Some big shot in town from a well-known family. Her gut twisted at her naïve dreams about this man. He’d reached out to her in friendship, acted like he wanted more, and she’d been swept along in her fantasies about the two of them becoming a couple. What a fool she must appear to him after her passionate response to his kisses two nights before. She wanted to bury her face in her hands. Instead, Lainey steeled herself, determined not to let her emotions show.
“Cam. It’s good to see you.” She forced a smile, hoping the turmoil she felt didn’t show.
“You know each other?” Zell asked.
Cam took a seat between Megan and Zell, trying to still the jolt at seeing Megan and Lainey at the same table, while regaining his composure. “Lainey just joined the SAR team. And I believe Mark will be joining us if the deal between you three goes through.”
“How wonderful, Mark. It’s a great group of people.” Megan sipped her wine, oblivious to the tension that sparked across the table.
Lainey focused on her menu, the paintings on the wall, anything except letting her gaze settle on Cam. She could feel his eyes on her, as if they had a direct connection across the table that no one else could sense. Still, she avoided looking at him.
“Lainey?” Mark’s words penetrated her thoughts.
“I’m sorry. What?”
“Cam asked if you enjoyed getting to know some of the volunteers.”
She took a sip of water, trying to contain her racing heart. “Yes. Everyone seemed professional
, committed, and quite welcoming. I believe it will work out fine.”
Mark watched Lainey struggle. She spoke little of the night Cam had taken her for coffee, other than to say she thought they might start seeing each other. Mark felt certain she’d developed feelings for Cam Sinclair, more than she wanted to admit, now he knew for certain. If he’d known that Cam and Megan were an item, he never would’ve asked Lainey to join them. He knew her too well, and the hurt that had crossed her face when Cam walked in and kissed Megan had pained Mark as well.
“What do you do, Lainey?” Zell asked, keeping the conversation going, unaware of the side drama going on around their table.
“I’m a preschool teacher.”
“And who do you work for?”
“I’m in the middle of buying the preschool owned by Helen Jorgensen. She’s retiring and moving up to Bluebird Falls where her daughter lives.”
“Oh, I know the school. From what I hear it’s very popular, even has a waiting list.” Megan glanced around the table, making up her mind that Mark would fit quite well into their business.
“I’m fortunate to get it.”
Cam listened to the exchange, his eyes drifting over Lainey, and felt his insides squeeze tight. He’d made the decision to cut it off with Megan, had planned to do it tonight after dinner. Even though his life allowed little room for a relationship, and he had no plans for anything permanent, he felt compelled to see what could develop with Lainey. No woman had ever gotten under his skin the way she did.
He looked across the table at the woman he’d held in his arms two nights before to see his hopes crumble. When Lainey did glance his way, her eyes were cold and impersonal, lacking all the warmth he’d become accustomed to seeing. Cam felt a sharp ache in his chest as he realized he might never be able to make amends for what she’d seen tonight.
Dinner proceeded at a slow pace, Cam wanting to pull Lainey aside and talk, Lainey wanting to leave and put as much distance between her and Cam Sinclair as possible. The irritation at her reaction to the man burned. She knew little about him, had never anticipated the appearance of a girlfriend, and yet had forged ahead, hoping for something that had little chance of taking root. It seemed so ridiculous when she thought about it.
“Did you enjoy your dinner, Mark?” Megan finished the last of her wine and set the goblet down.
“Best I’ve had in a long time. Great suggestion for a restaurant. I’ll have to come back again.”
“Perhaps to celebrate once you’ve made the decision to be our third partner.” Zell had been on her best behavior all night, and everyone, including Mark, seemed to sense it. “When do you think you’ll have a decision?”
“I leave on Tuesday. My plan is to give you a decision before then.”
“Excellent. Should we schedule a meeting for Monday afternoon?” Zell pressed.
“Let me think through everything once more and call you Monday morning. I’d like a little more time to digest all the information as well as your offer.”
“That works,” Megan broke in before Zell could push any further. “It’s time for me to head home. It’s been a long week.”
Cam took his cue and rose to pull out Megan’s chair. “Good to see you again, Mark. I hope to have you on the SAR team before long.”
“You’ll be the third person I call once my decision is made.” Mark looked toward Lainey. “Ready?”
She didn’t answer, just stood, grabbed her jacket, and said quick goodbyes to everyone before heading toward the exit. Mark lingered a moment, discussing a few details with Zell.
“Excuse me a minute, Megan. I want to speak with Lainey.” Cam walked at a brisk pace, trying to catch Lainey before she’d gotten too far. “Lainey, wait up.”
She heard his voice, ignored it, and continued on, hoping to get inside her car before he followed her any further.
“Lainey, please. Give me a minute.”
She slowed her pace, giving up all pretense of not hearing him, and steeling herself for whatever he said, determined to not let him see her disappointment.
Cam stopped next to her. “I should have told you about Megan.”
She looked up at him, her heart racing. “Why didn’t you? What exactly did you expect from me?”
He shoved a hand through his thick, blond hair. “I don’t know what I expected. Friendship, certainly—more than that, maybe.”
“And you thought you could have more with me and still keep your girlfriend?”
“No, that’s not at all what I thought.” He paused a moment, unsure where this conversation was headed or if he should just back off and let her leave. “The truth is, I’ve never felt such an immediate connection with anyone, ever. There’s something about you that draws me, Lainey. I can’t get you off my mind.”
She could’ve said the same thing about him a couple of hours ago. A change had rippled through her when Cam walked into the restaurant and up to Megan—as if a door had slammed shut. Whatever fantasies she held for this man had vanished in a heartbeat.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Cam, because I don’t.” She looked over his shoulder to see Mark walking toward them. “I’ll see you around.”
“I’d planned to break it off with Megan tonight.” His voice held a quiet emphasis. It wasn’t a plea, just a simple statement of fact.
Lainey looked over her shoulder, wishing she were the type of woman who could come up with a flip response. God had blessed her in many ways, with several talents—sarcasm wasn’t one of them. She took a shaky breath and turned back toward her car, unable to make her voice work.
Cam’s heart broke at the disillusionment he saw in her eyes. He knew she lied about not feeling anything for him—she was as drawn to him as he was to her. Some people wore their emotions for all to see, and Lainey was one of them. He’d lied by omission, not being up front about his current relationship, and now that omission could cost him much more than he’d ever anticipated.
Mark walked up beside him, looked Cam in the eyes, shook his head then left him standing alone in the parking lot. That one gesture told Cam all he needed to know about how Lainey truly felt, yet it did nothing to ease the ache in his chest.
Chapter Nine
Cam hadn’t seen Lainey since the dinner three weeks before, and with each passing day he realized how much he’d lost by not being up front with her. To his surprise, the ache he’d felt as she drove away hadn’t lessened in time. In fact, it increased a little every day. The next SAR meeting had been scheduled for the following week. He hoped Lainey would attend. At least he could see her even if she had no use for him.
He’d seen little of Megan. Cam had taken her home after the dinner. Their relationship no longer held the appeal it once did, and he’d told her as much. To his immense relief, she’d come to the same conclusion and welcomed the chance to stay friends.
It didn’t matter, though, because he’d already ruined his chances with Lainey. He’d move on, focus on his work, and get back to the life he’d been building before Lainey ever set foot in it.
Cam and Megan kept in touch. He’d learned that Mark requested a couple of minor modifications to the agreement before shaking hands with his new partners. In one more week, he’d be in Fire Mountain for good, living in an extra bedroom in Lainey’s new home until he could find his own place.
Lainey’s deal had closed without a hitch. Cam sent her an email, congratulating her on the purchase and new status as a business owner. She didn’t respond.
Cam glanced up from his desk when he heard a tap on his office door and saw Heath MacLaren, his stepfather, walk in with another man behind him. “Good morning, Heath.”
“Cam, I’d like you to meet Damon Heitz. He’s the founder and chairman of the company we discussed at the last board meeting. Damon, this is my stepson, Cameron Sinclair.”
Cam stood to walk around the desk and shake Damon’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Heitz.”
“Good to meet you too, young man.
”
“I’d like you and Todd to fly Damon back to Cold Creek, Colorado, then have you stay a few days. Tour the facility, see what might fit with our current operations. When you’re done, call Todd and he’ll make a return trip for you.”
Cam’s eyes widened with the request. His degree in computer science and a master’s in business, plus several years of experience, including a background in acquisitions, had prepared him for this next move. He couldn’t have asked for anything better. Heath just offered to let him be the lead on a potential purchase and he found it hard to hide his surprise.
“No problem, Heath.” He turned to Damon. “When would you like to leave?”
“Tomorrow morning, first thing.”
“We’ll be ready for you.”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes, Cam.” Heath escorted Damon outside and returned to Cam’s office within minutes. “Thoughts?”
“Truthfully, I’m stunned. Thank you for offering me this opportunity.”
“It’s what you’ve wanted, and now you’re ready. The financials have been inspected and I’ve been to the facility several times over the years. Now I need a fresh perspective from someone with experience in acquisitions. I know you did some of that while in San Francisco. Here’s the chance to do it for the family.”
Cam stared at Heath, unable to speak. His stepfather was right, it’s exactly what he’d hoped for and worked toward. They both knew this type of experience had become essential for anyone aspiring to be the president of one of the MacLaren companies. Heath had offered Cam the opportunity to obtain his dream.
“I won’t let you down, Heath.”
Heath stood and shook Cam’s hand. “Hell, son. Don’t you think I know that?”
******
Lainey had been busy beyond anything she’d expected. The preschool now had a new owner and new name—Sunshine Preschool. She’d requested names from parents, considered each one, and finally settled on Sunshine. Helen cut the apprenticeship short when her daughter came down with pneumonia. She’d already packed everything she planned to take and left a few days later, apologizing and promising to return if Lainey needed her help.
One More Day: MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary, Book Three (MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary series 3) Page 7
