Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 94630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
She rewarded him with a shy smile and pink cheeks, so at odds with the virago attacking Walsh moments before.
“Okay. You’re right.” She nodded, pulling the robe a little tighter around her before tipping up on her toes and kissing his cheek, heedless of the mini-growl that escaped Walsh’s lips behind them. “I have meetings all afternoon. Will I see you tonight?”
“Of course.” He turned her by one silk-covered shoulder toward the back staircase. “You go on up. I want to talk with Walsh for a little bit.”
Jo shot one more glance Walsh’s way, a warning and a defense. She parted her lips like she was ready to unleash on him again, but Cam pressed one finger over her mouth and pointed to the staircase. Without another word she went upstairs.
Cam turned his attention to the two men standing in the kitchen. Their mouths hung open again, just like when they’d walked in minutes before. If anything, they looked more shocked now than then.
“What?” Cam grabbed his coffee, wishing he had Dr. Jack Daniel’s to make this scene easier.
“You just managed Jo,” Unc said, a smile overtaking the shock on his face. “I don’t even want to know how you did it, but I feel like I just witnessed a solar eclipse. No telling when we’ll see that again.”
“I did not manage her.” Cam frowned, not liking to think in those terms. He loved Jo’s independence and fire. He was the last person who wanted to squelch it. “I reasoned with her. You should try it. Unless you wanted to hear about Walsh cock-blocking your daughter some more?”
“No, I think I’ve had enough of that.” Unc dumped his coffee in the sink, rinsed out the mug, and placed it in the dishwasher. “Actually, I’ve had enough of all of this. I’m jet-lagged. Going to catch a nap before this meeting.”
“Unc, that’s all you have to say?” Walsh asked.
“Walsh, I’ve watched my daughter set her own hopes and desires aside for years helping others and taking care of everyone else. It has been apparent to me for a long time that she has feelings for Cam. I, for one, just want to see her happy.” Unc looked over at Cam, giving him a lopsided smile. “And believe it or not, I trust him.”
Cam swallowed, humbled that one of the few men who’d seen his potential trusted him with his greatest prize—his beautiful daughter.
“Now, are you ready for this board meeting this afternoon? You’ve been out of the loop lately.” Unc raised imperious brows when Walsh shook his head. “Then I suggest you focus more on preparing for this meeting and less on Cam and Jo.”
“Yes, sir.” Walsh firmed his mouth into a line of grudging acceptance.
“And you.” Unc turned eyes the exact shade of moonlit silver as Jo’s in Cam’s direction. “I might trust you, but we still need to talk about this. Later.”
“Yes, sir.” Cam hid his unrepentant grin behind a sip of coffee.
Unc went up the back steps from the kitchen, leaving the room to Cam and Walsh.
“I asked you about this months ago,” Walsh said, his voice quiet and disappointed.
“I know.”
“And you brushed me off like I was crazy. Like I imagined something between the two of you at Christmas when all along—”
“No, not all along.” Cam shook his head, wishing his boxers had pockets to shove his hands into. “I mean, yes, I’ve had feelings for Jo for a long time. Even back in high school, but—”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Walsh disrupted his perfectly cut hair with a fitful hand. “You never gave any sign of that. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Think about the cock fest my life was in high school. You would have punched me in the face.”
“I still might.” Walsh didn’t smile and neither did he. They endured the tight silence between them for a few seconds before Cam spoke.
“I knew I wasn’t good enough for Jo then.” Cam huffed a helpless breath across his lips. “Who am I kidding? I’m still not good enough for her.”
“Well, in our minds, no one was ever good enough,” Walsh said. “I’m serious about you not hurting her.”
“Not as serious as I am. I’d walk away before I’d hurt her.”
“Don’t you think that would hurt her, too?” Walsh let out a heavy sigh. “Just don’t screw this up. You remember what we always told the guys she dated?”
“We always said, ‘You hurt her. We hurt you.’”
“Yeah, well, you hurt her, I hurt you.” Walsh paused, studying the floor before glancing back up at Cam. “Look, Jo was right. My happiness did cost you yours in a lot of ways.”
“Dude, Kerris and I would never have been happy anyway, even without you in the mix.”
“Yeah, but sometimes I still feel guilty over how things rolled out. I can’t let that guilt cloud my judgment about Jo, though.”