Page 13 of My One and Only

When the car swerved, he turned his attention to the road, but he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Finally, he pulled into a parking lot in front of a single-story building. “I want to hear about your job,” he said. “But let’s get inside first.”

A biting wind blew off the Fox River, slicing into her as she slid out of Cam’s truck. It carried the scent of cold river water and the faint odor of decaying vegetation that she remembered from her childhood. In the summer, this would be a peaceful, isolated spot to eat outside. The music of flowing water would fill the air and the songs of birds in the trees and the squawking ducks in the river would be a beautiful accompaniment. If you were lucky, you might spot a bald eagle soaring over the river. Now, all she felt was the sting of cold air on her cheeks and her hands.

Shoving her hands into the pockets of her coat, she hunched her shoulders against the wind and trudged toward the door. Cam took her elbow in a firm grip, and when one foot slipped out from under her, she realized that the asphalt of the parking lot was treacherously icy.

“Should’ve salted the damn parking lot,” Cam muttered, pulling her against his side and curling his arm around her waist. Pressed into his side, she felt the heat pouring off him, and in spite of herself, she moved closer. Coming from her last job in Seattle, where it was rarely below freezing in the winter, she’d forgotten how frigid it could get in Chicago’s western suburbs.

And the pressure of Cam’s arm around her waist? The reassuring weight of him made her feel secure on this ice.

When they reached the building, Cam opened the door and guided her inside. She stepped away from his side as warm air, and the enticing aromas of garlic and tomato sauce, swirled over her. Lunch had been a long time ago, and she hadn’t realized how hungry she was.

Cam stepped up to the hostess and said, “Reservation for Pierce.” He glanced at Jo, and she saw what she’d expected - shock at her revelation. Surprise. And questions. Lots of questions.

The attractive brunette gave him a genuine smile, as if she actually remembered him. “Welcome back, Mr.Pierce. Please follow me.”

The hostess led them to a corner table. She set two menus on the table, said, “Your server will be with you shortly,” and hurried away. Even though the restaurant was more than half full, the table felt like a quiet oasis in the midst of the clatter of plates, the clink of forks on china and the breeze of the wait-staff weaving between the tables.

Jo shrugged off her coat and set it on the empty chair beside her. Then she turned to Cam, to see him doing the same. Suddenly, this dinner felt awkward. Uncomfortable. A date, but not a date, and her shoulders edged toward her ears.

Cam turned to her and smiled as if he’d read her mind. “Kinda weird, right? Us having dinner together after not seeing each other for fifteen years?”

Jo’s shoulders relaxed when his words echoed her thoughts, and she smiled back at him. “Totally. Exactly what I was thinking.”

Cam handed her a menu, and said, “Do you want a drink? I’m gonna have a beer.”

“I’d love a glass of red wine,” she said. “A cab.” She’d have one glass. This was a business meeting, after all.

As a waiter approached their table, Cam smiled at him and nodded at Jo. She said, “I’d like a glass of cabernet sauvignon, please.”

Cam said, “And I’d like whatever IPA you have on tap.”

The waiter nodded. “I’ll get those going while you decide on your meals.”

As soon as he’d walked away, Cam said, “I eat here a lot -- have most of my business meals here. Everything is good. I’ve never had a bad meal at Francesca’s.”

“Good to know,” she said. Was it going to be this awkward all evening? She and Cam had been close friends once. There shouldn’t be this stiffness between them.

Cam leaned closer. “So you’re a bodyguard, huh? How did you get into that line of work?”

As he leaned forward, Jo wished she’d never mentioned her job to Cam. She was only going to be here for eight more days. He didn’t have to know every detail about her life. But she’d slipped and told him, so now she’d have to explain.

Moving the napkin-wrapped silverware from side to side, she took a deep breath and looked up at Cam.

“I learned the skills I’d need while I was in the Army. My husband was in the special forces. He taught me Krav Maga and karate. He was gone on missions most of the time, and he wanted to be sure I could defend myself if necessary.”

She wasn’t about to tell Cam about the incident that had triggered Mark’s obsession with her safety. The officer who’d stalked her was in the category of ‘no one’s business but hers’. “Anyway, after I got out of the Army, I gave a lot of thought to what I wanted to do. I’d met a woman in Afghanistan, Mel Melbourne, who worked for the CIA. Just before she left the sandbox, she told me to contact her when I got out if I wanted a job. I heard through the grapevine that she’d started a personal protection business, and since I didn’t have any other ideas, I got in touch with Mel, we talked, and I’ve been with Blackhawk Security for over a year now.”

Cam leaned closer, clearly intrigued. “What kinds of people do you protect? Celebrities?”

She shook her head. “Mostly business people who’ve received threats. We get the occasional celebrity, but they’re usually pains in the ass. Never think they have to follow the rules.” She grinned, remembering the stories about the last celebutante they’d guarded. “I’m new enough that I haven’t had to guard one of the ass pains yet, thank goodness.”

“Where are you based? New York? Los Angeles?”

“Nope. We’re based in Montana. About thirty miles from Helena.”

He frowned. “Isn’t that an odd place for a security business?”

“Not really. You can get pretty much anywhere from the Helena airport. Mel and Dev, the owners, had an opportunity to buy about forty acres that already had some buildings. The agents all have apartments, there’s a gym, a dining room, a running track and an office building.” She shrugged. “It works.”

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