Page 17 of My One and Only

Cam huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, we’re pretty much always hiring.”

Their meals arrived, and they began to eat. The food was indeed delicious, and Jo knew she’d come back to Francesca’s Mio Modo.

For the rest of the meal, she and Cam reminisced about high school and talked about the people they’d known. Jo had lost track of everyone from their graduating class. It was fun to get updates on the people who’d stayed in Ogden.

And she was really glad she wasn’t one of them. If she hadn’t gotten out and joined the Army, she’d probably be married to a guy from high school and have a pack of kids by now.

The idea had some attraction -- she’d like to have kids some day -- but she loved her job at Blackhawk Security. She couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Chapter 5

As they finished their dinners, Jo felt Cam’s gaze on her. After a few moments, he said, “Do you have any idea how much I regret what happened at that party at the lake?”

Jo frowned. “That’s an odd segue. But I bet you have a lotof regrets about that night.” She wanted to touch his hand, but curled her fingers in her lap, instead. She didn’t want to make this about what they both might have felt fifteen years ago -- that ship had sailed. “To be beaten unconscious and end up in a hospital for a couple of weeks is a nightmare.”

He shook his head slowly. “Not because of that.” Cam drew a deep breath. “I was going to tell you how I felt about you at that party -- that I had a huge crush on you. Wanted to go out with you.” He held her gaze. “But by the time I got out of the hospital and got my act together, we’d graduated high school and you were gone.”

So it was going to be about their feelings after all. After all this time, the least she could give him was the truth. “Oh, Cam,” she said, her chest aching. “I had a crush on you, too. I would have said yes, that I wanted to date you.”

His face lit up like he’d just received an amazing gift. “It’s not too late, Jo. You’re here for, what, a couple of weeks? We can see where this goes.”

“I’m here for another week,” she said, her throat tight. “And my job takes me all over the country. I get ten days off between jobs, then I’m off again.” She shook her head. “That’s not the basis for a real relationship.”

She leaned closer and allowed herself to touch his face. “Missed connections,” she whispered. “This is one I’ll always regret.” She forced herself to smile. “And I hate those two guys who hurt you for what they stole from both of us.”

Cam slumped back in his chair and stared at her, regret and pain in his expression. “Yeah. Now even more, when you tell me you felt the same. That you would have said yes.”

“How long after you recovered did you start PK Construction?”she asked, hoping to change the subject from what had to be painful memories.

“I started it about twelve years ago, so it was three years after the party at the lake. I got a job as a carpenter after high school, and I enjoyed the work. But I wanted to do more. I wanted to be in charge. That’s when I started Pierce Construction. Five years ago, Don wanted to buy in. He had some money to invest -- a settlement for an on-the-job injury, and I needed an infusion of cash, so Pierce Construction became PK Construction.” A shadow passed over his face. “Don’s supposed to supervise the foremen, and up until now, he’s done a great job.” Cam sighed. “I’ll talk to Don and make sure he looks more closely at the work his foremen do.”

“Has he always done good work for you?”Jo asked carefully. She was hesitant to question Cam. Don was his foster brother, and she knew Cam would defend him.

Cam shrugged. “He has in the past, but he’s been distracted lately. His wife wants a divorce, and he’s trying to convince her to stay. His focus isn’t on the company right now, and I understand.”

“It must be hard to focus on work when there are problems at home,” Jo said diplomatically.

“Yeah, I get it.” He pressed his lips together and he looked away from Jo to hide the bitterness he knew she’d see in his expression. Thank God for his parents. They took care of Fiona after school and were a solid support system for both of them.

“I think this screw-up with the houses under construction was a wake-up call for Don. He was horrified at the meeting this morning. He swore he was going to keep on top of what the foremen were doing. Supervise them more closely. He said it wouldn’t happen again, and I believe him. He’s been dedicated to the company since he bought in five years ago, and I’m sure he’s going to pay more attention to the details. Watch the foremen more closely.”

The Donnie she remembered from high school wasn’t a beacon of responsibility. But people changed, and Cam knew Don far better than she did. Especially fifteen years after she’d last seen either Cam or Don.

For the rest of the meal, she and Cam carefully avoided any mention of crushes or what might have happened that night if Cam hadn’t been attacked. Instead, they reminisced about high school and talked about the people they’d known.

Finally, when the waiter put the check on the table, Cam scooped it up, glanced at it and pulled out a credit card. Then he looked at Jo.

“I hope we can do this again,” he said. “I enjoyed catching up with you.”

“I enjoyed hearing about what you’ve been up to, as well.” She realized with a pang that she’d miss Cam when she left. “But I’m only here for eight more days. Not sure how much ‘catching up’ time I’ll have.”

“I hear you,” he said. “I’m swamped right now, with the mess with the houses. But I don’t want to lose track of you again, Jo.” He smiled. “You’re the one who got away, and I want to keep in touch with you.”

When it looked as if he was going to take her hand, she slid them onto her lap. “I do, too, Cam,” she murmured. “You were my best friend back then. I’m glad we ran into each other.”

“Me, too, Jo,” Cam said.

She smiled. “Even though it was because my mother’s house was screwed up?”

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