Page 43 of Sophia & Cameron

His brother hadn’t minded hurting him by flirting and ultimately stealing his girlfriend’s affections. They hadn’t even dated all that long.

Sophia reached out to his face and caressed him with her fingertips. “That’s too bad. Because I’m sure it would be better if you had each other to lean on.”

He grunted, but he wasn’t going to give her the response she seemed to want. He and his brother had gotten back to being cordial, but they were far from close. Cameron figured their strained relationship would stay that way, and he had accepted it.

She snuggled in closer to him and rested her cheek against his chest. “One day you might find that it’s worth mending the bridges that were torn apart between you. And when that time comes, I’ll be there to hold your hand.”

There was no fighting the smile that flooded his face. He would never tell her that he might consider doing just that if she swore to keep her end of the bargain. Something like that seemed to be too far into the future for him to worry about.

Cameron slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. As long as he had her by his side, anything was possible.

As the weeks passed,Cameron continued to get more attached to Sophia. He was protective of her. He wanted what was best for her, and he wanted to be the one person who could be everything for her.

They spent almost every evening together, and he couldn’t get enough of her. On the weekends, they’d run errands and sometimes hang out with her friends. Today was no different. They sat around a table at Sal’s getting lunch, and Sophia laughed at something Emma said. It wasn’t so bad spendingtime with Emma and her husband—mostly because Caleb clearly only had eyes for his wife.

Cameron didn’t have to worry about Sophia being stolen away. As silly as that might sound to someone else, his fear was a tangible thing. Just the thought of her finding affection for someone else put his heart on edge.

“That’s why I’m coming with her on her next trip. Can you believe they wanted to do a full international tour?” Caleb shook his head, but mirth still danced in his eyes.

Emma swatted at him. “Is that so hard to believe? I haven’t been out of the country since the day we met.”

Caleb dragged his blonde beauty into his side and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’m more surprised that they haven’t tried to do so sooner.”

“Well, if you end up having a concert in Colorado again, I want to come. I’m always up for a fun night with music and dancing in some guy’s arms.” Sophia glanced at Cameron and winked, sending his heart into a flurry of emotion.

He wanted to believe that wink meant she was talking about him. But the fact that she said “some guy’s arms” made his muscles tense. He wasn’t just some guy. He was the guy who had fallen for her hard and fast.

Cameron’s jaw set, but he managed to smile at her if only to ensure she didn’t think she’d said anything to upset him. She was very aware of his struggles with jealousy and fear of losing her. He was working on it, but there were still moments that dragged him down.

As if she sensed his mood, she leaned into him.

“Hey, guys. Long time no see.” Two men seemed to materialize at the table. Cameron didn’t recognize either of them. They were both tall and tanned. Based on their builds, they probably worked with their hands out at one of the ranches that the town was known for.

One was blond, and the other had dark hair with some scruff lining his jaw. They both had brown eyes. By the way they let their focus trail over Sophia, it was clear they not only knew her but also liked her.

Fire burst in his chest and that fierce protective nature he had seemed to rear its ugly head. Under no circumstances would he let either one of them sit beside Sophia and?—

“Hey, guys. Sit with us. We’re just waiting for our food.” Sophia patted the space beside her and scooted closer to Cameron. Caleb and Emma did the same. “Cameron, this is Trent and his brother Patrick. They work for Zeke Callahan. Guys, this is Cameron.”

The two gave Cameron a nod, and he gave them a sharp one in return. He watched them with an intensity that even he wasn’t prepared for. Trent was the blond one who sat next to Emma, and he was staring at Sophia like he wanted nothing more than to lean across the table and kiss the living daylights out of her.

Cameron’s hands clenched into fists. This was how the whole thing with his brother had started. He was getting flashbacks of the night he’d taken Kristy to a casual diner like this one and his brother had shown up.

Samuel invited himself and a couple of his friends into the booth Cameron had picked, and the way he’d flirted with Kristy should have been the first indication that things would go downhill.

Couldn’t Trent see that Sophia was here with someone? The way he was flashing his perfectly white smile seemed to indicate that even if he knew, he didn’t care.

Sam hadn’t cared either.

Sophia whirled to face him, her eyes widening slightly. “You okay?”

He stiffened. “What? Yeah, why?” All eyes were on him, and Sophia had started to blush somewhat. She glanced around thetable, then back to Cameron. With everyone’s attention on them, she wasn’t going to tell him. And he wasn’t willing to stick around and watch this Trent guy try to woo the girl Cameron loved so much. “Actually, we should go.”

“But the food?—”

“Now.”

Sophia’s blush intensified, and her eyes narrowed. “I want to stay, Cameron.”

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