Page 51 of The Easy Way
Lydia misunderstood his action. She put a hand on his arm to catch his attention and said, “Don’t worry about a thing, dear. I’ll have Tom or one of the others bring your bags to the house foryou.”
Cort couldn’t turn back or look around after that. Mrs. Tyndall led them onward, up the path through a lush stand of citrus trees. She pointed out the varieties of oranges, lemons, and limes growing in abundance on the island, and explained how her husband’s family had planted the first such trees here generations ago. She explained how the island used to be a great tourist destination, but her husband’s father had bought out all the resorts and demolishedthem.
Cort stayed a step behind Lydia and Cam as they walked up the path, and marveled at the way Cam was able to listen to her conversation and nod seriously when she talked of the positive environmental effects which came with the clean water initiatives, and her pride in her family. The whole concept of owning an island was like the punchline to a not-very-funny joke in the world Cort came from. It was almost incomprehensible to him that the man whose ass he’d owned just an hour ago, the man who’d given himself so freely to Cort, was able to listen and comment intelligently on the potential return on investment of islandownership.
As they walked through the hazy sunshine, Cort realized they had circled around to approach the house from the rear. The path went up an incline leading to an enormous terrace with a gorgeous view of the turquoise blue Caribbean water. It wasunbelievable.
“Several of the others have already arrived. Bunny and Mickey, the Taylors, the Merenskys, the Blackwells, and the Victozas. Oh, and theShaws.”
Cam paused in his walk. “Uncle Emmett and Aunt Lucy are alreadyhere?”
Lydia nodded. “Oh, yes. They arrived hours ago. Left DC after some hush-hush meetings Emmett can’t help talking about. Cain made it down, as well. And Arcadia, of course.” Lydia’s voice had turned faintlydisapproving.
“What is Arcadia doing these days?” Camwondered.
Lydia raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “Working on her father’s re-election campaign,” Lydia said, rolling her eyes. “This afternoon at lunch, she regaled me with her new campaign slogan - Restore AmericanGlory.”
Cam frowned. “Sounds like something Uncle Emmett would endorse,” he said with asigh.
Cort snickered, and Cam turned to look at him. “What’s sofunny?”
Cort waved a hand through the air. “Nothing, nothing.” At Lydia and Cam’s unamused stares, he expounded, “Fine. It’s just… Did nobody notice that Restore American Glory spells outRAG?”
Cam blinked and shook his head, but Lydia’s warm smile turned into a genuine grin as she turned to Cam. “I approve of him, Camden,” she said, then winked at Cort before she led them further on towards thehouse.
Several people were milling around on the patio - some admiring the view, others deep in conversation, all of them extremely overdressed, as far as Cort was concerned. The women all wore dresses, the men wore long pants and polo shirts, and Cort felt somewhat self-conscious of his own jeans and tee, until he recalled Cam himself was wearing an even scruffier outfit. Every person on the patio carried a drink in his or her hand like armor against tedious conversation.Socialites in the wild, he thought.I wonder if they hunt inpacks.
“I’ll let you say your hellos and grab a drink,” Lydia said quietly. “But don’t feel like you need to stay for too long. You’ve only just arrived and I know you’ll want to rest yourselves. Dinner tonight will be informal, and don’t be afraid to ask someone to bring some light refreshments to your room if you’d rather not joinus.”
Thank God.Cort couldn’t imagine staying a minute longer than he hadto.
Cam shook his head. “Not necessary. I’m sure everyone has plenty to doalready.”
“Nonsense!” she scolded. “You know Gerald and I always hire plenty of extra hands when we host thesefestivities.”
“And it’s smart thinking, too,” said a gruff voice behind them. “Labor on the islands is dirtcheap.”
Cort stiffened and turned to see Senator Shaw bearing down on them, drink in hand. His smiling blue eyes were fixed on Cam, his sandy hair damp with sweat. A tall, black-haired man wearing sunglasses followed in his wake. He was hot, if you went for the whole Terminator-look.
Cam smiled, and Cort wondered if the senator noticed how forced the expression was. Maybe he didn’tcare.
It was strange how clearly he could read Cam after such a short time… and even stranger how protective hefelt.
Still, when Senator Shaw winked and stuck out his meaty paw for Cam to shake, Cam didn’thesitate.
“Uncle Emmett,” he said. “It’s good to see youagain.”
“And you, my boy, and you! It’s wonderful that you’ve managed to peel yourself away from Seaver Tech for the weekend. You might remember my assistant, Jack Peabody?” He lifted his free hand over his shoulder, indicating the tall man, whose grim expression didn’tchange.
Before Cam could reply, Lydia gave Shaw a gimlet glare and interrupted. “Emmett Shaw, I’ll have you know I pay the locals the same rate that I pay the catering staff I brought over from the States.Island labor is dirt cheap.Do you ever listen to yourself? And don’t you dare launch into one of your campaign speeches. No politics thisweekend.”
“Oh, alright,” Shaw sighed. He gave Cam an affable grin. “Lucy warned me of the same thing on the flight over. It’s an occupational hazard.” He took a sip of his drink and shot Cam another quick wink. Then he glanced at Cort and his smile dimmed somewhat. He held out hishand.
“I don’t know if we’ve met. EmmettShaw.”
“Kendrick Cortland,” Cort said, taking his hand. The senator’s grip was damp, and a good deal firmer than necessary. The man held on for several beats, as though waiting for Cort to yield, and Jack seemed poised to intervene. Cort barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Next, they’d be whipping their dicks out to comparesizes.
“I’m sorry,” Cam said, jumping into the fray. “Cort, this is Senator Emmett Shaw, my honorary uncle, I guess you could say. Uncle Shaw, Cort is my date this weekend.” And to Cort’s shocked delight, Cam wrapped an arm around Cort’s waist as though daring the senator tocomment.
