Page 52 of Camilla & Dallas
“All I have to do is point that out and Camilla will hate you.” Once again, she was right. It would be her word against his.
His blood ceased to pump through his veins. He couldn’t breathe. What was he supposed to do? Would Camilla hear him out if he told her that he’d wanted to set the foundation for a life for both of them? Maybe.
Then again, there was still the looming issue of his career being the one thing that would take her away from her family and the life she loved so much in Copper Creek. He stared at the ring box in his hand, brows furrowing. If he asked her to marry him, she’d have to leave, and it would be because of his job. Then again, what if he could start looking for something local and this next assignment was the last remote one he took? It would be short in the grand scheme of things. She’d understand, wouldn’t she?
Maybe she wouldn’t.
For the second time in Camilla’s life, Dallas’s career choice would be the reason she lost something. This time, her home and stability were at risk. She would hate him. If not hate him, she’d resent him. Maybe not today, but down the road.
His fingers curled around the ring box once more, and he glowered at his sister as he shoulder-checked her on his way out of the room. He ignored her shouting after him, demanding to know what he was planning. Let her stew. He had more important things to figure out.
Hopefully, Cheyenne wouldn’t do anything stupid before he could come up with a game plan. He definitely needed to speak to Camilla before Cheyenne got to her first.
Before he could pull out his phone to call her, it rang in his pocket.
He grabbed it, but his hopes died when he saw Mack’s number. Just like that, reality came crashing down. “What do you want, Mack?”
“Is that any way to speak to your boss?”
Dallas groaned, then started pacing. “It’s not a good time.”
“It should be. They’ve bumped up the start date. They want you out there by the beginning of September.”
“Beginning of September? That’s in less than two weeks!”
“Isn’t it great?”
Dallas shook his head. “What about the reports on the wolves out here?”
“Oh, the department has everything they need. They’re sending it up in the chain of command. They said you’re good to be released from this assignment.”
Closing his eyes, Dallas willed his nerves to stop fraying at the ends. “I can’t just up and leave, Mack. I have…”
What? What did he have? He could sense more than see Cheyenne in his doorway. His back was to her, and he had no idea what she’d heard. Could she put the pieces together? Not likely.
“Look, Mack, I get that this is a great opportunity, but I want out. I want to find something steady—to put down roots.”
“I’m sorry, man, but you signed a contract. And that means we put you where we put you.”
Dallas glowered at the wall. “There’s always a way to get around that stuff and you know it. I’m one of the best in the business. I’m sure I can find someone who will pay all the legal fees to get me out of that situation.”
Mack sighed. “You don’t want to do that. Fine. I’ll see what I can do. Go on this assignment and… we’ll see.”
That wasn’t much of a promise, but it was the best Dallas had to work with. When he turned around, his sister was nowhere to be seen.
22
Camilla
Camilla squirmed in her seat. Cheyenne smiled widely at her from across the table, sipping on the iced tea she’d ordered. Lunch had been a surprise. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were coming home early,” Camilla said, praying her voice sounded more excited than nervous.
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” Cheyenne picked up her fork and stabbed at her salad. “What better way to make you feel special than to take you to lunch the day I got back?”
“You must feel jet lagged. Aren’t you tired?”
Cheyenne shrugged. “Meh. Sleep is for the weak.”
Camilla’s eyes narrowed the longer she observed her best friend. There was something different about her. Camilla couldn’t put her finger on what exactly; all she could tell was that Cheyenne seemed to be hiding something. “Are you sure you don’t want to go home and take a nap? We can totally catch up later this week.”
