Page 27 of Cam
“Fuck, red. I can’t believe you have to say a sentence like that.” I squeezed her butt. “I know that. I do. It’s weird, because I remember the accident and now I can see it as the moment your entire life changed.”
She gaze dropped to my chin. Bit her lip. “Yeah. Things definitely changed. Dad changed.”
I studied her, made sure she was okay. Her momdiedthen. I’d been there, saw how bad the accident was. I hadn’t really thought about it in years, but I was thankful now that nothing had happened to Pops. It could have been him instead of Taylor’s mom easily enough.
“He never got over her,” she admitted.
“I’m starting to understand where he’s coming from. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you,” I admitted. She was my life. We were just starting to build something together. I couldn’t imagine if it was ripped away one winter night.
She leaned down. Kissed me. Softly and sweetly, and in a way that didn’t show off how uninhibited and into sex she was.
This was a heavy conversation, so I lightened it up. I’d be here for when she wanted to talk about her parents, about how hard it was going to be to cut her dad out of her life, but there was time.
“Therefore, you must come to work with me all the time,” I told her. “Stay with me around the clock.”
Her eyes widened, then she grinned. “I can’t do that!” she said with a laugh.
“Why not?” I was half serious. No, more than that.
“You’d get sick of me,” she said, which was ridiculous.
“Never,” I vowed.
She eyed me as if wondering if I was serious. After her ex, I could see why she’d doubt what a guy said to her. I wasn’t justa guy.I was her man. I’d tell her again and again until she trusted me. Until she trusted what we had between us. Knew it was real.
14
TAYLOR
“I’m running behind.I’m so sorry. Tell everyone I’m sorry. And I smell like horse.”
My car was too old to have the call with Cam go through the dash so I held the cell to my ear.
“Red, it’s fine,” he reassured.
“The afternoon tour got behind because of the afternoon thunderstorm. We had to delay until the weather let up. Fortunately, the group of six from Arkansas was easygoing and didn’t mind. But the horses had been covered in mud and it took twice as long to get them hosed, then brushed down, fed, and the stalls prepped for the night.”
He huffed. “I bet that was a mess. If you haven’t forgotten, we live on a ranch. You smelling like horse means you’re gonna fit right in.”
Dinner with the Wilders tonight was a first for me and I was blowing it already by being late. Cam had kept me to himself all week but his mother had lured him in with the promise of strawberry shortcake. I had to admit, it was a pretty good lure. My stomach rumbled thinking about it.
The last time I’d seen the Wilders, at least some of them, was when Mr. Wilder was in the ICU and I’d admitted that it was because of me he’d been hurt.
“My car’s also giving me trouble,” I added.
“Oh?”
“It’s having a hard time starting.” I patted the steering wheel in the hopes that it made my car feel better. Dumb, right?
“This a new thing?” he wondered.
I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “A few weeks.”
I heard muffled conversation for a few seconds, then Cam said, “Shep said to bring it by the shop in the morning and he’ll take a look at it.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Just like that, I had help. I told Cam my problem and he helped me fix it. It also was no big deal when your brother was a mechanic. “Okay, but only to find out what’s wrong. I don’t have the cash now to pay for a new part.”
“Red, I think Shep will give you the family discount.”
