“So what’s been bothering you?” Vince asked as he walked Cami to the front door after the fireworks ended. It had been a wonderful day full of laughter, happy chatter and sufficient food to feed a crowd twice the size of the forty-plus that had gathered in the Talmadge’s yard. And the local fireworks had been spectacular.
“What?” Cami smiled, trying to make him think it was his imagination.
“Sorry, you can’t fool me. Something’s been on your mind since the parade. What were you and Sage reading on your phone?”
Cami debated for a moment before pulling up the article again. She handed it over to him. His brows lifted as he read, but he didn’t seem surprised or upset. “Interesting. It makes me sound like a glorified ditch digger. Not that there’s anything wrong with ditch digging in general, of course, and my employee list may be like a gnat vs a whale compared to what you’ll be hiring shortly, but it’s a living.” He chuckled. “And the bit about Gage being a ski bum—priceless! I can’t wait to show it to him.” He handed the phone back. “Is this article going to cause problems?”
Cami shrugged, not wanting him to know it disturbed her, even if it didn’t qualify as a serious crisis. “PR wise, it’s nothing much on its own. I’ll check it out, but I’m not going to lose a lot of sleep.” She slid the phone into her pocket. “It makes me wonder who was taking the pictures, though. Jeremy’s in one of them, so unless he had some help—”
His voice was hard when he cut her off. “Don’t go there. None of my family—and that includes Jeremy and Gage, who might as well be my brothers—would write something like this or try to make a quick buck at your expense. Earn money from business arrangements with you, sure. If you want professional photos of events or of your new facilities, Jeremy will be happy to help you out for a fee. And if you want to set up the deal for the skiers you were speaking with Gage about, he’ll certainly be on board, but no one’s going to hose you like this.”
Cami studied his face but saw nothing to hint he wasn’t being sincere. “Thanks. I appreciate your candor. And I believe both of those options have possibilities. Jeremy’s name was on the list of locals Dad mentioned we should consider making arrangements with. I’ll bring it up with Lana and Delphi.” She saw the defensiveness melt from his stance and decided to explain further. “Okay, I don’t know anyone here, so I don’t know who or what was out of place yesterday. With everyone in town for the holidays, even you probably don’t know. In fact, it could have been someone who happened across us and thought they could make a quick buck. Like I said, it’s not a big deal, it just made me wonder.”
“Well, so long as we’re clear.” Vince tucked some hair back behind her ear, brushing his fingers across her sensitive neck. “I didn’t mean to open a can of worms right now. I had a great time with you today.” He leaned in and rubbed his mouth across hers, lingering there until she slid into his arms, shifting her head to take a little more. She loved kissing this man.
“I wondered what your week looks like,” he said when he pulled back. “I told Gage I’d give him a hand with the mountain bike festival after I finish my daily rounds. I should be free by Wednesday night, though, if you’d like to grab a bite?”
She smiled. “I think I would. You know how to reach me.”
“And maybe we could take your car for a drive. I could make sure the engine is running right.” His eyes glimmered with hope.
Cami pulled away, turning to the car where Sage waited for her. “Only if I’m driving, Vince.”
“Someday.”
She laughed as she wriggled her fingers at him over her shoulder.
~*~
Vince smiled as the customer exited his office door and turned back to his paperwork, fighting the scowl that wanted to slide onto his face. The day had been insane, and the evenings were worse as he and Jeremy helped Gage with the mountain bike revelers. The festival ended the next afternoon, though, and Vince would be free to spend the evening with the lovely Camellia.
The thought of lingering over a quiet meal with her brightened his mood. Though he ought to focus all of his attention on work—summer was his busiest time and business was booming—Vince was fascinated by Camellia. The fact that her father had all but arranged their marriage should have turned Vince off, as it had his friends to two of George’s other daughters. But now he’d gotten to know Cami a little, he wasn’t going anywhere.
He considered most of the local eating establishments and rejected them in turn until he thought of a charming Italian place. Great atmosphere, quiet, with slightly more privacy than the average restaurant. It would suit his needs perfectly.
He smiled as he picked up the ringing phone. “Nature’s Garden. This is Vince, how can I help you?”
“Hey, it’s Cory. I’m here with Mrs. Stuart and she wants you to swing by and talk to her about adding a pond in her backyard.”
Vince loved doing water features. They were his specialty, though he didn’t get to install them as often as he’d like. “Great,” he flipped through his calendar. “How does tomorrow afternoon work for her? I can manage a consult about two.”
Cory conferred with the client and passed on the woman’s agreement.
Vince checked to see what else was on Cory’s schedule for the day. “Thanks, and Cory, don’t forget to check the Sullivans’ azaleas. She said they were wilting.”
“I’m headed there now.” Cory said goodbye and hung up.
The kid was good at his job and reliable. In another year or so Vince might let him help with the design work. Visualizing the shape and flow of the Stuart’s yard, Vince imagined a couple of possibilities.
It didn’t take long for his mind to meander back to Cami. He smiled and returned to work.