Chapter 26
“It’s a little late to be installing that walk-in shower in my bathroom, so I assume Summer wasn’t jerking my chain when she said you were taking her out.”
Cam moved away from the screen door and motioned me inside, side-eyeing me like a protective father waiting for some pre-pubescent boy to take his only daughter out for the first time.
My only solace was that he had no clue I’d been there last night.
Chances were, I wouldn’t be breathing if he knew what the two of us had gotten up to.
My eyes darted around the front hall, landing on a pile of travel brochures, and I picked up one that focused on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
“We’re still waiting on the showerhead and light fixtures to be delivered,” I said, meeting his eyes and laying the brochure back down before putting my hands into my pockets. “Then we’ll handle it for you, sir.”
“Good. That remodel you did in the spare bathroom upstairs looks good.”
“Thanks. It’s the least we could do after that pipe burst and gave Summer frostbite.”
“Yeah. I heard about that damn pipe for a week afterward. She’s still upstairs, fixing her hair or changing her outfit. Sounds like she’s wearing steel-toe boots, though, with the way I’ve heard her clopping around up there for the last hour.”
“My fault. I’m a little early.”
“Eager, are ya?”
“Um. Well.” I stuttered through an answer, not meeting his eyes. “Yeah, I guess I am,” I said, hoping honestly was the right way to go here, because it was the truth. Even though we’d done a couple of steps out of order, this was something I’d been thinking about for longer than I cared to admit.
“Interesting.”
“Are you planning on taking a vacation soon?” I asked, changing the subject and gesturing to the picture of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
“Me? Nope. I’m perfectly content here, playing pranks on your mother. Summer brought those home from brunch the other day, mumbling about traveling. The aunt that left her that inheritance is from Italy.”
“Oh. I hadn’t realized travel was on her radar,” I said, a mix of anxiousness and hurt crawling up my spine.
I pushed away the thought of her leaving on a trip she hadn’t told me about, reminding my foolish emotions that I had absolutely no claim on her.
Though, with each passing minute, that was morphing into me wanting her in every way she’d have me.
He huffed, shaking his head as I stepped further inside. “I don’t know what’s on her radar, honestly. But there has to be more to her life than working from the kitchen table and cooking for me.”
“Yeah. My mom is constantly on me about the same kind of thing.”
“Well, parents always want more for their kids. Right now, I feel like she’s in high school, and my only job is to intimidate the poor bastard who shows up thinking he’s good enough for her.”
Cam arched a brow, and I chuckled, feeling every bit like that teenager picking up a pretty girl.
“Then shouldn’t you be polishing a gun or giving me a speech about how you aren’t scared to go back to prison?” I said, arching a brow and waiting for his reaction.
“Do I need to do that, son?”
“No, sir.”
“That’s what I thought. Come on and have a seat while you wait.”
“Thank you. How have you been feeling?”
“Me?” Cam said, as if he expected me to be asking about the Ficus by the fireplace. “I’m fit as a damn fiddle. Even with that low-fat crap your mother and my daughter keep serving.”
“That’s good to hear. Mom says you’ve been kicking her ass at chess. Is that revenge for the rabbit food?”
“Ha! She told you that, did she? And you get it, right? Me whooping her serves her right for thinking a peach pie could be low sugar. And for planting dirty words in the backyard.”
“I’m sorry, what now?”
“Yeah. Look in the backyard some time, would you? She used Bermuda grass to spell out butt licker.”
I chuckled, running a hand over my freshly shaved chin. “That sounds more like one of my younger brothers than Mom.”
“I wouldn’t put it past that woman, though. She’s wily.”
“You won’t hear an argument from me. Maybe I could sneak you over one of her full-fat cinnamon rolls the next time she bakes them.
You know, to make up for the grass. And if you ever want to play someone a little more skilled at chess, let me know,” I said, adjusting my tie and smoothing down my shirt.
“Skilled? You think you have the skills to go up against the five-time champion of the Lyon’s Club annual tournament?” he asked, puffing out his chest and crossing his arms.
“I don’t think I have that kind of talent, but my dad taught me how to play, and I’m willing to try.”
We stood facing one another in the entryway to the living room. My hands hung loosely by my side while his stayed crossed.
“Your dad taught you, huh?”
“Yes, sir. Back when I was in high school.”
“Well then. Let’s see what you got.”
The board was already set as Cam walked further into the room and took his place behind the white pieces. I nodded, moving around to the other side of the table and sitting behind the black.
Within the first three moves, I knew I was screwed. But unlike how quickly he usually wiped Mom off the board, Cam seemed to stretch the game out, making sounds and gestures when I’d almost made a mistake, giving me time to rethink my strategy.
He was at least ten steps ahead of me, but as the game went on and the number of pieces on the board dwindled, the memories from playing with my dad came back like a long-lost friend I’d been unexpectedly reunited with.
“My heart doctor called the other day asking about Summer. Did she tell you that?”
My hackles rose, imagining the woman I spent the night with going out with some smug doctor who wore too-tight scrubs and had dimples.
Was he the type of guy who tried to buy her affection by taking her out on his yacht, or flying her to Paris for a long weekend?
Was she the type of woman who would swoon over material things like that?
I stared at my knight, pinned between Cam’s rook and a pawn, wondering what I had to offer a woman who had a doctor after her. Summer didn’t seem to be the kind of person only looking for a quick release—not after the horror story I’d heard about the ex—but what did I really know?
“No, she didn’t mention any doctor.” My jaw clenched as I focused on my breathing, curiously dreading if he’d say more. First traveling and now other guys?
I didn’t want to let on how much that sentence bothered me, so I vented my frustration with a few colorful words as my knight was captured and moved to the growing number of black pieces resting beside Cam.
“Yeah. I guess they met for coffee or something. Not that I got much more than a butt-out from Summer.”
I shook my head, letting the tension in my chest fade with his lighthearted remark.
“Still, though. He’s a doctor. Like I said, you always want more for your kids than you had. With her ex still sniffing around after her inheritance and self-respect, thinking he has a right to any part of her life, it’s nice to know she has a chance to find someone better.”
Someone better.
His words grated on my soul like nails on a chalkboard, and I closed my eyes, dropping my head to my chest and no longer giving two shits about our game.
Even if I wasn’t losing spectacularly, it wouldn’t have made a difference.
I couldn’t tell if he honestly thought I wasn’t good enough for Summer or was just making conversation while we waited.
Neither option made me feel good, and when he said checkmate, I gladly laid down my king and stood, adjusting my tie and wondering if the top button was necessary.
“Good game, son. Next time, we’ll go over strategy.”
“Strategy?” I said, hoping my scoff wasn’t as loud as it sounded in my ears. “Wouldn’t you rather assist the doctor with his chess strategy?”
Cam chuckled as he reset the board, then stood and stepped toward me. I towered over him, but the fire reflecting in his eyes made me feel six centimeters tall. “Oh, you’ve got it bad, don’t you? I think the doctor does as well, so be prepared for a little healthy competition.”
My eyes jerked from a scuff on my shoe I couldn’t buff out to Cam, not able to pick up what he was throwing my way, while wondering if there was a kernel of truth within his baited comment.
“I’m not lying about the doctor. But I also know my daughter is one hell of a woman. If she chooses you, you better be damn sure you deserve her.”
This conversation—fuck—this entire situation had gone from a half-formed idea when I’d been sex-drunk, to me questioning the very fundamentals of my personality.
Summer Winston had crashed into my life, stronger than the fiercest hurricane, and with every passing second, it became clearer that I wanted to be swept up in her storm.
I swallowed, opening my mouth to say something marginally intelligent to Cam, when the soft click of heels on hardwood stole my breath.
A vision.
There were no other words to describe Summer as she walked down the stairs and turned toward us.
Her navy dress clung to her curves and nipped at her waist, amplifying her figure.
Shoes had never really been on my radar.
Sure, heels looked good, and those strappy things some women wore in the summer made me give them a second glance, but nothing could have prepared me for the way Summer’s legs looked in her heels.
I allowed myself a moment of self-indulgent lust as my eyes traced her slender calves to her knees and onward past her curvy thighs, remembering how they’d felt wrapped around my waist. I gulped, my mouth suddenly dry, as she tilted her head and smiled, looking at me from under her lashes.
Dinner at a frou-frou fancy French restaurant now seemed like the dumbest idea I’d ever had. Right along with diving headfirst into the shallow end of a pool and going cave diving with aggressive sharks.
But this wasn’t the type of dress that should be hidden away as I canceled our reservation and hightailed it back to my house with the sole purpose of getting her in my bed.
No, this was a dress for the world to savor.
She deserved to be taken out and shown off.
To drink fancy wine and eat food we couldn’t pronounce before strolling down Market Street toward the Cooper River.
We’d stop at a hole-in-the-wall bar with high-top tables, and she’d sip a martini while I drank Scotch with one giant ice cube.
Then, when the streetlights burned low, and the only sound on the cobblestone walkway was our shoes, I’d lean close and whisper in her ear, asking if she was ready for our night to end. Depending on her answer, I’d—
“What are you two talking about down here?” Summer asked, propping a hand on her hip.
“Nothing, sweetheart. Just beating another member of the Hansen family at chess.”
“Oh, is that all? Well, I sure am glad you taught me modesty, because you seem pretty smug from where I’m standing.” Summer’s smile lit up her face as she turned to me and winked before striding past the both of us and grabbing a small purse from the end table by the couch.
Picking my jaw up from the floor and willing my libido down, I followed, reaching out to clasp her hand. She stilled as my thumb traced over her pulse point. I desperately wanted to tug her close and press a kiss to the inside of her wrist, but I abstained, not wanting to piss off Cam.
“You’re beautiful,” I croaked, my voice cracking like a twelve-year-old boy.
“Oh, thank you. I hope we’re not walking too far tonight. It’s been a while since I’ve worn heels this high.”
I glanced at her shoes again, then back to her face, realizing how the smoky color of her makeup brought out her eyes. I’d noticed they were brown, but I hadn’t noticed the flecks of honey auburn within them, making each one look like a miniature galaxy.
Smiling, I gave her hand a squeeze, then released it gently. “I was thinking we’d take a walk after dinner. Why don’t you grab a pair of sneakers and we’ll bring them along, just in case?”
“A man after my own heart—not insisting I wear something that pinches the hell out of my toes.”
“Um, your legs look amazing. Your entire outfit looks amazing. But you’d look just as good in different shoes. Why don’t you go grab another pair and then we’ll head out?”
She smiled—a beautiful, full-wattage emotion that lit up her face—before turning back to the stairs and climbing up.
Cam cleared his throat as my pulse raced, and my gaze met his. “Yeah. You got it bad. Looks like she does too. But believe you me, if I see her shed any tears over you, I’ll invite that doctor guy over and then rat you out to your mama. You get me?”
Fuck.
“Yes, sir. I understand you crystal clear.”
And I did, holding out my hand and waiting for him to take the offering. He nodded once and grasped my palm before clapping me on the back.
“Good man. I’ll see you when I see you.”
“Thank you,” I said, not sure of the appropriate response to this interaction.
“You ready?” Summer said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. My hand itched to follow the path hers took, but I resisted the urge and stuffed the hand in my pocket.
“Absolutely. Here, I’ll carry your other shoes.”
“Thanks, Maverick. I’m glad you asked me out.”
I touched her elbow, leading her out the door and to my truck as she turned and waved goodnight to her dad. “I am too, Summer.”