Chapter 9
Cam
Planning a wedding in a week plus working like a demon on projects before the holiday was going to actually take me out. She finally got the prenup for me to sign the Monday before the wedding.
My exhausted ass ended up at Maxie’s house every night without fail. Even as burned out as I was, I was hungry for her. The sex was intense and off the charts.
As if both of us were aware things were changing in some fundamental way.
On Wednesday night, I collapsed next to her, sweat sheening off every inch of me. “Jesus.”
“And all the holy ghosts, angels, and whatever else is up there.” She gasped out a laugh. “I didn’t know your hips could do that.”
I turned my head and grinned at her. “Ditto.” I needed to touch her even as every muscle was crying out with fatigue. I hauled her to lay half on me and stroked down her thigh.
She nuzzled against my chest. “Gonna be official tomorrow.”
“I know. I can’t wait.”
She traced little circles along my stomach. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” I caught her fingers and brought them to my mouth. “We got this. However, I can’t stay overnight.”
“You can’t?” She propped herself up on her elbow. “Why?”
“Bad luck.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You don’t believe in that stuff, do you?”
“Not taking any chances.”
She slid out of my arms and grabbed my flannel off the edge of the bed.
Damn, I never tired of that particular view. She buttoned two of them to keep it closed, leaving a tantalizing strip of breast and thigh as she crossed the room to the hall.
Not having a bathroom in the primary bedroom was a pain in the ass. It would also be a big expense for the renovations, but it would be worth it for the backend when she had guests. However, I did have one surprise for her.
I could drop off and sleep for days, but I wanted one thing for just us.
I got dressed. As I was tucking in my thermal shirt, she came back in.
“Do you want this back?”
“Nope.” I drew her into my arms and snaked a hand under the tail to cup her ass. “Looks better on you.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t want you to go.”
I dropped a kiss on her mouth. “After tomorrow you can’t get rid of me.”
“For a year anyway.”
She kept making those comments, but I knew I just had to wait her out. She’d figure out I wasn’t going anywhere eventually.
“Get some rest. Big day tomorrow.” I poured everything into the kiss. All my promises and love that she didn’t quite believe yet.
When I drew back her eyes were wide and unsure.
“Two o’clock.”
She nodded. “I’ll be there.”
“Good.”
Leaving her was the hardest thing I’d had to do in a long time. When I locked up after myself, instead of going to my truck, I followed the path to the back of the house. Two trucks were already on the crunchy grass, blocking the carriage house. A pair of work lights were set up for the saws.
It was a cute little bungalow house with two bedrooms and a cozy living room.
I’d been living in a container unit, so it felt positively huge compared to my tiny place. I heard the hydraulic snap of a nail gun and a power saw the closer I got to the house.
Sully and Gus were hauling in fresh cuts of trim into the house.
I followed them inside, the music loud enough to reverberate in my chest.
Eloise and Nora were rolling paint over the faded industrial beige color it had been.
“Look out.”
I turned to find Cash and Ripley carrying an oversized couch that I’d ordered. I hurried out of the way.
“Not that wall!” Nora called out. “Still wet.”
Ripley grunted as Cash shifted back and they set it in the middle of the floor instead. My eldest brother did a slow turn. “This place is pretty damn nice.”
“Alexa, volume down,” Sully called out.
The thumping bass of Frank Turner reduced to a merciful decibel.
“Now that groom boy is here, pizza break,” Lexi called out from the miniature kitchen.
My stomach growled in reaction to the word. I’d been so intent on seeing Maxie that I hadn’t thought to eat.
Parker, my brother Cash’s other half, came out from the back. “I’m almost done painting the bedroom.”
“A little help here?” Kai, the youngest of us called out from a ladder.
I laughed and hustled over. “Where did you find that fixture?”
“Isn’t it cool? I had to take out that stupid nipple looking light.” Kai glanced down at me. “How the hell are you taking the plunge before the rest of us?”
“A meddling grandmother from the grave.”
“Huh?”
“I know. It sounds wild just to say it. I’ll explain while we eat.”
“Okay.” He handed me down the funky frosted shade. “I thought I was the impulsive one.”
“Oh, you still are.”
He twisted the wires. “Okay, that’ll do until we can flick the breaker on. I’m freaking starving.”
I set the glass shade on the shelf in the tiny reading nook my father had helped me with. I’d been working on the space myself mostly, but between the roster of jobs for Murdock Brothers and the irresistible pull of Maxie, it was hard to find the time to finish it all.
Thankfully, the SOS call to my family had worked.
I knew I could count on them, and I wanted to show Maxie that people could come together for her.
And a place for us to call home when the renovations at the big house started.
I met up with my family in the tiny kitchen. There was barely any room to stand let alone sit. I reached around Cash and filched a slice of meat lovers.
“Thanks for coming guys.”
“Nothing like last minute, bro.” Cash nudged me. “Now what the hell is going on with you? Are you a mail order bride?”
Parker snickered. “Leave him alone.”
Cash draped an arm around her neck. “Fetching shade of denim you got there on your face.” He kissed just under the streak of paint.
She elbowed him. “You know I hate painting.”
Lexi passed out plates. “Okay, animals. I just pulled up the drop cloths.”
I took a plate and another piece of pepperoni this time. “Maxie’s grandmother tied her inheritance up with a crazy stipulation in the will. She has to be married to get the house.”
“So, this is altruism?” Sully arched a brow.
“No. Just how it started.”
“Maxine Delacroix and you. Who’d a thunk it?” Gus shook his head.
“Oh, I’m not shocked.” Eloise, Gus’s girlfriend, snickered. “Cam has had the hots for her since he was a freshman.”
“Is that so?” Ripley leaned a hip on the tiny counter of the galley kitchen. “Why didn’t you try your luck then?”
“Because she was a senior and his balls hadn’t dropped yet,” Cash quipped.
Ripley barked out a laugh. “Oh, so she’s an older woman. You dog.” He took a big bite of a slice of supreme.
“Yes, she’s a few years older than me.”
“Maybe she’ll show you a thing or two.” Rip winked at me.
I shook my head. “Asshole.”
“You’re doing all this for a favor?” Sully asked.
Nora hip bumped him. “Oh, he’s stupid in love.”
I shrugged. “She’s not wrong. Now that you animals are fed. How about we finish this up?”
Kai groaned. “I barely got a break.”
Lexi smacked his butt. “I’ll help you.”
Kai dragged her in for a quick kiss. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”
I laughed and jumped in to help with the bookcases. Maxie’s grandmother had left her quite a few first edition novels and I didn’t want them ruined by guests up at the mansion. Between Gus and I, we knocked out the finishing touches on the corner reading nook.
He was holding the last bit of crown molding up for me to nail in when he gave me the look.
“What?”
“You sure about this?”
“The crown molding? Pretty sure you cut it right.”
Gus rolled his eyes. “No, jerk. Getting married so fast.”
“I’d have married her two weeks ago if I could have. She needed to write a prenup.”
“Prenup?”
“Her inheritance is crazy. She has to protect herself. I don’t want her for her money.”
“Then why?”
“Because I love her, jackass.”
“Just like that? Having the hots for her as a kid is a damn big difference from forever.”
“I know that. We just click.”
“Tab a and slot b?”
“Jeeze, Gus. You loved Eloise all your life and we didn’t say anything about your choices.”
“That’s a little different. You never actually got to know Max.”
“I know enough. And we’ve been spending every minute together since the funeral.”
“She’s feeling a lot of emotions. Grief can make you do crazy things.”
“Why the hell are you trying to talk me out of this?”
“I’m not. Okay, not really. I’m just worried about you.” He shook his head. “A freaking prenup.”
“It’s five million dollars, Gus.”
A tray crashed to the ground.
My head swiveled to the sound.
Ripley was holding a half empty tray from his toolbox. “How much?”
“It’s a trust for the house. Not just a bunch of cash.”
“Millions.” Ripley shook his head. “That number doesn’t even compute. And she gets it all.”
“I’d let her have every damn dime.”
“Oh, yeah you’re really gone for her.” Ripley pulled out his screwdriver and an outlet plate from the pile.
“I am. So, you all can stop worrying.”
I wasn’t the one with cold feet.
A bubble of unease sat in my gut.
I just had to hope she didn’t either.