evening out, just the two of them at dinner. I told him Vanessa would watch Colin, since she’d volunteered to help in the first place.”
“That won’t work.” Not if he planned to have her to himself for the better part of the night.
“No. I see that. Hold on.” She muffled the phone and told Brody something before she came back. “Cam?”
“Yeah?” He grinned, wondering why she sounded so breathless all of a sudden.
“Stop that.” She cleared her throat. “Sorry, not you. The plumber is distracting me.”
He heard Brody say something he couldn’t make out, but it made Abby laugh.
New love. He envied them. “Tell him to shut up so you can help me.”
“I did. Brody, sit.”
He wondered if she realized she used that exact same tone on Hyde—the dog.
“So we need to get another babysitter,” she was saying. “No problem. I have just the person.”
“Someone trustworthy, I take it?”
“Cam, you wound me. Truly. Look. Kim and Robin are perfect to watch Colin. If they won’t work, between me and Maddie, we have a ton of other friends who can successfully keep Colin out of danger—and jail—while you romance Vanessa.”
Brody’s laugh came over the phone loud and clear. “ Vanessa ? You’re a real risk taker, Cam. My hero.”
Cam pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tell the pipe jockey to mind his own business. And thanks, Abby. Do me a favor and keep this between us? Muffle the blond idiot too, okay?”
“No problem. Trust me, if he doesn’t want to sleep alone, he’ll be quiet.” In the background, Brody groaned. “Bye, Cam. And good luck.”
He disconnected, feeling better about things.
Until his father walked into his office.
They hadn’t spoken much since their blowup on Friday. Cam had spent the weekend with Vanessa, barely at home. With his office now functional, he’d decided to bury himself in work until he figured out how best to interact with his old man.
“Cam. Nice place.”
Surprised his father didn’t insult him for his posh office, Cam accepted the compliment. “Thanks.”
They stared at each other in silence. Cam behind his desk, while his father stood with a growing frown, dressed in his work clothes. Spattered jeans, a hooded sweatshirt under a stained flannel overcoat, and work boots.
After a moment of silence, they said at the same time, “I’m sorry.”
His father sighed. “Go ahead.”
Figured James would allow Cam to apologize first. What a guy. Cam swallowed his annoyance and did the mature thing. Vanessa would be proud. “I’m sorry for Friday. I didn’t want to argue with you. But it seems like that’s what we do best.”
His father nodded, and a smile worked its way over his firm mouth. “No shit. You sure are an ornery kid.”
“Gee. Who do I get that from?”
“Your mother.”
Cam grinned, not taking offense at the intended humor. “So we’re good?” Even though we still haven’t really talked about anything bothering us? Easier to shout and pretend it’s better than to deal with our issues, eh, Dad?
“We’re good.” James glanced around him before sitting down across from Cam. “Pretty nice spread you got here.”
“It’s perfect.”
“Did you get this because of me? Because I’m staying at your place?”
“No. I’d planned to find a space when my last landlord raised the rent. I happened on this place sooner than planned, actually. You might have spurred my decision to look, but I’m glad I’m here. The rent is pretty decent, considering the location.” Only a few blocks from his condo. He could walk the distance to work in less than ten minutes, as he had that morning.
His father looked back at him. “This reminds me of your primo bachelor pad. Every time I walk into that lobby, I swear those people are deciding whether or not to frisk me before letting me into the elevators.”
Cam tried not to grin.
“Hell, you know it’s true.”
Cam silently compared his suit with his father’s stained
“That won’t work.” Not if he planned to have her to himself for the better part of the night.
“No. I see that. Hold on.” She muffled the phone and told Brody something before she came back. “Cam?”
“Yeah?” He grinned, wondering why she sounded so breathless all of a sudden.
“Stop that.” She cleared her throat. “Sorry, not you. The plumber is distracting me.”
He heard Brody say something he couldn’t make out, but it made Abby laugh.
New love. He envied them. “Tell him to shut up so you can help me.”
“I did. Brody, sit.”
He wondered if she realized she used that exact same tone on Hyde—the dog.
“So we need to get another babysitter,” she was saying. “No problem. I have just the person.”
“Someone trustworthy, I take it?”
“Cam, you wound me. Truly. Look. Kim and Robin are perfect to watch Colin. If they won’t work, between me and Maddie, we have a ton of other friends who can successfully keep Colin out of danger—and jail—while you romance Vanessa.”
Brody’s laugh came over the phone loud and clear. “ Vanessa ? You’re a real risk taker, Cam. My hero.”
Cam pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tell the pipe jockey to mind his own business. And thanks, Abby. Do me a favor and keep this between us? Muffle the blond idiot too, okay?”
“No problem. Trust me, if he doesn’t want to sleep alone, he’ll be quiet.” In the background, Brody groaned. “Bye, Cam. And good luck.”
He disconnected, feeling better about things.
Until his father walked into his office.
They hadn’t spoken much since their blowup on Friday. Cam had spent the weekend with Vanessa, barely at home. With his office now functional, he’d decided to bury himself in work until he figured out how best to interact with his old man.
“Cam. Nice place.”
Surprised his father didn’t insult him for his posh office, Cam accepted the compliment. “Thanks.”
They stared at each other in silence. Cam behind his desk, while his father stood with a growing frown, dressed in his work clothes. Spattered jeans, a hooded sweatshirt under a stained flannel overcoat, and work boots.
After a moment of silence, they said at the same time, “I’m sorry.”
His father sighed. “Go ahead.”
Figured James would allow Cam to apologize first. What a guy. Cam swallowed his annoyance and did the mature thing. Vanessa would be proud. “I’m sorry for Friday. I didn’t want to argue with you. But it seems like that’s what we do best.”
His father nodded, and a smile worked its way over his firm mouth. “No shit. You sure are an ornery kid.”
“Gee. Who do I get that from?”
“Your mother.”
Cam grinned, not taking offense at the intended humor. “So we’re good?” Even though we still haven’t really talked about anything bothering us? Easier to shout and pretend it’s better than to deal with our issues, eh, Dad?
“We’re good.” James glanced around him before sitting down across from Cam. “Pretty nice spread you got here.”
“It’s perfect.”
“Did you get this because of me? Because I’m staying at your place?”
“No. I’d planned to find a space when my last landlord raised the rent. I happened on this place sooner than planned, actually. You might have spurred my decision to look, but I’m glad I’m here. The rent is pretty decent, considering the location.” Only a few blocks from his condo. He could walk the distance to work in less than ten minutes, as he had that morning.
His father looked back at him. “This reminds me of your primo bachelor pad. Every time I walk into that lobby, I swear those people are deciding whether or not to frisk me before letting me into the elevators.”
Cam tried not to grin.
“Hell, you know it’s true.”
Cam silently compared his suit with his father’s stained
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