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After pulling into the parking lot of Olive & Finch, I stretched and shook my head and tried once more to get her out of my mind. The situation was practically scary. What would I do if I were doomed to be haunted by her memory for the rest of my days?
Alright, alright, I thought as I made my way to the front doors.No need to be bloody dramatic. You’ve been thinking about nothing but work and Camilla for the last few years. Is it any wonder that finally spending some time with a gorgeous woman might have something of an effect on you? Give it some time; you’ll be back to your old self before you know it.
I finished my little internal pep talk by the time I reached the doors, feeling a hell of a lot better as I stepped into the place. Camilla was in our usual spot by the back windows that overlooked the patio, standing up a bit and giving me a wave to make sure I saw her.
The place was lively and busy with the brunch set, just about every table packed, and the atmosphere sunny and cheery. Servers dressed all in white zipped here and there, carrying trays of eggs and pancakes and all sorts of other good stuff.
Camilla was dressed in loose-fitting jeans, and hiking boots, along with a sweater and a vest over top that. With that outfit and her hair in a ponytail, she definitely looked the part of someone ready for a day in the great outdoors.
“There’s my long-lost daughter,” I said, opening my arms for a hug.
“Long-lost?” she asked with a laugh. “Someone’s being dramatic.”
It felt damn good to hug her. I almost didn’t want to let go.
“Alright,” she said, slipping into her seat and gesturing to the table. “I already ordered some apps, so look over the menu and pick something out; I’m bloody starving.”
I grinned at her choice of words. Camilla was as American as they came, but every now and then, especially when she was around me, the Irish in her bones would come out.
“Sure, sure,” I said, flicking my eyes over the menu. “There – steak and eggs. Done.”
She laughed. “Something nice and light for the day ahead.”
“Hey, kayaking’s hungry work. Have a plate of fruit and see who’s doing most of the paddling two hours from now.”
“You kidding?” she asked, raising her arm, and flexing her bicep. “Do these look like the guns of a woman who skips upper-body day at the gym?”
I laughed. “Remind me to never underestimate the strength of my daughter.”
“That’s right,” she said with a wink. “Now, keep your comments to yourself, unless you want to arm wrestle right here and now and get embarrassed in front of the entire brunch crowd.”
I chuckled, shaking my head as the waitress arrived. She dropped off a platter of sliced fruits and cheeses. We put in our orders for our meals and coffee, and moments later I had the steaming cup of joe in front of me that I’d been craving since the moment I got up.
“So,” I said, setting down my mug and folding my hands over my lap. “What’s new in the law world?”
Her eyes lit up. I adored the way just mentioning the work she loved made her happy. And she was damn good at what she did, too.
“God, so much.” Her eyes flashed again as if she’d just remembered something. “Oh, do you remember that case I was telling you about? The B&E?”
“The what and what?”
“Breaking and entering. Sorry, I should’ve remembered that the acronym-remembering part of your brain is all taken up by med terms.”
“No kidding. Anyway, I remember the case.”
“Right. So, we had a major breakthrough, and managed to get him to plead.”
“How’d you pull that off?”
She grinned. “A little strategically concealed information – a witness who could place him near the crime scene. He was all cocky and confident, certain he was going to beat the case. But when we put that in front of him, he got humble real fast.” Camilla leaned in, ready to drop the final part of the story. “That’s when I reminded him that he was on the hook for a third felony – three strikes and you’re out, you know?”
“Is that a baseball thing?”
“Yeah, but it’s a legal thing, too. If you get three felonies, that’s a lifetime sentence.”
“Brutal.”
“Yep. So, I worked with my contact in the DPD to get him to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for giving up some leads on his criminal buddies. He gets put away on a string of misdemeanors, the case is closed, and I made some inroads with the DPD.”
