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CHAPTER SIX
Cam walked intoMiTesorothe next morning, determined to get some of the answers he and Elias talked about. He’d barely slept and woken up earlier than he would during his spring training days. One of the waitresses pointed toward Adrianna’s office and told him she was waiting for him. All the questions that had kept him up at night and tortured him into the early morning hours crashed together and went up in a smoke cloud when he saw her again.
Adri was standing behind a glass-topped desk, hair up in a no-nonsense tight bun, whispering to herself and placing papers into a tote bag. She didn’t notice his presence and he took a second to watch her in her environment. He didn’t get to see how she ran her business the day before, but the bistro was beautiful and tastefully decorated with some quirks punched in.
The office followed the same pattern. The pristine white walls with raw wood shelves housed cookbooks lined by subject. The ladder bookshelf filled with photos of Bronwyn, her mom, and friends, balanced and organized in a way only Adrianna could.
When she was his Adrianna, and he used to sneak into her bedroom, everything was organized and not even a hair clip was out of place. She was still a compulsive cleaner, but she wasn’t his Adri. He didn’t know much about this woman. Her summer dresses had been replaced by blazers and her wild curls subdued, away from her face. Only her slightly faded jeans broke the business monotony into chic. She’d always been like Sargent’sMadame Xpainting. A straight line combined with a sex bomb. The most exciting of conundrums for him.
On the brick wall behind her desk, a large framed photograph of a laughing one-toothed baby Bronwyn stared at him until Cam smiled.
Adri looked up with slightly startled eyes like a deer in the woods. “Cam.”
And there went his thoughts again. "You're going somewhere?" he asked.Well, duh.
"Um no. Yeah. The school called. Bron's not feeling well and she's coming home early."
The words were barely out of her mouth and he went still. What was wrong with Bronwyn?
She waved a dismissive hand. "It's probably some kind of bug. Kids get them all the time. I hope you don't catch it before your flight."
He didn't care about his flight. He could grab one at any time. "I'll come with you to pick her up."
"No need. Lauren is on her way back with her. She’s on the list of people who can sign Bron out.”
Of course, Lauren was on the pickup list. Everyone was on a list for Bron.Except him.He was her dad but got left out of everything.
“We'll go upstairs after they get here." She walked around the desk with her cell phone in one hand. "I have to do inventory and you get to entertain her and play butler to her," she laughed. "Be warned. She's as lovely a sick person as I am."
He remembered the one time he had to take care of her. The whining, snapping, and screaming. "Oh God. That has to be impossible."
She swatted him with the back of her hand. "I wasn't that bad."
His hand quickly shot out and trapped hers in place on his chest. Ironically in front of the heart she’d once broken with eight words.
I don't ever want to see you again.
In that moment, they were back in time, when she was the queen bee star of his wet dreams. All alone and eye to eye, it seemed natural and almost involuntary when his other hand reached for her waist and pulled her to him. Her gaze drifted to his chest and she grabbed the front of his Henley.
"I love that you still wear these," Adrianna said, bunching it in her hands and inching her mouth toward his. Her warmth breezed over his lips and he could almost taste her. His entire body buzzed in anticipation and he leaned into her and just as they were but a hair's breadth away, she released his Henley and turned away. His lips brushed against her cheek instead.
Why?
“Adri, we’re here.” Lauren called from the bistro and both jumped back.
Shocked, wide eyes stared back at him. Her hand pressed to her cheek, she turned and left the room. He followed.
In the main area, Bronwyn was pressed to Lauren’s side. The little girl looked sad and sickly.
"What's wrong,princesa?" Adrianna asked, bending over and pressing the back of her hand on her daughter's forehead.
"I'm not feeling so good," Bronwyn whispered, her gaze on her feet.
Adrianna placed a loud kiss on her forehead. "We're going to go upstairs and Cam is going to hang out with you all afternoon. You can talk about painting and drawing. I'll make yousopa de pollo,likeabuela."
“Her grandma’s chicken noodle soup is Bron’s favorite. It’s going to make her feel a lot better,” Lauren explained to Cam.
Bronwyn shook her head. "No, thank you. I'm not hungry.” She shot Cameron a brief look that didn’t go past his chin and then looked back to the floor. “I just want to be alone."
