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Seven down, one to go. As soon as Cam filled the office in on Holt’s chosen vacation destination, the pressure would be on Shane. Good thing the guy could handle it. Could handle anything...except Makena Kingston.
Cam slipped his phone into his back pocket. “It’s just the two of us on this ride. Holt decided to wait here for a few days.”
A stupid grin split across Shane’s face. “A few? I guess that means he’s staying or we’re going to have to move her to him. Either way you know we’ll end up helping, right?”
“Wouldn’t you stay if you were him? Pretty woman he’s falling for and a warm bed.” It was a test and Cam had a feeling Shane was about to fail.
“You’re asking the wrong guy. The staying thing is not for me. Not now and not ever. If you don’t believe me, ask my divorce lawyer. I’m still paying his bill.” Shane loaded the bags into the plane’s cargo area. They had their personal items plus a few boxes of intel about the campground. Another few about the weapons.
Cam decided to ignore the divorce because that was too tough to operate around. “You notice you’re the only one around here not paired up.”
After dropping a few hints about the woman involved in this case and Holt’s interest in her, the Annapolis office decided he was taken. They were already talking about Shane being next, and last, and poor Holt was still in the getting-to-know-you phase.
Shane kept loading. Kept his head down. Ignored most of the conversation and stuck to short answers. In other words, the usual.
After a few minutes of quiet he finally piped up. “You’ve all lost your minds. Never seen guys go from confirmed bachelors to husbands so fast. Half of you are in relationships that are right on the verge of ending with a ring.”
Cam couldn’t argue. “It’s your turn next.”
The reply came fast and sharp. “Nope. No to the serious dating and definitely not to anything that will lead to a ring. I’ve already done that. In fact, I think that means you guys are behind me.”
“You never know who you’ll meet. Maybe it’s someone you already know.” But Cam knew about the panic that set in when the others paired off. He’d been there. Breezed through the dating stages with Julia and hit the denial part pretty hard.
But there’s that one woman. The one who turns your head and gets you thinking about things you never dreamed about.
Cam had found that with Julia. All the guys now had it. All but Shane.
“Again, I’ve been married,” Shane pointed out. “I know all about the realities, and you can’t sell the institution to me.”
Since the topic of Shane’s divorce never led to a good conversation, Cam tried to come at this from another direction. “Looks like we’ll have a few days off.”
“Sounds good to me.” Shane loaded the last box and shut the door. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve been home.”
The guy walked right into the trap. “Right about the time Holt’s sister moved down the road.”
Shane’s shoulders froze for a second. Then he went back to work. “Yep.”
Shane had it bad for Makena. It was one of those attractions you could see. Well, everyone but the two people trying hard not to be in the relationship. Makena denied it. Shane denied it. Holt ignored it. It was an interesting trifecta of dysfunction.
But that didn’t change the fact that Shane watched Makena move and eat. They talked in groups and shut down around each other when it was just the two of them. It wasn’t always that way...but then Makena had grown up.
“She’s still around, right?”
Shane snorted. “You know where Makena is. Stop matchmaking.”
Easier said than done when the wives were involved and poking around. “I was wondering if you did.”
“She’s off-limits.”
“Right.” The whole baby sister of Holt thing. Dating the boss’s sister was problematic. Adding in the fact that her brother and Shane were best friends just complicated things.
“I’m serious.” And Shane growled that out as if to make sure Cam got it. “Don’t help me.”
“We’ll see.”
