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“No. There’s nothing go on.”
“If you say so.”
She shrugged. Ben seemed like the kind of guy she could talk to about anything. “Okay, so I like him.”
“I thought so, and he likes you, too.”
“Do you think?”
“Yeah, if you ask me …” His voice trailed off as Cameron came back with a bottle of wine and three glasses. “Did Kenzie give you a hard time?” asked Ben.
“No, she’s funny.”
Ben laughed. “She can be.”
Cameron poured them each a glass and then raised his in a toast. “Cheers. Here’s to making new friends.” The way he held Piper’s gaze as she brought her glass to her lips sent a shiver running down her spine. Were they going to be friends? Were they going to be friends with benefits? That was a possibility if he was going to keep coming back here. Or was he just looking to hook up? Wasshe? She didn’t know yet.
“So, what do you think?” asked Ben. “I know Piper’s going to be a new friend, with her moving here and working at the airport and everything, but what about you? Do you think we’ll be seeing more of you even after the wedding?”
Cameron nodded slowly. This was weird. It was Ben doing the talking, but he was giving voice to the very question Piper had been asking herself. “I like it here. I want to say it’s my kind of place, but it really isn’t.”
Ben nodded. “I’d guess you’re more used to sleek and elegant than rustic and homey.”
“I suppose I am.” He glanced at Piper. She tried not to look disappointed. She saw herself as more rustic and homey than sleek and elegant. “The places I usually go to are sleek and elegant. But, you know what? They also feel empty and superficial. Especially compared to this place. I said I like it here, but I was wrong. I love it.”
Ben chuckled. “You sound like the rest of them. They all lived fast-paced, high-powered lives in big cities, but none of them ever managed to be truly happy.”
“I was thinking about that earlier. Gabe especially. I mean, to trade the life of a New York trial attorney for this? But then, he grew up here. It’s different.”
“Maybe,” said Ben. “Maybe not.”
“I couldn’t move here,” said Cameron. “I love my work, and it’s in Napa.” Piper had to wonder if he was saying that for her benefit.
“Maybe you could get yourself a vacation home? Or just come stay when you need to kick back?”
“Yeah, I think I’ll do that, at least. Will you have any of the cabins available on the weekends now the season is quieting down?” She needed to get a grip. She was making this conversation about what might happen between the two of them, and he probably wasn’t talking about that at all.
“We should. I’d have to check.”
“Please do.” Cameron turned to Piper. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to hog the conversation. What about you? Are you having any luck finding a place to live?”
She smiled. He was just being polite, keeping the conversation going. That was all. “I haven’t really started looking yet. I’ve just been enjoying being here. I took a boat out. I went horseback riding and four-wheeling.”
Ben laughed. “Yeah, and she only got back yesterday.”
“Wow!” Cameron nodded admiringly. “Sounds like you know how to get the most out of every day.”
“I do. When you work a job like mine, you have to cram all your fun into the day or two you get whenever you get them.”
“Oh, I know how that goes.”
Ben looked up, and the way he smiled made Piper follow his gaze.
“You’ve both met my wife, Charlie?” Ben asked as he got to his feet to greet her.
Cameron stood and nodded. “We only met briefly.”
Charlie smiled. “You’re Cameron, Smoke’s brother?”
