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She made a face.
“Because I want to,” he added quickly.
“Okay. Well, I want to go out of my way for you, too.” She smiled. “I want you to know this is a two-way street. So, if you want me to, I’ll come to you next weekend. I’d like to meet your sister and go to your fancy dinner.”
“Great.” The server came back with their pizza, and Cameron was grateful for the interruption. It gave him time to ponder whether he should warn her about Larissa, Mel, and Natasha. He decided against it—at least for now. There’d be time before next weekend, and he didn’t want to worry her this evening.
~ ~ ~
After dinner, they walked back to the resort. Piper smiled when Cameron took hold of her hand. She looked up at him. “Thanks for coming.”
He nodded. “Thanks for inviting me.”
As they made their way down Main Street, Piper took it all in. It was still hard to believe that she was here—let alone, here with a guy.
“Do you think you’re going to like it here?” asked Cameron. It was weird how he seemed to be able to read her mind.
“I already do. I was just thinking that it’s hard to believe, though. It’s a big change, and it’s all happened so quickly.”
He nodded. “It seems the best changes usually do.”
She looked up at him curiously. “What changes have you made in your life?”
He cocked his head to one side. “I don’t suppose I’ve ever made any big ones. Not personally. I’ve lived in the same place my whole life, only ever worked at Hamilton-Groves. I suppose I was thinking more about the business. Usually, when a new idea comes up, it either gets implemented quickly and turns out great, or it gets discussed and analyzed until its moment has passed, and it dies on the vine.”
She nodded, wondering what it must be like to run such a huge company. “Do you think you’ll ever do anything else? Go anywhere else?”
“I can’t see it. Like I told you, I’m happy, and apart from that, I feel responsible for the company—the family and the people who work there.” He met her gaze. “Maybe that’s egotistical of me. Maybe if I were to get some crazy idea to go somewhere else, do something else, we’d find someone else to take over the helm, and they’d do a better job than I do.” His smile faded. “But I don’t see that ever happening. I don’t want to. I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to do with my life.”
“That must be an awesome feeling.”
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“I’ve always felt that I’m doing what I can with my life. I’m proud to be a pilot, and I’m even prouder now that I’m here and I’ve taken it a step further, but what I’msupposedto do with my life? I have no clue. I figure you probably need to feel like you belong somewhere—that you matter to people—before there’s anything you’re supposed to do.”
He stopped walking and held on to her hand so that she stopped, too.
“What?”
He was looking down at her so intently. “Maybe you’ve found where you belong now.”
She sucked in a deep breath. For one crazy moment, she wondered if he meant that she belonged with him. But no, he just meant here, in Summer Lake. She smiled. “Maybe, but I think it’ll take a while to see if that’s true. I’d like to think I have, but maybe this is just another step on the way to somewhere else. Or maybe I don’t belong anywhere.”
He wrapped his arm around her and drew her to him. “I think you do,” he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers. Her hands came up around his shoulders, and she kissed him back. She loved the way he kissed her. There was nothing new or awkward about it. He kissed her like he’d been doing it their whole lives. She froze as a thought struck her—he kissed her like they belonged together.
He lifted his head. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, sorry. I’m just not used to kissing on the street.”
He looked around as if he hadn’t realized where they were until she said that. “Sorry.” Then he grinned. “Let’s get back then, huh?”
When they reached the resort, Piper wondered if they shouldn’t stop at the bar for a drink. It wasn’t late yet, but the place was crowded, and she could see a few of Laura and Smoke’s friends sitting out on the deck. She liked them, but she didn’t want to spend the rest of the evening with them. Cameron smiled as she tightened her grip on his hand and led him toward the lodge instead.
Once they were back in her room, she smiled at him nervously. “Do you want to check on Gene, see if he’s okay?”
Cameron shook his head slowly. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
Piper pursed her lips. She couldn’t think of any other distractions.
