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ChapterThirty-Eight
Cam was in town for a few hours meeting with lawyers. Reese invited him over for dinner, knowing she would have to talk to him and see what she could find out. Even while she set her dining room table, waiting for both Cam and the takeout to arrive, she was filled with nervous energy. Conversations with Cam had always come naturally, but this time…she had an agenda, and it left her unsettled. She couldn’t believe he would betray her.
Cam came before the takeout. He gave her a big hug when she let him in.
“About theLowdown,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe they found out. How are you and your family doing?”
Cam’s smile faded as he followed her into the kitchen. She handed him a beer and grabbed one for herself. A little liquid courage couldn’t hurt.
“We’re all fine. That was a bummer and very unexpected. My parents were pretty upset about it, but now it’s out there. And it had an unintended consequence. Dad’s actually had an increase in calls for work, and I’ve already told him he can’t keep offering people deals. That’s what got him in trouble in the first place.”
“At least there’s a silver lining.”
“I’m sorry you got attacked in the process. That was unfair.”
“I’m used to being a punching bag.”
The front door buzzed.
“Dinner is here.”
She let up the delivery person and Cam went to greet him. She’d ordered from a Greek place this time, and nearly dove into the spanakopita. After they’d filled themselves as much as they could and talked about anything but the mole, Reese knew she had to bring it back around to that. Her stomach was roiling.
“I’ve been thinking about your dad a lot. And how maybe I can help. I don’t have a lot of money since most of it is tied up with Crush, but I’d be happy to give your dad an interest-free loan.”
Cam shook his head. “We talked about this already. It’s not necessary, and I certainly don’t want to stretch you too thin.”
“But I would hate to see your dad lose everything. And it’s the least I could do after John nixed all the promotional avenues.”
Cam’s face became sullen. “Yeah, that was a blow. I was really hoping he would come through for me there.”
“You were really angry that day,” Reese said, her voice softening.
“It felt like the world was closing in on me. That I had no other solution. I was so frustrated, but that’s not any excuse for my behavior. I’m sorry for acting like a jerk that day.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I felt terrible because I couldn’t help. That’s why I’m offering now. Maybe my contribution can keep your dad from going under.”
He shook his head. “No need. Like I said, the sympathy that blog post brought in gave my dad a bit of a lifeline. I’ve got some feelers out, too, and I may have come into some money.”
Reese tried to make no outward reaction, but she felt a hard lump in her throat. “Oh yeah?”
“I got a little lucky. I finally got a break.”
Blood pumped hard through Reese’s veins. “Tell me more about this break,” she said, making her voice sound upbeat.
“I can’t say right now. But when I can, I’ll give you all the details.”
Reese swallowed hard again. “We never keep anything from each other. Why now?”
“It’s all in the final planning stages. I don’t want to blow anything,” he said casually.
She placed her shaking hands on her lap. “This is kind of weird. I tell you everything, Cam.”
He stood up and grabbed their dishes, walking them over to the sink. “It’s not that I want to keep it from you. I can’t say anything. And while I know you won’t tell anyone, I can’t have anyone jeopardize the deal. What if you told Grady and he told someone else?”
“I won’t tell Grady,” she said, noting that he hadn’t turned to face her yet. When he finally did, she could see the annoyance in his eyes.
“Look, I’d love to let you in on this, but it’s too important for me to put at risk. The second I get the go-ahead, you’ll be the first to know. I promise.”
