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The numb feeling that had enveloped me that day returned. In my mind’s eye, I saw two junior lawyers holding Veronica back as she lunged across the mahogany conference table at me, her perfectly polished fake pink nails curved into talons. The memory of her shouted words made my headache rebound with a vengeance.
“I never saw it coming.” I’d been in love with a lie.
“Oh my God. That’s awful.” Cameron wrapped her fingers around my wrist and squeezed—a miniaturized hug. Warmth replaced the numbness in my chest. My lungs expanded without a hitch, her simple touch healing wounds I’d let fester far too long.
“Yeah, life sucks. That experience made me question every interaction between us. I saw it all through a distorted prism of Veronica’s actions.”
“And the possibility of me earning a big commission check must have been a huge warning sign.” She exhaled and nodded, understanding more of my weirdness every second.
“Yeah. Massive. I even wondered if you planned the way we first met by the pool. It was too perfect. So—titillating.”
“No. I would never, ever plan that. It was utterly humiliating. And where would I get a dead rat?” She pressed a hand over her heart and shook her head violently.
I shrugged; people did extraordinary things for money. “So many people use another person to get what they want. I’m gun shy about opening up to anyone. I date, but the cynical lesson that Veronica taught me is damn near impossible to forget. One or two dates in and thoughts of her undermine any chance the relationship might have. So, I break it off. It’s the only way to be fair and not lead someone on.”
“Not going to lie. The commission money is important to me, but I would never be so mercenary as all that.”
“Then why do the TV show?” This was the crux of my problem. My crises of faith. I needed all the answers if there was any hope for me—for us.
“Honestly, Jude pushed me to do it. Grandma too. And Bailey’s acceptance letter to Vassar sealed the deal. I’ve never sold a property as valuable as Blue Star. I make a good living but wasn’t lighting the real estate world on fire.” A twisted smile and small shrug accompanied the frank appraisal of her career. “The show is my chance to give Bailey the thing my parents gave me. A clean start in life not burned by college debt. Vassar is so expensive. Vacation Dream Homes is the opportunity to raise my real estate game to the stratosphere. It’s a winning lottery ticket. So, I signed the agreement with the TV studio.”
“Sure.” I shrugged. Her words weren’t the cure-all I’d hoped for. My concerns lingered in the shadows. The commission gave her an oversized reason to do almost anything to close the deal. Not what I wanted to know.
“Ugh. I’m not explaining this right.” She tugged her hair from its wild ponytail and ran her hands through the golden waves. “Your budget completely freaked me out. I worried I’d never find you the right place. I’ve spent hundreds of hours looking at property listings as far away as Fredericksburg. But I never once thought I could convince you to buy a place by sleeping with you. I’m a nice-looking woman, but not that hot. We’re talking about a multimillion-dollar investment. It’s just sex.” Her one-shoulder shrug was artless, honest to the core. Clearly, she believed her attraction to me had nothing to do with the deal.
The problem was, did I?
Just sex. She had to be kidding. Was she clueless as to what kind of power she could wield over me? How helpless I’d be to her wiles? I wanted her so much it scared the shit out of me.
Closing my eyes, I tried to regroup.
I hated Veronica so much. More than I had that day in the lawyer’s office, more than I had in years. Her scheming tainted everything.
“Sex and money, in my experience, go hand in hand.” I’d seen it too many times to count.
“If people are so fake in California, why do you even live in LA? It sounds awful.”
She was right. In California, I lived with traffic jams and smog. In Elmer, I could have wildflowers and Cameron.
“I don’t. Not anymore. When the purchase is complete, I’m moving to Blue Star.”
Decision made. I was going to be a Texan. And I’d trust Cameron’s motivations.
Chapter 26
Cameron
“Fulltime?”Myvoiceheld a quaver of uncertainty, and I ruthlessly tamped down the hope blooming in my heart.
It was more than Lara’s and my rule about out-of-towners. I had issues.
Hello, I’m Cameron, and this is my relationship red flag.
Everyone I loved left me.
I knew it wasn’t true, but feelings aren’t logical. Insecurities don’t have to be rational to feel real.
I’d been widowed in my mid-twenties and had never managed a quality long-term relationship since. And now, Bailey, my baby, was going to college in the fall.
