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“Thank you,” Cammie said softly, feeling the ever-present twist in her stomach.
This was the first and only time she’d left her uncle since he’d worsened last September. But she’d felt deeply how important it was to meet the Mavericks and their partners, rather than just be told about them. When Dane was considering business ventures, she couldn’t be left out.
Still, it had been a hard decision to leave Uncle Lochlan, even for the day.
He’d first shown signs of something wrong when she was a senior in high school, and it had been terrifying. She’d planned to start college that fall, and yet, she couldn’t leave Uncle Lochlan when they didn’t even know what was wrong. Instead, she’d taken a job with Clyde Westerbourne, a good friend of her uncle’s. That turned out to be the best decision of her life. It eventually led her to Dane—or rather, to her job with Dane.
The Alzheimer’s diagnosis had been a terrible blow, but thankfully her uncle’s progression had been uncannily slow. The doctors said he was one for the record books. He’d been able to live in his own home, with her help, until seven years ago, when the police found him wandering more than a mile from home. She thanked God every day for Dane’s help, and for Ava, who owned retirement communities, elder care homes, and memory care facilities all over the country and internationally. Ava had found Uncle Lochlan a place.
But now his time was finally running out.
Rosie laid a gentle hand on Cammie’s arm. “If you ever need even the smallest bit of help, don’t hesitate to call one of us. We’re always here for people we care about.”
The touch, Rosie’s smile, and the kindness in her words warmed Cammie’s heart. She’d lost her parents in a car accident when she was seven and gone to live with Uncle Lochlan. He was her only family. And now she was losing him.
And yet, here was a slew of Mavericks entering her world.
As the first half of the game ended, the teammates rushed Fernsby, who’d uncapped bottles of water and laid out an array of tea sandwiches for the players’ fortification.
Gabby sniffed one of the sandwiches, looked at Fernsby, then smiled ever so sweetly. “I’m sure the sandwiches are totally amazing, dear Fernsby. The only thing that would make them even better is if there were no eggs or butter and the bread was gluten-free.”
Fernsby’s face morphed into a rigid mask of horror. “Excuse me, dear lady, but it can’t be an egg salad sandwich without eggs. Eggs and butter are the mainstays of a life well lived.” Then he drawled, “And I won’t address gluten-free bread, as it cannot even be called bread.”
Gabby shrugged, laughter dancing in her eyes as she got right up in his face. “I think you and I need to have our own little bake-off one of these days.”
Catching Dane’s eye, Cammie shared a smile with him. Fernsby and Gabby had a longstanding rivalry. Vegan and gluten-free for years, Gabby had started her own conglomerate, a franchise of bakeries specializing in vegan and gluten-free products. She managed her own franchise in Carmel. But even after her great success, Fernsby loved his butter, eggs, and all manner of dairy products.
Kelsey leaned close. “Is he just Fernsby? Or does he have a first name?”
Cammie smiled, shaking her head. “If he does, I’ve never heard it. I think he was just born as Fernsby. He’s been with Dane for-like-ever, since Dane bought that first resort.”
That drew her gaze to Dane again as he mowed down one of Fernsby’s tea sandwiches on thinly sliced bread. That was the British way, so of course it was Fernsby’s way.
Seeming to sense her eyes on him, Dane turned, a beautiful smile on his lips that sometimes made her heart race—not much, just a bit. Because, of course, they had rules that kept their relationship purely platonic. They worked so well together, amazing colleagues that they were. One might even say they had synergy. At least, that’s what Dane called it. To her, it was the perfect relationship. Even if there were times she thought—
But no way would she ruin what they had. Her job and her uncle’s care were her priorities. What if she and Dane started something only to have it end badly? The best twelve years of her life would be nothing more than a memory. And if sometimes she found herself nursing a migraine when he began dating a new woman—though she’d never been prone to migraines—that didn’t matter.
Leaning around Kelsey, Lyssa asked, “Did I hear you say the amazing Fernsby has worked for Dane since he bought his first resort?”
Glad for the new subject, Cammie nodded. “It’s been that long.”
“As I understand it,” Rosie said, “Dane was, what, only twenty-four at the time?”
