A Perfect Fit (11 page)

“Stop freaking out. Yes, I’m going to do my best to track
down where the pictures and article came from, but it’s bound to create more
speculation and interest in the hotel. I wouldn’t worry about it. I popped onto
Twitter and left a note about enjoying the local color during the holiday. No
one’s going to think twice about it.” If they were lucky, she thought.

“Yeah, you weren’t here for the Whitneys’ annual party,
though, were you?”

“When was that?”

“Yesterday.” Lana huffed.” I can’t believe you’re there
taking it easy and I’m dealing with the Whitneys and Carters. Seriously, this
gets worse every year. Anyway, I overheard a rather well-projected whisper
about Dad wanting to keep us all under the same roof so he could have someone
babysit us. There was the expected comment about Blake being moved to the
location as babysitter, and how Alex is supposed to be all but moving in as
well—I had to ask Alex for confirmation. He denied it, though.”

The role of listening ear wasn’t new to Cami, so she said
what Lana needed to hear. “You know Dad had total trust in you—he wouldn’t risk
the business if he didn’t. You’re going to do a smashing job. We all are, and
soon everyone else will know it. Settle down.”

“I don’t like it, Cami. Something feels off.”

“So noted. Now, go enjoy your holiday, put this aside. When
you get back here next week we’ll review the damage, and anything else you’ve
been able to glean on the gossip mart. Then we can handle any problems. But
there won’t be anything major, so take it easy.”

“It certainly looks like you’re taking it easy.” Lana paused.
“Sorry I’m such a worrywart. What’s up with you and Vince? Were you actually
kissing him, or was that a photography trick?”

“No kisses.” She waited a beat. “
Last night
, anyway.”
She couldn’t help but feel smug. Kissing was definitely one of his talents, and
she had the feeling she hadn’t seen anything yet. She had every intention of
learning more about his skill in that area before this was over.

“All right, that’s it! We’re so having a long chat when I
get back. Ugg, here comes Clarissa Clearwater. Gotta go.”

“Bye.” Cami chuckled as she hit the
end
button. “Better
you than me, sis.” Clarissa Clearwater would be sure to share every tidbit of
gossip with Lana, but she would expect the same back in return. It would be a
miserable tight wire for Lana to maneuver. Yet another reason Cami was grateful
to be in Colorado for the next year.

“You aren’t worried, are you?” Sage asked.

Cami shrugged as they pulled in beside Gage’s truck. Sage
and Lana were worried for all of them, though it didn’t stop her from seething
over the article. If she could smooth the crease in Sage’s brow, acting as if
she weren’t disturbed would be worth it. “No point in getting upset before we
see where things are going. We were bound to get a few nasty jabs. This will
all sort itself out in a while.” She would make sure of it.

“So what’s been bothering you?” Vince asked as he walked
Cami to the front door after the fireworks ended. It had been a wonderful day full
of laughter, happy chatter and sufficient food to feed a crowd twice the size
of the forty-plus that had gathered in the Talmadge’s yard. And the local
fireworks had been spectacular.

“What?” Cami smiled, trying to make him think it was his
imagination.

“Sorry, you can’t fool me. Something’s been on your mind since
the parade. What were you and Sage reading on your phone?”

Cami debated for a moment before pulling up the article
again. She handed it over to him. His brows lifted as he read, but he didn’t
seem surprised or upset. “Interesting. It makes me sound like a glorified ditch
digger. Not that there’s anything wrong with ditch digging in general, of
course, and my employee list may be like a gnat vs a whale compared to what you’ll
be hiring shortly, but it’s a living.” He chuckled. “And the bit about Gage
being a ski bum—priceless! I can’t wait to show it to him.” He handed the phone
back. “Is this article going to cause problems?”

Cami shrugged, not wanting him to know it disturbed her,
even if it didn’t qualify as a serious crisis. “PR wise, it’s nothing much on
its own. I’ll check it out, but I’m not going to lose a lot of sleep.” She slid
the phone into her pocket. “It makes me wonder who was taking the pictures,
though. Jeremy’s in one of them, so unless he had some help—”

His voice was hard when he cut her off. “Don’t go there.
None of my family—and that includes Jeremy and Gage, who might as well be my
brothers—would write something like this or try to make a quick buck at your
expense. Earn money from business arrangements with you, sure. If you want
professional photos of events or of your new facilities, Jeremy will be happy
to help you out for a fee. And if you want to set up the deal for the skiers
you were speaking with Gage about, he’ll certainly be on board, but no one’s
going to hose you like this.”

Cami studied his face but saw nothing to hint he wasn’t
being sincere. “Thanks. I appreciate your candor. And I believe both of those
options have possibilities. Jeremy’s name was on the list of locals Dad
mentioned we should consider making arrangements with. I’ll bring it up with
Lana and Delphi.” She saw the defensiveness melt from his stance and decided to
explain further. “Okay, I don’t know anyone here, so I don’t know who or what
was out of place yesterday. With everyone in town for the holidays, even you
probably don’t know. In fact, it could have been someone who happened across us
and thought they could make a quick buck. Like I said, it’s not a big deal, it
just made me wonder.”

“Well, so long as we’re clear.” Vince tucked some hair back
behind her ear, brushing his fingers across her sensitive neck. “I didn’t mean
to open a can of worms right now. I had a great time with you today.” He leaned
in and rubbed his mouth across hers, lingering there until she slid into his
arms, shifting her head to take a little more. She loved kissing this man.

“I wondered what your week looks like,” he said when he
pulled back. “I told Gage I’d give him a hand with the mountain bike festival
after I finish my daily rounds. I should be free by Wednesday night, though, if
you’d like to grab a bite?”

She smiled. “I think I would. You know how to reach me.”

“And maybe we could take your car for a drive. I could make
sure the engine is running right.” His eyes glimmered with hope.

Cami pulled away, turning to the car where Sage waited for
her. “Only if I’m driving, Vince.”

“Someday.”

She laughed as she wriggled her fingers at him over her shoulder.

~*~

Vince smiled as the customer exited his office door and
turned back to his paperwork, fighting the scowl that wanted to slide onto his
face. The day had been insane, and the evenings were worse as he and Jeremy
helped Gage with the mountain bike revelers. The festival ended the next
afternoon, though, and Vince would be free to spend the evening with the lovely
Camellia.

The thought of lingering over a quiet meal with her
brightened his mood. Though he ought to focus all of his attention on work—summer
was his busiest time and business was booming—Vince was fascinated by Camellia.
The fact that her father had all but arranged their marriage should have turned
Vince off, as it had his friends to two of George’s other daughters. But now he’d
gotten to know Cami a little, he wasn’t going anywhere.

He considered most of the local eating establishments and
rejected them in turn until he thought of a charming Italian place. Great
atmosphere, quiet, with slightly more privacy than the average restaurant. It
would suit his needs perfectly.

He smiled as he picked up the ringing phone. “Nature’s
Garden. This is Vince, how can I help you?”

“Hey, it’s Cory. I’m here with Mrs. Stuart and she wants you
to swing by and talk to her about adding a pond in her backyard.”

Vince loved doing water features. They were his specialty,
though he didn’t get to install them as often as he’d like. “Great,” he flipped
through his calendar. “How does tomorrow afternoon work for her? I can manage a
consult about two.”

Cory conferred with the client and passed on the woman’s
agreement.

Vince checked to see what else was on Cory’s schedule for
the day. “Thanks, and Cory, don’t forget to check the Sullivans’ azaleas. She
said they were wilting.”

“I’m headed there now.” Cory said goodbye and hung up.

The kid was good at his job and reliable. In another year or
so Vince might let him help with the design work. Visualizing the shape and
flow of the Stuart’s yard, Vince imagined a couple of possibilities.

It didn’t take long for his mind to meander back to Cami. He
smiled and returned to work.

Cami continued to make contacts with local businesses,
collecting brochures for companies who rented out and guided groups on ATVs,
mountain bikes and horseback riding. She discussed package agreements for the
ski resort with Gage, and met with local golf courses within an hour’s drive.

Job applications were rolling in. Cami talked with the new
HR manager, who happened to be Sage’s half-brother, Harrison. He would be
joining them on the mountain before the end of the week. If there was one thing
Cami could say about her dad, he liked to keep it all in the family, more or
less. She wasn’t sure if that was an advantage or not.

Lana arrived back at the house Wednesday night, an hour
before Vince was due to pick up Cami for their date. Soon after her arrival,
she came knocking on Cami’s open door.

“So what’s the 411 on you and Vince? A second date already?”
Lana asked as she breezed into the room and perched on the corner of the bed.

Cami sat at her mirror and tweaked her hair. “It’s just a
second date.” But she could see the smug gleam in her reflection, and a glance
at Lana confirmed she saw it as well. Vince had called to verify the time he’d
pick her up, but they’d both been on the run, and the conversation had only
lasted a couple of minutes. She couldn’t wait to have more time with him.

“Spill. When did he kiss you the first time?” Lana demanded.
“I can’t believe you refused to give me any details!” 

They could have been back in high school, Cami thought, but
she had missed the close camaraderie the two of them had lost as their lives
headed in different directions and different cities over the past decade. “He
took me for a hot air balloon ride on the Fourth. It was charming and exciting,
and almost nauseating because we climbed over three-thousand feet.”

Lana put a hand to her stomach. “Holy smokes, that’s high.
Is there actually oxygen up there? I mean, we’re nearly twelve-thousand feet
already. It’s a wonder we didn’t all get altitude sickness when we came here
last time.”

“Don’t be dramatic. Anyway, the flight was amazing, and he
was great . . . and fun, suave and smart. The man has so many angles I hardly
know what new facet I’ll uncover next.” She glided her lipstick on, rubbed her lips
together, then checked it out in the mirror. “Anyway, I decided to be honest
and tell him I first flirted with him because I figured Dad would never
approve.”

Lana’s eyes grew round and her mouth fell open for a second.
“I can’t believe you said that! Cami, I’ve never known you to be straight-up
rude to a nice guy before.”

“Not nice ones, no. But then I told him he was way more than
I thought, and I was having fun with him.” She frowned slightly as she picked
through her cosmetics to find the right blush. “He told me Dad tried to
convince him the two of us would be perfect together, and Vince had decided I
must either be ugly or socially inept, until he met me.” She grinned at her
sister in the mirror. “It was quite enlightening, and honestly, only intrigued
me more—which doesn’t make any sense, but there you go.”

Lana’s eyes bugged out. “So when did he kiss you? Before or
after your heart-to-heart?”

“After. Smack dab after, and I have to say, Trent so pales in
comparison in the kissing department. Trent could probably have taken lessons
from the teenaged Vince and learned something, the man is seriously talented.”
It felt good to say it, especially with the nasty aftertaste her ex had left
after his last visit.

Lana sat in surprise for a long moment. “Okay, that’s . . .
hmmm. Isn’t it great when the guy really knows what he’s doing? Night and day
difference. I remember . . . Well, anyway.”

Cami twisted around in her chair and eyed her sister. “Whoa,
who have you been kissing lately? I haven’t heard about you with anyone for a
while now. Almost a year. And why not?” She wiggled her eyebrows when she
thought of Gage. “You know Vince has a couple of hot friends—”

This time it was Lana’s turn to protest. She slashed her
hand down, cutting off the comment. “No, we’re not going there. No blind dates,
no set ups, no men of any kind. Period.”

Odd coming from a woman who had been pretty active on the
dating scene since her teens, and Cami thought she sensed an edge of hurt in
her sister’s words. “You want to talk about it?”

Lana’s face hardened. “No. Just go ahead and give me the
lowdown on the contacts you’ve made this week.”

Deciding it was okay to let Lana have her change of
subject—there wasn’t time to needle an answer out of her right now anyway—Cami
recapped her activities. “You’ll find the contracts on your bedroom desk and I’ll
send you an email with my notes tonight so you can check them over in the
morning.” She slid her feet into a pair of silver, strappy, heeled sandals and
checked her cute purple Dior dress in the full-length mirror. She looked good.

The doorbell rang and Cami grabbed her coordinating clutch
and headed out.

Sage called up the stairs, “Cami, Vince is here.”

Cami had to remind herself her sandals weren’t made for
rushing down stairs as she reached the open staircase leading to the great
room. It was ridiculous how excited she was for this date—she wasn’t a
fresh-faced teen anxious to get to the prom.