Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67675 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67675 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
“Right!”
After Elyna and Robert left, their protection officer leading the way, I pulled Cami aside. “What was that about?”
“What was what about?” she asked, tilting her head, giving every appearance of being mystified. So I was going to have to drag her out of it after all.
“Elyna and Robert,” I said grimly. “They turned into ice statues when I walked in.”
“Did they?” Her eyes slid away evasively.
I glanced around to make sure our daughter wasn’t in hearing range. Emma had gone into her room for quiet time, but she had a habit of popping back out. When I didn’t see her, I hardened my voice. “Cami, you know they fucking did. Don’t play games with me.”
She blew out her breath. “Oh, come on, Landon. You know why. They think I’m making a mistake getting involved with you again.”
I studied her. It sounded right. She looked sincere. But I felt like there was something else. Something she wasn’t telling me. “What else?” I asked.
Cami slid her arms around my neck and kissed the hollow of my throat. “They think you’re too old for me.”
“I am,” I said, my arms instinctively going around her.
“They think you’ll never make me happy.”
“I won’t.”
“I don’t know. I’m pretty happy with you right now.” Her teeth scraped the sensitive skin of my throat. Her lips found my jawline. “Aren’t you happy with me right now?”
I didn’t say anything. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, the truth might come out.
That I’d always been happy with her.
Later, when we were lying in bed, her head pillowed on my shoulder, I realized I’d forgotten to tell her about Con’s wedding.
“You know that vacation you said we should go on?” I asked, playing with the ends of her hair. I wrapped one long lock around my finger and unspooled it.
“Mhmm,” she said sleepily.
“How do you feel about Croatia?”
She lifted her head and rolled to look up at me. “To visit your grandparents?”
I was surprised she remembered that my family was from Zadar, and my grandfather still lived there with his second wife. My grandmother had passed on nearly ten years ago, and I hadn’t been back since. It wasn’t deliberate, I’d just gotten too busy since my company took off.
“No, for Con and Lily’s wedding. We’d go to Zaprešić first, but we could go to Zadar after.” I considered it. It would be nice to see the old man again. I could introduce him to Emma. Although I still hadn’t introduced her to my mom, and there would be hell to pay if I went out of order.
“You think it would be safe?”
“I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t.”
Cami smirked up at me. “How many protection officers did you talk Con into accommodating?”
“Three,” I admitted.
Cami laughed out loud and then, to my surprise, rose up and kissed me gently. “I’d love to go. It’ll be our first vacation together.”
The next day, I made the arrangements for Croatia. We’d fly into Zaprešić a few days before the wedding, then fly to Zadar the day after to stay with my grandfather for a few days. Cami and Emma had never been, and I wanted to show them some of the country. But first, I had to get the meeting with my mom out of the way.
I gritted my teeth as I called her. We’d never had a falling out, exactly. We’d just never had a damn thing in common. I’d done everything she told me not to and made a fortune at it. I don’t know which galled her more.
When she answered the phone, I walked her through the events of the last month as quickly and clinically as I could. I thought that was the best way to do it since neither of us liked small talk or beating around the bush. I finished with, “If you’re free tomorrow or Tuesday, come by for dinner and meet her. We fly to Croatia on Wednesday.”
Silence.
I held the phone away from my ear and frowned. “Mom?”
“I’m here.” Her voice sounded quiet and far away.
I put the phone back to my ear and tried to keep impatience from hedging my voice. “What do you think about dinner? Can you come?”
“Yes, Landon. I think I can make time in my busy schedule to meet my granddaughter. I’ll come tomorrow.” Though the receiver was right next to my ear, her voice still sounded distant.
“Great,” I said, ignoring it. “We’ll cook.”
“Don’t go to any trouble.”
It took all the discipline I’d developed over the last twenty some years to keep from barking at her in frustration. There was no winning with her. If we had a home cooked meal, she’d say we shouldn’t have bothered. If we ordered out, she’d try to get away with ordering a side salad or an appetizer instead of a meal, and then she’d try to insist on paying her portion herself.