Page 98
Story: My One and Only
Fiona grinned at her. “I’m glad you’ll always come back, Jo.”
“So am I,” Jo said. She looked at Cam. Had she overstepped? They hadn’t talked about Jo staying with them.
But his smile at her words lit up his face. “When Jo is in Ogden, she’ll live with us,” Cam said. “Would you like that, Fee?”
“Yes,” she said, and her smile made Jo’s heart clench in her chest. “I want Jo to live with us forever.”
“So do I, honey,” Cam said. “So do I.”
And so did she. Jo smiled at Fiona. Took her hand, and Cam’s. “My two favorite people in the world,” she said.
* * *
Fiona beamed as the waitress delivered their food, and Cam smiled at her and Fiona. So much better to focus on the future, with Jo staying with them, than think about Don. He didn’t want to think about Don ever again.
After they finished breakfast, Cam asked Fiona, “How would you feel about going back to Grandma’s for a little bit. Jo and I have some work to do at my office, but we’ll pick you up after we’re done and we can do whatever you’d like to do.”
“Anything?”Fiona asked, her eyes lighting up.
“Your choice.”
She opened her mouth, and Cam put his fingers over it. “Give it a lot of thought, baby. Make sure you think of all the choices.”
Fiona furled her forehead. “I’ll think hard, Daddy.”
“Good job.” He took his credit card from their server, signed the receipt, slid his wallet into his pocket. “Let’s go so Jo and I can get our work done and have some fun with you.”
* * *
Fiona chattered all the way back to his mother’s house, and Cam paid close attention. Answered all her questions. But once Fiona had run into her grandparents’ house, Cam took a deep breath. Grabbed Jo’s hand and tugged her toward the car.
“As much as I adore Fiona, I need to get some answers from the police. And the doctors at Delnor. I want to know how Don is doing. When he’ll be transferred from the hospital to the jail. Whether the police have any more information about who built that bomb. And I don’t want to discuss any of that in front of Fiona.”
“Of course you don’t.” Jo slowed and stopped at a red light and reached for Cam’s hand. Squeezed it hard. “You were great with Fiona. I’m sure she doesn’t have a clue about how upset you are about Don. How betrayed you must feel.”
He sighed. “She loves her Uncle Don. Sooner or later, she’ll need to know exactly what he did, including trying to take her in the car with you. But not now. She’s too young. I don’t want to destroy her illusions of a happy family.”
“I think that’s smart,” Jo said, taking her hand away from Cam’s and putting the car in motion again. “The longer you can protect her from the evil in the world, the better.”
“Yeah,” he said gruffly. “I don’t want my little girl growing up too fast.”
“You and your parents have done a wonderful job with her,” Jo said, and Cam watched the ripple in her throat. “She’s open and loving, kind and thoughtful. Not a lot more you could ask from a six-year-old.”
“I know,” he said as she pulled into his parking spot at work. “C’mon, let’s see what Don was working on so I can figure out who to hand it off to.”
“You have anyone in mind?”Jo asked.
“His assistant, maybe. But I have no idea if Will was involved in Don’s schemes. And I’m not sure how to find out.”
“The police might have some ideas about that. Under the circumstances, you could probably get a warrant to look into Don’s finances. And maybe his assistant’s, too.”
“I don’t mind looking at Don’s after what he did. But I hate to intrude into Will’s business. He’s a good guy.” Cam sighed. “Or at least I think he is. Hard to trust my judgment after I never questioned anything Don did.”
“You thought of Don as your brother,” Jo said, laying her hand on his arm. “We don’t suspect our families when bad things happen. But now you know, so get the warrant,” Jo said, laying her hand on his arm. “Then you’ll know for sure. You need to know.”
The taste of betrayal was bitter in Cam’s mouth, but he nodded once. He knew he’d have to be sure Will wasn’t involved in Don’s mess before he could trust him. But he hated the idea of poking into the young man’s private business.
“Yeah,” he said.
“So am I,” Jo said. She looked at Cam. Had she overstepped? They hadn’t talked about Jo staying with them.
But his smile at her words lit up his face. “When Jo is in Ogden, she’ll live with us,” Cam said. “Would you like that, Fee?”
“Yes,” she said, and her smile made Jo’s heart clench in her chest. “I want Jo to live with us forever.”
“So do I, honey,” Cam said. “So do I.”
And so did she. Jo smiled at Fiona. Took her hand, and Cam’s. “My two favorite people in the world,” she said.
* * *
Fiona beamed as the waitress delivered their food, and Cam smiled at her and Fiona. So much better to focus on the future, with Jo staying with them, than think about Don. He didn’t want to think about Don ever again.
After they finished breakfast, Cam asked Fiona, “How would you feel about going back to Grandma’s for a little bit. Jo and I have some work to do at my office, but we’ll pick you up after we’re done and we can do whatever you’d like to do.”
“Anything?”Fiona asked, her eyes lighting up.
“Your choice.”
She opened her mouth, and Cam put his fingers over it. “Give it a lot of thought, baby. Make sure you think of all the choices.”
Fiona furled her forehead. “I’ll think hard, Daddy.”
“Good job.” He took his credit card from their server, signed the receipt, slid his wallet into his pocket. “Let’s go so Jo and I can get our work done and have some fun with you.”
* * *
Fiona chattered all the way back to his mother’s house, and Cam paid close attention. Answered all her questions. But once Fiona had run into her grandparents’ house, Cam took a deep breath. Grabbed Jo’s hand and tugged her toward the car.
“As much as I adore Fiona, I need to get some answers from the police. And the doctors at Delnor. I want to know how Don is doing. When he’ll be transferred from the hospital to the jail. Whether the police have any more information about who built that bomb. And I don’t want to discuss any of that in front of Fiona.”
“Of course you don’t.” Jo slowed and stopped at a red light and reached for Cam’s hand. Squeezed it hard. “You were great with Fiona. I’m sure she doesn’t have a clue about how upset you are about Don. How betrayed you must feel.”
He sighed. “She loves her Uncle Don. Sooner or later, she’ll need to know exactly what he did, including trying to take her in the car with you. But not now. She’s too young. I don’t want to destroy her illusions of a happy family.”
“I think that’s smart,” Jo said, taking her hand away from Cam’s and putting the car in motion again. “The longer you can protect her from the evil in the world, the better.”
“Yeah,” he said gruffly. “I don’t want my little girl growing up too fast.”
“You and your parents have done a wonderful job with her,” Jo said, and Cam watched the ripple in her throat. “She’s open and loving, kind and thoughtful. Not a lot more you could ask from a six-year-old.”
“I know,” he said as she pulled into his parking spot at work. “C’mon, let’s see what Don was working on so I can figure out who to hand it off to.”
“You have anyone in mind?”Jo asked.
“His assistant, maybe. But I have no idea if Will was involved in Don’s schemes. And I’m not sure how to find out.”
“The police might have some ideas about that. Under the circumstances, you could probably get a warrant to look into Don’s finances. And maybe his assistant’s, too.”
“I don’t mind looking at Don’s after what he did. But I hate to intrude into Will’s business. He’s a good guy.” Cam sighed. “Or at least I think he is. Hard to trust my judgment after I never questioned anything Don did.”
“You thought of Don as your brother,” Jo said, laying her hand on his arm. “We don’t suspect our families when bad things happen. But now you know, so get the warrant,” Jo said, laying her hand on his arm. “Then you’ll know for sure. You need to know.”
The taste of betrayal was bitter in Cam’s mouth, but he nodded once. He knew he’d have to be sure Will wasn’t involved in Don’s mess before he could trust him. But he hated the idea of poking into the young man’s private business.
“Yeah,” he said.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105