Page 4 of My One and Only (Blackhawk Security #10)

J o pulled into the driveway of her mom’s house, turned off the car and sat there, listening to the dings and knocks of the cooling engine. What was she gonna tell Mom?

She wouldn’t lie, even if the truth would upset her mother. She’d tell her the truth, but maybe skim over the details. She knew her mom. She’d fret and worry that there would be problems with the house after she moved in. And knowing there were problems would destroy all her joy at moving into a brand-new house.

She couldn’t take that joy away from her mother. After struggling for so long with the old house Jo and her brothers had grown up in, Mom deserved to live in a brand-new house, with appliances that worked, straight, brightly painted walls and secure doors and windows.

When she saw her mom’s face in the front window, Jo got out of the car, forced a smile and waved. Then she trudged up the stairs and fumbled with the door as she put her story together.

Her mom threw open the door. “Jo! What did you think of my new house?”

“I think it’s gonna be perfect for you,” Jo said. As soon as Cam fixes all the problems . “It’s still in the early stages, but I think you’ll love the layout. Very efficient. And I like that it’s an over 55 community. There’ll be a lot of women and men your age. Lots of opportunities to make new friends.”

“Come have a cup of coffee and tell me everything,” her mom said, hurrying toward the kitchen.

Curling her fingers into her pockets, Jo followed her. Slid into one of the kitchen chairs and let her mom fuss over her. She put a mug of coffee in front of Jo, with the exact amount of cream she liked, then cut a slice of coffee cake, slid it onto a plate and set it in front of her with a fork.

Sitting across the table, she beamed at Jo. “Tell me everything!”

“They’re still framing the house,” Jo said slowly. “That’s putting up the two- by-fours that will hold up the walls. It’ll take a while to finish the framing, but once that’s done, they can start enclosing the house with the siding and roof. When I was there, a guy was starting work on the electrical system. Putting in the boxes that’ll be the electrical outlets. In the kitchen, I saw some of the pipes for the plumbing. Right now, it’s still a skeleton of a house,” she said. “Nothing but the bones. It’s still early stages.” She leaned toward her mother. “When are you supposed to be able to move in?”

“Early spring,” her mom said, practically quivering with excitement. “I’m counting the days.”

“It always takes longer than you think it’ll take,” Jo said, trying to sound soothing. “I found a few things I didn’t like, so I talked to the owner. He’s going to fix everything I found.”

Her mother frowned. “Why would it have to be fixed? Work should be done correctly the first time. I picked this development because it had gotten great reviews online.”

Her mother was savvy enough to read reviews before making a purchase? “That’s good that you read reviews, Mom,” she said, forcing a smile. “And the owner of the company promised me that he’d fix the little problems I found.”

Not so little, but her mother didn’t need to know that. She’d only worry and obsess about it, and Cam had promised that he’d fix everything.

Before her mother could press her for details of the problems, Jo leaned across the table. “You’re not going to believe who owns PK Construction,” she said.

“Someone you know?” her mom asked.

“Someone we both know. Do you remember Cam Pierce? I went to high school with him.”

“Of course I remember Cam.” Her mom smiled. “He was sweet on you. And I think you had a crush on him, too.”

Ignoring her own memories of that childish crush, Jo said, “Yeah, he was my friend in high school. He owns the company, along with Donny Kincaid. He’s the boy Cam’s parents took in when Donny’s parents took off and left him behind.”

Her mother frowned. “I remember Donny Kincaid. A troublemaker.”

Nodding slowly, Jo took a deep breath. “Yeah, he was. But he had a reason to cause trouble. How would you feel if your parents skipped town and left you behind? I can’t imagine that, but I’m pretty sure Donny settled down when Cam’s parents took him in. I know Cam and Donny were close in high school. Donny was a big guy, and he looked out for Cam. Now they’re partners in PK Construction.”

Her mom tilted her head. “So I guess Donny turned out pretty good after all.”

“He must have. Cam wouldn’t have taken him on as a partner if he was still a troublemaker, and Cam seems happy to have him.”

“Makes sense that they’d go into business together, since Cam and Donny grew up like brothers,” her mom mused.

Jo only knew Donny from high school, and she hadn’t liked him. He’d been a bully. A troublemaker. The kind of boy you avoided at parties. She shivered. Especially ones in the woods.

But he must have changed, because Cam accepted him as his partner. People did change as they matured. It probably wasn’t fair to judge Donny on what he’d done fifteen years ago. And he’d had every reason to be angry back then. Resentful. But she wasn’t about to trust him yet. Not until she knew more about him.

To his credit, Donny had tried to help Cam that night at the lake. According to what she’d heard from friends who were at the party, Donnie had stayed with Cam until the cops and EMTs arrived. Maybe he’d even chased off the guys beating Cam.

“So that’s the story of PK Construction,” Jo said. “Cam told me he was going to fix the little things I found in your house. He’ll call me and let me know when the changes are done. I’ll go over and look at the house again.” She smiled and nudged her mom. “I know you have high standards, and I’ll make sure Cam lives up to them. I’ll make sure your house is perfect. Because that’s what it should be -- a perfect house for a perfect mom.”

“Awww,” her mom said, smiling and dabbing at her eyes. “That’s a really sweet thing to say, Jo.”

“It’s the truth, Mom. You do deserve the best. And I’ll make sure you get it -- at least as far as your house is concerned.”

“I know you will, Jo.” Her mom slapped her hands on the table. “Celia called me earlier. She and your brother Tom want us to come over for dinner tonight. Dave and Kasey will be there, too. Everyone in the family wants to see you!”

“And I want to see them, as well,” Jo said. “I’m sure all the kids have grown so much since I saw them last.”

“You won’t recognize them!” her mom said.

“Probably not.”

She’d go and have dinner with her brothers and their families. It’d be great to see them again. But she wasn’t about to let Cam off the hook about the problems in her mom’s house. She’d be keeping a close eye on every step of the construction while she was in town. Thank goodness she’d had some construction experience in the Army. It would come in handy now.

* * *

Three days later, Jo’s phone rang as she was reading a book in her mom’s living room. She looked at the screen but didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?” she said cautiously as she answered.

“Jo, this is Cameron Pierce. I talked to Don and all the foremen, and I’d like to fill you in on what everyone said. Are you free for dinner tonight? I’d ask you to come over to the office this afternoon, but I’ll be in meetings most of the day. Evening will work better for me.”

“Evening’s fine for me, Cam. Where should I meet you?”

“How about I pick you up? I can say hello to your mom and thank her for buying one of my houses.”

Having Cam pick her up at her mom’s didn’t feel business-like. It felt… personal. Jo rolled her eyes. What was she, eighteen again?

Cam’s reasons for picking her up were logical. He was running a business, and probably didn’t have time to meet with everyone who bought one of his properties. And she knew her mom would appreciate Cam dropping by.

“Sure, Cam,” she said after a too-long moment. “That would be great. My mom will enjoy seeing you again.” She recited her mother’s address, then asked, “What time do you want to come by?”

“Does five work for you? I know it’s early for dinner, but I have, ah, stuff to do later tonight.”

“Five is fine. I’m on vacation right now, so I don’t have any plans. I’ll see you at five.”

“Great. Thanks, Jo.” Cam hung up the phone, but Jo stared at the screen for a long moment. Was she doing the smart thing? Going out to dinner with Cam? With him picking her up at the house, it felt too much like a date.

And a date with Cam sounded too damn appealing. It reminded her of high school, and the huge crush she’d had on him. She was an adult now, and beyond the ‘crush’ stage.

But Cam had certainly grown up very nicely. Now he was four or five inches taller than her, when he used to be exactly her height. And his chest was broad and muscular -- probably because of all the physical labor he did. His arms were huge. His legs were long and sturdy. His hair was longer than it had been in high school, dark and wavy. The kind of hair that made a woman want to run her fingers through it.

Yeah, Cam had grown up. And the crush she’d had on him in high school? The crush she’d thought she’d gotten over years ago? Turned out she wasn’t as over Cam as she’d thought.

* * *

Cam rubbed his palms down the sides of his jeans. Drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. Only when he was certain he’d gotten himself under control did he ring the doorbell of Jo’s mother’s house.

A few moments later, as if she’d been watching for him, Mrs. Finster opened the door. “Cameron Pierce,” she said. “Come on in.”

Cam swallowed as Mrs. Finster stepped to one side, smiling widely. “You’ve grown up since I last saw you in Ogden. You look good, Cam.”

God, this was just as awkward as picking up a date when he was sixteen years old. And it wasn’t even a date. It was a business meeting.

Although he wished it was a date. He’d never really gotten over Jo Finster.

Too bad she’d come back to the area too late. Before the disaster of his marriage. Before he’d become cynical and bitter.

Before he had a daughter to protect.

“You look great, Mrs. Finster.” He swiped his palms down his jeans. “I understand you bought one of the houses in the Gardens project.”

“I did,” she said, still smiling as she nodded at him. “I’m so excited about it. Can’t wait to move in.”

“It’ll be a few months yet,” he said. “We’ve really just gotten started on your house. Got it framed, is all.” Especially after he’d had the foreman for that project rip out all the studs, all the electrical boxes and all the plumbing. They were basically starting from scratch on that house.

Jo appeared behind Mrs. Finster’s shoulder. She curled her arm around her mother’s shoulders and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Thanks for getting the door, Mom. I’ll see you later.”

She stepped around her mother and waited for Cam to walk out before she stepped into the deep twilight of December in Chicago. Jo wore a puffy jacket against the bitter cold, black slacks and leather boots and had a black purse slung over her shoulder. “Hi, Cam,” she said with a hesitant smile. Then she turned to her mother, who was still in the doorway. “I’ll be back when I’m back, Mom.”

She hurried down the stairs, and Cam turned to Jo’s mom. “Good to see you again, Mrs. Finster.”

“You, too, Cam,” she said, smiling.

He felt her gaze on his back all the way to the curb, where he’d parked his truck. He reached to help Jo up to the running board, but once again she climbed up without his help, opened the door and slid onto the seat. He hurried around to the driver’s door and got in. Started the truck and pulled away from the curb. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw Jo’s mom standing in the doorway, watching them leave.

“Considering how screwed up your mom’s house was, she was very sweet to me,” he said. “You must not have told her how bad it was.”

Jo swiveled to face him. “I told her there were some problems, but I downplayed them. She’s so excited about that house, and I didn’t want to alarm her. Or make her worry. She doesn’t need that kind of stress.” She narrowed her eyes. “And I assured her that I’d keep close watch on its progress. And that I’d scream bloody murder if I found anything else I didn’t like.

“So you’d better make sure everything is fixed perfectly. You’re a businessman. You can take care of yourself. My mom’s a very trusting woman.” Her jaw twitched, as if she’d clenched her teeth. “And she’s thrilled to be doing business with someone I grew up with.”

“I won’t let her down,” he said, but the tightening of her mouth told him she wasn’t ready to believe him. “I’ve had the stuff that was already installed ripped out. We’re starting from scratch, and this time, it’ll be done right.”

Jo shifted in her seat, her gaze assessing. As if she was used to people shining her on. Telling her what they thought she wanted to hear. “Thank you, Cam,” she said after a silence as cold as the Midwest winter. “I appreciate that. But I’ll be checking on the progress of the house regularly.”

“Trust but verify, huh?”

“Exactly,” she said, her voice cool. “This is business. My mom isn’t rich. I’m pretty sure buying this house was a stretch for her. I suspect my brothers helped her with the down payment.” She smiled, and it was as if the sun came out. “We had dinner with Tom and Dave and their families the other night. They said to tell you hello.”

“They’re both married?”

“Yeah, and they each have two kids. Will and Celia live in Geneva and Dave and Kasey live in St. Charles. It was good to see them. I don’t get back to this area very often.”

“Well, say hello back for me,” he said.

“I will.” She studied him for a moment. “You don’t get a pass on the house because I knew you in high school,” she said. “I’ll be watching everything you do.”

A tiny smile curled Cam’s mouth. “Wouldn’t expect less from you, Jo.” He glanced over at her. “Can I hire you to do quality control on my houses?”

“Thanks, but I love my job. Looking forward to getting back to it after my little vacation here.”

“What job is that, Jo? What do you do?”

He felt her gaze on him, studying him as he drove. Finally, at a stop light, he looked over at her. “Your job some big secret?” he asked.

“No,” she said slowly. “But I don’t usually talk about it. I get too many questions. Most of them stupid.”

Cam glanced at her, amused at how serious she sounded. “Are you a rock star? A spy? A movie star?”

“None of the above,” she said. She took a deep breath. Glanced out the window, as if the slushy streets were fascinating. “My job’s not a secret,” she finally said. “But I don’t like to talk about it.”

He shot her a sidelong glance, and she looked… nervous. What kind of job made a person nervous to talk about it?

Finally, she sucked in a deep breath. “I’m in personal protection.”

“What exactly is that?” he asked, his forehead furled.

“I’m a bodyguard.”