Page 7 of My One and Only (Blackhawk Security #10)

J o waved to Cam through the storm door, smiled, then closed the heavy inner door. As she hung her jacket in the closet, her mom called from the living room.

“Jo? Is that you?”

She bit back the urge to ask ‘who else would it be’ and closed her eyes. She could indulge her mom. She’d be here for less than a week. Taking a deep breath, she called, “Yeah, Mom. It’s me,” as she walked into the living room.

Her mom, sitting in the recliner she’d had for more than twenty years, smiled at her. “Sit down and tell me how your date with Cam went.”

Jo tensed. Opened her mouth to deny that it was a date. But her mom was so happy. So pleased, that instead of snapping at her, Jo flopped onto the couch. Her mom wanted her to get married, and she saw Cam as a prime husband candidate.

Drawing a deep breath to steady herself, so she wouldn’t snap at her mom, Jo said, “It wasn’t a date, Mom.” She tried to smile, to soften the blow, but was pretty sure she hadn’t succeeded. “It was a business meeting. We went to Francesca’s Mio Modo in Geneva, and the food was delicious. I’ll take you there one evening before I leave.”

But her mother wasn’t sidetracked by the prospect of going out to eat. “I always liked Cam Pierce,” she said. “He was so polite. And he was a good friend to you.” She giggled, and Jo was shocked to hear that girlish sound from her mother. “I always thought he had a crush on you.” Her eyes twinkled at Jo. “And I’m pretty sure it was reciprocated.”

Jo resisted rolling her eyes, but it was hard. “He was my best friend,” she said. “In most of my classes. And he spent a lot of time at our house.” She’d always assumed it was to escape Donnie and the chaos that swirled around him. But now Donnie was his business partner, and Cam sure acted as if he was happy with the arrangement.

Her mom leaned toward her. “What did you and Cam talk about?” she asked.

“Work, mostly,” she said, and saw her mother’s face fall. “I told you I found a few problems in the house his company is building for you. He’s checking into that but doesn’t have any answers yet. But his crew ripped out everything in your house that was a problem, and they’re going to re-do the work.”

Her mouth trembling, Jo’s mother stared at her. “So there were a lot of problems in my house?”

“I wouldn’t say that, Mom,” she said. “Just a few things that needed to be fixed. Cam assured me he’d already started working on them, and your house will be perfect in a few days.”

She had no proof that was true, but she was certain Cam’s word was good. If he said he would fix it, he’d do exactly that.

Trying to change the subject, Jo said, “What did you do while I was gone, Mom?”

“I reheated the spaghetti we had last night for dinner, then I started the Susan Elizabeth Phillips book you gave me.” She smiled. “I’m loving this book, Jo. Thanks for introducing me to her.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.” Jo smiled. “She’s one of my favorites. When you’re done, I’ll get you another one of hers.”

Her mom brought the conversation back to Cam again. “I heard several years ago that Cam had gotten married,” her mom said. “Did he say anything about his wife?”

Jo frowned. “Not a word,” she said. Jo pressed a fist to her chest to ease the sudden flash of pain. Although she had no right to feel that way about Cam and his wife. She’d gotten married, too. “And I think he would have if he were still married? Maybe he got divorced.” Or maybe his wife had died. Like Mike had died.

Her mom must have seen a shadow cross her face, because she leaned closer and touched Jo’s arm. “I’m sorry I asked if Cam was married,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories for you.”

“It’s okay, Mom,” Jo said. She managed a tiny smile -- she didn’t want her mom to feel bad. “It was a long time ago.”

“It wasn’t the kind of thing you get over easily,” her mom said.

“No, it isn’t.” Jo stretched and pretended to yawn, then stood up. “It’s been a long day,” she said. “I’m headed to bed.”

“I’m sorry, Jo,” her mom said. “You can stay down here. I won’t bring up Mike again.”

“That’s not why I’m going upstairs,” Jo said, forcing a smile. “I’m still catching up on sleep from my job in Seattle.”

Her job hadn’t been that strenuous. She hadn’t missed much sleep. But she needed a reason to go into her room and close the door. She didn’t want to talk to her mom about Mike and what had happened. Every time her mom brought it up, it was like someone had ripped off an almost-healed scab.

“Anything you need before I go to bed?” Jo asked.

“I have a cup of tea steeping on the counter,” her mom said. “Bring it in here?”

“Happy to.” Thankful to escape, Jo hurried into the kitchen, took the tea bag out of the mug and dropped in into the compost can, then carried the mug out to the living room. “Here you go,” she said, setting the mug on the stained coaster on the old table next to the chair. “See you in the morning, Mom.”

“Sleep well,” her mom said, lifting her head from the book to give Jo a distracted smile. Jo had barely started up the stairs when her mom was reading again.

As Jo got ready for bed, she thought about her evening with Cam. In spite of the awkwardness of Cam’s clear desire to start something with her, Jo had enjoyed herself. And if she were honest with herself, the spark that had always flickered between her and Cam was still there.

Sliding into bed, Jo picked up her Kindle and opened it to the book she’d been reading on the plane. But she couldn’t focus when all she could think about was Cam. And when she put her Kindle down and turned off the light, Cam’s face lingered as she fell asleep.

* * *

Forty-five minutes after dropping Jo off at her mom’s house, Cam walked in the back door of his house, a stack of Don’s manila folders under his arm. Footsteps pounded the wooden floor as his daughter rushed toward him.

“Daddy!” his daughter yelled, throwing herself at him. Her blond hair hung in two messy braids down her back, and he recognized his mother’s handiwork. Fiona’s thin arms curled around his neck as she hugged him tightly, and he inhaled her baby shampoo and sweet-little-girl-sweat scent. “You’re home,” she said, her mouth close to his ear. “Why were you late? I don’t like it when you’re late.”

“I know you don’t, sweetheart,” he said, hugging his precious daughter more tightly. “But I had a meeting tonight.”

“I missed you, Daddy,” Fiona said.

She was lonely . If Ashley hadn’t died, she’d have her mother with her when he had meetings.

No . She wouldn’t have had her mother with her. Because he’d already had a divorce in the works when Ashley died.

Cam kissed her again and set her on the floor. “How’s my favorite girl tonight?” he asked.

Fiona giggled. “I’m your only girl, Daddy,” she said.”

As he nuzzled his daughter’s neck, a picture of Jo flashed in his mind, but he ignored it. Jo was a ghost from his childhood. He was an adult now, with adult responsibilities. And a daughter who meant more to him than anything else. He inhaled her scent again, drawing it deep into his lungs.

Protecting Fiona meant shielding her from the women he occasionally dated. None of those women had met Fiona. Most of them didn’t even know he had a daughter, and that was the way he liked it. She was his , and he wasn’t about to let any woman coo over Fiona to endear themselves to Cam.

Shifting her in his arms, he headed toward the living room. “Did you have fun with Grandma after school today?”

Fiona chattered away, telling Cam everything she and his mother had done. “Grandma made spaghetti for dinner,” she said happily. “And she said there’s enough for tomorrow.”

“Wow,” Cam said. “You’re one lucky girl. I wish I could have spaghetti two days in a row.”

“You can have it with me tomorrow,” Fiona assured him. “Grandma told me there’s enough for you, too.”

“Your grandma is too good to me,” Cam said, and he meant every word. He had no idea how he’d cope if his parents didn’t live close by.

“My homework is all done already,” Fiona said proudly. “Come look at it.”

“Let’s say goodbye to Grandma first, so she can get home. Then I want to look at your homework. But I bet you got it all right.”

“I’ll bet you a bowl of ice cream that I did,” Fiona said with a huge smile.

“I’ll take that bet,” he said. His little girl was scary smart. His jaw hardened. No thanks to Ashley, Fiona’s mother. She’d dumped the girl on his parents every chance she had.

His mom met them on their way into the living room. “How was your meeting, Cam?” she asked.

He shrugged one shoulder. “You know how business meetings are. Tedious and boring, but necessary.” His dinner with Jo had been anything but boring, but he wasn’t going to tell his mother that. Back when he was in high school, his mom had known Jo well. If she knew Jo was in town, she’d nag him mercilessly to bring Jo around to the house so they could get reacquainted.

That was the last thing he’d do. If he brought Jo over to his house, she’d meet Fiona. He had a hard and fast rule about women he saw -- none of them met Fiona. None of them even knew he had a daughter. And that’s the way he liked it. No woman would get a chance to get close to Fiona, then abandon her and crush her heart the way her mother had done.

“Maybe you should go on a date instead of to a business meeting,” she murmured, being careful that Fiona didn’t hear her.

Cam drew in a breath to tell her he wasn’t interested in dating, but it was too late. His mom had bent and hugged Fiona, then kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you after school tomorrow,” she said. “Maybe we’ll go to the library so you can check out some books.” She cupped her granddaughter’s face in her hands and bent to press a kiss to her cheek. “You’re such a good reader.”

“Yeah, Grandma!” Fiona jumped up and down. “I want to go to the libary.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.” She turned to Cam and kissed his cheek. “Take care of my girl for me.”

“You know I will, Mom,” Cam said, brushing a kiss against her smooth cheek. “See you tomorrow evening.”

“I’ll be here. No where else I’d rather be.”

She slipped out the door, and Cam locked it behind her. “Did Grandma give you a bath?” he asked, realizing she wore her princess pajamas.

“Yes, she did,” Fiona said, beaming at him. “All the animals took baths, too.” She snickered. “Some of them didn’t like their baths.”

“I hope you were stern with them and made sure they got in the tub,” Cam said, taking his daughter’s hand and leading her to the living room. “No one wants smelly animals in the house.”

“I made sure they were all clean,” she assured him. She ran to the small bench that sat by the back door and grabbed her school backpack. “Here’s my homework, Daddy,” she said, waving some papers.

“Let’s take a look,” he said. Fiona cuddled into his side as he looked over her reading and math homework. Finally, he hugged her close and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Great job, Fee. Looks like you got yourself a bowl of ice cream,” he said. “Why don’t you pick out a book to read while I get it.”

As he returned with a small bowl, he saw Fiona sitting on the floor in front of the bookcase. Finally she chose one and brought it over to him. “Can we read another chapter of this one?” she asked, handing him Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

“Ooh, this is one of my favorites,” Cam said. “I read this when I was a little older than you.” He pulled Fiona close. “Did you pick this because you knew I liked it?”

Fiona nodded. “I know you like the Harry Potter stories,” she said.

“I do, but I want to read a book that you like,” he said. He curled his arm around her waist. “Put Harry Potter back and pick a book that’s your favorite.”

Fiona hurried over to the bookcase and inserted the Harry Potter book in its slot, then stared at the bookshelf for a long moment. Then she pulled out a book and hurried over to the couch.

“ Catwings ,” Cam said, and his mouth curled into a smile. “I love this book, too,” he said, and pulled Fiona onto his lap. Her sweet scent enveloped him as he read the book, and she relaxed against his chest, her breathing slowing down.

“Can we read Catwings Returns tomorrow?” she asked.

“I’d love that,” he said.

When they’d finished reading and he was tucking Fiona into bed, she rolled onto her side and studied him for a long moment. “Do you ever go on dates?” Fiona finally asked.

“A date?” he repeated, shocked at the question. “What makes you ask that?”

“Grandma asked if you were on a date. What’s that?”

Cam struggled for a description that Fiona would understand. “It’s when a man and a woman want to get to know each other better,” he finally said.

“Chrystal’s mother has a boyfriend,” she said, her expression hopeful. “Chrystal told me Bob brings her a present every time he comes to their house.”

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Cam said, nuzzling Fiona’s neck. “I’ve already got a girlfriend.”

“You do?” Fiona asked, bouncing on the couch. “Is she gonna come over to meet me? Bring me a present?”

“You’re my girlfriend, Fiona,” Cam said, poking gently at her tummy. “You’re the only girl I want.”

Fiona’s mouth quivered. “But I want presents,” she whined.

“You get presents for your birthday. For Christmas. And I suspect your Grandma brings you plenty of presents.”

“She does,” Fiona agreed. “But if you had a girlfriend, she’d kind of be my mommy, right? I want a mommy.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Cam murmured, pulling Fiona onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her. “I know you’d like a mommy. But there’s no store where I could go pick one out for you. I think we’re managing pretty well, you and I and your Grandma and Pop Pop. Don’t you?”

Fiona nodded slowly. “I love Grandma and Pop Pop. But they’re not Mommies.”

“I know, baby. You know your mommy is in heaven, right?” Heaven, he suspected, was the last place Ashley would end up. Not after the way she’d neglected her daughter and made her cry far too often.

Fiona studied him, her eyes sad. “I know that,” she finally said. “But if you had a girlfriend, I could pretend she was my mommy.”

Cam stroked his hand down his daughter’s blond hair. “I know, sweetheart. But I don’t have time for a girlfriend.” An image of Jo filled his head, and he shook it away. After fifteen years, she still made his heart beat faster. He was still attracted to her. “I’m too busy working. But I think we have fun together in the evenings, right? And on the weekends?”

“We do,” Fiona said. She swallowed. “Maybe someday you’ll have a girlfriend.”

“You never know,” Cam said. His heart clenched at the memory of Jo’s smile. Of the way she’d touched his arm. It would be far too easy to fall for Jo all over again. He pulled his daughter close to his side. “How about this weekend we go down to the river and feed the ducks. I bet they’d love some bread.”

“Yeah!” Fiona said, bouncing on the couch. “I wanna feed the ducks.”

“Then we’ll do that this weekend,” he promised. Thank God he’d distracted her from her girlfriend questions. Glancing at his watch, he said, “It’s time for bed now, though.”

“Okay.” She slid off his lap and held up her arms so Cam could carry her to bed. He tucked her in, kissed her forehead then said, “Sleep tight, sweetheart. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“’Night, Daddy,” his daughter said, her eyes drifting closed already.

Leaving her door cracked, so he could hear if she called for him, Cam returned to the living room and threw himself onto the couch. Was he doing the right thing for Fiona?

Then he remembered the way Ashley had jerked both of them around. He was certain she’d been having an affair before she died in that car accident. She’d gone off the road and into the river, and she’d drowned when she hadn’t been able to get out of the car. The coroner had found a high level of alcohol in her blood.

But by the time she’d died, their marriage had been over. Instead of divorcing her, he’d tried to save the marriage for Fiona’s sake. But he’d seen Fiona crying, cringing and covering her ears when Ashley was drunk and loud, and that had been the last straw. He’d begun filing for divorce, but then she’d had the accident. He was sad that Fiona had lost her mother when she was only three years old, and sorry that Ashley had died. But he and Fiona had done just fine these last three years. His parents helped as much as they could, and he was content with their life.

An image of Jo floated in front of him, and he shoved it away. Jo was only going to be here for a handful of days. There was no possibility of a relationship there, even if he was willing to share Fiona with her.

Which he wasn’t.

So in spite of the feelings he still had for Jo, all she would ever be was a distant, pleasant memory. Nothing more.