Page 6 of Sunny Skies Ahead (Watford Sweethearts #2)

I’d already started overthinking what I’d shared when the conversation moved on after Lucas brought up some random news headline he’d read earlier in the day.

I relaxed slightly, hunched over the table as I finished my spaghetti.

With the spotlight now off me, I could focus on doing what I did best: taking part in the conversation from the sidelines.

Dinner wrapped up as it always did, with everyone carrying their plates to the kitchen, knocking any leftovers into the compost bin before setting them on one side of the sink.

I took up my post as the dishwasher as everyone filed into the living room to continue their conversation.

This was one element of our family dinner that I looked forward to the most—having a task to focus on while I mulled over my thoughts.

“Thank you for dinner,” a voice said from behind me.

I jumped back, my heart lurching into my throat as I spun around to face the person, every part of my body going into overdrive at the unexpected presence of someone behind me .

I relaxed at the sight of Kameron holding the rest of the dirty dishes, pressing a hand to my chest to calm my racing heart.

“Sorry, you startled me.”

“Don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that.”

I forced a smile as best I could and turned back towards the sink, finishing rinsing the plate I’d been holding. Kameron came to stand beside me, laying the dirty dishes down on my side of the sink and rolling his sleeves back up to his elbows.

“You rinse, and I’ll load them into the dishwasher,” he said, gesturing for me to hand him the clean plate.

I opened my mouth to protest, but he shook his head.

“You cooked. It’s only fair we help clean,” Kam said, jerking his head toward the dining room table, where the others had finished clearing the table before taking their seats on the couch.

We fell into a comfortable silence. The repetitive action of scrubbing each plate, followed by a quick rinse, and the handoff to Kameron, was soothing in a weird, domestic way that was foreign to me.

“Come work with me.”

The plate I’d been holding clattered into the sink. I winced at the loud clash of ceramic against steel, a shiver crawling up my spine. I swallowed tightly, steeling myself against the rising tide of memory.

If Kam noticed, he didn’t say anything.

“What?” I finally said.

“Come work with me at Winding Road,” Kam said sheepishly as he took the banged up plate from the sink and finished rinsing it before placing it in the dishwasher.

“Since the festival last year, things have really picked up. We received hundreds of applications for our most recent cohort, and even more emails and phone calls from people who want to support us. Unfortunately, I am not gifted with anything remotely administrative, and I’m scared stuff is falling through the cracks because I can’t keep up with it all.

Abbie tells me you love a good spreadsheet. ”

I smiled and shrugged my shoulders like it was no big deal.

“You don’t?”

Kam’s laugh could only be described asbeautiful.

“I don’t. And I won’t lie to you. My life is a mess. But I would love if you came to Winding Road and helped me get my life organized into a spreadsheet.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek.

“So, like an administrative assistant?”

Kameron shrugged. “Primarily, yes. Administrative work would be really helpful, but if you wanted to do something more creative, like helping us make social media posts, that would be really helpful too. The pictures on your homestead social media are stunning.”

I pressed my lips together to hold back a smile.

“I didn’t realize you’d been looking at my page.”

I could have sworn Kameron’s cheeks went slightly pink.

“Market research and all that.”

“Right,” I said, unable to stop the grin this time. “Market research.”

Kameron’s expression softened, and something in my stomach flipped as his gentle gaze fixed on me .

“I know what it’s like to feel adrift, trying to figure out what your next move is in life, but not sure how you’re going to get there.

I know I’m biased, but Winding Road is the kind of place where people find themselves again.

And obviously you wouldn’t be coming to the farm to be part of a cohort, but.

. .” Kameron blew out a breath, wiping his hands off on a spare towel before crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’m rambling. The point is, we could use your help. I could use your help. Most of my energy is going towards filling out grant applications to secure additional funding.”

My stomach twisted. The thought that Winding Road was going through financial difficulties similar to me was devastating.

“I thought Connor had invested in the farm?”

“He did,” Kameron said. “But I’m trying to think long term. Connor’s investment will sustain us for at least another year, hopefully longer. There’s so much I want to do, but I’m hesitant to do any of it because I don’t want to put the nonprofit in a tight spot.”

“So, an administrative assistant. My primary goal would be to ease the pressure off of you so you can focus on grant applications,” I said, wanting to make sure I understood. Kameron nodded, his expression lighting up in a way that had me ducking my head.

He was beautiful in a way that unnerved me.

“And you’d be my boss?” I asked, although I immediately regretted how forward and presumptuous the question was.

Kameron just shrugged again. “Technically, yes. ”

He said it so nonchalantly, I almost convinced myself us working together in close proximity wouldn’t be an issue.

“But really, Imogen,” Kam said, taking a step closer to me. My breath hitched, and I fought the urge to lean in closer. This is how it had always been between us—this magnetic push and pull, a never-ending dance.

The feeling of Kameron’s steady presence at my side last fall flashed through my mind.

The night of the fall festival, we’d attended a party in Abbie’s honor at the Roadhouse, Watford’s local bar.

I’d been worn out by the day’s extroverting, and being surrounded by a bunch of drunk partygoers wasn’t my idea of a good time.

Kameron had been there, steadying me without even really thinking about it.

We hadn’t discussed it. I honestly wasn’t sure he remembered it. But I remembered how comforting his touch had been, how safe I’d felt knowing that he was there, and the relief I’d felt when I hadn’t needed to ask for him to step in.

“It’s far less about the work, and more about giving you the space to figure out what you want.

I know what it’s like to outgrow something you once loved with your whole heart.

It’s painful and, frankly, terrifying, to wake up one morning and realize something you’ve dedicated part of your life to is no longer serving you. ”

A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed tightly. My stomach twisted uncomfortably. That’s exactly how I felt about the homestead, and judging by the sincerity in his tone, that must have been how Kameron felt about leaving the Marine Corps .

As I glanced towards the living room, where Abbie and Lucas were engaged in a rather heated debate over what board game to play, I felt that familiar sensation of guilt rise within me. I didn’t deserve what Kameron was offering.

Kameron’s eyes met mine, and my heart stumbled for an entirely different reason this time.

“I’d need to figure out what to do with the homestead. And home repairs, because I’m honestly scared to leave the house some days for fear that a wall is just going to collapse.”

I still felt guilty. It felt weird to accept what seemed like an objectively good deal to help me figure out my next steps in life.

Kameron smiled softly, and my knees threatened to buckle.

“You could work remotely most of the time,” Kameron said. “I’m not an expert, but I imagine you could handle most administrative tasks, like checking emails and scheduling content, from any location.”

He was right. Aside from the initial setup, like getting the lay of the land at Winding Road, I could do most of my work from home during the week.

Which was good, because the idea of doing all of those tasks near Kameron Miller felt like I was signing up for danger.

Because when he looked at me the way he was now, gentle blue eyes fixed entirely on me, like nothing else existed, I felt the urge to break my promise to myself.

“There’s no pressure either way,” Kam said, angling his body towards the sink to continue loading the dishwasher. “Just something to think about. ”

“Thank you,” I whispered, forcing myself to look away from his face. I picked up the long forgotten plate and turned the faucet back on, wincing as it sputtered for several long seconds before the flow resumed.

I chewed my bottom lip as we finished rinsing the dishes in silence.

Kameron turned the dishwasher on and headed back towards the living room.

I leaned back against the stove, watching all of my friends in the other room.

My conflicting desires warred within me.

On the one hand, ?this was the perfect opportunity for me to do something different and make a sustainable, steady income.

But then I remembered the way my heart flipped when Kameron trained his attention on me, and I felt myself slipping.

I couldn’t afford to get my heart broken a second time. I wouldn’t survive it.

That, I was sure of.