Almost Just Friends (Wildstone #4)(23)

“This boat’s gotta be fixed now,” Emmitt said. “The marina’s closed midweek until spring, but I need to get the equipment ready for this weekend. It’s going to be warm. People are gonna come out in droves.”

“I’ve got it,” Cam said.

Emmitt hesitated. “Uh . . .”

“What?”

“Remember that summer we were in North Carolina and you sank my canoe?”

“Of course I remember,” Cam said, his patience seeming a little strained. “We were on our one and only vacation together, before you and Mom split. I was a thirteen-year-old pain in your ass. Which you mentioned about a hundred times in the space of an hour. It was the last summer I ever got to spend with you.”

Emmitt’s face fell with genuine regret. “Camden—”

“No.” Cam held up his hand. “I got it. I was a handful, to say the least. But I grew up, Dad. And I can fix any boat. Hell, I could build one from scratch. Let me handle this for you.”

Emmitt was looking like he had big regrets and something to say, so Piper started to turn and walk off to give them some privacy, but Cam said, “It’s okay. Just check him over, I’ve got this.”

Emmitt shook his head. “You weren’t a handful, Camden. It was me. I was the handful. Your mom and I split, and she was adamant that I leave her alone to handle herself. I had Rowan, and I wasn’t all that great at just being me, much less trying to raise a baby, but those are excuses, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Cam tipped his head back and stared at the sky for a long beat before meeting his dad’s gaze. “Forget it, okay? It doesn’t matter. What matters now is your health. Let’s move on.”

“This first.” Emmitt took a step closer to him. “I wish I could go back in time.”

“It’s done. Why would you want to relive it?”

“So that I could try harder. I’d try to make it work with your mom so that we could’ve stayed a family. I’d do better by you, Cam. I would.”

“Dad . . .” There was no anger in Cam’s voice. No censure. “Our history is water under the bridge. It’s gone, and I’m not into regrets. I’m here now, and so are you.”

Emmitt slowly nodded his head. “And I’m glad for that.”

“Me too. So get your ass inside and let Piper do her thing.”

Emmitt turned to her and smiled. “He’s been here only a week and already found the best woman in town.” He paused and looked at Cam. “She’s a keeper, son. Remember that.”

“Uh, no, I’m not.” Piper shifted her weight uneasily. “A keeper.”

Both men looked at her. “Dad, could you give us a minute?”

“Sure,” Emmitt said. “Take your time.” He gave Cam a meaningful look. “And I mean that. Women like when you take your time.”

Cam’s grimace said he’d maybe finally found the end of his patience.

Emmitt held up a hand. “I know, who wants to take advice from your dad, right? But, son, I’ve been on Tinder for two years now, and trust me. I know these things.” He turned and headed up to the house, and Piper nearly laughed at Cam’s expression. The perpetually-in-control man had zero idea how to react to this.

“You think this is funny?” he asked. “Me coming face-to-face with my dad’s sex life?”

“I think it’s hysterical.”

He shook his head, but he smiled too. Reaching out, he took her heavy duffel bag from her shoulder and slung it over his. “So you really do come over once a day to check on him.”

“I try,” she said, prepared to feel a little defensive about that. “I missed yesterday because my shift went late.”

He squeezed her hand. “It means a lot, so thank you.” Gently, he cradled her jaw, his thumb skimming along the bruise she could feel forming.

“Don’t ask,” she said. “Rough transport earlier.”

Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to her temple, and then her forehead. “You okay?”

What she was, apparently, was a lover of forehead kisses . . . “Yes.”

He held her gaze with his.

“What?” she asked.

“I’m working on my inner caveman, who wants to come out and deal with whoever gave this to you. They’d never find his body.”

His easy expression had turned intense and determined, looking every inch the trained warrior she knew he was. “He’s been arrested.”

“Good.” He looked her over, eyes assessing her. “Any injuries I don’t see?”

He asked this lightly. Calmly, even. But there was an edge to him, and a visible set to his jaw.

“No,” she said. “I’m okay. Really.”

She got a nod, and he made a clear effort to shake off the tension. “If you were hurt, would you admit it?”

“Would you?” she countered.

That got her a wry smile. “Touché. Okay, how about this. We play doctor again, only this time I get to be all bossy and in charge.”

She laughed for the first time all day. Laughed and . . . felt a little frisson of arousal go through her at the thought of playing anything with this man. “Maybe some other time.”