Hold on Tight (Sea Breeze #8)(31)

She hung up and raised her eyebrows. “Is Sienna Roy back home?”

I nodded. “Yeah, she is.”

Mrs. Quinn let out what looked like a sigh of relief. “Well, glory be. It’s about time. That sweet girl was shipped off, and I knew it wasn’t right. Worried me sick. Glad she’s been able to come home. Reckon her father’s passing made that possible.”

How this woman knew so much, I didn’t know. But she did. She seemed to know a lot. I just nodded.

She waved her hand toward Cam Dodge’s door. “Go on in. Mr. Dodge said he would see you.”

I thanked her and headed for the door before he could change his mind.

Cam Dodge stood up from behind his desk when I opened the door. He was young. I was expecting someone older, and that had bothered me. But he was young, and f**k it all if that didn’t bother me more.

His button-down shirt and pressed slacks were part of the uniform, but he looked like he was comfortable in that fancy shit. He was smiling, but his smile was very unsure. The name Sienna Roy had been the reason he’d agreed to see me. So now he wanted to know why.

Well, he’d have to wait. I had some things I wanted to know first.

“How old are you?” I asked, not sitting down but standing on the other side of the desk, crossing my arms over my chest and meeting his curious gaze. I liked that I had to look down at him. He was a good two or three inches shorter than me.

“Excuse me?” he said, his forehead wrinkling.

“I asked how old you were,” I repeated. If he wanted more information from me, he’d need to answer that first.

“Twenty-eight,” he replied, still watching me with an unsure expression.

“You normally pick women up at the grocery store?” I asked.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “No,” he replied. “Who are you, exactly?” he asked, clearly being careful.

“Mrs. Quinn told you who I was. You ever been married?”

His eyes went wide with surprise, then he narrowed them in agitation. “I don’t see how that is your business, seeing as I don’t know who you are. I was told your name, but all I know is you are someone connected to the woman I have a date with tonight. I’d like more information from you if you intend to grill me.”

He spoke like a principal. I watched him fiddle with his tie and stick his hands in his pockets while he stood tall. The dude was a nerd. He wasn’t anywhere near Sienna’s league. What was she doing with this guy?

“Sienna’s son is my nephew. Since she met you in the bread aisle of a grocery store, I’d like to know more about you before you take her out tonight. I’m also going to make sure you understand that her safety is really f**king important. You hurt her, and you won’t live long enough to regret it.”

The man flinched. At least he believed me. He took in my tattooed arms and the piercing in my lip before meeting my gaze again. He cleared his throat. “You’re her son’s uncle . . . but you aren’t her brother? Does that mean you’re the boy’s father’s brother?” he asked.

I nodded.

He studied me a moment. “Is the boy’s father still in her life?”

I shook my head. “You don’t get to ask questions. You asked her out. I’m asking the questions. Have you been married? I’m assuming you don’t have a record, since you’re a principal. The school board would have checked that shit. But do you have a girlfriend? Or a drinking problem? Drugs?”

Cam held up his hands and laughed nervously. “Whoa. Okay. Wow. No to all of that. I’m completely clean and unattached. I was engaged five years ago, but she had cervical cancer, and she didn’t make it.”

His slight wince when he mentioned his fiancée’s death didn’t go unnoticed. He was a man trying to move on. He had a good job, and he seemed pretty damn sincere. This was not enough for me, but I’d ask around and find out more about him. My gut was telling me he was safe.

“Don’t hurt her,” I repeated. “That means touching her in ways she doesn’t want, or touching at all. Remember, I’ll know and I’ll come after you. I’ve got a f**king record, and I’m not scared of prison.”

I turned and walked out of the small office, and waved good-bye to Mrs. Quinn before leaving.

I had some more poking around to do about the guy, and only eight hours left to do it.

SIENNA

I wasn’t ready to introduce Cam to Micah. I wasn’t sure if I would ever go out with Cam again after tonight. There was always a chance it wouldn’t go well. I hardly knew this man. No reason to introduce him to the most important person in my life. That would be for later, if I liked him and wanted to spend more time with him. Tabby agreed, and she’d had Micah come over an hour before Cam was supposed to show up.

It also gave me time to change clothes five times and worry with my hair. Micah would have been right under me, asking me why I was changing clothes so much and messing with my hair. He would then tell Dewayne, which would be humiliating. I already knew he didn’t think there was much that could be done with me.

Fortunately, Cam disagreed with him. That eased my mind some, and I put back on the skirt I had tried on first and slipped on my wraparound blouse. This was casual but nice. It would work for anywhere. I slipped on a pair of black pumps and fought the urge to go pull my hair back up again. Letting it hang loose had been my last-minute decision, but now I was questioning it.