Her Forever Hero (Unexpected Heroes #3)(48)

“All right, we’ve gotten that out of the way. Tell me what you’ve been so busy with lately.”

Grace somehow managed to switch gears, and spent the next fifteen minutes telling him about her event-planning business. It was easy to talk to him because he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say.

“. . . so I am locked in to planning Kitty Grier’s wedding. She’s a spoiled socialite who wants her way about everything. I haven’t even met the groom, and most likely won’t until the wedding day. In those circles, the wedding isn’t about the man, it’s all about how much the bride can outdo her so-called best friends’ weddings. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy large weddings. I’m just saying that sometimes it gets a little over-the-top.”

“I like over-the-top weddings. But the groom most certainly is a part of the ceremony,” Martin said, chortling.

“Yes, yes, he is,” Grace said with a sigh.

“You will make a beautiful bride one day, Gracie,” Martin said, taking her hand again.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever marry. It wasn’t like I had a good example of marriage from my parents.”

“No, you didn’t, but, oh, how I loved my wife before she left this world. It was far too soon. And I have many friends in beautiful marriages,” he told her. “And just look at how happy your best friend and Spence are right now.”

“Yes, I’ve never seen Sage so happy, but that’s because Spence puts her on a pedestal. That man would die for her,” Grace said with only the slightest taste of envy on her tongue.

“I’ve seen a certain person look at you in exactly the same way that Spence looks at Sage,” Martin said with a raised eyebrow.

Grace didn’t know what to say, and she was saved from having to answer by Cam, who picked that moment to walk through the door.

“You both went silent awfully fast when I came in,” Cam said, and his lips quirked up at the corners.

When he gave his dad a hug, then kissed her on the cheek, Grace was shocked to realize that, yes, she wanted him to gaze at her the way Spence did at Sage. How sappy could she get?

But at the same time, that thought terrified her. Because if he did, she would have to let down the walls of protection around her heart. And Grace didn’t think she could do that—because if she let them down and her heart was broken again, it would never be repaired.





“I’ve enjoyed the visit, Grace—and tell Sally that her cake was the second-sweetest thing in the house—but I must run,” Martin said. “I have a date.” He stood, then bent down and kissed the cheek opposite the one Cam had just grazed with his lips.

“Leaving as soon as I get in, Father?” Cam asked.

“I always want to visit with you, son,” Martin told Cam. “But time is money—for you, at least. Don’t you do anything to my girl.” And then he was gone, leaving his son alone with Grace—exactly where Cam wanted to be.

“I wonder what he thinks I’ll do to you,” Cam said. Hell, he wouldn’t mind doing all sorts of things to or, better, with her. First and foremost, he’d like nothing more than to carry her upstairs to his room and finally make proper love to her. Those teasing sessions they both seemed so set on were getting a little old, although they were better than nothing.

“You’ve been known to play less than fair,” Grace told him as she picked at her barely touched slice of cake.

“You know that man has always loved you, don’t you?”

Cam sat down and grabbed an extra fork from the table, then took a large bite off her plate. Grace pushed it toward him. She’d lost her appetite.

“Yes, and I’ve always had a soft spot for him. Your father is a kind and gentle man,” she said, adoration shining in her eyes.

“He has his grumpy days . . . but not too often.” Cam finished off the cake in no time before getting up and pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“I can honestly say that I’ve never seen your father in a bad mood. I don’t believe he’s capable of it.”

“The time my brothers and I decided to make a long rope of his expensive silk ties and climb from the second-story window—I’d say his language was pretty darn harsh,” Cam said, thinking back fondly. The “rope” had broken halfway down, with Cam landing on what would be his very bruised ass.

“I would have loved to see that,” Grace said, laughing.

The sound enchanted him. There was nothing quite like it.

“I need to go and meet with the guys, Gracie. The new barn is going to be done soon and I’m really looking forward to having more horses.”

“Where are you building it, Cam? It’s not visible from the house.”

“It’s on the west pasture. There’s great grazing land out there. Come with me so you can see the setup.” He stood up and held out his hand.

“I have a new client I’m meeting with in two days. I need to pull some things together for that,” she said. “I’ll see it later, maybe when it’s finished.”

Cam knew a brush-off when he heard one. And he was done with letting her push him away. There was a lot going on in Grace’s life, and whether she wanted to admit to it or not, she needed him. And he was finally unafraid to admit that he needed her, too.