Chapter 15

 

Kenzie pushed her eggs around her plate. Camden sat across from her, looking stunning in a t-shirt and shorts. Why did he always look like he walked off a photo shoot? It made the butterflies in her stomach go all crazy.

She wasn’t very hungry, but forced herself to drink her orange juice. Mason approached their table, and her stomach soured.

“Kenzie. I’m glad I caught you.” He pulled out a chair and sat down without being invited. “I convinced Mom you were having another personal crisis, but she’s not relenting about the family reunion next week.”

Camden frowned, but Kenzie ignored him. “I will go if you allow me to bring my personal assistant to handle my jewelry orders.”

Mason shrugged off her stipulation. “Sure, fine. Bring her.”

“Him,” Kenzie corrected.

“What?” Mason said.

“Him,” she repeated, then pointed to Camden. “My personal assistant is a man.”

Mason narrowed his eyes at her. “No way. You’re not bringing your boyfriend to my family reunion. We’re supposed to be married.” He waved his hand between the two of them.

“And who was the one who messed that up?” Kenzie pursed her lips, resisting the urge to slap her hand over her mouth. She needed to get a grip or this family reunion was going to blow up in her face.

“You’re the pigheaded one not even willing to listen to me. It didn’t mean anything. How many times do I have to say that?”

Camden stiffened in his seat, his muscles flexing in his arm as he clenched his hands into fists. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. He may not be a construction worker, but he certainly looked like he could bench press three hundred pounds. Mason glanced at Camden and plastered on a smile. “Fine. Bring him. I don’t care. Just act like you’re my wife in front of my family.”

“Deal.” Kenzie thrust out her hand and Mason shook on it. Touching him again made her skin crawl, and she pulled her hand back, discreetly wiping it on her pants.

Mason left the breakfast area. Camden scrubbed his jaw but continued to stay silent. He went back to eating his biscuits and gravy.

“I know what you’re thinking, but you’re wrong.”

He raised his eyebrows. “What am I thinking?”

“You think I’m giving into Mason because he has some kind of hold on me.”

“Doesn’t he?”

“No. Definitely not.” She shoved her plate away, unable to swallow any more eggs. “I’m not doing this for him.”

“Then why are you doing it?”

“His father is dying. It’s his last wish to see his son happily married. That’s why I’m doing this. It’s not about Mason anymore. It’s about making a dying man happy.”

Before Camden could reply, her parents walked up to their table holding breakfast trays. Helene smiled. “Mind if we join you?”

Kenzie could barely talk. “Um . . . go ahead.”

Helene sat her tray down next to Kenzie and slid into the chair. Her father sat next to Camden. “Are you two heading out today?” Helene asked, giving Camden a pleasant smile.

“Yes, we’re leaving shortly.”

“Well, I must say it was lovely meeting you, Camden.”

Kenzie blinked, not sure if an alien had taken over her mother’s body, or if her father had finally scolded her enough to make her behave. Her father simply smiled and ate his waffle.

“Do you two have any plans for the summer?” Helene asked.

“Plans?” Kenzie didn’t understand what her mother meant. Surely she hadn’t found out about Mason’s family reunion.

“Are you taking any trips? Going on vacation?” Her fingers smoothed out her flowery blouse.

Suddenly it sunk in why Helene was being so nice. Camden had money. All her life, her mother drilled into her how important it was to have a stable life. A career that could pay the bills, and a husband who could provide for the family. Money was what Helene focused on.

And that irked Kenzie. “No, we don’t have any plans,” she said curtly.

Helene either ignored her tone or didn’t notice it. “You two make such a lovely couple.”

“Thank you,” Camden said, his lips twitching.

Kenzie wanted to kick him under the table. He was enjoying her mother pandering to him, the snake.

“We actually don’t get along that well. We might even be breaking up,” Kenzie said, glaring at Camden.

He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I love it when you crack jokes. Especially the subtle ones that no one gets. It makes me laugh.”

He said it with a twinkle in his eye, and Kenzie had to bite her cheek so she wouldn’t smile. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. “Well, I love it when you wear those cute kissy lip boxers.”

His eyes widened and he made a little choking noise. Kenzie pinched her side so she wouldn’t laugh at him. When he gained control, he cleared his throat. “And I love it when you try to hire male escorts.”

Kenzie burst out laughing and Camden finally cracked, leaning back and chuckling. Kenzie tried to cover by wiping her mouth with her napkin, but the giggles were too hard to mask. Helene frowned. “Maybe you’re not taking your relationship seriously enough, McKenzie.”

“Let her be,” Michael said, hiding a smile. “They look like they’re doing fine without our interference.”

Helene ate her omelet, sawing little pieces off with her knife like she was eating steak. Kenzie had to force herself not to roll her eyes. She turned to Camden. “Do you remember that episode of Seinfeld with George and the candy bar?”

Camden shot her a warning look. “I remember the one where Jerry dated the girl with man hands.”

“Are you saying I have man hands?”

He reached across the table. “I don’t know. Let me take a closer look.” He took her hand in his and pulled it closer to him. She sat stretched across the table as he examined her hand. The warmth of his skin on hers started sending tingles over her. He traced the lines on the palm of her hands, sending fire through her veins. The sensation was almost too much to bear.

Finally, he stilled, but didn’t let go of her. “Nope. You definitely don’t have man hands.”

She pulled away from him, a little shaken. “Good,” she said, her voice a bit too breathy. They sat for a few minutes while her parents finished eating.

“Well, dear,” her mother said, dabbing at the corner of her mouth with her napkin. “Your father and I have a plane to catch. We’ll see you this year for Thanksgiving, won’t we?”

Kenzie felt a little trapped, as Camden was looking at her like she’d be cruel to say no. “Maybe,” she said in a noncommittal way. “I’ll have to see how things are going.”

Her father stood. “We’d love it if you came.” Then he added, in a softer tone, “We miss you.”

Her heart stabbed and she stood and threw her arms around her father. He’d always been the reasonable one in the family. “I miss you too, Pops.”

Her parents left and Camden stuck his hands in his pockets. “Ready to comb the beach for treasure?”

She nodded, unsure if her voice was steady again. She followed him outside and down the boardwalk to the beach. She slipped off her sandals and let them dangle from her fingers as they walked on the warm sand.

A young girl, maybe two years old, toddled on the sand a few paces ahead of a woman who was talking on her cell phone. The little girl had her arms outstretched and was trying to catch a seagull.

Camden pointed to a bench. “Isn’t that your aunt?”

Kenzie squinted. It sure looked like Vita sitting there, a big sunhat on her head. “Let’s go see.”

As they approached, Vita turned to them and smiled. “Well hello, dear. What are you doing here?”

Kenzie sat down beside her aunt, and Camden sat on the other side. “We were here for the wedding, Vita. Remember?”

Her smile faded a bit. “Oh. Yes. I remember.” She looked out at the ocean waves. “You were such a lovely bride.”

Worry lines appeared on Camden’s forehead; Kenzie patted Vita’s shoulder. “It was Tessa who got married.”

“Of course.” Vita shook her head and put her hand to her forehead. “I get confused sometimes. But you will make a lovely bride when you marry this young man.” She grabbed Camden’s hand.

Kenzie debated whether she wanted to correct Vita or not, and in the end decided to let it slide. “Thank you.”

They sat for a few minutes, watching the boats on the water and the little girl trying to catch the bird. Vita turned to her. “You make me proud, Kenzie.”

She was taken aback. “Why?”

“Because you follow your heart. You don’t do things because it’s socially acceptable. You do them because your heart tells you to. And that makes you wonderful.”

Kenzie blinked. She’d always thought of herself as an outsider. But the way Vita described it, it didn’t sound so bad. “Thank you, Aunt Vita.”

“I agree,” Camden said. “Watching you is like watching a sunrise. Full of light and beauty.”

Her cheeks warmed.

Vita nodded. “Listen to him. He knows.”

Kenzie grew uncomfortable with the attention, and she pointed to the little girl on the beach. “Look at her. She’s precious.”

The seagull stood out of reach from the girl. She took a few steps toward the bird, but the bird walked a few paces away. She followed along for a while, then grew bored and turned toward the ocean. The water was choppy today.

The mother wasn’t paying attention to the girl, her cell phone pressed tightly to her ear. She was facing the resort. The little girl started toddling toward the water. A large wave gathered. Kenzie sucked in a breath as the girl kept going, now on the wet sand.

Camden jumped up and ran toward the girl. The wave came in, massive against the size of the toddler. It crashed against the sand.

Kenzie watched in horror as the little girl was swept up in the water. Camden ran into the wave and snatched the toddler. The girl coughed and screamed and the mother turned. She dropped her phone and ran to her daughter.

Kenzie’s heart pounded as she watched Camden hand the girl over to her mother, who thanked him profusely. He walked back to the bench, his wet t-shirt now clinging to him, and sat down.

“That scared me to death,” Kenzie said. “You reacted so quickly.”

Vita patted his knee. “Good job. This one’s a keeper.”

Camden shrugged it off, but Kenzie couldn’t stop thinking about what might have happened if he hadn’t been there. If he hadn’t jumped up so fast.

The mother calmed her daughter, then picked up her phone and started walking back to the resort, hugging her little girl close to her chest.

Kenzie stared at Camden, and Vita adjusted her hat. “Never feed the seagulls peanut butter.”

Camden’s lips twitched and a smile appeared. “Why?”

“It gives them diarrhea.”

Camden turned away but she could see his shoulders shaking with laughter. Kenzie didn’t try to hide it. Her laugh carried across the sand.