Green Mountain Collection 1 by Marie Force (9)

“Morning,” Cameron said, feeling shy and undone by the intense way he looked at her.

He reached out to relieve her of the heavy computer bag.

What was wrong with her that a simple act of gallantry set her heart to racing? “I wasn’t sure if I was meeting you here or at the office.”

“I don’t think we talked about that.”

She came down the last stair to meet him on the sidewalk.

“Did you sleep okay?” he asked as they walked across the street to the diner.

“Pretty well until about four a.m. when the plow woke me up.” She gestured to the inn’s parking lot. “Right outside my window.”

“That might’ve been Hunter. He helps out with the plowing. I’ll let him know he kept you up.”

“Don’t give him another reason to be annoyed with me.”

Will gestured for her to head across the street. “He’s not annoyed with you. He’s annoyed with my dad and the way he sometimes goes about making things happen to suit his agenda.”

“He seems to have good intentions.”

“Oh, he does, but that’s not the point. We don’t like being railroaded.”

“I understand,” she said as a pervasive sense of defeat overtook her. “It’s not the right time for the site. You don’t have to let me down easy. I can take it.” Her stomach knotted when she thought of the payroll that had to be met next week and where they would get the money to stay in business.

“Who says I’m letting you down?”

Cameron looked over at him. “I’m confused.”

He held the door for her. “Let’s talk over breakfast.”

The buzz of conversation in the crowded diner died as they walked in together. Cameron felt the eyes of everyone in the place on her and she wanted to shout “Yes, I’m the one who hit poor Fred.” But she held her tongue and allowed Will to usher her into a corner booth. Grateful for the sunglasses that hid her bruised face, she took the side that put her back to the hometown crowd.

As soon as they were seated, the conversation resumed.

“That was uncomfortable,” she muttered.

“They don’t mean anything by it. They’re just curious.”

“About the girl who hit Fred.”

“And the girl who’s here from the big city. We don’t get a lot of excitement around here. New people are cause for excitement.” He shrugged and gave her that adorable grin that made her want to sigh every damned time. “What can I say?”

“It’s fine,” Cameron said, looking to put him at ease. It wasn’t his fault that she was the freak show du jour in his hometown. He’d been nothing but nice and welcoming to her—after their initial meeting, anyway. “How did it go with your parents and Max?”

“Not bad, all things considered. They took it pretty well. He was a wreck, but he got through it. I was proud of him.”

“I’m sure he appreciated you being there.”

“He did. Ready for some amazing Vermont pancakes?”

Since no one but him could see her face, she took off the glasses and propped them on her head. “That sounds really good.”

When the waitress came to the table, she greeted him with a warm smile that was tinged with melancholy. “Hi, Will. Nice to see you.” Her long blonde hair was captured in a ponytail that highlighted well-defined cheekbones and clear blue eyes. She was actually rather stunning.

“Hi, Megan. Nice to see you, too. This is Cameron.”

“Hey,” Megan said with a hint of frost in her voice.

Yikes! What had she walked into here?

“Two coffees and two orders of pancakes, please,” Will said.

“Coming right up.” Megan gave Cameron a not-so-subtle glare before she turned and stalked off.

“Whoa, she either has a huge crush on Fred or on you.”

“Me,” he said, wincing. “It’s a badly kept secret. I wouldn’t have brought you here, but they have the best pancakes in town.”

Intrigued by his discomfort and the statement about bringing her here, Cameron said, “We’re business associates. I’m no threat to her.”

“Sure, you are.”

Cameron wanted to ask what he meant by that but Megan returned to plop two mugs—loudly—on the table, spilling a good portion of Cameron’s coffee in the process.

“Sorry,” she grumbled as she hustled away from the table.

“Why have you never done anything about this not-so-secret crush?”

“I did—once—in a weak moment,” he said, squirming a bit. “But I’m not interested in spending time with her, and why should I pretend to be when I’m not?”

“Hmm.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing. It’s just intriguing, that’s all.”

“I really don’t want to ask,” he said in a tone full of exasperation, “but I find the curiosity is killing me. What is intriguing?”

Cameron laughed. “That you’ve got this perfectly nice girl right here in town who seems crazy about you, but you’re not the slightest bit interested in her. Why is that?”

“I have no idea. She is a perfectly nice girl. I’ve known her all my life. I’m just not interested. Can we please talk about something else?”

“Sure. What do you want to talk about?”

“How about the website?”

“Oh, okay. What about it?”

“I’d like to do it.”

Cameron was grateful that her sip of coffee was past her throat when he said those words or she might’ve choked on it. Just that casually he was committing to a six-figure project? “Why would you like to do it?” For some reason the answer to that question seemed critically important all of a sudden.

He seemed surprised by the question. “Does that really matter to you?”

“Yes, it does.”

“I’ve thought a lot about what you said about telling our story outside of Vermont and making people aware of what we’re all about here. That appeals to me.”

Cameron’s mind raced with details and plans and implications. First and foremost, she’d be able to make her payroll thanks to the down payment she’d require from the Abbotts to get the project started. They were expecting payments from other clients by the end of next month that would keep them afloat for six more months, so she expelled a huge sigh of relief at knowing the immediate crisis had been averted.

A close second on her list of considerations was the realization that she’d be staying in Vermont for a while. And why did that thought send tingles of excitement dancing down her spine?

“Cameron? Are you listening to me?”

“Oh, sorry. I was thinking.”

“About?”

“Plans and schedules and logistics and other such things.”

“I have to tell you one other thing before we get too much further into plans and logistics.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m going to vote against it.”

She felt like someone had opened a trapdoor and sent her hurtling down the rabbit hole. “Wait. What? I thought you just said—”

“Hang on. Let me explain.” He laid out his plan to her and then sat back in his seat, watching her closely.

“So the website will be a go, but you won’t be the one giving it the green light.”

“Right. My mother will cast the deciding vote. That way I can’t be accused by my siblings of muddling personal and professional.”

“And she’s in favor of the website?”

“She is, and it’s important to me that you know despite how I’m going to vote, I’m in favor of it, too.”

“Then I suppose your plan makes sense.”

“I’m glad you agree. Let’s talk about how it’ll go after you get the approval.”

Cameron was still a bit rattled from the roller-coaster ride of getting the family to approve the plan, but she forced herself to concentrate on the perfectly reasonable question from her client.

That he had gorgeous golden-brown eyes and extremely kissable lips were thoughts for another time and place. That he was going to somewhat extraordinary lengths to make it possible to pursue a personal relationship with her during their professional association was another thought that cycled through her busy mind.

She cleared her brain of all thoughts that didn’t involve the project—for now. “I’ll spend about two weeks here researching and taking photos and setting priorities and strategizing about goals and objectives. It’ll involve a lot of time on your part, as well as time from each of the department heads.”

“Also known as my siblings,” he said with a grin.

“Yes, your siblings who voted against the project.”

“I’ll take care of them. They won’t give you any trouble.”

“You sound awfully sure of that.”

“It’ll be okay. I promise. What else needs to be resolved?”

“There’s a matter of the fifty thousand dollar deposit, paid in full before we can begin.”

“I’ll have Hunter cut you a check today. Next?”

“I need a place to stay that doesn’t charge three hundred bucks a night.”

“I have a few thoughts on that. I’ll look into it and get back to you later today. What else?”

Unsure of how to word her most pressing question, Cameron fiddled with her fork.

“Cameron? What is it?”

“I’m wondering … I guess hoping is a better word …” She forced herself to look at him. “That you’re doing this for the right reason.”

Plates of pancakes and sausage landed with a clatter on the table. “Get you anything else?” Megan asked as she deposited a jug of Vermont maple syrup on the table.

“That ought to do it,” Will said, smiling up at her. “Thanks, Megan.”

Cameron watched as Megan nearly swooned from the power of that smile. She knew the feeling.

Megan turned abruptly and stalked off.

“You shouldn’t do that if you’re not interested in her,” Cameron said.

“Do what?” he asked as he dumped liberal amounts of syrup on his pancakes.

“Smile at her.”

He looked up at her, seeming baffled. “Why not?”

Cameron sighed. “Because. It’s a really nice smile, and when you unleash it on a poor, unsuspecting female, you ought to be aware of the power behind it. We’re only human.”

His fork froze in midair as he stared across the table at her. “Does it have the same effect on you?”

“I’ll never tell.” After slathering her pancakes with creamy butter, she took the first mouthwatering bite. “So good.”

“You have to try one bite with the syrup. For me.” He unleashed the dazzling smile and batted his eyelashes, too.

“That’s not playing fair.”

“Pretty please?” He widened his eyes and formed a pout with those kissable lips, and damn if she didn’t go all fluttery inside.

“Fine. One bite. But remember I told you I hate the stuff so don’t be all insulted when I don’t like it.”

“I stand warned.” He slathered a bite of pancake into a pool of syrup.

Cameron tried not to gag at the thought of trying something she’d always despised as a kid. But he’d asked so nicely that when he leaned across the table to offer her a bite off his fork, she leaned in to meet him halfway, their eyes meeting over the fork. He fed her the bite and watched for her reaction.

The sweet flavor exploded on her tongue, a taste unlike anything she’d experienced before. It bore no resemblance whatsoever to the syrup of her youth.

“Well?”

“I might need one more bite before I can render a verdict.”

He laughed as he soaked another piece of pancake and fed it to her.

Cameron closed her eyes and moaned with pleasure. “Oh my God, that’s good.” She opened her eyes to find him watching her with an odd expression on his face that she’d never seen before.

Desire.

Rattled by the discovery and looking for something to do with her hands, she reached for the jug of syrup and made her own puddle next to her pancakes.

“Told ya,” he said, clearly trying to lighten the atmosphere.

“You were right.”

“I thought women weren’t wired to say those words to a man.”

“It certainly doesn’t come naturally to us, but it’s the truth in this case.”

“I’m glad you tried it. That’s some of ours. Colton will love knowing he converted you.”

“You’re going to tell everyone about this, aren’t you? Then I’ll be the girl who hit Fred and hated maple syrup until you showed me the light.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you.” He took a sip of his coffee and watched as she enjoyed another bite of delicious pancake and syrup. “What did you mean before about me making the website decision for the right reasons?”

The new bite landed like a sinker in her belly. She’d kill for some ice water, but wouldn’t dare ask Megan to bring her anything else. She put down her fork, wiped her mouth and forced herself to look at him in all his supreme gorgeousness.

Today he wore a brown plaid flannel shirt with a white thermal underneath. A tuft of chest hair was visible over the collar of the thermal, not that she was looking or anything. Much. She tried to find the words to explain herself without giving too much away.

“I, um, I don’t want to seem presumptuous.”

“Whatever it is, say it, and we’ll figure it out.”

She took a deep breath. “It might just be me, but it seems like maybe, possibly, and I could be wrong, thus the thing about not meaning to be presumptuous—”

Will laughed and reached across the table to place his hand on top of hers. “Say it already.”

Cameron nearly stopped breathing as his calloused fingers brushed against hers. She was really glad her back was to Megan so she couldn’t see the daggers the other woman was probably directing her way. “It seems like there might be something other than business going on here. But I could be wrong.”

“Look at me, Cam.”

It was the first time he’d called her that, and again her heart did this funny tap dancing thing that left her a bit breathless as she looked into his eyes and found nothing but warmth and humor and desire.

“You’re not wrong.”

“Oh. Okay.” His confession left her unsettled and relieved at the same time, even though she knew it wasn’t wise to be this relieved.

He stared at her unblinking while tightening his grip on her hand.

Megan approached the table, saw them holding hands, slapped the check down and stormed off.

Feeling compassion for the other woman, Cameron withdrew her hand from his grasp. “It’s not why you’re hiring me, is it?”

“I was worried about that, too, but I talked to my mom about it this morning—”

“You talked to your mom about me?”

“Yeah, so?”

“It’s just … well, oh. Okay. What did you say exactly?”

His lips quivered with amusement. “I told her that I found myself in an odd spot, torn between doing what’s best for the business and what might be best for me.”

“How do you mean?” She needed to hear him say the words.

“I’m not going to lie and tell you I wouldn’t like you to stay awhile longer.”

“Why?” she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.

“I’d like to have the chance to get to know you better.”

“You would?”

Nodding, he said, “Would you like that, too?”

“I already know myself pretty well.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Don’t mess with me. You know what I mean.”

“I’d like to get to know you better, too, but I wonder if we wouldn’t be setting ourselves up for potential disaster later.”

“How so?” he asked, even though she suspected he knew exactly what she meant.

“Different worlds, different lives, different goals.”

“And knowing all that, I’d still like to get to know you better. But that’s not why I’m plotting and scheming to hire you. For once, my dad might actually be right about something. I’ll admit I was as skeptical as my siblings about the site until I heard your presentation. You swayed me.”

“And that’s not at all because you’d like to get to know me better, right?”

“Right.”

“So what happens now?”

“I suppose we’ll work together to build a site for the store, and when we’re not working, we can spend some time getting to know each other better.”

“And what will that time entail?”

“There’s all sorts of stuff we can do. Just this morning, I was thinking you might enjoy checking out the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Waterbury and the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe. I’d love to show you those things along with the hiking trails behind my place, the gondola ride to the top of the mountain, the frozen streams and so many other fun things.”

“Did you say Ben & Jerry’s?”

“I had a feeling that might appeal,” he said with a smile. “After work tonight, I was thinking about building a snowman in the yard so the dogs can attack him. That’s one of their favorite pastimes in the winter.”

“Poor Frosty! That’s so mean!”

“It’s a hard life out here in the wilderness. It’s all about survival of the fittest. Want to help me build a snowman?”

“I might be willing to do that as long as I don’t have to witness the murder.”

“That seems fair enough. There’s a dance at the Grange Hall tomorrow night. Do you want to go with me?”

Cameron was caught off guard by the invitation. She couldn’t recall the last time a guy had asked her to a dance. “That sounds fun.”

“Good.”

And just like that her weekend was booked with more Will Abbott, and her heart had switched from tap dancing to happy dancing.

“Should we go across the street and get this final meeting about the site out of the way?” he asked.

“Maybe you should do that by yourself so they don’t think I’ve been influencing you. Won’t Hunter see right through this plan of yours?”

“You have been influencing me. You’ve sold me on a product that will be beneficial to my business. That has nothing to do with the other thing.” He put a twenty on the table and got up to pull on his coat.

With a hand to her back, he indicated that she should proceed ahead of him to the door. That small proprietary gesture got her motor running all over again. Every time he looked at her or touched her, she turned to mush. That was certainly going to be a problem going forward.

“Thanks, Megan,” Will said on the way out.

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Thanks for breakfast and for making me try the syrup,” Cameron said when they were outside and away from Megan’s hostile glare.

“My pleasure.”

“So you really told your mom about me?”

“I really did.”

“What did she say?”

“She said I should bring you to dinner on Sunday.”

“Oh,” Cameron said, trying to figure out how she felt about dinner with the Abbotts. “Is that a big deal?”

“It’s more of a noisy deal. It’s the one time we all try to get together every week. Even Colton comes down off his hill for dinner—and to do his laundry at my parents’ house.”

“All of them, huh?”

He nudged her shoulder as they crossed the street. “You can handle it. You’ve already met most of them, so it won’t be like a room full of strangers. And I’ll be right there to protect you. You’ll have fun—and you’ll get to watch Max squirm because Mom told him to bring Chloe. You wouldn’t want to miss that, would you?”

“It would be kind of fun to see that.”

“So you’ll come?”

“Sure. It sounds like fun. Will you thank your mom for inviting me?”

“You can do that when you see her.”

The thought of meeting his mom made her recently satisfied belly flutter with nerves. “What’s she like?”

“She’s the coolest chick I’ve ever met, and I mean that as a compliment of the highest order. She’s the best. You’ll see what I mean when you meet her.”

“I suppose she’d have to be pretty cool to deal with ten kids.”

“For sure. You’ll get to meet my grandfather, too. He’s a true Vermont original. You’ll get a kick out of him.”

“I can’t wait to meet him—and your mom.”

He led her down the alley that ran along the side of the store and held the back door for her. They hung their coats in the mudroom and then headed upstairs to the office. “I’m going to see about getting you an office to use while you’re here, but until we work that out, you can use mine.”

“I don’t want to put you out.”

“We’ll share the space. It’ll be fine. Once the auditors are done, we’ll get the conference room back, too. We’ll work it out.”

The idea of sharing such a small space with him was a little too appealing. Maintaining her professional demeanor with him in close proximity was going to be one heck of a challenge.

She eyed the phone on his desk covetously, trying to remember the last time she’d used a landline for anything.

“Do you want to use the phone, Cameron?” he asked with a laugh.

“Would you mind terribly? I’ll reimburse you for the charges.”

“Don’t be silly. Hunter has us on a great plan where we pay a monthly fee for unlimited long distance. Go for it.”

“Thank you so much.”

“I’ll check on you in a bit.”

“I’ll be here.”

He left her with a warm smile that made her quiver with delight. “Good.”

“Oh my God,” she whispered to the empty room. He’d all but admitted to being interested in her. He’d told his mother about her. He’d acknowledged the fact that they came from completely different worlds and had completely different ideas about many things. And still, he was interested.

That worked out rather well, because she was, too.

Lucy’s number had been programmed into Cameron’s phone for so long, that Cameron had to look it up on her phone to place the call on Will’s landline.

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Where’re you calling from?” Lucy asked.

“Will’s office.”

“So now he’s Will, huh? Any pictures yet?”

“Hang on.” Cameron stretched her neck for a view of the reception area where Will was talking to his sister Ella. He pulled something from his wallet and handed it to her. As the two continued to chat, Cameron picked up her phone, zoomed in on him and snapped a quick picture. He looked particularly yummy today in the brown flannel that was a perfect complement to his golden coloring. Propping the desk phone in the crook of her neck, she sent off the picture to Lucy, all the while praying for a stronger than usual cell signal. “On its way.”

“Finally!”

“We’re going to get the job, Luce. They’re voting this morning, and we’ve got the votes.”

“Oh thank goodness. That’s the best news I’ve had in ages.”

“I’m kind of panicking.”

“How come?”

“We’ve never done anything like this. I sold him on it, but now I’m worried we won’t be able to deliver. It’s a lot of money. A lot of money. Maybe we’re not the right company for them.”

“Cameron, stop. We can totally handle this.”

“I know almost nothing about Vermont, the store, the family. The research alone is going to be huge. It’ll take weeks, if not months. What about our other clients? What about—”

“Cameron! Breathe. Are you breathing?”

Cameron drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “Yeah.”

“Listen, I have no doubt that with you overseeing it, the site will be brilliant.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. You’ve got this, hon. I know it.”

Lucy’s assurances went a long way toward calming her. “I’m going to need you, too. At least for part of the time.”

“I’ll come. Whenever you need me, I’ll be there. Now that we know how we’re going to pay them, I can even bring reinforcements.” Lucy gasped. “Shut up. Are you serious? That is Will Abbott?”

“I take it you got the picture.”

“Damn. He has brothers, right?”

“Six of them,” Cameron said with laughter that helped to offset her burst of nerves.

“How soon do you need me?”

“I’m going to spend the weekend mapping out the project and figuring out time lines and schedules. I’ll let you know once I have that done.”

“What gives with Will?”

Cameron lowered her voice, mindful of the fact that the man in question was lurking nearby. “He keeps leaving gifts for me.”

“What kind of gifts?”

“Stuff I admired in the store, and this morning I got a coat—with sleeves—and I love it.”

“So the mountain man picked out a coat that you actually liked? That’s astonishing. You’re not exactly known for being easy to please in regard to fashion.”

“Those jeans were ugly, Luce. Even Troy said so.”

“What does he know? I can’t believe you didn’t like them. I thought I had finally struck upon a winner with that gift.”

“I apologized a hundred times.”

“I know, I know. So how is it that this guy you met only two days ago is already knocking it out of the park with the gifts?”

“He got lucky. That’s all it is.”

“Have you gotten lucky?”

“Luce! I just met him. Jeez.”

“Don’t tell me you’re not thinking about jumping all over him. Hello, I know you.”

“Not if you think I’m already doing that with someone I just met.”

“Don’t act like it’s never happened before.”

“Once! Six years ago! I swear to God, I’m never telling you anything ever again. You’ve got a mind like a steel trap.”

Lucy snickered. “Thank you.”

“That was not a compliment.”

“My steel trap comes in handy on a regular basis. I don’t care what you say.”

“If only you confined your freakish memories to things that aren’t embarrassing to me.”

“What fun would that be? So do you think he likes you?”

“I know he does.”

“Likes you like a colleague or something more?”

“Something more. Maybe. He told his mother about me, and she invited me to Sunday dinner at their house.”

“He told his mother about you.”

“That’s what I said.”

“Cameron, oh my God!”

“And he got me to try Vermont maple syrup.”

“You hate maple syrup.”

“Hated. Past tense. I love it now.”

“The situation is worse than I feared. Do I need to get up there now before you completely lose your mind over the mountain man?”

Cameron sat back in Will’s chair and watched him share a laugh with his sister. “It might be kind of fun to lose my mind over the mountain man. For a little while anyway.”

“What happens when the job is done and you have to come home?”

The question deflated Cameron like a balloon stuck with a needle. “I’m talking about some harmless fun. Nothing more than that. He wants to take me to Ben & Jerry’s.”

“I bet you didn’t say no to that. Does he know about your Chunky Monkey addiction?”

“Not yet, but I’m sure I won’t be able to hide it when we tour the factory.” Will broke away from the conversation with Ella and headed back toward the office. “I’ve got to go. He’s coming back.”

“Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Lucy said in a rush of words.

“Bye, Lucy.”

Cameron hung up as Will came in.

“Don’t let me interrupt,” he said.

“I was done.”

“About the Internet connection … I talked to Charlotte. She oversees all our systems.” He handed her a slip of paper. “Here’s a log-in and password to get you online. The system is wireless, so feel free to use my computer if you want. I don’t need to get online this morning. I have a couple of meetings outside the office.”

“What kind of meetings?” Cameron was immediately mortified by the question. “I’m sorry. I have no right to ask that. I was just wondering if it was anything that might be of interest to your new web contractor.”

“You know, it might be. I’m going up to see Colton to check on the sugaring and to see if he survived the snow. I also need to speak to Hannah about something. If you want to come along, you’re more than welcome to.”

Cameron was fascinated by his cell phone–free life. In her world, you called people when you wanted to speak to them. In his world, you went to see them. “Are you sure it would be okay? I’d love to see the sugaring facility, but I wouldn’t want to intrude on your visit with your brother.”

“It’d be fine. I need a few minutes to talk to Wade and Hunter about the website. We’ll do a quick conference call with my mom so she can cast the tiebreaking vote, and then we can go.”

“Good luck,” she said, her stomach cramping with worry about the potential fallout.

At the doorway, he propped his hand on the doorframe. “This isn’t the first time we’ve disagreed around here, and it won’t be the last. I don’t want you to worry about being in the middle of something unpleasant. Once the vote is taken, we all try to respect the outcome, even if it didn’t go our way. It’s the only way we can successfully work together and maintain family harmony.”

“And that’s important? Maintaining family harmony?”

“Sweetheart, that’s everything. That’s what it’s all about. I’ll be back in a few.”

As he walked away, Cameron gave herself permission to start breathing again. She’d been called sweetheart before. Plenty of times. But never before had the word gone straight to her heart and settled in the way it did this time.