Just One Reason Read online

  “No, and I don’t want to. She knew where to find me if she wanted to explain,” I grumbled, crossing my arms across my chest defensively.

  Lana sighed and asked me what I wanted to list the house for. I had no idea, so I agreed with her suggested listing price. “Where will you live when you leave here?” She asked me. Hmmm, good question. I really loved living on the water, and with the money I would make on this place I could easily buy a smaller place on the lake.

  “I think I want to stay on the lake. Just something smaller. I don’t need all this space,” I replied, looking around at the spacious open concept living, dining, kitchen area.

  Lana made some notes and nodded. “I will line up some houses for you to look at soon.” I hadn’t thought about having to look for a new place. All I was thinking about was getting out of here. Maybe I could crash with my dad for a while. Wait, scratch that. I can’t move out of my dream house to get away from the ghost of Lindsay just to move in next door to the real live, breathing Lindsay.

  I followed Lana from room to room while she measured and took pictures. “Well, Grady, you certainly did a good job building this home, but I can’t say the same for your decorating. I’m going to recommend we bring in a stager. Buyers are going to want to see this home furnished, and you hardly have any furniture.”

  I grumbled some semblance of agreement and we went outside to get pictures of the exterior and the boat dock. When she was done, Lana and I went back inside.

  “All right, Grady. I brought the paperwork for you to sign, and I’ll go ahead and get it on the market by the end of the week. A property like this will go fast, so be prepared to make a decision when you get an offer.”

  I nodded. “I’ve already made my decision.”

  ***

  Cam and his family were set to arrive on Monday afternoon, so I made sure to have his boat at the house’s dock well before then. If I had to talk to him face to face, knowing he was making a move on Lindsay, I couldn’t be held accountable for my actions. I drove the boat to the house he was renting for the week, and pulled it under the covered boat dock.

  After tying the rope, I stood back and admired my handiwork. The boat Cam bought was nice to begin with, but the upgrades he had me add put it over the top. I had taken plenty of pictures to add to my book, and I knew Cam would be happy with the final product.

  Josh picked me up at the house and we drove back into town to have lunch at the pub. Of course Ford was working. He was always working, almost more than I did. When we walked in the door, Ford caught my eye and waved us over. We settled onto the bar stools next to the old guy who was talking Ford’s ear off.

  As soon as we sat down, Ford stalked off to help the people at the other end of the bar. The old guy turned to Josh and me and started talking college football. Ah, now I get why Ford wanted us over here.

  Ford avoided talking football like the plague. I didn’t blame him. Ford had been the star quarterback in high school and had secured a full ride to LSU. Three years ago, during the last game of his junior year season, he injured his leg and his football career was over. He had planned to enter the NFL draft the following spring and was rumored to be a number one draft pick. But in a freak accident on the field, all that was taken away.

  Josh and I worried about him, but being guys, we didn’t push him to have any heart to hearts. We enabled his denial by not bringing up football when he was around. Two years was a long time to carry around the anger, and now his mom was sick and he felt like he was stuck in this small town. I understood where he was coming from, I just hoped he would get over it soon. Like I was one to talk. I’m still carrying a torch for the girl who dumped me five years ago.

  Josh and I took one for the team and talked football with the old guy until he finally got up and left. Josh took that opportunity to bring up Cam. God, can’t I catch a fucking break?

  “So, Leah told me Cam’s having some big Labor Day party,” he said.

  I shrugged one shoulder and took a bite of my burger. “So?” I asked with my mouth full.

  “Leah says we’re going. Are you?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. If he’s into Lindsay, I don’t think I can watch that without getting myself into trouble.”

  Josh nodded like he agreed but then said, “But he’s your biggest client. Don’t you think you should go and schmooze?”

  I looked at Josh like he’d grown another head. “Schmooze? I don’t schmooze. Look, I don’t want to talk about Cam or Lindsay or Cam and Lindsay. So just eat your damn food and let’s get out of here.”

  Chapter Ten

  Lindsay

  Thirty minutes before I was set to meet Cam at his lake house, I stood in my closet in my bra and panties debating what to wear. My hair was already curled into long loose waves and my makeup was flawless. I grabbed a light blue sundress that showed just enough cleavage and stopped at mid-thigh. For a quick second I flashed back to the last time I stood in this closet and chose a light blue sundress. Shaking my head to clear it of images of Grady, I pulled the dress on and slipped on a pair of high heeled sandals.

  Nancy’s New Nails was actually a really good place, and I admired the pale pink polish on my fingers and toes. I usually went with brighter colors, but this time I felt like I needed something calmer and more mellow. Grabbing a light sweater in case it cooled down after sunset, I said goodbye to Lana and left. When I pulled into the driveway of Cam’s house and walked to the door, he was waiting for me.

  “Lindsay! It’s so great to see you again,” he said sincerely, pulling me into a tight hug. I barely had time to respond before he pulled me by the hand into the large living room. There were two bodyguards sitting off to the side, and a small group of people playing cards around the table. Cam introduced me to his parents and his younger brother and sister. They were very friendly and wished us a good time as Cam pulled me down the stairs and out onto the lawn.

  “Sorry for rushing you, but I can’t wait to get out on my boat,” he said, grinning like a little kid. His enthusiasm was infectious, and I couldn’t help smiling back at him.

  “Haven’t you had a chance to go out on the lake yet?” I asked.

  He smiled at me sheepishly. “I’ve already been out three times, but it’s just so much fun.” I laughed. Boys and their toys.

  Cam helped me onto the boat and untied the rope before hopping in too. I settled in and enjoyed the view as he backed the boat up and sped off down the lake. There was no doubt why Cam had been in the running for People’s Sexiest Man Alive this year. His dark brown hair was shorter on the sides and long on top. It always looked like some lucky girl had been running her fingers through it. He had striking green eyes and a nice tan. He was tall, but not too tall, probably around 6’, and he was well built. Tonight he was wearing cargo shorts, flip flops, and a dark blue button down untucked with the sleeves rolled up. The essence of casual sexiness.

  While he drove us down the lake, I sat back in the seat, the wind whipping my hair into a tangled mess. He pulled the boat up to the dock of an old Victorian home made into a restaurant. There was outdoor seating overlooking the lake, and white twinkly lights in the surrounding trees. I could add romantic and good taste to the long list of Cam’s positive attributes.

  He expertly tied up his boat and took my hand to help me up onto the dock. As we walked to the entrance of the restaurant, Cam dropped my hand and put his arm lightly around my waist. He leaned in close to say, “Thank you for coming out with me tonight, Lindsay.” I smiled over at him and leaned into his touch. It didn’t set my body on fire like Grady could, but it was nice. Cam was nice.

  “It’s my pleasure. I’ve been so wrapped up in helping Lana at the office and helping Leah get ready for the baby that I haven’t had time to explore and do any touristy things.”

  We took a break from conversation as the hostess seated us at a somewhat private table on the patio. She nearly fell over herself trying to catch Cam’s eye. I rolled my eyes at
her ridiculousness and felt sorry for Cam that he had to deal with that on a daily basis. Cam chuckled at me. “See? That’s what I like about you, Lindsay. You’re real. You’re not out with me to get your picture in the tabloids or to try to get knocked up by me so you’ll be set for life.”

  My mouth fell open. “Has that happened to you?” I asked.

  Cam shook his head ruefully. “Oh, yeah. I’ve had my fair share of false paternity claims. They’re never true. The women just hope I will settle to avoid the publicity. But that’s not me.”

  I reached over to cover his hand with mine. “I’m sorry you have to go through that. But you don’t have to worry about that with me. My uncle is going to be President, so I’m pretty sure I won’t be starstruck by some silly actor,” I teased. He turned his hand over to lace our fingers together and put his other hand over his heart.

  “Lindsay! You’re killing me. I meant I like that you don’t scream in my ear and ask me to autograph your boobs. You don’t have to completely knock me off my pedestal.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh, Cam. I doubt anyone could do that.”

  The server brought us a basket of homemade bread and took our drink orders. Since we were in New York’s wine country we ordered a bottle of white from a local winery. It was delicious, as were our entrees. When the waiter asked if we wanted dessert, we waffled a bit.

  The waiter lowered his voice and said, “Our desserts are good, but right down the road is the best ice cream place in the state.” He winked at us and left the check, which Cam swiftly grabbed. Once the check was settled Cam took my hand and we strolled down the street to the ice cream parlor. I didn’t mention to Cam that I had been here before, on my first date with Grady. It looked exactly the same as it did five years ago, and I found myself wishing it was Grady here with me again.

  I couldn’t decide between Cookies-N-Cream and Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge, so Cam stepped in and ordered me a scoop of each in a waffle cone. He was nice enough to also get a double scoop, so I didn’t feel like a total pig. Licking our ice cream we walked back to his boat and sat on the dock to finish our cones. The sun was just setting over the hill on the other side of the lake, and a cool breeze blew through my hair.

  I could feel Cam’s eyes on me, and I knew if I turned my head he would probably kiss me. Did I want him to kiss me? I mentally slapped my hand on my forehead. Did I seriously just ask myself if I wanted Camden Holt to kiss me?

  Sure, I’d kissed a lot of guys over the last few years. I could count on one hand the number of guys I’d slept with, but the number of guys I had kissed? That number was a lot higher. So, why wasn’t I sure if I wanted this guy to kiss me? He was sure a hell of a lot better than everyone else I’d kissed. Everyone except Grady.

  And there it was. The reason I was on the fence with Cam. Grady was somewhere across the lake, and his proximity to me was unsettling on so many levels. But he was doing his damndest to make sure I hated him, so why should I let him hold me back.

  I brushed my hair over my shoulder and turned to face Cam, a small smile on my lips. His eyes flickered to my mouth and back up, the corner of his mouth turning up. Before I could second guess myself again, his lips were on mine, gently moving, testing the waters. Cam was definitely a good kisser, but I didn’t feel it all the way to my toes like I did when Grady ravished my mouth.

  Cam pressed a final soft kiss to my lips and pulled back. “You ready to head back?” He asked taking my hand to help me onto the boat. On the ride back to his house, I stood up with Cam. He let me steer while he stood behind me with his arms around my waist, or on the steering wheel when I started to drift.

  Cam’s body was warm and perfect behind me, but the arms that reached around me weren’t covered in tattoos. Son of a bitch, Grady! You’ve ruined me for everyone else.

  We arrived back at Cam’s house and his family was gathered outside around a bonfire. Cam ran inside to grab a blanket for me, now that the temperature had dropped significantly. For two more hours I snuggled up next to Cam under the blanket and enjoyed the banter of his family. Just like Cam they were surprisingly normal, and even though I wasn’t feeling major chemistry with Cam I still had a great time. For the first time since I arrived here, I had an evening with friends that didn’t involve avoiding Grady or watching Grady molest some stupid wench.

  My head was screaming at me to give Cam a chance. So, when he walked me to my car at the end of the night I kissed him again and agreed to go on a winery tour with him on Saturday.

  Lana was still up when I got home, no doubt waiting to hear how my date was. “So, how was the famous Camden Holt?” She asked me, setting her book down on the coffee table and curling her feet under her to make room for me on the sofa. I leaned my head back and slipped off my heels.

  “He was perfect. We had dinner on the lake, ice cream, a bonfire with his family. He’s super hot, down to earth, loves his family, clearly employed. He’s perfect,” I said with a sigh. Lana took a sip of her wine and studied me.

  “But he’s not Grady,” she said, filling the silence with what I was thinking.

  ***

  Early Saturday morning I was once again standing in my closet deciding what to wear on a date with Cam. My phone started playing the country song Taryn had assigned to herself, and I ran to answer before it went to voicemail. Taryn had just started classes a couple of weeks ago, and we hadn’t done more than text occasionally since then.

  “Hi, Taryn!”

  “Hi, Linz! How are you? I feel like we haven’t talked in forever,” Taryn said. One reason I wanted to move in with Lana was to give Taryn and Wyatt some space as they started their life together. But I didn’t want to lose touch like this.

  I flopped onto my bed on my stomach and kicked my feet up behind me. “How are classes? How is Wyatt? Have you been to see your brother lately?”

  Taryn laughed at my interrogation and said, “Classes are good. It’ll be a hard semester, but the spring shouldn’t be too bad. Wyatt is wonderful. And we went to see Lincoln last weekend. Now your turn. How is Lana? How is work?” She paused for a second, but continued before I could answer, “How’s Grady?”

  “Lana is great. She and Mitch are leaving for a cruise on Tuesday. Work is fine. The office will be closed while Lana is on vacation, so I’ll have some time on my hand. And Grady is…Grady.” I sighed and Taryn waited paitently for me to go on. “But I did have a date with Camden Holt on Wednesday and we’re going out again today.”

  “What!?!” Taryn shrieked in my ear, so loudly I had to hold the phone away to keep her from blowing out my eardrum. I could hear Wyatt in the background asking her what was wrong, but she ignored him. “Oh my God, Lindsay! The Camden Holt? The actor? How did you not tell me this?”

  “Remember a couple of weeks ago when I said I was showing a rental property to a celebrity? Well, that was Cam. And he asked me last week if he could take me to dinner when he was in town. So, we went to dinner.”

  “That’s it? You went to dinner? Lindsay, I need details. I need to hear about every single second of your date,” Taryn said, and I could imagine her planting her hands on her hips and staring me down through the phone.

  I gave her the highlights of the date, including the kissing. When I finished, she didn’t say anything right away.

  “Taryn? You still there?” I asked.

  “Mmm hmm. So, let me get this straight. You went on a romantic dinner date with one of the hottest actors on the planet, and he kissed you. Yet you don’t sound dreamy and starry eyed…is this about Grady?”

  Yes, of course this is about Grady. “I don’t know. Maybe. He’s who I compare everyone to, and nobody else even comes close. Not even Cam. I know I’ve been kind of a slut, but I’ve just been desperate to find that love with someone else.”

  Taryn sighed, “Lindsay, for God’s sake, you’re not a slut. You haven’t exactly made the best decisions in the love department, but that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Have you tried to tal
k to Grady?”

  I scoffed, “Yeah, right. I’d have to pry his lips off whatever nasty whore he’s with at the moment.”

  “I think you should give Cam another shot today. Keep an open mind. If nothing else, have a fun day. But you really need to try to talk to Grady. Either work it out or get some closure,” Taryn advised.

  “When did you get to be so wise?” I asked her.

  She laughed, “I’m not wise, Linz. I just want you to be happy, however you have to get there.”

  We chatted a while longer about her classes and her dad’s campaign. Then I resumed getting ready for my date. I had to hurry since I had spent so long on the phone with Taryn.

  Cam picked me up in a black SUV that reminded me of the ones Taryn’s security team drove her around in. His bodyguard was driving since we would be wine tasting most of the day. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we visited six different wineries. Tasting at all of them, and having lunch at one that overlooked the lake.

  At our last stop we took a walk through the vineyards and enjoyed the view of the blue water at the bottom of the hill. “You’re coming to my party on Monday, right?” Cam asked me.

  I nodded, “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”

  Cam smiled at me and squeezed my hand. “I really like you, Lindsay. But I’m sensing that the feeling’s not mutual.”

  I grimaced, sorry that I had been so obvious. “I really like you too, Cam…but,” I replied.

  Cam interrupted and teased, “Ah, here comes the but.”

  I looked down at the ground, trying to figure out how to explain. “Someone else stole my heart a long time ago, and he still has it…even if I don’t want him to. It wouldn’t be fair…I don’t want to lead you on.”

  Cam pulled me into a hug and rubbed his hand soothingly over my back. “I understand, Lindsay. I hoped this would turn out differently, but I can’t say I’m surprised. I saw the sparks fly between you and Hawke that day at his shop.”