Page 40 of Hammer and Hops

Lukas nodded. “Guess so. He told Conroy about it.” He waved his hand in the air to insinuate the word spreading around town.

“I’m sure it got around like wildfire.” There was only one thing I could do, and I had no idea where Cameron was working today. I pulled out my phone and walked toward my office as I called Books Beans and Buns.

“Books Beans and Buns. How can I help you?”

“Jackie? This is Everett Lundy.” He was always working at the front desk, and it was my understanding that Brock paid him with coffee since he didn’t need a job. He ran a local blog that was doing quite well.

“Yeah. Hi, Everett. What can I do for you? Ooph, I forgot about that marketing book. I can get it out to you today.”

“Thanks. But I really called to see if you know where Cameron is working today?”

“Hmm…Not really, but sometimes he doesn’t even know where he’ll be before the day starts. Why don’t you call him?”

“I want to surprise him. So don’t call him.”

“Right. I can call around to some other folks and find out. Is everything okay?”

“It is. I just need to find him. Like I said, I want to surprise him. Don’t worry, it’s not anything bad, but kind of important.” To me it was more—it was critical. And urgent. But I didn’t want to share that.

“Okay. I’ll ring you back when I find out.”

“Thanks.” While I waited, I ordered lunch to go from the diner, then drove over to pick it up before heading to the bookstore.

Jackie was on the phone, thanking someone. “Yeah, see ya.” He hung up and wrote something down on a sticky note, then handed it to me. “Perfect timing! Here you go.”

“Thanks. That was fast.”

“Are you going out there?”

I nodded. “I’m taking him lunch.” And hopefully more.

“Good man.” He gave me a salute, and I left to find Cameron’s job site.

When Cameron’s work crew saw me, they called out to him, and he came to the front to meet me. He was in what I started thinking of as his sexy construction guy mode. Hair, which was getting longer, now pulled back in a low pony underneath his hard hat. Sleeveless shirt, with all his arm muscles slick and sweaty. I didn’t even mind the wet stain on the front of his T-shirt. It meant he’d been working hard. Who knew that kind of thing would do it for me?

“Brought you lunch.” I held up the bag from the diner.

“Uh, thanks. You didn’t have to do that. I have another hour until break. Come on.” He walked me over to his truck and put the bag up on the dashboard.

“Um…want to go out tonight? We could go to the bowling alley in Miller’s Point.”

“I don’t think so. It’s hard to go that far on a work night.”

I tried. What else could I do? Maybe Cameron needed space. I’d never seen him so despondent. I’d killed that sparkle in his eye. Me. Is there anything that I don’t screw up? I cleared my throat. “I understand. I gotta go.”

I left without even telling him what I wanted to say. How could I?

I was such an idiot.

Chapter thirty-four

Watching Him Leave – Cameron

After Everett left, Jimmy, a co-worker on this site, elbowed me. “That your mom?” I didn’t particularly care for him. He was from Hartsville and showed up on jobs now and then, but that was all I really knew about him.

“Don’t, man.” I glared at him. Wow, I was turning into the grumpy one.

Jimmy frowned. “Sorry, Cam. This is so not like you. I was only joking. Think you’ve got it bad for this dude.”