Page 173 of From Rivals to I Do

She put Charlie down, and he walked straight to the counter. When Camilla turned back to Lulu, Lulu still had her eyes on Abel.

"Girl, he is fine. Where did you find him?" Then, desperate to get Lulu on her way, "he is just a friend, or shall I say just an employee, nothing less, nothing more."

"A friend, huh? Not that one creep that's always hanging around?"

Camilla frowned, unsure of whom she meant. "What? No, that's Rafael's brother."

"Like I said." Lulu's lustful look changed suddenly to disappointment. Camilla gave her a look of disapproval, but Lulu ignored it, saying, "Listen, I'm having a few friends over on Saturday. So maybe you can stop through. Let your hair down a little."

Her eyes went to Camilla's bun as she said it, and Camilla chuckled. "Saturday's our busiest night. You know I can't do it."

Lulu shrugged. "Thought I'd ask." Her eyes drifted back over Camilla's shoulder. "Well, look at that."

Camilla turned to see Abel kneeling and talking to Charlie. Charlie was smiling and nodding, clearly enjoying the conversation with Abel. Camilla watched for a second, surprised at the effortless way Abel was connecting with her son.

"Looks like Rafael's brother's good with kids," said Lulu.

"Yeah," she mused. "I'd better go break it up. Call me later?"

"Sure."

Camilla walked over just in time to hear Charlie laughing and saying, "Everybody knows that Bluey is a girl."

"I didn't know that, though," Abel responded. "Somebody had to tell me. I thought the whole time Bluey was a little boy."

Charlie laughed. "Well, they say it is in the show! Blue is a girl, even if she is blue. She's still a girl."

"Shouldn't you be working?" she asked Abel. Abel looked up at her briefly, then back down to Charlie. He put his hand out to him.

"Nice to meet you, Charlie."

Charlie giggled and shook his hand, his tiny hand disappearing in Abel's large, rough palm. "Nice to meet you, Abel-y."

Abel stood up and ruffled the boy's hair. "Nice kid you got," he said to Camilla.

"I'm aware." Her eyes flitted down to his tight shirtless chest. "Shirt, please?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Camilla watched him walk away, feeling annoyed and conflicted by Abel and the different side of him that she had just witnessed.

"Mommy, I like Abel-y," blurted Charlie. Camilla smiled at him gently.

"I can see that," she said as Steve appeared with a slice of pizza on a plate. She took Charlie by the hand and walked him to one of the empty tables. "Let's have lunch, okay?"

Chapter five

Chapter Five

Somewhere along the way, Abel figured out that the best way to manage Camilla's controlling and micromanaging ways was to do what she asked. So, he did the direct opposite to get a reaction out of her. Abel could see it getting to her, and watching her try to keep her composure was interesting and attractive. He had to admit, though, he was getting a kick out of being contrary.

He was surprised to learn that Camilla was a single mother and wanted to ask about her son's father, wondering if she was still in the relationship. The little boy couldn't be older than five or six. He was all chubby cheeks and a mass of dark hair that was a little too long. The edges of it brushed against his round blue eyes – the same shade of blue as his mother's.

He was a cute kid and well-mannered. But that was not a surprise. Camilla seemed to be the mother who ensured he sat straight and buttoned his shirts up to his neck.

As the days passed, Abel began to learn things about Camilla that was even more attractive. For instance, at some point, the cashier (Steve or Stan, Abel didn't remember) had an issue ringing a customer. So Camilla stopped what she was doing during a busy lunch rush to show him what to do. She didn't bark at him or treat him with impatience. Instead, she showed him how it was supposed to be done step by step.

She was also great with the customers. All the regulars seemed to know her by her first name, and she always had time to chat with them, even if she was in the middle of something. Abel would watch this woman with her sparkling blue eyes and relaxed disposition as she chatted pleasantly with people and wondered what exactly he had to do to get that kind of treatment.

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