Page 38 of Be Mine Forever

“Am I your boyfriend, Jo?” An almost-smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, and he settled their linked hands on his chest.

“Do you want to be?”

Cam opened his mouth, about to answer, when someone jostled Jo from behind. She turned, keeping one of Cam’s hands, ready to apologize for taking up half the sidewalk.

“I’m sorry, we—” She stopped, spotting Peter and two other blond guys, all carrying greasy bags. “Peter, hey.”

Peter looked from her face to her hand linked with Cam’s. His expression pinched, and he just stood there like he was at a loss.

“Hey, Jo.” Peter cleared his throat and took the few steps separating him from her and Cam. “I didn’t expect to see you.”

He didn’t say it, but she heard what he left in parenthesis. (You know. Since you turned me down because you were so exhausted.)

Peter gestured toward the two blond giants standing by and clutching their dinner.

“Jo Walsh, these are my cousins in town from college, Hans and Chad.” Peter glanced at Cam. “And this is Cam Mitchell.” Peter gave Jo a deliberate look. “Cam’s like a brother to Jo.”

Cam’s fingers tightened around Jo’s hand. Hans and Chad dove into the tiny slice of awkward silence left in the wake of Peter’s comment, making the appropriate noises and shaking hands. They shuffled their feet and looked up the sidewalk, obviously sensing the undercurrents but unable to find a polite escape.

Jo shot a glance Cam’s way. His face was a rocky plain and his eyes flinty. She willed him to look at her, but his eyes never left Peter’s face. Intense emotion came off Peter in waves. Jo stood trapped between Cam’s belligerence and some mixture of anger, hurt, and disappointment that Peter kept stirring.

“I know it’s bad to bring up business when you guys are here to have fun.” Jo injected a fake apology into her voice and the look she offered the cousins. “But I need Peter for just a second.”

Peter spared her a glance and nodded.

“Guys, I’ll meet you at that spot by the river we scoped out.”

The two cousins offered a short chorus of “nice to meet yous” before walking off.

Now for the hard part.

“Cam, I’d love some ice cream.” Jo glanced up at him, waiting for him to take his eyes off Peter. He finally gave her ayou’ve got to be kidding melook.

“Please.”Please give me a few minutes to make this right.

She didn’t bother saying that out loud but sent Cam mental Morse code she hoped he could read. His eyes gave her the concession she needed and he dropped her hand.

“Mocha chocolate chip?”

“Perfect.”

She waited for Cam to walk off before turning to face Peter, an explanation fully formed on her lips. He stole her chance by speaking first.

“I see you found your second wind.”

Jo closed her eyes against the accusation in Peter’s eyes. She assured herself that she had not misled him and opened her eyes with that certainty.

“Peter, I’m sorry it happened this way, but I told you from the beginning, and along the way, that I was only looking for friendship right now.”

“You didn’t have to lie to me about the concert tonight.”

“I didn’t lie.”

“Don’t parse words with me.”

“You asked if I wanted to go to the concert with you and I said I was tired. That was true. When I got home, Cam had planned dinner for us.”

“So it’s just dinner.” His eyes lit a little and he reached for her hand. “I thought—”

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