Page 133 of Billionaire Lumberjack's Bargain

Camille clears her throat. “And what about the rest of his organization? Aren’t they going to be a little pissed off and potentially come after the people who caused all this—which isus?”

Everyone looks at her.

She asked exactly what I was thinking, voiced precisely the same fear starting to grow in my own head.

“I’ve already discussed this with Pops.” He glances back at him, where he still leans against the wall. “Additional security measures are going to be installed on the mountain. Dozens of trail cameras and motion sensors, all hooked up to the state-of-the-art system in your cabin. You’ll be able to monitor the property far better than what’s possible now. We’ve cut the head off the snake, but I can’t guarantee someone won’t slither around and try the same thing again. At least you’ll know they’re coming. And if you need help, you know who to call.”

Camille nods slowly, then allows her gaze to shift to me, and I know what she’s going to ask. “What about my husband. Did Gallo or Ermilio have anything to with—”

She can’t get the rest out, and if the baby wasn’t fast asleep on me right now, I would climb from this chair and tug her into my arms.

Beller offers a sympathetic look. “As far as we know, your husband’s deathwasan accident, like everyone thought. Of course, we’ll always keep our ears open for any information to the contrary.”

But we may never really know.

The final part goes unspoken, but it’s the very truth I’ve feared since Camille first had that dream—that we will have to live with never being one hundred percent certain.

Pops pushes off the wall and slaps Beller on the shoulder. “Thanks again. I’ll be in touch…”

I’m speechless as Beller slips out of the room, closing the door behind him and sealing us in with the old man who apparently never forgot how to keep secrets, even when he wasn’t fully in his right mind.

Pops turns to us and raises a brow. “You don’t have to look so surprised. I know you thought I was a stupid old man who didn’t know what he was doing or saying for a long time there—”

“Pops, I never thought that. You were sick and—”

He holds up a hand. “And I wouldn’t be back to my normal self if it wasn’t for both of you. So, if I haven’t said it, thank you for pushing me, for jabbing me with those damn needles.” An amused look gets tossed at Camille, who laughs. “We’re going to have to stay vigilant, but when I told you I wasn’t going to let anything happen to the mountain and wasn’t going to let it be taken from us, I was serious. It’s your legacy, your birthright. It’s all going to be yours soon, kid.” Affectionate eyes roam over Davey and Hope. “And one day, it will be theirs.”

No…

The way he’s talking, it’s like he is expecting to keel over at any moment, and I refuse to evenconsiderthat possibility after what’s happened.

“Not soon.” I shake my head. “You’re not going anywhere, old man.”

“But I will beeventually.” He releases a long sigh, moving to the end of the bed. “It’s time I bring you in on the business and teach you everything you need to know to keep it running.”

I’ve waited years for him to say those words, for him to open up and invite me in fully. And hearing them now, it’s like a giant weight being lifted off my shoulders.

He throws a thumb toward the door. “I’m going to head back to the hotel, take a shower, and have a long nap like these two here.” A finger swings between Davey and Hope. “I hear they’re discharging you tomorrow.”

Camille nods. “Yes. We should all be able to leave in the morning.”

“Good.” A smile brightens his face more than I’ve seen it for months. Finally having all this beoverhas taken its toll on him as well. “It’ll be nice having everyone together on the mountain again without always having to be looking over our shoulder.”

He slips out the door without another word, pulling it closed behind him.

Davey shifts in Camille’s arms and pops his head up, blinking sleepy eyes. “Did Pops leave?”

I guess he heard some of that conversation.

Camille pushes his hair back from his face. “Yeah, Bub.”

He releases his grip on his blanket to rub his eyes, then looks over at me and Hope. “She’s still sleeping.”

Camille offers him a kind smile. “Babies sleep a lot, Davey. Even more than you. And when they’re not asleep, they’re usually pretty hungry. For the first couple of months, that’s all they really do—eat and sleep. But when she gets older, you’re going to have a great playmate.”

That draws his mouth into the happiest grin, and he slides off the bed and makes his way over to me.

I move over as far as I can on the chair to give him room to climb up, and he snuggles against my side, resting his cheek on the side of my chest not currently occupied by his baby sister.

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