Page 37 of Cameron

“You left her when she needed you the most,” she scolded him.

“Good to see you, Great-Grandmother. How are the rest of our ancestors doing? I never see any of them, just you,” he said, thinking now was not the time for him to have to deal with her.

And yes, he didn’t like being reminded that he’d run from Samantha. He wanted to remember their relationship when things were still good.

Not have to face what he’d done.

“Don’t get smart with me, young man, or I will keep you awake for days singing to you. Do you understand?”

That would be hideous.

“Never,” he said. “I just walked in the door. I’m tired, I’m emotionally spent and now you show up.”

The woman cackled. “That’s because someone has to talk some sense into that wide, empty, expanse of land you call a brain. You just walked away from the best woman for you. I told you, she would be arriving and you didn’t believe me.”

What could he say? He’d thought Samantha was a good woman as well, but he was there working on a deal. And the deal would only hurt her.

“Travis is married to a Samantha,” he said. “We can’t have two Samantha’s in the family.”

It was a lame excuse, but he didn’t care. Right now, he was hurting so much. He wanted Samantha in the worst way.Already he missed hearing the sound of her voice, the touch of her hand, or the feel of her beneath him when he took her.

“That’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever said. Do you miss her?”

Of course, he did.

“That’s privileged information,” he said trying to blow off his grandmother.

“What isprivileged information?”

“That means if I told you, I’d have to kill you,” he said.

The woman laughed. “We don’t have to worry about that, do we? I’m already dead. You’re real close to being punished for your lack of respect.”

All he wanted was some time alone to nurse his scotch and stop worrying about Samantha.

“Hey, I did slow down some,” he said, remembering what she’d said at the wedding. “I slowed down and life threw me a curveball. Tomorrow, I will once again get busy.”

He wondered when he’d hear from Edward. Would he accept the deal and then how would he and Samantha deal with her anger?

“She needed you. You should have stayed there today. The poor girl has had to deal with a whole wagon of disappointment. If this is how you’re going to be as a husband, then maybe I should reconsider and have another Burnett take your place.”

The thought of one of his cousins or brothers touching Samantha made him angry. Samantha was his. No one would touch her except him.

The feelings of jealousy and rage that filled him surprised him.

“No, leave her alone,” he said. “She’s dealing with so much right now that she doesn’t need anyone else in her life.”

“She needs you,” the ghost said.

“If you came here to make me feel guilty about leaving her, you’ve succeeded. Now what do you want me to do about it?”

“I want you to go back to Montana,” she said.

There was no way until Edward agreed to sign the deal.

“And do what?”

The ghost laughed. “You’re rather dimwitted for a Burnett.”

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