Page 42 of Shattered Chords

“I had an opening in my schedule,” I joked, wondering what it would feel like to be a pet in her hands. “Who’s the little guy?”

“Oh, this is Rocky.” She rubbed his head and jutted her chin at Pink Capris. “Renn’s baby. He used to live in the shelter we’re raising money for.”

“He’s definitely a heartbreaker.”

“Have you met his brother yet?”

Totally clueless, I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”

“Zeus is Daddy’s boy.” Renn casually ran over our conversation. “This is actually my husband’s shop,” she said proudly. Her heavily shadowed hawk eyes roamed my face as if she were looking for dents in the bumper of a new car.

“If I get my hands on a classic, I’ll know where to take it.” I gave her my megawatt red carpet smile.

She visibly melted.Ah, women.They needed so little to get all flustered.Well, most women, I thought, watching Camille kiss the pup on the nose before she handed him back to Renn.

I rubbed my palms together and scanned my surroundings. “So what do you need help with, ladies?”

The crowd was finally thinning out. Ally had disappeared into the shop, and moments later, the music changed from pop to rock.

“Well, let’s see,” Renn drawled. “We need to set up the lunch area.”

“We got it, darlin’,” I told her, knocking Camille’s shoulder. “Right?”

Nodding, Camille pressed the edge of her palm to her forehead to hide her eyes from the sun and stared at the small stretch of lawn in front of us.

“Sweet. I’ll leave you two to it then.” Renn beamed, walking off.

Camille glanced up at me from under the cover of her hand while using the other one to motion at an opening between the trees scattered across the park. “I’m thinking in the shade.”

“Unless you want everyone here to turn into a kebab.”

“Nope.” She dropped her arms to her sides and squinted. Harsh sunlight streaming through patches of leaves cast flickering shadows over her cheekbones, highlighting her sharp, delicate bone structure. “That’s definitely not part of my plan. I just want to feed them.” She smiled.

“All right. Let’s get this going then.” I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt, ready to do whatever this woman told me.

“Wait here,” she ordered, heading inside and returning seconds later with a tube of sunblock. “You’ll need this.”

We spent the next thirty minutes making small talk and setting up the tables and chairs in the park in the stinging heat. The air was so heavy that breathing suddenly seemed like a chore. I lost count of how many bottles of water we’d emptied by the time everything was arranged the way Camille wanted.

Sweaty and spent, we stood beneath a canopy of tangled tree branches and stared at the results of our labor, a plastic table with heaps of plates and cups separating us.

“Is it safe to ask you to dinner now?” I asked, pinching the front of my damp shirt to peel it away from my skin.

Camille froze. A dry summer breeze whipped the untamed strands of her hair against her cheeks.

The distant rumble of the carwash filled the sudden silence and the lack of an immediate response ate at me. Nervous, I patted the pockets of my jeans and pulled out a slightly melted piece of candy, ignoring the sticky residue on my fingers.

“I have a daughter,” Camille finally said quietly, eyes intent.

“I’m aware.”

“I’m not looking for a casual fuck.”

Her directness only made me want her more. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment I’d decided that I had to have her no matter what. We’d met twice. I knew nothing about this woman except for the fact that she loved her kid and dogs, but there was somethingin the wayshe loved in general. Relentlessly. Without reservations.

“I’m not offering one.” I couldn’t help but smile at the mere idea of me and her fucking. “It’s just dinner.”

A blush crept up her cheeks, but she didn’t break eye contact.

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