Page 34 of Call It Home

He finally cleared his throat and stepped back. I felt a pang of disappointment as the warmth of his body left me.

“Oh, that was close,” Kennedy exclaimed.

“Yeah. It was,” I answered. But I wasn’t referring to the fall. I was referring to the moment I thought about reaching up and kissing Mac.

Chapter14

Cam

Macand I stood in the kitchen, faced by a camera crew and Chelle, the field producer assigned to us, who would try hard to keep us on schedule. Right now, she had pulled us away from working on our plans to do a quick interview before the house was filled with work crews.

“How do you feel about competing against the other teams?” Chelle asked.

I’d been ready for this question, so I went first. “My daddy was a race car driver. I grew up in a world of competition. I was raised to fight for the win. And that’s what we’re going to do. And because we live in the mountains instead of the city, we know what visitors expect when they come to a location like this.”

She looked expectantly at Mac. I knew he hated this. So far, he’d been surprisingly charming, but I knew his patience was being quickly used up. Like me, he wanted to get on with the work.

He tucked his fingers into the front pockets of his jeans and smiled. “There’s a reason Sterling Construction has been around for decades. Cameron was raised in the business. She’s amazing, and I believe in her. She has an incredible capacity to turn a vision into reality. I’ve worked on houses since I was a teen, and I understand everything it takes to build one. We know what we’re doing, and better yet, we know what it takes to make this a home that visitors will want to return to year after year.”

“This is your first flip as a team. Are you worried about working together?”

To my surprise, Mac answered the question before I could. “We know we have a lot at stake here. But we’re confident. We balance each other. Our differences are our strength.”

Damn. If I believed him, I knew it was going to sell well on the screen.

“How would you describe your design style?”

I jumped in. “Overall, I would say rustic luxury. Modern, but with warm and comfortable elements that make it feel like home.”

“What advantages do you think you have?”

“Her,” Mac said, at the same time I answered, “Him,” making everyone, including the camera and sound guys, chuckle.

“While everyone here is trained in design and has construction experience,” I clarified, “Mac is a master at working with wood. If we don’t have the money or can’t find exactly what we want, I know he can create it. You just wait. Everyone is going to want a Mac Caldwell original.”

“Wow. Tall, sexy,andtalented with his hands.”

What was it with all these women flirting with Mac?

I wrapped an arm around his waist and patted his chest. “He’s more than just good-looking. He’s very talented, and I’m lucky to have him.”

I felt Mac glance down at me, but I didn’t dare look back at him.

“Okay, that’s a wrap for now.”

I felt Mac relax beside me as the crew moved on to the next team. “You did great. I almost believe those things you said.”

His brows dipped low. “You think I wasn’t being honest?”

I hesitated. “Yeah, to a point. But you hammed it up nicely.”

“Why are you so surprised I believe in you? In us?”

“Because there’s never been an ‘us’ before now. Honestly, when we started this thing, I didn’t even think you liked me.”

Mac’s eyes widened, but I couldn’t read his expression.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low and serious. “Cameron, I have always liked you. But you’re my boss. Sometimes, that’s hard to remember.”

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