Page 77 of All Mine

“Ugh, I could throw up.”

“Aim for over the bed rail.”

“Sound advice,” I quipped, covering my eyes with my hands.

“You should try to get some sleep,” she said, standing.

“Where are you going?”

“Breakfast.”

“Want some of this?”

“No. But, try a little. Remember, the doc said to eat normally.”

“The doctor wasn’t nauseous, either.”

“How about a muffin? Would that be easier to eat? I can bring you back a muffin. Or a smoothie?”

“Maybe I could try to eat a muffin in a little while.”

“You should get some more sleep,” she said, covering the plate again and pushing the table to the side. “You look like shit.”

“You’re such a loving little sister.”

“I am, aren’t I?” she smiled.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were Lacy.”

“You’re the only person in the world who can tell us apart.” She kissed my forehead and grabbed her purse from the cabinet before heading out the door.

I adjusted the bedframe to get more comfortable and closed my eyes, willing sleep to come by counting sheep. At some point, I must have dozed off, and I woke with a start. Where am I? It took several beats to collect my thoughts and everything to clear.

Movement next to me caught in my periphery. Camden, haggard, but still gorgeous, held me in those dark brown eyes, closing the door behind him. His usual five o’clock shadow had filled into a full beard, and the normally impeccable hair, ruffled and messy. He wore jeans and a Barnes Construction T-shirt stretched over those broad shoulders and falling loose around his waist. Damn, he was still sex on a stick.

We stared at one another for several beats, neither of us moving. I didn’t breathe. It’d been a little over a month since he’d rocked my world and then our town hall showdown. A million years ago and like no time at all had passed. Tears filled my eyes, and I looked away.

“Lauren,” he whispered, his voice full of gravel.

“What’s with the shirt?” I asked, staring out the window, the glare from the sunlight blocking my view.

“I haven’t been back to the hotel, and Jonah gave me a clean shirt.” He pulled a chair away from the wall, dragged it close to my bedside, and sat.

I closed my eyes against the light and pressed my palms against my face.

“I’m so sorry for everything.”

“Why?” I whispered, dropping my hands to my lap and fiddling with the oxygen tubing. “You had a job to do and told me from the beginning you were in it for the money. So congrats on that.”

“On what?”

“Your side won the vote, right? You should have a payday coming.”

Camden leaned forward in the chair. “Did no one tell you? Or is that concussion worse than we thought?”

My head throbbed. “What are you talking about?”

He stared at me, his mouth agape. After working his jaw for a moment, he began. “Stephen was going to screw everyone over, dig up the property, and then pull out of the project. In the way Stephen structured our deal, I wouldn’t have made a dime. It was a poor decision all around.”

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