He cuts me off with a laugh. “It doesn’t matter! This is the most at peace I’ve felt in years. Years. Listening to you hum under your breath. Staring at this piece of art you’ve created. It’s…” He searches for the words, his hands dropping to his sides. “I like it. A lot. And I think we could be good at this. Maybe Lyle is in it for himself, but he’s not wrong about us working well together.”

I take a deep breath, letting his words sink in, and try to imagine it. Me and Cam working side by side, on camera, rehabbing houses.

“I still have to talk with my dad about it.” I hedge. “I mean, I’ve been kind of a chicken about telling him. I don’t want him to think I believe he’s a charity case or anything. He’ll be afraid I’m being taken advantage of.”

“Ha. He didn’t see you in action in L.A. like I did. If he had, he’d know he has nothing to worry about. Besides, I’m the one he needs to be concerned over. He has weeks to make me into a respectable general contractor.”

“Respectable?”

“Believable, at the very least.”

“We don’t want you to embarrass the Midwest.”

His head sinks backward with a groan. “Such pressure to perform! We should also consider going to the historical society and the city council. The producers only care about ratings, but I was thinking about it on my drive over, and we have an opportunity to do something positive for the local economy and community with this. We can highlight local builders and tradesmen, like your dad. And we could stay within reasonable budgets to make sure that we aren’t gentrifying the community when we flip. Improve, but not drive it into the ground, leaving nothing but a ghost town behind.”

I can’t help the smile spreading across my face. “Just a little thinking on the way, huh? I thought you said you weren’t convinced until you got here?”

“Well, I might’ve done a little daydreaming.”

“I like it, Cam. And if they want us bad enough, we can add those kinds of stipulations into our contracts to make sure things are on the level.”

His eyes brighten at that. “They really want you, Shelby. So much I’m tempted to fuck with Lyle for a bit to make him sweat.”

I laugh and it feels so good. “I’ve missed you.”

Cam picks up his brush and returns to the shelf. “Me, too.”

5

CAMERON

SUCKER