“There’s room wherever you want it, Willow.” He rested his chin on the top of my head. “Toffee?” He reached for my milkshake and took a sip, startling a little.

“Nope. It’s salted caramel. Surprised?”

He looked down at me, and my Cam was back in those deep-brown depths. “Definitely not what I expected to find.”

“In a good way?” I whispered so only he could hear it.

His brow knit for a second; then he leaned in and kissed my forehead. “The best way.”

…

Three days later, Cam walked into the Historical Society meeting and took the empty seat next to mine. He’d been back and forth to Salida to watch over his dad and spent the rest of his time designing the rebuilds, and it showed. He looked exhausted.

Other than a short phone conversation, we’d only spoken over text message. I’d basically become a hermit, working nonstop at my house, but the disdainful looks I’d gotten when I walked in told me everyone assumed I was now dating Cam.

I almost laughed at them because even I wasn’t assuming that.

In fact, every sign pointed to the opposite.

“We’re up in one more agenda item,” I told him.

“Okay,” he replied, shucking his coat.

“Are you? You are. I didn’t even know you owned a tie.” But holy crap did he make it look good.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he teased with a wink.

“Everyone thinks I know everything.” I hung on that last word.

“Everyone can mind their own business,” Cam said directly to Mrs. Rhodes, who had turned in her seat to blatantly glower.

She wasn’t alone. Dad had rotated between ignoring and glaring at me since I sat down, and more than one of the older ladies had muttered that Sullivan would be ashamed.

Yeah, he would have. Of them.

“Our next item of business is reviewing the business plan offered by Camden Daniels,” Walt announced from the dais. “Would you like to approach, Cam?”

“Yes, sir,” he answered and stood.

“Good luck,” I whispered.

He paused in the aisle, file firmly tucked in his right hand, and offered me his left.

“You’re just going to piss people off even more if you shove me in their faces,” I hissed.

“Come on, Pika. I saved you a seat next to me.”

Thea elbowed me in the side.

I took his hand and raised my chin as we walked down the aisle, ignoring the scalding pain from that damned scarlet A branding deeper into my skin with every whisper. Cam was an expert at not caring what people thought—or at least looking like it.

I was a rookie.

Cam went over his plan and answered every question the council threw at him. I counted two or three council members who weren’t openly hostile.