Seeing Cam for the first time every day still took my breath away. He stood at his drafting table, turned so I could only see a portion of his profile, his shirtsleeves pushed up and his pants hanging on sculpted hips, but even with all that physical beauty, it was his focus that I found enthralling.

I loved him so much that I wasn’t sure there was enough space in this trailer—in the world—for it. How was I supposed to give him up? How could I live with myself if I didn’t? It had taken years and war and more than a little fate to get us here. This wasn’t even in the same realm as fair.

“You’ll need to move this beam here,” Cam told two of the foremen as he pointed to the blueprints. “These right here are the old load-bearing timbers, and we need to see if we can basically take the load off at this point and this one, so we can maintain the structural integrity of the tunnel without losing that historical piece.”

“And if we can’t keep that beam?” The foreman pointed to the original one, and my stomach clenched. There were so many sacrifices to be made, and every piece of history that went hurt my heart a little more.

“Safety first. But I know we can keep it, so don’t shortcut it for ease.” Cam looked up and paused when he saw me. “Everybody out.”

The foremen glanced between us and then did exactly as he ordered.

“Lunch?” I asked, lifting the takeout container with a trembling hand.

“What’s wrong?” He didn’t so much as glance toward the food.

How was I going to say this to him? How could I possibly explain the cost of loving me? I couldn’t imagine not having Cam, not after all these years we’d wasted. But I also couldn’t condemn Arthur to treatments he didn’t want.

“You eat, and I’ll talk.” I set the food down on the small table and motioned to one of the two folding chairs.

His eyes narrowed, but he sat. I slid the burger over to him, and he opened the takeout container. Only then did he look to see what I brought him.

“Bigg’s?” A smile ghosted his lips.

“Just the way you like it.” My heart pounded as I took the seat opposite his and moved the shake to his side, too. “The shake is the way I like it, though.”

“Willow, you’re killing me.” He swallowed, watching me with enough intensity to kick my heart rate even higher. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I know. Just…give me a second.” The words I knew had to be said filled my mouth, heavy on my tongue, and my stomach twisted—just like it had right before my car crashed—trying to keep them in.