“He really thinks that Alba FD beer koozies are going to sell?” Cam’s voice rippled through me like an avalanche, crumbling what measly defenses I’d tried to construct in the almost week since I’d seen him. Not that I was counting.

I tried to steady my heart with a deep breath, but the darn thing wasn’t listening. Apparently I could go six years without seeing him and be fine, but six days turned me into a teenager. Awesome, I actually was counting days.

“It’s hard for the guys like James,” I told him quietly. “The supplemental fund helps, but you know the owners of the civic buildings don’t make much.”

“I’m not taking exception to his merchandising, just the merchandise.” He shrugged.

Ugh, his profile was annoyingly imperfectly perfect. He knew it, too. Even his eyebrow had an arrogant curve to it. His beard was trimmed close, softening his jawline, but I knew from the way he ran his thumb over it that he’d shave it soon.

I hated that I knew that.

Couldn’t he have gotten uglier in the last decade? At least have a receding hairline or something?

“What are you doing here, anyway?”

“I thought you told me to come,” he replied, still focused forward.

“Right. And when was the last time you listened to me?”

“Apparently right now.” He smirked.

I fought the urge to stick my tongue out at him like we were back in elementary school. Everything had been so orderly two weeks ago, so…safe. Predictable, even. The very reasons I liked Alba no longer existed with Cam in town.

“What’s that?” I asked, spying a manila envelope in his hands.

“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” he replied in a singsong voice.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one struggling with acting my age.

“If that’s our last request, then I move to enter all summer business plans as final for this season,” Dad said.

Cam’s jaw clenched.

“Actually, I know there’s a matter of business on the agenda being brought by Mrs. Powers later that may affect summer plans, so I’d like to keep this matter open until the end of the meeting,” Mary Murphy stated from her council seat, her fingers twisting her single strand of pearls.

“Mrs. Murphy has a seat now, huh?” Cam asked, stating the obvious.

“She was elected about five years ago,” Thea replied. “And it’s nice to see you, Cam.”

“You too, Thea. How’s Patrick?” He leaned forward and offered Thea a quick smile.

“Probably bored out of his mind right now.” She pointed to where her husband sat two seats down from my dad. “He was elected to the council last year after his dad passed.”