The Mighty Quinns: Cameron (11 page)

“Did you sleep well?”

“I did. I was pretty exhausted. And I’d had a little too much champagne. But I feel great now.”

“Should we get some breakfast? Or do you want to spend the rest of the day in bed?”

Sofie sat up, pulling the sheet around her naked body. “You know what I’d like to do? Let’s just get out of here. Let’s forget the case for a day or two and have some fun.”

“Can we do that?”

She smiled. “Sure we can. I’m the boss. We can do whatever I say we can.”

“So what’s the plan?”

“I don’t know. We’ll figure it out as we go along.”

“All right. Do you want the shower first or can I have it?”

“We could share it,” Sofie said.

“If we share the shower, we’ll never get out of here,” Cameron said. “You go and I’ll order us some breakfast.”

She started to crawl out of bed, but Cameron grabbed her hand and pulled her back against his body. “Wait. Not quite yet.”

“What?” Sofie asked.

He kissed her softly, then smoothed her hair back from her face. “You look really pretty in the morning,” he said. “I like waking up with you.”

“This is really strange,” Sofie said, shaking her head. “Not in a bad way. It’s just different. I—I like it, too.”

“All right, then.” He kissed her again. “Now you can get out of bed and walk to the bathroom. But leave the sheet here and walk really slowly, all right?”

Sofie slipped out of his embrace and strolled toward the bathroom, running her hands through her tangled hair as she walked. She glanced over her shoulder and found him watching her, his arms linked behind his head as he leaned back against the headboard of the bed.

“What do you think? Could I make a living at the Bunny Shack? I’m thinking I need to consider some new career options.”

“No,” he said. “No Bunny Shack for you.”

She grabbed the robe from the hook as she walked past, then stepped into the spacious bathroom. The marble shower, the size of a walk-in closet, was made for at least two people. Sofie turned on the water, and it poured from a huge showerhead above her.

Tossing the robe aside, she stepped inside and closed her eyes, letting the warm water rush over her body. Between the French bed linens and the soft cotton robes and the drenching shower, she’d come to enjoy every pleasurable sensation the spa had to offer, including those that Cameron had provided.

Sofie made a mental note to treat herself more often. It was surprising how these little pleasures made her feel much more feminine…even beautiful. As she began to lather her hair, she felt his hands slip around her waist.

“I thought you were going to wait,” Sofie said, wiping soap out of her eyes.

Her breath caught in her throat as his lips touched hers. Her knees buckled and her body grew soft in his embrace. The sensations racing through her were just too delicious—the warmth of his skin against hers, the water running over her back, the tug of his fingers as they tangled in her soapy hair.

Her lips parted and he took more, deepening the kiss until it became an unspoken communication between them. He was asking her to surrender, to admit that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Sofie moaned softly, then wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her naked body against his.

His skin was slick and she skimmed her hands across his chest, then moved up to his shoulders. Sofie’s fingers twisted in the hair at his nape, and he growled softly as his hands slipped around her hips to her backside. He picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist.

How was this possible? she wondered. She couldn’t seem to stop herself. They’d met a few days ago, and yet every minute of that time had been spent contemplating just this.

He was so beautiful, so perfect. And to have the chance to touch such beauty was something she wasn’t going to refuse. Cameron was a man who took what he wanted, confident that she wanted the same. He brushed aside her insecurities and fears as if they didn’t exist. There was only an intense and undeniable desire to possess.

He ran his hands over her slick skin, exploring every inch of exposed flesh before he moved on. Sofie smiled as he stepped beneath the shower and rinsed the soap from her hair. Her morning shower had always been a very ordinary way to start the day. But this was something quite different.

To Sofie, it was the most natural thing in the world to cast aside the last of her inhibitions. She wasn’t rational; she wasn’t considering consequences. From the moment their bodies touched, she was acting on instinct, something so primal that it pushed her forward, past any bounds of propriety.

She couldn’t stop and she didn’t want to. His pleasure was hers. And whatever they shared together, from moment to moment, seemed like nothing less than pure perfection.

“I guess we’re going to be staying a little longer,” she murmured.

* * *

T
HE
J
EEP
SPED
THROUGH
the desert, the highway a ribbon of black asphalt that captured the noonday heat. Cameron glanced over at Sofie. She sat in the passenger seat, her dark hair whipping in the wind, her face turned up to the sun. He reached over and ran his fingers over her shoulder. She turned and smiled at him.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

“We’re going to visit my ancestors,” she said.

“I’m going to meet your family?”

Sofie laughed. “No. Well, the spirits of my family. My mother’s family.” She pointed to a road sign. “Turn left up here.”

“‘Bandelier National Monument,’” he read. They pulled up to a ranger station and paid the fee to get in, then drove into a parking area.

“This is Anasazi culture for beginners,” she said. “If you’re interested in more, I’ll take you out to Chaco Canyon. It’s more remote and more difficult to hike. I kind of like Bandelier better. It’s like a secret spot, hidden in the canyon.”

They got out of the car and strolled to the trailhead. “It’s beautiful,” Cameron said, taking in the stunning landscape. “What’s here?”

“Cliff dwellings. And there are kivas, which are like ceremonial buildings. There were people living here about 10,000 years ago, long before the great civilizations in Greece and Rome and five thousand years before the Egyptian civilization began. Then, sometime around 1200, the civilization collapsed. No one really knows why. Some people think there was a drought that forced the people to move out of the area to find food.”

They walked the loop, Sofie serving as tour guide, explaining each site and its significance to the culture. Though Cameron knew he was Irish, he knew very little about his ancestors. But Sofie was steeped in her Native American roots.

They walked along the bank of the river, shaded by trees that he didn’t recognize. And then they ascended four ladders up at least a hundred feet, to a cluster of apartments built into the cliffside.

Sofie thought nothing of the climb, scampering up the ladders as if she had absolutely no fear. When they reached the top, Cameron stood under a rock overhang, looking down at the river.

He had never seen anything like it. It was magnificent, awe-inspiring and strangely solemn. Though he didn’t have a drop of Native American blood in him, he understood the significance of the spot. The combination of the sky and the mountain, the pine trees and the pink cliff created an image he’d never forget.

“It’s amazing,” he said.

She slipped her arm through his. “I know. I can feel them, their spirits. I’m not a religious person, but when I come here, I understand that there’s something bigger than me out there.”

He bent close and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Thank you for bringing me.”

“I knew you’d like it. There aren’t any dinosaurs, but—”

“It’s better. I used to have this book when I was a kid. It was called
Lost Civilizations.
I read that thing from cover to cover. I’d imagine I was Indiana Jones and discover all these amazing places. Machu Picchu. Atlantis. Petra. Troy. I wanted to see them all.”

“Have you ever had a chance to do any exploring?”

Cameron shook his head. “No. There never seemed to be time. I just don’t take vacations. And when I do take time off, I usually sail somewhere. But this—this makes me want to see the world.”

They finished the loop, taking their time at each spot, then strolled back to the parking area. Sofie pointed to the gift shop, and they walked inside the air-conditioned building and sighed.

“You want something to drink?” she asked.

“You know, I haven’t paid for anything since I arrived. I’m starting to feel like a kept man.”

“You’re a cheap date,” she said.

“Well, someday, you’re going to have to let me return the favor.”

They grabbed a few bottles of water, then wandered through the gift shop. Sofie pulled him over to a display case and pointed to some small pots painted with black-and-white geometric designs. “My mother made these,” she said.

“Your mother?”

“Yeah. She’s a potter. She designs reproductions of Anasazi bowls and pots and ladles.”

“I’d like to meet your family,” Cameron said. He wasn’t sure why he’d made the request, but after spending the afternoon with Sofie, he wanted to know even more about her.

“No, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“You met Tony. Now multiply that by one hundred. And Tony is the quiet one in the family. The one that doesn’t stick his nose in anyone else’s business. And—”

“Yeah, all right. But I’m a nice guy. I could handle it.”

She sent him a sideways glance. “Well, my niece is having her
quinceañera
next weekend. You could meet the whole family then.”

“Quinceañera?”
he said.

“Her fifteenth birthday party. It’s a big, big deal. There’ll be music and dancing and lots of food, as well as very loud relatives who will ask you all kinds of embarrassing questions.”

“All right,” Cameron said. If that was what it took to learn more about Sofie, then he was willing to risk a little embarrassment. “So what kind of questions?”

“My aunt Vera once asked my brother’s father-in-law whether he had hair plugs or just a bad toupee. He had neither. And my aunt Lola told my cousin’s boyfriend that if he wore his pants any tighter, his ability to father children would be in serious jeopardy. My family just says whatever comes into their heads.”

“Well, I have good hair and I don’t wear tight pants.”

“Oh, it will be something else. How much money do you make? Have you ever had a social disease? How often do you go to church?”

“Sofie, I like spending time with you. And I want to meet your family. No matter how crazy they are, it’s not going to change how I feel about you.”

“And how do you feel about me?” Sofie asked.

He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingertips. “I like you. A lot. I’m thinking that you’re kind of my girlfriend.”

“Don’t you think you’re moving a little fast?” she teased. “We just met.”

He shook his head and leaned closer. “But we have slept together. And I’ve seen you naked. And we took a shower together. And you’ve done some—”

“All right,” Sofie said. “I’ll think about it.”

“I’ll do my best to convince you.”

He grabbed her hand, and they walked out into the afternoon heat. After they got into the Jeep, Cameron reached over and pulled her into another kiss. Finally, they’d reached a point where he was able to touch her and kiss her without having to hesitate. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Though Cameron had no idea where this was all going or when it would end, he was happy. Genuinely happy. And he wasn’t sure that he’d ever felt quite this way. Somehow, he sensed that his life was changing, shifting, moving in a whole new direction. He didn’t know how but he knew why.

He was falling in love with Sofie Reyes.

7

T
HE
MUSIC
FROM
the
banda
filled the night air and drifted into the house. Sofie stood on the back porch and stared out at the crowd gathered in her brother’s backyard. Brightly colored paper lanterns were strung from the trees. A feast of traditional Mexican dishes was laid out beneath a small tent, and one of her cousins was mixing drinks on an old card table.

If she had any worries at all about Cameron fitting in, they had all disappeared just moments after he arrived. Strangely, her brothers welcomed him with a cup of beer, and her father, though distant at first, had gradually warmed up enough to invite him to play a Reyes family variation of boccie ball.

The door opened behind her, and a moment later, Sofie’s mother joined her at the railing of the back porch. “Your friend seems to be getting along well,” Talie Reyes said.

“Papa has him playing that silly game. You know they change the rules as they go along. Wait until they find out he has no money to gamble.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’ll lend him whatever he needs,” her mother teased. She slipped her hand around Sofie’s waist. “Come help me clean up the kitchen. Elena has enough to worry about keeping all of Gabby’s friends in line. And the girls all seem to be quite taken with your guest.”

Sofie smiled as she noticed the cluster of teenage girls watching the game from a nearby picnic table. Though she accepted that Cameron was good-looking, she’d never really seen the effect he could have on the opposite sex—beyond what he did to her.

But he’d been impossibly charming to everyone he’d met. And nearly every female at the party, from her niece Gabby to her ninety-year-old great-aunt, had something positive to say about Sofie’s sexy friend.

She turned and walked into the kitchen. Her mother handed her a dish towel and then went back to washing dishes. It was a scene that Sofie had replayed every night since she was able to hold a dish. She and her mother at the sink, cleaning up after supper while her older brothers went off to spend their evenings in more enjoyable pursuits.

“I was surprised you came today,” her mother said. “And that you brought your friend. Lately, you’ve been avoiding family parties.”

“I know. I just didn’t want to have to talk about the accident. Or my plans for the future.”

Her mother laughed. “Well, Sofia, you certainly found a creative way to change the subject.”

“Yes. He does make a nice distraction, doesn’t he?”

“I thought your gift to Gabby was lovely. That girl would dip herself in pink if she could.”

“She emailed me a photo of her dress. I figured if she liked it enough for her
quinceañera
dress, I’d be safe with a pink makeup case.” Sofie turned and leaned back against the edge of the counter. “Do you remember my
quinceañera?
”

Her mother shook her head. “I had to pay you to wear a dress. And instead of gifts, you made everyone donate money toward new Kevlar vests for the police department. Your grandmother Reyes was beside herself. Of course, your father was so proud.” Her mother handed her a plate. “It’s been a while since we’ve done this. I’ve missed it.”

“Why didn’t you ever have one of the boys help you with the dishes? Why was it always my job?” Sofie asked.

“I suppose it was the only way I got to spend any time with you,” her mother said. “I learned pretty early on that you were your father’s girl. I guess I just wanted to have you to myself at least once a day.”

Sofie had always bristled at the fact that she was forced into domestic duty, when she was more interested in doing whatever her brothers were doing. But suddenly, she realized how much she and her mother had missed. They’d never shopped for pretty dresses or read fairy tales or played dress-up. From the moment Sofie took her first step, she’d begun following her brothers.

“I’m sorry,” Sofie murmured. “I know I wasn’t the daughter I should have been. Or the daughter you wanted.”

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t be. I never resented your relationship with your father and your brothers. They helped you grow up into a fine, strong woman, and that’s all I ever dreamed for you.” She smiled. “Besides, I knew there would come a time when you’d need me. When we’d share some common ground.”

“Like now?” Sofie said.

Her mother nodded. “Now. And when you got married and had children. And when those children were sick. And when they left for their first day of school. You and I still have a lot to share.” She handed Sofie another dish. “So, tell me about this man of yours.”

“He’s not mine, Mama. He just…dropped into my life. And now I’m not sure I want him to leave.”

“How long have you known him?”

“Ten days.” Sofie groaned and buried her face in the dish towel. “I can’t believe I just said that. Ten days? What’s wrong with me?”

“Oh, I suspect you might be in love,” her mother said. She took the towel from Sofie and wiped her hands, then drew her daughter along toward the kitchen table. “Sit.”

Her mother fetched a pitcher of sangria from the refrigerator and poured them both a glass, then sat down beside her. Though her mother was nearly sixty, she still had a youthful beauty about her. Her complexion was unlined and her jet-black hair, bound in a long braid, was touched with gray at her temples. She dressed as she always had, in a mix of designer casual and Hopi-influenced accessories, the picture of a successful artist and businesswoman.

Sofie had always looked up to her father, but her mother had made an amazing life for herself, too. Natalie Humatewa was the only daughter of a single mom. Raised on the reservation, she learned traditional Hopi crafts from her grandmother. After graduating from the Native American high school in Phoenix, she’d been awarded a full scholarship to study art at Santa Fe University. She ran a successful art gallery, taught several college classes in Native American art and was well respected in the business community. And she had raised six children.

Why had it taken Sofie this long to recognize her mother for all she was? Tears pushed at the corners of her eyes, and Sofie covered her face with her hands. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she said. “I’m sorry. I—I thought I would—”

“Sofie, this doesn’t have to be so difficult. This man seems to like you exactly the way you are,” Talie said. “I see the way he looks at you. With affection and pride. All you have to do is be yourself.”

“I’m not sure who that is anymore. The person I was for the first twenty-six years of my life is gone.”

“No. She’s still right here in front of me. My grandmother used to tell me that I must always live my life from beginning to end. You would do well to heed her advice, Sofia.”

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“This is not the end, darling. You have so much more in front of you. And if you spend all your time mourning what might have been, you won’t be able to see anything else through your tears. You’ll miss all the wonderful things that are about to be.”

Sofie brushed the damp streaks from her face. “I think I might be falling in love with him, Mama.”

“I think you might be right.”

“But he lives in Seattle and I live here.”

“You’ll have to work that out. It’s your life. Don’t let little things like that stand in your way. Your grandmother Reyes disapproved of me when your father and I first met, but I didn’t let that stop me from marrying him.”

“Really? Why didn’t she like you?”

“I wasn’t Catholic. I had plans for a career and wasn’t satisfied simply being a housewife. But for your papa, it was love at first sight. He went home the night after meeting me and told his mother he’d met his future wife. She wasn’t amused.”

“How did you know you were in love with Papa?” Sofie asked.

“Oh, he made me laugh,” she said, smiling. “I was very serious back then. Very focused. I had a plan for my life, and getting married wasn’t part of it.”

“Like me,” Sofie murmured.

“I remember the first time I knew. I was upset about a teacher that I had for one of my art classes, and your father was trying to cheer me up. He took a couple of my paintbrushes and put them up his nose, then proceeded to explain to me, in a very serious voice, why he thought he was a better artist than me because he could paint with his nose. I went from tears to laughter in a heartbeat, and then I couldn’t stop laughing.”

“That sounds like Papa,” Sofie said.

“He still makes me laugh. There will come a time, Sofie, when the clouds will part and the answer will be as clear as the sky. And then you’ll know what to do. For now, just be patient.”

Sofie stood and moved to her mother, then wrapped her arms around Talie’s neck. “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you, daughter.” She kissed Sofie’s cheek, then held her face between her hands. “Why don’t you go out and ask that nice young man to dance? Don’t let your father and uncles scare him off.”

Sofie shook her head. “He wouldn’t get scared off. He’s the kind of guy who sticks, no matter what.”

“Well, that’s not a bad quality to find in a man,” her mother said.

Sofie wandered to the door, then gave her mother a smile before she stepped outside. She found Cameron in the middle of an argument over the game, hunched over two of the balls and measuring the space between them with a broken yardstick.

Sofie bent down and grabbed his hand, then handed her father the yardstick. “Let’s dance,” she said.

“You can’t take him now,” her father said. “We’re in the middle of a game. And we’re winning.”

“He’s my date,” she said.

“Wait,” her father said, frowning. “I thought he was just a friend.” He looked at Cameron, his eyes narrowing. “You’re dating?”

Cameron shrugged. “This is the first I’ve heard about it,” he said.

“Well, I’ve decided,” Sofie said. “We’re officially dating. And if anyone has a problem with that, you can take it up with me later.” She held tight to Cameron’s hand and pulled him along to the dance floor. Most of the
banda
was gathered in the food tent for a break, while a pair of guitarists played a soft ballad.

Cameron pulled her into his arms, holding her right hand against his chest as they moved to the beat. “I didn’t realize you could dance,” she murmured

“Neither did I,” Cameron said. “It’s not something I’ve done very often. Tell me if I’m doing it wrong, okay?”

She stepped back and saw a hint of worry in his eye. “You’re doing pretty well.”

“Maybe if I’m a moving target, you father won’t be able to shoot me.”

“I only outlined the parameters of our relationship. Everyone seemed to be curious, and I was tired of them speculating.”

“At least you didn’t tell him we were sleeping together.”

“I’m not a fool,” she said. “Although he must realize that I’m not a virgin anymore.”

He leaned close and whispered in her ear, “Even under torture, I’d never reveal your secrets.”

Sofie groaned softly as he pulled her a bit closer. She did have a few secrets, a few things she did in the bedroom that drove him wild, and Sofie felt a bit naughty thinking of those things while at a family function. But no one could see how the feel of his body against hers was sending delicious sensations racing through her and how she was tempted to open his shirt and press her lips to his naked chest.

They danced through the first song and into the next, lost in their own world. But Sofie was aware of the stares that followed them around the dance floor. Everyone at the party was curious about this new man in her life.

“I feel like we’re in a fishbowl,” Sofie said.

He glanced around, then chuckled. “You’re the most beautiful woman at this party. And I’m the guy who brought you.”

“But that’s not why they’re staring. They’ve all been worried I’d die a spinster. Or that I preferred girls to boys.”

“I suppose I could assure them of your preference for guys,” Cameron said. “In fact, I could even provide photographic proof.”

“I think, for now, we ought to keep that part of our relationship to ourselves. Let my father have his delusions.”

He bent close, his lips soft on her ear. “I never kiss and tell. You can count on me.”

She felt a shiver skitter down her spine as her breath caught. It was just a simple statement. Two sentences. But it was the moment that her mother had told her would come, the moment that she knew Cameron was the one she wanted.

This man was kind and loyal. He was her lover and her friend. And though he’d never been tested, she knew with every atom of her being that she could trust him with her life.

But was she ready to admit that out loud? Or was that a secret she’d keep to herself a bit longer?

* * *

T
HE
COOL
,
QUIET
interior of Sofie’s Albuquerque apartment was a welcome relief from the raucous noise of the
quinceañera
celebration. Cameron closed the door behind him, then watched as Sofie dropped her keys and a container of birthday cake on the table next to the door.

Though he’d enjoyed his stay in the old Airstream, he was happy to have the comforts of a real home, if only for a night. His mind flashed to an image of his place in Seattle, wondering what it might be like to have Sofie in surroundings familiar to him. Sofie lying in his bed—or curled up on his living-room sofa—or making coffee in his kitchen. Each new possibility was more tempting than the last.

But would that fantasy ever become reality? Somehow, he couldn’t imagine Sofie ever leaving the desert for the lush green landscape and salty sea air in Seattle. This was where she belonged. Close to her family and her culture.

Cameron held his breath as she reached down and grabbed the hem of her cotton dress. She pulled it over her head and tossed it onto the sofa, then continued on into what Cameron assumed was her bedroom, kicking off her shoes along the way.

By the time he’d reached the door, she was lying on the bed in just her underwear, staring at the ceiling. “Sometimes my family can exhaust me.”

“I had fun tonight,” he said. “It was nice to meet everyone.”

“You were a big hit,” Sofie replied. “I think they all liked you. I know my mother did.”