“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she said, and kissed him square on the lips before tearing herself away. “All I need are my shoes and I’m ready.”
The big white German shepherd who’d been lying in the doorway watching them dress, stood up and whined.
“Ghost is sad,” Rusty said.
“He’ll be fine. I’m not taking a dog the size of a small polar bear out to dinner.”
Rusty frowned. She couldn’t bear it when Ghost whined. “Then he gets the big chew bone, right?”
Cameron rolled his eyes. “Yes, he gets the big chew bone. He won’t miss us after that. Trust me.”
“Ghost. Treat!” Cameron said, and Ghost shot off down the hall at a gallop.
Rusty laughed.
“See?” Cameron said.
As soon as they gave Ghost the bone, he chomped it and carried it to his bed in the living room.
Cameron and Rusty set the security alarm, then locked up and drove away.
It took less than fifteen minutes to get up the mountain to where Shirley and her sons were living now. Just enough time for Rusty to watch the sun moving down behind the tallest treetops. It would be dark in an hour. She loved night on the mountain, almost as much as she loved the man sitting beside her.
They pulled up into the yard and parked at the end of a line of cars.
“Good thing Shirley doesn’t have but four sons. She’d be running out of parking space with any more,” Cameron said.
They were on their way up the steps when the front door opened.
Aaron was standing in the doorway. “Welcome to this house,” he said, then stepped aside for them to enter.
“Something sure smells good,” Rusty said as they entered.
“Mama’s a good cook,” Aaron said. “We used to say that’s why we grew so tall, but after moving here, I’m thinking it was DNA, not roast and mashed potatoes.”
“You’ve got that right,” Cameron said as Aaron ushered them into the kitchen. Sean and Wiley were already there and carrying the food to the table.
Shirley met them with a hug.
“Welcome! Ooh, Rusty, I love that blue sundress. It’s the perfect foil for your gorgeous hair.”
Rusty smiled. “Thank you. Mom and Dad used to blame my hair color on the postman and then laugh hysterically, because no one in our family had red hair. I had to get older to get the joke.”
“That hair is a country all its own,” Cameron said. “It’s what I saw first across a crowded hotel lobby, and then I saw her, and I was done.”
“What a storybook meeting,” Shirley said.
B.J. walked into the kitchen on that last comment.
“Sorry I kept everyone waiting,” he said, then shook hands with Cameron and gave Rusty an appreciative glance, thinking to himself how pretty she was.
Shirley waved a hand toward the table. “Please be seated.” Then she nodded at Aaron to sit at the head of the table and saw the pleased expression on his face. As soon as everyone was in their place, Shirley gave the blessing, then as the passing of food began around the table, Shirley shifted her attention to Cameron and Rusty.
“You two are the first guests in our new home, and we are so grateful for your company.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Cameron said.
Chatter filled the room as they filled their plates, and the boys poked fun at the size of B.J.’s helpings.
“Still growing into those long legs,” Cameron said.
Shirley laughed and, as she did, realized how long it had been since she’d felt this kind of delight.
As the meal progressed, conversation turned to jobs and work. Cameron heard about Sean’s IT business in their home and B.J. making deliveries for Aunt Annie’s bakery. He already knew through the family grapevine that Wiley had gone to work at the music venue for country music star Reagan Bullard.
“So, Wiley. What do you think of Reagan Bullard? Have you met him yet?”
“Yes, I met him my first day on the job. He seems nice enough. I also heard he bought the campgrounds outside of Jubilee and is turning it into a whole new venue. Waterslides. A big swimming pool, pony rides, and a concession stand to go with the little cabins and the campgrounds and fireworks every Saturday night.”
Cameron glanced at Rusty. That place held a not-so-nice history for them, but they’d been aware of the changes after the previous owner’s arrest.
“I heard a bit about that myself,” Cameron said. “A new owner will work wonders for the place.” Then he glanced at B.J. “So how do you like working at the bakery?”
B.J. grinned. “I like it. Aunt Annie is awesome, and the free cookies I get are just fine, too.”
They laughed, even Aaron, who had been silent during the job discussion. But Rusty had noticed his reticence and was curious about the silence.
“So, Aaron, what kind of job are you looking for?” she asked as Shirley began serving slices of apple pie for their dessert.
He met her gaze, but it took everything within him to not duck his head in shame.
“Before Clyde Wallace’s crime spree, I was a police officer for the City of Conway. After Clyde’s trial and sentencing, they let me go. I always wanted to be in law enforcement. I had seven years on the force before Clyde’s killing spree. After all the bad press and publicity, I guess being the son of a killer tainted the badge and screwed up public relations.”
Rusty didn’t blink. “Well, that sucks, but we have a lot in common. I was an undercover agent for the FBI for almost ten years. It’s what brought me to Jubilee, and where Cameron and I reunited after meeting years earlier.”
Aaron blinked. “No joke? A Fed?”
“I liked it, but undercover work is dangerous, and I had too many close calls. I happily gave it up just to have a family again.”
Cameron had been silent through the conversation, but in a lull, he had to ask.
“Have you applied for a job here with the Jubilee PD?”
Aaron shook his head.
“Why not?” Cameron asked.
“We came here to get away from being Clyde Wallace’s sons. I don’t want to resurrect that again with a simple background check.”
Cameron frowned. “Your last name is Pope. That name goes a long way around here. Sonny Warren is the police chief. I grew up with him. He’s a good man and a fair man. If you want that career, then fight for it.”
“If I thought it wouldn’t make trouble for us all over again here, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Aaron said.
“Every family has a cross of some kind to bear. Your reputation should have nothing to do with who you’re related to. Trust him. Trust us,” Cameron said.
Aaron nodded but stayed silent.
Rusty took a bite of the pie, then rolled her eyes.
“Lord, Shirley. This pie is delicious!”
Shirley beamed. “Thanks. B.J. helped me make them. He’s a good hand in the kitchen.”
B.J. nodded. “I like to cook. But I like to eat better.”
They laughed, and the moment passed, but after the meal was over and the table cleared, Cameron knew it was time to explain why he’d come.
“I know you’re all wondering why I needed to talk to you, so I’ll get right to the point. And I need to stress this, above all else…what I say to you tonight stays in the family…in this room. Everybody on the mountain knows it, but we don’t talk about it, because it has to stay a secret.”