LITMIR.BIZ

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instead, with more reserve than she’d shown so far, she repeated, “What can I do for you, Mr. Camden?”

      “Call me Cade.”

      Nati didn’t do him the courtesy of saying his name. She merely waited for his answer, not quite sure how to feel about a Camden standing right there in front of her.

      “I bought a house not long ago,” he said. “It has a wall in the dining room that has the most hideous wallpaper you’ve ever seen. It’s ripped and peeling and falling off. The wall underneath looks like it could be kind of a mess, too, and I’ve heard that you can do wonders with wall treatments—not stenciling or anything frilly, but something understated, classy.”

      “How did you hear about me?” she asked, and this time she was fishing.

      “I believe you did something in a nursery for one of my grandmother’s friends. You come highly recommended.”

      Nurseries were a large part of her business outside of the shop, so that claim was feasible. But it didn’t explain whether or not he knew about their families’ past.

      Knowing who he was and what he said he wanted was a start. But Nati contemplated a few more things as she studied him.

      She considered saying she was too busy and didn’t have time for a project like that now. And then recommending someone she knew would botch the job.

      She considered taking the job and charging Cade Camden an arm and a leg, effectively cheating him to get even in some small way.

      But in the end she didn’t like what that approach would say about her own integrity. Having a clear conscience was more important than making some sort of petty point with this stranger who was generations away from the man who wronged her great-grandfather decades ago. A stranger who might not even know what had gone on.

      She could merely refuse to work for him, she told herself, and send him on his way.

      But her shop had only been open a few months and she wasn’t in any position to turn away work. She needed any money she could make. And Camden or not, he was offering her a job.

      “I’d have to look at the wall,” she said without enthusiasm. “I need to see what kind of shape it’s in before I know what will need to be done and how much it might cost. Plus we’d have to talk about your preferences—different textures and finishes take different amounts of time, so labor charges can add up.”

      “Sure,” he said, seeming undaunted by the potential expense. The Camdens were rich enough to buy and sell her a billion times over.

      “Is there any chance you could stop by tomorrow?” he asked. “Maybe late in the day, after you close up here and I get home from work?”

      “I can come anytime.” Nati nodded toward the double pocket doors to her right, just behind her counter. They were open, exposing the shop next door. “I’m friends with the owner of the Pet Boutique. Whenever one of us needs to be away we open those doors to connect the two stores and take care of both shops at once—I’m doing that right now while Holly goes to the bank.” Too much information.

      “And you’re free tomorrow?”

      Nati didn’t have to check anything to know that she was. “Just tell me what time’s good for you.”

      “Six-thirty? I’m in Cherry Creek, just past the Denver Country Club, off University, if that’s okay.”

      “Sure,” she said. “But aren’t there people in your neck of the woods—”

      “Like I said, you came highly recommended and I want it done right.”

      “Okay,” she said, wondering why she was feeling let down that they’d gone from the easy banter about the scarecrow to this all-business approach.

      But all business—only business—was how it should have been from the start. And now that she knew who he was it was certainly how it would be from here on.

      He gave her his address and directions to his house. Then he said, “Tomorrow night, six-thirty. I appreciate your coming that late, on a Friday night. I’ve been trying to get in here to meet you all week but I’ve had too many fires to put out at work and this was my first chance. It shouldn’t waste too much of your night to just take a look, though.”

      If only he knew that she spent most Friday nights—and every other night of the week—painting inventory to sell in her store.

      But she wasn’t going to tell him that. “It’s fine. No problem,” she assured.

      He should have left then. But he stayed staring at her for another moment before he said, “When my grandmother’s friend told her about you she gave her your card. The name rang a bell. My grandmother said she knew some Morrisons a long time ago. Jonah Morrison in particular. When she lived in—”

      “Northbridge. In Montana. Jonah Morrison is my grandfather,” Nati said pointedly.

      “Small world…”

      So was this a coincidence?

      Somehow that seemed farfetched to Nati.

      “Well, then,” Cade Camden said with a sigh, “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

      Why did it seem as if he was looking for an excuse to stick around?

      But Nati wasn’t going to give him any reason to. Even if there were an infinitesimal part of her that wanted to.

      Instead she said, “Six-thirty. I’ll be there.”

      “I’m looking forward to it….” he said almost more to himself than to her.

      Then he walked out into the bright October sunshine of a Colorado day while Nati watched him go.

      And as she did, she recognized some very conflicting emotions roiling around inside of her—among them what seemed like it might be an eagerness to see Cade Camden again.

      But she mentally stomped the feeling out like a cinder from a campfire.

      At least she thought she did.

      Until a moment later when there it was again…

       Chapter Two

      “Here’s the material for the next… And there you are again—this is the third time I’ve come into your office today and found you staring into space with that weird little smile on your face.”

      Cade glanced in the direction of his open office door, where January was standing in the threshold.

      His little sister was right: every time she came into his office today, she’d caught him staring into space. He’d basically wasted this entire day. He seemed to have Nati Morrison on the brain.

      As for his smile?

      He hadn’t even been aware of that….

      “What are you daydreaming about?” Jani demanded.

      “Ah, it’s just… You know… Nothing. It’s been a long week, it’s Friday, I guess my brain is starting the weekend a little early and taking me along with it.”

      “Do you have big plans?”

      “No. In fact I don’t have any plans.” He glanced at his watch. “Oh, but I do need to get out of here. I have that Morrison woman coming by the house to look at the wall and my place is a mess.”

      “That Morrison woman…” Jani repeated, coming in and closing the door behind her.

      All week long the Camden grandchildren had been discussing what their grandmother had asked of them. But they were always careful to do it so that nothing could be overheard.

      They all agreed that amends should be made. But no one was eager for GiGi to send them on their particular missions. So there was some sympathy in Jani’s expression when she

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