“Well, I hope you’re not mooning over one of my husband’s ties. Or one of Danny’s, assuming you value your life.” Mel would probably end it if Cam’s thoughts had ever strayed that direction. “And seeing as Nic was on this plane last night . . .”
Cam forced his fingers to uncurl from around the tie, smoothing it out on his lap. “I just needed something to do with my hands.”
“Right.” Jamie shut the laptop and set it aside. He ruffled his light brown hair and propped an elbow on the armrest, chin in his hand. “That why Nic was with you when Bobby called this morning? And don’t give me that bogus apartment flooded excuse.”
“It’s not bogus.” Nor was it the entire truth. Cam tossed the tie into the adjacent seat. “Why did I ever convince you to join the FBI?”
Jamie ignored the dig, too focused on his other line of inquiry. “Seriously, Cam, what’s going on with you two?”
“This you trying to distract me?”
“In part. Now stop deflecting.” He gave Cam the fess-up look, the same one he was used to getting from his real brothers.
As much as Cam wanted to tell his friend that he was falling in love with one of the best men they knew, he didn’t want to have that conversation without getting Nic’s okay. They’d agreed to keep things quiet while they were “building something.” Past complications and present uncertainties had made them both cautious. Construction, however, had been halted while Nic was in San Diego. Last night, they’d started swinging hammers again, but once Nic learned the real reason Cam hadn’t wanted him to come to Boston, would he take away his tools and renewed affection, leaving the project forever unfinished?
“We got close on the Kristic case,” Cam hedged. Not a deflection but not the whole truth either.
Jamie called him on it immediately. “Close?”
“He’s a good friend.”
“Cameron.”
“Jameson.”
The big man chuckled, rolling his bright blue eyes. He turned serious a second later, dropping his arm and leaning forward. “I know this is going to sound horribly egotistical, and feel free to tell me to shut up?—”
“Shut up,” Cam said with a smirk.
Jamie shot him the middle finger. “But if this is about my past dustup with Nic over Aidan, don’t let it be.”
Cam tilted his head, encouraging Jamie to continue. This particular air needed to be cleared, be it now or in the future Cam still hoped for with Nic.
“That’s ancient history,” Jamie said. “And it was Aidan’s fault, not Nic’s. I’ve made my peace with that.” He glanced down, rubbing his thumb over the emeralds in his platinum wedding band. “I made my peace with Nic too at the wedding. Hell, I even helped upgrade the security at Gravity. From everything I’ve seen, he’s a good man.”
“He is.” Cam knew that down to his bones. Nic was a better man than he let on or gave himself credit for. Striving to atone for the sniper’s kill count inked on his skin, taking a special interest in abuse and exploitation cases, holding himself back from Cam for fear of making their friends uncomfortable. And for fear of repeating whatever mistake the cypress tree and GS on his back represented.
Cam’s buzzing phone saved him from saying more than he should.
“Bobby?” Jamie asked.
Cam shook his head. “Lauren.”
Anything, her reply text read.
“Everything okay?” Jamie said.
“Case we’re working on.” Not exactly but that was more than Jamie needed to know. “Just making sure she’s set.”
Another text popped up. Aidan told me about your mom. Hope she pulls through.
Thank you.
Favor?
Nic knows we know about DV. Work with him, he texted. And call in Mel if you need backup. She’s been helping him.
She replied with the thumbs-up emoji.
