Reunited...With Child (10 page)

“Good,” he said. He opened her door for her and she got into the car. She watched him walk around the front and climb behind the wheel.

“I never thought Nate would settle down with one woman,” Cam said.

“From what I've read, he always did seem to be the ultimate playboy.”

“Part of that was for the club. He has always used his celebrity to keep patrons packing our dance floors.”

“It's obviously worked,” she said.

“Yes, it has. When I first had the idea for the club I never imagined that Justin and Nate would find the work as fulfilling as I did. I really just wanted their help
financing the business and an excuse for us all to have to stay close.”

“And instead you created the hottest nightclub in Miami and your brothers are your best friends.”

Cam tipped his head to the side to stare at her as he braked for a traffic light. “They are. I hadn't realized it until you said that. Who are your friends, Becca?”

She shrugged. “I have some casual acquaintances at the Mommy-and-Me program in Garden City, but I'm really not the type of person who shares much with others.”

“I can vouch for that. You are a very hard woman to figure out,” he said.

She really wasn't, but she was glad he thought so. She hoped it added to her mystery to have him not too sure of her.

He pulled to a stop at Luna Azul a few minutes later.

“What are we doing here?”

“The rehearsal dinner is at the rooftop club. It's where Nate and Jen met.”

“Great. Can we bring Ty?”

“Definitely. Someday this is going to be his club and he should start getting used to the place now.”

Cam opened her door before getting Ty out of the car seat. As they approached the club, Cam held Ty in one arm and had his other around Becca. She caught a glimpse of them in the reflection of the glass door as they approached, and they looked like a real family. The one she'd always wanted for herself.

 

The nightclub wasn't really suited to kids, but there was a family atmosphere to the rooftop club tonight in addition to Nate's A-list celebrity friends like Hutch Damien, the rapper turned actor, and several New York Yankees players both past and present. Jen had brought her family. And Justin's fiancée, Selena, had brought her grandparents and several cousins.

Nate waved Becca, Cam and Ty over as soon as he saw them. At the same time, Selena's cousin Jasmine came up to them and took Ty away to meet some of the other kids. “You two enjoy yourselves. I will watch little Ty.”

“Are you sure?” Becca asked.

“He'll be fine,” Cam assured her.

Cam grabbed two mojitos off the tray of a passing waiter and handed one to Becca. “Just be yourself.”

“I don't know how to be anyone else,” she said.

Damn, if that wasn't true. It gave him an insight into why she was so special to him. But he didn't have time to analyze it.

“Hey, big bro,” Nate said, hugging Cam. “I'm so glad you are finally here.”

“I am, too. Nate, this is Becca Tuntenstall. Becca, my youngest brother, Nate.”

“It's so nice to meet you,” Becca said, holding out her hand. “Congratulations on your upcoming marriage. I'm looking forward to meeting Jen.”

Nate took her hand and shook it. “I want to know about my nephew.”

“Ask me anything,” she said. “I love to talk about Ty.”

Cam stepped back and watched as Becca did that for about fifteen minutes. It was clear to him and to Nate as well that Becca loved her son.

“Let me go get him so you two can meet,” she said.

Becca walked away before Nate or Cam could say anything, and they just watched her go.

“I like her,” Nate said.

“Good. I do, too.”

“Yeah, I kinda figured that out by the way you keep watching her.” Nate laughed.

“So are you ready to settle down with Jen, little bro? Is the whole domestic routine treating you well so far?”

Jen stood off to the side, talking to her sister and nephew. She was animated during their conversation. She held her nephew's hands and danced to the music with him.

“More than I thought. I mean, I like a good party but I don't have to do a club crawl every night to feel like I'm alive. I get that from Jen.”

Cam was relieved to hear that but also a little worried. Nate was the one who made sure that Luna Azul kept drawing the celebrity crowd and stayed in the paper.

“What about our publicity?”

“Don't worry. I've got you covered. I blog from here and already sent in some photos from earlier tonight. And when you guys leave I'll hit Luna for a few minutes before calling it a night.”

“That's a bit of an odd schedule,” Cam said.

“Yes, but it works for us. Jen likes spending the evening with me.”

“That is a very good thing. I wonder what Dad would make of this,” Cam said.

“He would probably go running for the hills. As much as he loved us, I don't think this was his kind of gig,” Nate said.

Cam looked around the rooftop and wondered if Nate had a point. Perhaps domestic bliss hadn't been in the cards for their parents. But at least their father had loved being a dad. And that was important.

“Are you sure you are ready to tie the knot tomorrow?”

“Positive.”

“Good. I'm happy for you,” Cam said.

He glanced over to see Becca coming back with Ty. Just then, Cam thought that Ty was going to need some cousins.

He turned back to his brother. “Have you and Jen considered having kids?”

Nate nearly dropped his drink, which made Cam laugh. “I'll take that as a no.”

“You just asked me about clubbing—you know a dad doesn't have time for that stuff. And Jen's a dancer, so she has to think good and hard about what she'd be giving up before we even entertain that idea.”

“Okay, that's the stock answer you guys give everyone. I'm your big bro, so what's the real deal?”

Nate turned and looked over at his wife. “I've thought about it a lot, but the subject hasn't come up between us. And I don't know if I'm ready, Cam. The last thing
I want to do is have a child and not be the parent that Dad was.”

His words resonated with Cam. Their dad had been a great father, and living up to the old man would be hard. But when Cam looked at Becca and Ty, he wanted to be a parent. He wanted to be the missing piece in their little family.

And that didn't fill him with panic the way it once would have. He thought that was a good indication that he was on the right the track with Becca. That she was the one.

“I guess you think about it,” Nate said.

“I didn't before Becca came back into my life.”

Cam rubbed the back of his neck.

“I bet.”

Becca walked right up between them. “Ty, this is your uncle Nate. Nate, this is Ty.”

Nate looked down at Cam's son, and Cam felt a moment of familial bonding that until now he never could have imagined. He was glad to see his brother and his son together. And when Nate held out his arms to Ty and Becca handed him over, Cam realized he'd made the right choice in going after joint custody and in naming his brothers as guardians in the will.

“He is so cute,” Jen said as she came up to them.

“My brother sure is,” Cam said with a wink.

“I meant your son. But I have to agree—my husband is a hottie.”

She slipped her arm around Nate's waist and looked up at Cam. He was very happy that his little brother had
found a woman who loved him. And that that love was clear for everyone to see.

“I am a hottie,” Nate said. “I think the entire world knows that.”

She laughed. “Gosh, I hadn't noticed.”

Nate kissed her soundly on the lips and then smacked her butt. “Smarty. Everything is almost ready here. Go get ready for our dance.”

Jen pinched Nate's butt. “I will but only because I'm the one who thought of the idea to get everyone in the party mood.”

Cam laughed at the two of them as Jen walked away. There was something welcoming and refreshing about being in their presence. Nate handed Ty back to Becca.

“I don't pretend to understand what's between you and my brother,” Nate said. “But I'm glad you and Ty are here.”

“Me, too,” Becca said.

“I have to agree,” Cam said. “I'm very glad to have you both in my life.”

B
ecca hadn't expected to enjoy herself as much as she did at the rehearsal dinner. But when the music started and as the mojitos kept flowing, she found herself on the dance floor with Cam.

“This is where it all started,” he said.

“The dance floor? We met in Russell's conference room,” she reminded him.

“No, that's the past, when we were too involved in ourselves to figure out what was really important. I knew when I danced with you in New York that something had changed. You weren't the woman I had known before,” he said, spinning her around as one of Shakira's slow, sexy ballads played.

“I'm definitely not the same woman. It was hard
for me to be attracted to you and know I had a big secret.”

“I bet. Did you think about running away?” he asked.

It was the first time they'd really talked about everything, and she was glad to finally have the chance. “For a minute. But I had Ty to think about. And once I talked to you that night I realized there was more to you than just a sexy guy I had an affair with. I'm not sure how to say this, but I think you were right to tell me I wasn't in love with you two years ago.”

“You do? Why?”

“I didn't know you at all. If you had taken me up on my offer…we would have been married with a kid and both felt trapped and miserable,” she said.

“Or would we have uncovered the truth about each other as we have these last few weeks?”

“I'd like to think we would have, but I don't believe in fairy tales anymore.”

“Did you at one time?”

“Yes. When I was young. I spent a lot of time dreaming up where my dad was and making up excuses for why he never came to see me.”

“Ah, Becca,” he said, pulling her close in his arms. “I'm so sorry.”

“It's not your fault,” she said. “Life is like that sometimes. Then other times the man who you cursed for being a jerk shows up and turns out to be a hero.”

“Me?”

“You.”

He leaned down to kiss her. And saw his brother walk up right behind her on the dance floor.

“No need to ask who this is,” Justin said. “Your son's mother, I presume.”

“I am Ty's mother,” Becca said, turning to confront Cam's other brother. “You must be Justin.”

“I am. I'm also the family attorney. Did he mention that?”

“Back off, Jus.”

“I'd be happy to if I could understand why she kept your son a secret for so long,” he said.

“Cam had told me he wasn't ready for a family and I am a loner. I like to do things on my own. That's the only explanation you are going to get,” she said.

“That's more than he deserves. I told you not to bring this up tonight,” Cam said.

“I'm sorry, Cam. I don't like the feeling that she's trying to pull one over on us,” Justin said. “She's not.”

“I'm not,” Becca said at the same time. “I didn't trust your brother to be a good man.”

“I didn't see it that way,” Justin said.

“That's because you are used to seeing the worst in everyone,” Selena said, coming up net to her fiancé. “I'm Selena Gonzalez, by the way. You must be Becca.”

“I am. Nice to meet you,” Becca said, holding her hand out to Selena.

“You, as well. Please excuse Justin. He just—”

“Doesn't want to see his brother treated poorly,” Justin said.

“I'm not treating him poorly. That's why Ty and I are here,” Becca said.

“I'm sorry for being so rude,” Justin said, easing up a little after a moment's pause. “I don't trust people who keep secrets like that one.”

Becca nodded. “I don't trust men.”

Cam looked over at her. “Do you now?”

“Yes,” she said.

“That's all that matters,” Cam said. He pulled Becca back into his arms and danced her away from Justin.

After that, Cam held her close for the rest of the night until it was time to go home. He collected Ty from Jasmine, and when he left with his son and Becca, for the first time since his dad died, Cam felt like he had something of his own.

When they got home, he watched Becca tuck their son in and felt another surge of some emotion he refused to define. She turned to catch him staring at her.

“What?”

He waited until she was out of Ty's room, and then he pulled her into his arms and whispered hot needy words in her ear. Told her exactly what she made him feel and how happy he was that she'd come back into his life.

He carried her into her bedroom and placed her on the center of the bed. He reached up under her dress and pulled off her panties and then opened his own pants and slid inside her. He rested there for a minute and looked down at her.

He kissed her long and hard, the way he'd wanted to
since he'd pulled her into his arms. His tongue rubbed over hers as his hands swept over her body.

“Thank you for my son,” he said.

“You're welcome,” she said. “Now make love to me.”

And he did. He made love to her, and then when they were done, he undressed them both and slowly built them to a fevered pitch again. He held her in his arms all night and didn't question the fact that he'd never had a relationship with a woman feel as right as the one he had with Becca.

He held her through the night, awake while she was sleeping, and watched her. She had changed his life, and he had no idea what he was going to do with her.

Marriage didn't seem to be the solution. Becca was used to being alone and he didn't want her to feel trapped. There was a reason beyond his callous behavior that she'd kept Ty to herself.

Though his brothers were getting married, he knew that the institution wasn't necessarily for him. He did know that he wanted Becca to stay in his life and in his home, and he wanted to figure out a way to make her presence here more permanent.

He drifted off to sleep without finding a solution, which later on would bother him. He was the kind of man who always had to solve a problem before he could sleep. But not with Becca.

It was odd to him, but he finally thought he was coming to trust her. And that scared him almost as much as the fact that he needed her.

 

Her cell phone rang a week later, and she glanced at the caller ID. It was Cam. “Hello.”

“Hi, Becca. I have an emergency meeting with the community leaders at the Mercado. We are supposed to have one of the tenth-anniversary events there and I thought you might want to come and join me.”

The week had been hectic. Nate's wedding was beautiful and had made Becca long for something more with Cam. She knew she should be content with what they had—it was more than she ever dreamed of. But a part of her—that little girl who'd waited for her own family to be complete, she suspected—wanted Cam as her husband.

She'd continued to work on designs for the Mercado and was slowly settling into a routine here in Miami. Cam had adjusted his schedule and had early dinners with her and Ty before he went to the club at night. He was making time for Ty, which was what she'd asked for, and she saw the signs that he could be a very good dad.

Though they hadn't really discussed it, she felt as if they'd found a new truce and were moving toward a committed relationship. There was a certain peace between them. Justin still didn't seem to trust her, but Nate and Jen had been friendly each time she'd seen the newlyweds.

“Okay. Why?” she asked.

“I want you to talk to the community leaders and get some of their input on the stores you will be designing.”

“That sounds great. When should I come down there?” she asked. Work had been her solace and her guiding light, and she needed it to help her get back on task. She needed to focus and not let Cam throw her so off balance.

“Now would be perfect.”

Of course it would be. “Um…I just gave Jasmine the afternoon off.”

“That's okay. You can bring Ty with you.”

“We will be right down there,” she said.

“Good. I'm sorry about the last-minute notice.”

“It's okay. Just let me get dressed—”

“Whoa, are you working naked?”

She laughed. “No. Why did you think that?”

“I'm a man,” he said.

“And men think about sex all the time?” she asked.

“Exactly.”

“So are you not thinking about it now that we've become lovers again?” she asked, kidding him. They had never had a teasing relationship before and she was interested to see another side of Cam.

“Hell, no. In fact, I'm thinking about you even more often than before. I can't for the life of me figure out why I let you go two years ago,” he said.

“You were a fool,” she said. She wished that he would have kept in touch or that she hadn't let her pride keep her from contacting him. Because the future—Cam's, Ty's and hers—would be a lot easier to navigate if she had.

“I was.”

“I'm glad to hear you say that, but I was only kidding,” she said.

“I wasn't. I don't know why I couldn't see you for the gem you are,” he said.

Her heart melted a little bit. “I think it goes back to the guy thing where you just think about sex.”

“Probably. Maybe fate stepped in to give us a second chance,” he said.

“How do you figure?” she asked.

“It gave us Ty.”

The more she got to know Cam, the more she really liked him. When the time came and she found the words to tell him that she had fallen for him again, she hoped he'd believe her and react like the man of her dreams.

 

Cam hung up the phone with Becca. He wanted to get something for her. But he'd already sent her flowers, and he really didn't have any other ideas.

He walked through the club and heard samba music playing in the rehearsal room. He paused and debated for a minute if he should interrupt Jen to talk to her. Finally he decided it was okay and opened the door. Jen danced around the rehearsal room. His new sister-in-law smiled at him as he entered the room.

“Are you here as my boss or brother-in-law?” she asked.

“Brother-in-law,” he said. “I need some advice.”

She hit a button and the music stopped. “What's up?”

“I need…what kind of gifts does a woman really like to get?”

“I think it depends on the woman,” she said. “I like music and things related to dance. But I suspect that Becca might like something different. What does she like?”

Cam thought about it for a minute before he had his own idea. She liked art and drawing, and finding the right gift for her would be easy now that he knew what direction to go in.

“Thanks, Jen. That was exactly what I needed to know.”

“I don't think I said anything worthwhile,” she said.

“Yes, you did,” Cam said. He hugged her and then turned to leave the rehearsal room.

“Why are you hugging my wife?” Nate said, coming into the room.

“Because she's brilliant.” Cam walked over to Nate, who was scowling in the doorway.

“I know that. That's why I hug her,” Nate said.

“I thought you hugged her for a different reason,” Cam said.

“So did I,” Jen said, laughing. “Did you come to help me learn my new dance?”

“No, I stopped by because I missed you. Why were you hugging my brother?”

“He needed some advice on a gift.”

“What gift?”

“None of your business,” Cam said. “Go hug your wife.”

“I will. And I'm going to talk to her about letting just anyone hug her,” Nate said.

“I'll leave you two to discuss that,” Cam said, heading toward the door.

“Sounds good. I wanted some alone time with my wife,” Nate said.

Cam walked out and couldn't help smiling. At this moment his brother was very happy. Nate's romantic past hadn't been so rosy. He'd been dumped by his fiancée when he'd been injured and had to leave pro baseball. And that had cemented in Cam's mind the fact that most women were only out for what they could get from their men.

Jen seemed different, and she made Nate happy, so Cam was hoping for the best. Was Becca cut from the same cloth? He thought so. She was sweet and sexy and seemed as honest as the day was long now that she'd opened up to him about Ty.

She'd changed over the past few weeks, or maybe he was just getting to know her. He had found that Becca was just the woman he needed. She was very good at creating a family bond. Each morning, they had breakfast by the pool and then every evening she cooked them an early dinner and they ate with Ty sitting at the table. She asked questions about his day and made a point to let Ty babble on in his baby talk so he had a chance to talk, as well. It was…something unexpected.

He wanted to find a gift for her that would let her know how important she was to him. When he thought of Becca and art, he thought of Chagall with his romantic abstract images. The perfect painting came to mind.

He called Val Martin, a friend of his from college who was now an art dealer. “How quickly can I get a framed lithograph of Chagall's
Les Trois Cierges?
”

“I might have one. Let me look through the catalog. Does it have to be that picture?”

“Yes,” he said. He wanted Becca to have that picture. He wanted it hanging in her home.

The scene was colorful with a big green tree dominating the top of the painting. It had pretty white blooms on it and angels flew under its branches. A sleepy little town painted in a warm reddish brown could be seen in the distance. Three candles—from the title—were in the front left corner. But it was the couple on the right that had him convinced this was the right portrait for Becca. The man had dark hair and wore a brightly colored coat and held the woman tenderly in his arms. She wore a white flowing dress and her head was tucked on his shoulder.

“Do you want it framed?”