“I look forward to it.” Reaching out, June grasped Hal’s hand and gave it a squeeze.
When his grandparents strolled off, Hal’s ramrod-stiff spine told Cameron his grandfather was going to hear about his rude behavior once the guests left.
“Well.” June blew out a breath. “That went better than anticipated.”
Cameron nearly choked on his sip of wine. “Better than anticipated?”
Her lips quirked upward. “Think about it. No harsh words were exchanged. Though your grandfather obviously still thinks I took advantage of your grandmother—”
“She made it very clear to him, and to the rest of the family, that the money was her gift to you.” Cameron shook his head. “Frankly, I don’t see why he’s so bent out of shape over $20,000. That’s pocket change to them.”
“It’s not the dollar amount.” June’s expression turned serious. “Your grandfather doesn’t like the idea that a person might have taken advantage of the woman he loves. I understand. I wouldn’t want anyone taking advantage of you.”
Cameron wondered if she’d realized what she’d given away with that statement. Warmth flooded his heart. “You know what, Juin?”
A smile played at the corners of her lips. “What, Cameron?”
“I wouldn’t want anyone taking advantage of you either.”
* * *
June wasn’t certain how Cameron made it happen, but their paths didn’t cross with those of any of his relatives for the rest of the evening.
As time passed, she found herself fully relaxing. She stopped at two glasses of wine, but indulged in the scrumptious appetizers. Music from the harpist wrapped around her heart. While the melodies weren’t always familiar, it felt as if romance was in the air.
Or maybe that was simply because she was with Cameron. She’d discovered that being with him made everything brighter, more wonderful.
June glanced down at her glass of water and wondered if the bartender had put vodka in it. She couldn’t recall ever feeling so sappy.
“You’ve surprised me tonight, Juin,” Cameron said as they stepped out onto the terrace.
Despite the heat lamps, the night had taken on a chill, causing many of the guests who’d been outside to move inside.
Her heart flip-flopped as she tightened her hold on the glass. Not trusting herself to speak in that moment, she smiled and inclined her head.
“I always knew you were beautiful and smart and good at putting others at ease.” He lifted the glass from her hand and set it on one of the tall tables, then pulled her into his arms. Gazing down at her, he smiled. “What I didn’t realize was how strong you are.”
“If you need help moving these tables inside, I’ll do my best, but no guarantees.”
He laughed. “Not to mention you have a wonderful sense of humor.”
Before she could respond, he continued. “You took on an immense challenge when you decided to find the person who drove the vehicle that hit and killed your sister.”
“Anyone in my situation—”
“You’ve never wavered in your determination to find that person and bring them to justice.” His hand cupped her cheek, and she leaned into the caress. “Losing your sister so traumatically, then having your family fall apart, was huge. But you finished high school, graduated from college and started building your career. Through it all, you’ve never lost sight of finding the person who drove that car.”
“Hey, I love compliments as much as the next woman, but I’ve really done nothing special.” Her smile wavered. “Plenty of times, I’ve wanted to give up. The police basically gave up. The PI had leads but no answers. I didn’t know what more could be done.”
“That’s when Gran stepped in.”
“Yes.” June’s lips curved in a soft smile. “Hal has a way of drawing you into conversation, and before you know it, you’ve told her everything.”
“I’ve discovered that myself.” Cameron chuckled, then sobered. “The thing with Gran is she really does care.”
“I didn’t want to take the money she offered, Cameron. I told her no. But as we talked, I could see it was important to her that I have the opportunity to do everything possible to find my sister.”
“$20,000 really is small change to her.”