a hand-painted silk scarf that reminded Rachel of one of Lilly’s watercolors. Giving Rachel a brief nod, Melanie turned to Lilly. “Have you seen Cam? I was hoping to give him an update on the plant donations I’ve lined up.” Her gaze flicked to Rachel. “I’ve just about got the list covered.”
Rachel pulled in a sharp breath. Rats! She’d made several calls last week, but she hadn’t connected with any garden centers willing to make the donations.
Well, Melanie might have beaten her to the punch on the landscaping project, but she had some information Melanie didn’t.
“Cam should be back around ten.” Rachel glanced at her watch, trying not to look too smug. “He had a dentist appointment this morning.”
Melanie lifted her brows. “Oh, really?”
Rachel nodded. “He broke a tooth last night. Good thing the dentist could see him first thing this morning. It was pretty painful.”
Melanie’s eyes widened. “Last night?”
“Yes.” Rachel suppressed a smile. Obviously Melanie liked Cam. Did he return her interest? Rachel hadn’t noticed any nonverbal connection between them, but she had only observed them in the same room two or three times.
“So, you two were together last night?” Lilly asked with a delighted grin. “Tell us more.”
Rachel hesitated. There wasn’t really much more to tell, but seeing the shocked expression on Melanie’s face, she couldn’t resist carrying this just a little further.
“Cam helped me move into my new apartment.” She gave a coy shrug of her shoulders. “We were both hungry after that, so he ordered pizza and Cokes. Unfortunately, he chewed on an ice cube and broke his tooth.” She sighed andshook her head. “My dentist always told me never chew on ice. I should’ve warned him.”
Lilly tilted her head. “Wow. He helped you move, and then ordered pizza?”
“Yes. Wasn’t that thoughtful?” Rachel couldn’t hide her smile any longer.
A nerve in Melanie’s jaw twitched. “Yes. Very.” Her tone was as cold and jagged as a chunk of ice.
Rachel’s stomach tightened. She wasn’t really being dishonest, just letting them come to their own conclusions. Still, she shouldn’t give them the wrong impression about her and Cam. What if it got back to him? How would she explain?
Just then, Cam walked in the door.
Her stomach dropped as if she’d just ridden a fast elevator from the top floor to the basement in five seconds flat.
Chapter Seven
C am glanced around the room at the three women. Rachel’s eyes widened, and the color drained from her face. Lilly tucked her hand in her skirt pockets and bit her lip as she frowned at the floor. Melanie crossed her arms and glared at him like he’d stomped on her cat’s tail.
He had definitely walked into the middle of something.
“So, how’s the tooth?” Melanie asked.
He shot a glance at Rachel, and then reached up and rubbed his frozen jaw. So they’d been talking about him. “It’s okay. Still feels pretty numb, but I’ll live.”
Rachel cringed slightly, as though the broken tooth was her fault. It wasn’t, but he appreciated her sympathy.
He reached into his pants pocket and fingered the copy of the apartment key. He’d stopped in to give it to Rachel. But glancing at Lilly and Melanie, he decided now might not be the right time.
Melanie’s sour expression made him wonder if she already knew Rachel was now his upstairs neighbor.
“Well, we better get back to work.” Lilly took Melanie’s arm and tugged her toward the door.
Melanie scowled at Lilly, but gave in and followed along.“I’ll stop in and see you later, Cam. I need to talk to you about the plant donations for the landscaping project.”
“I’m headed home. How about tomorrow?”
“All right. I’ll stop by tomorrow morning.” She wiggled her fingers at him. “Bye.”
Cam waited until they left, then took the key from his pocket and held it out to Rachel. “I got this copy made for you on my way back
Rachel pulled in a sharp breath. Rats! She’d made several calls last week, but she hadn’t connected with any garden centers willing to make the donations.
Well, Melanie might have beaten her to the punch on the landscaping project, but she had some information Melanie didn’t.
“Cam should be back around ten.” Rachel glanced at her watch, trying not to look too smug. “He had a dentist appointment this morning.”
Melanie lifted her brows. “Oh, really?”
Rachel nodded. “He broke a tooth last night. Good thing the dentist could see him first thing this morning. It was pretty painful.”
Melanie’s eyes widened. “Last night?”
“Yes.” Rachel suppressed a smile. Obviously Melanie liked Cam. Did he return her interest? Rachel hadn’t noticed any nonverbal connection between them, but she had only observed them in the same room two or three times.
“So, you two were together last night?” Lilly asked with a delighted grin. “Tell us more.”
Rachel hesitated. There wasn’t really much more to tell, but seeing the shocked expression on Melanie’s face, she couldn’t resist carrying this just a little further.
“Cam helped me move into my new apartment.” She gave a coy shrug of her shoulders. “We were both hungry after that, so he ordered pizza and Cokes. Unfortunately, he chewed on an ice cube and broke his tooth.” She sighed andshook her head. “My dentist always told me never chew on ice. I should’ve warned him.”
Lilly tilted her head. “Wow. He helped you move, and then ordered pizza?”
“Yes. Wasn’t that thoughtful?” Rachel couldn’t hide her smile any longer.
A nerve in Melanie’s jaw twitched. “Yes. Very.” Her tone was as cold and jagged as a chunk of ice.
Rachel’s stomach tightened. She wasn’t really being dishonest, just letting them come to their own conclusions. Still, she shouldn’t give them the wrong impression about her and Cam. What if it got back to him? How would she explain?
Just then, Cam walked in the door.
Her stomach dropped as if she’d just ridden a fast elevator from the top floor to the basement in five seconds flat.
Chapter Seven
C am glanced around the room at the three women. Rachel’s eyes widened, and the color drained from her face. Lilly tucked her hand in her skirt pockets and bit her lip as she frowned at the floor. Melanie crossed her arms and glared at him like he’d stomped on her cat’s tail.
He had definitely walked into the middle of something.
“So, how’s the tooth?” Melanie asked.
He shot a glance at Rachel, and then reached up and rubbed his frozen jaw. So they’d been talking about him. “It’s okay. Still feels pretty numb, but I’ll live.”
Rachel cringed slightly, as though the broken tooth was her fault. It wasn’t, but he appreciated her sympathy.
He reached into his pants pocket and fingered the copy of the apartment key. He’d stopped in to give it to Rachel. But glancing at Lilly and Melanie, he decided now might not be the right time.
Melanie’s sour expression made him wonder if she already knew Rachel was now his upstairs neighbor.
“Well, we better get back to work.” Lilly took Melanie’s arm and tugged her toward the door.
Melanie scowled at Lilly, but gave in and followed along.“I’ll stop in and see you later, Cam. I need to talk to you about the plant donations for the landscaping project.”
“I’m headed home. How about tomorrow?”
“All right. I’ll stop by tomorrow morning.” She wiggled her fingers at him. “Bye.”
Cam waited until they left, then took the key from his pocket and held it out to Rachel. “I got this copy made for you on my way back
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