The Honeymoon Cottage (A Pajaro Bay Romance) by Barbara Cool Lee
Authors: Barbara Cool Lee
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Jose?"
Oliver crossed his arms and pressed his lips together.
"It's okay to say yes, Oliver," Camilla said softly. "I knew you in San Jose, so it's not giving anything away."
San Jose. Heart of Silicon Valley. Ryan could picture Camilla there, working at that big high-tech firm. He wondered again about Dennis Hutchins, about how he'd fooled this obviously intelligent woman into letting him have access to her computer—and to her. He felt his own jaw clench in imitation of Camilla's, and wondered if he could control it as well as she did. He hated the thought of her with that con man. Her ex-fiancé she had called him, sounding disgusted. He had given her a ring—probably bought with her own money. They had been engaged. Ryan wasn't naive enough to think they had waited for marriage to get together. How could she have allowed a con man to touch her? Whoa. There he went again. It was totally irrelevant to the case how much physical contact she'd had with the jerk. Dennis was out of her life.
And now she sat in this tiny office with the frightened boy next to her, lost and alone and trying to start over. He realized Oliver was still talking and tuned back in to the conversation to catch the end of what he was saying.
"Sacramento with Mommy, then Fresno, Salinas, San Jose," Oliver ticked off on his fingers.
"You've lived in all those places, young man? My, you're a real traveler."
Up and down the state of California in eight years. Probably one jump ahead of the law. Ryan felt the urge to wring Dennis Hutchins' neck for what he'd done to his own son.
"I didn't know about Fresno," Camilla said quietly. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"
"Daddy always says it's best not to chatter too much about the past."
Camilla blushed, which Ryan had noticed happened whenever she was upset. She always showed just what she was thinking, and right now she was clearly thinking some not-so-polite thoughts about Oliver's "daddy."
"I think it's important for us to know all the schools you went to so we can help you do better," she said patiently. The gentleness in her voice was surprising, given how mad she obviously was at Oliver's father. She was very good at separating her feelings about Dennis Hutchins from her feelings toward his son. The boy was in good hands.
"Are those the only cities you lived in?" Camilla asked.
Oliver pressed his lips tightly together again and nodded.
"You sure?"
"I'm not a stool pigeon." That wasn't an answer, but it sure said a lot about his life with his father. Ryan began to get a picture of the mess Camilla was in, and apparently so did Val.
"Well," the principal said breezily while standing up from the desk. "I'll have a chat with your adopted mom about your lesson plans later. For now, let's get you to class. Ms. Gonzalez is a wonderful teacher. I'm sure you'll like her." She came around the desk.
Both Oliver and Camilla stood, too.
Val followed them all out into the hallway. "I'll take Oliver to class and get him settled. Let's arrange a time to talk later, Ms. Stewart?"
Camilla nodded.
"Goodbye, Captain Ryan," Val said. "It's really nice to see you. Will we you be there tonight? I know a lot of people are looking forward to saying hello to you."
"No," he said automatically before he even knew what she was talking about. Right. The school fundraiser tonight. They were raising money for gym equipment or library books or something. Whatever. He hadn't attended one of those things for months, but people never gave up trying to convince him to go. He bought tickets, donated his money. They should be glad he wasn't showing up to eat enchiladas and take up space. But they still bugged him about it every time. "Can't make it, I'm afraid," he added gruffly.
"Are you ready to go, Ms. Stewart?" he added.
"Thank you, Captain Knight," she answered, gathering her things. "You be good, Oliver."
"I will," he promised.
Ryan escorted her out.
~*~
Camilla put the adoption papers back in her purse
Oliver crossed his arms and pressed his lips together.
"It's okay to say yes, Oliver," Camilla said softly. "I knew you in San Jose, so it's not giving anything away."
San Jose. Heart of Silicon Valley. Ryan could picture Camilla there, working at that big high-tech firm. He wondered again about Dennis Hutchins, about how he'd fooled this obviously intelligent woman into letting him have access to her computer—and to her. He felt his own jaw clench in imitation of Camilla's, and wondered if he could control it as well as she did. He hated the thought of her with that con man. Her ex-fiancé she had called him, sounding disgusted. He had given her a ring—probably bought with her own money. They had been engaged. Ryan wasn't naive enough to think they had waited for marriage to get together. How could she have allowed a con man to touch her? Whoa. There he went again. It was totally irrelevant to the case how much physical contact she'd had with the jerk. Dennis was out of her life.
And now she sat in this tiny office with the frightened boy next to her, lost and alone and trying to start over. He realized Oliver was still talking and tuned back in to the conversation to catch the end of what he was saying.
"Sacramento with Mommy, then Fresno, Salinas, San Jose," Oliver ticked off on his fingers.
"You've lived in all those places, young man? My, you're a real traveler."
Up and down the state of California in eight years. Probably one jump ahead of the law. Ryan felt the urge to wring Dennis Hutchins' neck for what he'd done to his own son.
"I didn't know about Fresno," Camilla said quietly. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"
"Daddy always says it's best not to chatter too much about the past."
Camilla blushed, which Ryan had noticed happened whenever she was upset. She always showed just what she was thinking, and right now she was clearly thinking some not-so-polite thoughts about Oliver's "daddy."
"I think it's important for us to know all the schools you went to so we can help you do better," she said patiently. The gentleness in her voice was surprising, given how mad she obviously was at Oliver's father. She was very good at separating her feelings about Dennis Hutchins from her feelings toward his son. The boy was in good hands.
"Are those the only cities you lived in?" Camilla asked.
Oliver pressed his lips tightly together again and nodded.
"You sure?"
"I'm not a stool pigeon." That wasn't an answer, but it sure said a lot about his life with his father. Ryan began to get a picture of the mess Camilla was in, and apparently so did Val.
"Well," the principal said breezily while standing up from the desk. "I'll have a chat with your adopted mom about your lesson plans later. For now, let's get you to class. Ms. Gonzalez is a wonderful teacher. I'm sure you'll like her." She came around the desk.
Both Oliver and Camilla stood, too.
Val followed them all out into the hallway. "I'll take Oliver to class and get him settled. Let's arrange a time to talk later, Ms. Stewart?"
Camilla nodded.
"Goodbye, Captain Ryan," Val said. "It's really nice to see you. Will we you be there tonight? I know a lot of people are looking forward to saying hello to you."
"No," he said automatically before he even knew what she was talking about. Right. The school fundraiser tonight. They were raising money for gym equipment or library books or something. Whatever. He hadn't attended one of those things for months, but people never gave up trying to convince him to go. He bought tickets, donated his money. They should be glad he wasn't showing up to eat enchiladas and take up space. But they still bugged him about it every time. "Can't make it, I'm afraid," he added gruffly.
"Are you ready to go, Ms. Stewart?" he added.
"Thank you, Captain Knight," she answered, gathering her things. "You be good, Oliver."
"I will," he promised.
Ryan escorted her out.
~*~
Camilla put the adoption papers back in her purse
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