“Don’t think I don’t appreciate that. Your family means more to me than you can possibly know. But what would my mother do? Dad’s finally moving on. She’s married to her work. I’m not leaving her alone for the holidays.”
“You know perfectly well we’d welcome her with open arms. It’d be good for her.”
Norah tried to imagine her very serious mother in the middle of the usual chaos that defined the Campbells and couldn’t. She and Miranda could carry on a conversation over mutual medical geekage, but what would she say to everyone else? She had no life outside work. Then again, when Norah was in Chicago, neither did she.
Because that, too, trod too close to subjects she wasn’t ready to think about, Norah switched topics. “You ever think about leaving?”
“Not really.”
“That surprises me. You love the city. The energy, the people.”
“I do. But I like home, too. I’ve got a good thing going here. Not a lot of inducement to leave. But for the right job—or the right woman—I might.”
“You’d change your whole life for a woman?”
“Sure. You can always find another job. Love is a much rarer phenomenon. You find it, you best hang on to it.”
She hummed a non-committal note.
“Sorry, sugar. That’s probably still a bit sensitive, yet.”
“Not sensitive at all. I wasn’t in love with Pierce. Not if the mark of love is being willing to change everything for him. If that’s what love is, I’ve never been in love before. I can’t fathom being willing to change my entire career for a guy.”
“There’s a first time for everything.”
For other people, maybe. But that wasn’t the kind of stock she came from. Burkes existed for career alone. That’s just the way it was.
~*~
Cam managed to time things so that he was climbing out of his truck about the time Norah stepped out of Dinner Belles with Mitch. Hush leapt out of the truck and made a beeline for her, all wags and Wookie greetings. When she started to jump, Norah held up a hand and gave a command. His enthusiastic pooch actually sat, tail sweeping the sidewalk as she waited for pets and praise. Wonders never ceased.
Cam’s own heart began to gallop as Norah looked up from his dog and shot a wide smile in his direction. Jesus, he hadn’t been this nervous-excited since he’d asked Laura Hollingsworth to junior prom.
Get a grip. Advice that might’ve been good to take before he’d executed acts of Bond-worthy subterfuge with his family in order to find out Norah’s schedule so he could casually run into her in town. He hadn’t been able to wait nine hours before wanting to see her again, but he’d managed to hold off on just showing up at Miranda’s the day after the party. They’d want girlfriend time, and his cousin was not, on any level, a morning person. Besides, he didn’t need to come off as some over-eager schoolboy. Or worse, a pushy, obsessed lunatic. But surely two days was within the realm of reasonable.
“Is this a conspiracy?” She divided the smile between him and Mitch. “The rest of the Campbell clan working to make sure I’m not bored on my vacation while Miranda’s at work?”
“Hey, you know I hate to eat alone.”
“I had to come into town for some errands.” A half lie. Cam had made up errands so he had to come into town.
“Then perhaps you’d let me steal your dog for a few hours.” Hush, leaning against Norah’s legs and looking up in adoration, was clearly on board with that plan.
“That could probably be arranged.”
“I gotta get back to work. You have time to drop Norah off at Miranda’s on your way back to the nursery?”
“Sure.”
“Then unless you object, I’ll leave you in my cousin’s capable hands.”
Yes, please. Cam shoved those hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels, working to keep his face neutral.
“I can think of worse company.”
Mitch gave Norah a squeeze. “I’ll see you later, then.”
They stayed silent, both watching as he walked away. When he was out of earshot, Norah tipped her head toward him. “Are you particularly busy at work or can I steal you along with Hush?”