“Wait, your water heater is broken?”
“And I can replace my car. And buy some recording equipment. But does it make you feel weird that I have more money than you?”
Both of his eyebrows go up now, and then he laughs a little. “Who says you do?”
“I…you…wait, what?”
He just laughs again and shakes his head. “We’ll have to set you up with a financial planner. You can’t just have that much money sitting in a checking account.”
“I know. Kane has a guy.”
“I have the same guy,” he says, and I’m even more intrigued.
“Cam, you never told me that your job made you rich.”
“You never asked.”
“I—”
“I said I couldn’t tell you what I did and what I do now. You never asked about the rest. I do okay.”
“Right. You do okay. Sure.”
“Why are you acting weird?”
“I’m not acting weird.”
“Yeah, you kind of are.” He reaches over and pulls me against him. “It’s just money, Mags.”
“That’s easy to say when you have it.”
He kisses my forehead. “You’re right. And I haven’t always had it. What I do can be dangerous, and I’m well compensated for it.”
“Being a computer geek is dangerous?”
His eyes close into slits, and I grin.
“Yes.”
“What could happen?”
He sighs. “Imprisonment. Death. Any combination of the two.”
My heart stutters. Death? “You have to quit.”
“Maggie—”
“You have to quit today. We have enough money. You don’t have to do that anymore. It’s too risky. Just quit.”
“Hey, I’m fine.” I shake my head, but he holds on tight. “Listen to me. I’m fine. The really dangerous days are behind me. That was mostly when I was in the Army. These days, everything is on the up-and-up and much less dangerous.”
“Don’t just tell me that to placate me, Cameron Cox. I mean it.”
“It’s the honest truth.”
I sigh and feel a little teary. I had no tears when I was dealing with the last of the Joey stuff this morning, but the very thought of losing Cam reduces me to a blubbering mess.
“If you’re lying to me, I swear to God, Cam…”
“I wouldn’t lie to you, not about that.”
“Okay. Wait, is that how you knew that we were being watched at the bank?”
“Anyone with two eyes could see the cameras. Well, anyone who isn’t preoccupied with closing her dead husband’s account, that is.”
“Yeah, I was a little distracted. Do you think they could hear us, too?”
His lips twitch up into a patient grin. “Yes. Yes, they could hear us.”
I nod and glance back down at the box. “Do you think you can find out who this necklace belongs to?”
“In about ten minutes. Come on, we’ll order up some food and I’ll start doing some digging.”
“Okay.”
“What do you want to eat?”
“My ma’s shepherd’s pie. But I’ll settle for a burger.”
“We’ll be home by tomorrow night, and you can have all the shepherd’s pie you want.”
“I’m ready to go home. Wait, why can’t we go today? I have a lot of money, Cam. I can charter a flight.”
“Okay, Daddy Warbucks, there’s no need for that. We can just see if we can change the flight to today.”
“Oh, right. Or that.”
“That money’s already burning a hole in your pocket.”
“No, I just want to go home. I want my family.”
“I get it. Okay, let’s get a flight out today, and we’ll figure out the necklace later.”
“I have to get on a flight with that thing. What if they arrest me? Holy shit, Cam, what if they seize it and arrest me for smuggling or theft?”
“You’ve watched a lot of movies, haven’t you?”
“Hey, it could happen.”
“It won’t. Just pack it in your purse. Trust me.”
“Oh, God, I wouldn’t do well in a Cayman prison.”
“I don’t know. You’d probably have a good view of the ocean.”
I slap his arm, and he laughs.
“You’re not going to prison.”
“Says the man who’s not at risk of it. Maybe I should hire the plane, after all. Less questions.”
“You’re a bit of a drama queen. You know that, right?”
“If I booked a charter flight, we could join the mile-high club.”
He laughs and then swats me on the butt. “Don’t tempt me.”
Chapter 11
~Cameron~
“Would you like something to drink?” The words are whispered so they don’t wake Maggie, who’s finally sleeping in the seat next to me.
I shake my head at the flight attendant and accept the offered blanket, taking it from the plastic cover to drape gently over Maggie.
By some miracle, we were able to get the last two seats in first class on a direct flight to Seattle. It’ll be late by the time we get home, but we didn’t care.
Maggie wanted to be home, and I can’t blame her.
I’ve never been prouder of someone in my life as I was when she sat in that office in the bank and took care of her business. She was professional and cool as a cucumber. She was completely out of her element but held her own, asked the questions she had, and was utterly amazing.