“Yeah. Nobody told me until I got home. Didn’t even mention it when I called to say I was extending my trip. So while my baby sister was in a fucking hospital bed, I was—” He cut himself off, but Tess didn’t need him to finish.
“With me.”
“Yeah.” Mitch scrubbed a hand over his face. “I should have been here. I couldn’t have done anything then, but I should have been here.”
“And you feel guilty that you weren’t.”
“Yes.”
Because Miranda was family, and for Mitch—for all of the Campbells, it seemed—family was everything. It wasn’t a sentiment she had experience with, but she could admire the hell out of him for it. Stepping into him, Tess wrapped her arms around his waist. No intent to seduce or arouse, just offering the comfort of touch. When he folded her in, tucking her close and pressing his cheek to her hair, she counted it a victory.
“I feel guilty that I don’t—can’t—regret my time with you.” He pulled back to look into her eyes. “I wouldn’t change that week, Tess. It’s just that I see the lasting impact of this shit on Miranda, and I want to do something to make it better.”
She’d known he was a generous, big-hearted man. But this was a new layer to the casual lover, one she found she liked immensely. “Then I’ll help you build something better.” She was surprised at how much she wanted to do that for him. “But first we have to figure out the details so you can start on some plans.”
“I already have some.”
“You do?” How fast did he work? Had he drawn something up since this morning?
“I’ve been miserable since I came home. Between guilt over not being around for all this shit and missing you, I haven’t slept a helluva lot. I needed something to distract me. I remembered what we talked about in Scotland, about the small business incubator thing. And even without you here, it seemed like something that would be good for the town. So I started drawing it up. I never imagined I’d get to share it with you. You wanna go see?”
He’d begun drawing up plans for her passion project without even knowing who she really was. She understood a lot of it was about his sister, but he’d been thinking of her, even while they’d been apart.
She found a smile. “I’d love to.”
When they reached the end of the factory drive, Mitch turned in the opposite direction from town.
Tess sat up straighter. “Where are we going?”
“My place.” And he was grateful for it. This wasn’t the first time he’d visited Heirloom since the attack, but he was still every bit as affected, thinking about what Miranda had been through there. He needed some time to regain his equilibrium.
“I thought we were going to your office.”
“I work from home. If I have client meetings, I go to them or we meet on-site.”
“Oh.”
At the monosyllabic answer, Mitch glanced over. “Problem?”
Her eyes met his, suddenly serious. “Definitely not.”
Awareness prickled along his skin. At his place they’d finally be alone. In private. Without likelihood of interruption or nosy neighbors within sight of the house. Thank God.
Nerves crept in the closer they got. His house would be the first thing she’d seen of his design. It was a representation of him in a way his other work really wasn’t. He’d designed and built it not for the life he had, but for the one that existed somewhere in a hazy future that included a wife and kids. That hypothetical family had never been more than a fuzzy vision, a thing he planned on because it’s what you did when you grew up. But over these past few years, as his friends married and started their families, he’d begun to feel the emptiness of the house. It was way the hell too big for just him and instead of exciting him about the possibilities of the future, the place had made him keenly aware of what he hadn’t yet achieved. Before he’d left for Europe, he’d begun to wonder if he’d ever find the right woman or if he’d end up as the favorite bachelor uncle. That had only gotten worse since he came home.
But now Tess was here, back in his world, and he was about to get a real-life glimpse of the fantasy he hadn’t quite let himself imagine.
He turned into the drive, winding through a copse of trees all leafed out for spring. When they broke free of the woods and caught sight of the house, she gasped.
Two stories of river rock and timber, it sprawled along the small ridge, the hipped roof dappled from the old growth trees he’d deliberately designed around. The mass of windows glinted in the late afternoon sun and daffodils lined the walk, offering a glorious pop of color that showcased the lines of the landscaping to best advantage. Thank you, Cam.
“It’s gorgeous! Your work?”
“Yeah.” Mitch pulled into the garage and shut the door behind them. “Come on. I’ll give you the tour.”
Tess followed him into the kitchen, gratifying him by making the same sound of pleasure over the acres of counter space and the six burner Viking range that he’d coaxed from her during far more intimate activities. And that just sent his brain down a rabbit hole, imagining what it would be like to boost her up on the island and shove up that prim little pencil skirt…
Slow your roll, Campbell.