Flirting With Disaster (Camelot 3)

“You ladies want to go out for a drink sometime? Maybe you can introduce me to George Clooney.”

That cracked them up all over again, but Katie didn’t join in the mirth. She glanced at Ellen, not liking the determined set to her mouth. The inquisition was just getting started.

Best to cut off Ellen’s question-and-answer session before it got rolling. Her future sister-in-law browbeat record company executives for a living, and she had a killer reputation in the music industry as an advocate for artists in contract negotiations. In full lawyer mode, she was a force to behold.

“Let’s not get too excited, okay?” she said. “It’s just a casual thing.”

“According to who?” Ellen asked.

“According to me.”

“Is it casual for him, too? Because—”

“I know where you’re going with this.” Ellen had considered her relationship with Caleb casual, too, but Caleb had disagreed, and it hadn’t taken him long to bring Ellen around to his way of thinking. “It’s not the same situation at all. Sean isn’t sticking around. He’s going back to California, and that’ll be that.”

“When?” Ellen asked.

Well, that was the question, wasn’t it? Not tomorrow. Probably not next week. But sometime, after they wrapped up the case? Definitely.

At least, that was the plan. It seemed as though very little about Sean’s return to Camelot had gone the way he’d planned it.

“I don’t know.”

“What’s in California?” Carly asked.

“He has a company there.”

“So what’s he doing in Camelot?”

“His mom died. He came back to take care of the estate stuff.”

“Oh, that’s sad,” mumbled the shop owner around her pins. “Who was his mom?”

“Jenny Owens. She taught English at the high school.”

“Sure, I knew her,” she said. “Turn around, honey.” Katie did a slow three-sixty, and the woman pulled the pins from her mouth and pinned the tuck her daughter had made in a few more places. “Great teacher. Strange lady, though. This is her boy she was always talking about? Some kind of genius computer guy?”

Katie nodded.

“But she died back in the summer, didn’t she? Why’s he still around?”

Because as soon as he walked into his mother’s house, his feet got stuck, and he doesn’t know how to leave.

Because if he doesn’t figure out how to deal with his guilt, he’ll never be able to move on with his life.

Because he’s a complete mess, but he’s a man, and therefore stubborn and terrible at feelings, and he has no idea.

Katie didn’t think any of those answers were going to work.

“What’s he doing working for Caleb?” Carly asked.

“They met at the pub one night, and Caleb offered him a job. I think Sean only took it because he’s one of those people who can’t stand to be idle. He was here, so he figured he might as well be doing something.”

“Want to hear my theory?” Ellen asked.

“No.”

“I think he’s sticking around because of you.”