Off in the distance, Beth heard the whinny of horses and a couple of the working cowboys shouting to each other. The wind was still, the sun was blasting down on them, and Camden’s brown eyes were filled with shifting shadows.
“What do you have in mind?” he asked.
She lifted her chin, met his gaze and stiffly said, “We keep our distance from each other for one.”
“Not a problem.”
That was easy. A little insulting, but easy. She remembered a time when spending one day away from each other had been like a short visit to hell.
As if he could read her thoughts, his mouth curved again. “What’s the matter, Beth? Afraid you can’t keep your hands off me?”
She gritted her teeth again. Why had she once found him so irresistible? “I think I can manage.”
“We’ll see, won’t we?”
“Then you agree?” she asked.
“Not yet.”
“What?” She hadn’t expected that. They’d been apart forever. She hadn’t seen him in years. He’d been married to someone else, for God’s sake. Why would he have a problem with the two of them avoiding each other? “Why not?”
He looked down into her eyes and drawled, “Did you really think I’d just roll over and do whatever you told me to do?”
Yes, damn it. “Of course not. I’m just trying to make this easier on both of us.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “So thoughtful. Well, thanks for your concern, but I can take care of myself.”
“So you won’t agree?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Irritation fired up inside Beth until she wanted to tear at her hair. “What are you saying then?”
“Simple. You have a plan. I’ll go along, but I want something in return.”
Outraged, she sucked in a gulp of air. “You’re really going to ask me for a favor? You’re going to bargain with me? After what you did?”
He held up one hand. “Nope, not talking about the past, remember?”
Beth fought the urge to climb back into her car and drive away, leaving him in a cloud of dust. The only thing keeping her there was the knowledge that she had to get him to agree to a truce or Royal wasn’t going to be big enough for both of them.
“And it’s not a favor,” Cam said. “Let’s call it quid pro quo.”
Folding her arms across her middle, Beth tipped her head to one side and met his gaze steadily. She should have known Camden wouldn’t go along with her plan. He’d always been stubborn. Always wanted things his own way. Of course, so had she. Which was just one of the reasons that their relationship had been filled with fire, excitement, passion... She shook her head. “Fine. What do you want?”
Squinting, he said, “Getting hotter out here. You want to come in and get out of the sun?”
She shot a quick glance at the house, then looked back at him. Alone in the house with him? Hoo, boy. That was too much of a temptation. “No. Just tell me, Cam.”
“Fine. I want to join the TCC.”
That’s what he wanted? Seriously? She’d thought that maybe he wanted to call a truce between them. Or donate a kidney to some deserving soul. Or hell, paint his house neon yellow. But the TCC?
Throwing up her hands, she demanded, “Well, who’s stopping you?”
He scrubbed one hand across the back of his neck. “No one that I know of,” he admitted. “Yet. Burt Wheeler’s the treasurer though and he’s not one of my biggest fans. He won’t do me any good when my application comes before the membership committee.”
Burt Wheeler. Camden’s father-in-law, who still blamed Camden for taking Julie away from Royal. He’d never really gotten over his daughter moving away to California, and when she died, it had nearly killed Burt. Beth could understand why there might be bad blood between Cam and the older man.