The Price of Passion (Texas Cattleman's Club: Rags to Riches 1)

“But right now,” Tony said, “I’m going to hobble home and get into the hot tub.”

“Pitiful, man...”

Tony laughed. “Yeah, we’ll see how you feel when I get you out on the pitcher’s mound for the first time in years.”

“Deal.”

Once his friend was gone, Beth plucked her sunglasses off and looked up at Cam. He read the banked anger in those green depths made darker and greener by the shirt she wore.

“Let’s get out of the sun,” he said, and waved one arm toward the house. She hesitated briefly as if trying to decide if she should go in or not; finally she took the porch steps up to the front door and stepped inside.

Cam led her into the great room and watched her take it in. He hadn’t been back long, but getting your house furnished quickly wasn’t a problem if you were willing to pay for express delivery.

Chocolate leather couches and chairs were spread around the room. Heavy oak tables held brass lamps with cream shades, and the rugs on the wide-plank dark floor were in deep tones of red and gold. The stone fireplace took up most of one wall, and a big-screen TV held a place of honor on another. It was a man’s room and he knew it. Most people would say it needed a woman’s touch, but as far as Cam could tell, it was perfect just as it was.

“The house still needs some work. And I’m going to do some remodeling, but the structure’s sound enough.”

“Well, it is about one hundred years old, so a little work isn’t out of line,” she murmured.

“That’s what I thought.”

Beth turned to look at him. He noticed the anger was still there, glittering like shards of ice in the forest of her eyes.

“Remember how we used to make plans for this place?”

“I remember,” she answered. “I remember we made a lot of plans back then.”

“Yeah.” He pulled off his hat, set it crown down on the closest table and ran his hands through his hair again. “We did.”

“And now that you’re back, you’re making a heck of a statement. The donation to the hospital. Now Tony’s baseball camp.”

She didn’t sound pleased by any of it. “Is it so hard to believe that I’m back to stay? That I want to be a part of Royal?”

“You left before, Cam,” she said. “Why wouldn’t you go again?”

“Because that’s done. Because I chose to come home. Because it’s where I want to be.”

“Right.” She nodded stiffly. Her shoulders were rigid, her chin lifted and her eyes were still bristling with emotions. “And I should take your word for that.”

“What’s going on, Beth?” His gaze locked with hers, and mentally he braced himself for whatever was coming. Clearly, it wasn’t good.

“I went to see Burt Wheeler today.”

That would explain the mood she was in. Burt was a hard man to talk to under the best of circumstances. And since she’d been there on Cam’s behalf, it couldn’t have been easy.

“Yeah? How’d it go?”

She dropped her purse on a table and looked at him. “As you expected it to.” She tucked her hair behind her ears, and her gold earrings glittered in the sunlight sliding in through the front windows. “He’s not happy, but he’ll put your name up for membership because it’s his job. He just won’t vote for you.”

“More than I thought he’d do.” Cam ran one hand across the back of his neck and then shoved both hands into his pockets. He didn’t much like the idea of sending Beth to his father-in-law as a go-between. He usually handled his own business. His own problems. But he hadn’t had much choice, either. Joining the TCC was elemental to any plans he was going to set into motion now that he was home. “Thanks. I know it wasn’t easy.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Beth admitted, then shrugged. “But it was our bargain, right?”

“Yeah.” Nodding, Cam kept his gaze fixed on her because he had a feeling another shoe was about to drop. “But something tells me there’s more chewing you up inside. So why don’t you just say it, Beth?”

* * *

Beth felt his steady stare as she would have his hands on her body. He’d always had the ability to look at her as if he was seeing something deep inside of her. She’d felt at times that she couldn’t keep a secret from him because somehow Cam would know. Apparently, though, he had no problem at all hiding truths he wanted locked away.