Page 11 of I Loved You First

“Thanks. I should get these groceries put away.” And with that, she turned, disappearing into the kitchen.

He hesitated, debating whether to follow, but got back to work instead, reading Fi’s cues easily enough. Her guard was up, and she wanted him gone.

Fiona closed her eyes as she set the bag down on the counter, exhaling a shaky breath. She hadn’t been prepared for that.

The inevitability of running into Cam was something she’d considered. Maple Ridge was too small for any other outcome. But that didn’t mean it was supposed to have happened today. And certainly not in her home.

She gripped the edge of the granite, still finding herself unsteady. Because he looked good in his work jeans and a black T-shirt—as powerful and gorgeous as always, but also different.

He’d been clean-shaven back in the day. Now, he sported a short beard. The darker shade of his facial hair accentuated the boldness of his fantastic eyes.

And the way he said her name—the one simple syllable that did something jittery and ridiculous to her stomach.

Shaking her head, refusing to be any further affected by the man she’d left behind, she reached into the bag, grabbing the large carton of plain Greek yogurt and the dozen eggs, setting them in the fridge. She reached in again as someone honked outside.

Frowning, she walked to the window and grinned as Ellie Bennet pulled one of the work trucks into the driveway.

Fi headed outside, following Cam down the front path as he carried his supplies. She laughed, hurrying ahead of him as Ellie got out of the driver’s seat.

“Fiona,” Cam’s mom said as she wrapped her up in a hard hug, then pulled back to hold her hands, looking her up and down. “Honey, look at you. You’re gorgeous as always.”

Fi grinned, pretending she didn’t feel Cam’s presence directly behind her. “Thank you.”

“How have you been?”

Fi nodded, seeing the resemblance between mother and son so clearly. Cam favored Ellie. He’d inherited her green eyes and light-brown hair. Ellie was approaching her mid-fifties, but she hardly looked a day over forty. “Good. Really great.”

“That’s good, honey. We sure have missed you around here.”

“I’ve missed you, too.” And she had. She’d been such a huge part of the Bennet family. Big, loud, and loving, they’d always made her feel welcome. For several years, she’d been certain she would eventually be one of them. But that’s not how things had turned out.

“How’s your mom?” Ellie wanted to know. “She says she’s fine, but how is she really?”

“She refused to take her pain pill this morning, and she wouldn’t let me help her make her breakfast, so I’d say she’s well on the mend.”

Ellie laughed. “That sounds like Stella.”

Fi wrinkled her nose. “Yes, it does.”

Ellie chuckled as she squeezed Fiona’s hands. “I hear you’re hanging around Maple Ridge for the summer.”

She nodded, not loving that Cam was hearing the same information. Not that it mattered. “Until August sometime.”

“Stella says you’re still doing event planning.”

Fi nodded. “I am.”

“She says you’re amazing and in demand, and I’m not at all surprised.”

Fi’s grin returned. “Thank you.”

“How do you feel about meeting up for coffee one of these afternoons? Grandpa Bennet’s seventy-fifth birthday is coming up, and I’d love to pick your brain for some party ideas. We want to do it up big for a man who doesn’t like a lot of fuss.”

Fi’s heart melted. She adored Grandpa Bennet. He’d been the only grandparent figure she’d ever had. Both sets of her grandparents had died long before she’d been born. “I would love to. Whenever you want.”

“How about next Monday or Tuesday?”

Fiona nodded with enthusiasm. “Definitely.”