The Mighty Quinns: Cameron Read Free

dig?
    “They don’t pay,” Sofie said. “Other than meals. They’re looking for volunteers.”
    “Aren’t you looking for someone, Sofie?” Millie asked.
    “No,” Sofie said.
    “Sure you are. You mentioned it yesterday. I distinctly remember you saying you didn’t have enough eyes or ears to cover all the ground you needed to. I do believe those were your words.”
    “What kind of work do you do?” Cameron asked.
    “She’s a private investigator,” Millie said. “Working on a big case.” The waitress wandered back to the kitchen, leaving Sofie and Cameron with another uncomfortable silence.
    Cameron sighed softly. Though the dinosaur dig was intriguing, he’d have to find a way to make some real money. And if Sofie, the private investigator, had a job, then he ought to explore that option. Who knew if there would even be other opportunities in Vulture Creek?
    “So do you or don’t you have a job you’re looking to fill?”
    Millie set a cup of soup in front of Sofie. “Maybe you ought to interview him. He looks like a clever young man.” She winked at Cameron. “Careful, now. If you have any secrets, she’ll find a way to get them out of you.”
    Cameron stifled a smile. Actually, that sounded like a lot of fun. Though he wasn’t much of a conversationalist, he was enjoying the back-and-forth with Sofie. Beneath that cool, composed exterior, Cameron suspected there was a fiery, passionate woman. He was curious to catch a glimpse of that side of her.
    “Why are you here?” Sofie asked.
    Cameron wiped his hands with his napkin and swallowed the mouthful of meat loaf. “I’m here because my grandfather sent me here. I’m supposed to take the next six weeks to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.”
    “Why would you need to do that?”
    “My grandfather owns the family business. I work there. He needs to make some decisions about the future of that business. He wants us all to be sure of where we want to be.”
    “All?”
    “Me and my three brothers. We all work for the company.”
    “What do you do? I mean, for a job?” she replied.
    “I design sailing yachts,” he said.
    Sofie laughed and nodded to Millie. “Well, we have a lot of sailing yachts here in the desert,” she said. “I really don’t think I have—”
    “Sofie,” Cameron said.
    She stopped talking and watched him warily. “Yes?”
    “I’m a smart guy. I’m pretty sure I can handle whatever you send my way. Why don’t you give me a chance? If it doesn’t work out, you can fire me.”
    “What’s your name?” she finally asked.
    He held out his hand. “Cameron Quinn. Most people call me Cam.”
    Reluctantly, she shook his hand. “Sofia Reyes,” she said softly. “Most people call me Sofie.”
    The moment he touched her, the sensation of her skin against his sent a flood of warmth racing through his veins. He didn’t want to let her hand go, but forced himself. “Now that we’ve met, you have to let me buy you lunch,” Cameron said. “You can tell me all about the virtues of Vulture Creek.”
    “That would be a very short lunch. More like a snack.”
    “Go ahead,” Millie urged. “Let the man buy you lunch.”
    He felt a small measure of satisfaction when she nodded in agreement. Though he hadn’t held out much hope of finding anything of interest in Vulture Creek when he stepped off the bus, his prospects were getting better with every minute that passed. Sofie Reyes. Even her name was sexy.
    * * *
    S OFIE SIGHED SOFTLY as she took her first bite of Millie’s banana-cream pie. She’d been hanging around Vulture Creek for the past few weeks, and a slice of Millie’s homemade pie had become a daily ritual for her.
    “I think pie is just about the perfect food,” Sofie said, emphasizing her statement with her fork. “You can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And it’s good for a snack, too.”
    “I think you might be right,” Cameron replied, digging into the apple pie