The Right One Read Free Page A

eaten.” Cami groaned. “You should have come to the meeting. All of your concerns would have been addressed and we wouldn’t have to go through this yet again. She drew in a breath. She sounded like a broken record. “In fact, the very question about me came up. I quelled the concerns.”
    “We shouldn’t have to attend a city hall meeting to have our daughter listen to us.”
    “I guess I could say the same thing. I shouldn’t have to plead my cause to my parents like I do to strangers. They should trust my judgment.”
    Mrs. Lockhart chortled. “Trust your judgment? That’s a tough thing to do when you have men at your ranch named Tank.” She waved across the yard where the ranch hand had passed by moments before. “What kind of proper name is that, anyway?”
    “A perfectly good nickname for a man who works harder than just about anyone I’ve ever seen. And none of your business.”
    Mr. Lockhart stepped in front of his wife, whose face grew red. “And are you checking your help out? Doing any kind of background checks? How do you know who these people are that you are working side by side with?”
    “Of course I do background checks, Dad.” She stepped back. They didn’t get it. “My people are the best.”
    Mrs. Lockhart made the grunting sound, signaling her readiness for a quick exit. Guilt punched Cami in the stomach, all the while hopes soared. Either emotion confirmed a slight push would send both her parents on their merry way. “I’m sorry. Would you like to come in, have some coffee? Alex will be here soon, but I have some free time before he arrives.”
    A hard glance circulated between them. “No, we’ll probably be headed out.” A sly smile crept across her mother’s lips. “Have you and that boy finally gone out on a date yet? You’ve been flirting since you were six years old.”
    Paybacks . She pushed them, now her mother was going to push back. “We’re friends, Mom. That’s what we’ve been since we were young. That’s all we are, all we’re going be.”
    “It’s too bad. A nice boy like that, and so handsome too.”
    Cami rolled her eyes. “He’s hardly a boy, Mom.”
    An eyebrow shot up. “So you have noticed? I guess you’d have to be blind not to. But, baby girl, you shouldn’t play hard to get for too long. Crazy as Alex is about you, even he’s not going to wait forever.”
    “And I don’t expect him to.” She stopped short. They’d had this same discussion for years, it wasn’t going to change simply by getting in the last word. “Dad, how’s things going at the office?”
    “Law is law, honey. It’s always a hard day.”
    She nodded and reached down to scratch Sadie’s head. Her parents leaned in and gave her hug.
    “Okay, I guess we better be on our way. Say hi to Alex for us.”
    “Of course I will, Dad.”
    She watched as they climbed into the SUV and pulled away from the house, Sadie at her feet. Crossing arms against her chest, Cami waited until the SUV was out of view and trotted into the house, snapping her fingers for Sadie to follow.
    In the kitchen, she pulled a Sprite from the fridge and stood at the window, swallowing the bubbly liquid as she stared out across the property lined with miles of fencing, large enclosures, and guard towers, soon to be linked together by a chorus of roaring striped cats needing a home. The realization of a dream and goals.
    A knock reverberated through the house and a smile crossed her face. “Must be Alex. The voice of reason.”
    She trotted across the kitchen and living room to open the door.
    Paul Schotter turned to face her.
    Cami grimaced. So much for a voice of reason. “Mr. Schotter? What are you doing here?”
    “You did such a good job at presenting your cause to the board today, I thought I’d like to come by and see for myself where things were going to be. And to apologize, personally, for jumping the gun. You have things planned out better than I expected.”
    She sighed, rubbing behind