“Oh, I don’t think—”
“You have to! Your visit won’t be complete without one.” She led him back to the doughnut counter where Dottie was pulling a fresh batch from the oven. “Perfect timing. Dottie, this is my dad, Patrick, and he’s in bad need of a doughnut.”
Dottie wiped her hands on a towel before reaching across the counter to shake Patrick’s hand. “So nice to meet you, Patrick. We’re all very big fans of your daughter.”
“As am I.”
“Can I get one of those for him?”
“Of course! Another for you, sweetie?”
“Absolutely not! I’ve got a dress to fit into on Saturday, so don’t tempt me.” To Patrick, Cameron added, “Dottie is the devil when it comes to these doughnuts.”
“Why, thank you,” Dottie said with a proud smile as she handed over a piping-hot doughnut to Patrick.
Both women watched expectantly as he took a bite.
His blue eyes lit up. “Holy Moses, that’s good.”
“Right?” Cameron said, pleased by his obvious pleasure. “I limit myself to two a week, or I wouldn’t fit through the doors around here. Come on upstairs and check out the office. See you later, Dottie.”
“Bye, Cam. Nice to meet you, Patrick.”
“You, too.”
He followed her through the store, stopping to look at various items as they went.
“That’s Hannah’s jewelry,” Cameron said of the pieces that had stopped him for a closer look. “She’s Will’s older sister, twin to Hunter, who’s the company CFO.”
“She does beautiful work.”
“I know! I’m a huge fan. I have a couple of her bracelets. Helps to have friends in high places.”
“I’m glad you’re making friends here.”
They proceeded up the stairs to the offices on the second floor. “So many friends. And now Lucy’s here a lot, too, which makes it even better.”
“Back so soon?” Mary asked when they arrived in the reception area. “I didn’t think I’d see you here again for at least two weeks.”
“I wanted you to meet my dad, Patrick.”
Mary came around her desk to shake his hand. “So nice to meet Cameron’s dad. We adore her here.”
“So I’m hearing. Nice to meet you, too.”
“This is our office.” Cameron opened the door and turned on the lights so her dad could see her workspace.
“Our office?”
“Mine and Will’s.”
“You two share an office? They didn’t give you one of your own?”
“We tried,” Mary said. “Those kids are inseparable.”
Cameron blushed and shrugged. “What she said. Besides, if I’m in another office, how am I supposed to play footsie with him during the day?”
“Ugh,” Patrick said with a grunt of laughter. “TMI. I’d go crazy sharing office space with anyone, especially such a small one.”
“Not everyone can have an acre in the sky to call their own,” Cameron said disdainfully.
He tweaked her nose. “It’s not a full acre, and I do need my elbow room.”
“You’re a spoiled, pampered brat, and we all know it.”
Mary laughed at their sparring.
“Don’t listen to her, Mary,” Patrick said with a wink, which had Mary blushing to the roots of her brown hair. “We all know who the spoiled brat is here.”
“Yeah, and it’s not me.”
“I’m afraid I have to side with your daughter, Patrick. There’s nothing spoiled about her. She works harder than all of us put together.”
“Thank you, Mary. I’ll make sure Hunter hears about your fifty percent raise.”
They left Mary laughing as they went back downstairs.
“What’s her story?” Patrick asked.
“Who, Mary?”
“Yeah. She’s adorable.”
“Dad . . . Don’t. She’s a really nice person. Leave her alone. She wouldn’t stand a chance against your brand of charm.”
“Why can’t I have a little fun while I’m in town?”
Cameron stopped on the landing and turned to him. “She’s off-limits. I mean that.”