Falling For The Right Brother. Kerri Carpenter

      * * *

      Cam considered himself to be a rational, sane man, but something happened to him when he saw Ellie Owens again. And that reaction defied reasoning.

      “Damn,” he said aloud as he drove away from her house and made his way back down Bay View Road. When he reached the fork, he started veering toward town before he remembered that he’d left his favorite cordless drill at his parents’ house the night before.

      Yanking the steering wheel to the left just in time, he made his way toward the east side of the bay. He’d been called by his mother to fix a shelf. Funny how when he’d arrived, tools in tow, there was nothing to fix. Instead—surprise, surprise—an attractive woman had been seated in one of the living rooms. His mother’s interior designer this time.

      Cam loved his mom, but her attempts at fixing him up had been increasing at a fast pace over the last two years—ever since he’d turned thirty. Even if he’d been onboard with her efforts, she clearly didn’t know his tastes. Cam preferred a certain kind of woman. When his thoughts turned back to Elle, he swerved again before righting the truck.

      Little Ellie Owens, who used to keep her head in a book, or in a sketch pad, while wearing jeans with patches over the knees. She’d never stepped a toe out of line until that idiotic video surfaced. Cam remembered how embarrassed Jasper had been seeing her announce her undying love for him. In Cam’s opinion, it never seemed like much of a burden to have a woman show you some love. Especially a woman as grounded as Elle. Of course, Jasper had been in a pretty serious relationship back then.

      Regardless, somewhere along the line, she’d grown up into a gorgeous, stunning woman. Gone was the plain-Jane scholar. In her place was an accomplished, interesting person.

      Cam turned into the gates of the mansion at 1954 Bay View Road and offered a wave to Stan, the head gardener. Then he parked his truck, and ran in the back door to retrieve his drill. He was about to climb back into the truck when he noticed that not only were his parents’ cars in the driveway, but so was his brother’s. Cam climbed the steps to the front porch and pushed his way inside the large and impressive house he’d been lucky enough to grow up in.

      He heard the shouting before he even entered the solarium.

      “It’s not that big of a deal.”

      “You think you can come in here and start making changes like you own the place?” his father asked.

      “I kind of do own the place.”

      “Not yet,” his mother’s voice rang out. “Not while your father and I are still in charge.”

      Cam didn’t have to be in the room to know that Jasper would be rolling his eyes the same way he was doing himself at the usual argument. His parents and brother butted heads on a daily basis.

      “If you’d only let me implement a few small changes. Tweaks,” he added quickly. “We need a better social media plan. Our communications department is currently living in the stone age figuring out how to make fire.”

      “It’s like you don’t even want to be part of this company, the way you keep trying to change everything.” Cam could hear the frustration in his father’s voice.

      His own stomach clenched at the comment.

      “Of course I want to be part of the company. Why else would I be here?” Jasper replied. “I’m simply trying to bring us into this century.”

      Feeling a thickness in his throat, Cam decided to save his baby brother. Giving a quick cough to announce his presence, he stepped into the room.

      “There’s my handsome son.” Lilah Dumont rose and patted him on the cheek before pulling him into a hug.

      “Hey,” Jasper called out. “I thought I was your handsome son.”

      She turned back to him. “Oh, you are. But only when you aren’t irritating me with new proposals involving hashtags.”

      Cam hoped that Jasper saw the look of adoring, unaffected love their mother shot in his direction. But by the way Jasper had turned toward the window, he suspected not.

      “Hey, Pops,” Cam said to his dad.

      “Why aren’t you at work?” his dad asked as a reply and a welcome.

      “Why aren’t any of you?” he countered.

      “We are working.” His mother poured a glass of lemonade and handed it to him. “We’re discussing your brother’s latest idea.” She used air quotes and Cam was fairly certain he could hear Jasper grind his teeth. “Then we were going to talk about the next fund-raiser.”

      Cam lifted an eyebrow. “Fund-raiser?”

      “Yes.”

      “Ah. A party,” he stated. His mother could justify giving a party more easily than some people could drink a glass of water. Although Lilah Dumont was so much more than a party-loving socialite. She could make just as many deals as his father simply by schmoozing during a black-tie event. Where Collin Dumont was old-school business etiquette, Lilah was about face-to-face interaction. Underestimating either her intelligence or business savvy had been the web that caught more than one misjudging fly.

      “Social media is an inexpensive way to throw a party,” Jasper contributed from the corner. “A virtual party. Keeps costs in check, connects you with the right people.”

      “Why not be personal? Why does everything have to be over the computer or smartphone or Instagram?” his mother asked. “People like personal interactions. That still means something.”

      Cam thought he would try and back his brother up. “Jasper does have a point. Perhaps we need to cut down on the amount of parties?”

      His mother looked indignant. “Everyone loves our parties. You know that.”

      “Isn’t less more in this situation?”

      Lilah rolled her eyes. “Less is never more. I despise that saying.”

      On this one topic, his mother and father were in agreement. Cam had to suppress a groan. If another Dumont party was on the horizon, that meant he would have to take out his tux—again—and put on a happy face—again. Two things he hated almost as much as his mother’s parties.

      Jasper appeared to have forgotten his earlier hurt and turned to Cam. “Why aren’t you working your butt off somewhere? Aren’t you usually covered in dirt and sweat by this hour?”

      “I had a meeting with a client earlier this morning.” He grabbed an apple from a large display of fruit placed in the middle of a marble table. “You’ll never guess who I picked up after that.”

      “It’s bad enough that you drive that thing instead of a real car,” Jasper began.

      “Hey, I like my truck. I’d like you to know that Lamborghinis are not the only car available. Anyway, I did a favor for Ted Owens this morning.”

      “His doctor’s appointment,” his dad said from his chair. “I need to give him a call later and see how that went.”

      There were a lot of things that could be said about Collin Dumont, but one area Cam thought his dad did right. He respected his staff, his friends and the other citizens of Bayside. He’d been friends with Ted for years, and Cam heard the note of concern in his voice.

      “Right. He had an appointment, so I had to pick up his daughter.”

      “Ellie?” his mother asked. “She’s back from Italy?”

      “Who’s Ellie?” Jasper wondered.

      Sometimes Cam didn’t know if he should be appalled by or jealous of his brother’s ignorance.

      “You’ve gotta be kidding me, right?” Cam said. “Ellie Owens, the daughter of Ted, former chief of police.” At Jasper’s blank stare, he continued. “You were in the