Guarding Camille. Judy Christenberry

Connor.

      Something about him bothered her, and she tugged her hand away. A strong arm slid around her, and she jerked in surprise as she realized Jake had joined them. “Connor, Mom,” he said, acknowledging the other two.

      “There you are, darling,” Megan said, smiling at her youngest son.

      “Yes, Mom, here I am. Connor, where’s Janelle? I haven’t seen her.”

      A flash of jealousy went through Camille. Did Jake have a special interest in the absent woman?

      “She’s laid up with a cold and running a fever, so she wanted to stay in bed tonight, not take any chances.”

      The man sent a suffering look Megan’s way, and she patted him on the arm.

      “She made the right decision, though of course we miss her,” Megan assured Connor. Then she turned to Camille. “Did you see Chase when you took your baby upstairs?”

      Jake had told Camille about Connor and Janelle’s little boy, Chase. For reasons Camille didn’t know, Janelle had abandoned the baby on the clinic steps the previous fall. Then in January she’d shown up to claim her child, but he was still in Megan’s care.

      “Yes, I did,” Camille said with a smile. “He’s a handsome boy, and big for his age.”

      “Yes, he is, isn’t he?” Megan agreed, sounding like a doting great-aunt.

      Camille had been intimidated by Megan’s appearance when she’d first met her, but then she’d discovered the warm, loving woman beneath the expensive attire. No wonder all of Megan Maitland’s children adored her.

      “What did you name your little boy?” Megan asked.

      “James Jacob,” Camille said, not thinking about the speculation the name might cause. Jake’s hand squeezed her waist in warning.

      “After Jake?” his mother asked in surprise.

      “Um, well, Jake has helped me a great deal and—and his name went well with my father’s.”

      Connor gave a harsh laugh. “I heard that my cousin was quite a stud, but I didn’t know—”

      “Connor!” Megan snapped, an air of command in her voice for the first time.

      He sobered at once and offered an apology.

      Jake seemed distracted, however, his gaze fixed on something or someone over his mother’s shoulder. “I believe you have a late guest, Mom.”

      She turned to look, then said, “Of course. Mr. Smith. If you’ll excuse me, children, I’ll go greet him.”

      “Who’s that?” Connor asked, frowning.

      Camille could feel the tension in Jake and knew he had some kind of interest in the man who had just arrived. She wondered if he had any connection to her ex-husband, but instantly dismissed that idea. Jake wouldn’t have allowed him to be invited to his mother’s house had that been the case.

      “A man who’s checking out the hospital for his grandchild’s birth. Mom thought he might enjoy meeting the family.”

      Camille studied Jake’s face. His explanation was reasonable enough, she supposed, but something about his intensity alarmed her.

      “I thought it was just supposed to be family,” Connor grumbled. “Though I suppose since the Lords are here, there’s no reason—”

      “The Lords are part of our family, Connor,” Jake corrected. “I’d suggest you not make that mistake in front of Mom.”

      The man glowered at Jake, then tipped his glass to swallow the last of his drink. He signaled a waiter and exchanged his empty glass for another flute of champagne. “Aren’t you two drinking?” he asked, gesturing to the waiter’s almost full tray.

      Camille lifted her glass of club soda. “I have something, thank you.”

      Jake didn’t bother with excuses. He shook his head at the waiter and continued to keep his eye on the new guest.

      A couple of minutes later, Megan approached them, a very handsome dark-haired man at her side. “Mr. Smith, I’d like you to meet my nephew, Connor O’Hara, and—”

      Camille had been studying the new arrival as Megan made the introduction. When she gave Connor’s name, the man whitened, all blood draining from his face, and Camille wondered if he would faint.

      Jake grabbed his arm. “What the hell is going on?”