When he found her on Facebook and Instagram and saw pictures of her daughter, he knew. He just knew. If the age wasn’t enough, her uncanny looks were a dead giveaway. He was an uncle. He had a niece. There was nothing he could do to bring Justin back, but he could do right by him by taking care of his daughter.
Cameron owed that much to his brother, even if he was a son-of-a-bitch asshole.
“I’m Delaney’s uncle. Hope’s been raising her alone. That can’t be easy. I’d like to help.”
“Aren’t you the reason she’s a single mom?”
It was looking more and more like his parents had gotten to Hope. And Ty.
Cameron stood up and faced the bodyguard. “I came here to make a clean start. I’m hoping you’ll give me the benefit of the doubt and let me move on with my life. We all make mistakes. And most of us deserve a second chance.” He didn’t need to ask Ty’s permission, but if the man was a part of his niece’s life, he’d need to keep a friendly relationship.
Ty’s face twitched, and his glare eased up a fraction. “Stay away from Delaney unless Hope invites you into her life. She’s just a kid and doesn’t need...trouble. As for Hope. If you lay a hand on her, if you hurt her in any way...my promise still stands.”
“I’m glad she has you looking out for her.”
Ty seemed taken aback by Cameron’s compliment. He squared his shoulders and squinted as if waiting for a fight. When Cameron didn’t say anything else, Ty turned on his heel and walked away.
He’d either earned the man’s respect or made an enemy. Either way, he had his work cut out for him if he planned on making a new name for himself.
News of a convicted felon working and living in their small town would travel fast. He needed to be prepared for the aftermath, whatever it may be.
CHAPTER TWO
NOW SHE KNEW WHY PEOPLE hated Mondays. For Hope, they’d been an extension of the weekend. Or rather, her only day off since she typically worked Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at the restaurant. It was hard missing so much time with Delaney, but she had bills to pay, and she couldn’t afford to hire an assistant manager.
As tourist season was slowly ending, she’d be able to cut back on her hours and spend more time with her daughter. At least she’d be home every night to tuck her in, read with her, give her those warm snuggles Delaney was quickly outgrowing.
Mia came into the dining room through the kitchen door and stashed her purse under the bar.
“Sorry that took so long. The Novocain wore off halfway through, and the dentist had to shoot me up again.” Mia wiggled her right cheek while she tied an apron around her waist. “Anything exciting happen while I was gone? The Monday lunch crew is fairly geriatric.”
Hope forced a smile and reached for her coat that hung on the rack by the sink. “Just the usual. Feel better.” She shoved her arms through her coat and squeezed past Mia and her tendency to pry before Willie blew her cover.
He wouldn’t, she knew. Willie liked his privacy and would respect hers by keeping the dramatic scene he’d witnessed thirty minutes ago under wrap. Thankfully no one else was in the restaurant yet, and the boys in the kitchen couldn’t hear the near scuffle.
The tide was high, and the waves crashed loudly against the surf as the wind whipped at her face. Hope loved living on the coast and couldn’t imagine raising her daughter in a city. Her short stint in college proved she didn’t belong in a town that had more than ten thousand residents.
Taking her keys out of her pocket, she gave a nostalgic sigh as she looked out at the ocean and unlocked her ancient sedan. Sliding behind the wheel, she shivered and turned on the engine, cranking on the heat. She wished she had heated seats like Alexis’ new car.
It wasn’t jealousy that spurred inside Hope. She loved her friend and was happy that she had found love in a rich Italian from California. They were a beautiful family, Alexis, Ben, and his baby, Sophie. That was a complicated tale that Alexis told quite simply at one of their book nights.
Ben’s former girlfriend—one he hadn’t been with for quite some time—was pregnant and didn’t want the baby. Ben wanted both Alexis and his daughter, Sophie, and Alexis wanted both of them. And an instant family was born.
When her fifteen-year-old Honda Civic finally warmed, Hope put the car in reverse and backed out of her spot. The drive home was short, but long enough for her to wish her life had played out differently.
Okay, so maybe she was a little jealous. She wanted Delaney to have a man to call Dad. A man she could call husband. A family like Alexis had with Ben and Sophie.
During her pregnancy she’d damned God for taking Justin away from her, from their baby. They hadn’t dated long and weren’t even in a real relationship, but he was older, already out of college. A Yale graduate working on his masters in financial law.
They’d met at the pub where Hope was waitressing. Justin had come in with three other guys, and she’d instantly swooned over him. He and his friends had an expensive order, mostly because of the rounds of beers they drank, and Justin tipped her fifty-percent and left his number.
She hadn’t called him, but he’d returned a week later asking her why.
“I didn’t know if you were serious,” she’d said.
“Babe. You’re a beautiful woman. I’m sure every guy who gives you his number is serious.” She didn’t want to tell him no guy had ever left his number before. Or left such a huge tip. He wouldn’t leave until she gave him her number, which she did. Later that night he’d called asking her out on a date, telling her to wear something nice.
Not having anything other than a simple black skirt and white button-down blouse, she’d borrowed a tight navy dress from Tracy who lived two doors down in her dorm.
Justin had brought her to a fancy restaurant in New Haven and ordered an expensive bottle of wine. When Hope reminded him she was only nineteen, he smiled and winked at her, telling her without words that he had it all taken care of.
Which he had. The waiter in the black tuxedo never batted an eye and referred to Justin as Mr. Smithfield. It was all so surreal, so magical. Hope had felt like Cinderella, waiting and regretting for the clock to chime and turn everything back to normal.
But it hadn’t. Only the setting of their dates had changed from elegant dinners to off campus parties with a much older crowd. Justin was always drunk, and she had to find her own ride home more often than not.
They hadn’t slept together, Justin being too preoccupied with his friends, his alcohol. Had he made the moves on her during the first few weeks of taking her out, Hope would have fallen into bed with him without a thought. But he’d waited, and she was glad. She would have stopped seeing him, but he’d tempted her with a romantic Valentine’s weekend away in New York City. Just the two of them.
The new Justin wasn’t necessarily someone she wanted to get naked with. But she thought maybe a weekend away would confirm her reasons for ending their odd dating relationship, or it would bring them closer together.
Hope pulled into her driveway, or rather, her parents’ driveway, and sat in the car for another minute so she could have some privacy. Something she lacked living at home. Her few months of freedom cut short when she dropped out of college and came home pregnant, scared, and devastated at the loss of Justin in such a horrific way.
She was too shocked, too ashamed of her failures to tell anyone about her baby’s father. So she kept mum until her belly gave her away.
Nearly thirteen years ago. Had it really been that long? Her baby would be twelve in a few weeks. This wasn’t the life she’d planned for herself, but Hope could be proud of the life she’d given to her daughter.
Turning off the engine, Hope got out of the car and let herself into her parents’ home. It would always be their home. It was time she found a place for her and Delaney. Now that she had a small nest egg, she could afford to rent a place during the winter when it was off-season and cheap. Maybe she’d call up Melissa down at M. Button Real Estate
to see what was available.
She hated using her savings, but she needed to prove to her daughter that they could be independent women. Besides, by the time summer rolled around she wouldn’t be able to afford rent and they’d be back at her parents again. Which was good. With Delaney home for the summer and Hope working so many hours, she needed supervision without feeling like she was being babysat.
“Hi, Mom.” Hope kissed the top of her mom’s head before plopping next to her on the couch. “How’s the quilt coming along?”
If there was one thing Diane Windward knew how to do, it was sew. And knit. And crochet. Whenever there was a fundraiser, be it for school or church or any good cause, Diane would donate a quilt or knitted hats or scarves.
“Girl Scout troop one forty-three wanted a simple flower pattern, so this one’s a breeze. And Mildred Kenney just put in an order for a wedding ring quilt, and you know when she wants it?” Diane looked up from her sewing and rolled her eyes. “For her daughter’s bridal shower on December first. That gives me barely six weeks to get it done. People. They think quilts make themselves.”
Diane was the town’s seamstress. The first one called upon to hem a prom dress, fix a zipper, mend a hole. It also enabled her to be home to watch Delaney while Hope worked. And gave her a flexible schedule so she could bring Delaney to her dance classes.
“If anyone can do it, it’s you, Mom.”
“I appreciate your vote of confidence, but these fingers are aging quickly.” She dropped the quilt and needle in her lap and rubbed her hands together.
“And taking care of your thirty-one-year-old daughter and almost twelve-year-old granddaughter isn’t helping any.” Hope rested her head against her mother’s shoulder and sighed. “I’ve been thinking—”
“I know what you’ve been thinking, and it’s not necessary. You and Delaney are welcome to stay here as long as you want. Forever. Your father would be devastated if you left. That little girl is the light of his life.”
“Mom.” The guilt trip wouldn’t work on her. She needed to distance herself from her parents before her skeletons became pubic knowledge. “It’s not like we’d go far. I’d never pull Delaney from her school, and The Happy Clam is here in town.”
“I know, sweetheart. It would be lonely without you two here.”
Hope sat up and spread the flowery quilt across her lap, running her finger along the intricate pattern. Her parents and Ty were the only ones who knew about Justin. About his accident. His brother’s conviction.
She didn’t know how long Cameron had been in town, but now that he’d made his presence known, it would only be a matter of time before people would know about their connection.
“I ran into someone today,” she started, unsure how to broach the subject.
“Oh? A friend from high school?”
“More like, college. But not really.”
“Your roommate? What was her name, Kimberly?”
“Kimmy. No. Not her...Justin’s brother. Cameron.”
Her mother stilled, lifting her questioning gaze to meet Hope’s. “Honey.” She moved the quilt to the end table and scooted closer, taking Hope’s hands in hers. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I don’t know.” Hope shrugged. “I’m kinda in denial right now. I never expected to see him. To come face to face with him. Especially in our hometown.”
“He’s here? In Crystal Cove?” She took Hope’s shoulders in her hands and drew her in for a hug.
Her mother smelled like Earl Gray tea and honey and comfort. Her strong arms and soft body assuaged her, making her feel like she was a little girl again when a simple hug from her mother could make the pain go away. And an oatmeal butterscotch chip cookie could turn the worst day in the world into a day filled with sunshine and rainbows and happiness.
Those warm arms held tight as soothing hands patted Hope’s head. “Tell me about it, honey.”
Hope leaned into her mother, soaking up her love. “He looks just like Justin. Only older. His eyes...” Cameron had the same genuine eyes Justin had when they first met at the pub. She didn’t see those eyes again until their date in New York. “His mouth...”
Justin’s mouth had been quick to quip into a teasing, knowing grin. There were too many dates when she didn’t see it do anything but latch onto a bottle, or laugh with his guys, leaving Hope to fend for herself.
In New York, though. In New York that smile of his, that laugh, the teasing and flirting, it had all been aimed at her. It’s when she fell in love with him.
And two weeks later Cameron killed him.
“You told me he was a twin. The one who was driving. He’s out on parole? I’m surprised they’d let him leave the state of Connecticut.”
“I don’t know the details.” Hope slipped out of her mother’s embrace and hugged her knees to her chest. “Ty was there. He knows Cameron. I guess he’s been working at the docks for a while now.”
“Oh, honey.” Her mother cupped Hope’s cheeks in her palms. “He didn’t say anything to hurt you, did he?” She shook her head. “Did he say why he’s here?”
“No. Just that he wanted to talk to me. You don’t think...Delaney?”
“Are his parents here with him?”
“I don’t know.” She and her mother had argued many times about keeping Delaney a secret from the Smithfields. Justin may not have even told them yet. From what little she read about the case against Cameron, he had quite the fancy upbringing, and the Smithfields would take her daughter away, she was sure. Better to keep her identity a secret.
“Do you think he’s a threat?”
“Physically?” Hope swallowed and lowered her forehead against her knees. She didn’t want to picture him standing in her doorway. How the sun behind him silhouetted his figure, showing off strength and power in his frame. Or how his chocolate eyes brought memories of giddiness and first love to her heart.
Or how sad and broken those eyes looked when she called him a murderer. He was. Those were facts. He killed his brother, stripping a good man from his family, his girlfriend, his future career, his future child.
Cameron Smithfield didn’t deserve to be looked at the way Hope first saw him, with longing and lust. She’d tamped the hint of attraction down fast and remembered who he was. A killer.
Yet, his body language, his slouched, defeated shoulders, his yearning eyes...they spoke of someone who’d been through a great ordeal.
Yeah. Prison, she reminded herself.
“He didn’t come off as a physical threat, but that’s probably because Ty was there to put him in his place. I hope Cameron is long gone by now.”
But she knew he wouldn’t be. He came to Crystal Cove for a reason and chances were, he wasn’t going to leave until he found it.
Hope was at Crystal Cove Middle School ten minutes before the end of the day, anxious to see Delaney and start their hunt for their own place. She used the time in her car to read through her texts; thankfully nothing pressing from the restaurant. She had a good crew working for her.
Frankie had been cooking for The Happy Clam back when Hope waited tables in high school and had no problem when she transitioned into being his boss. Willow joined him when Delaney was a baby, and Hope was working her way into the assistant manager job.
When the Clukeys retired and moved to Florida, Hope took out a loan from the bank, borrowed some money from her parents, and used the little she’d saved to buy the place. Since then, she’d nearly paid off her loan, but her parents refused every check she’d written them.
Knowing they wouldn’t let her pay them back, she felt even more guilty for living rent free for so many years.
“Hey, Mom.” Delaney opened the back door to the Civic and tossed her backpack in before climbing in the front next to Hope.
“Hey, sweetie. Did you have a good day?”
“I guess.” Delaney adjusted the heat and changed the radio station from country to pop music. Hope recognized the Justin Timberlake
song and grinned when Delaney started singing along.
She pulled out of the pick-up zone and headed toward Maple Street where hundred-year-old farmhouses lined the road. Melissa Button’s husband had converted the front half of their historic home into a stunning real estate office. Together, they sold, rented, or leased half the available properties in Crystal Cove.
“What are we doing out here?” Delaney turned down the radio and peered out her window.
“We’re house hunting.”
“For real? These homes are epic! My friends and I could have massive sleepovers.”
“Easy there. These houses are a bit out of our price range. We’re meeting with a realtor to see what’s available for us.”
“We’re not gonna move far, are we? I don’t want to switch schools.”
Hope’s heart thumped a few extra times in her chest. “I’m absolutely not moving from Crystal Cove. This is our hometown. But Grandma and Grandpa deserve a little peace and quiet. I’ve been taking over their house for thirty-one years. Besides, I figured you and I would have fun house shopping and decorating a place of our own.”
“Can I paint my room?”
“We’ll have to see what the rental agreement says first.”
“Cool. If we can, I want teal and gray. To match my comforter.”
“I figured.” Hope smiled. Her daughter was predictable, that was for sure. While she may spend every waking moment in dance class or at gymnastics, she wasn’t a pink tutu type of girl. She was an athletic dancer who loved to hunt with her grandfather and ride four wheelers in the summer with Ty and Mia.
She pulled in the narrow parking lot next to an old Victorian home and prayed Melissa would have something affordable for them.
Delaney practically jumped out of the car and beat Hope to the front steps. “Can we live on the ocean? That would be cool. Or a farm. I always wanted a dog. And a horse.”
Where There's Hope_A Well Paired Novel Page 2