Jace pulled Cambri close, holding one of her hands in his and resting the other at her waist. It was old-school, as though he’d been taught by his grandfather, and Cambri loved it. That was Jace, the way he’d always been, standing apart from everyone else and doing things his own way. It showed in his house, the way he interacted with people, and in the way he danced.
Cambri caved to the temptation to lean her head against his shoulder and close her eyes. His arm tightened around her, pressing her closer, and she was lost to the daydream of what it would feel like to be held by Jace every day, to wake up to him every morning, and snuggle beside him every night. To work together and play together and eat greasy hamburgers behind her father’s back.
Could she really get on the plane on Tuesday and leave this all behind? Her heart hurt just thinking about it.
Cambri burrowed closer, forcing her mind to a happier place. A place where they fixed up that house together and planted a new maple tree—one that would grow large enough to hold a tire swing for cute little dark-haired, dark-eyed children that would look just like—
“Cambri?” his voice whispered into her ear.
“Hmm?”
“The music’s stopped,” he whispered again.
“I don’t care.” Why did he keep interrupting? Cambri wanted to stay lost in her happy little dream of what could be.
He chuckled and took a small step back, moving his shoulder away from her head. “The band’s taking a break. No one’s dancing anymore.”
“What?” Jolted back to reality, Cambri looked around, noting that she and Jace were the only people still on the dance floor. Most people didn’t seem to pay attention, but a few knowing smiles came her way, including Eden’s.
Jace looked down at her and grinned. “You were falling asleep, weren’t you?”
“No, I was just, uh… thinking.” About you… and our future kids. And you. Oh, geez, what had come over her? She took a deep breath to try to clear her muddled thoughts as Jace led her back to the table, where he relinquished her hand. It suddenly felt so lonely.
“I think I should probably get you home. You’ve had a long week.”
What? Home? But it was only seven o’clock! Cambri frowned, nowhere near ready to say goodnight. “No, really Jace. I’m not tired at all. I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
Cambri’s fingers drummed against the counter as she searched for a reason that didn’t include future little Jaces and Cambris swinging from a tire swing in the front yard of his house. “About your, uh…” C’mon, Cambri, think, think, think. “Store.” It was the first thing that came to mind and something she’d been wondering about anyway.
Jake shot her a half skeptical, half confused look. “You were thinking about my store? Why?”
She forced her fingers to stop drumming. “You never talk about it, but at that zoning meeting, you made it sound like… I don’t know. Is everything okay?” She eyed him nervously, wondering if she had any right to ask.
Jace drew his brows together, as though trying to switch his train of thought to something completely off-topic. “Yeah, it’s okay. Not great, but okay.”
“What’s going on?” With the music no longer playing, at least Cambri didn’t have to raise her voice to be heard.
He glanced around as though not sure if he really wanted to get into this right now, then gave a sigh of resignation and leaned forward, resting both elbows on the table. “When Grandpa retired, my parents took over for a few years while I was away at school. They overspent and made some unwise supply purchases that they weren’t able to sell or return. On top of that they didn’t keep accurate records, which resulted in a large IRS fine that I’m still trying to pay off. It doesn’t help that business is slower than it’s ever been.”
“Oh no.” Cambri suddenly felt even worse for purchasing her plants in Ft. Collins. She should have gone through Jace, even if it meant putting in a special order and waiting for them to arrive. “You’re not going to have to close the store, are you?” Please say no. After all he’d sacrificed to keep it going, that was the last thing he’d want.
“No, it’s not as bad as that. At least not yet. It’ll just take longer to pay down the debts, which means I can’t reinvest or make updates anytime soon. It’s kind of at a stand-still, but if things continue to go the way they have been, then we might be in trouble.” He fiddled with his napkin. “New homeowners tend to frequent hardware stores, and that small influx of increased business would have been helpful, that’s all. But really, we’re fine. ”
He didn’t look nearly as confident as he sounded, which tore at Cambri’s heart. She placed her hand over his, stopping him from massacring the napkin. “Is the developer still interested? I could help you put together a campaign to convince everyone—”
“I’ve already tried, Cam,” he said, cutting her off. “You and I both know how stubborn and resistant to change most people are, and it would just be a waste of time and money.”
He was probably right. Still, she hated the thought of giving up. “Is there anything I can do?”
“From North Carolina?” He chuckled. “I seriously doubt it. But thanks for asking.”
No, from here, was on the tip of her tongue to say, but she swallowed the words. “I told you before that I could recommend some plants. What about increasing the size of your nursery? Plants aren’t too costly, and with it being spring, now’s the time to start stocking up.” He should have started a month earlier, but better late than never.
He nodded slowly, cautiously, as though trying to think of a way to let her down easy. “It’s a good idea and all, but I don’t know. That aspect of the business is the one I know least about—or any of my staff, for that matter. I’m not exactly comfortable ordering a bunch of inventory when I don’t know what it is or how to go about selling it.”
“And like I told you before—I can help.”
He lifted a skeptical eyebrow. “How?”
Cambri squeezed his hand. “I’ll make you a list tomorrow, including the descriptions about each plant, and you can put the order in on Monday. If you or your customers have any questions, I’m just a phone call away.”
Jace turned his hand palm side up and closed his fingers around hers, caressing her knuckles with his thumb. “What if I don’t have any questions? Can I still call?”
Cambri’s heart started to race. “I’d love it if you did.”
Something crackled in the space between them, warming her heart and the air around them. Cambri didn’t dare blink for fear of breaking the connection.
Ask me to stay. Or at least tell me you don’t want me to go.
If he did, Cambri wouldn’t get on that plane on Tuesday. Simple as that.
The deep voice of the lead singer sounded, announcing the next song, which turned out to be another slow one. Jace remained quiet, still rubbing her knuckles with his thumb.
Fine, if you’re not going to ask me to stay, at least ask me to dance. Her eyes pled with him. When the silence continued, she grew impatient, anxious to be back in his arms. “Want to dance again?”
One corner of Jace’s mouth lifted. “I don’t know. Are you going to fall asleep on me again?”
And just like that, the spell was broken. Cambri frowned. “I already told you. I didn’t fall asleep.”
“Yeah. You were thinking about my store.”
“Right.” Sort of.
Jace chuckled as he pushed his chair back and tugged lightly on her hand to get her to follow. Once on the floor, he pulled her close, and she immediately snuggled against him. Song after song, fast or slow, they danced that way, oblivious to the people around them. Cambri breathed in his scent, soaked up his warmth, and wondered how she’d ever get on that plane Tuesday morning.
When the band finally called it quits, she reluctantly let him go. Jace drove her home, walked her to her door, and wrapped her into a cozy bear hug. “I’m going to miss you, Cam,” he said quietly.
&
nbsp; Cambri’s heart broke a little at his words. Was he okay with her going? Was she the only one having a problem with it? “I’ll miss you, too.”
He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Ever so slowly, he lowered his head, resting his forehead lightly against hers. His breath was warm and minty. Intoxicating. “If I kiss you right now, will it be another six years before you come back?”
Her heart thundered in her chest, ready to break free. “I might never leave if you do.” There, she’d said it. Her deepest desire was now out there for him to take or leave.
His lips curled slightly before he lowered his mouth to hers. Although it was a slow and cautious kiss, Cambri felt every touch, every sensation. Her hands found their way to the back of his neck, and she tugged him closer, wanting him to tighten his hold and kiss her harder. Instead, his body stiffened, his lips left hers, and he pulled her back into a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head.
“I was thinking we should hold off building the shed on Monday,” he said.
Cambri smiled against his chest. Was that his way of saying he wanted her to stay?
“We’ve been so busy with the yard that your dad hasn’t gotten much time with you this past week, then I went and selfishly stole you away tonight. So I was thinking I could get the shed up next weekend, and you can spend your last two days with your dad instead of working.”
It was Cambri’s turn to stiffen. Ever so slowly, she placed her palm against his chest and pushed back, pulling free from his embrace. He didn’t want her to stay after all. He didn’t even want to spend Monday with her like they’d planned.
He grabbed her hands and gave them a squeeze. “I’m going to miss you, Cam,” he said quietly. “Don’t be a stranger.”
He was letting her go. The kiss hadn’t been a plea for her to stay, it had been a goodbye. For Jace, this was just one night—a brief walk down memory lane, complete with a bonus lesson on how to say goodbye the right way.
Whatever it was, it was over.
When tears pooled at the back of her eyes, Cambri pulled free. “Miss you too,” she managed to say, before fleeing inside and hiding behind the large wooden door. With her back pressed against it and the shadows of the foyer hiding her, she listened to his engine rumble away and let the tears fall.
Jace drove away with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, like he’d just let something really important slip through the cracks. He shouldn’t have kissed her, shouldn’t have reminded himself what it felt like to touch her. It had taken every ounce of willpower not to crush her to him and let her know exactly how much he cared and how much he didn’t want her to go.
As much as it hurt to say goodbye, it was Jace’s only choice. Maybe if they stayed friends, if they kept in touch, if he visited her in Charlotte and she came back to Bridger once in a while… maybe she’d eventually decide to stay for good. Or maybe Jace would decide to sell the family business and find something to do in Charlotte.
Either way, at least now there was a chance.
Unlike the last time he’d kissed her goodbye.
On Sunday, Cambri went through the motions of caring for her dad and keeping him company. She even played chess and backgammon with him, thinking that it would help get her mind off Jace and the depressing prospect of returning to Charlotte. But when her father declared check mate fifteen minutes into the game and grumbled about her worthlessness as an opponent, Cambri pulled out her laptop and researched plants for Jace’s store. If she couldn’t stop thinking about him, she might as well follow through on her promise to make him a new order list. Once that was finished, she started on the design for his yard. It came so easy, probably because she’d always known what she wanted to do with it, and somewhere around midnight, she printed out a small-scale drawing and paper-clipped it to the list of plants. Then she set it aside.
On Monday morning, Cambri took a utility knife to one of the large cardboard boxes containing her father’s new shed. She wasn’t about to leave it for Jace to do on Saturday, like he’d suggested. When he showed up ready to work, he’d find the shed all done and get a new order list and the plans for his yard instead.
Cambri grabbed the sheaf of instructions, read the first few steps, and dropped to her knees to start locating the right screws and parts. It didn’t take long, and soon she was screwing together what would become the base of the shed.
Her father appeared from around the corner, holding her cell phone. “Where’s Jace?” he asked. “I thought he was coming today.”
“He had other work to do,” Cambri lied.
“You can’t do this by yourself.”
“Watch me.” She eyed the phone in his hand and lifted an eyebrow. “Expecting a call on my phone, or were you trying to check up on me?”
He held it out to her with a frown. “It won’t shut up,” he said gruffly. “Whoever keeps calling must have something important to say.”
Cambri took it from him and peered at the display. Ten missed calls. Hope flared for a moment, then died when she saw they were all from Dillon, not Jace. She shoved the disappointment aside and returned the call.
“Finally,” Dillon said without preamble. “Where have you been?”
“Outside.”
“Aren’t you packing? You’re still scheduled on the first flight out tomorrow, right?”
“Right.”
“Good.” His voice sounded incredibly chipper for ten o’clock on a Monday morning Charlotte time. “You’re never going to guess who just called.”
“Who?”
“Remember that privately funded museum project we bid on last summer? The one we wrote off because they ended up choosing another company?”
“Yeah.”
“Turns out that other company went belly-up before they could get started, and since we’re the second choice, they now want us.”
Cambri pressed the phone closer to her ear. “Are you kidding me?” The museum project included over an acre of manicured gardens, walking trails and fountains. They planned to hire artists to sculpt boxwoods and create motifs in the sidewalk. Cambri and her team had spent weeks drawing up plans and working on their presentation. She’d put her heart and soul into it, and when they chose another company who’d come in with a lower bid, she’d been devastated.
But now they wanted their plan after all. She could hardly believe it.
“This is your pet project,” said Dillon. “I want you to head it up.”
“Me?” Cambri had never overseen a project of this size, and the thought of being the one to make all the final decisions was unnerving. Was she even ready? Could she do it?
Yes. Yes, she could. It felt like an answer to a prayer and was exactly what she needed at the moment. The perfect distraction. “When do I start?
“The timing couldn’t be more perfect,” Dillon said. “You can dive right in when you get back tomorrow.”
“Sounds terrific. See you then.”
The line went dead, and Cambri stared at the phone, willing herself to feel the excitement she would have felt only a month before. This was the kind of design most landscape architects could only dream of doing. Her name would even be engraved on a plaque located in the center of the garden, listing her as one of the creators. And it was hers for the taking.
Why, then, did she feel so devoid of emotion, so empty?
“When do you start what?” her father’s voice cut through her thoughts, and Cambri realized he’d been standing there the entire time, listening to her side of the conversation.
“Oh. A new project. An amazing new project.”
“You’re still planning on leaving?” He sounded surprised, as though he had no idea she was booked on a flight the next morning.
“You know I’m leaving tomorrow, Dad.”
“I know you have a plane ticket, but I didn’t know you were leaving.” He looked at her as though she’d lost her marbles. “What about Jace?”
&nbs
p; Her fingers tightened around the phone. “What about him?”
“I thought you two… well, you know.”
“You thought wrong.” Just like Cambri had. Thought wrong, hoped wrong, dreamed wrong.
Her father rolled his eyes as though she was acting like a drama queen. “Stop being such a cinderblock. Any fool can see the way you feel about him. Why do you keep running away when it’s obvious you belong here with him?”
Cambri was not in the mood for this conversation. “Because it’s not obvious, Dad. I’ve worked hard, and I’m good at what I do. And because of that, I’ve just been offered the project of a lifetime. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”
“How can I be happy when you’re making the wrong choice?”
“But that’s just it, it’s my choice to make, not yours,” she said, jabbing her thumb against her chest to emphasize her point.
“Of course it is,” he said. “Just like going to Pennsylvania for college was your choice and taking that job on the other side of the country. I’m not trying to force you to stay. Just telling you you’re a cinderblock if you don’t.”
“Well I happen to like cinderblocks!” It was the dumbest comeback ever, but Cambri didn’t care.
“Of course you do. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t like yourself much, now would you?”
“Stop it!” Cambri redirected her finger at him. If he was the kind of father she could turn to or talk to, maybe then he’d understand exactly why she was getting on that plane in the morning. But he didn’t, and he wouldn’t understand even if she tried to explain. “You don’t know what you’re talking about or what I’m thinking or what Jace is thinking or what anyone is thinking for that matter. If you did, you’d know that Jace wants me to get on that plane tomorrow.”
“Bullwinkle. That has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”
Righting a Wrong (A Ripple Effect Romance Novella) Page 9