“And don’t you be disappointed if you do change your mind,” Cambria said, hiding a grin. Most likely, she would.
* * *
“Do you really think I won her over?” Canyon asked as they climbed into the limo. Already they had lunch with her side down, a dinner with his on the way, and then he and Cambria could get back to the cabin and enjoy the rest of their winter getaway as an engaged couple. He could hardly wait.
“You totally did,” Cambria assured. “I’ve never seen Mae get so quiet. And she only gets quiet when things aren’t going as she predicted.”
Huh. Canyon gave that some thought. “She still seemed pretty cold to me.”
“That’s just Mae. She never would’ve given you a hug goodbye if you hadn’t put her doubts to rest.”
“Good.” He moved Cambria’s bag for her and patted the space next to him so she’d scoot closer. “I’m pretty sure Victor and your cousins don’t hate me, so that’s good.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “That is good.”
Also good was the fact that they both lived in Lake Tahoe, a tidbit they’d discovered back on their first date.
“The question is,” Canyon asked, “have I put all of your doubts to rest?” It was a fair enough question. Especially considering the worried look she’d given him at her doorway the other night when he’d mentioned visiting their hometown. He couldn’t take the idea that she might think he was anything but earnest in his feelings for her.
Cambria scooted in nice and close, her gingerbread scent drawing him in, and nuzzled her head against his shoulder. “Yes,” she whispered. “You have.” She sighed deeply, as if proving the point, and held onto a fistful of his shirt as she cuddled into him.
Canyon could get used to this. He tuned into the sound and feel of her breathing as he thought back on his interaction with Victor, Shawn, and Caden. He was glad she had three strong males in her life who were ready to step in and protect Cambria at the slightest offense. He was grateful that, with the help of Cambria’s assurance, they were able to let their guard down enough to let Canyon in.
He hoped all would be well at home. Just the thought of the stark contrast of what they could expect made him uneasy suddenly. Please, don’t let some sort of disaster take place with the cameras rolling.
His pulse lurched uneasily at the thought. At least he could be sure of one thing: Cambria wouldn’t judge him or want to leave him over it. In fact, she had first-hand experience with the rehabilitation process. The knowledge calmed his racing pulse in a blink.
He closed his eyes, draped his arm over Cambria’s body as best as he could from their buckled position in the limo, and sighed. He’d met the perfect woman. More than that, he’d proposed to her. And she’d said yes!
The words too good to be true ran through his mind, offering, yet again, another dose of discomfort. He wasn’t sure why he should even entertain the errant thought, until a good reason popped into his mind. Like it’d been sitting there all along, waiting for him to challenge the situation that had come to him all too easily. Redemption, love, happily ever after. All of that could be ruined if Cambria was just playing along for the cameras. Or the contract, was more accurate.
The heart-revving came back full force, sparking a paranoia of sorts as he considered the experiences they shared. What if it had all been an act on her part?
He clenched his eyes shut tighter, wishing it could block the sea of doubts in his head. Please… please let her feelings for me be real.
Chapter 17
Rain was quite possibly the most adorable seventeen-year-old girl Cambria had ever met. She had caregiver written all over her. From the apron she wore while preparing the sauce for dinner, to the special drink she’d whipped up for her mom with all the necessary power vitamins that should help her stay off the pain pills.
Throughout dinner, the sweet girl—who looked an awful lot like her older brother— had shared what she called Canyon Stories. And they’d been good. Many were centered around fan mail he received. Rain should know, since she was the captain of his fan club. “The weirdest thing he ever received, aside from gross stuff like panties or bras,” Rain said, her blue eyes alive with mischief, “is chewed up gum. It had a note with it that said something like, chew this gum and we’ll count it as our first kiss.” Rain shivered.
Cambria did too. “Gross! Man, there are a lot of sickos out there.”
Canyon only shrugged. “What can I say? The ladies love me.” He shot Cambria a wink. “Too bad for them, I’ve only got eyes for this lady.”
A dose of delicious heat pooled around her heart. She gave Canyon a nudge with her elbow. “You know what I’d send him?” she asked, turning her gaze back to Rain. “An oven mitt.”
“You would,” he muttered.
Rain broke into a laugh. “He told you about how much those freak him out?”
“Yes, he told me all about it. But we did like, shock therapy on him.”
Rain’s giggle was contagious. “I’ve got to hear about this.”
“It was actually pretty disturbing,” Canyon said. “I’ll be seeking therapy to get over it once the show’s finished.”
Cambria’s gaze shifted to the empty chair beside Rain. Raylene, Canyon’s mom, had excused herself quite a while ago.
“She’s been having stomach issues,” Rain said. She shot Canyon a look before setting her eyes back on her plate.
Cambria couldn’t help but look for some of the telltale signs of painkiller addiction when she’d first met Raylene, with as concerned as Canyon had been about her sobriety.
She detected a bit of restless energy upon meeting her, but figured it was probably due to the small camera crew invading her home.
Still, as the woman began to first teeter slightly in her seat, and then lean her head onto one elbow-propped fist, it seemed Canyon’s worst fears might actually be a reality.
At Rain’s suggestion, Raylene had made her way to the restroom. And while Cambria hadn’t set it to a stopwatch or anything, she was certain the woman had been gone for over ten minutes now.
Rain set her fork down and placed her napkin on the side of her plate. “I’m going to check on the pie,” she said.
“No,” Canyon said, scooting his chair away from the table. “I’ll get it.” He gave Cambria a nod. “Excuse me for a minute.” He disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Rain and Cambria at the table by themselves. If only the cameras weren’t here she’d be able to help him. As kind and decent as Tina and Stan were, they had a job to do: Catch all the goings on during their time there. And if Cambria offered to help Canyon with his mother, the situation would only gain more attention.
“I am so thrilled about you two,” Rain said. “I can’t believe you gave him a second chance.”
Cambria grinned, forcing herself to focus on the conversation. “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to, but Canyon made it easy. He’s kind of irresistible,” she admitted. “Have you noticed that?”
A wide smile spread over the girl’s heart-shaped face. “My mom’s noticed,” she assured. “I swear, she never told him no a day in his life.”
“Huh,” Cambria said. “Good thing he’s not spoiled.”
“Who says?” Rain quipped with a grin. “No, you’re right. He’s never acted spoiled.”
“What about you? Does your mom have a hard time saying no to you as well?”
Rain’s smile faltered. She shrugged. “Depends.” Cambria couldn’t help but think Canyon’s sister was trying to tell her something. Just as she tried to think of a safe, probing question, Rain spoke up again. “How’s your chicken? I didn’t overcook it, did I?” The diversion was glaring.
Cambria kept her eyes on Rain, hoping to cut past the deflection, but the sweet girl only kept her gaze trained on her plate.
“You didn’t overcook it,” Cambria said. “It’s perfect. In fact, I’d love to get the recipe before we leave. I have yet to master a good chicken dish.”
Rain rolled an aspara
gus tip from one side of her plate to the next with the prongs of her fork, then glanced up at Cambria with a timid grin. She darted a look at Tina and the one camera that had remained with them.
She realized what Rain was hinting. At least, she thought she did. It seemed to Cambria that Canyon’s little sister wanted to discuss the situation about her mom, but that she didn’t want to do it on camera. That made sense. Of course, it did. Hadn’t Canyon been trying to do that very thing this whole time?
“How about I give you my cell number? That way you can text me the recipe.”
Rain’s face lit up with understanding. “That would be awesome.”
Canyon cleared his throat as he walked back into the dining area. “The pie looks perfect.” He pulled up his chair beside Cambria and picked up his fork. “What did I miss?” It was easy to see that Canyon was upset beneath the casual façade. He dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “Oh, my mom asks you to forgive her, but she’s not feeling well. She went to lie down.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I hope she gets feeling better soon.” Cambria propped an elbow onto the table, hoping the situation wouldn’t become the focus of their visit. “Oh, we were just about to exchange numbers,” Cambria said. “Rain? I can type it into your phone.”
“Yes,” Rain said. “Thanks!”
“What’s this all about?” Canyon asked.
Cambria took the small phone Rain handed over the table. “Oh, you know, just going to start a gossip chat about you.” She laughed, hoping the awkward tension wouldn’t be visible. “But we’re going to start with a recipe exchange first. This chicken is amazing.”
“Yeah,” Canyon said with a nod. “It sure is. Thanks, sis.”
Cambria typed her number into a new text, spelled out Rain’s name, then hit send. Her phone beeped from within her pocket. “There,” she said as she handed the phone back. “Now I’ll know who’s texting me.”
“In case someone else randomly sends a chicken recipe,” Rain joked.
Cambria nodded. “Exactly.”
They finished dinner and dessert while the cameras rolled, Rain, Cambria, and Canyon abiding by an unspoken rule to detract from the elephant in the room. Soon Cambria and Canyon were ready to head home.
Cambria felt as if they were cutting their time short, which was a shame in some ways, as she truly wanted to get to know Rain better. But the sooner they left—taking the camera crew with them—the better they could protect Raylene’s image.
Still, while hugging Rain goodbye, Cambria felt the weight of her situation pressing on her shoulders and chest and knew that the girl’s burden would gnaw at her until she did something about it.
At Canyon’s suggestion, Cambria jotted a quick note to his mother, who was still resting when they left, rather than wake her. Get feeling better soon! Looking forward to chatting more next time. She guessed that had more to do with the cameras than anything else, but the problem was, there might not be a next time. Not if the situation was as bad as she feared. In any case, Cambria planned to do something about it sooner rather than later.
* * *
Canyon settled into bed, door locked, stereo blaring. Sure, Cambria would know he was avoiding her, but who cared? He just couldn’t have the conversation she was determined to have with him. Not yet. He didn’t need someone digging into his business and trying to fix something that was under control.
Mom might have had a rough night, but that’s just because she got panicky over the idea of cameras coming into her home. Who wouldn’t? She’d no doubt taken a few pills to avoid being a bundle of nerves and it hit her harder than it normally would since she wasn’t use to taking them. Besides, last time he checked, she had an emergency bottle with twelve pills. Ten of those twelve remained in the bottle when he’d checked during dinner. Had she gone back to the pills, there would have been a lot more than two missing. In fact, the missing pills seemed to support his hunch; she’d taken a few that very night to fight off the nerves.
A barely audible knock rumbled the massive oak door, causing Canyon to clench his eyes closed. Why couldn’t she just leave well enough alone? He’d been pretty clear that he didn’t want to discuss it in the limo, on the plane, and then in the limo again. Heck, he’d had to feign sleeping most of the time just to avoid it.
The rumble came again, and Canyon reached for the stereo remote. He punched the mute key. “Yeah?”
“Can I come in?”
Whoa. Canyon might know exactly why she wanted to come inside, and it didn’t have anything to do with cozying up to him, but his body was missing the memo. Heat stirred low in his belly. Images of their time spent on the couch rushed to his mind.
“Canyon?” He heard a tiny tapping and imagined she was thrumming her fingers on the door as she waited.
He gulped. “That’s probably not a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because I thought you wanted to, you know, wait until we were married…” Oh, heaven help him, he was sounding like a girl. Who cared if they had actually had that exact discussion on the drive to visit her family?
“I promise to keep my hands to myself,” she said.
“Then I’m definitely not opening it.”
Cambria let out a heavy sigh. “Please, Canyon. I need to talk to you before Stan and Tina come back.”
“Is it about my mom?” he blurted, irritation building up in his chest.
“Maybe.”
“Then no. You have the wrong idea about it and I don’t want to talk to someone who’s just making assumptions off meeting her one time. She’s better, okay? Rain would tell me if there was a problem, so I’d appreciate it if you’d just drop it. You can’t tell by meeting someone one hour of their entire life that they have a problem. No matter how much experience you have.”
He stared at the door during the long pause. Please just leave it alone, Cambria.
“Canyon,” she let the word hang in the air like a cloud. “I love you. I care about you and your family, okay?”
“I know you do.” He was too irritated to repeat the sentiment. So instead, he offered one last word before blasting his music once more. “Goodnight.”
Chapter 18
Cambria pulled the plush blanket over her shoulders as she took in the bright morning sunlight, its golden rays bouncing off the swift-moving river. Mounds of thick snow covered nearly everything in sight, the surface shimmering with a million tiny sparkles. It was truly a magical sight. One that eased the stinging sensation in her heart.
God is bigger than this problem, Cambria. Vicky had told her to repeat that any time she became overwhelmed by circumstance. It wasn’t something she’d learned until moving in with her aunt and uncle; her own parents hadn’t displayed much of a prayer life. But it sure had helped Cambria in the years following their death. You’re bigger than this pain, God. Help me see past it.
Her phone beeped with a text, and Cambria already knew who it’d be from—Vickie.
We’ve got Rain and Raylene all settled in. We had a spot open up last week with a second bedroom, meaning Rain can stay here while her mom receives treatment.
Emotion rocked Cambria’s body as she tucked the phone back into place and secured the blanket once more. She’d said yes to help. That was huge. Now she wouldn’t have to suffer a dangerous and painful withdrawal on her own. They could wean her off safely, give her the treatment she needed as well.
Her thoughts shot to Canyon. She loved him. She really, really did. She only hoped he’d see things clearly when this was all said and done, and that he wouldn’t be angry with her for taking things into her own hands.
He’ll be angry alright, a voice in her head predicted. True. But he loved her. She truly believed it. That meant he’d forgive her for it. Especially once he understood how badly his mom needed the care. And how badly Rain needed to have the burden lifted from her young shoulders.
When her phone dinged with another text, Cambria realized she hadn’t texted back yet. She tugged
the phone from her pocket, preparing to do so, when she noticed that Jack had texted her.
Caught wind that you’re engaged. Are congrats or condolences in order?
Cambria rolled her eyes, hating that anyone would think she was anything but earnest in her love for Canyon. Not that she could blame them. The blanket slipped off her shoulders and onto the deck, reminding her that it was probably time to go inside. Besides, texting with frozen fingers had never been her forte.
She gathered the fuzzy blanket into her arms and shuffled back to the french doors. Just as she wondered how she might open the door, the thing swung open.
“Good morning,” Canyon said in that deep voice of his.
“Good morning,” she said cheerily. She took a few cautious steps inside. “Are Tina and Stan here yet?” she asked, wondering if they’d have some time alone to talk.
“Not yet.” When he left it there, Cambria couldn’t help but wonder if he’d changed his mind since last night. Was he ready to discuss things now? If he was, he’d have to bring it up himself, she decided.
“I um, thought I’d make us some breakfast this morning. Lisa wrote in and said Tina and Stan won’t be here for another hour or so.”
Cambria set the blanket onto the table and grinned. “That sounds wonderful. Want help?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I’ll take care of this one on my own.”
“Good,” she said, “because I need to go get decent before the filming crew comes.”
“You already look good to me,” Canyon said.
Cambria shot him a look. “Thanks.”
“Oh, and when you get back, maybe we can talk a little bit. About last night, okay?” He had that penitent look in his eyes, the color matching the blue sky beyond the snow-covered pines.
She smiled, a world of relief filtering through her. “That would be great.” With that, she dashed to the cupboard where he stood, planted a kiss to his cheek, then dashed out. “Be right back.”
Her TV Bachelor Fake Fiancé: Christmas Romance Series Page 12