by Rachel Hanna
Why wasn’t he arguing with her?
* * *
The next few hours were spent showing Lucas his new room and getting Nancy all set up in the guest house. Cameron opted to leave Piper and her family alone so they could reconnect and enjoy each other’s company.
It was getting dark outside by the time he heard a knock at his door.
“Come in,” he called, figuring it was Hector giving him the final numbers for the spreadsheet.
“I’ve missed you today,” he heard Piper say softly. He couldn’t help but smile as she approached and put her hands on his shoulders from behind. “What are you doing?”
He quickly shut his laptop lid and twirled around in his chair, pulling her sideways onto his lap. “Nothing,” he said before he slid his hand up her right cheek and pulled her lips to his. He could definitely get used to this - Piper sitting on his lap, her lips on his, the sunset streaming through his bedroom window.
Piper pulled back and looked at him. “Please don’t lie to me, Cameron. What was that?” she asked, pointing to the laptop.
He sighed. “I started writing.”
“A book?” she asked, a smile spreading across her face.
“Yes. But I didn’t want you to know because I don’t even know if it’s good…”
“I don’t care if it’s good. I’m just thrilled to see you following your dream!” She leaned in and kissed him deeply. “I’m so proud of you.”
“How did this happen, Piper?” he asked with a laugh.
“How did what happen?”
“How did we go from hating each other to… this?” He pointed at her sitting on his lap.
Piper giggled. “You know what they say. There’s a thin line between love and hate.”
A knock at the door interrupted their moment.
“Piper!” Her mother’s voice was loud, insistent and full of anxiety.
Piper jumped up and opened the door. Her mother, a frantic look on her face, was standing there holding Lucas’s hand.
“What’s wrong?”
Nancy leaned in and whispered. “Johnny. He’s here.”
Cameron pushed past and went straight downstairs and out the front door. Johnny stood there, a smirk on his face as he stood on the front porch smoking a cigarette.
“Where’s my son?” he said, coming face to face with Cameron. For the first time in Cameron’s life, he could see himself punching someone’s lights out, and Johnny seemed to be a fine specimen for that.
“You agreed that tomorrow would be the day you visited, so you need to leave before I call the police.”
“He’s my son,” Johnny said through gritted teeth.
“And this is my property. Get back in your truck and get out of here.”
“No. Go ahead and call the police. Scare the poor kid with a bunch of cop cars…”
“I’ve got this, Cameron,” Piper said as she cracked open the door and came outside. The porch light had just turned on as dusk turned to night. Cameron stepped just inside the front door, determined to act the moment Piper needed him.
* * *
It was the last thing Piper wanted to do. She had wanted her son to have one peaceful night before confusion set in. But Johnny wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t give up. She thought about the irony in that. If he’d cared that much at the beginning, his son would know him already.
She knew he had a plan. A game of some kind.
“I just want to meet my son, Piper,” he repeated as they stood on the porch.
“Fine. But you can’t tell him your his father. He will be way too overwhelmed and confused. Agreed?” she asked, knowing full well Johnny couldn’t be trusted most of the time.
“I want him to know who I am,” Johnny said, flicking his cigarette ashes onto the porch. Piper had always hated his smoking habit.
“Eventually, but not tonight. We need to ease into this,” she said, squaring her shoulders to let him know she wasn’t playing around on this.
He breathed hard through his nose, almost grunting and relented. “Okay. But we tell him soon.”
Piper reluctantly opened the front door. Cameron was standing there at the ready, but her mother and Lucas weren’t in sight.
“Where are they?” she whispered to Cameron. He nodded toward the living room.
Piper led Johnny to the living room. Nancy was sitting on the sofa watching Lucas play with a remote control car. He was happily oblivious to the turmoil his mother was going through at that moment.
“Lucas?” she called to him.
“Yes?” he asked without looking up.
“Honey, I need you to come over here and meet a friend of mine…” She struggled to say he was her friend, but could think of no other easy way to explain the stranger standing in their living room right now.
Lucas walked over and smiled up at Johnny. They looked so much alike that it was eerie, and Piper could see the surprise on Johnny’s face when he saw his son. He almost looked… interested.
“Hi. I’m Lucas.”
Johnny’s breath seemed to catch in his throat for a moment. He squatted down and ruffled Lucas’s hair.
“Hey, little dude. You’re mighty handsome.”
“Thanks,” Lucas said, looking at his mother for reassurance. Piper smiled at him.
“You like cars?”
“Yes, sir. And trucks too.”
“Cool. Can I play?” Johnny asked. Lucas nodded and led him across the living room. The two sat down on the floor and started talking about cars and trucks.
Piper felt sick. She really wanted to throw up. Her mother put her arm around her and Cameron backed away a bit to give them all space.
They were a family. Like it or not, he was the outsider here.
* * *
Cameron sat at the top of the steps listening to the activity in the living room for over an hour. At first, the tension was thick, like the black smoke they’d crawled through during the fire. Then it seemed to ease up, and he heard Lucas laughing with his father.
And he’d heard Piper telling a few stories, almost reminiscing about the good old days.
It made him uneasy. But he also knew a boy needed his father. He’d missed his own father for so many years, and maybe Lucas would have the chance to have his father around.
Cameron finally went back to his room and fired up his laptop again, hoping to get more words on the page before bedtime. But his creativity was squashed and he could only think about Piper.
When his phone rang, he considered it a welcome sound to break the monotony of staring at his blinking cursor.
“Hello?”
“Cam! Thank goodness. I’ve been calling you for hours,” his assistant, Susan, said.
“Sorry. I had my phone off for awhile.”
“Listen, I’ve got major news. And I know you’re stuck at that farm for awhile longer, but this is huge!”
“Okay. What’s up?”
“Well, I didn’t want to tell you until I knew for sure, but I got confirmation today. Jed Millway wants to sign with us!”
Cameron almost dropped the phone. Jed Millway was a New York Times bestselling author, and his books were almost always instantly made into movies. Signing him meant he could save his publishing house and finally be considered legitimate in the publishing world.
“Are you serious?” Cameron said. “If we sign him, that changes everything.”
“I know! It’s so exciting!” Susan said, giggling on the other end of the line.
Cameron stopped pacing his room and sat down on the edge of his bed, quietly considering his options for a moment. On the one hand, if he signed Millway, he would have to go back to New York soon and throw himself into his publishing company.
On the other hand, if he stayed in Whiskey Ridge, he would be giving up his publishing business on the off chance that he could make it as a writer while running the family business.
And then there was Piper. And Lucas. And now Johnny?
“Cam, you still with
me?” Susan asked. She was a rough-around-the-edges kind of New Yorker, her voice deeper than his.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m still here. Listen, can we chat more tomorrow? I’ve got a lot to think about.”
“A lot to think about? What in the world could you need to think about? Without this deal, we’re as good as sunk. You know that.”
“Susan, I’m still your boss, you know,” he said.
“Not if the whole company closes. Look, Cam, I’m going to be honest here. I’m worried about my job, and the staff.”
“I promise you guys will be okay no matter what.”
“Why does it sound like you’re saying goodbye?” she asked.
Cameron sighed. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
* * *
Piper walked to the fountain in the center of the garden between the greenhouses. It was quickly becoming her favorite place on the property because it allowed her quiet time and peace.
Until today.
“Mommy! Did you see that goldfish?” Lucas exclaimed in a high pitched squeal.
“It’s called a koi fish,” she said as she peered over the edge of the pond. “I’ve named him Ralphie. And that one is Squiggy.”
“Those are silly names, Mommy,” Lucas said with a giggle.
He was adjusting quite nicely to living there, and she had already registered him for school. He’d be starting in just another few days, but his absence during the day would allow her the time to get back to work and finally get some rhythm to her daily life.
But the problem of Johnny was weighing heavily on her mind. He had come over the last three days in a row, and Lucas seemed to enjoy spending time with him, although he still had no idea who he was. They’d taken a walk - with Piper trailing behind, of course. They’d fished in the pond - with Piper hiding out in the bushes nearby. They’d even ridden in the golf cart, but Piper was sitting on the back.
There was no way she was trusting Johnny with Lucas yet. And maybe she never would.
A part of her had hoped he was a changed man, although some things hadn’t changed. He was still cocky and arrogant. He was still a heavy smoker. And he still didn’t have a job.
When she’d asked him about his inability to hold a job, he said he was a “free spirit” and just hadn’t found his “thing” yet. When she had asked how he supported himself, he’d changed the subject.
“Hey, guys,” Cameron said from behind with a smile. She had barely seen him in the last few days, the whirlwind of Johnny being around really cramping their budding romance.
“Hey!” she said, happy to see his face. He didn’t look at her the same way, though. He seemed cordial, but distant.
“Hi,” Lucas said, barely looking up as he continued looking at the fish. “Mommy, can I climb that tree?” he asked, pointing at a large magnolia tree with low hanging branches. She nodded and he ran away, happily giggling in the process.
She looked at Cameron and smiled before she sat down on the concrete bench installed next to the pond. Cameron slowly walked over and sat down beside her.
“How’ve you been?” he asked softly.
“Frantic. Stressed. Confused.”
He nodded. “I can understand that. Sometimes things change quickly and they’re out of our control.”
“Yeah, Johnny is one of those things,” she said. “I just don’t know what to do. He’s a loose cannon, always has been. I keep wishing that he’ll grow up, be responsible. But I doubt it.”
“We can go to Mr. Dylan…” he offered.
“No. Not yet anyway,” she said. “There’s this tiny little part of me that wonders what Lucas will say when he sixteen years old and I told his father to stay away. I don’t want him to resent me.”
“I understand that, Piper, but what if his father is a negative influence in his life? Then you’re protecting him.”
She nodded. “I know, but the thing is… Johnny seems to be showing a real interest. At first, I thought he had some angle, but now I’m not so sure.”
Cameron patted her leg before standing up. “You’ll make the right decision. Trust your gut.”
With that, she watched him walk back toward the house and her stomach tightened. Something was going on, and she had no idea what it was.
Chapter 11
Cameron was conflicted as he sat at the small desk in his room. On the one hand, he could go back to New York and pick up where he left off - working with authors, building his business. Only now he didn’t have the financial concerns hanging over his head. He would be able to fund his business for a long time to come and write his own books if he wanted.
On the other hand, he could give up New York to stay in Whiskey Ridge and run the business alongside a woman he was falling for fast.
But there was the complication of Johnny now. And maybe they needed to be a family again. Maybe that was best for Lucas in the long run, although he couldn’t possibly see how.
He’d managed to put Susan off for the last couple of days as he thought about his situation, but he couldn’t hold off forever. Jed Millway would move on to another publisher if he didn’t do something soon.
He decided to do what he always did when he had a decision to make and he was in Whiskey Ridge - he took the golf cart to his favorite spot.
* * *
Cameron sat looking at the mountains in the distance and sighed. Whiskey Ridge was heaven on Earth to him. It fed his soul in a way no other place could or would.
He thought about what it would be like to sit there with his laptop, writing novels that truly made a difference in the world. And then he thought about the hectic nature of living in the city, and how his days were spent downing copious amounts of coffee and rushing between meetings.
“Hello, Cameron,” he heard from beside him. Shockingly, it was Hector. He climbed up into the golf cart and stared ahead.
“Hey.”
“Deep in thought?”
“Kind of,” Cameron said, reaching down and taking a sip from his insulated coffee mug.
“I remember this was your place to come as a kid,” Hector said, a warm smile spreading over his face.
“Yeah. I’ve always loved this spot.”
Hector cleared his throat. “You love her?”
“Who?” Cameron asked with a chuckle.
“Miss Piper.”
Cameron’s throat tightened. Hector always knew just how to cut to the chase.
“I… um…”
“You don’t have to answer,” Hector said smiling. “But if you hurt her, you will have to answer to me.”
With that, he jumped down from the golf cart and walked away, whistling a tune. Cameron shook his head and laughed before he plopped his forehead onto the steering wheel.
* * *
Piper stood at the front of the school and watched Lucas walk away. She was nervous for herself and nervous for him. What if he didn’t like it? What if the other kids bullied him or he hated his teachers?
For several minutes after the door shut, she stood there waiting for him to come running out with his arms open wide. But he didn’t.
She didn’t want to look like a crazy stalker or obsessed mother, so she finally started walking away. Still, she wanted to stay close just in case he needed her, so she decided to walk to the diner and have a cup of coffee.
“Good morning, Piper! You’re here bright and early,” Candy said with a big smile.
“Just dropped Lucas off for his first day of school,” she said.
“Oh, I see. That’s why you look so anxious. Well, don’t you worry. Whiskey Ridge Elementary is the best school in this area. He’ll do fine. Who’s his teacher?”
Piper sat down at her usual able. “Miss Colton.”
“Oh, wonderful! Miss Colton has been there for at least twenty years. She taught my son and daughter. Lucas will love her.”
Piper breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Thank you for saying that.”
“I’ll grab your coffee. Breakfast?”
&nbs
p; “No, thanks. Just the coffee.”
She pulled a file folder out of her purse and started working on some numbers for the rose business, but her mind was focused on Lucas and the impending deadline of her partnership with Cameron. She still had no idea what he was going to decide to do about his share, and she was afraid to ask for fear that he would think she was pushing him.
They’d kissed a few times, but that had stopped since Johnny had shown up on the scene. He was like a big wet blanket than snuffed out the joy in her life.
“Hello,” she heard Johnny say from in front of her. How had he slipped into her booth without her noticing?
“What, Johnny?” She didn’t even bother looking up as that might have given the erroneous impression that she wanted him to continue engaging with her.
“Is that any way to greet your son’s father?”
“Would you rather I slapped you or stabbed you with this butter knife then?” She gave him a smirk and looked back down.
“I thought we were getting along?” he said, leaning back in the booth.
She looked up. “We’re getting along in front of our son. When he’s not around, I consider you to be like a fungus that I can’t get rid of.”
“Come on, Pipes… Piper. Sorry.” She gave him a look of warning. “I think we both know what’s happening here.” Suddenly, he reached across the table and captured one of her hands between his two large hands and held it. She tried to pull back, but couldn’t.
“Let go of my hand.”
“Just hear me out, okay?” he continued holding her hand. She didn’t want to make a scene, so she relented and gave him a look of boredom. “I think Lucas would be so much better off if his parents…”
“Oh, dear God…”
“Got back together…”
She finally yanked her hand away and wiped it on the leg of her jeans. “Are you freaking kidding me right now?”
“No. I’m not kidding. Piper, we were in love once…”
“We were kids. And you were, and still are, an idiot. And right now, you’re seriously pushing your luck with me.”