With her thick Coke-bottle glasses, she had been long-rumored to be unable to see very much of anything, although she’d had no difficulty spotting Paige. She knew from experience that what the older woman didn’t see with her own eyes she made up with her fanciful imagination. It was important to tread lightly with Myrtle. The last thing she needed in this world was to be the subject of unfounded gossip. From what Paige remembered, Myrtle dished up dirt the way Cameron provided coffee drinks in the café. Hot and steaming.
She forced herself to smile. “Yes, I’m back,” she said, her voice filled with false cheer. Myrtle Maplethorpe had always got under her skin. She was an uncharitable, mean-spirited woman masquerading as a paragon. Paige knew people like this were dangerous.
“And rumor has it you brought a baby back with you,” Myrtle continued in a scandalized tone. She made a tutting sound and shook her head. “I can’t believe you kept that poor child separated from her father for so long.” She arched an eyebrow at Paige. “If he is indeed the father.”
Paige opened her mouth to tell Myrtle that she could take a flying leap off the town pier, as far as she was concerned. All of a sudden Cameron was there standing beside her. His hand reached for her arm in a familiar gesture that was meant to rein her in. “Well, hello there, Myrtle. You’re looking lovely in that purple turban,” Cameron gushed.
Myrtle swatted her hand in his direction. “Oh, stop your flattery. You could charm the birds right out of the trees, Cameron Prescott.” She peeped out at him from over her glasses. “I was just chatting with Paige here about how shockingly she has acted in the secret-baby department. Imagine keeping something so vital from a father who hails from one of Love’s founding families!”
“If I’ve learned anything at all about life, Myrtle, it’s that things aren’t always what they seem.” He narrowed his gaze at her. “What really matters is that I’m the proud father of a little girl. I’m so happy about it I could do backflips.”
Myrtle blinked furiously a few times. She looked back and forth between them, then cleared her throat. “I—I see. I’m rather pleased that you’re stepping up to heed the call of fatherhood. Some of us might want to throw you a baby shower.”
Cameron’s eyes went wide and he began to stammer. “Th-that’s awfully sweet of you, Myrtle, but Emma has everything she needs.”
Myrtle cut her eyes at Cameron, then looked away from him. She snapped her menu open with a flourish. “I’ll have the Alaskan omelet with a side of hash browns and a coffee, black, no sugar.”
Paige scribbled her order down and said in a chirpy voice, “Coming right up, hot off the griddle.”
She turned on her heel and hurried toward the kitchen so she could put the order in with Magda, the new cook. According to Cameron, Magda had recently arrived in town with the hopes of finding her other half in the wilds of Alaska as a participant in Operation Love. She was tall and solid with long dark hair she wore in pigtails. And she could cook like nobody’s business. After placing the order in the rotation, Paige turned around and came face-to-face with Cameron. He was eyeing her with a concerned expression etched on his face.
“Thanks for not losing your cool with Myrtle. She said some pretty offensive things, from what I overheard.”
“You didn’t have to step in like that. She’s nothing but a busybody. I can take my lumps from Myrtle,” Paige said, a hint of impatience in her voice.
Cameron knit his brow. “You shouldn’t have to. None of it is any of her business, for starters. Just because she deems herself the social maven of this town doesn’t mean she can barrel her way into your personal life. She’s been gossiping so long I’m surprised her jaw isn’t swollen shut from talking too much.”
Paige snickered. She covered her mouth out of fear she might let loose with a rip-roaring hoot of laughter. The corners of Cameron’s mouth began to twitch. The sight of it caused her to chuckle even harder until she was in full-on belly-busting-laughter mode. She clutched her stomach as waves of mirth rolled through her. The more she thought about Myrtle with her purple turban and her thick glasses, the more she couldn’t stop herself from giggling. The idea of her being unable to speak was downright hilarious.
Hazel strode into the back hallway, stopping short when she caught sight of them. She threw her hands on her hips. “Sorry to break up this laughathon, but we’ve got hungry customers out there,” Hazel barked.
Paige swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand while Cameron straightened his posture and took a calming breath. Hazel looked back and forth between the two of them. She shook her head, then walked toward the kitchen with a few order slips in her hand.
“We should get back out there,” Cameron said in a bemused voice. His lips were still twitching with merriment.
“We should,” Paige agreed, wishing this lighthearted moment between them could stretch for a bit longer. This was the first time in a very long while that she’d felt as if the parts of Cameron she had always loved best still existed. He wasn’t as humorless and somber as he appeared to be. He wasn’t all doubts and frowns. There was still a lightness and a humor inside him. It hadn’t been destroyed by her father’s betrayal and lies. Despite all he’d been through and the hard shell he wore as a defense mechanism, he was still the man she had fallen in love with all those years ago.
Ever since she was seventeen years old, she had worn her heart on her sleeve when it came to Cameron Prescott. Those days were over. All it had got her was pain, betrayal and disillusionment. It hurt her to remember how he had once meant the world to her. She missed being in love with someone. And even though it felt nice to be sharing a sweet moment, she couldn’t allow herself to forget that loving him had already shredded her to pieces once before. She was determined to never let it happen again.
* * *
Cameron spent the rest of the afternoon forcing himself not to stare at Paige as she took orders, serviced customers and hustled back and forth to the kitchen. She was handling the current situation with such grace and integrity. Several times he’d wanted to intervene when a customer had a few choice words for her. In each and every instance Paige had found the perfect words to defuse the situation. She’d been humble and genuine in addressing the sins of her father, while making it clear she didn’t intend to be criticized for his actions.
Paige seemed incredibly sincere. Had he misjudged her?
“What’s wrong with you?” Hazel asked as she walked past him with a tray of used plates and utensils. “You look like the sky is falling.”
“Nothing.” He shook his head, hoping to shake off all his worries. He threw his hands up in the air as a feeling of helplessness washed over him. For two years he had worked so hard to get his life in order. Now it felt as if everything was out of his control. Paige was making him question whether he had been on the wrong side of things when she was deemed guilty by the town. “The truth is, Paige’s return is reminding me of everything I lost when she left Love. And just when I thought my life was getting back on track, now I find myself scratching my head about the future. I suddenly have a daughter that needs to take center stage in my life.” He brushed his hand over his face. “Things in my world are suddenly more complicated than ever.”
“Life is complicated,” Hazel said. “The good Lord never promised us a cakewalk.”
“You’ve got that right. I grew up hearing Jasper say that you have to walk through the valley to get to the mountaintop. Don’t tell him I said so, but now more than ever I’m learning to appreciate his wisdom.”
Hazel cackled. “I won’t tell him. My honey muffin already has a slight ego. No need to inflate it like a balloon.” She patted Cameron on the arm. “Keep in mind that sometimes the things that bless us the most are the ones that come straight out of the blue without any warning.” She beamed at him. “Like that precious child of yours.”
Cameron grinned at t
he thought of his daughter. Hazel was right to remind him of the blessing. Emma was just about as perfect as one could imagine. Innocent. Full of hope and promise. He never wanted her to suffer even the slightest bit for the choices he and Paige had made. He wanted her to rise and soar like an eagle. And he needed to make it clear to Paige that he was committed to doing whatever it took to give Emma the life she deserved.
“Why, if it isn’t the most gorgeous woman who ever lived and breathed.” The loud voice carried through the café like a foghorn. Cameron didn’t even have to glance over to know who had come barreling into his establishment. Declan O’Rourke was like clockwork. Pretty much the same time every day, he came in for an afternoon latte. More times than not, Boone joined him.
“Declan!” Paige cried out. Cameron watched from across the room as Declan leaned down for a hug and wrapped Paige up in his long arms, then spun her around for good measure. Cameron felt a wild urge to punch him in the nose. Declan might have been Boone’s best friend and a lifelong pal, but the sight of him hugging Paige felt like being doused with a bucket of ice-cold water. At six foot two, with a head of blond hair and movie-star good looks, Declan had always been the golden boy. The one most likely to make ladies’ hearts flutter. He was also an honorary member of the Prescott family.
Declan had never made a secret of his affection for Paige. He’d always flirted shamelessly with her. Back when Paige was Cameron’s girlfriend, it hadn’t bothered him, since he’d never doubted her devotion to him. Now Declan threatened to make him lose every ounce of composure he still had.
With a sour feeling in his gut, he turned away from the sight of them, focusing instead on the lunch specials for the rest of the week. Even though he was trying to concentrate on the menu, all he could hear was the loud drone of Declan’s voice.
Before he knew it, Boone had sidled up to him. “You know it doesn’t mean anything. He’s just being Declan. He was flirting with pretty girls back in kindergarten.”
Cameron shrugged. “I don’t have a claim on Paige. If Declan wants to chase after her, that’s his business.”
Boone folded his arms across his chest and rocked back on his heels. “He’s not exactly chasing after her, Cameron. They’re simply catching up on old times.”
“What part of I don’t care don’t you understand?” he spit out. Boone was buzzing around him like a gnat at the moment, serving no other purpose than to annoy him.
Boone grunted. “You can try to sell that story somewhere else, little brother—to someone who hasn’t known you your entire life.”
Cameron turned his head to look at Boone. “What do you want me to say? That I feel like walking over there and knocking his teeth out?”
Boone narrowed his gaze. “I don’t need you to say anything. Just listen for a second. I almost lost Gracie due to false pride and not wanting to take a chance at loving again.” He shook his head, a fierce expression stamped on his face. “Take a lesson from me. If you still love Paige, don’t waste another minute rehashing the past or creating problems where there aren’t any. Do it for Emma. Show her the power that exists when two people commit themselves to one another for life.”
“It’s not that simple,” Cameron said. He cast a quick glance over at Paige. Her head was thrown back in merriment as she laughed at something Declan had said to her. She looked relaxed and happy. A tight feeling settled over his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been able to make her feel that way.
Boone followed the path of his gaze. “And why not?”
“I loved Paige years ago, but a lot of water has flowed under that bridge. I’m sure you remember that when she left town, it wasn’t of her own accord.”
“I remember,” Boone said with a solemn nod. “She was practically run out on a rail.”
Cameron swung his gaze back toward his brother. “I was the one who gave her the final push to leave. There were a lot of things that had me convinced she was in collusion with her father. Things I haven’t been able to forget. Big-ticket items she purchased, trips, jewelry. All of which I suspect she couldn’t have afforded on her salary.”
“None of which is concrete proof of her guilt,” Boone said. “I’ll admit I had suspicions in the past about Paige, but after seeing her desire to make things right here in town and your beautiful little girl, it’s forced me to reflect on things. God placed her right in your path again. From where I’m standing, it looks like you have another shot to get it right.”
“It’s not as if we can just pick up where we left off. Because of everything that took place two years ago, I lost fourteen months of my daughter’s life. Pushing Paige out of town had consequences. Every time I look at Paige, I’m consumed by so much guilt and regret. I need some time to process all of these feelings.”
Boone clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re a good man. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Wallowing in the past won’t move you toward your future.”
His future. He didn’t know exactly what that meant. No doubt it would be full of diapers and sippy cups and all kinds of girlie things he had no clue about. Taffeta and lace. Pink teddy bears and tiaras. Dolls and tea parties. He pressed his eyes closed as anxiety gnawed at him. Was he up for the challenges of fatherhood? He was coming at it late in the game. He wasn’t so sure it would be easy to play catch-up.
He still hadn’t discussed any specifics with Paige. Would Emma be growing up here in Love or back in Seattle? Was he going to be raising his daughter long-distance or sharing custody with Paige? His heart ached at the thought of how confusing two households in different states would be. His own parents’ divorce had shattered his childhood, and when his mother had left Alaska for greener pastures, it had left a hole inside him that nothing or no one had ever been able to fill. Throw in a father who had rambled all over the world, only returning home when it suited him, and the situation had amounted to nothing more than a fine mess.
His own life had been shaped by parental abandonment. He’d struggled for so many years with feelings of loss and unworthiness. The thought of making Emma experience those same emotions gutted him. And he knew a part of him resented Paige for creating another loss in his life.
“Truth is, everything feels like it’s crashing down on me at once. It’s not like there’s a road map pointing me in a specific direction,” he admitted.
Boone made a tutting sound. “If you don’t see the possibilities, I’m afraid you’re going to blow this opportunity to smithereens.”
“Opportunity for what? I’m a little skeptical about happily-ever-afters,” he scoffed. “Our parents didn’t exactly give us a lot of hope for one.”
Boone clucked his tongue. “If you have to ask that question, something tells me you’re not ready yet to embrace the big picture.” Boone pointed his chin in Paige’s direction. “Just don’t wait too long to decide what you want. In a town with a shortage of women, there are plenty of men here in Love who won’t hesitate to court Paige.”
After shooting him a pointed look, Boone ambled off to join Declan at his table. Cameron shook his head at his brother’s retreating figure. Since Boone was now ecstatically in love and married to his one and only, it was easy for him to dole out relationship advice. Boone was viewing things through rose-colored glasses. He wasn’t acknowledging all of the very real obstacles that stood between him and Paige. How could he forge something new with Paige when he still questioned her role in the embezzlement that had rocked his hometown? And it was no small issue that she had kept his daughter’s existence from him for all this time.
Cameron wished he still believed in things like white picket fences and dream houses with views of the mountains. He wished that things weren’t so complicated with the only woman he had ever loved. A life without Paige had already proved to be a life with less color and zest. Making it through these past two years without her had brought him to his knees.
He had emerged on the other side, but surely not a better man than the one who had loved so gloriously. And been loved in return.
He wasn’t sure that he and Paige could ever get there again. Not when their past had been littered with so much friction and lying and judgment. Sometimes it was best to accept things the way they were and move on. Maybe this was one of those occasions, he realized.
And that knowledge was all kinds of heartbreaking to him.
Chapter Six
Paige smiled at the group of women who were seated at a large table by the window. There were six of them in all, and from what she’d gathered of their conversation, they were all participants in the Operation Love program. The women had come from Maine, Louisiana, Texas and Idaho to find love and companionship with the single bachelors in Love.
Paige placed a basketful of blueberry muffins and scones down on the table, along with a pot of hot water and an assortment of teas. The ladies smiled at her and murmured a round of thank-yous.
The one named Gretchen darted a glance behind Paige. “There he is. He’s the most handsome man in this whole town.” Gretchen put her elbow on the table, then placed her jaw on her hand so she could stare moon-eyed into the distance.
“And he owns this café,” the dark-haired woman with glasses chimed in.
“Why do you think I suggested having tea here? Great food and an even greater view,” Gretchen said. All the women giggled.
Cameron! Of course they had their eye on him. After all, he was a single, gorgeous Alaskan male. A hottie, according to the ladies. Paige’s chest tightened. Her cheeks suddenly felt warm. She fought against a sudden urge to tell the women to back off. The feeling terrified her since she had no claim on Cameron. Sure, he was Emma’s father, but he was no longer hers. She had no right to be upset, although her out-of-control pulse hadn’t quite got the message.
“And what about that pilot with the killer smile?” another of the ladies asked. “I couldn’t take my eyes off him.”
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