“Go for it, Dahlia. He’s single, unlike that rugged-looking sheriff. I heard he just got married a few months ago to a journalist who came here to write a story about Operation Love,” Gretchen said with a knowing look. “See, ladies. There really are happily-ever-afters in this town.”
Paige walked away from the table with the empty tray in her hands and an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew she had no right to feel territorial about Cameron, but the thought of him settling down with one of these women bothered her deeply. The emotions traveled all the way down to her gut. She wasn’t in love with him anymore, so why did she care so much?
Feeling on edge, she walked back toward the kitchen as she battled against a huge, gnawing feeling in her belly. Rather than dwell on the jealousy eating up her insides, she wanted to focus on something positive. Running into Declan had been a nice surprise. To be greeted so warmly by a friend here in Love restored her hope that one day the townsfolk might view her in a better light. If he was to be believed, she had been missed by many of the villagers.
“Declan seemed mighty glad to see you,” Cameron said, quirking his mouth.
“He hasn’t changed one bit,” Paige said with a chuckle. “He’s something else.”
“That’s for sure,” Cameron muttered. He set a cup down on the counter with a bang.
She couldn’t miss the big frown on Cameron’s face and the fact that he was being short with her. His tone was sharp. After such a nice day when they had actually enjoyed some light moments together, it felt like a slap in the face. Yet another rejection from Cameron. They were back to square one. What had she done? Or had Cameron just remembered that he neither liked nor trusted her?
Paige let out a wounded sigh. She had volunteered to work at the café today because she wanted to put her best foot forward and show Cameron that she could pitch in and help out when needed. Even if he didn’t realize it, she was still part of the fabric of this town. But it didn’t matter, she supposed. No one seemed to recognize that fact but her.
Would she always be considered guilty by association?
“Why don’t you sit down for a bowl of salmon chowder? You’ve been on your feet for hours.” Unbeknownst to her, Cameron had walked up behind her. His voice was full of a gentleness that caught her by surprise.
Salmon chowder? Although she would have liked to turn Cameron’s offer down and leave in a huff, her stomach was growling like a grizzly bear. She had sat down earlier for a grilled vegetable sandwich, but things had been so hectic that she’d barely swallowed a few bites. From what she had observed in the kitchen, Cameron had created an impeccable menu for his establishment. He’d really knocked it out of the park by combining coffee and culinary items such as reindeer pizza, homemade baked goods and mouthwatering sandwiches.
Before she knew it, Cameron had pulled out a chair for her and motioned her to sit down. Paige nodded her head and sat down.
A few seconds later Hazel came to sit beside her. She let out a grunt. “Oh, these dogs are killing me.” She swung her booted feet up onto the chair across from her. “These bones of mine are aching something fierce. Enjoy your youth while you can.”
Paige paused to admire Hazel’s boots. “I remember when those boots were a twinkle in your eye. I’m real proud of you for going the distance and producing them. It sounds like you’re about to make a big splash.”
Hazel threw her arms heavenward. “Can you believe it? You could have knocked me over with a feather when Grace suggested that we mass-produce my boots as a way of earning revenue for the town. Now everyone is all fired up about it. God’s favor is what I call it.”
“Love is blessed to have you,” Paige said.
“That’s mighty kind of you to say, considering the way I treated you,” Hazel said, blinking away tears. “I’m ashamed that I didn’t support you when you needed me. We just all felt so betrayed by Robert. He was a friend of this town. Beloved by all. I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, but it was such a terrible blow. Can’t say if we’ve ever fully recovered from it.”
Paige reached across the table and squeezed Hazel’s hands. “I know how hard hit this town was by what my father did. And I know I can never fully make amends for what happened, but I want to try to make things better. Not just because he asked me to, but for Emma. So she can hold her head up high in this town.”
“Emma will never have a problem being accepted in Love. I’ll see to that,” Cameron said as he put two bowls of salmon chowder down in front of them. He placed a basket of piping-hot bread in the middle of the table along with two root beers. The smell of the bread was so delectable she felt like kissing Cameron for bringing it to them.
Paige looked up and met his intense gaze. She knew without a doubt that his word was bond. She smiled at him, feeling secure in the knowledge that he would always make sure Emma was protected and loved in this town.
Cameron smiled back at her. Even though she tried to keep her cool, it did funny things to her insides. She felt like a giddy schoolgirl. Cameron turned right around and headed back toward the kitchen with the empty tray.
Hazel sent her a questioning look.
Paige shrugged. “When Cameron smiles, he’s pretty irresistible. He gives me mixed signals, though. One moment he’s grinning, while the next he’s a bear. It was easier when I left town and he didn’t care at all about it. At least then I knew where things stood between us.”
“Didn’t care?” Hazel sputtered. “If that man had cared any more, he’d be six feet under.”
Six feet under? “Wh-what are you talking about?”
Hazel let out a huff of air. “Say what you will about Cameron, but when he loves, he loves hard. Losing you was like losing a limb, Paige. He wasn’t eating or sleeping or living in the first few weeks after you left. If you ever tell him I told you, I’ll deny it, but in the beginning he was so torn up he could barely get out of bed.”
Paige felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. Cameron had cut off all communication with her following her departure. After a while she’d stopped trying to reach out to him, knowing her messages were falling on deaf ears. It hurt terribly to discover that he had been as devastated as she had been by their breakup. They had both suffered. And for what? False allegations that had destroyed what could have been a loving family—herself, Cameron and Emma. It was devastating to consider the ripples of the rumors and innuendos lodged against her. And Cameron’s betrayal still sat wedged in her chest. He hadn’t once apologized for pushing her out of town. Matter of fact, she had the feeling that he still believed in her guilt.
What had made her fall under the town’s suspicions in the first place? Her close relationship with her father? The fact that she hadn’t been born and bred in Love? Small towns could be funny about those they viewed as newcomers as opposed to the locals who had taken their first breaths in Love. It was so frustrating to know that her entire destiny had been shaped by a big huge misconception.
She set her spoon down with a clang. “I’m sorry he suffered, Hazel, but he wasn’t the only one. To this day, I have no idea why he turned against me other than that he was influenced by the townsfolk.”
Hazel paused in eating her soup. “I didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers. I just couldn’t let you sit here and say that Cameron didn’t care when I know for a fact he did. And the only one who has answers to that question is Cameron himself.”
They continued to eat in silence until Hazel pushed back from her chair and stood up.
“Well, I’m going to head on out. I’m supposed to be meeting up with Jasper at the mayor’s office. You leaving, too?”
“I’ll be going home in a few minutes. First there’s a few things I’d like to discuss with Cameron.” Her expression must have said it all, since Hazel nodded, picked up her bowl and went toward the kitchen as though her feet were on fire.
She must have exited the back way, since she didn’t make another appearance in the dining area. Paige grunted. Perhaps she was in the kitchen warning Cameron that she was stewing for a talk. Hazel and Cameron were as thick as thieves. More like mother and son than anything.
For the life of her she couldn’t stop thinking about all the unanswered questions she had for Cameron. It just wasn’t right to sandbag someone’s life and never be held accountable.
According to what Hazel had revealed, they had both been suffering broken hearts at the same time. And for what? Cameron’s erroneous belief that she’d somehow been tied up in her father’s schemes? She felt a swell of anger rise over her. It was an emotion she had tried so hard to bury. Anger didn’t allow a person to move forward. She had never wanted to be one of those mothers who was so caught up in bitterness that she allowed it to affect her child. Emma deserved a happy life full of grace and harmony.
Forgiving Cameron for his blindness had been an important step in building a new life. It didn’t mean she had forgotten that he had turned his back on her in her time of need. His actions had let her know in no uncertain terms that any future between them was unthinkable. How could she ever put her faith in a man who had blindsided her in such cruel fashion? Being back in Love and facing Cameron was causing all sorts of emotions to rise to the surface.
And now, with all this fury building up inside her like a slow-burning fire, she needed to snuff it out. And there was only one way to do that. By putting Cameron on the spot and asking him the specifics about two years ago. In order to fully get closure on the whole situation, she needed answers.
The heavy tread of Cameron’s footsteps interrupted her thoughts. He was standing next to the table, looking at her with a quizzical expression. “What happened to Hazel? She blew out of here like a Category 3 hurricane,” he said with a tilt of his head.
“I think she knew I wanted to talk to you and she didn’t want to get caught in the cross fire.”
Cameron narrowed his gaze. “Cross fire? Sounds serious.”
“It is serious. To me.”
She stood up from the table and walked in his direction, quickly swallowing up the space between them. They needed to be on equal footing for this discussion.
He was standing there with his arms folded across his chest. She had to look up at him, and that immediately made her feel vulnerable. He was tall and imposing. She suddenly wished that she were a whole lot taller than her five feet seven inches. She folded her arms around her middle and jutted her chin at him. Her body bristled with fury.
“So tell me, Cameron. What exactly did I do to make you doubt me? To make you believe I could actually steal from this town and sandbag the cannery deal? To cause you to run me out of town? After all this time, I think I deserve some answers.”
* * *
Cameron knew a moment of reckoning when it was staring him straight in the face. The fiery glint in Paige’s hazel eyes served as a warning that she wouldn’t be satisfied with mere platitudes.
What could he say to justify his actions? That she had appeared guilty? That he had been easily swayed by town sentiment? No. That made it sound as if he hadn’t harbored suspicions on his own. He wasn’t going to throw the town under the bus. The truth was his only option.
“When I found out about Robert’s embezzlement of the funds, I was blindsided. And completely and utterly devastated. It broke me.” Tears pricked his eyes. “Your father was my mentor and one of my closest friends. In many ways he was a father figure to me, especially since my own father has been in and out of my life so much. I thought he pretty much hung the moon.” He couldn’t stop his voice from trembling with emotion. This was the stuff he kept hidden away from the world. The raw emotions that were tied in to loss, betrayal and abandonment. Robert Reynolds’s betrayal hadn’t been just a matter of dollars and cents. It had been deeply personal.
“Because I worked so closely with him on the project, all eyes turned to me when he disappeared. What did I know? When did I know it? Was I involved in the scheme? Was my girlfriend in on it? And then your name started to get tossed around. Everyone in town knew what a close relationship the two of you shared. It was almost inconceivable to think that you weren’t aware of what was going on. You shared a home. He was your best friend.”
“No, Cameron,” Paige interrupted. “He wasn’t my best friend. You were.”
Her words sliced through him like a knife. He actually felt a physical pain in his side. Yes. Paige was right. Part of the beauty of their relationship had been the tight friendship they had shared even before the romance had ever started. He took a deep, steadying breath. Even though hashing things out was painful, he had to get it all out. He had to tell her everything. After two years he needed to be straight with her.
He cleared his throat. “The truth is, I kept thinking about all the purchases you had made around that time. You were only working part-time as a consultant, but it seemed as if you were flush with money. The new car. A host of new outfits. Jewelry. The Hawaii trip.”
Paige winced. She shook her head. “I can’t believe you thought I used stolen funds. I received money from my mother’s estate, Cameron. It was turned over to me on my twenty-fifth birthday. And I plan to turn it over to Emma on her twenty-first birthday so she’ll have a nest egg. I was a little foolish with some of the money at the time, but it was mine to use.”
Bile rose in his throat. Paige had never divulged to him that she had money from a trust fund.
“It also seemed incredible to me that you had no idea where he’d gone when he disappeared from Love. Or that he hadn’t reached out to you,” Cameron added. He let out a huge shudder. “As much as Robert adored you, it just seemed impossible to believe that you didn’t have those answers. It felt like you were hiding things from us so we couldn’t pursue legal action against him. Or that you had planned to meet up with him the whole time.”
Tears slid down Paige’s face and he resisted the urge to brush them away. Honesty came at a price, he realized. He’d hurt Paige by giving her the truthful answers she’d been seeking. All he wanted to do in this moment was take her into his arms and hold her against his chest to soothe her tears. He took a halting step forward, then stopped.
Did he still have the right to comfort her?
“But I didn’t know his whereabouts. I promise you. He told me nothing,” Paige insisted. “It wasn’t until months later that he showed up in Seattle telling me he had only a few months to live. I took him in because he was sick and dying and remorseful. No matter what he had done, I forgave him in that moment. I extended grace to him, knowing his life was ebbing away with every breath he took. So if I’m guilty of anything, it’s that. For giving my father a place to stay and for taking care of him instead of turning him in to the authorities. I admit that I did those things.”
Years ago, even months ago, he would have felt scornful about Paige’s explanation for harboring her father. But now, after holding his own daughter in his arms, all he felt was compassion. For a daughter who had a generous heart and a man who knew his time in this world had been coming to an end. And what an end it had been for Robert. Ravaged by cancer and vilified for being a thief and a liar. He wouldn’t wish that kind of downfall on any human being, especially not a man who had taught him so much about life.
“I can’t fault you for loving your father,” Cameron blurted out. “I’m glad you could provide him comfort in his final weeks.”
Paige’s eyes widened. She wasn’t the only one shocked by his statement. He’d managed to surprise himself with the admission. Mere days ago he wouldn’t have been able to say these words. His resentment toward Robert and Paige had been too strong and too ingrained in his very being.
Once Paige had stepped foot back in Love with his daughter, something had shifted inside him. Talking to Boone earlier had cemented it. Paige might very well
be innocent. He was no longer certain of her culpability. Two years ago there had been such a frenzy over Robert Reynolds and the embezzled money that everyone in Love had wanted to place blame. Paige had been the perfect scapegoat. He had to own his part in it. Rather than shout down the accusations, he had been so twisted up inside by Robert’s betrayal that he’d allowed himself to believe in Paige’s guilt. And he realized now that she had paid the ultimate price for her father’s crimes.
“Since you came back, I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure things out. It shames me to admit that I made assumptions about you, Paige. You were as much a victim as everybody else in this town. Maybe even more. You were driven out of your hometown based on suspicions and accusations. Because of what happened, you lost faith in your father. And that’s a terrible thing. I’ve been down that road myself with both my parents. I know what a kick in the gut it is.”
“I wish that I could say I understand completely, but I don’t,” Paige said in a low voice. “We loved each other. You were the other half of me. How could you have forgotten what we meant to each other?”
Cameron clenched his teeth. “I didn’t forget. I’ve never forgotten. Not then. Not now. I allowed my suspicions and anger to color my view of things. I’ll have to live with my colossal mistake, and someday I’ll have to explain it to Emma.”
Paige’s chin trembled. She looked down and fumbled with her fingers. “I wasn’t treated fairly by you or this town. I’m glad you are able to acknowledge that you were wrong. I hope one day soon the town will be able to recognize that I was innocent of wrongdoing. I want that for myself, but also for our daughter.”
Cameron had no idea if the townsfolk were at a point where they could see the error in their judgment of her. After believing Paige to be guilty for so long, it felt a little strange to let it all go. But, he had to admit, he felt as if a mighty weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
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