The next picture was a closeup of Cam’s face. Wrinkles around his eyes and mouth were circled with a note to our photo editor to enhance them to make him look more tired. He is just a story was scrolled on the side in Mara’s loopy cursive.
The side door to the auditorium banged open, the clank echoing through the acoustics, making Lydia startle. She tucked the pictures deep into her bag and pulled out her camera, taking a test shot to get the lighting right.
“See, Maddie? Calm down, I told you we’d make it in time.”
Maddie’s cheeks were red, streaked with frustration. Her arms were crossed, shoulders tensed by her ears as she stomped in. Cam followed behind her with his young arm candy at his heels. Click. Cam halted and Callie bumped into him.
“Oh,” he said, mouth flicking into a smile. “Hi.”
Lydia took her sweater off and put it on her seat along with her bag to reserve it in case any of these small-town reporters were pushy enough to try to steal her place. “Hi,” she said back. “I see you managed to clean up a bit.” She looked to Callie. “Both of you.”
Callie bounced over, now dressed in tight jeans and long-sleeved shirt that cut into a deep V—and Lydia hated to admit that the cleavage revealed was more than impressive. “Those shoes are to die for,” Callie said, looking her outfit up and down in a much less scrutinizing way.
“Um, thanks.”
“Can I sit next to you during the show?”
“Show?”
“Press-thingy. Whatever.” She rolled her eyes with a dismissive hand gesture.
Lydia pretended as though Callie hadn’t just asked to sit next to her and instead she walked over to Maddie. “You okay, kid?”
“We’re late!” she said, throwing her hands up, frustrated tears dancing in her eyes.
“Do you see any of the reporters here?” Cam challenged.
“I see one.” Maddie gestured to Lydia with an angry, outstretched arm. A chuckle rose in Lydia’s throat, but she swallowed it down.
“Other than her. She’s always around,” he said with a wink.
Lydia stepped back. Had he really just winked at her with Callie sitting right there? Who was this guy? Where was the sweet, quiet, charming man who was good with his hands and even better with his lips?
Ignoring Cam, Lydia crouched down to Maddie’s level. “I’ll let you in on another industry secret,” she said. “You’re the star today, Maddie. No one’s going to start without you, okay?”
After a moment, Maddie looked back at Lydia, those brown eyes still full of concern, but a little more confident. “Okay,” she said.
“You’re going to do great. And then tonight and Saturday are the fun parts.”
Callie took her seat in the front row as Cam looked up at the auditorium stage. It wasn’t fancy, but it did the trick with a few lights and enough seating to accommodate all the parents.
“Have you told Mr. Tucker you’re here, Maddie? He was looking for you.”
“Oh, okay.” She was back to being the Maddie that Lydia had met the first day. Happy and excited, she ran off in search of her principal.
“I’ll come with you.” Callie jumped up and followed Maddie out of the room. It was like two exuberant dogs playing chase at a dog park.
As soon as Maddie was out of earshot, Cam dragged himself over to Lydia. “Thanks for that.”
“Of course,” Lydia answered.
“And…” he paused, “Sorry I was late. It’s just been a crazy morning…”
“You think I’m upset that you’re late?” Lydia could hear the curtness of her voice and didn’t give a shit. She shook her head, and blew a short breath through the side of her mouth.
Lydia could hardly meet his gaze. Those eyes were just so beautiful. When they crinkled in the corners, she just wanted to kiss his eyelids until he relaxed. “I don’t know what exactly your relationship with Callie is, but she showed up this morning in your boxers, Cam. I’d say that’s probably not an innocent friendship.”
“Whoa… hold on.” Cam held two hands palm up towards her. “You think Callie is my girlfriend?” His shoulders relaxed and he had a cocky smirk as he tucked two hands into his front pockets. “Lydia—” He leaned in to put a hand on her arm; the contact of his touch zapped directly between her legs. She pulled back immediately. His voice echoed in the auditorium, the resulting effect like they were in a tunnel together.
He attempted a second time, reaching both hands out to her. “Lydia, listen to me—”
“It doesn’t matter. You have secrets, I have secrets. It’s not a big deal. It’s not like you and I were soul mates or anything, Cam.”
He stepped back, stunned. “Guess not. But even so, Callie’s—” The doors swung open, and Maddie and Callie led the group of reporters into the room. Callie’s eyes shot directly to the two of them, a strange tilt to her mouth that made Lydia blush. Did she know he had been trying to touch her? Lydia turned away, horrified.
“We’re ready to start, Daddy. You’re gonna be up on stage with me, right?” she said, climbing the stairs to the stage.
His eyes stayed locked on Lydia and she could feel the heat of his gaze burning through her. “Of course, Mouse. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
‡
Chapter Eighteen
When you’re not used to bright lights being directed at you, stepping on stage can be frigging blinding. Maddie stood at the miniature podium—even though it was meant for a child, she still had to stand on a milk crate to reach the microphone.
Though trying his best to pay attention, he just couldn’t tear his eyes away from Lydia. She was stunning as ever. Her tight ass in a little slim skirt and a fitted button-down shirt that puckered ever-so-slightly at the buttons around her breasts. But it was more than that… seeing her in action at her job was the sexiest thing of all. She was a different woman when she had the camera to her face. Confident. Poised. She saw the world in a different way than everyone else. And he in turn saw her differently in that same moment.
He was encroaching on dangerous territory—it was one thing to have a fling with someone who was leaving town. But to have feelings for her? It would just end in heartbreak.
A reporter somewhere near the back stood. Cam couldn’t see a thing past the front row with the lights in his eyes. “Madelynn, what was the monetary goal you set to reach for this auction?” the someone asked.
Maddie shot a glance over her shoulder at Cam sitting behind her on the stage with Mr. Tucker, her little eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He rubbed his thumb against the other four fingers and mouthed the word money. Unfortunately, thanks to his sister’s brilliant idea to throw a sorority party with just the two of them, he and Maddie didn’t have much time to prepare for today’s question and answer session. Something that stressed her out, of course. She was so sensitive—like her mother. If there was a hitch in her schedule, it threw her whole day off.
“We’re hoping to get five thousand bucks…”
Cam cleared his throat and she shifted her eyes to him, taking a moment to figure out what she said wrong already.
“Er—dollars. Five thousand dollars. But based on projections, it looks like we might come in over budget at double the amount.” She cleared her throat and with a deep breath looked back down at her notecards. Her voice was shaky and Cam could see her little hands trembling from behind the podium. “We have lots of art made by local k-kids here in Maple Grove. Along with that, the local artists at the Maple Grove Artists in Residency program have donated pieces as well. We also have, um, twenty different businesses who have given us prizes to bid on.” She swallowed, looking up into the audience, a trepidation in her eyes that Cam had never seen in his daughter before. “We got a coffee gift set with a twelve cup french press, two handmade ceramic mugs and various organic coffees…”
Mr. Tucker stood and pulled the microphone over to him. “Valued at $95.”
Maddie glared at the man and slid the microphone back. She cleared her throat
and continued. “A week-long vacation at a Lake Winne—Winnesquam home…”
Once again, Mr Tucker leaned in, this time not touching the microphone, but commandeering it, nonetheless. “This vacation home usually rents for $1500 a week.”
Maddie swung her head to Cam, looking like she was either going to throw a tantrum or cry. She gestured slightly to Mr. Tucker, and Cam held a finger up, shaking his head.
She huffed a breath that made her hair blow away from her eyes—a gesture that he immediately recognized to be Lydia.
She nudged Mr. Tucker away and leaned over the microphone so that he couldn’t get back in.
A few clicks of cameras sounded, and a flash went off in his peripherals. Lydia crouched at the edge of the stage, camera angled up at Maddie. She darted a look to him.
His eyes raced down her arched back, her tight ass jutted out, resting on those sexy heels. Sweat broke out along his hairline. Damn lights. Right, Cam, blame the lights.
Another hand raised, and a male reporter stood up, identifying himself as being from the Boston Sun. “We’ve heard that Mistress Vine will be making an appearance at the auction. Will she be performing or donating anything to the auction?”
“Mistress Vine is auctioning off two tickets with backstage passes to her show when it tours in Boston.” The crowd hummed with that admission and a few more pops of cameras went off.
A second reporter stood. “And how does your school plan to handle the delicate nature of a transgendered person endorsing an event for grade-school students?”
Cam tensed and he watched Maddie carefully. He had done his best to explain to her about the LGBT community, but he wasn’t sure she exactly understood.
She glanced around the room, first to Lydia, then back at Cam and Mr. Tucker. Both men stood up and as they were walking to take the microphone from her, she answered. “I’ve talked to Mistress Vine a couple of times and she’s really nice. Her mom died of heart disease and she wants to support our event. I don’t know how that could be a bad thing.”
A few of the reporters clapped—and a few remained silent. It was obvious which papers were conservative.
Cam relaxed, sitting back down, and Mr. Tucker reached for the microphone. Maddie held firmly to it, keeping her fist wrapped tightly around the handle while the principal spoke. He looked out to the audience. “Though I think Maddie’s answer was perfect, I wanted to address the question as well. Everyone… and I mean everyone who has a legal right to be near children will be welcome at this auction. Mistress Vine has every right to come and show her support as the next person.”
Cam glanced again at Lydia who was still crouched, camera to her face, actively photographing. But he could see from behind her camera, those stunning lips of hers curved into a big smile.
*
It figured, Lydia thought as she snapped the triumphant picture of Maddie beaming on the podium, Mr. Tucker talking into the microphone over her shoulder. No wonder a few of the major papers decided to follow the lead—for as much as they look down on magazines like the City Star, they were in town to do essentially the same thing: create discord where there was none. Controversy was a journalist’s proverbial blood in the water. Max was the exception. He reported the facts wherever they led him.
Unfortunately, she hated to admit that Mara was probably right. Her sweet human interest story about celebrities taking an interest in charity was likely not going to be the sort of headline that made the issue sell like hotcakes. She could have told the story about a transgender pop star coming to small town suburbia. But of course, that’s what every other paper would be reporting on. Besides, she wanted a full profile on Mistress Vine—not some piddly story on page twelve. Why waste such an amazing contact on a sub-par article?
That familiar prickle of awareness buzzed over her body. She jerked her head to the right and sure enough up on stage, Cam was watching her. Again. With Callie sitting just a few seats away. She never imagined Cam to be the sort of guy who could so blatantly cheat on a girlfriend. That just went to show that her instincts on men were still just as screwed up as before. Hormone therapy hadn’t helped that one bit.
She only allowed herself to hold his gaze for two seconds. One-Mississippi, two Mississippi—then tore them away.
The conference ended, and while the other members of the press photographed Maddie, smiling at the podium, Lydia photographed them—a herd of over-zealous hyenas, crouching to pounce on their next meal.
After the hyenas finished sucking the bones dry, Maddie ran over to Lydia, her arms outstretched as if about to capture her in an embrace. Like a sock in the gut, Maddie ran past Lydia into the open arms of Callie. If you had told Lydia a week ago that watching a ten-year-old girl hug another woman would make tears prickle in her eyes, she would’ve told you that you were crazy. And yet—here they all were. Her heart was being trampled by size-three Mary Janes. She looked up, and there were Cam’s eyes again—on her.
A wisp of hair fell over her forehead, and she swiped it away before crossing her arms. “Well, I guess I should go back to the house. Get some work done.”
Maddie’s face collapsed into a frown. “Aren’t you supposed to stay with me?”
She looked so crushed that Lydia’s heart contracted, squeezing with an emotion that she didn’t quite know how to handle. “That’s part of the job, yes…”
“You have to eat, don’t you?” Callie smiled, curling her hand into Maddie’s. The kid’s big brown eyes lifted, a glimmer of hope coursing through them.
Of course, she had to eat. She just really, really didn’t want to watch Callie cuddle with Cam throughout a whole meal.
“Well, I need to get to work,” he said, kissing Maddie at the crest of her head. “Someone’s got to bring home the bacon to buy you all that fancy film you’re asking for.”
“Fancy film?” Lydia asked.
Maddie gave a little jump. “Slide film. The colors are supposed to be so much brighter.”
“You’re like a little sponge, you know that?” Lydia grabbed her camera bag, checking that she had everything packed up. “You just soak up all the information you can all the time.”
“Unfortunately,” Cam said. “It’s twice as expensive.” He leaned in and kissed Callie’s cheek. “So, Callie’s gonna take you to lunch, Maddie.” Then, pausing just before Lydia, he added, “And we still need to finish our conversation.”
“I don’t see what’s left to discuss.” She glanced at Callie.
A flash of amusement spread across Cam’s face. One that she wanted to swat away like a pesky fly. “Oh, there’s plenty,” he said through a smile.
He exited the auditorium, leaving Lydia standing in the center like the last kid picked for dodgeball.
Callie finally broke the silence. “Oh, you know what, Maddie? I totally forgot I have homework.”
Homework? Oh my God, she was just a child! And that made Cam disgusting. And she did not want to date anyone who preyed on young women like that, right? Yes, keep telling yourself that, Lydia. And maybe you’ll forget the way his hands felt on your body.
“So,” Callie continued, looking directly at Lydia, “I was thinking—if Lydia was cool with it—that maybe she could take you to lunch for me.”
Maddie’s head snapped from Callie to Lydia, eyes wide in a way that made her look like an eager little bunny rabbit. “Could you? I really want chicken fingers. They’re my favorite. Elsa makes them extra crunchy.”
“Um, sure. I could do that,” Lydia said. Her gaze softened as she met Maddie’s eyes. “But only if we can share.”
Maddie gave her a wary glare. “Are you a honey mustard or BBQ person?”
A puff of air pushed through Lydia’s lips and she rolled her eyes. “Please. Honey mustard all the way.”
Maddie beamed. “How about a blueberry muffin, too?”
‡
Chapter Nineteen
Lydia grabbed a chicken strip, nibbling on the end. Maddie was right… they were delici
ous and crispy.
“So, Maddie…” Lydia asked, careful of how she should broach the topic. “How long have you known Callie?”
Maddie’s nose scrunched. “Uh, since before I was born.” She might as well have added a duh after that sentence by her tone.
Good God, Callie must have been a child when she first met Cam. And he had a wife when he met her. Disgusting. “So you’re really close with her, then. Is your dad taking her to the dinner tonight?”
“No.” Maddie moved to wipe her hands on her skirt, but Lydia caught her wrist, handing her a napkin instead. It would have been a perfectly good waste of such a cute dress.
“Oh. So, Callie’s not going?”
“She’s coming. With my grandma.”
“She’s close with your grandmother?” Lydia’s head was spinning. Something was definitely wrong here. “That poor girl,” Lydia muttered more to herself than anyone. She’s so young. So impressionable. She’d probably been in love with Cam since high school—and here he was hooking up with Lydia on the lake while she was inside sleeping in his bed.
“Why are you so worried about Aunt Callie?”
Aunt Callie. Aunt? Oh my God. Heat flooded her cheeks, a slow flush starting at her chest and creeping up.
She must have sounded like such an idiot. Going on and on to Cam about his girlfriend. That’s why he had such a smug look on his face. “Right—so, um, Aunt Callie is your dad’s…”
“You don’t know what an aunt is?” Maddie gave her look like she was insane.
“No, no, of course I do.” Lydia’s face was deadpan—frozen as she tried to make sense of the crazy situation. She dropped her face into her hands. That’s why there was something so familiar about Callie… those bright blue eyes, those dimples. Of course they were siblings. Cam wasn’t a cheater.
The two got quiet, Maddie eating her chicken fingers and Lydia picking at the blueberry muffin. “Hey, look!” Maddie pointed at the window where a couple of photographers were snapping shots of her from outside.
Capturing You (Maple Grove Romance Book 1) Page 15