Capturing You (Maple Grove Romance Book 1)

by Katana Collins

  “What a bitch,” Ronnie muttered with a sigh. “God. What is up her ass?”

  “I don’t know. But I’d say she could use an enema sooner than later.”

  For the first time, Ronnie’s face split into a grin. She chuckled, meeting Lydia’s eyes once again. “She’s gonna have my foot up there soon enough if she doesn’t back the hell off my family.”

  Lydia held up two hands, palms out. “Leave my ass out of it. I promise you… I was just a pawn. She doesn’t want a good story. She just wants to humiliate Cam.”

  “And what about Noah’s article?”

  “I have an explanation for that, too. I’d rather apologize to Noah, though.” She pulled a thick envelope with Noah’s name scribbled on the front. “But if he won’t hear me out, I’m hoping he’ll at least read my letter and the actual article I had written about our interview.” Lydia sighed, setting her bags down on the bench. More and more people were congregating outside the gymnasium. Kids and parents were milling about. Lydia scanned the crowd for his wavy, dark hair.

  “He wanted to avoid you.” Ronnie looked out the glass double doors to the parking lot. “He’s waiting outside since he knew you would be in here already.”

  She supposed she deserved that.

  “I take it you didn’t tell him this part of it?” Ronnie folded the magazine and held it up.

  Lydia shook her head. “He never gave me the chance to explain.”

  Ronnie’s gaze floated over her shoulder, her lips twitching into a grin. “Well, here it is.” She tossed the magazine back to Lydia. “Good luck.”

  The hair on Lydia’s neck stood on end, and she turned to find Cam’s scorching gaze on her. His glare shifted to his sister and back again to Lydia. When Lydia turned back around to thank Ronnie, she had already floated off into the crowd.

  Lydia smoothed her hair with the palm of her hand, tucking one side behind her ear. Cam’s jaw clenched, neck muscles straining against his sun-weathered skin as Lydia approached. He was in a button-down shirt, blazer and dark jeans that gripped his muscular thighs like a vice. Warmth pooled in Lydia’s belly as she remembered the feel of those thighs between her legs.

  “Hey,” she said. “I was just talking to Ronnie.”

  “I saw,” he grunted and set down his toolbox.

  Lydia flipped open to the picture of Mara, folding the magazine back. “I want to show you something.”

  “Save it,” Cam grumbled and shouldered past Lydia.

  “Cam, wait.” She grasped his elbow, and his bicep clenched under her fingers. It was rock hard and caused all moisture to evaporate in her mouth.

  “What?” he said, barely glancing at her from over his shoulder.

  “It’s—it’s about Tamara,” Lydia stuttered.

  He sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I don’t care what Ronnie told you about my past, it doesn’t change our situation.” He tugged his arm out of her hand.

  “But, Cam—”

  He spun to face her, breath hot above her and eyes flashing. With one look, he silenced her. The scowl melted from his face, almost as though it was a mask slipping off for a fraction of a second. And for just that one moment—he looked sad. More than sad.

  “You were the first woman I opened up to since Hannah. I should have known better than to trust you.” His voice was a sharp blade, and it sliced into Lydia’s soul. He turned, disappearing in the crowd.

  Lydia fell against the wall, hand resting on her camera. It was her security blanket. Her toe nudged something on the floor, and she looked down to find Cam’s toolbox still at her feet. She dropped to her knees, opening the box, and tucked the magazine with Mara’s picture face-up inside, along with her note to Noah. At least now, maybe she stood a chance in him seeing it.

  *

  That damn prickling sense of someone watching you crawled over Cam’s skin like a colony of ants. He pushed the feelings aside as he walked away from Lydia. He would not turn around. He would not notice the sweet and sexy curve of her mouth or the way she nibbled her lip when she was nervous. He might still be sexually attracted to her—how could he not be? You’d have to be a damned priest not to stare at her body—but her sexy curves and taut muscles didn’t change the fact that she’d betrayed him. And Maddie.

  “Hey man.” Steve came up, two bottles of beer in hand and passed one to Cam. “Thought you could use one of these.”

  “Thanks,” Cam mumbled and swiftly threw his head back swallowing a gulp of the bubbling ale. His brother had come a long way in a short time. All through high school and college, Steve was the wild child, the attention seeker.

  Sliding a glance at Steve, Cam noted the scars on his face. They weren’t nearly as bad as Steve thought they were, Cam was sure of it. Talk about a complete one-eighty after the accident. Steve became a different man, going from a D-student to straight As once he was out of the hospital. Cam took another sip of his beer, the condensation on the outside dripping over his thumb and fingers. “So… I’m guessing the twins’ big mouths strike again, huh?”

  Steve chuckled and drank his beer as well with a shrug. “They just thought you may need some company.”

  With a sigh, Cam brushed a hand over his stubble. “Hopefully they didn’t go into all the details…”

  “Not with Ma.” Steve slanted an apologetic grin to Cam. “Ronnie sort of forced it all out of Callie, though.”

  Steve’s gaze fell across the room, his blue eyes sparkling and shifting back to Cam. “She doesn’t seem all that evil, huh?”

  “Yeah, well. Neither did Ted Bundy. Look how well that turned out for everyone.”

  Steve snorted. “Did you really just compare that woman to a serial killer?”

  “Shut up, Steve. You know what I meant.”

  He shook his head and clapped his brother on the shoulder. “Yeah. I do. Sorry, she wasn’t what you… expected.” He turned to walk away, stopping himself and turning back to Cam. “By the way… just what did you expect out of her?”

  The question was a sucker punch. What did he expect of Lydia? At first—he pretty much expected this. But she had surprised him with an odd tenderness for his child. When he slept with her, what had his expectations been? His stomach twisted. He didn’t want to admit it—not even to himself, but he had expected them to have a relationship. He thought she cared about him, like he did her. Man, was he wrong about that. He stole a glance to find Lydia photographing the crowd—specifically, she was photographing the other reporters swarming the children. “She turned out to be exactly what I had expected her to be,” Cam rasped.

  Steve nodded, but didn’t walk away just yet either.

  “She hates puppies, you know.” Cam wasn’t sure why he added that. Somehow it seemed relevant in the moment.

  Steve laughed and peeled the label on his beer bottle. “Well, puppies are assholes. I should know.”

  “Oh shit.” Cam’s eyes darted over to where he and Lydia had been chatting. “I left my toolbox over with her.”

  Steve clinked his bottle to Cam’s. “I’ll get it for you—should I just put it back in your truck?”

  Cam nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”

  As Steve swam into the crowd, the front glass doors opened and all the reporters turned, flashes popping in the hallway. Noah strutted in, head high, walking directly toward Cam. He passed a stunned Lydia, sliding her a glance before pushing through the crowd. He stopped in front of Cam and held out a hand.

  “What are you doing here?” he said, taking his brother’s hand. “I thought you didn’t want to be a part of the media storm?”

  A small smile kicked up in the corners. “Yeah, well, I decided I was tired of allowing the media to dictate when and why I can do things. I promised myself I’d make more of an effort, so here I am… fulfilling that promise.”

  The gymnasium doors slammed open. In the center stood Maddie, and the infamous Mistress Vine. Reporters ringed the door, flashes popping off like it was a friggin’ red carpet event. Maddie flinched un
der the mob scene and searched the crowd, her eyes relaxing when they met Cam’s. He smiled encouragingly at her.

  “Come on in, everyone,” Mr. Tucker said and gestured to the gymnasium with an open palm. Mistress Vine turned to enter the room and curled her hand into Maddie’s. Reporters followed at the celebrity’s heels. At the very back of the throng, Lydia was focused on her colleagues, snapping shots of her fellow reporters instead of Maddie. Like rope, Cam’s muscles twisted his insides. What was she up to?

  He was able to surreptitiously watch her, study her while she was working. She no longer sought him out in the crowd. Spending significant time with Mistress Vine, she twirled around the room, taking in the various pieces of art when she froze, hands dropping to her sides. Even from across the room, her calf muscles visibly clenched, hands fisted into balls. Cam followed her gaze to the wall—there in a large diptych was the portrait of Cam and Hannah. Beside it was an image of Cam and Lydia standing in his kitchen, about to kiss.

  ‡

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Lydia walked into the gym, following the crowd of journalists. Was that what she looked like when she covered a story? Hell, she hoped not. They were vultures, swooping to pick the meat off of every celebrity’s carcass. With her camera raised, she swept the gymnasium, snapping various images. The little square viewfinder framed the various art on the walls and an image of herself caught her attention. Was that…? Oh God. Short, panicky breaths caught in Lydia’s chest. She lowered the camera, jaw slacked open, eyes wide. On the wall, front and center, was a picture of she and Cam nearly kissing, right beside an image of him and Hannah. When the hell did Maddie photograph that? Lydia squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe she didn’t see it correctly. It was black and white—perhaps it was actually another photo of Hannah and Cam together. She peeked one eye open. Nope. That was definitely a picture of her. And Cam.

  Pizza night. Lydia did a mental face palm. Of course. The exact night she praised Maddie for the image of Cam and Hannah. The night she convinced Maddie that sometimes the best pictures come when you don’t ask permission. Shit. Cam would never forgive her now. But she couldn’t deny that the image was beautiful. It wasn’t even blurry. Maddie must have snuck downstairs before Lydia tucked her into bed.

  A whistle sounded through the crowd, and even though it was only a few people behind her, the noise sounded distant in Lydia’s ears. A few other murmurs echoed and Lydia’s feet cemented to the floor.

  “Is that her?” There was another whisper from beside her, and Lydia clamped her eyes shut.

  A tug on her blazer broke her trance. Maddie looked up at her, brown eyes large. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

  Lydia tried not to reveal her horror. “Mission accomplished.”

  Maddie shifted her weight. “They were the two best pictures I had.”

  Lydia sunk to a crouch in front of her and cradled her small, soft hands in her own. “The photographs are beautiful,” she answered honestly. Maddie’s eyes widened and sparkled as a relieved smile lit up her face. “But,” Lydia continued, “sometimes we have a responsibility as photographers.”

  Maddie’s eyebrows creased in the center.

  Lydia sighed and tried her best to explain. “Sometimes, it’s our job to filter the stories we tell. If they’re going to hurt someone we care about—what’s more important?”

  “Did I hurt your feelings?” Maddie’s voice cracked.

  “No. It did embarrass me a little, though.” Lydia itched to look around the room for Cam. Had he seen it yet? “But I think your dad might be a little more hurt than me. You might owe him an apology.”

  “But—but you said—”

  “I know, I know what I said. And these are two of your best photographs, for sure. But I should have explained it better. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I’ve made in life.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Lydia squeezed Maddie’s hands and stood back up, pulling the kid in for a hug. “Oh, I’m sure someone will fill you in eventually. Maybe when you’re older.”

  Maddie wrapped her arms around Lydia’s waist and squeezed her back.

  “So,” Lydia said. “Why don’t you go find your dad and prepare him as well, huh?”

  “Found him,” Maddie whispered, peeking around Lydia. She ran to him, hugging him too.

  Cam lifted her into the embrace and kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay, Mouse. The pictures look great.” His smile was creaky, but genuine.

  Maddie pulled back to look at him. “I’m sorry,” she said eyes cast contritely to the floor. “Lydia said I should have told you about the pictures.”

  “Did she now?” Cam’s eyes flashed toward Lydia, but then quickly returned to his daughter. “You should have told me. But then again—I probably wouldn’t have allowed you to use them tonight.” He pecked another kiss at her temple. Setting her down, he patted her shoulder. “Go on and have fun. It’s your night.”

  Maddie ran off to join her friends. As soon as she was out of earshot, Cam swiveled to face Lydia. His face creased into a scowl. “Did you put her up to this?” He asked in a tone filled with venom.

  “What?” Lydia’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding? This is more humiliating for me than you.”

  “I doubt that.” He wouldn’t even look at her. “Be sure to say goodbye to Maddie before you leave tonight. She’ll be crushed if you don’t.” And with that, he stalked off. Great. The entire Tripp family would be avoiding her tonight. And even if Noah or Cam did come and talk to her, she had left her only evidence in his toolbox. She had no choice but to wait and hope she got the chance to apologize.

  Lydia moved closer to the two portraits, snapping a picture of Maddie holding Mistress Vine’s hand in front of the piece. A crowd of photographers were in the background, following Mistress Vine around. While she seemed used to it, Maddie cringed as dozens of flashes went off in the room.

  Lydia looked again at Maddie’s portraits, where a small crowd stood in a semi-circle admiring them.

  There was an acute difference between the two photographs. While Cam and Hannah looked happy and relaxed in their picture, she and Cam looked intense. Torn with indecision and passion. The moment resonated in her memory, and her stomach clenched as she remembered the sparks of heat when she touched his arm that night.

  “You two look pretty cute together.” Lydia didn’t need to turn around to recognize Kyra’s voice beside her. She didn’t answer, but then again, she didn’t need to. For the first time in a while, she didn’t feel the need to fill the silence.

  Two strangers—mothers, Lydia supposed—wearing Talbots cardigan sets, khaki pants and the same boring haircut gossiped in front of her. “I knew they were sleeping together.”

  “Did you hear that he got in a fight with his brother at the Founders Dinner last night? I guess she gets around.” The two snickered.

  Lydia turned, not wanting to hear another word. Just as she moved to walk away, she noticed Elsa from the café, arm linked with her daughter’s. “They’re lovely photographs, aren’t they?”

  Lila nodded and dropped her voice. “They are. But who’s gonna buy it?”

  Elsa sighed. “Probably one of the Tripps. It will most likely end up in the back of Marty’s closet.”

  Ice splashed through her veins at hearing that. Their relationship, though brief, meant a lot to her.

  “C’mon.” Kyra took her arm and guided Lydia forward toward the photographs, shouldering her way to the front of the small crowd. Silence cut through everyone, stopping their gossip mid-sentence. “Bid on it,” Kyra said.

  “What? Kyra, let’s just go. I don’t need to prove—”

  “Well if you don’t, then I will.” She grabbed a pen and scribbled her auction number onto the sheet of paper beside the portraits. Turning, she held the pen out to Lydia, eyebrow arched. “Well? Do you really want this to end up in a dusty closet somewhere?”

  Kyra was right. Whatever the cost, Lydia had to have the
photograph. She needed the memory of Cam and Maddie forever. Even if the two wouldn’t be in her life beyond tonight. Taking the pen, she leaned forward and wrote an amount that was more than a new lens for her Canon.

  Kyra whistled low. “Wow. I meant increase my bid by like, a dollar.”

  She shook her head, her hair tickling at her collarbone. “The Tripps would have just outbid me. I need an amount that no one else would be willing to pay.”

  *

  The rest of the auction went by seamlessly. Cam and Noah both managed to narrowly escape Lydia several times. He was a friggin’ magician when it came to dodging unwanted women. Living in a town that was notorious for its single ladies scene—a bachelor learned to get good at avoiding unwanted attention pretty quickly.

  “I guess her apology didn’t measure up, huh?” Ronnie leaned against Cam’s shoulder and sipped her glass of red wine. Across the room, Lydia and Maddie held each other. His daughter’s shoulders trembled.

  Damn. It was exactly what he’d worried might happen. But Maddie was young—she would bounce back. Heartbreak was a part of life. But even as he had the thought, Cam’s chest lurched. It was a shitty lesson to learn, but it was the damn truth.

  “Hello? Earth to Cam.”

  “No. I didn’t accept her apology.”

  “Too bad.” She stared at Cam’s profile as though she were trying to read his thoughts. “I actually kind of liked her.”

  “You?” He snorted a laugh. “Please.”

  “I did. And I thought her explanation about the articles—”

  “Ronnie, no offense, but this is the last thing I want to talk about right now.”

  After a pause, Ronnie sighed and slapped him on the back. Damn, she was strong, he thought as he wobbled forward. “Jeez, lay off the ’roids,” he mumbled.

  She rolled her eyes. “Mike said she bought Maddie’s piece, you know.”

  Cam shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I heard.”

  “Mom and Noah kept trying to outbid her, but she swooped in at the last call and got it.”