Betwixt Two Hearts (Crossroads Collection)

by Amanda Tru

  That certainly didn’t sound far. “Sure, let’s go.”

  Camden led the way down the surprisingly busy sidewalks.

  Bailey glanced at the time, seeing it was nearing nine o’clock. “Wow! I didn’t realize Brooke kept such late hours with her shop.” Maybe if she kept a conversation going, she wouldn’t be so aware of her freezing hand.

  “She doesn’t usually, but this weekend Crossroads is hosting a special winter festival,” Camden explained. “There will be a lot of events to draw in tourists. I was surprised that we got a table so quickly at the restaurant. I’m sure everything will be packed the rest of the weekend. That’s why the streets are so busy this time of night. Everyone is arriving for the festival.”

  By the time Camden pushed open a door and set a merry little bell tinkling, Bailey’s hand felt stiff, and she couldn’t feel her fingers. They stepped inside to the warmth, and Bailey switched the napkin flower to her other hand and desperately tried to put the numb one in her coat pocket.

  “Hi, Brooke!” Camden greeted his sister. “How is business tonight?”

  “Good!” Brooke said, coming to greet them from behind a counter. “We’ve had lots of customers. This weekend should only get better.”

  “So, your shop is both a florist and a gift shop?” Bailey asked, looking around at the beautifully decorated shop filled with a kaleidoscope of treasures.

  “Yes,” Brooke said brightly. “It works well for us. We are the top florist in this area, and a tourist stop for visitors. All of our handcrafted wares do extremely well both in the store and online. Are you two here just to visit, or can I help you with something?”

  Multiple customers milled around, and Bailey realized Brooke did not have the time to give a full tour that moment.

  Camden also seemed to notice the other customers, and he hurried to explain, “Israel asked me to stop and pick up some kind of snowflake wreath for Mom’s birthday. He said Mom saw it in the shop and liked it. He didn’t think he’d have a chance to stop before we celebrate her birthday on Sunday, but he wanted to let Chloe wrap it for her.”

  “Oh, yes, I know what he’s talking about,” Brooke said, leading the way to a corner of the shop. “My friend, Emma Sheldon, made these beautiful snowflake wreaths. They’ve been so very popular that I think I only have one left.”

  Brooke carefully took down an exquisite wreath made from delicate snowflakes and handed it to Camden. “Here it is! Emma is making more of them, but I think it will be a few days before we are restocked.”

  “That is gorgeous!” Bailey gushed, reaching out to lightly feel one of the snowflakes. “Can you place one on hold for me, too? I love it.”

  “Sure!” Brooke said. “I need to start an order list anyway. I know you aren’t the only person who will request one. I just wish I had more in stock going into this weekend.”

  Another customer stepped up to ask Brooke a question.

  Before turning to lead the customer to a different display, she hurriedly addressed her brother. “Camden, Tylee can help you with that at the counter when you’re ready. Bailey, I’ll put your name at the top of the snowflake wreath order list for Emma.”

  Bailey turned around, wondering how much Camden would object if she looked around. She knew it would simply prolong the inevitable of going back outside in the cold, but the shop held so many things to see. On the other hand, maybe she should wait until after the website had some paying customers to do any shopping.

  She reached out to touch a beautiful blown glass ornament hanging on a nearby Christmas tree. Bailey guessed the Christmas ornaments probably sold well all year long. Even though Christmas was passed, Bailey doubted Brooke had any intention of taking down all of the Christmas trees decoratively spread around the shop. Nor should she.

  “Wasn’t it right in this area?” a voice asked.

  Camden scooted closer to Bailey to let the other two customers in for a better look.

  “I thought so, but I don’t see it right now. Oh, dear, I hope it isn’t gone!” another voice said.

  Bailey looked over to see a woman about her age holding the arm of a small, elderly woman with glasses.

  “Oh, look! He has one!” the younger woman said, pointing to Camden. “Grandma, isn’t that the one you liked? Sir, can you tell me where you got that snowflake wreath?”

  Camden shifted back and forth, looking suddenly awkward. “Umm, well, I got it from right there, but I believe it is the last one.”

  “The owner did say that people could place an order for when she gets more in stock,” Bailey added helpfully.

  “Drat!” the younger woman’s face fell with disappointment. “We are only here for the weekend. My grandma grew up here in Crossroads. With the winter festival, I thought it the perfect time to come with Grandma and have her tell me about when she was young. We saw the wreath earlier, and Grandma fell in love with it, but we didn’t want to carry it while we finished looking around. I guess I should have bought it and had them hold it. It didn’t occur to me that it might be the last one.”

  “It’s okay, honey,” the older woman said, patting her granddaughter’s hand. “We’ll find something else.”

  Despite her grandmother’s words, the young woman looked close to tears.

  “I believe the artist who made the wreath has other items in the shop as well,” Bailey offered. “If you ask Brooke over there, I’m sure she’ll be able to help you find something equally as nice.”

  “Thank you,” the young woman murmured, turning to lead her grandma in Brooke’s general direction.

  “Are you ready to go?” Camden asked dully.

  “Sure,” Bailey replied. She didn’t feel like browsing anymore anyway.

  Camden led the way to the front counter, and Tylee rang up his purchase.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Bailey saw the young woman and her grandma walking around some other displays, but they didn’t seem overly interested in anything. She also hadn’t noticed them seeking any direction from Brooke.

  “Oh, Bailey, is that one of Camden’s creations?” Brooke asked, passing by Bailey’s outstretched palm. “Do you want me to box that up so your hand doesn’t need to be the display pedestal for it?”

  “Could you?” Bailey asked eagerly. “I know it’s just a napkin, but I didn’t want to crush it in my purse.”

  “No problem,” Brooke said, gently taking the creation from Bailey’s hand. “I know just what to do. I keep trying to convince Camden to turn some of his creations into Christmas ornaments or even frame them as artwork, but so far, I’ve struck out every time I’ve mentioned it.”

  Overhearing his sister’s words, Camden frowned. “If a hobby becomes a business, it isn’t a hobby anymore.”

  “Nonsense,” Brooke disagreed. “It’s still doing what you love. However, I understand. Computers are your first love. You don’t want to commit to anything that might take you away from them, not even if it is your second love of origami.”

  “Not funny,” Camden said shortly. “You go ahead and finish boxing that up for Bailey. I’ll be right back.”

  Brooke carefully placed the napkin flower in a corsage case and padded it with tissue paper. Then she put it in a sack that could be easily carried on Bailey’s wrist.

  Curious as to where Camden had gone, Bailey turned around just in time to see him hand the elderly woman the freshly-boxed wreath. As if watching a pantomime, Bailey clearly read that both the older and younger woman objected, trying to return the wreath to Camden’s arms. Camden refused, putting his hands up to avoid the package. Then he smiled and turned back to Bailey.

  “Are you ready to go?” he asked Bailey, his empty hands finding the pockets of his jeans.

  “Y-yes,” Bailey stammered, too shocked to formulate coherent words.

  Brooke gave Camden a goodbye hug, smiling as if she understood exactly what he had done. Then Bailey followed him out of the store with her own little sack riding on her wrist.

  “Camden
, what did you tell the woman and her grandma?” she finally managed halfway back to the car. “You just gave the wreath to them?”

  Camden nodded. “I told them that they needed it more than I did and to enjoy it.”

  “But why?” Bailey asked, still aghast. “If you wanted to let them have it, why didn’t you just give it to them before you paid for it? They should have reimbursed you.”

  Camden shot her a look of annoyance. “I didn’t give it to them before because I didn’t want them to pay for it. I wanted to pay and then bless them with it.”

  Bailey still felt completely mystified, and yet it seemed vitally important that she understand. She tugged at Camden’s elbow, drawing him to a stop and forcing him to face her. “I don’t understand. They had fully intended on paying for it. I don’t get why you wanted to buy it for them.”

  Looking at her steadily, Camden explained, “Because I wanted to show them love. I wanted to do a random act of kindness for a stranger. I wanted to make their weekend memorable for both of them. I wanted to show them God’s extravagant love by giving them something unexpected and doing it in an extravagant way. I wanted to be the reason for someone’s joy tonight. I had the means and the ability to sacrifice for someone else, and wanted to do what God would want me to do.”

  Bailey’s lips felt dry and cold, yet she insisted they vocalize her concerns. “But that wreath was for your mom’s birthday! Didn’t Israel tell you to get it for her? What are you going to tell him? You can’t get another one by Sunday.”

  Camden shrugged and walked away a few paces, only to turn back around. “My mom will wholeheartedly agree with what I did. I’m sure knowing why she has to wait for her wreath will make it even more special. Israel is a different matter. He’s never needed an excuse to be upset with me. I guess I’ll help him out with an excuse this time.”

  Bailey just shook her head, mystified with what had just happened. She’d seen kindness before, but nothing like this. Camden didn’t need to give that woman the wreath. In the long run, being without that wreath was far costlier to him than it was to her.

  Maybe Bailey could help spin it to Israel to make Camden sound so very gallant for giving away the wreath. Maybe that would help smooth the waters a bit.

  They continued walking, though this time, they were each so wrapped in thought, neither one of them hurried. Reaching a street corner across from where Camden’s car waited in a lot, they stopped to watch a man working on some kind of ice sculpture. A bright spotlight illuminated the area as he worked chiseling details in a large block of ice. Bailey thought it was probably for the winter festival and had seen several others spaced along Crossroads’ Main Street this evening. This sculpture was the only one currently in progress, though, and Bailey felt impressed by the artist’s dedication in working so late.

  “Why is it that Israel always seems angry with you?” Bailey found herself asking as they watched. She didn’t know if it was appropriate to ask such a personal question, but she’d opened up earlier about her parents. Wasn’t it Camden’s turn? If she knew some of the background, maybe she could better help with the impending wreath issue.

  At her question, Camden sighed, the sound loud in the still, cold air. His tone serious, he answered, “Bailey, I’m not sure I can condense a lifetime into a few paragraphs of explanation. I guess the short answer involves what happened after college. I studied computer engineering. By the time I graduated, Israel already held a high position in Dad’s company and was well on his way to taking over. Israel expected me to join the company and take over all technology aspects. They made me a great offer and included a solid ladder for quickly taking over the title of Chief Technology Officer. I refused the offer. I admit I didn’t give him any reasons, at least any that made any sense. My parents tried to be supportive, but they couldn’t hide that I’d hurt them by my actions as well. It was the family company, and to them, I’m sure it seemed I’d rejected the family when I rejected the company. I took a job and at a company that, for all appearances, seemed a large step down from the family company. There are many more issues, but that one became the straw that broke the camel’s back. My relationship with my older brother, and even my parents, has never been the same.”

  Bailey kept her eyes on the sculptor, not wanting to make Camden uncomfortable and cause him to clam back up. “Didn’t they understand that you wanted to forge your own path?” Bailey asked with sympathy.

  Camden shook his head. “They may have if I’d offered that as an explanation. But I didn’t. Thanks for being understanding, Bailey, but the reality is that I didn’t handle it well. I was young, and I guess that’s my excuse. I didn’t anticipate the hurt my actions caused. I hope I’ve gained a little wisdom along the way since then, but that doesn’t help the irreparable damage I caused.”

  “It’s not too late,” Bailey said encouragingly, unable to resist turning to face him with an imploring gaze. “Have you and Israel ever talked about it? Maybe there’s still room to make things right between you.”

  Camden shook his head. He didn’t shy away from her gaze, and he didn’t bother hiding the deep pain reflected in his eyes. “It’s awfully hard to believe that when every little thing I do sets him off. I don’t have any more explanation to offer him today than I did back then. Now, with everything that’s happened with Marissa, there’s no way I want to make mention of the past. Somehow, simply saying, ‘I feel bad for the way you reacted to my decision,’ doesn’t seem like it would earn me any points.”

  “Is Marissa Israel’s wife?” Bailey immediately asked. “I’ve wondered about what happened. Israel seems so sad, and I can see the sadness in Chloe as well. But I’ve been afraid to ask. What happened?”

  Camden shook his head and turned back to watch the sculpture take shape. “I’m sorry, Bailey. They definitely have reason to be sad, but that’s a question you’ll need to ask Israel directly. It isn’t my story to tell.”

  Bailey nodded in understanding, disappointed but somehow still admiring that he wouldn’t tell her.

  Camden smiled sadly, bumping her shoulder with his in an affectionate gesture. “It’s okay, Bailey. I love my brother, but I guess every family has their own bit of dysfunction.”

  “Ha!” Bailey laughed shortly. “You have no idea how very fortunate you are. I’d take your brand of family dysfunction over mine any day!”

  “I thought you said your parents remained friends after their divorce,” Camden remembered.

  “That didn’t mean life was easy or drama-free!” The amusement left Bailey’s voice, and her tone turned more serious. “Growing up, my time was split pretty equally with both of my parents, which they thought was the right and fair thing to do. As I mentioned before, both of them remarried and had more children. Because I was shuffled back and forth so much, I never really felt a part of either family. When I reached my teenage years, I realized I was the extra in each group. Neither family really needed me, and having me around often seemed to be an inconvenience, especially to my stepparents.”

  “You always felt like the outsider,” Camden surmised.

  “Yes,” Bailey replied, glad that he seemed to understand. “Never feeling like you belong is a difficult thing to experience.”

  “Yes, it is,” Camden agreed. “What about now that you’re an adult? Have you finally found that belonging you craved when younger?”

  Bailey held her silence, thinking as she focused on the sculpture. It was beginning to take shape, and she felt fairly certain that she could identify it as a gorgeous ice eagle with wings outstretched. No wonder the artist was working so late! The feathers likely took extreme detailing, and Bailey was tempted to move closer to look over his shoulder at the exquisite work.

  “No, I can’t say that I have,” Bailey finally admitted quietly. “I’m sure it’s just the residue from my childhood, but I’ve come to the conclusion that belonging is either extremely overrated, or else just a complete myth. Either way, it’s not for me, and yet, I d
o fine without it.”

  Camden didn’t say anything, and Bailey suddenly worried that she’d said too much. Guys didn’t like it when girls got emotional or revealed personal thoughts, and she’d done both. He certainly hadn’t pushed her into confiding. She’d just voluntarily spouted out her deepest struggle.

  Bailey turned away from both Camden and the ice eagle, but before she could claim that she was cold and needed to get home, Camden’s hand closed around her arm, and he gently turned her back around.

  “Now it’s my turn to say I’m sorry,” he said softly, his eyes filled with compassion. “I know you say you’re fine now, but I don’t think not belonging becomes any easier for an adult versus a child. Adults are just better at hiding the hurt. We all want to belong, and when we don’t, the hole in our hearts doesn’t go away. I wish I could go back in time and make little Bailey know how valuable she is and how much she really does belong, even if she can’t see it.”

  Bailey studied the strong lines of Camden’s face, touched by his beautiful words. He was such an enigma to her. He was the type of man who forgot to pick up someone at the airport because he was too obsessed with his computer. He was the quirky guy who made origami kitties for his niece and was the highlight of her day. He was the confusing gentleman who paid for something just to give it away to someone who would never know the true, personal cost he paid.

  Then she remembered the napkin flower tucked safely in her sack. It was such a beautiful piece of artistry from a man who, on the surface, saw life and love as a series of numbers to be interpreted with the right algorithm and an efficient computer program.

  Somehow all of that was strangely appealing.

  Then, when his blue eyes sparkled just like that…

  “I have a boyfriend,” Bailey said abruptly.

  Camden startled, taking a step back from the hard edge of Bailey’s voice.

  For just a moment there, her brown eyes had softened, and Camden caught a glimpse of something so very alluring. She’d confided in him, and he’d hoped they might be making some progress in moving past all the anger and accusation their relationship had begun with. Then, with those razor-sharp words flung into the cold night, Bailey effectively slammed shut any door on a connection deeper than the next argument.