by Cindi Madsen
Cam would never get over how amazing it was to have his little girl run toward him like his existence made her day. The rug in the entryway of the B and B slipped under her feet, but it didn’t slow her down. “Daddy!”
He bent and scooped Zoey into his arms, planting a kiss on her chubby cheek. “Hey, sweetheart. I’m so happy to see you.”
She’d spotted Emma coming through the door right behind him, though, so instead of answering, Zoey made a dive for her mom. He kept his hold, just in case, as Emma kissed Zoey and ran a hand over her blond curls.
“I missed you so much,” Emma said, taking their daughter’s full weight and hugging her tightly. “Did you have fun?”
With that, Zoey launched into a big story, and he only caught words here and there—something about the puppy and Uncle Heath and Aunt Quinn and ice cream.
Emma turned to Quinn and Heath, who looked a bit more tired than usual. “Thank you so much. I know she can be a handful.”
“It was fun,” Quinn said. “I mean, I’m totally exhausted, and I have a whole new respect for parents in general, but we had a great time. How was your trip?”
If Cam wasn’t mistaken, his soon-to-be sister-in-law added an eyebrow raise in Emma’s direction that implied there was more to her question than simply asking about camping.
Emma’s blush pretty much gave them away, so he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. “We had an amazing trip.”
Emma’s eyes locked on his. “We did.”
Zoey chose that moment to demand to be let down, and it was clear that from now on, they’d have to steal what moments they could and make the best of them.
“I think I better get my little girl home and take a shower,” Emma said.
Cam dropped his backpack in the entryway—and Quinn gave it a stern look. If she thought there wouldn’t be hunting backpacks cluttering the entryway when they opened, she was in for a big surprise, but he decided in the name of goodwill, he’d try to keep his crap out of the way. “I’ll get it in a few minutes. I just want to walk Emma and Zoey to the car.”
“Of course. I don’t mind, I just…” Quinn laughed. “Well, I’m still getting used to how much gear it takes for hiking and fishing, and how it’s always covered in three layers of dust and mud.”
Zoey gave Quinn, Heath, and Trigger hugs good-bye, and Cam took Emma’s backpack and shouldered the bag with Zoey’s stuff. Then his daughter insisted she wanted him to carry her, too, and he could hardly refuse. He did refuse Emma’s attempt to take some of the bags, because while she wouldn’t admit it, he could see how exhausted she was from their long hike. He loved that she didn’t complain, though.
Like Quinn with the hiking and fishing gear, Cam was still getting used to how much baby gear Zoey required, and then there was the damn car seat with all its buckles. He managed to snap it into place in one try, though, which was something he never thought he’d feel quite so victorious about.
With Zoey secure and the camping gear in the trunk, he turned to Emma. He brushed her hair out of her face. “See you tomorrow morning at work?” He wanted to add, “unless you want me to come over tonight,” but part of him still worried he was jumping in too fast as it was. He’d gone from sure he didn’t want a relationship to a family of three, and when he thought about the responsibilities and all the ways he could screw it up, the panic he’d felt earlier rose up and grew, binding his lungs for a moment.
But then he thought about how instead of letting his confession earlier today drive a wedge between them, like he was sure it would, Emma had assured him, her words and touch taking away his worries. She seemed so sure of who he was that he wanted to be that guy for her.
So he smothered the panic and focused on her as she said, “I’ll be here, bright and early.”
She’s not like other women. This weekend had shown how well they fit together, and he wanted to explore all the ways they could fit together more. He kissed her good-bye, thinking he might as well accept that he’d already jumped, so there was no going back now.
She hadn’t even left, and he was already counting down the hours until he’d see her tomorrow.
“So,” Quinn said, stepping out onto the porch, a canary-eating grin on her face. “It’s pretty obvious that the trip went well. I’m really happy for you guys.”
“Thanks,” he said. “And thanks again for watching Zoey.” Before she could press for more details or ask him to expand on his feelings—which he was sure was coming any second—he grabbed his gear then headed to his cabin, his thoughts on a shower and kicking up his feet.
He dropped his backpack the second he stepped inside and glanced around his one-bedroom cabin. He still hadn’t furnished or decorated more than what was already in place, and it didn’t feel homey, the way Emma’s place did. But he thought that probably had more to do with his girls being there.
His girls. They were why Hope Springs was starting to feel like the perfect simple life he’d always wanted.
He was ready to make a move. To start discussing the future. This separating for the night thing suddenly felt all wrong, and he thought how nice it’d be to have Emma and Zoey living on site.
He envisioned a bigger cabin, with a room for Zoey with a dollhouse, a rocking horse, and all the princess toys a bedroom could hold. Emma sitting in a large bay window that overlooked the mountains, where she could read and watch the sun set over the property.
The more pieces that fell into place, the more he liked the idea. It’d be easier for them to escape to the mountains now and then, and after the trips that she couldn’t go along on, nothing would be better than coming back to find his girls here at Mountain Ridge.
Moving in together was a big commitment, though. His blood pressure automatically rose, that panic he hadn’t quite dispelled coming along for the ride. We’d probably do it eventually, and it’ll take a few months to build a cabin like that anyway. Worst-case scenario, we’d have another rental if it doesn’t work out.
Now I’m just being a wuss. I can only imagine Emma’s reaction to saying I might want to live with her someday, but only if I have a way to back it up financially. What’s wrong with me?
At the same time, he didn’t want to make the decision lightly and end up hurting both of them in the long run—not to mention Zoey. She needed stability, and right now he could see why Emma had hesitated to start a romantic relationship in the first place.
She deserves romance, too. Since that was an area he had absolutely no experience in, he almost tabled the entire idea completely, thinking it was always a decision he could make later.
But that didn’t sit right with him, either.
He thought of Torres and how excited he’d been to go home and ask his girl to marry him. If anyone could assure him how wonderful commitment could be, it’d be Jay.
The phone’s screen seemed brighter than usual to his tired eyes as he scrolled to Torres’s contact info. He’d get some advice so he didn’t screw up this relationship stuff before he even started and see about making a loose plan for a trip here.
Torres could bring his fiancée, too, and then they could all get to know each other. He’d never thought group dates and family hangouts would be his idea of a good time, but he pictured him and Torres barbecuing while they tossed back a few beers, the women chatting and laughing while Zoey ran around in the big fenced yard their cabin would definitely need to keep her safer, and he couldn’t think of a better way to spend a weekend.
The phone rang and rang, and he expected the voicemail to click on, but then Torres answered. “Brantley. Hey.”
Something sounded off. “Are you drunk?”
“Not drunk enough, but I’m working on it.”
“Bachelor party?” Cam asked—there’d been talk of a Vegas wedding, so it wouldn’t surprise him if they’d fast-tracked everything.
The laugh that came over the line wasn’t filled with joy, though. It had a biting edge, and Cam wished he wasn’t a state away, because it sounded lik
e his buddy needed him.
“What’s up, man? Are you okay?”
“She cheated on me,” Torres said. “With some guy at her work. She said she didn’t mean for it to happen and blah, blah, blah. Dude, you were right. Women, you can’t trust them, and relationships and all that true love bullshit? You’re better off without it.”
Well, this wasn’t exactly the pep talk he’d been hoping for.
“She said I’m too angry, too. That I scare her sometimes, and that I need to work on my issues. She screws another guy, pretends we’re cool every time I call and email, and I need to work on my issues?”
A cold lump formed in Cam’s gut. “That sucks, man. I’m sorry.”
“I’m going to live it up. There’s a hot waitress here now, so who needs a relationship. Hey, sweetheart? Bring me another, why don’t you?”
Cam thought of all the times Torres had talked about his girlfriend, from jokes to serious talks late at night where he’d said thinking of her waiting back home got him through the rough times. No matter what the guy claimed, he obviously wasn’t handling things very well. “You should head up here, man. The cabins are done, so we’ve got a place for you to stay. We can hike and fish and you can get away from it all for a while.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Loud music blared in the background. “Hey, I can’t hear you very well. I’ll talk to you later, ’kay?”
“Later.”
After Torres hung up, Cam stared at his phone.
Emma wasn’t like other women, he knew that much. Sure, she’d withheld the fact that their daughter existed, but those had been extenuating circumstances. He knew he could trust her.
He was fairly sure.
He was at least sure that she’d never walk away from Zoey the way his mom had done to him and Heath. She’d protect that little girl, and she’d raise her to be a strong, independent woman.
Cam knew he had some issues—he was still a bit jumpy when he woke up, and yeah, he struggled with keeping his anger in check. But he didn’t have to deal with situations that made him angry here in Hope Springs. And Emma made him calmer, better.
Still, the phone call wouldn’t leave him, and now he was questioning everything he’d been so sure about only moments ago.
Chapter Twenty-Two
There was some kind of odd comfort in the usual craziness of Monday morning. In the frantic rush of breakfast and getting Zoey to day care, and even in finding that her good-bye hug had left Emma with a green clover marshmallow smear on her shoulder.
She scratched at it as she climbed out of her car, which of course made her coffee cup slosh over a bit, but she’d missed her shirt and shoes, so win! She armed herself with her trusty clipboard and took an extra moment to enjoy Mountain Ridge’s backdrop, her thoughts drifting to the few days she’d spent camped out among its peaks and trees with Cam.
He hadn’t come into town for park time with Zoey yesterday, which was fine. She understood he probably needed to catch up on other things after spending the first half of the weekend with her. Thanks to the burst pipe, the park had been a mess, too, a large trench where the old pipe used to be, the mud and soggy grass taking up the area where most town functions took place. But the swing sets were still fully functional, and Zoey had made good use of that fact.
Of course Patsy Higgins had caught Emma and reminded her that the picnic auction was this Saturday, and she needed to have her basket to Mountain Ridge no later than eleven a.m. so the committee could sort them before the auction at noon. Like she would forget now that the auction was taking place where she spent most of her days. The construction job was all but done, but she’d promised Quinn she’d help get the property ready, too, which meant the coming week was going to be a hectic one.
On her way over to brief the guys about this week’s to-do list—which now included mowing, tree trimming, and planting flowers, not to mention final decorating touches on the cabins—she saw Cam hammering away on the last cabin.
She lifted her hand in a wave, and he gave her a nod, but then he got back to work.
Which was also fine. The dreamer side of her had envisioned a different type of greeting after their romantic weekend, but they were at work, and remaining professional was important.
Even though he hadn’t seemed to care ever before, blatantly flirting with her and grabbing her hand and dragging her away from the patio tables so they could have more private lunches. It’s Monday morning, though. No one’s perky first thing on Monday mornings.
“Hey, Emma!” Quinn came racing over and extended a steaming to-go mug toward her, even though she still held the one she’d brought from home. “So I’ve made a list, and I already did what I could this morning, but I got hung up on what to do for decorations in the bigger cabin.”
Okay, so Quinn’s perky on Monday mornings. Even perkier than usual, too. Since she’d need to keep up, Emma took the mug of coffee and added it to her barely warm quarter of a cup, figuring the more caffeine the better.
Quinn’s obvious excitement as she talked about this huge opportunity for Mountain Ridge was catching, and a swirl went through Emma as well. While the auction might not be on her list of favorite town events—and she hadn’t even bought a stupid basket or decided what to put in it yet—she’d been a big part of Mountain Ridge’s transformation. She couldn’t wait for the whole town to see how it’d turned out.
She quickly briefed the guys, who attempted to tell her mowing and tree trimming weren’t really in their job description. Instead of begging or bargaining, she simply smiled and said, “Well, it is now. Thank you for being willing to finish the cabins faster so we can get to it.” She turned to the most senior guy, the one everyone else looked up to. “Tom, you’ll make sure it gets done?”
There were a few murmurs, but then Tom answered, “Yes, ma’am,” and they all took up their tools and headed to the various jobs she’d assigned them.
Go me. At the beginning of this job, I would’ve let them push me more. That was one of her main goals, and she lifted her head a bit higher, thinking she could finally check it off.
After spending most of the day on decorating touches with Quinn, Emma headed back across the property, hoping to find Cam and at least say a quick hi. Maybe steal a kiss.
“Hey, Emma,” Pete said, stopping midstride to lower his clipboard and offer her a wide smile. She noticed he’d made neat lines through most of the items on the top page, although his list wasn’t color coded. They were alike in a lot of ways, and while she’d once thought that Pete might be a better fit for her, she couldn’t help being glad that things had worked out with Cam instead. The guy definitely didn’t get her heart pumping the way Cam did.
Of course, then she immediately felt bad for even having that thought when Pete had helped her so much through her first big job. There’d been a few times he’d even encouraged her to be more firm with the crew, and while it’d been impossible to not take the criticism the tiniest bit personally, she had taken it, and as this morning had shown, the crew were way more responsive to her orders now.
Honestly, for the first time in a long time, she felt in control of her life. Crap, I really need to pay those bills that I’ve been putting off. But she was still in control. Mostly in control—getting there, anyway, and that was what was important.
In fact, she’d even decided that she’d ask Cam if he’d go with her to visit Grandma Bev this evening. It was high time the two of them met, and with everything that’d happened this weekend, she felt ready to have whatever battle transpired from it. Maybe once Grandma met him, she’d see that he was nothing like Dad, and that talk of what a rebel he had been back in high school was greatly exaggerated.
Cam was pretty much impossible not to like, after all, and she knew that more than anything, Grandma Bev wanted her to be happy.
And I’m so, so happy with him.
She noticed that Pete was looking at her expectantly, and she realized he must’ve had a follow-up statement or question.
<
br /> “Sorry,” Emma said with a self-deprecating laugh. “I was so caught up in what else we need to do to finish the cabins and get the property ready for Saturday that I zoned out for a second.” Hopefully the tiny white lie wouldn’t end up biting her in the butt.
“I asked if I could talk to you,” Pete said. “I’ll try to keep it short so you can get on with your list.”
“Oh. Sure. Of course.”
Pete glanced around and then gestured her toward the nearest cabin. When she stepped on the first step, it wobbled unexpectedly, and she nearly lost her balance. She reached for the rail, and Pete’s hand was already on her back, steadying her.
“I’m making a note right now to have that step fixed,” she said.
Pete wiggled back and forth on it, putting his weight on the front and then the back—he nearly lost his footing and she had to catch him. “I suppose I should’ve just taken your word for it,” he said with a laugh, and Emma laughed, too.
“I’m just glad it’s not my horrible coordination.”
“No, it’s definitely the step.”
Emma smiled at him and then swept her arm in a go-ahead motion.
“After you, please,” Pete said. “That way if there are any more loose steps, you can find them.”
They shared another laugh, and Emma climbed the last few steps, gripping the railing and cautiously testing the wooden planks with part of her weight before fully stepping down. Luckily, the first step was the only one in need of securing—probably just an oversight by the crew who’d been in a hurry to grab lunch or get off work for the day.
As soon as they entered the cabin, Pete’s expression turned all business. “I’m pleased to say that this is one of the most well-organized projects I’ve ever worked on. You were very clear about everything, open to changes, and you’ve got a good crew.”
“I do,” Emma said, nodding in agreement.
“But you also deserve a lot of the credit. Your designs are the perfect mix of beauty and function, and you’ve done an excellent job overseeing the building of them.”