Cameron's Quest

by Cameron's Quest [Evernight] (mobi)

  “Bummer. What’s their mother like?”

  “Just as beautiful as I remembered her, maybe even more so, but that Irish temperament of hers is just plain stubbornness in my opinion.”

  Luke seemed to consider his words. “She never married?”

  “Nope.” Cam grinned. “All four women are single. I’m hoping they come and visit long enough to fall in love with the place. Maybe they’ll stay. At least, that’s what I’d like. But their lives are rooted in Ireland. Canada and life on the ranch are a lot different than what they’re used to. Lacey, their mother, owns a bistro, and all three girls work there.”

  “Ranch life would be a big challenge for them. It was quite an adjustment for Zakia, too.” Luke moved to take a seat in one of the high-backed armchairs facing the desk. “It didn’t work out so well the first time, but now it’s as if she was born to it.”

  “If they decide to come, I’ll show them around and teach them to ride if they want. Other than that, I don’t have a clue how to entertain them or convince them to stay.”

  “Maybe you should talk it over with Zakia. She might have some ideas. What did Lacey name the girls?”

  Cam straightened in his chair, proud to have Luke’s interest. “Carlyn, Abigail, and Maureen.”

  Luke laughed out loud as he made the connection, drawing the attention of the boys. They started to get up, but Luke motioned them to keep playing. “C. A. M. Sounds like their mother has a great sense of humor.”

  He scratched his head, thinking about Luke’s statement. “She did years ago, but it’s not so evident now.”

  “Gave you a hard time, did she?” Luke smiled a devilish grin.

  “You could say that. She thinks I should’ve tried harder to find them sooner. I did go to Ireland before coming home, but there were so many dam…er, darned many Kerrigans listed in the directory that I didn’t know where to start.”

  “Yeah, I can understand that. You must’ve been quite young at the time.”

  “Yep, twenty-five, just two years older than my daughters are now.”

  Cam heard a vehicle pull up outside.

  Luke stood. “That’s probably Zakia. Want me to send her in?”

  “Not much point talking about what to do until I know for sure they’re coming.” Cam felt a smile coming on. “We can tell her my news, though.”

  “Your call,” Luke said as he left the room. When he came back, Zakia, and his sister, Leah, were with him. Both ladies were speechless at his news, an extremely uncommon occurrence that didn’t last long as they lavished him with hugs and congratulations.

  Cam felt like a proud papa as he showed them the pictures he’d taken…a papa who could barely wait to see his daughters again. Would they come? And would Lacey accompany them or continue to keep her distance?

  ****

  Sounds of excited chatter woke Lacey the following morning. She smiled as she rose, knowing her decision to visit Cam’s ranch was the right one. She showered and dressed for work before venturing into the kitchen. “Good morning, ladies.” Lacey greeted them as she’d done every morning for many years. “What has you up so early?”

  Rena turned to her. “As if you didn’t know, Mama. I could hardly sleep, I was so excited about our trip.”

  “I never slept a wink,” said Abby. “Canada…it’s so far away. This feels like a dream.” She poured her mother a cup of coffee and passed it to her.

  Lynne yawned and stretched. “If it is, I don’t want to wake up. Will you be talking to Uncle Dan again today, Mama?”

  “Yes, I’ll give him a call after the breakfast rush is over.” Lacey glanced at the watch on her wrist. “Speaking of which, are we eating here or at the bistro this morning?”

  “At the restaurant. You can cook for us while we get everything started for customers.” Rena grinned at her.

  “Sounds like a plan. We’d better get going then.” Lacey downed her coffee, needing the jolt of caffeine to jumpstart her day. She rinsed her mug and placed it in the dishwasher, the girls following suit. Lacey grabbed her purse, passing Abby the keys. “It’s your turn to drive.”

  “Okay.”

  They piled into Lacey’s little Honda Civic and headed for Bistro For 4.

  Lacey loved her little restaurant. From the time she’d opened the doors to the first customer, it had been a hit. And she had her family to thank for it.

  Once the girls started school, she’d had too much time on her hands. She was also tired of living at her parents’ place and began searching the classifieds for job opportunities. With no formal training beyond high school, her choices had been limited.

  Daniel had been her savior.

  He’d stopped in on his lunch break one day, and she was the only one home, perusing the want ads as usual. She fixed him an omelette, something quick and easy.

  “Sis, why do you want to work for someone else when you can cook like this?”

  “Cooking and cleaning is all I know, and it seems no one is hiring.” She’d grimaced her displeasure with her current state of affairs.

  “Have you thought about going into business for yourself?”

  She’d snorted a laugh. “Not hardly. I wouldn’t know the first thing about it.”

  “I do.” He’d looked at her shrewdly, appearing deep in thought. “Let me think on it for a few days. Okay?”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Very.”

  “All right, Dan. Go ahead, so long as you know what you’re getting into.”

  Daniel had called her the following night. “I’ve taken tomorrow off. Be ready at nine. I’ll be by to pick you up.”

  “Where are we going?’

  “To get a glimpse into your future.” He’d laughed and rung off, not telling her anything else. Anticipation and a healthy dose of excitement had her ready and waiting at the appointed time. He’d made appointments for them to view properties.

  “Daniel, I can’t afford to buy a house,” she’d protested.

  “Ahh, but these aren’t just houses. They are considered prime retail investment properties.”

  “That sounds even worse. Why are you taking me to look at expensive properties that I couldn’t possibly buy?” she’d asked, confused.

  He’d tossed a smug look her way and the search began. “You’ll see.”

  Stop number three had been the ticket. She fell in love with its gabled roof and decorative eaves on sight. The interior was just as lovely. It was an up-down duplex on the main street. Dan talked her ear off all the while they were there. The ground floor had a huge kitchen and access to a finished basement. He’d spoken of how easily it could be converted to a restaurant.

  The upper duplex was a bonus. It had three bedrooms, one of which was an oversized master bedroom perfect for the girls. The second bedroom was slightly smaller and would suit Lacey, leaving the third bedroom to act as a home office. The kitchen and bathroom were also huge, as demands a growing family. Lacey felt her hopes and dreams of independence coming to fruition. But she was scared.

  “Daniel, I love it, but how can I possibly afford this?”

  “Well, I took the liberty of speaking with Dad. We’re willing to invest in the venture, provide the down payment, start-up costs, and such. You can leave it setup that way or buy us out later. The choice is up to you. What do you say?”

  “What if I can’t do it? What if my restaurant is a dismal failure?”

  Daniel had taken her hands in his and waited until she’d looked up at him. “Lacey, you already know how to cook. I can teach you the rest. You’re a smart girl. You can do this. I believe in you and so do Mom and Dad.”

  “Then I say, yes! You are the best!” She had given him a big bear hug, tears of joy flooding her eyes. “When do we start?”

  “Earth to Mom! We’re here.”

  The slamming of the car’s rear doors, combined with Abby’s words, brought Lacey back to the here and now. Immersed in her thoughts and oblivious to her surroundings, she hadn’t rea
lized the car had stopped. “I’m coming.”

  She pushed thoughts of the past behind to shore up her energy for another day at the bistro. Thanks to her family, life had been good for her and her girls.

  Chapter Three

  Lacey followed her daughters through the back entrance, satisfied at the automatic click of the locking mechanism behind her.

  “Lynne, Rena, we’re catering a breakfast meeting in the gold room upstairs this morning. You two go up and get things started. Abby, you’re with me. Josie’s coming in at six thirty, so we should be fine. I’ll start the grill and the coffee while you set up the dining room.”

  All three nodded their agreement and headed off to start the day. She watched Lynne and Rena climb the stairs to the second level. The open stairway had been Dan’s idea once they’d purchased and moved to a house in the country. It allowed customers to see how they’d grown and expanded. A discreet sign at the foot of the stairs announced that they now catered business meetings in private dining areas. Four of them, to be exact, and it hadn’t cost much to remodel the living room and three bedrooms to suit.

  Lacey turned and entered her domain through one of two swinging doors. Gleaming stainless steel winked at her from every direction. She turned on the gas-fired grill to heat, set coffee pots to brew, and plugged in the kettle for tea. Most of their morning clientele were coffee drinkers, but a few preferred tea. Next she mixed a batch of bread and put it to rise in the warming oven then started on the tea biscuits—some plain, some with ham and cheese. When the pan of biscuits went into the oven, she turned to fix breakfast for her family only to see the girls filing in already.

  Rena went straight to the oversized refrigerator and began pulling out breakfast fixings. “Ham, eggs, hash browns, and gravy this morning. I feel like cooking.” Rena grinned as she set her words to action. “Who wants to make toast?”

  “I will,” replied Lynne, crossing to the pantry to get a loaf of bread.

  Abby poured coffee and set the mugs on the table then poured cream into one of their BF4 creamer dishes before placing it and the matching sugar dish within reach. Most of the items used in the restaurant had their BF4 logo on them now. Not so the cheaper dishes they’d started off with.

  Rena served breakfast and they sat down to eat, fortifying themselves for the day ahead.

  “Rena, I swear, your cooking is almost as good as Mama’s,” said Abby.

  “Thanks, Abby, but I think it comes naturally for all of us, considering who we have for a mother. She taught us well.”

  Lacey felt heat creep into her cheeks at the unaccustomed compliment. Sometimes she wondered what they’d be doing if she hadn’t opened the restaurant, thereby providing work for all three of them as they grew into young adults. The fact that they seemed to enjoy the work was a bonus she’d forever be grateful for. They hadn’t complained much over the years, and having them work with her had made it much easier to keep an eye on them when they’d hit their teens.

  “I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Lacey said as she rose to remove the biscuits from the oven.

  “Me, neither,” said Rena with a mischievous grin. “I’m not sure what I enjoy more, cooking or socializing with the customers.”

  Lynne snorted a laugh, spewing coffee everywhere and grabbing for napkins to sop up the mess as she spoke. “Flirting is more like it, but I don’t mind since we all share the enormous tips you generate.”

  “Ha! They’re mostly locals who’ve known us all our lives. They’re used to me by now, and yeah, it does make for better tips.”

  Lacey glanced at the wall clock, a gift from her first customer. “Thirty minutes to show time. Man your battle stations, girls.” She returned to the table to collect the dirty dishes and stored them in the dishwasher. “Excellent breakfast, Rena. Thanks, love.”

  “You’re welcome, Mama.” She bestowed a quick hug and went out through the swinging doors smiling.

  Lacey panned her bread and set it to rise. She only had one loaf and a pan of rolls left from yesterday and hoped it would suffice until today’s was baked. She set them in the warming oven with the new batch and then washed up and went through to unlock the main entrance doors. She always made it a point to greet the first arrivals, the least she could do for their continued loyalty.

  Abby began taking orders as soon as the first customers were seated. Lacey bid the business crew a good morning, led them to the stairs, and continued on to the kitchen just as Abby handed through the first orders. Customers loved her homemade bread. It was nothing fancy, but they went through it so fast, she often had to make another batch before the afternoon crowd arrived. She prepared orders and baked bread, which kept her busy for quite some time.

  When the breakfast rush was over, Lacey grabbed a coffee, went into the office, and booted up the computer before calling her brother.

  “Hey, Danny! How’s it going?”

  “Pretty good, sis. To what do I owe the honor of this early morning call?”

  She laughed. “You know me so well.”

  “That I do, now out with it. Why did you call?”

  “Well, for one, I wanted to apologize for calling so late last night, but the girls were very excited about Cam’s invitation and I knew they wouldn’t sleep if I didn’t.”

  “Understandable. How long will you be gone?”

  “You really think we should go?” she asked, slightly hesitant about her decision now that she knew it was happening.

  “Hell, yeah! You having doubts?” His voice was laced with concern on the last question.

  “Sort of. What if one or all of us like it there and decide to stay? What happens to the bistro?”

  “I’d send you an Irish blessing and wish you a happy future. You deserve that, sis.”

  “And the bistro?” she prodded.

  “Jeanie and I will take care of it. Don’t worry about a thing. This vacation will do you and the girls a world of good. I like Cam. He’s a good man.”

  “Yes…yes, he is. And Jeanie’s been wonderful. How she’s put up with you all these years is still a mystery to me.”

  “It’s called love, sis. The same kind that has kept you true to Cam all these years, no matter how hard you had to struggle. I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Dan. No one else has ever measured up to Cam.” She was so choked with emotion her voice broke on the words. “I’m going to call the airline and make arrangements. You will drive us there, won’t you?”

  “Just give me the date and time, and I’ll be there to see you off. Don’t forget to call Mom and Dad. They’ll be overjoyed at your news.”

  “You think so?” she asked, uncertain of her parents’ reactions.

  “We just want you to be happy, Lacey. You’ve earned this. Go. Enjoy yourselves. Just don’t forget to keep in touch.”

  “I will. Love you, big brother. Talk to you soon.”

  ****

  Cam sat in stunned disbelief as he read Lacey’s email message.

  Cam,

  I think it’s great that the girls meet your family and learn more about their western heritage. Your stories served to whet their appetites for more. I’m guessing that was your plan all along.

  I’ll check on travel arrangements as soon as I have plans in place for the restaurant.

  Will be in touch. Thank you for generously supplying the tickets.

  Lacey

  He went to bed a happy man, and by the time he woke the following morning, a second email had arrived.

  Tuesday! They were flying in to the Edmonton airport on Tuesday. He could barely contain his excitement. He had work to do!

  Cam picked up the phone and dialed, relieved when his nephew answered. “Luke, can you spare Cal for the day? Lacey and the girls are arriving on Tuesday, and I have to get the house ready.”

  “Sure, but where will you put everybody?”

  “I’ll let them use the three bedrooms upstairs, and I’ll bunk down in the den.”

  “Okay,
but we have spare rooms here if you need it.”

  “Thanks. I owe you one.”

  He disconnected the call and phoned Cal. His wife, Leah, answered. “Hi, sweetheart. I need a favor.” Cam told her his news and heard her speak briefly to her husband. Then she came back on to tell him they’d be right over. When he heard the truck pull to a stop, he met them at the door.

  “Come on in. Do you want a coffee before we get started?”

  “Decaf for me if you have it,” replied Leah as she shrugged out of her coat and hung it on the hook by the door. “You can fill us in on what needs doing while we’re drinking it.”

  Cam led the way to the kitchen. “Sorry, Leah. No decaf unless you want instant, but the pot’s on and it’s fresh.” He took mugs out of the cupboard and turned a questioning look her way before he poured.

  Leah smiled and nodded. “Regular’s fine. I may need the energy.” She rubbed her belly, the baby bump more pronounced than he realized.

  Her words gave Cam pause for concern. “If you’re too tired, I’m sure Cal and I can manage.”

  “Not too tired, just getting lazy with all the sitting around. I’m not used to it. So where do you want to start?” she asked as they sat to drink their coffee.

  “I’ll get Cal to help rearrange the furniture in the den so we can bring the office stuff down. Once that room’s cleared out, you can clean in there while we go to work on the master bedroom. I’ll leave one dresser in there, the one with the mirror, and move the highboy to the den. Then it’s just a matter of moving my personal stuff down here and cleaning the master and spare bedrooms in preparation for their arrival.”

  “So who’s coming that’s causing all this trouble?” asked Cal.

  “Sorry, I thought Leah might have told you.” Cam felt his chest puff with pride. “I went to Ireland last year to find a woman I never forgot. When I finally caught up to her, I found out that she’d borne my children…triplets…three fiery-haired, identical versions of their mother.”

  Cal slapped him on the back, almost spilling his coffee. “Congratulations, old man. That’s quite a family.”