“Yeah, I just wish I’d followed my heart and gone looking sooner. I’ve missed so much.”
“How old are they?” asked Leah.
“Twenty-three.”
“What! And she never told you?” Leah retorted, an indignant note in her voice.
Cam shook his head. “She couldn’t. We’d met in London when her family was there on holiday. They left for home unexpectedly before we had a chance to exchange info. All she knew was that I was a Canadian cowboy. It’s a big country. Hell, Ireland’s big enough when you’re trying to find somebody.”
Cal chuckled. “Sounds like you exchanged something a lot more potent than info.”
A grinning Cam turned toward Cal. “That we did.”
“Okay, you two. Get to work while I tidy up the kitchen. I’ll join you upstairs in a few.”
Cam pushed back from the table and got to his feet, anxious to have everything ready for his guests…his family. They rearranged the den. Then Cam led the way to his office, and they made short work of moving the office furniture and equipment downstairs. Leah cleared out the closet of odds and ends of stuff that he’d stored there over the years, taking it all down to the den.
“Be careful you don’t overdo, love,” said Cal as they passed her in the hallway.
“Not a chance. This stuff is all light enough. I’ll leave the heavier items for you strong men to handle.”
“I’m using muscles I haven’t felt in years,” said Cam with a laugh. “Good thing we’re doing this today. My old”—he delivered a sharp glance at Cal—“aching bones just might recover by the time the girls arrive.”
They laughed and continued until Leah called a halt. “What’s for dinner?”
“Geez, girl. Hadn’t thought about it. We only have a few more things to do. How about I take you both out to dinner when we finish?”
“Sounds good, but do you have a couple crackers or something to hold me over until then? I swear, this baby has me ravenous most of the time.”
“Go on down to the kitchen and make yourself at home. You’re welcome to whatever you can find. There might even be a few treats left from Zakia, seeing as that brother of mine hasn’t been here today.”
“Daddy sure does have a sweet tooth,” said Leah, giggling as she headed downstairs. “Be back to help in a few minutes.”
“Take time to sit and put your feet up for a while,” said Cal. “They look swollen.”
“Ha! My entire body is swelling these days, but okay. Want me to put on a fresh pot of coffee while I’m in the kitchen?”
“None for me thanks. I’m hyper enough now.”
“I’m good, honey. Get yourself a snack and rest. We can finish up here.” Cal leaned in for a kiss and sent her on her way.
“That woman works too hard.”
“I know, Cam, but it’s difficult for her to not pitch a helping hand when one is needed. She’s so happy to be home again.”
“So when’s the wedding?” asked Cam as they entered the master bedroom to get the dresser.
“In the spring, March twenty-first. Didn’t Luke tell you?” Cal sounded surprised. “That’s all Leah and Zakia have talked about since we set the date.”
Cam straightened up and looked at the man. “No one said a word. Am I invited?”
“Of course you are! We’re trying to limit it to immediate family and a few close friends. Leah doesn’t feel right about having a big wedding in her condition.”
“I can’t rightly blame her. Let her have what she wants. It’s the vows that matter.”
“That’s my line of thought. Ready to hold up your end of this?” Cal asked, motioning to the five-drawer dresser they were moving to the den.
“Ready.”
They each made half a dozen trips to take Cam’s clothes and personal items downstairs and then joined Leah where she sat in the living room. She looked tired. The fire in the fireplace had burned low, so Cam added a couple sticks and got it blazing again.
“Time for me to get off my duff and clean the last bedroom,” said Leah.
“Nope. I can finish up. And I’ll arrange my things later. Plenty of time, now that the heavy stuff is situated.”
“Are you sure, Uncle Cam? I don’t mind.”
“I’m sure, Leah. Why don’t you go home and get prettied up? I’ll be by in about an hour to take you both to dinner. Okay?”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Cal as he helped his wife to her feet. “I definitely need a shower and a change of clothes before I appear in public.”
“Then get! And thanks for all your help today.”
“No problem. See you later.” Leah and Cal donned their jackets and opened the door to a chilly evening.
“Feels rather crisp tonight. Dress warm,” Cam admonished, worry lining his features.
They nodded and headed to their truck. Cal reversed and drove out of sight. Cam closed the door and strode through to the den and the mountain of clothing waiting there, hoping he could find something halfway decent to wear for their evening out.
****
The last leg of their journey involved constant chatter from the girls. They were all so excited. For Lacey, the closer they got to Edmonton, the harder the knots in her stomach became. She had to keep reminding herself that Cam wanted her there, or else he would’ve only sent three tickets. But try as she might to relax, anxiety had her in its grip.
The pilot’s voice came over the speaker, announcing that they were approaching the Edmonton airport. He instructed them to place their seats in the upright position and fasten their seat belts. Then he thanked them for flying with Air Canada.
“Mama, look! There it is!” said Rena, as boisterous as ever.
“Buckle up, girls. You heard the pilot.”
“Yes, but isn’t it beautiful? Look at the mountains.”
“Mountains? I thought Cam said it was mostly flat land,” she said as she craned her neck to see out the window beside Rena. “Oh! They are beautiful.” Below them lay a vast open land covered in white, but in the near distance majestic snow-topped mountains rose to meet a clear blue sky.
“The Rockies,” informed Abby from the seat in front of her. “He told us the ranch bordered the Rocky Mountains.”
“So he did. I guess I just hadn’t expected them to be so huge,” Lacey said. The plane took a nosedive, slight, but Lacey felt it just the same. “Alberta, here come the Kerrigans.” She laughed in pure delight, her doubts and fears fading as if they’d never been. Strangely, she felt as if she was coming home…home to Cameron and the love that had never died.
Chapter Four
After arriving at the airport a full hour early, Cam had too much time to think. His mind was filled with angst. His body was tied in knots. What if they’d changed their minds? What if they hadn’t boarded the plane after all? Had they hit bad weather? Were they stranded somewhere? Would the flight be on time?
A quick glance at the arrivals board proclaimed their flight due to arrive on time. Phew! At least that was good news. He’d spent most of the past hour on the mezzanine level, watching the arriving and departing planes. Now he was waiting by the Visitor Reception Center just outside the airport’s customs clearance area and the international baggage claim carousel.
Their flight had left Dublin at 6:25 their time, arriving at Heathrow International at 7:45, London time. Air Canada flight 851 would be arriving at 14:25 Alberta time. He did a quick calculation in his head. Geesh! Fourteen hours and fifteen minutes traveling time. Cam knew what that could do to a body. He always slept during overseas flights, but if the girls were half as excited as he was, they’d be chattering non-stop the entire flight.
His attention was diverted by yet another plane circling overhead. Was it them?
“Air Canada international flight number eight fifty-one, now arriving from London, England, at gate twenty-eight,” said a disembodied voice over the intercom.
The announcement couldn’t have made him any happier. Surely, they would’
ve called if they’d missed their flight. They had to be on this plane. They just had to be. Cam forced himself to take a seat and wait…forced himself for the hundredth time not to turn on his phone to check his voice messages or email. Karma, fate, whatever it was. He figured if he didn’t receive a message, they had to arrive as scheduled. Yes, they’d be here. He’d see them soon, and then his worries would be over. Concourse B was jet-bridged to the arrival gate, so he wouldn’t get to see his lovely ladies until they cleared customs. He ordered his umpteenth coffee and waited.
****
Lacey and her daughters waited until most of the passengers had disembarked before grabbing their hand luggage from the overhead compartment. Although anxious to see Cam, Lacey hated crowds. She smiled. Except when those crowds were waiting on a table at the bistro.
Her daughters had slept through part of the flight, for which she was grateful. Their constant chatter had begun to wear on her already thin nerve endings. She couldn’t really blame them though. This was their first trip outside Europe and it was exciting. Lacey wondered for the gazillionth time what life on Thunder Creek was like. She’d researched ranching on the Internet and watched a few western movies with the girls, but looking at the vast, open stretches of land below them just before landing, she was beginning to think her research was for nothing. It was beautiful country, but how did people live in such isolation?
She straightened her shoulders as she marched beside her daughters up through the pedestrian tunnel that would lead them to Cam. Think positive! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Make it a memorable one, for yourself, and for the three gorgeous redheads walking with you.
“Oh, oh. I think we made a mistake by waiting. Sorry, girls. It seems we’ll be the last ones through customs. I hadn’t thought about the line-up here.”
“No problem, Mama,” said Rena. “Just look at the cowboy man candy. Aren’t they hunky?”
“Rena, behave yourself,” Lacey admonished in a low voice as Lynne and Abby giggled.
“Ah, come on, Mama. We’re in Canada. Live a little.” Rena openly flirted with one of the “hunky cowboys” near them in line, soon starting up a conversation with him.
They cleared customs and collected their luggage. When she stepped through the glass door behind her girls, the crowd thinned and she saw him, sitting across the aisle in plain view. He was smiling as he stood to greet them before sauntering their way, larger than life. Cam was huge, muscular, in comparison to the cowboys Rena had been chatting up. His swagger drew the eye of every woman in close proximity, including her daughters.
Always the drama queen, as soon as Rena spotted him, she acted. “Daddy!” she shouted as she flew toward him to be grasped tightly in strong arms.
A surprised, yet endearing expression crossed his face at being called daddy for the first time. He swept Rena up and swung her around and then did the same with Lynne and Abby. When it was her turn, she expected the same treatment, anticipated it even. Instead, he gathered her to him and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. Her heart pounded madly in her chest, and her knees turned to jelly. If he hadn’t held her upright, she would’ve made a terrible spectacle of herself.
“I wasn’t sure you’d come,” he whispered for her ears alone.
She reached up and cradled his cheeks. “I missed you.”
Simply said, the words held a wealth of meaning.
“Let’s go home.”
“We’d better. We’re causing quite a stir.” Lacey laughed self-consciously, not used to public displays of affection. And the attention bestowed on her girls by an admiring public was causing her to worry. Just then, a flash went off.
“Good afternoon, sir,” said a man holding a camera. “Aren’t you Cameron Manning?”
At Cam’s nod, he continued, “My name is Mark Matthews. Your family has been in the news a lot this past year. I couldn’t help noticing the four beautiful redheads surrounding you. You make quite a picture. I work for the Calgary Herald. Do you mind posing for a photo and answering a few questions?”
Cam glanced down at Lacey, and she shrugged her shoulders. The girls swarmed in closer with Rena already hamming it up for the camera. Mark took pictures and asked questions. Then he passed them a business card and went on his way.
“Well, that was exciting,” said Lynne.
“Yeah, kind of. Does that mean we’re celebrities now or something?” Abby asked.
Cam chuckled. “I’ve a feeling that no matter where you girls go, you attract your share of second glances. But to answer your question, the Manning family is well known in these parts.”
“Wow! Our first day on Canadian soil, and we’re famous,” Rena exclaimed, laughing.
“You ladies must be hungry. Want to grab a bite to eat before we head to the ranch?”
Lacey answered for them all. “Not hungry, just tired, or at least I am. We’ve been anxious to see the ranch. Do you mind?”
“Not at all, my dear.”
Just then the reporter came back pushing a luggage cart ahead of him. “I thought you might be able to use this.” He grinned, looking at the pile of luggage.
“Sweet!” said Lynne.
Lacey smiled back. “That was thoughtful of you.”
“I’ll even play porter to spend more time with the loveliest ladies here today.”
Cam chuckled. “They sure are. Thanks, Mark.”
Rena walked beside Mark as they headed to the truck.
“When I found out you were coming, it was a good excuse to trade in my old truck for an extended cab four-by-four. It has a full bench seat in the back.”
“Good thinking, but I’m sorry you had to go to such an expense,” Lacey said, her voice shaky.
“Not a problem. I was overdue for a new one.”
Lacey suspected he lied to make her feel more comfortable, but she went along with the ploy. “Boys and their toys.”
“Exactly.” He grinned and turned to help Mark with their luggage. “Thank you. When can we expect to see your article?”
“Tomorrow’s edition. I can hand-deliver one if you’d like.”
Lacey smiled at the young man’s enthusiasm, knowing her daughters were the cause.
“Not necessary,” said Cam. “We have it delivered already.”
Mark’s expression was downcast for only a moment. “Okay. Gotta run now if my story is to make the morning edition. Nice meeting you.”
“Thanks for your help,” Lacey said as she huddled in her coat. The air sure was frosty.
“No problem, ma’am.”
“Ma’am? Did that boy just call me ma’am?” Lacey asked.
Cam’s chuckles mingled with the giggles of the girls. “Yes, ma’am. It’s a common greeting around here. A show of respect actually.”
“Oh.”
“Come on, my lovelies. Climb in and have a seat. Thunder Creek awaits.”
The girls scrambled into the back, and Cam closed the door before assisting Lacey into the front passenger seat.
“Buckle up.”
The day was cool, the wind much colder than they were used to. Cam must have sensed that because he pulled into a Tim Horton’s and ordered coffee and heated muffins for all.
They were soon on the highway and before she knew it, approaching the turn-off for Thunder Creek and Cam’s ranch.
****
“This is it,” Cam said, turning to Lacey with a smile. “We’ll bypass the main buildings for now and go straight to my place so you can get settled in.”
“Wow! It’s beautiful! You sure do get plenty of snow,” she replied.
“Yes, and winters here are much colder than you’re used to. The air out here tends to dry your skin pretty quick, too.”
“I’ll have to remember to moisturize. Don’t need to start wrinkling up like a prune.”
Lacey’s laughter was a boon to his soul. He reached for her hand, and she glanced toward him. “You’d still be beautiful to me.”
He heard giggling coming
from the back seat. For a moment there, he’d forgotten they had an audience. “Okay, girls. Fun’s over. Tuck your ears back under your hats and prepare to dismount.”
They were driving through the main ranch yard. Cam was proud of how pristine it all looked. The house and outbuildings had all received a fresh coat of paint last summer, and the snow made everything look clean. “That’s where my nephew, Luke, and his family live. You’ll meet them later.”
He drove on down his driveway, and as they turned the last bend, Cam wasn’t disappointed. Gasps and comments came from all four women.
“Cam, it’s gorgeous! You never told me you lived in a log house.”
“Now, Lacey, a guy has to have a few surprises up his sleeve,” Cam said, smiling.
“How many houses are on the property?” Lynne asked.
“Just Luke’s and mine. His sister, Leah, and her husband will be building out here come spring.”
“Didn’t you say you had a brother?” asked Abby.
“Yes, but he remarried and moved to the Grayson spread to run things there.”
Rena had been strangely silent since they’d passed the barns. Now she spoke. “Dad, how many people work the ranch?”
“We have quite a few full-time wranglers, and some casuals we call in during our busiest months. Why?”
“Well, it seems like such a big ranch for just you and Luke to manage.”
“You haven’t even seen a tenth of it yet. This property is way too big for two men to manage. We passed the bunkhouse on the way here. I’ll introduce you around later today or tomorrow.”
“Great!”
Cam watched in the rearview mirror as Rena settled back in her seat, a satisfied smile playing around the corners of her mouth. She was probably looking forward to meeting their wranglers. That one was a born flirt. He’d have to warn the men to keep their hands off.
Then again, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. They were all good men…honest and trustworthy. If she were to become attracted to one of their wranglers, she’d be more tempted to stay. Wouldn’t she?
He braked to a stop in front of the house, strode ahead to unlock the door as the girls stepped down from the truck, and then returned for their luggage. He would have to make two trips, and that was with each of his ladies carrying the smaller cases. “Guess you don’t believe in traveling light.”
Cameron's Quest Page 4