by Marie Force
The dogs came over to greet him, and his dad took the chair next to his. “What brings you out here, son?”
He scratched both dogs behind the ears. “Fred the moose and another confrontation with Cameron.”
“Is that right? He’s not letting up on her, huh?”
“Nope. Tell me this, Dad. Truthfully, do you think I need to be worried he’s going to hurt her?”
“Not for one second. He’s not that kind of guy.”
“That’s what everyone says, but he’s freaking her out. And who’s to say he won’t suddenly turn on her? Just because he’s always been a sweet guy doesn’t mean he always will be.”
“True, but has it occurred to you that he might have a crush on her?”
“A crush.”
“Sure. Why not? Moose have feelings, too, and old Fred knows a pretty girl when he sees one. Maybe he’s carrying a torch for her.”
“That’s so far beyond weird I don’t even know what to do with it.”
“It’s better than thinking he’s out to hurt her, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I guess so.” The thought of Fred having an actual crush on Cameron was preposterous enough to be funny. He couldn’t wait to share his dad’s theory with her. “Could I ask you something else?”
“Anything.”
“It’s kind of personal and not to be repeated.”
“All right.”
“Could I maybe get you to sign a waiver that would ensure your silence?”
“William,” Lincoln said, laughing, “I understand my well-earned reputation for being a gossip, but I am capable of keeping important secrets when the need arises.”
“Can you provide references to prove this? Because I’m unable to remember a single instance in the history of my life when you sat on something juicy—and this is as juicy as it gets.”
“Now you have to tell me.”
“Swear to God you won’t repeat it?”
“Swear to God, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.”
Knowing that was the best he could hope to get, he took a deep breath and released it. “I’m going to propose to Cameron.”
“Ahh, buddy, that’s fantastic news.” Lincoln’s smile stretched across his face and lit his blue eyes with unrestrained glee. “I adore her. We all do.”
“As do I.” When he thought about how his life had changed since that memorable night in the mud last spring, Will realized that before he met her, he’d lacked the imagination to dream up the reality that was his life today. He hadn’t known it was possible to love anyone the way he loved her. He planned to tell her so when he asked the most important question he’d ever ask anyone.
He’d asked the question once before and had been rebuffed, in what he now viewed as a near miss. He’d be forever grateful that Lisa had said no to his proposal because her rejection had led him to the love of his life. This time he had no doubt whatsoever he’d get the answer he wanted.
“So what do you want to ask me?”
“Earlier this year, when I was in New York, I had a moment alone with Patrick. I told him then I planned to propose to Cam when the time was right and asked for his blessing, which he gave me.”
Lincoln nodded in approval. “That’s the right thing to do.”
“Now that it’s actually about to happen though, I’m thinking I should let him know. Do you agree?”
Rocking back and forth, Lincoln pondered that. “It would be a nice gesture, one I’m sure he’d appreciate.”
“That’s what I’m thinking, too, so why then do I keep putting it off?”
Lincoln laughed. “Because you want to marry the man’s only child, his daughter, and it’s a scary thing to call him up and say, hey, I’m going to take her away from you forever, and I need you to be okay with that.”
“I’m not taking her away from him.”
“Aren’t you? Haven’t you already?”
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“Of course it wasn’t, but it’s the circle of life. I felt the same way asking Elmer for permission to marry his precious Molly. Like Patrick with you, he barely knew me. She’d gone away for a summer to help build houses for the poor in the South and came home with a flatlander who had lofty ideas about living overseas and getting out to see the world. And I wanted to take his daughter with me.”
“What did he say when you asked him?” Will asked, fascinated to hear this for the first time.
“He told me that despite what Molly said to the contrary, she’d never be happy anywhere but here, and that I ought to think long and hard if I felt the need to take her somewhere else in order to be happy myself.”
“So wait, you went to him planning to take her somewhere else? Away from here?”
Lincoln nodded. “I’d talked her into going to London for a couple of years, and she was on board with that. At least that’s what she told me. But then I talked to Elmer, and he made me see that she was sacrificing her own happiness to serve mine. After that conversation, I changed my mind about wanting to go to England.”
“But wait,” Will said, “what about what you wanted? Didn’t that matter?”
“Of course it did. Turns out I wanted her more than I wanted anything else, and it didn’t matter to me where we were. But it mattered to her.” Lincoln shrugged. “It was a no-brainer to change the plan to make her happy.”
“Did I ask too much of Cam by moving her up here?”
“Not at all. She loves it here. Anyone can see that. And it’s not just because you’re here, although that’s the number one reason. The place agrees with her. I know I speak for your mother as well when I tell you we couldn’t be happier to have Cameron joining our family. She’s an absolute gem, and knowing she loves you so fiercely is a tremendous comfort to us. That kind of love is all we’ve ever wanted for you—for all of you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Go make that call. Your future father-in-law will appreciate the courtesy.”
“All right.” Will got up to return to his office. “Are you coming?”
“In a minute. I’m going to enjoy this beautiful day for a little while longer. I’ll be right along.”
“Okay then.” Will cut through the store and up the back stairs to the offices on the second floor. Fortunately, no one was around in the reception area, so he was able to go directly to his office without having to talk to anyone. He closed the door and sat at his desk to dial the number he’d committed to memory while he worked up the nerve to actually call it.
Will was one of three people in the world who had the private cell phone number of one of the country’s wealthiest businessmen. His daughter and personal assistant were the other two. Patrick had wanted Will to have the number in case Cameron ever needed him for any reason, and Will had been honored to be admitted into Patrick’s small inner circle.
The phone rang once before Patrick picked up. “Will? Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine. Do you have a minute?”
“Of course. Cameron is well?”
“She’s great. She’s with my sister this afternoon. They’ve become very good friends.”
“That would be Hannah, right?”
“Yes, she’s my older sister. They’ve really hit it off.”
“I’m glad she’s making new friends up there.”
“She is, and Lucy’s here a lot now that she’s engaged to my brother.”
“Cameron is delighted to have her there, of course.”
“We all are. We never expected anyone would be willing to take on Colton and his mountain, but Lucy is equal to the challenge.”
Patrick’s hearty laugh echoed through the phone line, making Will smile and relax a little. “That she is.”
“So the reason I called … what we talked about that night at your place … I wanted to let you know I plan to propose to Cameron in the next few days.”
“Oh, well.” Patrick’s normally booming voice softened noticeably with those two words. “I’
m sure she’ll be thrilled.”
“I hope so.”
“She will. You should hear the way she talks about you—as if you walk on water.”
Humbled to hear that, Will closed his eyes against the powerful punch of emotion that could still catch him off guard all these months later. “I love her, Patrick. I’ll always love her. I promise you that.”
“I know, and I’m extremely thankful she found you and is so very happy. I wish she were closer to me, but she still calls her dear old dad just about every day, so I can hardly complain.”
“We’d love to have you come visit. Anytime.” As he said the words, he tried to imagine Patrick Murphy bunking in the loft at their cabin while they shared a bed downstairs. That would certainly put a damper on the romance.
“I’ll take you up on that one of these days. I assume she’ll want to be married there.”
“We haven’t gotten that far, but we’ll let you know as soon as we have any plans.”
“Tell her to call me. After.”
“I will.”
“I appreciate the call, Will. Someday you might have a daughter of your own, and you’ll understand just how much I appreciate it.”
“I hope I get that opportunity. We’ll talk to you soon.”
“I’ll look forward to it. Good luck with the proposal. Not that you’ll need it.”
“Thank you.”
Will ended the call feeling good about the conversation with Patrick and more determined than ever to ask her sooner rather than later. The day after tomorrow he and Hunter would go to buy the ring. He’d ask her that night. He couldn’t wait.
CHAPTER 22
When Nina appeared at his door shortly after two, Hunter was ready for her. He’d pushed aside every other thought he’d rather be thinking about Megan to focus exclusively on his work for the last two hours. After another thorough scrub of the diner numbers, he was more convinced than ever that the investment was a bad idea. Despite that, he was pushing forward with the plan to acquire it anyway because that was what his grandfather wanted him to do.
Their conversation about risk had resonated with him in more ways than one. From a business standpoint, sometimes it made sense to take on a new project that had potential to pay off in the future. Not everything had to yield immediate results to be considered worthwhile.
The same could be said for his personal life. He was willing to risk everything—his heart, his well-being, his mental health—for this chance with Megan and would do whatever it took to make it work. Despite all her warnings, she was a risk well worth taking.
“Come in.” He stood when Nina stepped into his office. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I get you anything? Coffee? Water?”
“I’m good. I’ve already OD’d on coffee today.”
Hunter walked around the desk to shut the door and then returned to his seat behind the desk. “Thanks for coming over.”
“No problem. I wanted to talk to you anyway.”
“About?”
She tilted her head and offered a smile. “What do you think?”
“So my family isn’t the only one that feels the need to be overly involved.”
“No, the Abbotts don’t have the market cornered on interfering, although I imagine their sheer numbers can be somewhat intimidating.”
“Somewhat,” he said, laughing.
“All I’m going to say is that she matters very much to me, and underneath that hard exterior she shows the world is a woman who feels things deeply and hurts easily.”
“I know that. You should know I love her, and I’d never hurt her. I only want to make her happy.”
Nina blinked and shook her head as she laughed. “Okay, I didn’t see that coming.”
“Neither did I, but there you have it. I love her. I’ve loved her for quite some time, and being with her the last few days has only proven what I’ve known all along. We belong together. I’m working on convincing her of that, but I have no plans to give up.”
“She’s apt to make it difficult.”
He shrugged. “I won’t give up on her.”
“Does she know?”
“That I love her? Not yet, but she will before too much longer. I don’t believe in guessing games. I believe in absolutes—black and white. And I absolutely love her.”
“I’m sorry.” Nina sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. “I don’t mean to bawl all over you, but she’s my baby sister.”
“I understand. I have a few of those myself.”
“Yes, you do. I’m so glad to know you’ll be looking out for her when I can’t.”
“I will. You have my word on that. Even if she tells me to go to hell, I’ll still look out for her.”
“She’s not going to tell you to go to hell. She’s been walking around with a big dopey grin on her face for days now. I’ve never seen her like that before, and it’s because of you.”
Hunter couldn’t believe how happy it made him to hear Nina say that. A knot of fear he’d been carrying around in his gut seemed to loosen somewhat at that news.
“Why do you look so relieved?”
“I guess I’ve worried about this being sort of one-sided. I mean, she was so into my brother for such a long time—”
“She wasn’t into him the way you think she was. He was her fantasy. As long as she had her mind set on him, or the idea of him, she could stay removed from real entanglements. You’re the first real risk she’s taken since we lost our folks, and I hope you know what a big deal that is for her.”
“I do. I get it, and I’m being careful with her. I promise.”
“That’s all I could ever hope for.” Laughing, she pulled a tissue from her purse. “I honestly didn’t come here to cry all over you.”
“It’s more than fine,” he said, smiling at her. “I’m glad we had a chance to talk before you leave.”
“Speaking of me leaving … That’s going to be hard on her.”
“I’ll be right there for her. Whatever she needs. She won’t be alone.”
“I think I might be a little bit in love with you, Hunter.”
He laughed—hard. “If only I could hear those words from your sister.”
“You will. Give her time. She knows you’re special.”
“She’s mad at me right now because I suggested we might need to make some changes at the diner.”
“Because it’s a money pit,” Nina said knowingly.
“That’s one way to put it.”
“I’m surprised you’re still interested after reviewing the information I sent over. No one would ever accuse you of being reckless.”
“I’ll be honest with you, Nina. If it were up to me and me alone, we’d pass. But my grandfather has convinced me to give it a try, and I’m willing to do that because he asked me to.”
“I understand. Elmer is hard to resist, and I’m not his grandchild.”
“Exactly. He has a way of bending us to his will with a smile and a wink.”
“He’s adorable.”
“We love him madly, and he knows it.” Hunter cleared his throat and dove into the tricky part of the meeting. “Here’s the thing though. I can’t, in good conscience, offer to buy you out of the diner in light of what the financials and the inspection yielded.”
“Oh,” she said, deflating.
“What I am willing to do is assume the remaining mortgage and put my grandfather’s investment into making the necessary upgrades. That would relieve you of the debt and leave you free and clear of the place, but you wouldn’t make anything on the sale. I’d totally understand if that doesn’t work for you, but it’s the best I can do under the circumstances.”
“Done.”
Hunter stared at her, shocked. He’d expected her to quibble about walking away without profiting on the business she’d put so much effort into. “Really?”
“Yes! You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted out of that place. It’s been a drain on us financially,
emotionally, even romantically because all Brett and I do is fight over it. We used a big chunk of my share of the insurance money from my parents to buy it, thinking it would be a nice job for me as well as a source of extra income. Except that’s not what happened at all. I work all the time, and we can’t seem to get ahead no matter what we do. I only stuck with it for as long as I did because of Megan.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’d never admit it, but she loves it there. She loves the people and the routine and the family we’ve found for ourselves among the customers we see every day.”
Hunter already figured as much from things Megan had said. It made sense that the diner customers would be like a family to the sisters who’d lost their parents at such a young age. The patrons filled a void for them, one that Megan would feel acutely if the diner were to shut down. He was more determined than ever to make sure that didn’t happen.
“She mentioned her writing to me.”
“Did she? That’s significant. She doesn’t talk about it much.”
“I want to encourage her to pursue it, but I’m not sure how.”
“You’ll be the new owner of the diner. Help her with the management so she has time to devote to her passions.”
“Plural? She has others?”
Nina laughed. “You, silly.”
For the first time in recent memory, Hunter felt his face turn bright red, which was rather embarrassing for a man of his age.
“You might just be completely perfect for her, and you’ve been right across the street all this time. It’s amazing.”
“To me as well.”
Nina stood and reached out to shake his hand.
Hunter did her one better by coming around the desk to hug her.
“Thank you for this,” she said, returning his embrace. “For all of it.”
“Trust me when I tell you it’s entirely my pleasure.”
“La la la, too much information.”
He laughed.
“We’ll have to sign stuff, I assume?”
“I’ll ask my cousin Grayson to draw up the paperwork right away. We’ll get it done before you leave.”