“The last time I did him a favor was on Valentine’s Day.” Hope stilled, her stomach shook with nerves. “He asked me to bring a girl to New York City for the weekend...” Cameron trailed off and slowly brought his gaze to hers.
Hope couldn’t move. She stared through the mirror at his profile watching her. Her hands began to shake and she clutched her mug tighter. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “No.”
It couldn’t have been. She would have known. It wasn’t Cameron who’d brought her to New York. Who treated her like a princess. Who made her laugh.
Who made her fall in love.
“Yes,” he said.
TWELVE YEARS AND NINE Months Ago
Hope stuffed an extra sweater in her backpack not knowing what to expect. Justin had said they’d be gone for the entire day and to be ready by eight a.m. sharp. She’d called out of work for the day when all she wanted to do was curl up in bed for a few more hours and then work a long shift, making money she needed and not thinking about the arrogant rich boy who cared more about his beer and parties than her.
She didn’t know why she agreed to his request. Part of her was willing to give Justin one more chance to prove he actually had an interest in her; the other part wanted to be done with him. Yet, she accepted, and here she was, standing in the doorway to her dorm looking through the glass, waiting for his familiar black Chevy Camaro to show.
When she saw the fancy car pull to the curb, she opened the door and told the nervous butterflies in her belly to be still. It was a stupid move, being trapped in a car with a guy she could possibly like but didn’t know if he had any redeeming qualities. Especially not knowing what they were doing, only that she’d be home late.
Before she reached his car, Justin got out and rounded the hood, standing between her and the passenger door. A first.
“Wow. Hi.” His dark eyes locked with hers, and his eyebrows lifted. “Hi,” he said again, this time his gaze dropped to her bulky winter coat and trailed down to her jean-clad legs and L.L Bean boots as if seeing her for the first time.
It wasn’t the reception she’d expected. Heck, the last time Justin gave her a hint of lustful interest was the day he met her at the restaurant. And it wasn’t like she was wearing anything fancy. Casual, he’d said. Of course, his idea of casual and hers were pretty different.
“I can change. I didn’t know what to wear. What we’re doing.” She hefted her backpack on her shoulder.
“You look...perfect.” Justin licked his lips before turning and opening the car door for her. Like on their first date. The last three he’d just parked up to the curb and honked. She liked that he was trying.
When they were both buckled in and Justin pulled into traffic, she let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “Where are we going?”
“You don’t know?” He glanced at her and then focused his eyes on the road again.
“You didn’t say. Or give me any clues. Just that we’d be gone all day.”
“Yeah.” He nodded as if remembering.
Yup. Just like him. He probably forgot he said they’d be gone all day. Any second now he’d be glancing at the clock on the dashboard to see when he could bring her back to the dorm.
She sat in silence, watching the scenery as they headed west.
“Have you been to the city lately?”
“Hartford?”
Justin smirked. “New York.”
“As in New York City?” She swiveled in her seat, the leather squeaking under her.
“Yeah.”
“I’ve never been.”
“For real?”
“For real.”
“Cool.”
It was the most normal, yet odd conversation she’d had with Justin. Normally his words were more dignified, his sentences polished as if trying to show off the vocabulary his hundreds of thousands of dollars of education had taught him.
“Why is it cool that I’ve never been to New York?”
Justin glanced at her again and flashed a devilish smirk her way. “Because I’ll be the first one to show you. And whenever you think of New York City you’ll also think about me—” He cleared his throat. “Like peas and carrots. New York City and...me.”
There was hope after all for the two of them. It was the first time he’d expressed any interest to think of her beyond the present date.
For the next two hours they talked about inessential things like what was better, chocolate or vanilla. She said vanilla and Justin clutched his heart, claiming to be a chocolate lover. They agreed on a music choice: eighties hair bands. And both loved the ocean.
They laughed over ridiculous puns, made fun of each other for not knowing the answers to silly jokes, and not once did they talk about finance, degrees, or taxes.
“So why did you pick...your major?” he asked.
“Nursing? I always dreamed of being a nurse. I never had a hallelujah moment or a life-shattering experience. I did well in chemistry in school and liked learning about the body and diseases and stuff. I know that sounds weird.”
She expected Justin to ask why she didn’t want to be a doctor or go into pre-med. Instead, he responded with a casual, “Cool.”
He maneuvered through the city with ease, pulling into a parking garage and handing over a pass.
“We’ll park your car for you, Mr. Smithfield.” The attendant opened Justin’s door while another came and opened her side.
“Should I bring my bag?” Hope picked up her backpack.
“Only if you want to. We’ll be walking. Did you bring a hat and gloves?”
Hope rummaged through her bag, emptying its contents in the front seat. “Shoot.” She found both gloves, a scarf, and another layer of clothes, but no hat.
“No worries. We’ll get you one. You can leave the rest in the car.”
She scooped up the scarf and wrapped it around her neck, then slid on her gloves.
Justin tugged a black knit hat over his head—she’d always loved his hair. Dark brown and stylish in a trendy movie star way. This was the first time she’d seen him wear a hat. Normally he was too concerned with messing up his perfectly styled hair.
“Let’s go.” He took her gloved hand in his and led them down the sidewalk. “What do you want to do first?”
“I don’t even know what the options are.” She was the cliché` small town girl in a big city holding hands with the rich city boy. The less she said and did to make her stand out like a hick, the better.
“There are endless possibilities. Obviously every food choice you can possibly imagine. There are shows, museums, buildings, shops. Or we can just walk around. Or ride the subway and check out the crazies. That can be fun.”
“Stop it.” She lightly smacked his arm with her free hand and laughed.
“I’ll keep you safe.” He tugged her with their joined hands until she bumped into his hip.
“What are your favorite places to see?”
“That’s irrelevant. It’s your first time in the city, so I think we should do the cheesy tourist circuit.”
Justin’s reference to his choices being irrelevant caused a beam of light to go off inside her head. She brightened her smile until her teeth hurt from the cold. For the first time in their handful of dates, Justin put her first.
Her heart did a funny little flippity floppity thing in her chest, and she followed him to wherever he wanted to bring her.
“How about the Statue of Liberty? We’ll need to take the ferry over, and it will be cold.” He looked her over once again. “Let’s grab a bite to eat and get you a hat.”
An hour later, their bellies satisfied with a bagel and lox, they sipped on their coffees as they strolled through Manhattan.
“This is your dream? To work in one of these buildings?” Hope tilted her head and eyed the giant skyscrapers. They were fascinating, for sure, but to live here, to work here, it just wasn’t her style. Yet she knew that was Justin’s dream.”
“In Man
hattan? No I...” he paused with his mouth wide open then quickly bit it shut, as if a mask had fallen over his face. He clenched his jaw and slid his gaze away from Hope and toward the buildings around them.
“You’ve changed your mind?” She watched as he relaxed his bite, his eyes softening.
“No. But I love the ocean as well. I could never spend all my time in the city. Being on the water makes me feel...free. Working with my hands...” He squeezed her gloved hand and dismissed his thoughts with a shrug.
“I haven’t seen this side of you. I thought you were all stuffed shirt and numbers and legal briefs.”
“That’s my other half. My better half prefers the outdoors.”
“And working with your hands? Doing what?”
They’d walked to Greenwich Street, and he pointed out where the Twin Towers once stood. They walked around in silence, taking in the magnitude of what happened to their country not long ago.
They remained silent as they walked for nearly a mile toward Battery Park where Justin purchased tickets for the ferry over to Ellis Island. The next ferry wasn’t for another forty-five minutes so they visited a quaint boutique where Justin bought her a black cashmere hat.
“I don’t need anything fancy. Just a Wal-Mart brand knit hat will do.”
“I don’t know if you noticed,” he said as he brought the hat to the woman at the counter, “but there aren’t any Wal-Mart’s around here,” he whispered in her ear, planting a quick kiss on her cheek.
Other than the hand holding, it was the first sign of affection he’d shown all day. It was very different from the constant touching and kissing that he normally did. She hadn’t minded it on their first date. No man, especially one of Justin’s class, had ever been so infatuated with her.
At least, that’s how he made her feel. At first. But after the first date it turned more into groping than gentle caresses. Today, however, he was back.
No, this wasn’t like the Justin of their first dates. Today he acted like he liked her. Like she was more than just a conquest. With a warm sensation in her chest, she accepted his hat and smiled up at him as he fit it over her head.
“The wind is cold out on the water. This will keep you warm.”
“I have you too.”
Justin’s gaze dropped to her mouth, and she licked her lips in invitation. Instead of swooping in like she’d expected, he dropped a kiss to her forehead and took her hand in his, leading her out of the store.
“Our ferry departs in fifteen minutes. We’ll have to walk fast.”
“I can keep up.”
The crown tickets had been all sold out by the time they got there, but they were fortunate enough to get pedestal tickets. They toured the grounds, the inside of the pedestal, the museum and the Fort Wood level.
The sun was sinking on the horizon when they boarded the ferry to return to Battery Park. Hope snuggled close to Justin on the ride back, the warmth of his arm around her keeping her cozy and content.
When they made land, they strolled leisurely to the subway station and took the train to Times Square where the walked around like tourists until they came upon a restaurant that interested them.
“How’s this?” Justin scanned through the menu in the restaurant window.
“Delaney’s? If you say it’s good, it works for me.”
“I’ve never eaten here. Looks good, though.”
Even though she knew he had money, Hope wasn’t comfortable with Justin spending a lot of money on her. Besides, they were dressed in jeans and boots, not exactly elegant dining attire.
“I’m not picky. We can pick up a burger or slice of pizza and I’d be happy.”
“I know.” He opened the door for her. “And that’s one of the things I like about you.”
Hope beamed with pride as she stepped into the restaurant. It was a casual pub-style eatery where they sat eating, talking, laughing, and sipping on local beers. Justin limited himself to two since he had to drive home, but Hope splurged and had four, feeling quite buzzed by the end of the night.
While the city of New York hadn’t slowed down, they grew tired.
“We have a long drive ahead of us, and I know you have a lot of studying to do. We should probably head back home.”
“It’s not that far, but yeah, we should head back.” Justin took out his credit card and paid the bill.
It was at Delaney’s, laughing over drinks and a plate of nachos, that she fell in love with him. She didn’t want the night to end, afraid her glass slippers were all a fantasy and her pumpkin would disappear.
While she was tempted to close her eyes and rest on the way home, she didn’t want Justin to fall asleep so she suggested playing a game.
“We have to find the ABCs on billboards, license plates, and signs. The first one to Z wins.”
He chuckled when she accused him of cheating by stealing her letters.
“You can’t claim all the letters on the sign just because you saw the R first,” she scolded.
“Sure I can.”
“You never even heard of this game before I explained it to you, so it’s nonsense that you’re telling me how to play.”
“Nonsense?” He tossed her one of his now infamous sideways glances and smirks. “Don’t you sound prim and proper?”
“As if.” She snorted and quickly covered her mouth with her hands.
Justin belted out a laugh and teased her mercilessly all the way back to campus. He pulled up to her dorm before she was ready to leave him, so hoping the night would never end.
He got out of the car and rounded the hood, opening the door for Hope. She reached around back for her bag and accepted the hand he held out to her.
“Thank you for today. It’s definitely the most fun I’ve ever had on a date.”
“Oh yeah?” He took both her hands in his and tugged her gently toward him so they stood toe-to-toe.
“Mmhm.” She nodded, lifting her gaze to his eyes, as dark as the night sky.
“I forgot to wish you a happy Valentine’s Day,” his voice, deep and soft, whispered into her lips.
She’d almost forgotten. There were signs around New York, hearts in the storefronts, couples over-dressed walking along the streets when they headed back to Justin’s car. It hadn’t mattered what day it was. Only that she’d spent the day with the most amazing man. A man who made her laugh, who asked about her family, her hopes and dreams, and had the most honest, caring eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered back.
Justin lowered his head, brushing his lips against hers and she leaned into him, practically begging for him to take the kiss deeper. She’d been waiting all day for his mouth to find hers, and now that she had him pressed against her, she didn’t want him to leave.
A sizzling heat and dizziness filled her head. He tasted like compassion and goodness and comfort, and she wanted to wrap herself in him and never leave. Their hands, still locked, tightened and Justin brought them behind her back, her chest automatically lifting into his, only the barrier of their coats keeping them from feeling each others’ heartbeats.
He squeezed her hands again and slowly pulled away from her mouth. Their heated breath mingled in the cool night, creating a puff of steam around them.
“There’s so much I want to say to you right now, Hope. So much I want to tell you.”
Please invite me back to your place. She and her roommate agreed early on that they’d never bring a guy back to their room for an overnight, and she wished she’d asked him earlier what his sleeping arrangement plans were for the evening.
Sex hadn’t been anywhere on her mind fourteen hours ago when he picked her up. But now...now she wanted Justin like she never wanted a guy before. To feel his touch on her skin. To clutch at his back, feel his heartbeat against hers.
Justin released her hands and stepped back.
“Thank you for a wonderful day.”
“It’s me who should be thanking you.”
“You already did, b
eautiful. You already did.” Justin kissed her lightly one more time before stepping backward until he reached his car. “Night,” he said in a soft voice.
And that’s when she fell head-over-heels in love with Justin Smithfield.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“NO.” HOPE STAMMERED out of the barstool and took a step away from Cameron. “No. No. It...it...it wasn’t you.” Anger and fear and disgust bubbled up inside. “You tricked me?”
Cameron’s downcast eyes read a cross between guilt and apologetic. He didn’t speak, didn’t get up, didn’t move a muscle.
“You and your brother used women and then cast them aside?”
She hadn’t heard from Justin for nearly a week after their New York trip, and she’d feared he’d moved on. Forgotten about her. So when he’d finally called her and asked her to come over to his place, she readily went, falling into his bed seconds after greeting him at his door.
And wound up pregnant.
And never saw him again.
“Oh my God.” Hope’s hand covered her belly, and she nearly doubled over in emotional pain. “Delaney?” The betrayal hurt more than finding out about the accident.
Justin’s death had scarred her. They had needed more time to explore what they’d discovered in New York. For over a decade she’d mourned the loss of what could have been. What never was.
“Delaney isn’t mine. I wish...” Cameron folded his hands in his lap and sighed. “I wish I would have told you at the end of that night that I was...me. The rest, whatever happened, was Justin. I never saw you again until a few weeks ago.”
Disappointment churned inside her gut. Hope covered her mouth and stumbled back a few more steps, scared at her reaction. She wanted and hoped the man she’d fallen in love with in New York to be her daughter’s father.
And it wasn’t Justin as she’d thought for so many years.
But Cameron.
“You need to go,” her voice cracked, her body ready to collapse.
“Hope.” He stood, and she stepped further away from him. Cameron closed his eyes, his chin dropping to his chest.
Where There's Hope_A Well Paired Novel Page 12
