A Mail-Order Dream (Miners to Millionaires Book 4)

by Janelle Daniels

  She wasn’t going to get any of those things by staying in. She’d made a mistake with Mr. Templeton, but when Jimmy Thornton asked to see her, she’d said yes. He was handsome in a dark kind of way. His dark hair curled at the collar of his shirt, and his midnight eyes glowed like sin.

  Like Cameron’s.

  Stop it!

  Cameron made it perfectly clear he didn’t want to get involved with her on any level. She was the children’s caretaker and that was all. And if the town decided to go ahead and form a school for the town kids, she might not even be that.

  The thought of not being with the kids anymore felt like a hole in her heart. If that happened, she could still seem them though. Just like she would once she married. She wouldn’t see them every day, but they still lived in the same town.

  Although she tried to bolster her own spirits, it wasn’t working. She was slowly beginning to realize she was growing too attached to the kids to walk away unscathed. They’d changed something in her, and she was beginning to wonder what she was going to do without them.

  Jimmy Thornton was a definite candidate for a husband though. And who knows? He might be the one she’d been waiting for.

  Having made plans to meet him for a walk after she finished work was perfect. If things went well, they might even grab a late supper.

  Cameron normally worked late on Wednesdays, and she stayed a little longer to help get the kids ready for bed. Tonight wasn’t any different.

  “Will you tell us a story?” Phoebe asked after they’d gotten their pajamas on and jumped into their beds.

  Aria looked at the clock on the mantle and saw that she had a few extra minutes before she was supposed to meet Jimmy. “I think that’s possible.”

  Aria climbed onto Phoebe’s bed and the little girl snuggled against her. Aria sighed in contentment as she squeezed the girl gently. “What kind of story do you want to hear?”

  Thomas, in his own bed, seemed to consider his options carefully. “How about one about dragons?”

  Phoebe sat up. “No! Princesses.”

  “Dragons are cooler.”

  “Are not!”

  Aria chuckled and settled the little girl against her again. “There is no need to argue about this. How about I tell you a story with dragons and princesses?”

  Thomas looked skeptical, but nodded at the same time Phoebe agreed.

  “All right then. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess and her best friend, Herbert the Dragon…” She continued with the story for several minutes until both appeared sleepy.

  She then kissed their foreheads and tucked them in, promising she’d tell them more of the story the next day if they worked hard on their assignments. She was about to walk away, when Phoebe grabbed her hand.

  “What is it, sweeting?” Aria smoothed the hair back from the child’s face.

  “You won’t leave us, will you, Miss McKinnon?”

  The worry in the girl’s voice made Aria still. She lowered herself to the bed once again. “I’m never going to leave you. I may not always work for your father and be your nanny, but I will always be a part of your life, if you wish me to.”

  The girl seemed to accept that answer. “I love you, Miss McKinnon.”

  Aria’s heart melted. “I love you too, honey.” She glanced over at Thomas, who was laying down, but watching them intently. “And I love you too, Thomas.”

  A small smile crested the boy’s lips, and she could tell he was happy, even though he said, “Love is just for girls.”

  “Oh, is that so?”

  He nodded firmly.

  “Well, I don’t know about that. Your father loves you.”

  “He does,” he agreed easily. “Hmm. Well maybe it’s not just for girls.”

  “Uh huh. You just think about that one.” She leaned down and gave him one last kiss. At the door, she said softly, “Good night, you two.”

  She walked out and closed the door gently, sighing at how lucky she was to be able to spend time with the two of them and—

  “You’re so good with them.”

  She jumped at the words, her hand flying to her heart. “Cameron! I didn’t know you were home.”

  He pushed away from the wall he’d been lounging against. “I got home a little bit ago, but I didn’t want to interrupt your story. That dragon sounded interesting,” he teased.

  Her cheeks flushed, and she wondered if he’d overheard the conversation with his kids too. “Did you hear everything?”

  He nodded slowly.

  “Cameron—”

  “Just Cam.” He moved closer to her. “If you’re going to call me by my Christian name, I prefer Cam.”

  She knotted her hands together as she realized her blunder. “I’m sorry. I should’ve never presumed to be so informal.”

  He shook his head and smiled softly. “It’s all right. May I call you Aria?”

  “Yes, if you wish.” She wasn’t sure why he wanted to, especially when he’d insisted the children call her Miss McKinnon.

  “Good.”

  He moved a little closer to her, and her heart thumped hard, her breath quickening. What was it about him that affected her so? There were plenty of handsome men in the world, but none had made her yearn so much. Why did it have to be him, a man who had completely sworn off marriage?

  “My children have grown attached to you.”

  She gulped as his warm breath caressed her cheek. Why was he standing so close to her? Why didn’t she move away from him? “Ye… Yes,” she stuttered the word as her throat dried. “Did you hear them say—”

  “Yes.”

  He’d heard them tell her that they loved her. Was that what this was all about? “You know, it’s completely natural for children to love their caretakers.”

  “They’ve never loved any before you.”

  Her eyes darted up to his, linking with the chocolaty-brown depths. “No one?”

  “No one.”

  Cam couldn’t stop himself from moving closer to Aria. There was something about her, something that called to him, which both inflamed him and soothed him.

  He was close enough to feel the heat of her body through his clothes, and he ached to close the remaining distance between them, to finally feel her fully against him.

  Madness.

  “Why do you think they’ve never gotten close to anyone before me?” she asked, and her bottom lip trembled when he glanced at her mouth.

  “No one has cared about them the way you do. They can feel it.”

  “I do care, very much.”

  He leaned forward, placing a hand on the wall behind her head, closing a little more space between them. He could almost feel her chest rising against his as she sucked in a breath, and the urge to touch her, to kiss her, overwhelmed him. “Aria, I’m going to—”

  “Dad?” Thomas’ soft voice called out a moment before he opened the door.

  Aria squeaked and ducked under his arm, out of his reach. All he could think about was getting her back there. “Yes, son?”

  Thomas rubbed his tired eyes. “I thought I heard you. Will you come tuck us in?”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  When Thomas nodded and padded back off to bed, he turned to Aria. “Will you wait a moment?”

  He could see the passion and indecision in her eyes a moment before they cleared. “Oh. I forgot. I… There’s somewhere I need to be.”

  “It can’t wait?”

  She shook her head. “I’m meeting someone.”

  It took a moment for the meaning behind her words to register. He sucked in a breath. “You’re meeting a man.”

  “Yes.”

  “Who?” He didn’t care that he didn’t have a right to demand answers from her, or that he was only her boss and wasn’t privy to her inner thoughts or her life outside his home, or even that he was the one who’d told her this couldn’t go anywhere. It didn’t matter. He wanted her, even though he’d been fighting it, but the moment she’d told
his children she loved them, he’d stopped fighting.

  “Who is it?” he asked again when she hesitated answering him.

  “Jimmy Thornton.”

  Cam swore softly, then promptly apologized. She didn’t deserve to be disrespected that way. Just because he was upset, he wouldn’t treat her like that. But did it have to be Thornton? The man had looks that women around town, even married women, swooned over. He was wealthy, charming, funny even, and any woman would fall helplessly at his feet.

  None of that should matter though. None of it. She didn’t belong to him, and regardless of how much he wanted her, he would never put himself, and especially his children, in a situation where they could be hurt by another woman.

  He flexed his hands, hoping it would help calm him, but it did little. “How long have you been seeing Jimmy?”

  She shuffled her feet. “We’ve spoken a few times, but this is the first official outing.”

  “Where is he taking you?”

  She pressed her lips together, and he wondered if she would answer him. “We’re going for a walk. Possibly to dinner.”

  A walk. Alone. In the evening. He could just imagine Jimmy luring Aria into a cluster of trees and kissing the daylights out of her. Only a fool wouldn’t, and Jimmy wasn’t a fool. Aria wasn’t conventional in looks, but she had something extra about her that was wild and untamed. Something which appealed to the men out here in the west. If they wanted cultured and refined, they would’ve stayed back east. “I won’t keep you then.”

  “Cam…”

  He waited to hear what she was going to say, but Thomas called for him again, and she shook her head. Turning toward the stairs, she took the words with her.

  As he resettled his children and kissed them goodnight, he reminded himself that this was how it needed to be. He shouldn’t be jealous of Jimmy, or what he might try to do with Aria.

  Aria would never be his.

  Chapter 8

  Jimmy was every bit as polite as Aria had expected he’d be. He’d said and done all the right things, but she just couldn’t stop thinking about her conversation with Cam. What had come over him?

  “Hello? Aria?” Jimmy waved a hand in front of her vacant gaze and grinned when she finally focused on him. “Ah, there you are.”

  Aria could feel her cheeks flush, and she patted them. “Sorry. I was thinking of something else.”

  “I could tell.” He whistled playfully. “And it must’ve been a doozy. Another guy?”

  Her mouth opened, but she wasn’t sure what to say, so she ended up looking like a fish. At his amused chuckle, she closed her lips. “I’m a terrible date.”

  “Not at all.” He leaned against a tree and crossed his arms comfortably, as if to settle into the conversation. “I would be shocked if you didn’t have a million other suitors.”

  “Very funny.”

  “What?”

  His genuine confusion embarrassed her. She didn’t think she’d have to say the words aloud. “I don’t know if you noticed this, but” —she tugged on a piece of her hair— “I’m Irish.”

  “So?”

  “So?” What was with the men in this town? “Generally, the Irish are thought of unfavorably in this country.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe back where you came from, but not here. Everyone has a past or secret or something, otherwise they wouldn’t be here. A person’s background doesn’t matter, only who they are and what they do.”

  A small smile curved her lips. “Now you sound just like Cam.” She hesitated before correcting herself. “I, ah, mean Mr. Grant.”

  “Mr. Grant. I see.”

  The way he said it was so embarrassing. “It’s not like that.”

  “Not like what? That you love him?”

  “No!” Her head whipped around to see if anyone had overheard. “He is strictly my boss. Nothing has happened.”

  “But you want it to?”

  She floundered for what to say as Jimmy backed her into a corner. Finally, she raised her hands in defeat. “Possibly. But it doesn’t matter, because he doesn’t want me.”

  “I find that very hard to believe.”

  His eyes trailed down her body, and she colored at the obvious pleasure in his eyes. “Stop that.”

  “I can’t help it.” He laughed. “You’re a beautiful woman, Aria.”

  She buried her face in her hands at his words, and groaned. “I don’t know what to say to that!”

  He stepped forward and lowered her hands so he could see her face again. Her eyes reluctantly met his.

  “You don’t need to say anything. It’s the truth; you’re beautiful. I know we don’t know each other that well, but I feel like you’re someone I could come to care about. And I hope you feel the same.”

  She nodded. “I do feel that way. You’re a very nice person.”

  “Nice?” Jimmy raised a hand to his heart, pretending to be offended.

  She chuckled. “You’re a good man.”

  “But not the one you want.”

  Was that true? Had she told herself she was open to a relationship, when all she really wanted was Cam? She wasn’t in love. Not yet. But she did care about him, and she loved his children. Why was this so confusing?

  He took one of her hands in his. “Listen, I know I’m not your first choice, so why don’t you let me help you?”

  Her brows furrowed. “Help me? How?”

  “I can help you win over Mr. Grant.”

  Her lips firmed, and he held up his free hand to stop her from talking. “Hear me out. You have feelings for him, but obviously, he’s not doing anything about it. Do you think he might secretly care for you?”

  She thought of the few times they’d been so close, and how he’d looked in the hallway just before she’d left for her walk with Jimmy.

  “Ah ha.” He brushed a finger over her cheek. “So you think he might. Well, I can help you find out for sure.”

  “How?”

  “We will continue to court, but much more often. We’ll start spending a lot of time with one another. If he cares, he won’t be able to stand it. He’s the type that won’t let another man claim the woman he loves.”

  At his words, her shoulders deflated. “He doesn’t love me.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. But we’re going to find out.”

  Could it really be that easy? Would Cam get jealous? “And what would you get out of this?” she asked skeptically.

  He laughed teasingly at her, as if she were adorable. “I get to be with you. While you have feelings for Mr. Grant, I can see myself developing feelings for you. If things don’t work out between you and him, then I’ll be here to soothe your broken heart.”

  He winked, and she laughed at his forwardness. “You’re a rogue.”

  He leaned a little closer, his brown eyes sparkling. “Reform me then.”

  She placed a hand on his chest and push him away. “Hold it there, Romeo.”

  “Looks like we’ll have to go with my plan then.” He sighed dramatically.

  “Are you sure you want to?”

  “You’re worth the risk.”

  She wasn’t so sure about that, but his words flattered her because she could see that he meant them. “Where should we start?”

  When Cam got the news he’d be gone overnight, he wasn’t happy. It wasn’t often he needed to travel, but there was no getting out of it this time.

  He walked the short distance to his house and asked Mrs. Farnsworth to have Aria meet him in his home office.

  A few minutes later, a soft knock sounded at the door. “Enter,” he called out.

  Aria entered the room and his eyes trailed first down, then up her body, landing on her hair. That glorious red mass was her only decoration in the serviceable black skirt and tailored white blouse, and all he could think about was running his hands through it.

  He cleared his throat, hoping to also clear his thoughts.

  “You wanted to see me?”

  He stood from his chair
. “Yes. Thank you for coming so promptly.” He gestured for her to sit in a chair across from his desk, and waited to retake his seat until she sat down. “I received some news today, and it’s a bit of an inconvenience, unfortunately.”

  A notch formed between her brow. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “I didn’t mean it was an inconvenience for me, although it is. I meant that it would inconvenience you.”

  “How so?”

  She crossed her legs at the question, and his eyes strayed toward the movement. “I want you to sleep here.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Smooth. “I mean, I need you to sleep here tomorrow night, if at all possible. I need to leave tomorrow morning and meet with someone a few towns over. I’m afraid it’s going to take all day, and I won’t be able to make it back. It would relieve my mind if you were here.”

  “Oh. Just one night?”

  “Yes. You should be perfectly fine. And if it would make you more comfortable, I can ask Mrs. Farnsworth to stay as well. Then you wouldn’t be alone.”

  She nodded slowly. “That would be better. It’s silly, since Mrs. Farnsworth is older than me, but I would feel more at ease. Plus…”

  He waited for her to finish, but she didn’t continue speaking. Then he realized what she was thinking. “Plus,” he said, “with Mrs. Farnsworth here, it would seem more respectable.”

  “Yes.”

  It annoyed him that it even mattered. What was between him and Aria, or what wasn’t, wasn’t anyone else’s business. She should be able to stay at his house as the children’s nanny without anyone thinking anything of it.

  Sometimes he hated how rigid the rules were. “I’ll talk to her and get it sorted. Is there anything you’ll need from me?”

  “No. We’ll be just fine. It’s only one night, after all.”

  “Right,” he said, but as she walked out, part of him wished she would stay longer.

  “Hello? Anyone home?” Aria called out in the sprawling home that housed Ivan’s remaining unmarried mail-order brides. With Clara and Olivia married, and Belle soon to be so, it was becoming quieter. She wasn’t sure she liked that.