Secrets and Solace

by Jana Richards

  Scarlet joined him on the front porch and smiled in encouragement. “Are you ready?”

  Hell no. “I’m ready.”

  She opened the door and stepped inside, and he followed right behind her. Conversation at the dining table stopped abruptly and four pairs of eyes stared at them with varying degrees of concern and displeasure. Cam resisted the urge to squirm.

  Ethan folded his arms across his chest, his mouth pursed in annoyance. “So good of you to show up for work. Finally.”

  “Don’t give him a hard time,” Scarlet said. “You don’t know what’s going on.”

  “I can speak for myself, Scarlet. I don’t need you to defend me.”

  His tone came out harsher than he’d intended. Her eyes widened in surprise, then carefully shuttered. Damn, he hadn’t meant to be so tough on her, but he didn’t want her to fight his battles for him. She was already far too mixed up in his life for her own good.

  Harper rose to her feet and stood beside Scarlet, placing her arm around her waist. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”

  Scarlet simply raised her eyebrows at him and walked into the kitchen. Cam saw the rigid set of her shoulders and sensed her withdrawal as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Their magical night, and the bond they’d shared, was officially over.

  The jolt of regret came as a surprise, but he pushed it away and focused on his brother. “Laura’s taken Tessa to California.”

  For the next ten minutes, he explained the situation to Ethan, Harper, Maggie and Reese. Scarlet sat by herself on the sofa, sipping her coffee, and saying nothing. He glanced at her and saw her staring out the front window to the lake beyond. She was doing her best to distance herself from him, while he was keenly aware of every move she made.

  “Laura’s not going to get away with this. We’ll fight her.” Ethan’s voice shook with anger. “We’ll hire the best lawyer we can find.”

  “A good lawyer is going to cost a lot. I probably won’t be able to pay you back.”

  “I don’t give a damn about the money.” Ethan grasped his arm. “This is about Tessa. I won’t let Laura take away my niece.”

  Cam lowered his gaze. “The thing is, she may not be your niece. Laura says she’s not mine.”

  For a moment, stunned silence filled the room. Then, Ethan swallowed and looked into Cam’s eyes. “I think she’s lying because she wants to scare you. But even if she’s not, it doesn’t matter. Tessa’s our girl.”

  Cam nodded and looked away, barely able to keep his tears of gratitude at bay. “Yeah, she is. Thanks.”

  Ethan slapped his shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. I’ll call Lydia and have her ask around about lawyers. But in the meantime, we’ve got work to do. As soon as you eat breakfast, meet me at the job site.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  With one last squeeze to his shoulder, Ethan kissed Harper and then left the cottage. A moment later, Reese drained his coffee cup and got to his feet.

  “I should get to work, too.” He grasped Cam’s hand and shook it. “Don’t let her take your daughter away. Fight with everything you’ve got. Tessa’s too important.”

  “Thanks, Reese.”

  He nodded. “If there’s anything I can do, just ask.”

  With that Reese left, closing the door quietly behind him. Cam’s gaze connected with Scarlet’s, and she gave him a tremulous smile. He breathed a sigh of relief. She might be distancing herself from him, but at least she wasn’t angry.

  For that he was profoundly grateful.

  Maggie whipped up a couple of omelets and placed one in front of her. Scarlet picked at it, unable to eat. Cameron had no such problem. He devoured his omelet, thanked Maggie for making it for him, and then left as if he couldn’t get away fast enough. As soon as he shut the door, both of her sisters turned on her.

  “You slept with him, didn’t you?” Harper accused.

  “That’s really none of your business.”

  “Like hell it isn’t. Cam is my husband’s brother. Anything that upsets Ethan upsets me.”

  “Why should Ethan be upset? I would never hurt Cameron.”

  “No, not intentionally.” Maggie sat beside her at the dining room table. “But you have a pretty rocky track record when it comes to men. Two broken engagements makes you something of a flight risk.”

  “Who said anything about getting engaged? We slept together, that’s all!”

  “Ethan worries about Cam’s drinking. After Laura took Tessa away from him the first time, he went off the deep end. His drinking got out of control. Now with what’s happening again with Tessa, Cam doesn’t need the extra stress of worrying about when you’re going to take off.”

  Scarlet stared at Harper. Of all the people in the world, she thought her sisters would understand. Or at least give her the benefit of the doubt. Profoundly hurt at their lack of faith in her, at their assumption she would lead Cameron on and then toss him away, she pushed her chair back and rose slowly to her feet.

  “Cameron’s not going to fall to pieces. He’s a lot stronger than Ethan gives him credit for. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got work to do.”

  “Scarlet, come on. Let’s talk about this.”

  “I think I’ve heard enough.”

  She didn’t wait to hear what else Harper wanted to lecture her about. She marched out the door and jumped into her car, kicking up dirt and stones as she tore away from the cottage. Hot tears of hurt and anger blurred her vision.

  Miles flew by until she’d calmed down and her tears stopped. She pulled off the main road and found a parking lot next to a small lake. The sunshine sparkling on the water made her think of her grandfather and her long ago belief in diamonds beneath the waves.

  She’d never told her sisters about the conversation she’d heard between her parents on the day they died. Maybe if she had, they’d understand why she’d run away from her engagements.

  But then, she didn’t fully understand it herself. Not really. So how could she expect them to?

  With a sigh, she started her car and drove to Cameron’s house to do some work. Since she hadn’t done anything the previous day, she was behind. She walked around the house, to Cameron’s bedroom where they’d made love, the covers slightly askew from hastily fixing the bed that morning. The towels in the bathroom were still damp from their shower together. She could almost feel Cameron’s big hands on her as he soaped her back, and other more sensitive areas of her body. Would they ever make love again, or was her time with him merely a one-night stand, a moment never to be repeated?

  Scarlet walked down the hall to Tessa’s bedroom and stood in the doorway, unable to go inside. Except for the empty closet, the room was exactly how Tessa had left it a couple of days ago. The stuffed toys and dolls she’d left behind were lined up on her bed, the building blocks and wooden toys Cameron had made for her on the shelves he’d built. The tiny wooden table was set with miniature teacups and pretend food. It was as if Tessa had stepped out of the room and would return at any moment.

  Scarlet put her hand over her mouth to stop her sobs. She hadn’t allowed herself to cry in front of Cameron, but now, alone in Tessa’s empty room, she couldn’t stop the sorrow and worry. Was Tessa scared? Did she miss her Dad? Did she miss her?

  Would they ever see her again?

  After a few minutes, she pulled herself together. She dried her tears and blew her nose. Crying wouldn’t help Tessa, or Cameron. She had to be strong for both of them.

  With that thought, she went to the office and booted up his laptop. For the next few hours, she immersed herself in website updates and Facebook posts, though the cheery, positive tone she wanted to use was difficult to achieve.

  She checked her watch and saw how late it was getting. After powering down the computer, she left Cameron’s house. If he came home early, she didn’t want him to find her there, uninvited. She wouldn’t assume anything about their one night together. If they ever made love again in his house, it would be becaus
e he asked her to be there.

  When she pulled up to the cottage, dread settled in her stomach. She hated fighting with her sisters. Maybe it was time to cut her leave of absence short and go back to Chicago. The thought of leaving them behind, of leaving Cameron behind, made her queasy. But she might not have any choice. If they were angry with her, she couldn’t stay.

  That’s right, Scarlet. Run away again.

  With trepidation, she opened her car door and got out. Before she could make it up the stairs of the front porch, Harper and Maggie rushed out of the cottage to greet her. Harper put her arms around her. “I’m so sorry, Scarlet. I was worried about Tessa and I took it out on you.”

  Maggie grasped her arm. “We should have supported you instead of ganging up on you. This thing with Tessa must be hard on you, too. And if you’re starting a relationship with Cam, that’s got to be scary for you too.”

  Scarlet put one arm around Harper and squeezed Maggie’s hand. “I’m not starting a relationship with him, not really. Neither of us is in a position for anything permanent. I happened to be there when he needed someone.”

  To their credit, her sisters didn’t argue with her. “Whatever happened between you, we’re sorry we made a big deal about it. Can you forgive us?”

  Scarlet sighed in relief. “Of course.”

  “Are you hungry?” Maggie asked.

  Trust Maggie to try to feed her. Scarlet gave a shaky laugh and discovered she was indeed hungry. “I could eat.”

  “Come inside and I’ll make something for you.”

  They walked into the cottage hand in hand. For the first time since she’d returned to Solace Lake Lodge, she and her sisters were truly in sync.

  A couple of days later, Lydia texted Cam the name of the lawyer she believed would do the best job for him and Tessa.

  “Erin Cochrane is tough and uncompromising when it comes to defending the rights of her clients, especially dads. She has a very impressive track record. But when I talked to her, I was most impressed with her compassion. She’s someone who understands,” Lydia wrote in her text. “I’ve made an appointment for you to meet with her in a couple of days.”

  A series of texts contained details about his upcoming meeting with the lawyer. Cam thanked Lydia and told her he’d be there. She replied that she and Graham would be there, too. There was no way they’d let him go through this alone. A moment later, he got a text from Ethan offering to drive him to Minneapolis. Apparently, his family was circling the wagons to defend him.

  Or were they worried the stress would be too much for him. A knot formed in his stomach. Would this lawyer be able to bring Tessa home? If she couldn’t…

  He couldn’t think about that. One day at a time.

  He stuck his phone in his back pocket and went back to work. For the next couple of hours, Cam helped to move bundles of shingles onto the roof of one of the new cottages. The work required every ounce of his physical strength, but at least it kept him occupied and doing something besides worrying.

  “Ah, there’s our ladies.” Charlie said. Cam followed the direction of his gaze. Scarlet and her sisters were walking toward them pulling the little wagon. “I was beginning to think they forgot about our coffee break this afternoon.”

  “Not a chance.”

  The sunshine hit Scarlet’s hair, making her bright locks gleam. He loved the color of her hair and the silky feel of it in his hands. He especially liked the way it fell around his face when she was on top of him and leaning over to kiss him…

  The memory of making love with Scarlet made him instantly hard. Had it been a one-time thing or the start of something real between them?

  He couldn’t think of starting something with her while Tessa’s future was up in the air. Besides, he had nothing offer her aside from the potential of finding herself in the middle of a bitter custody battle.

  The men lined up and Scarlet and Harper distributed coffee and drinks while Maggie passed a container of homemade cookies around. His men made appreciative noises as they stuffed themselves with the sweet treats.

  Scarlet approached with a thermos and a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Would you like coffee or a cold drink?”

  “Coffee’s fine.”

  For the last two days they’d barely spoken, other than to take his coffee break order or to pass the salt at lunch. He wouldn’t blame her if she regretted making love with him. He’d been desperate and needy, and hadn’t exactly treated her with kid gloves. He’d pounded into her like a cave man.

  It had been the best sex of his life.

  He looked into her eyes and for a moment, he swore she was remembering making love with him, too. When she thought of them together, did she remember the soap sliding over their bodies as they made love in the shower? Did she remember the tangled sheets in his bed and the way they’d touched each other?

  He wondered if it had been as good for her as it had been for him, and whether she thought about making love with him again.

  She blinked a few times and looked away, busying herself by pouring him a cup of coffee. The only thing that gave him hope was the slight tremble of her hand.

  “Have you had any news about Tessa?” she asked.

  “Laura let her call me last night.”

  “That’s wonderful. How is she?”

  Cam sighed. “She sounded confused. She doesn’t understand why I can’t come out to California and bring her home. She also said Laura wants her to call her boyfriend Daddy.”

  She sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry, Cameron. That must have been hard for you.”

  “Yeah.” It had killed him to hear his little girl in distress and not be able to do a damn thing to help her. “I tried to talk to Laura, to find out when they might be coming home, but she hung up on me.”

  “How could she be so cruel? Doesn’t she understand how much this hurts both of you?” Scarlet blinked and looked away as if fighting tears.

  He touched her arm, surprised at her depth of feeling for his daughter. “Hey, we’ll get her back.”

  Her eyes were shiny with tears when she looked into face, but she blinked them back. “Yeah, we will.”

  He wanted to take her into his arms and hold her close, to soothe her and make everything better. But he couldn’t do that, not with his entire crew, and his brother and her sisters watching. He had to make do with a light squeeze to her arm. “Lydia found me a lawyer. She says she’s tough.”

  Scarlet nodded and composed herself once more. “That’s exactly what you need – someone to fight for you.”

  What I need is you. He pushed the thought away. The last thing Scarlet needed was a messed-up fool like him. “Yeah.”

  “When do you meet with her?”

  “Thursday. Ethan’s coming with me.”

  “Good, that’s good. Is there anything I can do?”

  Come home with me. “I don’t think so, but thanks.”

  “Okay.”

  She gave him a half smile before moving toward Charlie and a couple of the other guys. He tried not to be too obvious about watching her pour them coffee. She laughed at a joke Charlie made and asked about Leo’s wife, who was about to give birth.

  “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

  Cam started at the sound of the feminine voice. He’d been so transfixed on Scarlet he hadn’t noticed Maggie standing beside him. She held out a container of cookies and he helped himself to one.

  “Scarlet gives off this tough career woman vibe, and she really is a competent, accomplished woman,” she said in a quiet voice meant only for him. “But under that sophisticated exterior, there’s a very tender, sensitive heart. I hope you remember that.”

  Maggie walked away and offered her treats to another group of workers. The Lindquist sisters were very protective of each other. And why shouldn’t they be? They’d learned at a very young age how easily safety and security could be snatched away.

  The last thing he wanted was to bring distress into Scarlet’s li
fe. For her sake, he squashed the idea of asking her to come home with him.

  An empty ache settled in his chest.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  At the knock, Scarlet opened the door and found Glenn Hanson, Reese’s brother and foreman, standing on the veranda with a small wooden box in his hands. “Hi, Glenn. What can I do for you?”

  He handed her the box. “We found this under the floorboards in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Reese said to give it to you and your sisters. He thought it might be important.”

  Scarlet ran her fingers over the initials M.S. carved on the top. A half-forgotten memory suddenly began playing inside her head, as if someone had flipped a switch.

  The strange old house, with all its creaks and noises, frightened Scarlet. She tiptoed to her mom’s room and found her sitting on the floor of her bedroom, a box on her lap and handwritten letters and envelopes scattered around her. She had come for comfort, but Mom was the one crying, one hand covering her mouth. Scarlet ran to her, frightened by her sorrow.

  “Mom, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

  Her mom wiped at her eyes, then pulled Scarlet into her lap and held her tight. “I’m fine, honey. Really. I was reading some old letters and sometimes old memories make me sad.”

  “Why do they make you sad?”

  “Because of all the wasted time.”

  She had no idea what Mom meant, but she didn’t want to go back to her room, so she said nothing, content to stay in her mother’s arms.

  “Don’t be afraid to love, Scarlet. Not ever.”

  “Okay, Mom.”

  The switch flipped off. As Scarlet stood in the doorway staring at the box, her hands began to shake and tears burned her throat. She glanced at Glenn, still standing on the porch and looking uncomfortable. “I—I—it’s very kind of you…”

  Glenn stepped back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. Reese thought it was important. He would have brought it himself, but he wanted to get home to Abby.”