“Tamara?” Lydia asked with wide eyes.
“No. Hannah, silly.” She rolled her eyes. “They got married within two months.”
“Yikes. So that’s why she left town?”
Kyra’s eyes narrowed, flicking over Lydia from head to toe. “I never said she left town.”
Shit. Lydia swallowed and the room swelled with heat. “Okay—I have a confession, too.” Lydia launched into how she was sent to the town to write a scandalous story about Cam. How she refused to do it but she needed to know why Mara would want the story done. When she finished, Kyra stared at her, skepticism crawling over her face.
“Why would your editor give a shit about Cam and his daughter?”
“That was my exact question, too.” Lydia pulled her copy of the City Star from her purse and handed the inside cover to Kyra. Mara’s picture was displayed prominently with the monthly A Note from the Editor section.
Kyra gasped and yanked the magazine from Lydia’s hands. She brought it to her nose. “No way.” She dropped the magazine into her lap, crinkling the pages in her clenched hands. “Lydia—Tammy freaked when she heard Cam and Hannah were pregnant. She got really drunk and fucked up their engagement announcement in the local paper. She wrote a horrible headline for them about it being a shotgun wedding and she drew a mustache on Hannah’s picture. It was childish and horrible. Cam called the paper that morning and had half the town ready to boycott if they didn’t fire her. She left the next day and none of us have heard from her since.”
“What about family? She must still have family around here, right?
Kyra shook her head. “No, they moved after she graduated high school. That’s why it was so obvious she was sticking around for Cam. She kept bragging about how she could be an editor for the New York Times, but she loved Maple Grove too much to leave.”
Lydia snorted at that. The New YorkTimes? Right. Just like Lydia had a fair shot at working on Wall Street. Her eyes sparkled as she looked back up at Kyra. “Any chance you could get me a copy of that article?” Slinging her purse across her shoulder, Lydia stood, clutching her keys.
Kyra blinked once. Twice. “Sure… but, where are you going? What about your manicure?”
Lydia flung the door open, pressing Cam’s number into her cell one more time. “I’m gonna have to cancel.”
Dammit, no answer. Lydia threw the phone back into her purse and rushed for her car. Sliding behind the wheel, the rental purred to life and she sped off in the direction of Cam’s cottage.
‡
Chapter Thirty
“You sure you’re okay with me not coming tonight?” The afternoon sun glistened off the lake and despite the chill in the air, Cam wore only a long sleeved T-shirt. He called Noah as soon as he had left the guest cottage. His brother sat at a safe distance on a tree stump, staring at the ground and shaking his head.
“I understand,” Cam said. He understood all too well now. And if it wasn’t for Maddie’s involvement, he’d be skipping the evening, too.
Noah dropped his forehead into his hands. “I should have told you everything last night. I was just so pissed. Cam, I’m so sorry… those things I said, I didn’t mean them. You were a great big brother.”
Raising the axe above his head, he brought it down hard against the log, the strike resonating all the way up his biceps and chest. It felt good to chop something. Damn good. He kicked the firewood aside, setting another log in front of him. With a grunt, he struck again. And again. The wood splintered, cracking in half mimicking exactly what his heart felt like. Pausing, he swiped an arm across his brow. “I’m sorry too, Noah.” But even though they had both officially apologized, something still buzzed between them, like a live bomb hidden beneath the snow that either could step on at any moment.
But what was the one thing that could bring just about anyone together? A common enemy. Noah grunted something between a snort and a laugh. “God, what a conniving bitch. What were those headlines again?”
But, she didn’t seem like a bitch. And those photo captions didn’t seem like the Lydia he had come to know. Even still, anger seethed beneath his skin, burning through him like a forest fire in a dry summer. He swallowed hard. “Womanizing Father Can’t Focus Enough to Raise his Kid, or something like that.” Raising the axe, he struck another log. Hard. Is that what she really thought of him? Or was she just twisting reality to fit her hideous tabloids?
“You gonna be okay?” Noah asked.
No. “Yeah.” He paused, leaning the axe against a tree and stepping back to look at the wood pile. It was pretty damn big and yet, he didn’t want to stop chopping. You can never have enough wood in New Hampshire in the middle of winter. “I think I just want to be alone.”
Noah sat still another moment before nodding and pushing to his feet. “I’m sorry. I really was hoping she had changed—for your sake. Hell, last night, after you left the dinner, Mom almost had me convinced that she was an entirely different person.” Noah blew a warm breath into his hands, then shoved them into his pockets. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to it.”
Cam couldn’t listen anymore. And he didn’t want to talk either. He watched silently as Noah made his way up the side of the house toward his driveway. Looking to the sky, the sun shone bright behind fluffy white clouds directly overhead. Maddie would be home soon, and then he’d have to pretend like everything was peachy. But until then… he had an axe, he had wood, and a balloon of frustration that he needed to pop before his daughter got home.
Mike and his mom should have listened to him. He’d told Tucker that the City Star was a bad idea, that they needed to stick with the reputable papers. “Oh no!” his mom had argued, wide-eyed and innocent. “With your brother’s fame, we need to hit magazines too.”
“Moron,” Cam muttered under his breath. Pausing to wipe the sweat from his forehead, Cam took the moment to glug his water. He could give two shits about his own reputation. Anyone worth their salt would know the story was total bull. But this would crush Maddie.
A few minutes later, tires screeched from the driveway. He’d have to have another talk with Callie about driving safely with Maddie in the car. Well, shit—driving safely regardless. But especially when his daughter’s life was in her hands.
“I’m back here,” he called out. Cam paused, waiting for an answer. A car door slammed and footsteps crunched around the side of the house. He bent to get another log. “How was the sleepover?”
“I thought it was going well until the asshole left me dripping and alone in the shower.”
Every hair on Cam’s body rose, and he stilled, firewood in hand. He muttered a curse and raked his hand through sweat-damp hair. “What are you doing here?” he growled, not daring to meet her eyes.
Her toe tapped against icy snow at her feet. “What am I—? Cam… what the fuck?”
“Watch your language,” he snapped, and his gaze finally rose to hers. Anger crackled his insides like a popping fire.
Dammit. He knew he shouldn’t have looked into her eyes. They were large and wet—one fat tear rolled down her cheek as she stared at him. Betrayal. That’s what he saw in her. Only—she was the one who looked betrayed.
He snorted and shook his head. “You’ve got some nerve coming back here.”
Her eyes glistened, and the sun caught the flecks of gold in the grey. “You’re kidding, right? You left me with no explanation. What kind of man does that? I want to know why?” Her voice was steely despite the tears.
It made his stomach clench and libido spike. Regardless of how much he hated her right now, he still wanted to throw her down and slide into her. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”
“We made love and then you left me. Like I was… was just some—”
“Cheap fling? One night stand?” he offered. “Don’t act as though last night was something deep and meaningful. We both know it was just more research for your story.”
Lydia’s jaw dropped. “My—my what? What the hell are you talking
about?”
“What will your next photo caption be? Single dad aspires to be male gigolo?”
She rubbed at her temples. “I don’t know what you are talking about. Can you please make some sense? Any sense at all would be nice.”
“Fine.” He dropped the ax and strolled over, stopping right in front of her. Sweat dripped down his neck, but he didn’t bother wiping it away. She licked her lips, shifting her weight from foot to foot, seemingly nervous. Cam’s lips curved. Good, be nervous. “Let’s just say, you were a great lay. Now you can go finish your story, and I can finally move on with my life.”
Lydia folded her arms, her tears replaced with an expression as hard as marble. Her lips pressed into a thin, white line. “You’re an asshole.”
“All the more fodder for this story of yours. I am, after all, just a story to you, aren’t I?” His tone was daring her to argue, and there was a bitterness to it he couldn’t shake. Or maybe he didn’t want to shake.
Yep, there it was. Recognition washed over her face.
She froze, all the color in her cheeks draining. “The pictures,” she said. “Of course. You found the pictures.”
“Ding, ding, ding. What has she won? A long, lonely shower.”
“It’s not what you think…”
“Were you going to write a story about how I’m an incompetent father?”
“No…” Her voice cracked. “My editor…”
“Did you write the story about Noah last June? The one about him missing Hannah’s funeral?”
She looked taken aback. “Last night you said that we all had some apologizing to do—”
“That was when I thought it was something small between you and Noah. I thought that he was just being petty as usual. But writing trash articles about my family? About my wife? That’s a whole other story.”
“I didn’t write that story. I promise you. The magazine completely rewrote—”
Another couple of car doors slammed from Cam’s driveway.
“Enough.” His jaw clenched. “I don’t give a shit what you do to me, but if you fuck with my daughter, I will annihilate you. Do you understand me?”
“Cam—please, let me explain…”
He stomped closer, placing a hand at the small of her back and pulling her in close to his body. His sweat poured out of him and pressed against her silk blouse. His erection twitched in his jeans; he pushed it further against her hip. His lips brushed hers as he spoke. “Get the fuck out of my guest house. After tonight, I never want to see you again.”
“I’m in the back, Mouse,” he called, tearing himself away from Lydia’s intoxicating scent. His mouth said one thing, but his body clearly had something entirely different in mind.
“Hey, Daddy! Lydia!” Maddie came charging into the yard, and she caught Lydia in a hug around the waist.
“Miss Lydia was just leaving,” Cam said, doing his best to lose the angry voice.
“Hey,” Callie said with a wave, glancing back and forth between Lydia and Cam. “What’s… going on?”
Lydia cleared her throat and hugged Maddie back. “I was. About to leave, that is.”
“Oh, we were gonna get some ice cream.” Callie gestured to the car. “If you wanna join—”
“She can’t.” Cam glared at Callie. He was going to kill his damn sister if she didn’t shut up.
“Yeah, no.” Lydia nodded in agreement, her eyes burning into the side of Cam’s face. “I can’t.”
He refused to look at her.
“Tonight? After the auction?” Maddie asked. He stole glance out of the corner of his eye, being sure not to move his head too much. Maddie, all hopes and smiles, craned her neck to Lydia.
Lydia’s returning smile was soft, her lips curving like two blooming rose petals. “Maybe. Let’s see how tired we all are, okay?” She brushed Maddie’s bangs to the side with soft fingers and lowered a kiss to her forehead. “Thanks, Callie.” Swallowing, she looked to Cam, and he quickly averted his gaze back to the firewood. “I’ll see you tonight.”
‡
Chapter Thirty-One
Lydia walked around the gymnasium, photographing the various paintings and photographs on the walls. Maddie’s piece was the only frame still covered with cloth. She itched to peek under the fabric and see what Maddie was working so hard to keep hidden for another hour.
There were baskets and other items sitting out on easels and tables. Lydia paused at a 5x7 card with Tripp Construction scrolled in blocky letters and a T-square symbol next to it. One hour of free service. Lydia ran her finger across his logo, the embossing pebbled beneath her touch.
Had she messed this up for good? Maybe, she thought. But that wasn’t going to stop her from trying to explain to him and the whole family.
Next to Cam’s business was Maple Grove Veterinary Clinic with Steve Tripp’s name below it. The auction item was for one complimentary pet check-up. Beside that was a one-hour cross-training session with his sister Ronnie. The entire family had pretty much all contributed.
Of course they had—Hannah was family, too.
On the other side of the gymnasium, Lydia spotted Mistress Vine walking around, looking at the art. She wore a dress made out of repurposed Highlights magazines and a green wig. After a steely breath, Lydia headed her way. “Mistress Vine?”
She turned with practiced elegance, her wide, lavender eyes batting.
Lydia extended a hand, “My name is Lydia Ryder, from the City Star. I’m here covering the charity auction with an exclusive about the Tripps.”
Mistress Vine towered over her and took Lydia’s hand in a firm grip. Her skin was velvet beneath Lydia’s fingers. Despite the friendly handshake, her smoky eyes lowered. “The City Star? This isn’t your typical story for that magazine, is it?” Her voice was husky and feminine.
“You’re correct about that.” Lydia hoped her voice didn’t sound as shaky as it did in her head. “I’d love for you to give me a call when we get back to the city.” She handed Mistress Vine her business card.
“Lydia!” Maddie’s voice startled her, and the little girl clomped over, chunky heels clacking against the gym floor. Her ankles wobbled and she nearly toppled into Lydia’s arms, clutching around her waist. Something squeezed in Lydia’s chest—someone needed to teach this little girl how to walk in heels.
Mr. Tucker followed closely behind Maddie. “Ms. Ryder,” he said with a smile, “Maddie has asked us to both wait outside so that Mistress Vine can help her finish her piece.” He chuckled with a shrug.
Lydia smiled and brushed her palm against Maddie’s cheek. “I thought the surprise was for your father?”
Crimson flushed across her freckled nose and cheeks. “It’s a surprise for you too.”
“Oh, alright.” Lydia sighed exaggeratedly. “If I must leave… then I’m taking your nose with me.” Lydia pinched Maddie’s nose, and the child squealed, chasing Lydia out of the gym.
Still looking back as Maddie followed closely behind, Lydia stopped short just in front of Ronnie. Cam’s sister’s hardened gaze locked on her.
Lydia stumbled backwards on her heels. She clutched at her camera as though it could stabilize her. She wore a button down shirt, open to reveal a lace-trimmed tank underneath and dress pants. Chest muscles rippled beneath the fabric, and Lydia couldn’t help but stare. She swallowed finally meeting Ronnie’s eyes and offering a small smile.
Ronnie’s eyes slanted at the corners while Lydia’s face flushed. She shifted her weight, her heels suddenly feeling two sizes too small. “So… you do, uh, cross-fit, huh?”
Ronnie nodded but offered little else.
“Yeah, I tried it once. It was… well, fun’s not the right word. I almost threw up, it was so hard. But my ass felt tighter than ever before.” Another moment of silence as Ronnie lifted a brow in her direction. “But, ya know… the uh, burpees. Those were crazy. Do you work out of a gym or…” Oh God, what was Lydia babbling about?
“Callie filled me in on yo
ur story.” Ronnie threw air quotes around the word, and her mouth turned down into a scowl.
Oh, shit. Callie knew, too? Lydia clamped her eyes shut. She had really hoped Cam would just keep his mouth shut until she was able to clarify everything. “It’s not what you think…”
“How do you know what I think?”
“I-I don’t. But, Ronnie, it’s…”
“Do you know what he’s been through? What his life has been like?” Ronnie took a step closer into Lydia. “He’s spent his whole life looking out for others. And he will not be burned by some obnoxious media personality again. I have four siblings… and in less than a year, you’ve managed to hurt half of them.”
Ronnie’s gaze slid like oil over her, nearly slamming Lydia into the wall behind her. Teeth gnashed together with lips so pursed that little wrinkles formed on either side of her mouth. Her blue eyes, so like Cam’s, flashed with anger and she spun around, her dark hair fanning out behind her.
“Tamara.” Lydia said aloud, and Ronnie’s steps froze. She turned to face Lydia once more, muscles visibly tensed.
“What?”
A shaky breath made its way into Lydia’s lungs, but she stepped forward, putting on her brave face. “This whole mistrust of media started with Tamara, right?”
Ronnie’s eyes narrowed. “What do you know about Tamara?”
A bitter chuckle caught in Lydia’s throat. “Oh, more than I wish, unfortunately.” She reached into her bag, pulling out her copy of the City Star holding it out for Ronnie. “Except I know her by her married name. Mara Stein. Look familiar?”
Ronnie took the magazine, her breath hitching. She looked to Lydia and back again to the picture.
“I had no idea her connection to this town until this morning. I’m not writing this story about Cam. I never was. Those notes he found? They were Mar—Tamara’s.”
Capturing You (Maple Grove Romance Book 1) Page 22
