So far the press hadn’t noticed him, but one of the reporters drew his attention. The jerk was badgering M.J. at the registration desk. She was doing her best to ignore the questions fired at her, but apparently she’d lost patience.
She raised her voice and said, “I have only one comment. Camille Halliday is a terrific boss. She’s the best one I’ve ever had and everyone here at Blackwater Lake Lodge feels the same way.”
The boss in question was just coming around the corner with a nice-looking older couple. The energy level in the lobby had been hovering in the lower register and shot through the roof when the power family was spotted. Dean and Margaret Halliday were elegant and composed as cameras started flashing and reporters hit them with a barrage of questions.
“Is Cam in a jam again? I can see the headline.” The jerk held out a digital recorder.
“What do you think about her and the doctor?” another one asked.
“Is it true she’s pregnant?”
“Are you here to break them up?” This guy shoved a microphone at the older man. “Care to comment?”
Ben looked at Cam’s face and again knew there was something wrong. He saw shadows in her eyes and a vulnerability that made him want to protect her, to wrap his arms around her and shield her from all this craziness. She’d been putting up with it her whole life and he wondered how she’d managed to stay so sweet and strong.
He stood and pushed his way to her side through the crush of people badgering her. Standing between her and the horde who wanted a piece of her, he forced a smile.
“I’ll hold one if you want to kick him.”
That got a small smile. “As appealing as that would be, I’d probably just hurt myself. Besides, the assault and battery charges would just be a win for them. And it wouldn’t do your career as an orthopedic specialist any good either.”
“I’m getting you out of here.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and led her out of the lobby. She’d told him dinner would be at Fireside and he led the way. The noise was close behind them a minute later when they arrived at the restaurant doorway.
“Do you want me to call lodge security?” he asked her.
“It’s already done.”
He nodded. “I went to high school with local law enforcement. Sheriff Marshall probably owes me a favor.”
There was humor in her eyes. “Really? Sheriff Marshall?”
“It’s catchy,” he said with a shrug.
She could smile under this kind of pressure and that took guts. Ben admired the hell out of her.
The hostess was at the podium and immediately said, “Your table is ready. Please follow me.”
Dean Halliday said to her, “If anyone intrudes on our privacy, I want you to call the local authorities.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ben and Cam looked at each other and said at the same time, “Sheriff Marshall.”
When they started laughing, her father lobbed a censoring look in her direction. Ben could imagine Cam as a little girl on the receiving end of that disapproving expression for even a small infraction like fidgeting at dinner. But the rigid upbringing hadn’t managed to squeeze the spirit out of her. Thank God.
They were seated in a far corner of the sparsely filled dining room, far from prying eyes. Ben held out a chair for Cam that would put her back to the rest of the room. Even if a nosy reporter managed to get in, she wouldn’t have to see and no unflattering photos could be snapped. Her father and mother were barely seated when the waiter arrived.
“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Halliday, Ms. Halliday. Dr. McKnight.” He looked at everyone. “Welcome to Fireside. What can I get you to drink?”
“A bottle of Jordan Pinot Noir, please, David,” Cam said.
“That’s an excellent choice,” her mother agreed.
“I’d like something stronger,” her father ordered. “Scotch.”
“The best,” Cam added, to the waiter.
“I’d like a beer. Whatever you have on tap is fine,” Ben said.
“I’ll bring that out right away. Would you like menus now or after drinks?” David was in his thirties, nice-looking and clearly knew how to provide exceptional service.
“After drinks,” Cam said and her parents nodded.
Ben had a feeling she had talked to the staff here ahead of time to make sure there were no slipups in service with her parents. Probably even before she knew the press would descend like locusts.
“Well, that was unpleasant.” Dean looked at his daughter. “One can never live down the past, it seems.”
Ben was watching Cam’s face, knew the exact moment when the barb pierced her and burrowed in. Anger instantly ignited inside him and he couldn’t let the comment go unchallenged.
“We haven’t been formally introduced, Mr. and Mrs. Halliday. I’m Ben McKnight.” He held his hand out across the table and one after the other they each took it. “The thing is, that unpleasantness happened because the two of you showed up here.” He held up a hand to forestall her father’s protest. “Not saying it’s your fault, but the Halliday name brings them out no matter who’s attached to it. I heard one of those reporters say he’d staked you out, just waiting for you to show up here in Montana.”
The older man’s eyes narrowed. “Be that as it may, Doctor, if my daughter had kept a low profile in her younger years, no one would care about the comings and goings of her parents.”
“Dad, let’s not do this now—”
Ben put his hand over hers and squeezed reassuringly. “The thing is that if presidents and movie stars can live down outrageous behavior and rehabilitate their images, a hardworking young woman like your daughter should get a pass on being a kid. Shouldn’t there be a statute of limitations on immaturity?”
Dean opened his mouth, but the waiter arrived with their drinks and set the beer and Scotch in front of the men. Then he proceeded to open the wine deftly and pour a small amount for Cam to taste and approve.
She sniffed, then barely touched the glass to her lips. “Excellent.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” David filled crystal wineglasses for the ladies, then said, “I’ll bring menus as soon as you’re ready.”
When the four of them were alone her father said, “So, tell me, Doctor, what’s a guy like you doing in a small town like Blackwater Lake?”
“I grew up here.”
“And what? You were homesick?”
Cam looked like she wanted the earth to swallow her whole. “Dad, please—”
“It’s a fair question.” Ben smiled at her, then met the other man’s gaze. “This town has the very best of what the United States of America is all about. The people take care of each other. You couldn’t find a more picturesque place. The mountains offer outdoor opportunities—hiking, skiing, snowboarding. Then there’s the lake for fishing and water sports.”
“A great vacation spot. But for a career in the medical field, wouldn’t your prospects be better in New York, Los Angeles or any other big city?”
Ben understood that this wasn’t about his career as much as it was about whether or not he was after Cam’s money. It wasn’t bragging to let the man know he was just fine in that regard.
“I actually built a medical practice in Las Vegas and sold it for, let’s just say, upwards of seven figures. Prudent investments have paid off and I don’t have to work at all for the rest of my life.”
“But you do. Here,” Margaret Halliday interjected.
Cam’s mother said “here” as if Blackwater Lake were the swamp planet where Luke Skywalker crash-landed in the second Star Wars movie. They would never understand, but he had to say it anyway.
“I love being a doctor and I’m good at what I do. This town and these people are a big part of the reason I’ve been successful in life. I wanted to give back to the community, but, believe me, I get more than I give. If the tourism industry is going to grow in this town, medical care needs to keep up.”
“True enough.
Cam tells us you’re living at the lodge,” her mother continued. The nesting questions.
“I also said you’re building a big, beautiful house in an exclusive community on the lake.” Cam was defending him, which wasn’t necessarily part of their deal.
When Ben had proposed it, he’d never expected or intended for her to invest so much personally. He knew she was going to hear from her family later about what a low bar she’d set and didn’t mind for himself. He had no emotional investment in these people, but she cared very much what they thought. He wanted to tell her parents that there was no danger of him becoming part of the family, but that wouldn’t help right now. Soon she’d be gone and in her world he’d be nothing more than a blip on the relationship radar.
Oddly enough, he wanted to be more than that to her.
* * *
After dinner the Hallidays said good-night and excused themselves from the table, pleading weariness from traveling and an eventful day. Obviously that was a jab at the paparazzi and proved that they couldn’t resist one more dig at the prodigal daughter. Cam should have looked relieved when they were alone in the restaurant, but strangely enough she seemed more tense.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said.
She seemed momentarily alarmed. “Oh?”
“You want to kick something, and I know just the spot.”
“My serenity place.” She nodded. “It’s been neglected lately because thanks to you, things have been going well.” She sighed. “Until today.”
“It happens.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
Without a word she put her fingers in his palm, then set her cloth napkin on the table. They stood and walked out of the restaurant and turned right to the exit door on the first floor. The stairway to the upper deck was right there and they took it up.
Cam settled her forearms on the redwood railing and breathed deeply. “This fresh air is just what the doctor ordered.”
“Take several deep breaths and call me in the morning.” Or right now, he thought.
Just like the first time he’d seen her in this very spot he wanted to hold her, kiss her. Now he knew how soft her skin felt, how sweet she tasted, and perfect didn’t do her justice. Making love with her seemed like a lifetime ago and right this second he couldn’t recall why having her again was such a bad idea.
When she looked up at him there was gratitude in her eyes. “Thanks for defending me tonight at dinner.”
“No problem. Speaking of dinner, I noticed that you didn’t drink your wine.” He rested his arms on the railing and stood as close to her as he dared. Their shoulders brushed and they could almost feel the heat of the sparks flickering and flashing, then flying into the night.
She tensed and said, “I needed to keep a clear head. I’m sorry my parents were so hard on you.”
“I can take it.”
“You shouldn’t have to. Why now?” She shook her head. “I can’t believe they picked tonight to be involved parents.”
“Don’t worry about it. Not on my account.”
But she kept going as if she hadn’t heard. “Although when I think about it, the timing in every other part of my life has been a disaster, so why not this, too?”
“What disaster?” He looked down and saw a troubled look in her eyes. Then he remembered the troubled tone in her voice earlier. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, a nonanswer. “Between my parents and the paparazzi, you must be relieved that we have a bargain and not a real relationship. The Halliday heiress and her baggage are more challenge than any man should have to take on.”
It was a statement, not a question, and he didn’t answer. He had a feeling that there was a lot more going on with her that she wasn’t telling him. He should ask, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
When she’d called earlier, he’d been aware that there was something wrong without even seeing her face. He knew her well enough to tell by the tone of her voice. Knowing a woman that well could change a man forever, and Ben wasn’t sure he wanted to change.
She looked up. “I think I’ll say good-night. I have some things to do.”
“Okay. Sleep well.”
He wasn’t going to.
* * *
Cam looked at the stick from the pregnancy test M.J. had brought her. It said “pregnant.”
“There must be some mistake,” she whispered to herself. “A false positive. It could happen.”
But in her heart she knew there was no mistake, unless she counted the one where she’d slept with a man who only wanted a pretend relationship. The nausea, fatigue and her highly evolved emotional state were all signs pointing to the fact that she was going to have a baby.
Ben’s baby.
She’d just left him a little while ago after standing on the deck under the stars. More than anything she wanted to throw herself into his arms and have him assure her that everything was going to be all right. But she’d sensed a distance in him. She wasn’t even sure how she knew that, but he’d definitely closed himself off.
None of that changed the fact that she was having a baby. It was surreal and she couldn’t wrap her head around what was happening to her.
The doorbell in her suite rang and she jumped at the unexpected sound. Ben. Part of her desperately wanted to see him. Part of her didn’t. She hoped it was him come to insist she tell him what was really wrong. Then she forced herself to get real. She hadn’t let herself hope for anything good since that awful day when she’d heard that her brother had been in a car accident. She’d prayed and hoped with everything she had that he would be all right, but it hadn’t been enough. Dean Junior had died in spite of her hope.
She heard the doorbell again and sighed. Whoever stood there wasn’t going away. If it was Ben, this was as good a time as any to give him the big news.
But when she opened the door her father stood there. “Dad. I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Am I interrupting?” He looked around as if there would be someone else there.
Probably anticipating Ben, since the man lived right next door. Ironically, he’d never come into her place. Neutral ground camping in the mountains was where common sense had gone out the window—and the tent didn’t even have windows.
Cam looked down at her socks, sweatpants and matching zip-up cardigan. “I’m alone. Is Mom okay?”
“Fine. She’s asleep. May I come in?”
“Sure. Of course. Sorry.” Apparently being pregnant affected a woman’s manners and basic brain function. She stepped back and pulled the door wider. “Come in.”
“Thanks.”
“Would you like a drink?” She looked longingly at Ben’s door before closing her own. “I don’t have anything here, but I can call downstairs if you—”
He held up a hand. “No. I’m fine.”
“Okay.” She indicated the conversation area in her suite living room. “Have a seat. It’s kind of late, so I’m a little curious why you’re here.”
He nodded, then sat on one of the small sofas. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
“I’ll take care of whatever it is. If there’s a problem that you noticed here at the lodge, just let me know and consider it done. I have a terrific staff and we can make things happen—”
“It’s not about trouble,” he interrupted. “I just wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“I saw your employees in action with those sleazy reporters earlier. Will you give me your secret to securing loyalty like that?”
Ben. He was her secret and her strength. He’d been her conduit, the bridge to winning the hearts and minds of the workers. “The people here in Blackwater Lake are, quite simply, awesome.”
“I actually want to talk about one person in particular, but there’s something I need to say first.” He leaned back into the cushiness of the love seat and crossed one leg over the other. It wasn’t the body language of a father getting ready to grill her ab
out the man in her life. “Your mother and I are heading back to Los Angeles in the morning.”
Cam sat down across from him. “But I thought you’d be here for another day.”
“I changed my mind. It didn’t take as long as I’d figured to see everything I needed to see.”
Was that a good thing or bad? “The lodge has turned the corner, Dad. It has the potential to be a very successful property for Halliday Hospitality, Inc. Think Vail. Aspen. Park City, Utah. The town council is investing in infrastructure so that more people will come, tourists and permanent residents both. In fact, that’s why Mercy Medical Clinic wanted Ben. And they’re expanding the existing clinic to provide more services. Eventually there will be a hospital here. The demographic is going to need Ben’s particular skills set for the master plan—”
“Whoa.” Her father laughed and shook his head. “You had me at ‘the lodge turned a corner.’ I can see that from the financial reports. I’m not here to close it down.”
“Good. A lot of people would lose their jobs if you did that.” She was relieved to hear that was off the table. Also even more curious. “Then what did you want to talk about?”
“You’ve done everything you promised when you convinced me to give you a chance to prove yourself. I wanted to personally deliver the news that you’re being promoted.”
“I am?” Another surreal moment. She couldn’t quite believe that at least one part of her life had gone according to plan.
“You can have your pick of any Halliday Hospitality property to manage.” He grinned. “So, what’s it going to be? Los Angeles? New York? San Francisco? Scottsdale, Arizona?”
“I don’t want to push anyone out or cause someone to lose their job.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll juggle assignments. No one will be out in the cold or demoted. But you’ve got my attention. You’ve earned this, Camille.”
She nodded, thinking back to employee hostility and no respect when she’d arrived here at Blackwater Lake Lodge. The collective attitude of the staff and townspeople began to change when she started “seeing” Ben. And seeing him had not been a hardship—just the opposite. It had been far too easy to get used to having him in her life. She could get used to it. But now...
The Doctor's Dating Bargain Page 16
