“Jules.” Jordan, wearing a hot-pink maternity shirt, jeans and cowboy boots, grabbed her by the elbow. “I need this chicken salad in my life.”
Jules laughed. “I’m glad you like it. I’ll bring you the leftovers tomorrow. Hey, Jordan, have you seen Cam?”
Jordan looked up from her plate in surprise. “He’s not here yet? He was dropping the girls off at the farm to spend the night with Amelia when I left there an hour ago.”
“Thanks.” Jules paused. “How’s Maisey?”
“Due to foal any day now, which is why I went out to check on her. And no, the irony’s not lost on me that my horse and I are both as big as the side of a house at the moment.”
Jules laughed again. “This, too, shall pass. I’ll see you later. Try the mini cupcakes. The pecan pie flavor is the best one.”
Her sister-in-law flashed her a wide smile. “Thanks for the tip.”
Where was Cam? There was no way he would miss this if something hadn’t happened. It was every bit as much his night as hers.
She stepped out onto the deck. Under the warm glow of the string lights, a group of people stood gathered around the fire. None of them was Cam.
She turned around, straining to identify each face in her restaurant, a shiver of worry forming in her stomach.
“You’re a huge success, sis.” Joe stepped up beside her as he popped a mini red velvet cupcake into his mouth.
“Thank you. It’s surprising, actually, how right it feels. I wish Mom was here. Two months feels like forever.” Her eyes still searched for a glimpse of Cam.
“She’ll be home soon enough and giving you advice you don’t need.”
“That’s so true. I’ll be wishing she’d go back to Hawaii after a couple of weeks.”
Joe put his hand on her arm. “Listen, I just wanted to apologize personally for what happened today. Are the girls okay?”
She slowly raised her eyes to meet her brother’s, her body going cold. “What happened today?”
“Oh, man, I figured you already knew. Cam was at the park with the girls this morning before school. The librarian got it in her head that he’d kidnapped them and called 911.”
Jules took a deep breath before she said slowly, “But he’s their dad, so when he told them who he was, they left, right?”
Joe’s gaze flicked away and back. “Not exactly. Eleanor was apparently having a bad morning. She was kicking and screaming as Cam was carrying her out of the park.”
“Like any toddler does when they don’t want to leave the park. What happened, Joe?”
“Cam tried to get in the van and two of my officers stopped him. He had to get them to call me before they’d let him take the girls to school.”
“I have to go.” She couldn’t breathe. She had to get out of here and get to Cam, because she had a bad feeling she knew why he wasn’t here. And what he was going to do.
“Jules, wait,” her brother called after her. “Jules.”
Cam was going to leave. She knew in her gut that, after what happened this morning, he’d let that crazy idea take root in his head. He’d tell himself that they were better off without him. And he would leave.
She ran through her beautiful, pristine kitchen—the kitchen that Cam had helped her design—and grabbed her purse off her desk in the office.
Lanna appeared in the doorway. “What’s going on?”
“Something’s happened and I have to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’m so sorry, Lanna.”
Her friend and acting manager of the Hilltop opened the back door for her. “Go. I’ll cover for you.”
Jules flew down the street to where her car was parked, praying she would get there before he left, praying she could say the right words to convince him to stay. But for that to happen, he had to believe that love was enough to conquer fear and shame and prejudice.
He had believe that love was enough.
Chapter Eighteen
Cam shoved a few shirts and a pair of jeans into his bag, although he didn’t know why he was bothering. He had his wallet and his passport and that was really all he needed. He’d spent years going from place to place with a bag and a camera. He could do it again.
He glanced at his watch. He had at least another hour before Jules got home with the girls, but he wanted to be gone before she got home. Before she had the chance to try to spin what happened today into something that didn’t change things for all of them. Maybe it was a cowardly thing to do, but he knew if he looked in her eyes, he might never have the strength to leave.
He’d written them a letter. For a person who’d made a career out of using words, he’d failed miserably at putting his feelings on paper. He’d wished for a home, a family. He’d seen it in his mind the first time he’d set foot in this house. And for a moment he’d had it, all that he’d dreamed of, all that he’d never known he needed.
A picture Eleanor had drawn of their family lay on the bed. Here was proof that they had existed—a mama with long blond hair, two little girls with dark curls, even a fat black puppy. But it was the daddy that drew his attention now—a tall daddy with brown skin and a big happy smile.
He wasn’t smiling now. He carefully folded the picture and put it in his wallet.
From the door came a voice. “I heard what happened today.”
He spun around, his heart constricting as he caught sight of Jules. “You haven’t heard it from my perspective.”
She stepped into the room, her long legs set off by slim black pants. “Then why don’t you tell me about it?”
“No.” He was frozen in place, his hand hovering over the handles of his bag. “It doesn’t matter.”
Her gaze snapped to his. “It matters to me.”
She was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She walked—sauntered, really—to the desk under the window in his room. With one long finger, she slid the single piece of paper closer to her.
“Jules, please don’t.”
She raised one blond eyebrow. “Why not? This letter is to me, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but—”
“But it wasn’t meant to be read?”
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and opened them again, giving her the truth. “It wasn’t meant to be read in front of me.”
“I see.” She picked the letter up from the table and slowly walked back across the room, mile-high heels clicking on the hardwood floor. “It was meant to be read by me and the girls as we congratulated ourselves on our narrow escape from life with you.”
It was then that he realized she wasn’t worried or sad, she was coldly furious. “Jules—”
“Quiet, please, I’m reading. ‘Dear Juliet, I’m sorry. We always knew it was only a matter of time.’” She looked up, caught his gaze with her own. “Is that what you were thinking all this time we’ve been married? Every time we had a conversation, every time we kissed? That it was only a matter of time? Because that’s not what I was thinking.”
“No, Jules. I wasn’t. I was thinking I was the luckiest man on the planet to get to be with the three of you every day.” He moved then, closer to her, but not touching her. He didn’t think she’d want him to. “I was thinking maybe if I just wanted it badly enough, I could make it last forever.”
Her blue eyes filled with tears and, as she looked down at the letter again, one splashed onto the creamy-white paper. He was causing her pain and he couldn’t bear it. He reached out for her, but once again pulled his hand back.
She straightened her shoulders and continued reading. “‘I will think of you every minute of every day and if you ever need anything, you only need to ask.’ This isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. You’re such a liar.”
He took a step back. “What?”
“Let me find it again and make sure I have the wording right. Yep, yep. Here it is.” S
he ran her fingers over the words. “‘If you ever need anything, you only need to ask.’ Well, we do need something, Cam. You’re taking away the thing we need most. We need you.”
His heart cracked, his chest burning with the need to pull her into his arms. He loved her. He’d been a fool to think not saying the words would somehow keep him from feeling it.
He loved her. And he was terrified he would never get over the loss of her.
He whispered, “You didn’t see their faces.”
She scoffed. “The cops? Who cares what they think?”
“Not the cops. The girls. They were traumatized, Jules. Emma was sobbing and Eleanor went from being the most irritating three-year-old in history to silently staring straight ahead with these gigantic tears rolling down her cheeks. I did that to them.”
“That’s not true.”
“I may as well have. There’s no getting around the fact that if I looked like you, no one would’ve called the cops. No one would’ve thought twice about it. They would have looked at Eleanor screaming and thought, ‘We’ve all had those days.’ Except that’s not what happened. They looked at me and they saw a threat. And Emma and Eleanor were the ones who suffered because of it.”
A tear spilled down her cheek. He wanted to grab her and hold her and tell her not to be sad, that he would fix everything. But he couldn’t fix this.
And that was the whole point.
He needed to go. To pick up his bag and leave. But instead, he slid his hand into her hair. With one gentle tug, she was fitted against him, her eyes wide and dark and full of hurt. He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. A salty, tear-streaked kiss full of regret and broken promises. He leaned his forehead against hers and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
* * *
In the kitchen, Jules heard the garage door open and waited long seconds for the engine to start up. She imagined that Cam was sitting in his brand-new truck, at war with himself, wanting to stay but believing he needed to go.
She was so incredibly angry at him. She didn’t agree with him. But that didn’t mean she didn’t understand his choice. Dear God, please let him stay.
But then she heard it. The roar of the V-8 engine in his truck pulling out and fading into the distance. He really was leaving.
Her phone buzzed on the counter and she picked it up. A text from Lanna. I’ve got the cleanup covered. It was a great night. I’m so proud of you, kiddo.
From the counter, she picked up the flyer they’d posted around town advertising the sneak peek at the new and improved Hilltop Café. This was supposed to be their big night together. They’d planned and prepared and planned some more.
And finally, tonight had been the payoff for all that hard work. She’d looked forward to coming home after the party and chatting about everyone’s reaction to the remodel and the new menu. Because despite everything, she and Cam were friends.
She’d grown to depend on his ability to reason his way through a problem, and his easy camaraderie as they parented the girls. She closed her eyes. She couldn’t even think about what it would mean for Emma and Eleanor that he was gone.
The phone buzzed in her hand again. She moved to silence it, but it was Claire, and the girls were with her at Red Hill Farm. “Claire?”
“Everyone’s fine here,” her sister-in-law said quickly. “I’m just calling to check on you. You’d left by the time I got to the menu tasting. And oh, Jules. Joe told me what happened today. I can’t even imagine what the two of you must be going through.”
Juliet took a deep breath and said it for the first time of what she imagined would be many times. “There’s not going to be any ‘two of us,’ I’m afraid. Cam left.”
There was silence on the other end of the call. Then, “Maybe all is not lost, Jules. I thought Joe and I were through, but we got a second chance. We gave each other a second chance.”
“Maybe.” It was nice of Claire to try to cheer her up, but Jules had laid her heart on the line and Cam had pretty much just stepped over it on the way out the door.
She crushed the flyer in her hand and threw it in the trash can.
Claire sighed. “I’m sorry. Listen, don’t worry about the girls. They’re sleeping and they’re fine. Eleanor thought it was a grand adventure to have so many playmates around and Emma adores Amelia.”
“Thanks, Claire. I’ll pick them up in the morning.”
As she hung up the phone, she heard a whimper. She’d been so distracted, she’d forgotten all about Pippi. When she opened the kennel door, the puppy shot out of it like she’d been fired by a cannon, all boneless wiggles and kisses. Opening the door, Jules followed the dog outside, sitting down on the steps to the yard while Pippi sniffed around.
She flipped through the pictures on her phone, pausing at the one from last night: a selfie of the four of them with Eleanor’s fish. It was a tiny little thing, but El was so proud.
Cam was beaming. Even Emma was looking at the camera. It was a snapshot in time. A moment of happiness. She hadn’t had any idea how fleeting it would be.
Pippi careened up the steps and pawed her way into Jules’s lap. Jules rubbed the Lab puppy’s ears and let her face drop into the soft black fur.
The phone buzzed again. She sighed but glanced at the readout, anyway. Nerves bloomed in her stomach. It was Patience Carter, the guardian ad litem for the girls. Juliet hesitated, not sure this was a call she wanted to answer, especially not tonight. But she slid her finger across the screen. “Hello?”
“Mrs. Quinn, it’s Patience Carter. I’m calling because I’ve received some new information that we need to discuss. There was an accusation made against you and Mr. Quinn.”
She put the dog down and stood. “Accusing us of what, exactly?”
“That your marriage was purely an attempt to maintain custody of the girls so you would have control over a life insurance policy they inherited from their parents.”
Well, Jules didn’t have to speculate who’d called in that anonymous tip. “Mrs. Carter, I assure you that’s not the case.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I do consider the source, but since I’ll be the one signing the recommendation for custody, I want to make sure I have all the information I need before I make my report to the judge.” The law guardian’s voice was crisp and efficient, even at nine o’clock at night. “Does tomorrow morning at eight work for you?”
“Of course, but the girls are spending the night with their cousins and Cam...is out of town.”
“No problem. I’ll see you then.” The line went dead.
Jules stared at the phone, heart beating an anxious tattoo in her chest. She didn’t need to worry. The GAL was being thorough, that was all.
She wondered for a minute if she should text Cam, but no. He’d made it clear that he was saying goodbye. He was afraid that his life would make theirs harder.
She just wished he knew that without him the sunshine would be a little bit dimmer. Their home emptier.
Their hearts broken.
* * *
Cam sped down the highway. His goal was to get to Atlanta tonight and to take the first plane in the morning out of there. He didn’t care where. He just needed distance between himself and Red Hill Springs, Alabama.
From Juliet.
It wasn’t real. None of it was real. He was a husband, a father, in name only. They’d gotten married for appearances. For the girls. For the judge. And he could tell himself that all day long.
He knew it wasn’t true.
He loved her.
The man who didn’t get involved, who bounced from adventure to adventure, never lingering long enough for complications, had stayed just a little too long.
And he’d left his heart behind.
He glanced in the mirror just in time to see red and blue lights flash on behind him. Really, God? Had he not had enough o
f dealing with the police today?
Cam slowly braked and waited until he found a place where he could safely pull over. His wallet was beside him, but he didn’t dare reach for it in case an overeager officer decided he was reaching for a weapon. He rolled the window down and put his hands—both hands—where they could be seen at the top of the steering wheel.
The huge cop walked toward Cam, silhouetted in the headlights of his patrol car, but then detoured around the truck. Maybe he wanted to be away from the street side?
The door opposite Cam opened and Joe slid into the passenger seat. “Hey.”
Cam reared back against the driver’s-side door. He took a deep breath and willed his heart rate to slow back to something closer to normal. He dropped his hands to his lap. At least he didn’t have to be worried about being shot...he didn’t think. “Aren’t there rules about using your credentials for personal reasons?”
Joe shrugged. “Probably. But I wanted to talk to you in person.”
“How’d you know where I’d be?”
“I didn’t. I just took the fastest route to the largest airport within driving distance.”
Cam frowned. “I knew I should’ve gone to New Orleans.”
The lights from Joe’s patrol car flashed, painting everything in sight red and blue. Fitting, actually, now that Cam thought about it. His whole day—his whole life—had been upended by the specter of those flashing lights.
Joe put his elbow on the ledge of the window. “I’m sorry about what happened today, Cam. If that’s why you’re leaving, I want you to know that I can personally guarantee that kind of thing will never happen again in my town.”
“You can’t protect them everywhere. I can’t protect them at all, apparently.”
“Ah.” The single syllable seemed to imply understanding that Cam wasn’t sure Joe had.
“You don’t understand. You don’t know who I am. I’ve done things, a lot of things, I’m not proud of. I wanted to leave that behind, remake the past with a future I’d dreamed of. I wanted the house and the family. And I thought I could make it fit with Jules and the girls. But she deserves so much better than me.”
The Marriage Bargain Page 16
