Colver House 4n3mn

Colver House

Angelica Kate © 2020 Angela K. Naff

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15

PROLOGUE

Gabe clicked the button on the cell phone to disconnect and headed for his truck. Camille had been crying and muttering nonsense on the phone, but it was clear that she needed a shoulder to cry on. That was unusual in itself, as she was the rock of both her family and his and the one who kept everyone on task, organized, and endlessly energized. With just two weeks to go before her wedding, he assumed that some detail had come undone or that she was having premarital jitters. As her best friend and man of honor at the impending event, he owed her all the she needed even if he had serious doubts about Jackson, her intended. Lately, with such a momentous occasion looming, he found himself nostalgic. He ed the first time he had met Camille. She and Anastasia had moved to Oklahoma after their parents died in a very public commercial plane crash that had tragically claimed the lives of 152 other souls. Susan Heskett had been her mother’s best friend, sorority sister, and godmother to the girls, and the guardian named in the will. Susan and Richard had been trying for years to have a child of their own, and the two little girls were immediately and unconditionally welcomed into their lives with love. Gabe, ten years old, and his sister Sophie who was six, lived next door to the Heskett’s and had been invited over to meet the girls two days after their arrival. Little had he known at ten years of age how pivotal that introduction would be to his life, but over time, Anastasia and Camille had become entwined with every major memory he possessed. That emotional meeting was burned into his memory. Even with the hauntingly sad eyes telling of her recent loss, he was able to tell that six-year-old Anastasia was the shiny, bright, and vibrant kind of girl who wrapped everyone around her little finger with an irresistible smile. She had baby blue eyes, curly blond hair, and cute dimples that charmed everyone who met her. It hadn’t taken long at all for her to become best buddies with his sister Sophie, especially as they were only a few months apart in age. But there had been something about the introverted, solemn, chocolate eyed Camille that had quickly captured his heart. She was two years younger than him, but that hadn’t prevented their unlikely friendship from forming. As the years went by, a deep bond had been forged between them. As teens, they were both dreamers, inventive, visionary, and hardworking.

Through the years, he had become her closest friend and confidant, and she in turn his. He had watched all the fools in high school vie for Anastasia while Camille applied herself to study to attain her well laid out ten-year plan, happy to cheer her sister on from the sidelines. Gabe had been the only guy, it seemed, who utterly refused to succumb to Anastasia’s charms in high school, which had only increased her efforts to attract him. When her infatuation had taken on ridiculous levels, they had made “the pact.” They would not date each other so that they would remain friends forever, with no hurt feelings from other entanglements. It was meant to end Anastasia’s antics, but little did anyone realize another pairing it had stopped. They had all remained the best of friends, and his high school crush on Camille had never been revealed. Now that she had found the love of her life in Jackson Ames, a successful attorney from Tulsa, he was about to lose his coveted position in her life, but until the very instant that she said “I do,” he would be there for every moment. After the wedding, she was hoping to realize her dreams of opening a bed and breakfast finally. As kids, they had dreamed about the Colver House on the outskirts of town. The giant 140-year-old house had changed hands many times, but it still held a prominent place in their growing town’s history. Much of the original architecture had been preserved, and through reincarnations as a tea room, boarding house, and family abode, it had persevered. The house hadn’t been on the market in their lifetimes, and the plot of land it resided on was considered prime real estate right along the main highway but tucked away from the bustle of town. More than once, he and Camille had imagined what it would be like to own it. They would restore it and make it into an elegant bed and breakfast. They had spent more time than he cared to tally, drawing up plans, spinning dreams, and waxing on about their big “scheme” for the beautiful house. While the dream of owning a B&B endured, it looked like she would be pursuing it with someone else, and probably not here in Stihlten, as no appropriate properties had been found and Jackson’s practice was in Tulsa. He had made the five-mile trip across town, praying that all the friendly cops would be taking a break, and he wouldn’t get stopped for speeding. Turning off the ignition, he jumped from the cab and made haste toward the house. When he opened the front door, he searched for Camille and found her sitting huddled on the couch. He walked up, folded his long frame onto the soft sofa, and gathered her close.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” She sniffled and pulled back. “He called off the wedding,” she said, her bottom lip quivering. “What! Why?” He angrily wanted to strangle Jackson for the misery he had inflicted on her. “He said he realized we had...diff...different dreams and goa...ls,” she sniffled, wiping at her nose. “He...didn’t love me...like...he needed to...and he didn’t want to be tied....down.” “Oh hell, honey, I’m so sorry,” he gathered her close. She grabbed at the front of his shirt, and the crying escalated. “What...am I...going to do?” “You will be fine. I would love to see you come to work with me, and keep looking for your ideal bed and breakfast when the time comes...” “I can’t...you are going to hate me ...and mom and dad....” the tears fell even harder. “I could never hate you,” he said, huffing derisively. “There is nothing you could do that would make that possible.” She moved away from him, head still hung. “I’m almost two months....pregnant,” she softly whispered. He felt the unexpected statement grab at his heart. Even though Jackson may not want her, surely he hadn’t known about the baby that now irrevocably tied them together. “Sweetie, you didn’t tell Jackson about the baby before he broke it off?” “He...he doesn’t want kids...,” the tears started in earnest again. “Told me...that was the deal-breaker... when I told....him.”

CHAPTER 1

Two Years later Gabe finished with his emails and pulled the manila folder toward him to review. After looking at the timelines for all the houses they currently had under construction, he felt they could squeeze in Bob Anderson’s remodel. Bob was a personal friend and had thrown a fair amount of lucrative work in his direction, so Gabe felt that he owed him. He notes on the file to have Sophie schedule a construction foreman and start ordering necessary supplies. He looked at the clock on his computer and realized that he still had almost forty-five minutes before he had to leave to meet Cheryl for their standing Tuesday night date. She drove in from Tulsa most Friday evenings for dinner, and he reciprocated by making the trip on Tuesdays. Cheryl Enders was a teacher from the city. He had met her over a year ago. She was solid, practical, and unemotional, and that suited him. She was Camille’s age, thirty to his thirty-two, and was a welcome break from family togetherness each week. Gabe had started Reclaiming History, LLC, right out of college, and his sister Sophie had come to work filling the human resource and project manager roles a couple of years later. Anastasia ed the firm, in charge of all bookkeeping and ing functions. In addition to temporary help for the front desk, they managed over 150 personnel in the field daily. It made for long days, and because they were family, sometimes a bit of a tricky dynamic to navigate. Sophie’s husband Arlan and Anastasia’s hubby Adan, brothers they had married two years apart, worked for him, supervising job sites. He loved the closeness of having them all working together, but sometimes it was a bit taxing on his patience. Cheryl provided a breath of fresh air for him weekly, but it didn’t stop him from deeply missing the one member of the family who had chosen a different path, Camille. After the disastrous ending to her engagement two years before, she had remained at her job with Black, Smith, and Harden, LLC in Tulsa as a corporate attorney. She shelved her dreams of starting a little bed and breakfast somewhere and instead focused all energies on Isabella and her career. Isabella, Bella to the family, was the first grandchild for Susan and Richard Heskett, who spoiled her horribly. Gabe, Sophie, and their parents were not much better, taking turns watching and coddling the tyke who would soon have new playmates as

Anastasia and Sophie were both expecting babies to arrive mere weeks apart, six months down the road. He looked at the picture on his desk that featured the entire crazy mixed clan, and his eyes came to rest on Camille. The picture had been taken the day she graduated college, and she was grinning one of those full open smiles that he could instantly turning his insides to a puddle as a teenage boy. She had been the one person he had confided in and sought out no matter what the occasion. They still found time for each other when possible, but she wasn’t the same outgoing girl. Motherhood and Jackson Ames had irrevocably changed her, and he would give the world to see that smile on her face again. He sighed, not noticing that Sophie stood just inside the door. “Penny for your thoughts,” she said cheerfully. “I know you can afford more,” he grinned, reciting the response they always gave each other. “You okay?” “Yep, what’s up?” “I need a signature on the Anderson contract,” she stated, quickly advancing into the room. “Sure,” he reached out for the paperwork she held. Absently turning to the page with the tab labeled Sign Here, he scribbled his illegible signature. Sophie was great at her job, and he never had to question the documents she put in front of him. She sat down suddenly in one of the guest chairs, “So what’s bothering you?” “Nothing, I was just thinking. I was getting everything in order before I head out to meet Cheryl.” “Ummm, hmmm, what’s bothering you?” “Cheryl is hinting about the future and where we are going.” “Okay? You have been dating for nearly a year, and you are both over thirty. I

don’t see the problem.” “I like Cheryl, we have a great time together, you all get along with her, and I know I should be ready for the next step. I even like the fact that she provides an escape from everyone occasionally.” “I get that. But?” He glanced at the picture, “I don’t know...never mind, I’m just overthinking it.” “Gabe, Cheryl is not Cam, and she can’t replace her for you. Jackson broke Cam, and she may never come back to us the way she was before him. You can’t put your happiness on hold forever waiting for her. It’s not fair to you or Cheryl.” “I know. I just always assumed it would , but it has been two years, and she is still stuck working at a job she hates. She has given up on all her dreams, and...I miss her...I can’t imagine getting married without her standing there beside me as I had planned to be for her.” “I do understand. I miss her too, but you may have to accept that this is how it is going to be,” she whispered, looking down. Gabe’s head bobbled, “I know. Thanks. Hey, when do you find out the gender of that little peanut?” he indicated her belly. “About two months, since Ana and I are due a couple of weeks apart; we want to find out on the same day. I just can’t wait,” she grinned, rubbing her belly as she stood. “I can’t wait to find out myself,” he said sincerely. “I know Arlan is convinced that it’s a boy, and I say a girl, so we made a bit of a wager. And you know how I hate to lose,” she teased. “Yes, I do a certain episode in which my head ended up shaved bald after I lost a wager to you over a high school football game.” She laughed, “That was hilarious.”

“Not so much fun for me,” he said wryly. “Have fun tonight; I have to run,” she said, all but running toward the door when she glanced at her watch and realized the time. “I will see you tomorrow.” He shook his head, feeling a bit lighter than when she had entered.

Camille let herself into her parent’s house and walked softly to the kitchen. As she rounded the corner, she caught sight of her mom, putting something in the microwave, her back turned to her. “Hey, mom,” she said, trying to camouflage the tiredness. It had been a long day, and at six, when she had hoped to call it a day, her boss abruptly dropped another contract on her desk that needed to be ready for signatures in the morning. It was nearly eleven when the corrections had finally all been made, and she was able to begin the hour-long commute home. “Hi sweetie,” her mom said softly. “This was another long day.” “Yeah, this latest merger is taking a lot out of me. We have an entire staff that should provide istrative , yet I have to draft the documentation and contracts personally. I tried to leave at six, but Randy was having none of it,” she complained. “I’m sorry.” “Me too; I wanted to get home to put Bella to bed in her room tonight.” She was awfully close to tears and swallowed hard to dispel the lump of disappointment in her throat. “Cam, why are you still working there? You don’t need the money, and this schedule is crazy?” “Mom, we’ve had this conversation. I know I have the trust and could make things stretch, but that would only go so far, and I’d still need to find work. At least this way, I can provide everything for Bella.” “Except for your time. Cam, you know Gabe would be glad to have you working at Reclaiming History? With both Sophie and Ana pregnant and the business expanding, he could use the help.” “I can’t,” she said. She didn’t want to have to put into words why she couldn’t work for Gabe, but she just couldn’t. A couple of years back, he had tried to talk reason into her regarding Jackson and his bad gut feeling about the guy. She had refused to listen to anything that he had to say and ended up alone and pregnant for her trouble. Jackson had signed away paternity before Bella was born and

had never been in touch since. All that being in the past, she knew it would be difficult to ask Gabe for a job and then have to see him every day. Gabe had been her best friend since they had been in elementary school, and she badly missed him. Rarely did they get to spend time together, with her schedule and his regular girlfriend Cheryl taking up his spare time. Besides, what did she have to offer him? She was a single mother working eighty hours a week in a law office she fiercely hated. The law degree had been her backup plan should the bed and breakfast idea fail, which it had monumentally once Jackson walked out on her. “You and Gabe were inseparable before Jackson. I think this division between you is the worst part of that...that jerk leaving you.” “I know, mom, but this is my life now. I intend to make sure that Bella has everything she needs to have a happy life.” “That little girl just wants you,” she said emphatically, turning to get the plate out of the microwave. “I know,” Cam whispered to herself. Every day she told herself that tomorrow she would spend more time with Bella, and each day she wanted to cry when five o’clock came and went, and she found herself surrounded by briefs and files instead of dolls and toys. It was a mad merry-go-round she was on, and while her bank grew, her relationships struggled and died. Since Jackson's departure, she didn’t even get out socially, not counting the occasional family functions. She worked, came home, and worked again, finding time for only Bella in between. But sometimes, late at night when she couldn’t control it, she would dream about a Victorian-styled bed and breakfast, lush gardens where she cultivated her vegetables, and Gabe. Looking down at the plate with peas, long-grain rice, and a pork chop, her stomach roiled. She knew she needed to eat if only to have the energy to get up and work again. She took a bite. Her mother was a fabulous cook, but it tasted like sawdust going down. She hated that all the joy was slowly evaporating from her world, and in seven hours, she would have to make the trek back to the mouse wheel called her office for another round. When her mom came up behind her and put her arm around her waist from behind, she could feel the tears gathering behind her lids.

“I love you, sweetie; I just wish I knew what to say or do to make you happy again.” “I am happy, mom, just tired,” she lied. She renewed her efforts by digging in to the food.

CHAPTER 2

Friday morning, Gabe was readying to visit a job site, stashing project files in his messenger bag, when he was interrupted by a loud shriek from the next office. Thinking the worst, he dropped the files and ran. Entering Anastasia’s office, he noticed her excitedly looking at Sophie, who was reading a newspaper. “No one is dying?” he questioned with exasperation. “I’m so sorry, I couldn’t help it,” Anastasia said, with little remorse showing on her face. He turned to exit again, shaking his head. “You are going to want to see this,” Sophie said, hitting him with the paper and causing him to turn back in their direction. She had the biggest, cheesiest grin spread all across her face. “What is it?” he asked, reaching for the paper. He opened the wadded paper and saw the announcement jump off the page. “Oh my god,” he whispered, reading the details of the auction announcement. “It’s going up for auction tomorrow Gabe. Colver House! I you and Cam talking about all your plans for that place when we were kids. I’ll bet you still have that bench you salvaged from a pile out in front of it during one of the remodels.” “Yeah, it’s on my front porch,” he said absently, his brain processing the information. The remarkable old mansion had been the inspiration for Camille’s dreams of refurbishing an old house and turning it into a bed and breakfast. “I really should call her,” he said. “Good luck,” Anastasia said, “she’s always in meetings when I try to get her.” The irritated exasperation over her sister’s schedule was not lost on him from her tone.

“She needs to know about this. It could be her opportunity to quit that job and come home,” Sophie interjected ionately. “I don’t think it would be that easy, but I agree...,” he was trying to get his brain to a plan. Clover House had been his inspiration for Reclaiming History, LLC. His company remodeled and built houses with repurposed materials, bringing some of the past into the future. He ed the hours of conversations and that little sketchbook he still had at home with many of their property ideas. More than once, he and Cam had pulled items from the dumpsters when it was being remodeled, cherishing each special reminder of the house as it had once been. The location, number of rooms, and a huge kitchen at Colver House were ideal for a bed and breakfast. He wondered if Cam could afford the cost, which would be substantial. Perhaps that was why, after the break with Jackson, she had shelved the idea of starting one. Looking up at Sophie, “I need you to crunch my numbers and figure out how much I could raise toward purchasing it, also, how the financing will work. I am going to see Cam after I finish the site visit. The drive will give me plenty of time to clear my head and figure out what to say to her, but you are right; she needs to know. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” He glanced at his watch. “Then, I can explain everything to Cheryl tonight at dinner.” Without another word, he returned to his office, grabbed his bag, and headed for the door, details buzzing through his brain at warp speed. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to Cam. He was even unsure of her reaction to the news, but the irrational need to try to spark something in her again propelled him forward.

Camille was in her office when her istrative assistant, Tabitha, poked her head in the door. “You have a visitor,” she announced, with a curious look on her face. There was nothing unusual about having a visitor, as clients frequented her office most days. What was unusual was that no one was on her calendar for the remainder of the day, and Tabitha was meticulous in logging every appointment. “I don’t have anyone scheduled. Who is it?” “Not a client,” Tabitha said, slowly walking toward her. “He said it was personal. Have you started dating again?” “No,” she said with disgust. The mere idea of such a proposition made her instantly break out in a cold sweat. “Did he give you his name?” “I think he might have...but man, he is gorgeous! Not in the dressy suit manner we see all day, but rather in blue jeans and t-shirt working man kind of way. He is tall with blonde hair curled at the collar and these fabulous green...,” she stopped noticing Cam’s face. “Gabe? Did he say his name was Gabe?” she asked, not certain what Gabe would be doing in her office but knowing that female reaction and description fit. “Maybe, but you mean your best friend from childhood, Gabe? Wow, you haven’t been telling me everything. If I had a friend that looked like him...I would promote him to...friends with benefits at a minimum...he is so yummy,” she licked her lips as if contemplating a chocolate cake. Cam snickered but couldn’t contradict her. Gabe had been turning women’s heads, including her own, if she was honest, from the time he hit puberty. He had not stopped growing until he was over six feet tall, and with the work he did for his construction company, he was packed out in all the right places. Those green eyes had a devastating effect on more than one girl they had known in college. She had silently nursed her crush on him for years until Jackson had come along. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and walked out to the waiting area, Tabitha close behind her. Gabe rose from his chair as soon as he saw her

approaching and moved forward to meet her. “Gabe, what are you doing here?” “We need to talk,” he said simply. She couldn’t read the unusual expression on his face. He wasn’t upset or angry, just excited about something, and Gabe seldom got excited. “Okay.” She frowned slightly and turned to her assistant. “Tabitha, I’m not in if anyone calls.” The girl nodded at her, but her eyes were traveling the length of Gabe with open appreciation. Stepping inside the office, Camille allowed him to and then closed the door. “I see you still have a special something with the ladies,” she teased, trying to ease the tension gnawing at her gut. Gabe had not ever visited her at the office. “I didn’t notice.” “Of course not,” she snickered, then becoming more serious, “So, what’s on your mind?” “Are you happy?” he said suddenly. He looked slightly off-kilter by the question, and she guessed his internal filter had failed him again. It was a condition he had suffered from all his life, occasionally before good manners could filter a statement, it would come out raw from his lips. He never intended to harm anyone, and she had become accustomed to his blunt manner years ago. “What kind of question is that?” She snapped. “Did you drive over an hour just to ask me such a ridiculous question? And why couldn’t this have waited until we ran into each other in town?” “We never run in to each other anymore,” he sighed, “and it’s a simple yes or no question.” “It’s not simple at all. I have a child that I need to provide for, and...I’m fortunate I got the education I did to be able to provide for her.” She knew the words

sounded hollow the minute they left her mouth. “It’s not the same as being happy and following your dreams, Cam.” “I have paid off all my student loans, I own my house, and Bella has everything she needs...” She turned away from him. “Why are you here, Gabe?” she asked resignedly without turning around to face him again. She heard something that sounded like a paper, and then he taped her on the shoulder. Bracing herself, she turned and saw that it was, in fact, a newspaper that he held out to her. “Open it; you can’t miss it!” “Can't-miss what?” she said, unrolling the tight bundle. As the bold ink jumped out at her, she felt the air sucked from her lungs, and she backed into one of her desk chairs and sat down. “Do you what that dream was like?” “Yeah,” she felt her heart thudding. She ed all the grand plans that she and Gabe had conceived for the hundred plus-year-old house. It was gorgeous, historic, and sat on three acres on the outskirts of Stihlten. When she and Jackson had first discussed the idea of pursuing her dream of owning a bed and breakfast, they had inquired after the house, but the owners were not interested in selling at that point. She could see those fabulous architectural details, rich hardwood floors, and the land begging to be cultivated. But the reality was a mean master, and she needed to be realistic. “I can’t afford this by myself. I would use the trust that I received from the airlines and take out some additional financing with Jackson’s income as collateral. But I’m alone, and if I don’t have a verifiable source of income, no bank will take that chance,” she held the paper out to Gabe. “You didn’t say anything about it not making you happy or not still being a dream of yours,” he said. “Gabe, I’m a single mom; my dreams all belong to Bella now. She’s all that matters.”

“I agree she’s important, but that’s not all that matters. I have a proposition for you. I think you and I should become partners in the B&B, purchase Colver House, and make all those ideas we sketched in your little notebook come to life. I think we could make a successful business of it.” “You can’t afford that with the business and all!” “You might be surprised. If we do this fifty-fifty and get a good price at the auction, I think we can make this happen. Just think about it; that’s all I’m asking. If you are in, show up tomorrow for the auction.” She tried to tamp down the excitement bubbling in her chest, the ideas spinning through her head. She couldn’t allow herself to get carried away. They could be outbid right off the bat. She hadn’t had much good luck the last couple of years, so she needed to step cautiously. “Let me think about it,” she said, her mind swimming and her eyes not making with his. “If you are there in the morning, we make our play. If not, we don’t ever talk about this again. But Cam, you have to promise to think it over carefully; this might be your one shot to be happy again. I’d hate to see you miss it because damn it, I miss you!” His tone caused her to raise her eyes to his. All she could do was nod, “I’ll think about it, and if I want to pursue it, I’ll see you at 8 a.m. tomorrow at Colver House for the auction. I just really need to think...” “Fair enough,” he turned to walk out. “Gabe,” she stopped him, her voice husky with emotion. “I miss you too.” He gave her one last sullen look and walked out the door.

It was drizzling the next morning when Gabe pulled into the parking lot at Colver House at 7:30 a.m. There were still thirty minutes before he could and no other cars around. “This is a good sign,” Cheryl said from the enger side. “If no one else shows up, it improves your chances.” “We will see. Cam’s not here either.” “So, have you decided if you will go ahead with it, even if she doesn’t show up? You seemed unsure when we talked about it last night.” “No. I appreciate your offer of going in on this project and moving here to help. I do, but...school is just about to start, and that would be a huge, long-term commitment to make.” “I do understand, but I think we need to start making permanent plans together. Gabe, I love you, and I’m in this for the long haul.” “I know, I just need a bit more time, and there are so many things we need to discuss. Going in on a project this large before we have everything nailed down just seems a bit shaky to me.” “But doing so with a woman that even you it you see very little of lately does?” she looked at him perplexed. He wouldn’t say they had been fighting about it, but the conversation had been livelier than a ing discussion. He couldn’t explain it to Cheryl, but he knew in his bones that this was the dream that would turn things around for Cam. And maybe it was selfish, but since they were teenagers, this had been their dream. He simply couldn’t hand it off to Cheryl without giving Cam the first right of refusal. As for her pushiness on them firming up a future, he owed her that conversation, but her tenacity of late meant it would need to be sooner rather than later. “Cheryl, this has been something Cam and I have discussed for years. Besides, it would allow her to leave her job in the city and be here, closer to family and especially to Bella.”

“I understand you looking after family and friends and wanting the best for everyone. It’s one of the things I love about you. But I want you to know I would love to be a part of this for you if Camille doesn’t show.” He looked toward the sky. Please let her show. He wanted to be happy and move on with his life, but somehow it seemed unfair with Cam stuck in the place she was. He opened the truck door and stuck a boot out and then broadly grinned to himself when he saw Arlan’s extended cab pull up on the edge of road behind him. Arlan, Adan, Sophie, and Anastasia exited. “Seriously?” he put his arms out to his sister, who gave him a big squeeze when she got to him. “We just all want to see how this ends. Either we will be celebrating, or the guys volunteered to take you for a drink,” she giggled. “Hi ya, Cheryl,” she waved enthusiastically to Cheryl, who had taken up a spot at his left elbow. “Hi Sophie, how are you feeling?” “Great, Ana and I are pregnancy buddies, so when one has a rough day, the other can commiserate.” “Yeah, it’s been great,” Anastasia reciprocated. “That’s so sweet,” Cheryl stated. Gabe saw a look cross Sophie’s face as she examined Cheryl’s face for a second. He knew that she was thinking, as he was, that her tone had sounded a bit sarcastic in tone. He thought back to the cab's recent conversation and gave Sophie a look that told her to leave it alone. “Have you talked to Cam?” Gabe turned and asked Anastasia. “Just in ing...last night at mom and dad’s when she was picking up Bella. She was pretty distracted and said she hadn’t made a final decision and had a lot of thinking to do last night,” she shrugged. “Hmmm,” he said. “I guess I’d better just in case,” he turned to ensure that no cars were coming. A few more cars were starting to pull up as he made his way to the registration table. Gabe looked up at the proud old house. It would

need some work. The owners had let things go over the last couple of years, but he had done his homework, and it would be a genuinely great investment once it was fixed up. With games and other big events around the area, he felt that they could market it and make a nice year-round profit. He ed the night that he and Cam had first seen the inside. It was decked out then as a Halloween haunted house when they were fifteen. As they walked through cobwebs and ghosts, she had given him a detailed of what she would change and how she would furnish it. He never fully understood what caused her to go to law school after getting her business degree. He was convinced that it had been Jackson’s idea. He had appeared to and love Cam, but Gabe’s vision of certain events was much clearer after the fact. Shaking his head, he focused on the registration table and began working through the needed paperwork. He checked his pockets for the cashier’s check that would be used as a deposit and realized that he had left it locked in the truck. Letting Cheryl know he would be right back, he half ran walked back to his truck. As he got it out of the console and jumped from the cab, a honk sounded several cars back. He absently looked in that direction and immediately froze. Camille had gotten out of her car and had bent to the driver’s side rear door as he started walking in that direction. He could feel his heart furiously pounding. Her presence here indicated that she was in on the B&B idea, but knowing Cam, she could just as easily be here to tell him thanks but no in person. As he came upon her, she was just standing with Bella in her arms. The little blonde-haired imp was grinning at him from ear to ear with arms extended. “Gab..gab..gab.” He picked her up, recognizing his name in babble. “I worried you weren’t going to show,” he said, relief lacing his words. Cam looked up at him through tinted lenses. She had on dressy navy shorts, a flowing top, and flip flops. She looked more relaxed than he ed her looking in quite some time. The dark auburn hair normally perfectly coiffed for a day at the office had been piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Her face was scrubbed clean with just a touch of lip gloss. She looked beautiful; he observed before he could filter the thought, younger and more carefree than she had looked just yesterday in that god awful black suit. He could picture Bella living

here with Cam. Maybe she would come back to them and be the engaged, happy soul she had once been. “I appreciate you giving me less than twenty-four hours to make a decision. I would have given myself an ulcer if I’d had longer to grapple with it.” “Truly, I just found out yesterday when your sister read about it in the paper. I’m not sure how none of us had heard anything about it before.” “I believe you,” she said. “So we are going to do this?” “We are going to give it a good old college try. I was crunching numbers, and I can tell you what I can do, and you let me know yours, and we will set a cap for the bidding.” “Sounds good,” he watched her duck into the car. “Here’s what I laid out.” “There’s the Cam I know and love,” he grinned at her. He saw her look over toward the house, “have you been inside yet?” “Nope, but your sister and Sophie, the husbands, and Cheryl all are over there.” “Oh, god!” “Yeah, but I’m sure they will be nothing but helpful.” “Right, helpful,” she said, tickling Bella’s belly as he looked at the papers with one hand and balanced the toddler with the other. “We need to finish ing,” he turned to go back across the street. “I can take her,” she indicated Bella. “Naw, I got her,” he said, practicing a blocking motion when she tried to reach for Bella. Cam laughed up at him. “No fair,” she said, trying again.

Bella belly laughed at them fighting over her, and Cam ed in. As he looked from the toddler to the woman beside him, he prayed that everything would work out, that they would walk away with this piece of property, and perhaps a new lease on life.

CHAPTER 3

Bella hit the ground running as soon as Camille put her down on the ground. She gazed up at the majestic house she had just closed on that morning with Gabe. The last thirty-six days had gone by in a flash, and she was beginning to feel hope and happiness flooding her more and more as each day dawned. It was the first week of September, and there was a touch of fall in the air. When she had walked into work on Monday after they won the house, and handed Randy her resignation, the fish face he had produced would have made her giggle had she not been a better poker player. She had worked diligently over the last four weeks to wrap up all her cases, ensure that her paperwork was properly tied up with a bow and that all items needing to be handed off were complete. Getting the deed and paperwork on the house finalized had presented a few additional hurdles that years as a corporate attorney had prepared her for, but still, she felt relieved when all the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed. She had finally been given the keys and had started a detailed project timeline. Gabe would be meeting her in a short time to do a walkthrough and approve her initial plans. It was just a formality, as he kept telling her that he was merely the silent partner. He was insistent that she was the decision-maker for all day-to-day operations, but she still wanted his approval. As an adult business owner, she realized it was dumb, but the man had approved her prom dress for goodness sake, and this was a bit bigger than that. She glanced over to make sure that Bella was all right. The toddler flopped over the kiddie swing attached to the huge Bur Oak tree off to the side of the house. Two days before, Gabe had lowered the swing to ensure that Bella could get on it all by herself but wouldn’t be hurt falling. She was in love with being outside and exploring. As Camille ducked back into the car for her laptop, she heard the truck pull in behind her. Suddenly, the swing took second fiddle to get attention, and Bella was barreling toward the truck as fast as her chubby feet would carry her. “Gab...gab...,” she waved her hands, and her animated face told anyone looking how excited she was to see the occupant of the truck. As he stepped down and tossed the toddler in the air, Camille couldn’t help but

laugh. “Still have a way with the ladies, do you? I might need to tell Cheryl to put you on a tighter leash.” He moved toward her, menacingly, “I can charm most women, and Cheryl is no exception. I think you might be the only one born immune.” “I just bought a half-million-dollar house with you; I think you can charm even me,” she said, grinning up at him. She had not realized how close he was and found herself stepping back to put distance between them. The sudden rush of awareness that had zapped along her nerve endings had shocked her into the involuntary reaction. She covered it with a quick clearing of the throat and got right down to business. “I just wanted to walk you through what I am thinking. I have the costs laid out.” “Cam, I trust you. This is your baby.” “I know, but... humor me. I just need you to tell me that I’m not missing anything. When I start tearing this place apart, I have a tight deadline, so I can’t afford a single misstep. I would love to open our doors by the first of January.” He whistled, “That might be a little ambitious. That is four months from now.” She quirked an eyebrow, “have a little faith.” He waved his hand. “Lead on, oh fearless one.” She all but skipped ahead of him as she prepared to lay out her vision for the future bed and breakfast.

Gabe had hurried through his morning so that he could get over to the Colver House. Cam had called late the night before and told him that she thought she had the project timeline and budget complete, which, considering she had just been out of work only a week, seemed like a tall task. Knowing how compulsively organized she could be, he figured that if he didn’t get over and okay the project, she would be sitting across from his desk by noon. He still felt a sense of awe settle over him as he pulled into the driveway of the magnificent house. Overall through numerous owners and updates, the bones had been kept in good condition. Most of the work would make the kitchen more commercialized to meet the city and state ordinances. All the rooms that had over the years been repurposed for different needs would now have to be made over for bedrooms and the bathrooms enlarged and upgraded. Cam, he was certain, would have it nailed down to the last nut and bolt. She was still a bit guarded. Each time they had seen each other over the last couple of weeks, she had seemed a bit surer of herself. The mere number of times he had run into her and Bella in the last four weeks was a dozen times more than he had seen her in the last six months combined, and he was grateful to have her back in his life. As he followed her into the house, he couldn’t help but notice her outfit. He couldn’t the last time he had seen her in cut-offs. They weren’t too short or particularly sexy, but they still grabbed his attention. Shaking his head from the direction his thoughts had wandered, he focused on what she was saying. “So out here on the porch, we will need to re-lay the wood and clean it all up. Imagine Waterford styled rockers and tables for having hors d'oeuvres outside in the evening,” she waved her arms. “I like it. What do you think, Bella?” She nodded and wiggled in his arms, to be put down. As the front door opened, she ran in ahead of them. “Most of the floors are solid and will just need to be cleaned up and waxed. The living area is good, but I do believe after talking to two contractors, that we need to replace numerous windows with energy-efficient ones. They can look the

period, but still help us save on utilities,” she told him over her shoulder. “Great.” “The kitchen is the most expensive. We need to put in a commercial kitchen. New appliances, sanitation separate from cooking surfaces, and a bunch of additional work to get it up to code. I’ve detailed it all with the ordinances in the section of the folder tabbed kitchen.” She flipped open the folder and handed it to him. “I’m sure it is thorough.” He closed the folder and set it on the countertop. “Seriously, I’ve put a lot of work into this,” she looked up at him. “I trust you completely. If you need my input, I’m more than willing to lend an ear, but you don’t need to ask my permission or prove to me that what you want is necessary. This is your project, your vision.” “I’m just really worried about screwing this up, and like so much in my life these days, I’m double guessing myself,” she itted. “Why?” “You know why,” she gave him an almost angry look. “I don’t. We haven’t spent a lot of time together in the last couple of years, so we might need to clear the air to make this partnership successful.” “Yeah, that’s on me,” she said, peeking around the corner to check on Bella. He could hear the toddler running around the living area just through the doorway. “What happened to you, Cam? In high school and college, you were the organizing magician keeping us on all tasks and doing it with a flare and subtle confidence that I loved and ired.” “You know what happened,” she said again. “I trusted my instincts, jumped into something with both feet, and in the end, I was left holding the bag. Do you realize that Jackson talked me into law school and pursued that awful job I just resigned? I seriously believed him when he promised that we would move back here, open a B&B, and live happily ever after,” she looked angry as she spat the

words out. “People in love do crazy things.” “That’s just it. I don’t think that I ever really loved him.” “Then don’t let him define you. He made his decision and walked away from you and Bella, and now you have to decide if you are going to let him control the rest of your life,” he said the words with conviction but tried to soften them with the tone he used. She sat back just as Bella walked in and stood next to her. “Ma...ma...maa,” she said, grinning up at Cam. He watched Cam patiently reach into her shoulder bag and remove a little plastic cup that she handed the toddler. She kept looking down at the little girl, not saying anything for long moments. “I understand what you are saying. This little girl,” she ruffled Bella’s hair, “is the best thing that ever happened to me. But, after Jackson left, I was so ashamed. I could barely look at my friends and family. I felt like such a failure,” she sniffled and reached into her bag again, this time pulling a Kleenex out. “Ma...ma..,” Bella said, gently tapping her leg as if telling her it would be okay. “That man was the failure. Cam, we all love you and want to see you happy again, but that is on you. You have to decide to raise your head and chase your dreams. We can’t do that for you, but we can help you along the way. You will never be happy if you just keep wallowing in the past.” “Thanks, Dad,” she chuckled. “That I’m not. I just really want my best bud back, and I think it’s time you make peace with the past and start looking toward the future.” “Got it.” “Now, I need a hug,” he said, opening his arms. For the first time since that night two years ago, she didn’t hesitate but stood and turned into his embrace. Seeing her mother getting a hug, Bella decided she wanted in on the action and held her arms up to be lifted. He hoisted her up

effortlessly and included her. After a few minutes, Cam stepped back and grabbed at Bella. “Come here, you stinky baby,” she said with a big grin. Bella laughed and buried her face in his shoulder, enjoying the game. The baby giggles and Cam pawing at him, playing to grab Bella had them all in stitches. Somehow the scene made him believe that someday soon, things would be the way they once were. They would all be one big extended family, and when the B&B opened, it would give them all a fresh start. The future was starting to look brighter.

CHAPTER 4

Cam was balancing a bag of items that she had checked out from the library, a diaper bag, a bottle, and a screaming toddler, as she walked up the stairs to the house. It had been a rough morning, full of little tasks she certainly could have done much faster without Bella in tow. But it wouldn’t have been the same. When construction started the following week, she knew there would be days that she would have to leave her with her mom again due to the noise and safety concerns, but until that time, she liked having her along even when it added time to her day. They had both settled into the new routine, and she found the funny antics and stubborn little streak in her daughter endearing, although some days it could be a challenge. It was one of those days. Bella desperately needed a nap to recharge and stop the heinous sounds coming from her mouth due to her tired state. As she walked in, she all but ran Cheryl over. “Hi...so sorry. I needed to stop for lunch,” she said. Cheryl had offered to help with the interior design side of the house overhaul, and Cam was not above getting advice from any corner. “It’s fine,” she said, grabbing the bag of library items. “Anything else I can grab?” “No, thanks. Just let me run in the other room, change her, and get her settled. She will probably fall asleep quickly, it’s been a big day thus far, and her nap is overdue,” she said, making a scary face. “The bag you grabbed has everything I could find that has been published on the house, so you might want to start there.” “Okay. Sophie is about five minutes out. She had a few ideas also, and so I thought she could tag along.” “That is great; I can use all the help I can get,” Camille said over her shoulder, carrying the now snuffling toddler into the room she had set up for her off the kitchen. The playpen and makeshift changing station, along with some toys, had been put in the space to make Bella more comfortable. Making quick work of the diaper change, Cam popped the bottle of water into her mouth. Even before she was fully deposited in the playpen, Bella’s eyes were at half-mast. She backed out of the room and slowly slid the door closed until

just a crack appeared through which she could listen. Walking into the kitchen, she saw that Sophie had arrived. “Hey you,” she said with a grin. “You are getting bigger.” She rounded the island space and put her hands on the rounded tummy. “I can’t wait for Bella to have other little friends.” “We find out in three weeks now if it will be a girl or boy. Anastasia scheduled her appointment for the same day. We are doing a baby reveal dinner that night, Tuesday the 29th, at 6 p.m. at mom and dads. BBQ and pink or blue cake, so you need to be there.” She reached out and spontaneously hugged Cam. “I wouldn’t miss it,” Cam said. “Cheryl, I know you don’t normally come to town that night, but you are more than welcome to come,” Sophie said, turning to the other woman. “I’d love to have you there.” “I’ll uh...talk to Gabe. He always comes to the city on Tuesdays. That’s our standard date night,” she said, focusing on the book ahead of her. Camille studied the pretty blonde for a few seconds. They were about the same height, but Cheryl had gorgeous blue eyes. She considered herself an ordinary brunette with unremarkable hazel eyes and had always envied those with the natural blonde good looks and petite build Cheryl had been blessed with. If she and Gabe had children, they would hit the genetic lottery, she grudgingly itted to herself. “Well, we might be able to move it a day if you have something special planned,” Sophie said thoughtfully, “But we would love for both of you to be there if you can.” “We’ll discuss it when he picks me up here in a bit,” she said, and then changing the subject, “So you’re thinking about going retro?” “I would like to give it vintage charm and keep as much of the architecture and detail as possible.” Cheryl shrugged, “I thought maybe old world meets new age. I brought a couple of design books with ideas and colors we could look at and see how best to

combine the two.” Sophie chose that moment to pipe in, “Gabe has told me you prefer more modern lines. I would love to see some of your ideas. Since I’m old world charm, I was hoping the two of us could take a lot of this off Cam’s shoulders.” “I’m good with that. I would like to see your final concepts, but I have an overly aggressive list of items I’m working on right now. I want to ensure that we meet the timelines we set, so we can turn this massive investment into a profitable endeavor.” “I agree. By the way, have you and Gabe talked about how long it might take for you to buy him out?” Cheryl asked. Sophie’s head snapped up, and Cam’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry? Buy him out?” Cam asked. “Yeah, I mean, I know he loaned you the money, so he is a silent partner of sorts. I’m assuming you have a plan to pay that money back?” she looked to Cam and then over at Sophie. “Is that what Gabe told you?” “Not in so many words, but with him wanting to expand his business and the fact that he sunk his own money into this for you, that was my assumption. After we’re married, we will need capital to build our own house. I just assumed...you know, maybe we should discuss this later...” “Sophie, did Gabe use his own money for the down payment here?” Sophie looked uncomfortable, “I think Gabe needs to be part of this conversation. I don’t feel comfortable volunteering anything without him present.” “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to open up a can of worms. You just have to understand, with Gabe and me about to take our relationship to the next level; this large investment came out of the blue. But I’m here to and help make this profitable for all of us,” Cheryl finished with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

She seemed sincere, Cam thought, but the whole conversation made her edgy. She would need to bring it up to Gabe when she could get him alone, but in the meantime, she had to focus.

By the time he and Cheryl had finished dinner, and he waved her off from the restaurant, Gabe was exhausted. Cheryl had seemed bothered all evening but just kept telling him that she had a lot on her mind helping with the house. She had brought up Sophie and Anastasia’s baby reveal get together and had carried on about how difficult it would be to make the trip on a school night. It was their night; she had reminded him. He wanted to his family but had finally agreed to make the Tulsa's customary trip that night. He would ask Sophie and Anastasia to tape the big reveal. That had appeared to mollify Cheryl, but he was certain it wouldn’t Sophie or his mom. Hopefully, that conversation would wait until he had slept. Any hope of a reprieve died a slow death when Sophie called and asked if he could stop by. As he was pulling into her driveway, he sent a message to Cam about meeting the next day at their favorite deli. She had left a message when he was in the middle of dinner about urgently needing to talk to him. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea for all three of them to work together if, after just four hours, he was already being put in the middle of whatever had occurred. Bracing himself, he stepped from the truck and proceeded to the front door of his sister’s house. She must have seen the truck lights because her door was ajar a moment before he reached for the handle. “Hey,” she said with a grin. “How’s my little niece or nephew?” he asked, absently patting the slight bump as he ed on his way to the family room. “I am starting to feel slight flutters and movements now. At first, I just thought it was indigestion, but I do think it’s our little peanut moving,” she said, rubbing her belly. “That’s good,” he said over his shoulder. Seeing Arlan sitting on the sofa, watching a game, “Who’s winning?” “The Thunder 36 to 21,” he said absently, eyes never leaving the screen. “Awesome,” he looked back to where Sophie stood. She inclined her head toward the kitchen, not wanting to interrupt her husband’s favorite pastime.

Following close behind her, “what’s up, Sophie?” he asked to fill the quiet space. She flipped on the light over the dining room table, stopping short of the kitchen’s main area. Sitting, she looked over at him as he took the seat kittycorner from her. “Did Cheryl tell you about today?” “She told me about the big reveal get together and that you invited her. She thinks it would be too hard to get up here, back to her house, and still be okay to teach on Wednesday.” “I see. You are coming, though, right?” “I wanted to...it’s just...I thought maybe we could skype, or someone could record it for me.” He reached out to squeeze her hand, seeing the hurt in her eyes. “Honey, I’m trying to keep everyone happy, and sometimes that is hard.” “I know. It’s just...this is a huge deal for me. It’s my first baby...,” she said, her bottom lip was quivering. “Besides, Cheryl has come up here before during the week, not a lot, but it has happened. Why not this time?” “With school in full swing now, it’s tough for her to make that trip and get home at a reasonable hour,” he said, trying to mollify. “Okay, we’ll make it work...but you will owe me.” “Cheryl is thinking about moving here when school gets out in the spring, and then things will get better.” “Yeah, we heard you guys are talking marriage and building a new home,” she said quietly. Her brain had taken a quick turn, and he was having a tough time keeping up. “What are you talking about? Did Cheryl say that?” Sophie looked a bit confused. “Yeah, today. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. She asked Cam how long she thought it would take to pay you back for the Colver House once it opened. That since you used your own money, the house

you were planning to build would have to wait.” “What!” he exclaimed a bit more forcefully than intended. “Cam and I are partners. We have an agreement to split costs and profits, with her running the day to day and our company providing ing, human resource, and other functions. You know that. I discussed this in detail with you.” “Sweetie,” she placed her other hand over the one he still clasped hers with. “I know, but that is not what Cheryl’s understanding was. I wouldn’t volunteer anything, and Cam didn’t either, but she was a bit taken aback by the question when Cheryl bluntly asked today.” “I will talk to Cam tomorrow and Cheryl and get this worked out. Cam and I always had a plan to do this together if the opportunity ever presented. Preserve the history, and contribute to this town we love. I never intended for her to pay me back. We’re partners and will both split profits and losses until someone feels they need a different arrangement down the road,” he repeated. “I just thought you should know. I’m sure it’s just a big misunderstanding, and we can get it all worked out. I think things are just starting to mesh again, and I didn’t want anything left unsaid that might fester and cause issues.” “I appreciate it. Cheryl and I have discussed the future, and she would love to build a big new modern house after moving here. But you know I love older homes, their charm, and beauty. It’s what I was hoping she might discover by helping put the interior design plan together for the B&B.” Sophie looked hesitatingly at him, “I don’t think that is going to happen. Cheryl has a particular style, and as of the end of today’s meeting, I’m not sure it matches where Cam and I were. I’m hoping once she has time to absorb our vision and all the historic pictures Cam found at the library; we will find some common ground.” “Me too. Please let me know if anything else comes up like this. Cheryl told me you were all getting together in two weeks to finalize the designs.” “That’s the plan. I’ll keep you posted.” He stood, “I think I need to go over to Cam’s right now. We were going to have lunch, but if I know her, she is going to keep reviewing this episode in her mind

all night.” “You are right,” she laughed. Within a few minutes, he was back on the road. It wasn’t until he was pulling into Cam’s drive that he ed that he hadn’t even said good-bye to Arlan, though with his concentration on the game, he probably hadn’t noticed. He was mulling the conversation with Sophie over in his head, trying to find the right introduction to the subject as he knocked on Cam’s door. The porch light flicked on, and he heard the slide of the locking mechanism give on the deadbolt. The second she opened the door, tousled and fresh from her bed, he forgets everything that he was going to say. Damn, it had been years since he had seen her in such a state, and the new post-baby curves, along with all her grown-up assets in the oversized t-shirt, caught him completely off guard. “You were sleeping. I’ll come back....I mean, see you tomorrow.” “Don’t be silly,” she said, sleepily wiping at her eyes. “What’s up?” “I just came from Sophie’s. She told me about today...” His eyes wandered down the length of her, and he felt as if she had reached out and physically caressed him. There was syrupy warmth climbing into every region of his consciousness. Any lethargy he had been feeling was instantly vanquished, and every nerve cell on high alert. His need to pull her close and taste that sleepy face almost overcame him. After years of working past his infatuation with her, falling in love with someone else, and coming full circle to a platonic partnership, he couldn’t afford one momentary lapse to ruin everything. “It can wait. Let’s talk...the deli at 12:30?” “Works for me,” she blinked up at him, looking no more awake than when she had opened the door. He took the opportunity to flee and not look back. This was not a good thing, he thought, and once inside his truck staring at her dark porch, he hit the steering wheel, HARD. Where the hell had that come from? He was with Cheryl, contemplating marriage! Cam was one of his oldest friends and his business partner. No one had ever been privy to his crush back in high school, and at thirty-two years of age, he truly had believed himself cured. He chalked it up to

being tired and his defenses on the fritz after the odd tension with Cheryl and then the conversation with Sophie. After a good night’s sleep, everything would return to normal. He put the truck into reverse, and pulled out, determined to forget that this episode had ever happened.

CHAPTER 5

Camille was sitting under a colorful umbrella outside the café in the fresh Fall air, feeding Bella the next afternoon. She had watched Gabe pull in and wave at her a few minutes before and figured that it would take a few minutes for him to make it through the Sunday lunch crowd. Bella was happily babbling next to her, and she felt the sweet calm of a day with no briefs, contracts, or other pressing matters. She still had several items to line up before the start of construction the next day, but all in all, everything was falling into place. She leaned back and let the sun wash over her face. “Loving that sun?” Gabe teased, causing her to open her eyes. “Yeah, this is just about perfect weather. I know that it won’t be long before winter sets in, but this is my favorite time of year.” “I ,” he said, setting his tray down and folding his tall frame onto the chair opposite her. “How’s Ms. Bella today?” he asked the toddler, chucking her under her chubby chin. She didn’t respond as she was much too busy stuffing her face. Cam laughed, “Don’t get between my girl and her food.” “Like mother like daughter. I distinctly recall an episode where you bit my finger when I tried to take a bite of your hotdog,” he teased. “I hadn’t eaten all day, and you know how I love a good hotdog at a football game. You had it coming...but still that was an accident.” “Okay, you’re forgiven.” “So what was so important that you had to stop by my house last night? I’m sorry I was so tired. Bella was a bit of a handful yesterday.” “I just wanted to talk to you about the conversation Cheryl and yourself had yesterday,” he said. His tone was light, but he was watching her reactions closely. “Oh,” Cam knew this would be tricky ground to navigate and tried to figure out which side Gabe was on. “What part?”

He gave her an odd look, “Which part? Was there more than one?” Cam thought over the question and realized that of all the conversation yesterday, it would probably make sense that it was the part about her paying Gabe back. “The buying you out question, I’m assuming you are referencing.” “Yeah, that one. I wanted to explain.” “It’s okay. I guess I was just mistaken about the arrangement between us. I thought you wanted to remain partners, even after the B&B opens. But...” “I do want to remain partners.” Gabe interrupted. “I guess I didn’t explain everything to Cheryl, or she didn’t understand. Either way, I have every intention of remaining partners in this venture.” “Gabe, I don’t want this to interfere with your plans.” “Owning Colver House was always a dream of mine, too, ?” “I , but Cheryl is your future, so if you need to rework our agreement...” “No! Colver House is an investment, and should we decide to build a big new house. I will be able to do so.” “I’m surprised. You have always been into repurposing older houses, keeping the history of them in mind. I never thought you would want a big fancy new house.” “Cheryl doesn’t share my love of ‘old things,’” he used his fingers to make parenthesis as he said it. “Relationships are about compromise, and I think I can use repurposed materials and still give her a house she could love.” Cam didn’t want to comment on Cheryl’s opinions. “Just , if at any point you want out, please let me know, and I can work on another investor or maybe even by that point financing on my own.”

“Will do. So how did the rest of the day go? Did you guys settle on design items?” “Sort of; Sophie and Cheryl is in charge of that aspect of things, while I focus on construction and the bigger picture. I’m hoping your sister knowing us so well and Cheryl knowing your tastes will develop something great. Unfortunately, we were a long way off yesterday,” she sighed. “Sorry. Sophie and Cheryl are both very opinionated, but I honestly believe they want to help. They will work it out.” “I know...I just am letting them stew on it for a while and refusing to obsess about it.” He laughed, “Seriously, you...not worrying about such a big deal?” “I’m trying something new,” she hit his hand across the table in chastisement. “Ba....ba...ba,” Bella added, handing an empty container to her. She laughed, taking the container. “She doesn’t like it when she doesn’t think she is getting her fair share of attention.” “That’s because she is the center of the universe,” Gabe said, tickling Bella under the chin. Cam loved the fact that they were getting back to the easy camaraderie of their early years. She could almost believe that everything was going to be okay, and her dreams could still be salvaged. It was funny how deep her thoughts could get, at a fast food t, with a babbling baby and turkey on rye as the only witnesses. “Gabe, I’m really glad you talked me into doing this. After the last couple of years, I’m starting to feel like myself again. Promise we will talk about everything and make sure nothing ever gets off track again.” “It’s a deal, partner” he reached across the table, and she accepted his lighthearted handshake.

The conversation with Cheryl did not sound like it would go as smoothly when he called her later that evening. He had made his regular evening call and to make sure all parties were on the same page after the initial chit chat had turned the conversation to the elephant in the room. “So I heard there was some misunderstanding with Camille yesterday about the partnership agreement regarding Colver House.” “No misunderstanding. I just spoke out of turn, I think. I know that we haven’t officially finalized our plans, so maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, but I was curious about how quickly the business plan allowed for repayment of your loan. That’s all,” she said it so matter of fact that for a moment, Gabe had to think back to the conversations they had regarding Colver House. He ed telling her about the opportunity and of how much the house had figured into their lives as kids. He wasn’t sure where the wires had crossed, but he needed to set them straight. Deciding to sugar coat it a bit, he tried a new tack. “Cheryl, I thought this was something that we could all get involved with and build a future around. Sophie, Ana, Cam, we are all doing our part to get this business off the ground. It will take all of us to make it successful.” “Well, I’ve started pulling some great ideas together for our next meeting. They’re fabulous, but they are slightly bolder than what I saw them originally considering.” “I’m sure, knowing Cam and Sophie as I do, they will appreciate any help they can get. But Cheryl, I want you to understand, this is a partnership. It was never intended as a loan to be paid back.” The silence was deafening. Seconds ticked by as he waited for Cheryl’s response. “Gabe, I thought you and I were headed toward a future together. This is a huge investment you have made, and with someone who hasn’t been altogether stable over the last few years. I mean, she has dumped on all of you, more or less shut you out of her life, and now...I think if you were going to start another partnership, especially with someone like her...the conversation between us should have been lengthier than a couple of sentences over dinner.”

While her tone had been even, he could hear the anger in her voice. Warning bells went off in his head. Until this point, he had never seen or heard Cheryl angry. If anything, she had always seemed serene and obliging. His temperature was rising over the comments she made about Camille. Things he said in confidence and frustration between them had been twisted to larger proportions than he had intended. “Cam has been through a lot, but for the past couple of years, she has been a corporate attorney, not some flaky person who is going to walk away from responsibility. She is raising a child on her own and providing well for her in every manner. This is a dream both our families and especially the two of us have had for a long time, and I didn’t think I needed to get permission from you on how to spend my money.” “Look, Gabe, I’m getting too old to play games. If after a year, you don’t feel we are going to have a future, and by future, I mean one we build together...” “Cheryl, we see each other twice a week, and things have been progressing nicely. I can tell from this conversation that we have other things to work out between us, and I want us to keep doing so. I promise that I will make every effort to consult you on major decisions going forward,” he sighed. He realized in hindsight that the thought of consulting her had not even flitted across his mind. “I appreciate that, and since it is going to be our business should we marry as I now understand it, I feel better about making decisions about the interior decorating. I want this to be successful, and I want our relationship to keep growing stronger.” “On that, we agree,” he said. As he put the phone on the table in front of him, he put his head in his hands. Crisis averted, but he needed to be more careful. That was a strong group of women, and he suddenly had flashbacks to his teen and early adult years. In the last two years, he had forgotten how women could get about their territory. More than one girlfriend and even casual dates had objected to his relationship with Camille. She was unaware of her charms. Those big green eyes that changed shades with her mood, thick brunette locks, and slender frame, coupled with dimples that flashed easily when she was amused, were a deadly combination,

although she had always thought of herself as plain. More than once, he had put an overly amorous male in his place back in high school. But that was before Jackson finally caught her attention in college. It was strange how the last two years had pushed so many of those memories to the back of his mind. Unfortunately, after the other night on her porch, he was well aware that wasn’t all that he had repressed. Now that he was aware of Cheryl’s insecurities regarding their relationship status and Cam's reactions, he would be much more careful moving forward. Time would bring everything into balance, but due diligence on his part would ensure that there were no more major bumps until that time.

CHAPTER 6

Camille had finished the conversation with the plumber and contractor working on the kitchen, so the big task of the day would be to find the cabinets, countertops, and other pieces for the kitchen. To that end, they had all decided to go into Tulsa to meet Cheryl, rather than her coming to them. It would be a long Saturday, but her mother kept Bella, so they could focus on crossing numerous lines off from their project list. Pulling up at the curb of Cheryl’s duplex, Gabe jumped out to meet her. When he bent his head to kiss her, Cam was shocked by the jolt of jealousy that hit her and then zigzagged through her insides. She turned her head out the window, not wanting to acknowledge how off-balance she felt. It took her back to the time that she had caught him under the bleachers with a cheerleader, following a football game. She had plenty of proof before that day that he was sought after by girls, but watching him with someone else had ripped at her in a way that she had never acknowledged to another soul. She could the first time as an eight-year-old girl, lost and angry, laying eyes on Gabe for the first time. She had just lost her mother and father in an accident that she really couldn’t comprehend. Even at that age, she was used to playing second fiddle to her precocious sister Anastasia. At times, she had preferred it that way because when Ana was holding court with those around her, she could read or just fade into her imaginary world and shut everything and everyone out. The moment that she had met Gabe, he had seen her. She had seen the spark of recognition and something else in his eyes. She sometimes wondered if she had known even then that she would love him. She had followed him around constantly those first months, but he had always been patient and took the time for her. By the time they were teenagers, their friendship was rock solid, although it was much more for her. Over time, she had gotten used to the stomach-clenching pain she felt whenever she ran into him and another woman because the alternative was making a complete idiot of herself by itting to him how she felt. She couldn’t allow those old feelings to resurface. She had been working for years to keep them at bay. In fact, that was the reason she had agreed to go out with Jackson the first time.

In college, Gabe had been dating a different girl every weekend, leaving Camille feeling abandoned. She ed how Jackson had made her feel beautiful, needed, loved. Before she knew it, they were making decisions about their future based on his promises of forever...until weeks shy of their wedding, he had told her it had all been an illusion. She had spent the intervening time dissecting every moment of their time together and realizing that there had been warning signs she had selectively ignored in her need to have someone of her own. She had just chosen to live a reality of her own creating. Now, she was a realist. There was no happily ever after for her, but she could be happy, raise Bella, and even reclaim her friendship with Gabe. She would not allow some long-buried emotions to surface and put any of that at risk. Staunchly, she turned to welcome Cheryl as she climbed in to the enger seat next to Gabe. “Hi, Sophie. Hi, Camille,” Cheryl said, turning to them in the back seat of the truck. “Hi, are you ready for this?” Sophie asked her. “Bring it on,” she said with a radiant smile. “I brought all my ideas with me,” she held up a notebook fat with magazine pages and other papers tucked inside. “Wow, you have been working on this quite a bit by the looks of it.” Cam tried her best to sound enthusiastic. “Yeah, Gabe said you have made tremendous progress in the last two weeks and should be ready for counters, sinks, and cabinets in the next week. That is amazing!” “We have a great group of guys working, and many of them are friends, so they know how important this is to us. We are still a long way away, but each major step helps keep us on track.” “So where are we headed first,” she asked, looking over at Gabe. “I thought we could try the shop downtown that you recommended. They should have raw countertops, pulls, and maybe some of the sinks for kitchen and baths.” “Okay, let’s go,” Cheryl said, pulling the belt across her chest and turning fully

forward. Her attitude about this venture seemed to have changed a bit, and she was throwing herself into the entire thing with new vim. Cam would have preferred Cheryl to be a bit less likable, so it would be easier to dislike her, but she would have hated for Gabe to get stuck with anyone unpleasant on the flip side. Suddenly, Sophie reached over and squeezed her hand softly. She wondered briefly what that was all about but rapidly turned her attention to the binder she held, trying to formulate a plan for the day. She would be happy if they went home with solid plans for the kitchen. If they got the baths knocked out, too, that would be a bonus.

Gabe knew within ten minutes of arrival at the store that he was in big trouble. Cheryl had very definite ideas on how to decorate this house, from the backsplashes to the counter tops. The problem was that her contemporary industrial look was not exactly what he had in mind. Even the salesperson helping them seemed frustrated. What Cheryl wanted to see was quite different from what Camille was looking for, and he could tell that some serious mediation might need to take place. “Wow! You have a lot to choose from,” Sophie exclaimed to the young salesman. “Would it be okay if we just walk and browse? I promise we will come get you if we have questions or make a decision.” Gabe loved her for the diplomacy and her smile that ensured she got her way with all men. “Sure, I’ll be up front,” he said, giving her a huge grin as he walked in the direction from which they had just come. “Gabe, you have to see this,” Cheryl said, suddenly catching his attention. He looked down the row to where she had wandered and noticed that Cam also had started walking and looking at all the slabs of stone, steel, and laminates lined up. “Thanks,” he whispered to Sophie as they both started toward Cheryl. “No problem, I have a feeling this is going to get interesting,” she said under her breath. “What do you think,” Cheryl pointed to a shiny black surface that looked like granite or heavy stone. “Is that for the kitchen countertops or something else?” “The countertops silly,” Cheryl punched his arm lightly. “Cheryl, I don’t think that is the look we are going for.” “It’s central to my entire design. Look!” she opened the notebook and showed contemporary black countertops, stainless steel appliances, and very dark woods with ornate pulls. It was a gorgeous show kitchen, but not a working kitchen in a bed and breakfast.

“Can I see?” Camille asked, and Gabe almost wanted to refuse. He already knew what she would think of it. “Look! What do you think?” Cheryl turned the notebook with idea sample colors and a detailed plan laid out toward Cam. “Wow! I think it’s beautiful, but it looks like a show kitchen, which is in a working B&B. I was hoping for maybe a cutting board island top as we will need the working space for all the meals, and then a bit more practical tops, perhaps antique ceramic tile?” she must have seen something in Cheryl’s face when she looked up because she added quickly, “Maybe we can find a way to mix and match.” “Maybe,” Cheryl said tightly. “Gabe, let’s look over there.” She turned and walked briskly away. The silence was telling as they all set to work, moving slowly through the aisles. For over ten minutes, they all walked in silence. The standoff was not going to be pretty if they couldn’t find a way to compromise. With everything they had at stake riding on this project, Cheryl and Cam’s differing styles would need a bit of buffering. Gabe was thankful the politician Sophie was here to help him. He stopped in the middle of the aisle. If he had to choose between them, who would win? The answer that popped into his head had his hands breaking out in a clammy sweat. He and Cam had spent years talking through how they would decorate Colver House, so she had an unfair advantage, knowing his preferences. Cheryl, though, had insisted that old and new could coexist together. It just wasn’t a style he was as comfortable with. He hoped he wouldn’t need to make that call. Suddenly, he heard an exclamation from a distance away that he recognized as Cam. She and Sophie had gone to look at materials, and from the sound of it, had wandered pretty far from the group. It sounded like a happy noise, but he shrugged his shoulders at Cheryl as they both took off in that direction. Turning the corner, he caught Cam’s face, and she was radiating happiness. “I need these.” She pointed at three old fashioned claw foot tubs. “They almost look repurposed. And look at what is right next to them,” she pointed to three sets of antiquated bathroom cabinets and sinks, all matching.

“They are awesome,” he grinned at her. “Bathrooms are pivotal to a guest’s stay,” Cheryl stated from behind them. “They are going to want modern, not old, outdated facilities.” He bent to look the tubs over; they looked to have come from a remodel but were in great condition overall. “Let’s at least ask some questions; these would be perfect for the baths on the 2nd floor,” he looked at Cam. “ the tubs we saw at Halloween that year,” she made a face at him of horror. “Oh yeah, with the big feet and blood dripping off them,” he laughed but suddenly caught Cheryl looking at him. “When we were fifteen or so, the owners of Colver House did a haunted house, and the tubs had been done up to look like characters in the house...it was amazing. I loved claw-footed tubs before, but that was awesome.” “Sounds awful,” Cheryl said dryly, looking from him to Camille. “I think we need to do tub/shower combinations with that style of stone I showed you.” “Let me get the salesperson, and we can at least find out about them,” Sophie volunteered, all but running away, leaving him alone with the two women facing off against each other. As the silence lengthened, Cheryl wandered off again, touching and looking at samples for the kitchen. Camille, in her world, looked over the cabinets and everything more closely and kept checking her book. It seemed like thirty, but it was closer to five minutes when Sophie reappeared with the salesman, Bryan in tow. “This one here,” she said, indicating the grouping of tubs, cabinets, and sinks. “Oh, I didn’t we still had those. They came out of the old Perry house when we helped remodel it recently. Normally, we don’t sell repurposed items, but I’m sure we could make a great package deal,” he consulted his tablet, and after typing in several items, he looked up. “Here’s what we could do for all the tubs, three sinks, the cabinets, and the fixtures,” he turned the screen around.

“Seriously?” Cam said with awe. “Gabe, we need to take them. They’re perfect and come from another historic site. This is exactly what we were looking for.” He realized he would have hell to pay from the other woman in his life, but that look of absolute joy sold him on the deal. He nodded slightly, and Cam squealed and jumped into his arms, hugging him. It was the most excited he had seen her in years. “They are perfect,” he said against her hair. The warm gooey feeling spreading through him was salve on any doubt, and for a moment, he forgot they had an audience. As he looked up directly into Cheryl’s eyes, he put Cam away from him with a start. “Well, I guess that decision is made,” she said, never breaking eye . It was the angriest that he had seen her, yet she hadn’t raised her voice. It appeared that their relationship was going to be tested during the renovation process. He hoped that they came out stronger for the wear because there were less than three months until Christmas, and he had bought her gift just a couple of weeks prior. She would love the ring, and he was hopeful the inn would provide enough income flow with Reclaiming History for them to start building their home in the spring. “That’s just the bathrooms though, let’s see if we can’t find the perfect kitchen we can all agree on,” Cam said with a genuine smile of compromise as she turned to Cheryl. “Okay,” Cheryl said. “I saw something over here that might work.” As they turned the corner out of sight again, he turned to Bryan “We will take them, but we aren’t done.” “I’ll go get sold signs to hold them,” Bryan said, turning away from them. Sophie looked him directly in the eyes, shaking her head. “What? I think we can compromise on the kitchen, and everyone will be happy. Besides, these are going to look great in the house,” he whispered. “I know, but sweetie...you’ve got a tough decision coming. I wish you luck,” she

walked past him. “I don’t understand. What decision?” She just kept walking, shaking her head as she went.

CHAPTER 7

Monday morning dawned much earlier than Cam had hoped. The weekend had been long and draining, and she could have used another three or four hours of rest, she thought when the alarm tolled at five a.m. She hit the button to off; no snooze for her this morning. She had to meet with the contractors on the basement renovation, and she had landscapers who were going to begin weeding out the last acre for her garden area. As she walked to the bathroom, she heard Bella babbling to herself. The little mini-me was an early riser, just like her mother. When Camille peeked around the corner, she had to chuckle when she saw the huge saliva grin she received. Crouching down a bit, she moved into the room, “Silly Bella, what are you doing?” she said in a sing-song tone, tickling her between the slats of her bed. Bella laughed and tried to move away, but Cam changed directions and got her from the other side. The cat and mouse game continued for a few minutes until Bella raised her arms to be picked up. Camille inhaled her sweet smell as she toted her towards the bathroom to start their t morning routine. She loved being able to spend the wee hours together, as before she would have already been on the road and, more often than not, Bella would have had spent the night at her mother’s. Bella babbled and told her a story on the way to her mom’s house. No music or other distractions were needed; her daughter was taking care of all the entertainment singlehandedly. As she pulled her from the seat to deliver her into a happy grandma’s arms, Bella clapped her cheek and delivered wet kisses to each of them. “Wow, someone’s in a good mood,” her mom said with a welcoming smile. “She was up at 5 o’clock and has been happy and chatty ever since. Great morning. Are you sure that you can keep her for me today? I’m just worried about having her amid the construction, but once that is done, I think I can have her with me most days.” “Seriously, I love having my grandbaby around. It keeps me young, chasing her.” “Okay, I appreciate it,” she hugged her mom and dropped a quick kiss on Bella’s head.

“Maa...maaa,” was the response with some fist-pumping action. “Silly girl,” she ruffled her hair. “I will be by to get her by five.” “We’ll be here,” her mom said. “Go!” Cam took off for the door, feeling happy and ready to see what the day would bring for Colver House. Last weekend, they had decided on the bathroom and kitchen items, and Friday, a truck had delivered everything. Now, they would get to work installing. She had found some great wallpaper ideas for the bathroom in the first two guest rooms. The thought brought her back to last weekend, though, and in particular Cheryl. She was starting to get the feeling that they would never see eye to eye on anything. When she had called during the week and emailed sample ideas, all were met with derision and opposition. Cheryl would be at the house later for the final selection of decorations for the bathrooms, and although she hated feeling catty, Camille wished she would just stay away. Part of her brain, as she drove across town, acknowledged that Cheryl’s interaction with Gabe was part of the reason. But her ive-aggressive way of trying to get her way on this project, as “part-owner,” grated on Camille. She wanted to be reasonable, but her vision for the inn was warm, old-style, repurposed materials, and vintage items. Cheryl’s was very modern and efficiently cold. She had to try to get past the fact that they were so different and try to find common ground with her. Sophie and Ana and all the parents appeared to like Cheryl, so she realized that most of it had to be in her head. After all, she had been able to get the tubs and several other items she had found, and she had to it they might be able to work around the granite Cheryl had stubbornly insisted on. They had not successfully navigated the appliances for the kitchen yet. But that would have to wait She pulled her car into the drive and saw that Gabe’s truck was already there. She wouldn’t have another moment to gather her wits. Rolling the nervous kinks out of her shoulders, she exited the car. Readying for battle, she walked toward the house, to be met by Gabe walking towards her with Sophie. Cheryl was probably inside plotting, she thought sourly. I can do this; I can do this, she chanted the mantra to herself and sent a brief prayer for backup to ensure that she made it happen.

Gabe watched Cam walking toward them, and he looked over at Sophie. “I appreciate you being here. I’m not good at this kind of stuff. I know this is the right thing to do, but I’m having a hard time trying to mediate between them both.” “No problem,” she said with a smile, turning to greet Cam. “Hi,” Cam said warily. “Morning,” Gabe said, trying to keep all feeling off his face. “We need to talk,” Sophie stated without preamble. “Okay?” Cam said, looking up at him. He could feel those green eyes cutting through him with a surgeon’s precision, trying to figure out what wasn’t being said. “I thought we could...uh...walk out to the gazebo where it might be...quieter.” He realized as a flush crept up her neck that she felt cornered, and it reminded him of the little girl he had once felt so protective of. “It’s really nothing bad,” he said, reaching out to caress her arm but stopping just short of doing so. There were witnesses, considering how mad Cheryl had been on the drive over; he couldn’t risk her seeing anything else she didn’t approve of at this juncture. “Can either of you tell me what is going on? Or are you going to make me guess?” Gabe sighed, “We want to talk about everyone’s role in this business.” “Just to define everything better, and make sure there are no misunderstandings.” As the gazebo came into view, Gabe smiled. The landscaper had been hard at work, and the area around it had newly planted flowers and was an oasis away from the main house. The gazebo had required a little renovation and a fresh coat of paint, and now that it was done, it was perfect.

“It looks just like...” Camille stopped speaking when she saw Cheryl. She was seated facing them, and Gabe hoped she had calmed a bit since her tirade in the car. He had never seen her so angry all the time they dated. He acknowledged that he said that several times in the last few weeks. Frankly, something had to give, as her getting more and more wound up was not healthy for them. “Yeah, it looks great. I still think this would be the perfect place for a wedding,” he said directly at Cheryl as they reached the gazebo. Benches were encircling it with entrances on either side. It was much bigger than a standard garden variety and could easily sit 20 people. “I’m not getting married in a gazebo with all our friends and family stuck outside on the grass,” Cheryl said, giving him an eye roll. She appeared serious and committed. “How many people do you intend to have at the wedding?” He could feel the sweat rising. Gabe hated getting all gussied up, having already partaken in Sophie and Anastasia’s weddings. He had imagined a backyard BBQ for his big day with close friends and family. “Two or three hundred at least,” Cheryl said absently, making notes on the book in front of her. He heard Camille chuckle, “Oh no. Gabe hates dres. I thought we were going to have to medicate him to get through Sophie and Ana’s big days. He swore...” she trailed off, and he followed her gaze to Cheryl’s burnt red face. “I’m only getting married once and am an only child. I intend to do it up grand,” she turned and ran a hand up Gabe’s arm, “you would get gussied up for one day for me, wouldn’t you?” Gabe caught back his initial reply and instead retorted, “Let’s talk about that later. We have business today.” He sat down next to her, and she wiggled closer, putting her hand possessively on his leg. “So what’s up?” Cam took the bull by the horns. “You didn’t talk to her yet?” Cheryl snapped, turning to stare at him. “No. We felt we needed to sit everyone down and have a reasonable

conversation.” “Why is your sister here?” Cheryl asked in a sweet sugar tone that just about snapped his patience. “Because Gabe feels like he is being put in the middle, and we need to clear up some roles and agendas before we can progress with Colver House.” “I don’t understand. Exactly whose roles and agendas are we discussing? And if Gabe feels he’s being put in the middle, why doesn’t Gabe tell us that himself?” Cam glared at him across the fresh open space. “Because I don’t want anyone upset or hurt. You are both extremely important people in my life, and I don’t want to be put in the middle.” “Both?” Cheryl said suddenly, as if not able to filter the comment. “Yes, both,” he turned to her. “You are my girlfriend, and I love you. We have gotten along marvelously until now, and I know you want to help with this project. I am hopeful we can find a manner in which that is possible. BUT,” he said, cutting off Cheryl, who looked ready to interject, “Cam is my best friend and always has been. We may not have been hanging out as much when you and I were first dating, but things have changed. This,” he waved his hand outward, “has been a dream of ours for years. We all have a lot riding on this business being successful, and I understood both of you are trying to help make it succeed. Unfortunately, you don’t have the same styles and vision for what we are doing here, and before we go a step further, we need to get that lined out.” “Can I say something now?” Cheryl said coldly. Gabe nodded. “As you put the money up for this project, I’m protecting our interests by decorating it within a style that several of my friends and those in the know are advising me on,” she held up a finger keeping her eyes trained on him. Gabe looked across the way to realize that Cheryl had put the finger up to silence Cam. He felt a wave of anger as he saw her fight for control over her emotions, but he held his tongue, allowing Cheryl to have her full say.

“I thought Cam would be the day to day proprietor watching over your investment, but I want to ensure that this makes money for us. I don’t think oldfashioned designs and ideas are going to hit the mark,” she put her hand on his knee. “Honey, I want that dream wedding and future for us, and I’m trying to do what I think is best. If Cam watches the construction and day-to-day running of the B&B, and I do the interior design, why won’t that work?” She made it sound feasible and reasonable, but at the same time, the design ideas were way too new age even for him. If he allowed her to continue, he was afraid she would go way off in a direction he wouldn’t be happy with either. Not certain how to diffuse the situation before it got ugly, he looked up at Sophie, who shook her head. “First off, Gabe didn’t put up all the money. He and Camille went in fifty-fifty,” Sophie piped in gently. That caught Cheryl’s attention. “What! I thought you were the silent money partner, and she was labor only!” Gabe was caught off guard by the emotion resonating from her almost shrewish tone. “Cheryl, I told you about this deal in two sentences. We didn’t have an in-depth conversation. Where did you get all these preconceived notions?” “She’s a single mother, barely thirty...there’s no way she could have a spare three hundred thousand laying around. I just assumed you put up all the money.” “I did have a spare three hundred thousand lying around,” Cam said barely above a whisper. “Gabe and I are equal partners in this, but due to his other business, we agreed that the day-to-day operation would be left to me. And if you have a problem with me, address me,” she finished, her voice steel cold. Gabe looked over at Sophie, who promptly put her hands out in surrender. Anyone who had spent their time with Cam knew a line had been crossed and that the claws would come out if one more wrong move was made. He watched Cheryl swivel slowly, with an equally stubborn look in her depths. “Fine. I understand that you are using your history with Gabe to get him to agree to purchases that are old, reused, and nasty. That design model will not make money. I think you need to stick with day-to-day,” she made parenthesis in the air with her fingers, “construction and let someone who knows something about

tasteful contemporary elegance handle the design side of things.” “You do know that your boyfriend’s lucrative business is called Reclaiming History. Its mission is to use repurposed materials to refurbish homes for someone else’s future. So your statement is offensive on several fronts.” “Did you read that somewhere?” Cheryl asked with a snarl. “No. I was there when we wrote the mission statement. We both believe strongly in preserving and enjoying the past and repurposing everything we can instead of throwing history in the trash. Besides, it is a great business model. Ever heard of the green initiatives taking the country by storm?” “You think you know what Gabe wants, but you haven’t been around in two years. I’m the one he is planning on making his history with, and I think I know what we both want and deserve more than you do,” she put her hand back on his lap to punctuate the statement. “Okay, I think this is getting...” Gabe tried to interject. “Here’s the deal, I need this place open in the next three months or less if at all possible, and don’t have time for these petty arguments. Until Gabe puts a ring on that finger,” she pointed at the hand on his lap, “and tells me that you have a twenty-five percent share in the company, I’m done trying to include you. Our visions are at odds. For everyone’s sake, you and I need to get along on a social level. I hope that can happen, but this...this is my dream.” Cam finished, never having raised her voice. Gabe saw the glistening in her eyes as she turned a moment. He knew the gesture of trying to gather her wits and gave her a moment. “Gabe?” Cheryl looked at him. He knew from the determined bite of her lip that she expected him to take her side. “Sweetie, I agree with Cam. This isn’t going to work. I told her when we started this that she had the final say on all decisions, so I think on this one, I’m going to defer.” “Even after all the work, I’ve done?” When he didn’t budge, she relented. “Fine,” she turned back to Cam as if to say something, thought better of it, and

stomped away. Gabe looked over at Sophie, who shooed him out after Cheryl, as she scooted over to talk to Cam. He didn’t like how Cheryl had spoken to Cam, and he would need to address that some other day. Right now, he needed to get her cooled down. The showdown could have been uglier, but for him, it was a lot worse than he had hoped. He hated drama in his life, and Cam and Cheryl not liking each other would pose some difficulties down the road. Suddenly, he turned back around. He was ing the day last weekend when Sophie had said something about choosing. He watched her softly talking to Cam and wondered if somehow she had foreseen this situation. He sure hadn’t, but then in most mysteries involving women, he was naïve. Trying to put it out of his mind, he caught up with Cheryl and did his best to soothe ruffled feathers. Groveling would be required.

Cam was zealously sanding down the woodwork in the upstairs rooms when Gabe stopped by late that same afternoon. He walked in, and without a word, picked up a sanding pad and started working on several pieces of trim that she had laid out on the sawhorse across from her. After five minutes of working side by side, Cam couldn’t take the silence any longer. “You mad at me? If you have something to say, I fully understand,” she asked in a hushed tone, not looking up at him. “No, just wanted to check on you.” Cam looked up. “You’re not angry with me? I know I stepped over a line.” “Maybe, but in all honesty, she had my blood boiling before you took a swing.” He looked confused and sad. She felt the tug on her heartstrings just as she always did when he was in pain. Putting the sanding pad down, she slipped off her work gloves and laid them on the wood. She walked over to him and slipped her arms around his middle. His left arm came out and snaked around her and then the other, and for a minute, the events of earlier faded. It had been a long time since she had sought the comfort of his arms, and it felt good to be there. His scent, his strength, it all came flooding back to her in a rush of emotion, and she savored the ed warmth. “I’m sorry, Gabe.” She whispered against his chest. “I wish we could have made it work. I just didn’t agree with her style. But then... something in her tone and some of the things...I still should have kept my calm.” “It’s all good. We are all trying to figure this out.” His hand rose to stroke her hair. “I don’t want to have to take sides, and I hope the two of you can try and make amends. Right now, though, this is on me. I just thought she could take some of the stress off you, but I knew about her design ideas. When we talk about building a house, instead of refurbishing an old one...” She tried to step back and looked up at his face, interrupting his train of thought.

“Yeah, what’s that about? I thought you wanted to find an old fixer-upper and turn it into a showpiece for all your friends and family to enjoy?” He shrugged, “Maybe we will be able to blend both our needs in the end. She is just so eager and enthusiastic about everything.” He stepped back, his hands on her shoulders for a second before they dropped to his side, and he began to pace around the room. “Gabe, what’s wrong?” “Do you like Cheryl? I mean not the design fanatic,” he grinned, “but Cheryl?” “Honestly, you know I’ve been in a really bad place these last couple of years. My job kept me so wrapped up. I haven’t had a chance to get to know her. But what I have seen... minus the design ideas,” she rolled her eyes, “seems...nice. Anastasia and Sophie have never said anything but good things in conversation regarding her. So I would have to say she’s a nice person, and she seems to make you happy.” “What made you decide to leave your job and pursue this project?” He asked abruptly. His gaze was so intent that she couldn’t look away. She only had to think about his question for a flitter of a second. “You asked,” she said simply. “It was something I had always dreamed about, and I was sick of not being around for Bella. And...you asked. Why?” “I was just curious.” “Besides, I missed you, and spending time with you and getting this,” she waved a hand in a sweeping arch, “is like watching a dream come true. I really thought my chance had ed by, but you came and dragged me back, kicking and screaming.” “You didn’t kick too hard.” “I was tired and so unhappy. I will be forever grateful, and if that means I have to make nice and grovel to your girlfriend, I will.”

No groveling, but maybe a bit of an apology would be helpful.” “I can do that,” she held out a hand. He laughed and grabbed it. Shaking heartily, she dropped the hand and walked back to where the unfinished wood sat. “So you going to help here or not,” she grinned at him. He glared at her but picked up the sandpaper. She felt so much lighter. The stress of not knowing how mad he would be had weighted her shoulders all day. She would give it a couple of days and then call Cheryl about maybe having lunch together one day soon. She owed it to Gabe to try and make things right there. But that could wait for the time being, as there were miles of wood to get sanded and stained and a toddler waiting for her at the end of a couple more hours.

CHAPTER 8

Over a week later, Gabe walked into the Colver House and couldn’t help but whistle to himself. The major construction items were all complete. The downstairs had been opened up and looked spacious and inviting, though not yet furnished. The kitchen was coming together, and the appliances were to be delivered on Friday. The outside landscaping had all been completed around the Gazebo and the picnic area out back from the house. Once the construction crew cleaned up the last scraps around the house, the shrubs and final landscaping could be finished. Overall, they were making so much progress that he was beginning to think they might make the insane deadline of having it all done by mid-December, which had seemed like a stretch when first discussed. Cheryl would be in town, and Camille was going to them for dinner. He had volunteered to stop by and pick up Bella, as his mother was going to watch the tyke for them tonight. As he climbed the stairs to the second floor, he heard a loud thump, followed by a very colorful stream of words and the sound of running water. He picked up his pace and took off at a run toward the bathroom that the sounds were coming from. He stopped just short of the tile when he saw Cam kneeling in a puddle with water pouring down around her and spraying in several other directions. “What happened?” he asked, trying to figure out his next move. “I think I hit a pipe or something stupid,” she said with disgust, turning toward him. Her light blue tank top was soaked and nearly transparent and left him in no doubt that the water was cold. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to keep a straight face. He realized that while he might not have been a big fan of wet tshirt contests before, he understood the draw, taking in Cam’s wet shorts and a tshirt that left very little to his now overactive imagination. He cleared his throat and glanced around. “Where’s Bella?” “She’s sleeping in the room across the hall. That child can sleep through a tornado if she misses a nap. You don’t hear her, do you?” Gabe trained an ear on the door she had indicated but didn’t hear anything. “Nope.”

“Good, I need you in here.” “Umm...you want to stand up first?” he said, pealing out of his chambray shirt and tossing it on the floor with his cell phone, wallet, and watch. “Can’t. I’m holding the pipe in place, so it quits spraying. I can’t figure out how to either retighten the t or if I need to do something else to fix it.” He moved into the room, trying to get his brain to focus on the task at hand and not on the hard little nubs pointing toward him. He looked over the top of the tub, but couldn’t see anything from that position, so with a grimace, he lowered himself to the wet floor and edged in next to her. Cam scooted back a bit to try and make room, still clutching the wet pipe. Unfortunately, they were sealed together tight as glue, her hands elevated above her head, and he tried to not think about the breasts pushed flush against him as he tried to focus his attention on fixing the pipe. “Looks like you just knocked this connection loose.” He tried to reach up and work around her small hand. “Can you get your finger up to tighten it? It doesn’t look like there is a shutoff valve. We’re going to get a bit wetter before this is over, I’m afraid,” he grunted. As if on cue, water spurted out of the pipe, leaving them both shivering. Suddenly, the whole thing struck Camille as terribly funny, and she began to giggle uncontrollably. “Real funny,” Gabe growled and then began to chuckle himself. “Ok...ok...I think...yeah, that’s it.” The stream of water stopped as he was finally able to tighten the t. The look of triumph, combined with the wet hair plastered to his face, sent her off into gales of laughter again. “It’s just...you look so funny,” she sputtered at his look of mock severity. “You’ll need to have Hank come tighten that and check on it Monday, but I think it will hold,” he said. “Okay, I’m going to let go, but if it starts again, it’s on you...literally,” she said.

He slid out from his spot, and she released what looked like a shirt she had been holding against the pipe and slide out a bit herself. As if waiting, she looked up, and when no water came through, he reached up to see, now that he had a cleaner line of sight, if he could tighten it a bit more. It turned almost another full turn and then stopped. “I think that should do it,” he looked over to where Cam was bundling her hair up in a towel. Shaking himself mentally, he tried to focus on her face. “What the heck were you doing?” he chuckled. She looked up with a slight shrug and pointed at the wall behind the tub. There were three paint colors, each with a six-inch swath painted on the wall and two wallpaper swatches taped up next to them. “Why behind the tub?” he asked, biting his lip. “I figured I could come in and see it, or look in the mirror and see how it looked. I know it was dumb, but...I didn’t figure I would lose my balance and cause a Noah sized flood on the floor.” She sucked the wet shirt away from her body, and it bubbled slightly, making him grin at her discomfort. “Next time, try and hit both the hot and cold pipes together,” he suggested, enjoying the evil glare she threw in his direction. It was a look she had given him often when they were kids, and he bested her at something. Every day, he could see his best friend returning to him. “Have a towel,” she said, grabbing one to throw at him. “Where are your....oomph,” he let out a huge gasp of air as she lost her footing on the wet floor and slammed into him. His arms had gone around her to steady her, and he landed on the floor with her pressed against him for the second time that day. Her hair broke free of the towel and spilled over him. The cold water he sat in did nothing to cool the simmering heat he felt. Her hand was braced on his chest, but in the mayhem of the fall, his left hand was perfectly placed on a plump little derriere, a fact that his brain was ing with interesting clarity that caused an immediate and embarrassing reaction. The color that raced into her face let him know that she had noticed. Her eyes flicked to his lips, and before his ridiculous brain could filter the urge frolicking in his frontal lobe, he raised his head in encouragement as she lowered hers just a

fraction. His hand on her bottom moved just enough to anchor her more fully, and his other hand came up off the floor to smooth back the hair from her face. She let out a soft sound that sounded more like a purr than a breath. After twenty years of wondering what she might taste like, he stood on the precipice of finding out, and at that moment, his conscience chooses to take a vacation. Their lips met with an urgency that neither of them could have predicted, and for a moment, nothing else existed outside of their need. Bella chooses just that moment to announce the end of her nap time. As if slapped across the face, Cam reeled back from him and stood in one motion, seemingly forgetting the wet floor. “Cam?” Without acknowledging him in any manner, she escaped to the next room. Shit! Shit! Shit! He ranted at himself over the dumbest move of his adult life. People didn’t kiss their best friends, especially when all but engaged to someone else. Of course, he had never had a soaking wet Camille sitting in his lap, either. Not an excuse if he loved and was prepared to marry Cheryl. He ran a shaking hand through his hair. As he finally stood and dried off the best he could, he could hear her talking to Bella in the room across the hall. From the sound of things, she was changing a diaper, which would buy him a few moments to gather his thoughts. What he was going to say, he had no idea. But he had to think and quickly. Camille appeared in the doorway, with a bouncing happy Bella in tow. “So you still okay taking her to your mom?” “Of course. Cam, we need to talk about this.” “No, we don’t. It was just a weird hormone thing. You are the closest thing to a hot-blooded man in my life. Maybe it’s time for me to consider dating again or something. Let’s just chalk this up to a lapse of sanity, go make peace with your future wife tonight and forget this ever happened.” “Gab...gab...gab...” Bella chanted, holding her little arms out to him.

He smiled as he carefully navigated the floor. She all but launched herself at him when he was within a safe distance. He moved the baby to the other hip. “If you take her, I’ll mop this up and head home for a quick shower. We had agreed to six at El Conquero, right?” “Yeah, but Cam, we can do it another night?” “No,” she looked at him directly. “This didn’t happen, and you can’t treat me any differently. Understood.” “Understood.” “Really? I seem to the Beth DeVela episode when you kissed her sister that time.” “Jesus, Cam!” The woman had a pristine memory. “I was fifteen, and....never mind. I ...and I won’t treat you any differently,” he agreed with a sigh. “No differently,” he said in a more childish manner tickling Bella, who was begging for his attention. “Okay, I will see you in a bit,” she fled before he could say another word. “Uh oh Bella, your Uncle Gabe messed up,” he said as he picked up his shirt and personal items off the floor and headed down the stairs. “Uh oh,” Bella mimicked, patting his cheek playfully. “Tell me about it,” he said.

Cam sat nursing a large hot cup of tea on the Lundin home's deck later that evening. Bella had been asleep when she arrived, so she took Victoria Lundin up on her offer of tea. She loved the sounds of the night around them and felt the worries of the day fading. Gabe and Cheryl had decided to listen to some music at a club they liked, but she had begged off. Acting the third wheel was not something she was keen on, even though the dinner itself had gone much better than she had anticipated. “So, how did it go?” Victoria asked, ing her outside. Like Gabe, she was someone Camille had missed spending time with over the past couple of years and was grateful to have the time now to be reconnecting. “It was good. I apologized to her for my tirade over the design issues with Colver House. I’m sure Sophie or Gabe told you about it.” “I heard that you might have had a fairly heated disagreement and that she said some things you didn’t like,” she stated sympathetically. “She was just protecting her territory, and I think I was doing the same.” “Are we talking about Gabe or the B&B?” she asked innocently enough, but Cam saw a touch of mischief in her eyes. “Cheryl and I have spent little time together, and I think she was metaphorically peeing on him to mark her territory. I did the same with Colver House. But she is a part of Gabe’s life now, so I am glad we cleared the air tonight.” “In all honesty, I have not had much opportunity to get to know Cheryl, either. She seems nice enough...although she seems to prefer doing things away from the family...” she shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I’m going to be asked to be her maid of honor or anything,” Cam chuckled. “Should it get to that,” Victoria said, taking another sip. “You don’t think Gabe is that serious about her? Because trust me, she is expecting a ring by Christmas; I would put money on it.”

“Only time will tell how this story is going to play out,” she smiled over at Cam. Cam thought it was a very cryptic comment. She wondered what Victoria would say about the ridiculously hot moment she and Gabe had shared that afternoon. After all those early years of wondering what it would be like, she hadn’t been prepared for the heart-shattering reaction his kiss had caused. She had always assumed that her lack of response to Jackson’s lukewarm lovemaking and his sloppy kisses had been a deficiency on her part. He had certainly told her it was. Shaking her head, she decided that it had been an aberration, one of those made for movie moments that had been twenty years in the making. It most definitely could not be allowed to happen again. Perhaps after all these years, she just needed to be reminded that she could feel. “So, how did my girl do tonight?” She forced her thoughts to turn in a different direction. “She was a sweetheart. She played with the puppy and tuckered Grandpa John out...so much energy in one tiny body. I can’t wait until Sophie and Anastasia’s babies come. This is the stage of life that I’ve been waiting for, spoiling grandbabies.” “I appreciate it. Mom and Dad had an event to attend, and I wouldn’t have asked you, but...” “You didn’t, Gabe did. And besides, it wouldn’t matter. I think of you and Anastasia as my children, and I think your parents view Gabe and Sophie the same way. We have lived next door for so long, we all are family.” “I agree,” Cam said, soaking in the night with a contented sigh. “I was so fortunate that this is where I got to grow up after my parents died. And I’m glad to be able to have time to reconnect. I know that last couple years I’ve been....distant.” Victoria laid her hand over Camille’s. “Sometimes, you need space and time. Jackson kind of derailed you for a time. But I love that little girl, and good riddance to Jackson if he didn’t keep you both around. The jackass doesn’t know what he’s missing.” “Wow, strong words, Ms. Lundin,” she teased.

“Someday, you will end up with the person you were meant to be with, and it will all be worth it.” “I agree,” Cam said, taking one last gulp. “On that note, I better go get her and be headed out. I need to start my day fairly early tomorrow.” “Gabe said you are making huge strides on the house. Maybe I could stop by and see it sometime soon?” “I would love for you to come by. Actually, mom wanted to stop by too, so maybe you could get with her, and both come out this weekend.” “I’ll see her in the morning and let you know. I you and Gabe talking about that house all the time after that first Halloween Party. All the hours you spent making drawings and sneaking over there to scavenge anything you could find.” “I know. I sometimes have to pinch myself to remind myself that it is real.” Victoria stood and reached over to hug her. “I’m glad you had time to visit. I have missed seeing you.” As they walked into the house, Camille once again thanked her lucky stars that had brought her back to her roots. She felt so relaxed, loved, and balanced these days that she had to punch herself mentally for the wasted time she spent running from all of it. Maybe she needed to run a bit, to realize how much she valued the family and history she had left behind. The country song about unanswered prayers played through her head as she realized that she was right where she needed to be and wasn’t going to do anything...like kiss her best friend...that would throw that out of balance.

Gabe felt bone-tired as he turned to watch Cheryl pull out of his parent’s driveway. They had met there earlier to drop off some magazine she had promised his mom, and because he had to drop Bella off. The thought brought him back to the kiss he had shared with Bella’s mom. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only time that it had crowded into his mind. As he had given Cheryl her good night kiss, his brain had momentarily drifted to that moment earlier. Cheryl had been very upfront with him from day one that anything further than a brief hug and kiss at the end of their dates was taboo. She had made a pact with herself to stay true to her beliefs until after marriage, she had explained to him. He fully ed that and felt that it allowed them time to get to know one another better. Several times during their dinner, he had found himself comparing the two women, and it was messing with his mental balance. Cheryl seemed to have moments of jealousy constantly, and most of the time, Cam was just her usual friendly self, whether it was discussing the B&B, family stories, or ribbing him about the fact that he never ate salad. “Green lettuce has always confounded him, and he doesn’t like eating leaves,” she had laughingly told Cheryl. As soon as Camille realized that the other woman seemed miffed, she apologized and grew quiet. At the club, Cheryl had itted to him that she felt like a third wheel with Camille around. “She leaves me out by talking about things only you know about,” she told him sadly. “Maybe it’s not on purpose, but it hurts my feelings.” “I just think she is trying to be friendly.” “To you maybe,” she had said a bit more sharply than she usually spoke. Then sighing, she reached over and took his hand in hers. “I know she is your friend and business partner, so I will try not to let her get to me...for your sake.” As he turned to get in his truck, he saw a light on and thought that his mom might still be up. Maybe he could run it by her and get her thoughts on the current lay of the land. He walked slowly to the house in a contemplative state and made his way around back to try the door directly into the kitchen.

“Hi sweetie,” his mom greeted him as he rounded the corner of the house. She was sipping a cup of tea and just staring up at the stars. “Tea and Stars?” “Cam and I had a cup when she came to pick up Bella, and I just couldn’t get up and leave this gorgeous night yet.” “How was Cam? Did she tell you anything about tonight?” “She thought it went well.” He dropped into the chair next to her and stretched back, staring up at the sky. “So what’s wrong? Your two favorite women are making amends; you have the B&B of your dreams set to open soon, and yet something tells me you are troubled?” “Cam is my best friend in the world. I don’t have a single memory after ten without her in it. I love that after the last couple of tough years, we are back on a good track and making this business come to life as we dreamed. Cheryl is the woman I plan to marry. We get along great; she is smart and funny. Unfortunately, when they are together, it’s....odd. I don’t think Cheryl likes Cam, and Cam seems a bit reserved around her. You think that will change?” He heard her let out a deep breath before speaking. “Honey, that is a new dynamic for both of them, and I’m certain they are trying to figure out their roles in your life. The fact that your best friend is a woman...well, we’ve had this conversation numerous times before. Not all women are going to appreciate that and be okay with it. I could name at least four that made you choose...and up until now, you always chose Camille.” “Yeah, it is not that easy anymore.” “I think you need to give it time, and if Cheryl is truly who you meant to marry...you will both need to compromise.” “You don’t think I should marry her, do you?”

“Honey,” she looked at him with that worried look mother’s get. “That is a decision only you can make. I like Cheryl. I truly can’t think of a bad thing to say about her. Sometimes though...it’s...not enough.” “I bought a beautiful ring that I intended to give to her at Christmas. Now I keep thinking...maybe it’s just nerves, the business, Cam being back, but I don’t know...” he itted. “Sweetie, this is the tough part of adult decisions. You trust your gut, follow your heart, have faith, and make the best decision you can.” “I know. Thanks, mom,” he stood and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Love you.” “Love you,” she said, raising a hand to cup his cheek. “This will all work out.”

CHAPTER 9

“Oh my goodness...this is the one!” Gabe heard Sophie exclaim from the outer office. Moments later, she entered the room and rushed to his desk. “This is the best picture of our baby reveal party. Look!” He looked up to examine the picture and couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, it was a wonderful idea for us to all smash them on each other’s faces,” he smiled, rolling his eyes at her. “I think mom was picking up pieces of cake for weeks.” Sophie laughed, “It was awesome. I’m thinking of using them for a t Christmas card this year. Look, everyone is in these...oh,” she looked it over again, “sorry I guess not everyone.” Cheryl had grudgingly relented and had driven in to attend the party, although she insisted she would have to leave right after dinner. She had said extraordinarily little during the get-together, giving perfunctory congratulations to the two mothers to be and leaving to drive home as soon as the meal was over. “Let me see that again,” he took the picture and inventoried the family. “That’s right, Cheryl didn’t get in on that. She had to drive home. She wouldn’t have liked getting buttercream in her hair and clothing. I think she will be okay with not being included in the family card this year but is blue the best Christmas color. That was a lot of blue cake!” he grinned at Sophie lovingly. She rubbed her growing tummy, “I love blue. We are going to be picking up the gears on nursery decor. I can’t believe both Ana and I have boys; they are going to grow up the best of buds,” she fairly glowed as she talked. “Who’re going to be best buds?” Ana asked, coming into the office, lugging Bella. Bella immediately wiggled to be let down and waddled over to be lifted onto his lap. “Our boys,” Sophie said. “Look, I think both our families could do this card for Christmas notes this year.” “Aww,” Anastasia said, looking at the print Sophie held.

“I wanted printed copies to see if they looked as good as the digital. Do you think both sets of parents would be up for us doing something like that?” “I don’t see why not; at this point, most people think we all are one big family,” Gabe said absently as he grabbed a multi-colored paperweight to distract Bella. “Why do you have munchkin?” he asked Anastasia. “Oh, I was going to run her by mom’s house. I stopped to bring muffins to Cam this morning, and the painters had shown up a day early to do the exterior, so I offered to help.” “I can drop her. I just have a couple of stops I have to make, and I could use the company.” He reached into the desk to grab a couple of swag items he had picked up at the Home and Garden show two weekends back. Bella immediately inspected each and started playing quietly in his lap. “Are you sure?” “Yeah, she likes Uncle Gabe, don’t you, princess?” he asked, ruffling her hair. “Gab...” she said, with a drool laden grin up at him. He had to chuckle; she was about the cutest thing ever. “Okay, I’d appreciate it as I’m trying to finish paying out on the last two projects today, and I have payroll to prep.” “No problem.” His phone buzzed, and looking down at the caller ID; he saw that Cheryl was calling. He slid the finger to send her to voicemail. Immediately, his conscience pricked, but he would call her back once he dropped Bella off. “What was that about?” Sophie asked as Ana walked out of the room. “Nothing.” “Really?” “Okay, I’ve been going into the city to spend time with Cheryl instead of her

coming here. She has been such a good sport about everything, and I thought it was the least I could do. The other night though, when she called and heard,” he nodded his head toward Bella, “in the background, she got weird. Last night she told me she was worried about how attached she,” he pointed at Bella with a hand rather than say her name out loud, “was getting to me and that she didn’t think it was a good thing. When we have children, she was afraid it could cause emotional distress to her. Do you think that is the case?” Sophie looked pensive for a moment, “No, I don’t personally think so. Every child should be so blessed with a family the size of Bella’s extended family. Her daddy can’t be around, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t benefit from other male figures filling that gap. I understand that it will be different when you have children of your own, but you will still make time for us. I’m married, and Anastasia is, but we all work together and see each other daily.” “That’s how I feel, but I didn’t want to take a chance that she would hear anything that might set her off again.” “You are a good guy,” Sophie said, turning to go. “Is Cheryl going to make it down to the Halloween Bash Cam is throwing at the B&B next weekend? I know it’s just family and some friends, but she’s excited.” “She said she would try.” “Awesome, I can’t wait. Later Bella,” she waved at the toddler. Bella handed him a stress ball that she had been playing with. “You think I need that?” he asked her teasingly. “Gab...nneee,” was the indistinguishable response. He grinned at her and turned to type in his computer. He needed to check a few things, and then they would be on their way. Bella sat occupied for the fifteen minutes until he was ready and then grabbed him around the neck as he stood. He braced her with his hand, “Gotcha,” he smiled at her. “Da..da...go,” he looked around suddenly. Man, Sophie shouldn’t have used that word today; Bella was a mimicker.

“Uncle Gabe,” he corrected, ensuring that no one else had heard the munchkin’s babbling. Everyone was out of range, so he eased his shoulders and hurried her up a hip. “Let’s do this. Have to get used to having little people around. Auntie Sophie and Auntie Ana are going to bring their little ones to the office,” he mumbled to Bella. “Ye....,” she said suddenly. Probably not in response to his statement, he knew, but it was cute and well-timed no matter what. “Yeah,” he gurgled back at her. She did make you forget everything else and just focus on her and being happy. He couldn’t wait to have more nephews around and, in time, his happiness machines. He squeezed Bella a bit tighter and headed out to start their little adventure.

Cam sat slowly, rocking Bella to sleep as they read the story of three mischievous monkeys that had been read more than once that evening alone. She could feel the weight change in Bella as she slowly lost the battle of the snooze. As she continued to rock a few minutes, her voice drifted off to test the silence. It had been a long day, and Bella had not napped for her mother, so it was barely eight o’clock, and she was fed, bathed, and out for the next eight to nine hours. She stood and tried to navigate her daughter's weight and the importance of not waking her; all energy focused on the task. She laid the sleeping child on the mattress, pulled the blanket over her, and laid a kiss on her fingers to transfer to the curly head. She had been able to tuck her in every night since she left her law career and started over with the B&B, and it was the best reward so far. There were other trade-offs, though. She had a lot of paperwork in several folders downstairs that needed to be organized and bills to be paid. As she turned toward the kitchen, she jumped when Gabe rose from her couch. “Damn...Gabe, what are you doing here?” “I needed to talk to you and was just down the road at mom and dad’s, so I thought I would stopover. I haven’t ever been required to knock before, and when I heard you upstairs...I just thought I would wait.” “Great,” she padded over to where he sat. “I was going to bring dinner but wasn’t sure if you had eaten.” She thought about it, “No, by the time I picked Bella up, she was tired, so mac and cheese and peas for her. I focused on getting her down, but I might have something...” she headed for the main kitchen area. “I will order Chinese if you are game.” “Mr. Wong’s?” she suggested. “Is there any other? You want the sweet and sour chicken and spring roll combo you always got before?” “Definitely. It has been forever since I had Mr. Wongs. Oh, and make sure they

include fortune cookies.” He laughed at her as he picked up his phone to dial. She decided to attack some of the paperwork while they talked. Walking toward the front entryway, she ed him, giving menu selections to someone on the other end of the line. She picked up the bag that held the files she brought home, took it over to the table, and laid them out. Looking up, she saw Gabe finish the call. “What’s all this? Homework?” “The ing, bills, and everything else that has come in for the B&B over the last two weeks. I’m a bit behind,” she grimaced, booting up the computer in front of her. “Cam, we can ask Ana to help or even get you an ant. You can’t be expected to do everything yourself on a project this size, for goodness sakes!” “I didn’t want the added overhead of another body just to work the bills.” “But soon it will be payroll also, and you have your hands full already working ten to twelve hours a day with Bella in tow. Come on,” he walked over and closed the laptop, “let Ana help for now, and we will get someone else to take all this on.” She sighed, “Are you sure?” “I’m sure you are going to need help. You are saving us a bundle as a construction foreman, project manager, and a million and one other hats. This is one necessary expense we can afford.” “Okay. So it’s just after 8 p.m. I think we need a movie after we talk about what you stopped by to talk about.” “Sounds great. I could use one stress-free night...so what movie?” he gave her a knowing smirk. “Armageddon, of course...it’s a romance, and ....”

“Action flick...I know. Man, I think it’s been...” he paused. “Two years, two months approximately?” “Yeah,” he nodded. “So, what did you need to talk to me about?” “I need your opinion on something.” “Let’s get a glass of wine, and then I’m more than willing to render an opinion on anything,” she smiled.

Gabe rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, trying to move Cam off his arm without disturbing her. His phone was still vibrating on the coffee table in front of him. Checking the time on the fluorescent display, he realized that it was almost midnight. They both must have been tuckered out because he only ed the first hour of the movie they had started after dinner. “Hey beautiful,” he whispered into the phone, trying to rise from the sofa. “I called you twice; where were you?” Cheryl asked petulantly. He shuffled a bit away from Cam. “I just stopped over at...” he looked down at Cam and realized that telling Cheryl the truth about his current whereabouts would not go over well. “At Mr. Wong’s for takeout and then I fell asleep in front of the TV. Sorry, I didn’t hear the phone the first time.” During those activities, he hadn’t been alone was a lie by omission, he realized, but he wasn’t in the mood for a lengthy argument. He heard Cam stir and sit up. He prayed for a second that she would catch his silent message and not say anything. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes, stretched, and then rose and shuffled out of the room. “I was so worried. I’m sorry I overreacted, but I’m so used to saying goodnight before I go to bed.” “I’m sorry...I guess I was more tired than I realized.” “You coming up for dinner Friday?” “Yeah, I’m still planning on coming up for dinner.” “Well, I’m exhausted, so I will talk to you tomorrow.” “Okay. Sleep tight,” he slid the finger to disconnect the call, shaking his head, he sat down on the chair across from the sofa. “You lied to her,” Cam said from the doorway. “Not exactly,” he said, turning to look up at her with guilt plastered across his

face. She walked slowly toward him, wiping her face with a washcloth, “You always told me a lie by omission was as bad as a bald-faced mistruth.” “I know. She’s just is so sensitive about....” “Me. She doesn’t understand our relationship. Not a new situation for us. Why did you go into business with me and get me tangled back up in your life if it was going to be a problem?” “First, before this, Cheryl and I had never disagreed. We discussed, compromised, and honestly, it just worked. But you went, and only seeing you once in a blue moon made my heartache. I missed you so much, you already know all my dark secrets, and we can hang, eat Chinese, and watch action flicks no muss no fuss.” “Cheryl’s no muss, no fuss?” “We only see each other two times a week, on a good week. When we attend family functions, picnics, and work-related things for each other, it’s been great. We always seemed to...fit as a couple...until...” “Until me.” “I just wish that...” he stopped and put his head in his hands. “I was a dude,” she volunteered with sincere empathy reflected in her teasing tone. “No!” he gave her a crazy eye glance. “You are exactly who you should be.” She walked the rest of the way and sat on the edge of the coffee table, their knees a breath away from each other. “If we need to redefine our relationship and set boundaries to help Cheryl feel comfortable, that’s what we need to do. I want you to be happy...” “And I want you to be happy!”

“Then, instead of lying to her, we need to figure out what she is comfortable and not comfortable with and compromise. I’m sure family functions are good with her, but nights alone watching movies not so much...” He sighed, “I guess. If it makes you feel any better, she wasn’t much happier with my evening playing poker with the guys last week.” “Maybe she is more jealous about not being here and having the kind of time with you she would like. Have you sat her down and had a straightforward conversation about this, rather than omitting facts to try to appease her?” “When did you get so smart?” “I’ve always been smarter than you,” she teased. He stood, “I better get going.” She stood up at the same time, “I need to get some sleep. Bella will be up at the crack of dawn.” “And I’m sure you have one hundred and twelve items to get through at the house. How often do you leave her with your mom these days?” “I will leave her Friday when all the appliances and several major deliveries are scheduled. About once a week. We are loving all the time together,...at least I am. She’s a character and keeps things hopping.” “I’m sure she does.” “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He reached out and pulled her to him, and without hesitation, she encircled his waist with her arms snuggled against him. For a few seconds, his cheek rested on the top of her head. “Thanks for understanding about Cheryl. I’ll talk to her Friday and try to find out what I can do to make this better.” “Let me know if I can do anything to help.”

“I will,” he said. As she pulled back from him, he had an urge to tug her back into his arms. They felt empty and bereft without her in them. His conscience pricked him at the thought. He never had those feelings when he and Cheryl parted, but then, she was more reserved than Camille. Still, he thought he should at least feel a desire to hold the woman he was supposed to marry. “Are we all still going to the city Saturday to look to pick out the rugs?” he asked. “If you think it’s still ok, that would be great. We need them down on the floors before the furniture arrives, and I need your truck if we are going to bring them back with us.” “Will do. Cheryl and I will be here Saturday at 6 a.m. sharp.” “We’ll be ready.” As he pulled the truck out of the drive, he realized that he had gone for advice and solace tonight. Leaving, he felt even more twisted up than when he arrived. He needed to get his personal life on a more stable footing and soon. He didn’t need the distraction and hated the drama. He turned the radio up loud enough to drown out any further reflections and made his way home-focused only on the music's beat.

CHAPTER 10

Cam was checking out a rug hung up on a ginormous rack system. Slowly moving one and then another, trying to match paint samples and her mental picture of the rooms. She had been surprised that Cheryl wanted to tag along this morning, but since it was a singular task and not the entire house's interior design in question, she was enjoying the stress-free morning. “What about this one?” Cam walked over to her, the rug had blue hues, and the maker made it look almost worn instead of fresh. She liked the distressed look and knew exactly which bedroom it would look great in. “Tag that; I think it will work in guest room number three.” “Score one for me.” Cheryl smiled. “Where did Bella and Gabe run off to?” “No idea. I think he was trying to keep her occupied so that we could look in peace. She’s good in a car, but as soon as it stops, she’s like a tightly wound spring let go,” Cam chuckled. “She’s an absolute doll, and it must be nice that you can have her around so much.” “I love it.” “You don’t regret leaving the law firm?” “No. It was a long commute, followed by longer days, and the worst part was that I missed so much time with Bella. Besides, I’ve always dreamed of opening a B&B, growing my own organic food, and just having my family around me all the time. It’s my definition of heaven.” “I know that we haven’t spent huge amounts of time together, but do you date? Have someone special?” Cam looked over at her and caught Cheryl’s eyes on her. “No, kind of hard right now,” she said evasively. “Have you and Gabe talked about children? I know you are a teacher, so you must love them.”

“I think he would like a son, and that’s fine with me. We’ll have to see how it goes and how we balance everything.” “Well, by that time, you will be living in Stihlten, so you’ll have plenty of help.” “I know we had a rough start, but I’m glad we are getting along better now. You are important to Gabe, so I hope you and I can be friends.” “I would like that,” Cam said. She was glad that whatever the issues Gabe and Cheryl had been having appeared to be water under the bridge, and if today was any indication, it would be uphill for all of them going forward. “Can I ask you one personal question, though?” The hairs on the back of Cam’s neck stood at alert, “Sure,” she said tentatively, as Cheryl walked over and stood right in front of her, looking directly in her eyes. “You and Gabe were never more than friends? You’ve never felt anything for him outside of friendship?” Cam’s heart plummeted. She was the worst liar ever, and that was not a question that she could answer flippantly without ramifications. She thought about it for a second before responding. “I once had a crush on him when we were much younger, but so did most of the girls in my school.” “Hmmm,” Cheryl said, turning back to the rugs. “Where’s Bella,” Cam heard Gabe call out from nearby. A tiny body slid between the rugs on the rack behind her and used Camille’s legs as a shield against the large man who jumped out and tried to snatch her. Giggling uncontrollably, Bella clutched at her for dear life while still engaging Gabe. “Is that mean man picking on you,” Cheryl asked, walking over to Gabe. “I can find better things for you to do than scare that baby,” she teased, reaching up on tiptoes to kiss him.

Camille turned away, surprised by the uninvited tears that threatened to overflow. She knew it wasn’t Cheryl and Gabe specifically, but rather her loneliness playing havoc with her emotions. Bella chose just that moment to slap her legs, demanding attention, and banishing the blues that threatened to overshadow the day.

Gabe and Cam had dropped Cheryl at her house and stopped at the party store just a few miles outside of town on the road back to Stihlten. She needed to finish a few last purchases for the Halloween Bash the following weekend. “So how many are you expecting?” he asked, juggling a sleeping Bella into his other arm. “Right now, I have 24 on the list confirmed, so we should be good to just plan on 30.” “Wow, who all did you invite? I thought it was just the families.” “Yeah, there are eleven of us, Tim and Shirley, their girls and families. A couple of people from church, Cheryl, and a blind date Cheryl is bringing for me.” “I’m sorry, did you say a blind date for you?” He could feel his stomach tighten with feeling a bit like jealousy, a lot like shock, and several other emotions that he couldn’t quite put the finger on. “Yeah, she has a friend and though we might hit it off. I told her no promises but thought that this party would be a good laid back way to meet. Besides, she seems to be trying.” “I didn’t know you were dating again?” “I’m not,” she said, bending down to look at the plates in several shades of orange, never making eye . “But it might be nice not to have to attend everything alone...and...seeing you and Cheryl together, Sophie and Ana with husbands and children on the way. I don’t know...I thought maybe it would be something I might want to consider.” “Wow!” he said under his breath. He didn’t know what else to say. She was a grown woman and didn’t require his permission to take such a step in her personal life. He felt like he still needed to protect her. He worried that, like Jackson, a new man would drive a wedge between them. It was irrational. A 32year-old man shouldn’t feel the need to beat up a faceless blind date like a hormonal teenager, but he did. “You don’t think it’s a good idea?” she was suddenly facing him.

“I didn’t say that. It was just a bit of a surprise.” He hoped that came out smoother than it sounded to his ears. She shrugged, “It will probably turn out to be nothing. So what do you think?” she held up one Halloween themed jack-o-lantern plate and one plain orange. He pointed to the Halloween plate. They finished the shopping in silence and made their way to the truck. After everything was stowed, Cam took a shotgun next to him. “So when are you planning to ask Cheryl to marry you?” “Aggghhhh...what? Where did that come from?” “She is talking about moving here in the spring, so I was just curious.” “When did she tell you she wanted to move?” “Today. I don’t know what you said to her, but it must have smoothed things out because she was like a whole new woman today.” Gabe thought about the conversation the night before when they had dinner. He felt like Cheryl more fully appreciated Cam and his relationship and was willing to compromise. She had asked very direct questions, and he had bared his soul, and by the time dinner ended, it appeared that she had accepted their friendship...almost too easily. “Yeah, you were right. We had an honest conversation last night.” She hit him in the shoulder. “You are dodging the question.” “I don’t know the answer, but I did buy a ring.” “Holy sh...I didn’t realize. So Christmas? Or sooner?” “Christmas, I think...I feel like I will just know the right time when it happens.” “You aren’t one of those guys that carry it with you everywhere, are you?” “No, it’s in my desk at the office, so I won’t lose it or risk her finding it when she is with me.”

“Good thinking. So you agreed to the monster wedding she wants? Because I’ve got to say, seeing you in a tux again and how uncomfortable you were at Ana and Sophie’s wedding...I’m bringing a camera,” she laughed. He turned to glare at her. “You know you don’t scare me. You’re all bark and no bite.” “And you are incorrigible.” “But you still love me.” “I do at that, but why I do is a mystery when all I get is abuse,” he gave her a flippant look and a soft nudge to the shoulder.

CHAPTER 11

Gabe heard the knock but was engrossed in the email he was reading. Another round of bank auctions this week was making him consider purchasing a couple of rental properties rather than just fixing up the ones owned by others. He was making quick notes when a second knock at his door brought him out of the fog. “Come in.” Anastasia and Sophie entered together. “What’s up?” “Well, I had the bills from Colver House all paid out, and I’ve set up some recurring payments just as you directed. I know I’m her sister, but Cam is doing a great job bringing this one home under budget. She told mom this weekend; she thinks it can open in December.” “Yeah, looks that way. Just four more weeks or so, she told me, and by the looks of things, I’d say she’s on track. How is the renovation budget looking?” “We are currently, at seventy-five percent complete with all the construction done, about 100 thousand below estimates. She used a lot of repurposed items, and with us being able to salvage from our yard with all the new projects going on, it’s come along great.” “It looked good when we were there for the Halloween party a couple weeks back, and I’m betting it is even better now.” “So, is Cam seeing that guy Jesse she met at the party?” “She didn’t meet him there; Cheryl brought him. And I don’t know. We haven’t discussed it. She’s been kind of short with me.” “Don’t suppose there’s any chance it was because you grilled her date like he was a terrorist seeking to overthrow the government?” “I was just trying to get to know him.” “You were a bit...shall we say officious that night,” Ana said with a grimace.

“I know...Cheryl is mad at me too. I’ve seen her five times since, and I think I’m still in the dog house. I probably owe the guy an apology. I guess.” He said the last like a petulant child. “They will both get over it...but since you asked, she isn’t seeing Jesse. They went out last weekend, and Cam told me they weren’t a good fit.” “You didn’t tell me that,” Sophie turned to her. “She asked me to keep it quiet. I think she thought it reflected badly on her.” “As for Cheryl, you are probably going to owe her big,” Sophie said. “He was a friend, and you were pretty hostile.” “I know. It’s just been so...weird with us lately.” Before his filter could sanction the question, “You both like Cheryl, right? You think we make a good match, don’t you?” Both of them looked at each other and then sat down in his guest chairs. “I do like Cheryl,” Anastasia said. “I think only you know if you love her enough to marry her.” “Do you? Love her enough?” Sophie asked. Gabe reached into the drawer to withdraw the ring he had taken out and looked at it a dozen times in the last few weeks. He placed the velvet bag close enough for them to pick it up. “When I saw it, I was certain it was perfect, but since then, not so much. Do you suppose it’s just jitters about how big a step it is?” Sophie reached out, lifted the bag, and slid the small box out, and snapped open the lid. An odd expression crossed her face as she turned it slightly towards Anastasia, who looked at her and then over to Gabe. Blotches were spreading up her neck. Those red blotches had always been Ana’s tell when she was in uneasy situations. “What? You don’t like it?” “Gabe,” Sophie said and then stopped. She rubbed her head as if trying to muster

words or gather herself; it was her tell. “Just say it!” he said, feeling nauseous. “You are in love with Cam. You always have been, and this ring...it’s her ring. Cheryl would hate this vintage antique style, but this...this is Cam’s dream ring,” she said in a single breath, and then sat back and ducked her head. Absolute silence reigned. Barely a breath could be heard for long moments. “How long?” Ana asked Sophie in a harsh whisper. “For as long as I can . I always thought it was the pact we made because of your overactive hormones that kept them apart. But then I realized that Cam probably didn’t feel the same way, especially when she hooked up with Jackson.” Gabe heard the conversation, but the buzzing in his head was drowning it out. He didn’t understand how to react. They were both pregnant, so anger was off the table. Unfortunately, as Sophie sat the ring back on his desk, and he picked it up, he saw the truth of what she had said reflected in the antique gold design. It was Cam’s ring. Cheryl would want clean, contemporary, probably platinum, and big. This simple, old fashioned, sweetly second-hand ring was so Cam it hurt as the realization pierced his heart. “Cam only went out with Jackson the first time to make Gabe jealous,” Ana said under her breath. “What?” Sophie and Gabe turned simultaneously toward Ana in shock. Ana had tears in her eyes when she looked at him. “She loved you, I think, from the moment she saw you, but never thought you would love her back. Not that way. I know for a fact because I found her diary, and like the spoiled and impetuous child that I was back then, I read it shortly after she started dating Jackson. She doesn’t know that I know.” “That was a long time ago. Feelings change.” “So you are telling me that you have no feelings for Cam?” Sophie asked with laser point directness.

He thought about that night on her porch, the kiss in the bathroom, his urgent need to buy Colver House and get her back in his life, and about a hundred moments since in which he had sought her out. And then he thought about Cheryl. Sweet, patient, and loving Cheryl who had a few rough edges but they worked together, he thought. He stood up, “I need to go.” “Gabe, please don’t be mad,” Sophie said. “I’m not mad. I just need to think.” “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have said anything,” Ana said on the verge of tears. “No, you are right,” he picked up the ring and slid it back into the tiny velvet string bag, and dropped it into his pocket. “This is not Cheryl’s ring. As for the rest of this conversation, I’m going to ask that you both forget this happened.” They shook their heads, stood, and looking at each other, walked toward the door. “I’m sorry, Gabe, I shouldn’t have said anything,” Sophie said again. “It’s all good, sis.” He dropped quick kisses on each of their cheeks before they left. Once they were gone, he walked out to his truck. He felt like his entire world had blown up on him, and the pieces lay scattered about. The conversation about the ring kept playing in his head as he got in his truck and started driving. He ed the day he had stopped into the jewelry store to get his mother’s necklace repaired. He had wandered around the store while he was waiting, and it had caught his eye. It was over a hundred years old and had been inscribed with the words “Love is Eternal.” He had immediately fallen in love with the intricate designs running around to a flower-looking setting with a perfect handcut yellow diamond in the center that was not a traditional round. He ed the jeweler telling him it couldn’t be resized due to the gold makeup and inscription, but he had hoped it would fit. His stomach tightened as he realized that he didn’t know Cheryl’s ring size but Cam’s was a five and a half, the exact size of this ring.

Were Sophie and Ana, right? Was it Cam? What a mess he had created if that was the case? What was he going to do? His brain continued to spiral with no clear answer until he realized he was turning into the driveway at Colver House. He stared at the house for a moment and decided he wanted a resolution. He wanted to get rid of the knot that had become his stomach, and there was only one way to do that.

Cam set the baby monitor on the sink and set to work on the tile. She knew that she could hire someone to do this for her, but the expense didn’t seem worth it. The little details like the tile accents around the tub enclosure in the bathroom were the kind of thing she loved doing herself. The house was coming into the home stretch. It had been a godsend that Gabe had used some of the same subcontractors that he used for Reclaiming History. They couldn’t afford to lose any business, and so they all had held to extremely robust timelines. Now it was all the little items. The yard work closer to the house, brick pathways, and the like would be started next week. Painting interior walls was already underway on the third floor, finishing the first guest bathroom. The tile accents, hardware for towels, toilet paper, and shelving were put in, then curtains and towels, and the first finished room could be checked off her list. She had chosen the bathroom as it was the most attainable by punch list and size, but she knew once the first room was complete, she would begin to feel like she was in the home stretch. Bella must have settled, the contractors were on lunch break, and the silence was almost ominous. She pulled the box of tiles out and started to lay out the work. She needed to do some visualizing, as there were six shades of tile and one handpainted accent, one to make the design out of. As she laid the tile out on a piece of wood, she heard footsteps on the stairs. She glanced at her watch. Someone must have altered their lunch schedule or forgotten something, she thought. Not concerned, she returned to laying out tiles. “Hey,” Gabe said from the doorway. “Hey yourself. Didn’t expect to see you today.” Her eyes and hands were still focused on her task. “Where’s Bella?” “Just down for a nap,” she inclined her head to indicate the baby monitor perched on the sink. “Hmmm, ahhhh...Ana finished the paperwork from last week. She...uh...said you are doing a great job and are way below budget due to your sourcing of so much repurposed material.”

“That is awesome, thanks. Do I need to help find a more full-time ant? I realize with Sophie and Ana expecting in a couple of months, it’s going to be rough.” “I have Ana interviewing temps now.” “Good idea,” she sat back and looked at the pattern. “What are you doing?” “Trying to find a pattern for the accent border around this cutout area where the tub will sit.” “Don’t you have someone to do tilework?” “Yes, but I wanted to do this one myself. I know it seems silly, but I can’t wait to have one room done, and want to make that milestone myself.” “Not silly. I love that you get so excited by all of this.” He seemed edgy, and the conversation forced. She looked at his face and realized that he was preoccupied with something. The furrows lacing his forehead worried her. “Gabe, what’s up?” she stood and faced him, but he looked away. “Are all the contractors out for lunch?” “Yep,” she waited. Sometimes patience, which was not one of her more prominent virtues, was needed in spades when Gabe went to his thinking place. “Cam,” he released a whoosh of air, not making eye . “Have you ever thought about you and me?” Cam knew she had mistaken the intent of that question. “Me and you? We are buddies, best friends....” “No, I mean...me and you?” he turned and looked her directly in the eyes. Her breath caught in the back of her throat, and she could feel every nerve,

ending paying attention to the odd emotions racing across her brain and body as a whole. “Gabe, have you been drinking?” “It’s noon on a workday,” he said disgustedly. “You and Cheryl fight?” “Nope.” “Then what?” “You didn’t answer the question,” he said, stepping into the bathroom and her space bubble. She backed up, and he took a step closer. “Gabe, I don’t know what this is about. But you are acting odd.” His hand moved at the same time that he closed the distance remaining between them. Catching her hair, he angled her head and brought his lips down on hers. At that moment, she knew how it felt to be struck by lightning. He had opened the door, and she was the willing participant who walked through it. He breached the seal of her lips with a slide of his tongue, and as the kiss deepened, she almost came undone. Her hand wandered from his chest to his belt loop and tried to move him even closer, needing more. Just as suddenly as he had kissed her, he stepped back, and she wanted to scream. She needed a cold shower and maybe to run a few miles; her body was completely turned on, and now bereft of his heat, it was rebelling, causing her legs to become unsteady. Just as fast as the kiss ended, the recriminations started. She was ridiculous to have thought that it was anything but a struggle for answers to something Gabe was wrestling with. She turned around and put her hands on the defunct radiator, taking deep cleansing breaths. She heard him behind her breathing, but not offering a word of explanation. “What the hell was that?” she asked, her chest heaving and tears starting to well up.

“I was hoping it would bring resolution to a war I’m having with myself.” “Did it?” she spit out. “Cam, why are you so angry?” he asked quietly. “Seriously?” she flew around. “You just pounced on me in my place of business with no warning after twenty years of platonic friendship, and you are asking me that?” “We need to talk about this...about our true feelings. Cam, I’ve seriously been contemplating marrying someone else. Were you ever going to tell me how you felt?” She knew that when she was so upset, her tongue could lead her down a slippery path, one she couldn’t afford to take with Gabe. She decided she needed to restore the status quo. “Gabe, I’ve been two years without a man. That was just a natural physical reaction,” she said, bracing herself to make eye . “Liar,” he stepped back into her personal space. Cam stared at him. He stared back. “Gabe,” she whispered, “Think of Cheryl.” “You don’t think I have agonized about Cheryl? Wondered why I had cold feet?” he pulled the velvet bag out of his pocket. “I fell in love with this ring,” he sat fiddling with the string. “So I bought it a couple of months ago, but I just haven’t been able to give it to her.” he continued looking down at the bag. Cam didn’t understand. She had just gone from the highest high to the lowest low, and her thinking seemed muddled. She had known the day was coming, but that tiny little bag held someone else’s future, and she felt a restless need to run from the room and throw up, or scream...or sob out her hurt. He held the bag out toward her. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s yours.” “Gabe, just because of one kiss, you can’t give up on Cheryl.” “It’s not just one kiss,” he reached out and took her hand, pressing the bag into it. “I think I’ve loved you since the first day you walked into my house, a scared, sad little brown-eyed girl. I pushed it out of my mind for years because I needed you to be my best friend, and I couldn’t risk losing you. Even if you never get to a place where you are willing to wear it when you see it, you will know it is your ring. If the day ever comes when you are willing to let me be your future...all you have to do is slip it on.” The tears that had welled up were now coursing down her cheeks. It was as if reality had become a dream, but she was not certain how to react or feel. In a moment she had ruminated on for years, she knew she was too broken, and he was too confused to make such a momentous decision. “Gabe, I’m so sorry. I feel like I’ve done to Cheryl what Jackson did to me.” He cupped her cheek. “This isn’t about Cheryl. That is my mess and not yours, and you are not Jackson. That ass walked away from his child and never looked back. It’s not the same. If anything, this will avoid heartache further down the road for her.” She extended the bag, “Please just sell it or something.” “I’ll talk to you later,” he said, not touching the bag, and without another word, turned and walked away. She didn’t move as she listened to him methodically take each step. When his truck started in the drive, she held up the bag. Curiosity got the best of her, and she took out the tiny box and opened it. Then her tears started in earnest. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen. She soon discovered the inscription, and another round of tears began. She quickly put the ring away and slid the bag into her pocket. As she went back to the tiles, she tried to think of anything but the bulge in her side pocket.

CHAPTER 12

“Gabe, honey, I need to know if you have any additional people you need to invite to Thanksgiving,” his mother said across the dinner table. “No, all my friends are now officially off the market.” “So just you and Cheryl?” she said, writing down the names on the tablet by her side. “Cheryl won’t be coming.” He could feel the non-verbal questions being shot around the room. Might as well rip the Band-Aid off, he thought to himself. “We broke up.” “Oh, Gabe,” Sophie said, reaching out. “Sweetie, I’m so sorry,” his mother said, empathy radiating from her eyes. “Son, sorry to hear that,” his father gruffly added. He looked around the table and realized that not one of them tried to guess the reasons or appeared overly shocked by the announcement. No one asked what happened? None of the normal breakup questions had been forthcoming. “So you all knew that I wasn’t going to marry her?” Sophie shrugged. “I’m sorry, honey. Sometimes even as nice as a person is, they just don’t....fit. You and Cheryl looked great on paper, but there was always something missing.” “I’m not one to meddle, son, but ...well she always seemed so...together. She never had a hair, emotion, or anything else out of place. Very nice, but...” “No ion,” he finished for his father. “I kind of wish someone had the guts to tell me that before I wasted a year on her,” he said, standing and walking to the kitchen. “Gabe, was Cheryl okay when you talked to her?” Sophie asked.

“Truthfully, she seemed indifferent. She said she saw it coming. I just feel like an oblivious ass,” he said “So...can you return the ring? I’m sure it set you back a pretty penny.” He might have torn one wound open, but the other one he wasn’t ready to discuss. It had been five days since the moment with Cam, and they hadn’t spoken. He was unsure where things stood and didn’t need gossip going around their tight-knit families. “No, it’s not returnable. Can we please focus on something else but my love life?” “Fine with me. I’m starving.” She rubbed her bulging tummy. “You coming?” she asked over her shoulder as the rest of the family headed into the dining room. “In just a minute,” he said with a heavy sigh. Let the gossiping begin, he thought. He pulled his phone out, and for the onethousandth time, thought about calling Cam. He needed to be patient. Knowing Cam, she needed time to sort out her feelings. Sliding the phone back into his front pocket, he walked back to his ever-loving, ive, boisterous family.

Cam was attempting to harness Bella’s unbridled energy as they walked down the storefront laden main stretch. They had just left one kid’s clothing store and were headed to another, searching for the perfect Thanksgiving outfit and one for opening day at Colver House. She loved the snap in the air and the homey, laidback feeling of this part of town. As she reached for the door, she heard a familiar voice. “Hey stranger,” Sophie said, moving to catch up. “Hi,” she said, putting her arm out to hug the pregnant woman as her sister ed them. “Ana, I was going to stop by and see you tomorrow. You are both getting so big,” she said, staring from one baby bump to the other. “Ba..ba...ba,” Bella pointed to Ana’s belly, reaching up to touch it. “That’s right, Bella...baby,” “Are you going in here?” Cam indicated the store. “Yep, looking for baby clothes, my new favorite addiction,” Anastasia giggled. “I know the feeling,” Cam said, gazing down at Bella. “I can find just about any reason to buy Bella a new outfit.” She held the door as Ana and Sophie walked into the store. Bella made a beeline for the tiny toy area inside the shop. “Love me a sale,” Sophie promptly stopped at a rack a few steps away. “So, how are you?” Ana asked Camille. “Good. Tired. Just trying to get the last items finished to open Colver House, but good.” “Anything new?” Sophie asked, and Cam caught the look, she snuck Ana. “Nope, not a thing,” she lied and knew that her red face gave her away, so she focused on the clothing.

“Did you hear that Gabe and Cheryl broke up?” Her hands stopped wandering over the clothes. She hadn’t talked to Gabe in nearly a week. They both needed space, and she would never it how many times she had picked up her cell phone to call him and thought better of it. “I hadn’t heard.” She stuck to the bare facts and truth. “Dad said he wasn’t surprised....they didn’t have enough ion,” Sophie volunteered. Cam could feel the blush rising again. That had not been lacking between them that day. A single spark had enflamed to an inferno in zero to sixty. “I’m sure he appreciated the ,” she sarcastically bit out. “I felt bad for Cheryl at first, but Gabe said she didn’t seem surprised or even upset. He used the word indifferent.” Cam could feel both sets of eyes on her, watching for her reaction to the news. “So what do you think,” she held up a cute ensemble in brown and orange with a big pumpkin bow. “Aww...I love it,” Anastasia said. “I think next we’ll try for a girl.” “Agreed,” Sophie said with a grin. “Why don’t you both wait and see how much work one is before you begin planning for another?” Cam said wryly, nodding over at Bella, who was busy taking all the toys off the play area's shelves. “You wouldn’t give Bella back if someone paid you a million dollars.” “No, but she’s an easy toddler. She likes to move and travel, and even working with her beside me all day is great. I’m pretty lucky.” “Do you think you will ever have more children?” The question caught Camille off guard. She had always dreamed of having a big family, but that dream had been derailed. The thought triggered a memory of

Gabe, and for the first time in years, hope shivered through her. Shaking it away, she knew that she wasn’t ready, and Gabe needed time to heal before he would truly know what he wanted for the future. “I don’t know, maybe.” “Wow, that’s an improvement over your attitude a year ago when you said you would never marry or have more children.” “Things are changing, and I’ve still got several years before children are biologically off the table, so I won’t close that door completely,” she said nonchalantly. She looked up to see another covert look between Ana and Sophie. She had learned long ago that when those two put their heads together, it bodes ill for whoever they were plotting against. For that reason, she said no more and went back to shopping.

CHAPTER 13

Gabe walked into Colver House and went in search of his partner. It was time that things got back to normal, and he had selected this morning to grab the bull by the horns. As he walked through, he was again struck by how far along everything was. The previous night's call reminding him that the last eight rugs were in and available for pick-up had spurred the visit. Encountering a worker, he asked, “Do you know where Cam is?” “Ms. Heskett is outside with the contractor, over by the storage buildings.” “Thanks.” He wandered around, loving how everything was coming together. It was amazing that the mental pictures of Colver House that he had conjured in his head over the years had miraculously become a reality. He and Camille had not since the house's purchase talked about the interior in any detail, and yet everything he set eyes on was just as he would have done it. He moved upstairs to take a peek at the progress. He came to the first room that was complete with all furnishings, comforter, pillows, and all the little finishing touches that made it special. The room was vintage but fresh. Bright and airy with old-world charm, although an iPod stand, alarm clock, and a TV would be hidden in the armoire if a guest so desired. He moved next door and came across THE bathroom. He found that any remorse he felt at breaking things off with Cheryl had quickly been replaced with relief. He was glad that he had the truth forced on him before making an irreparable mistake that would have inflicted much more pain on everyone involved. He stood in the doorway, and the scene from his last visit replayed in slow motion through his brain. He wondered if Cam had thought about him as often as he had thought about her in their days apart. He had fully made peace with the fact that the physical desire and attraction that had brought them together on both occasions was so much more than lust. He had desperately missed her during the Jackson fiasco and had physically hurt with the need to see her in the two years that followed. He wanted her and Bella in his life permanently. He still loved the girl who had grabbed his hand and jumped with him off a cliff into a deep pool of water during summer vacation when they were sixteen. And he loved the more mature, pensive woman that she was now. So he intended to

be persistent in convincing her that she belonged with him. She might be stubborn, but he was determined. Grinning to himself, he went to find her and Bella. He heard the squeal before he saw the toddler making tracks toward him. “Up..up...” Bella said, grabbing him around his knees and giving him a big wet baby grin. His eyes made direct with the vast brown depths of her mother’s. Without breaking that , he reached down and picked Bella up. “Did you see that our first guest room is done?” “Yeah, it’s perfect! I also saw that the kitchen appliances arrived, and that area is looking fantastic as well.” “I know,” she said with a satisfied sigh. “I’m in love with that stove and may just cook all my meals here.” “I can’t believe that you may actual pull off a December Grand Opening.” “Your contractors have been wonderful. I couldn’t have gotten everything coordinated without your help.” “It’s no big deal. I got a call from the flooring center. They have your last eight rugs in. I was wondering if you had time later today to run into the city?” She looked at her watch. “How long are they open?” “He said eight tonight. I have two other appointments I can’t reschedule. I thought maybe we could leave around five and get a bite to eat on the way?” “That would work for me. Of course, you realize I need Big Tony’s Pizza, right?” “Of course.” Turning, he tickled Bella, “You want pizza tonight?” “Pizzz...” Bella said, grinning at him. “Okay, I’ll pick you up at five then.”

“Do you think we will have time to stop at the bath and bed store, too? I need to figure out another set of towels. Somehow, I miscalculated on the linen order, and I don’t have time to reorder before the sneak peeks event.” “Shouldn’t be a problem. If I can get away a bit earlier, I will head over then.” “Sounds good,” she extended her arms for Bella. The little monster promptly wrapped her plump arms around his neck and refused to leave him. “Bella, is going to get it,” she said in a sing-song tone, putting her index finger into her daughter’s side until a belly laugh erupted, and Bella clung to him even harder. “Good try,” Gabe teased. She glared up at him, at the same time tickling both sides of Bella’s tummy. That did the trick as she reeled away, and to get her to stop, she jumped at Cam, who nuzzled her and blew raspberries on her neck. Gabe felt his heart clench as he watched the interplay. He raised a hand and ruffled Bella’s hair, aching to pull mother and daughter into his arms, but resisting the urge. She needed time, and he intended to give it to her. “See you this evening.” “See you,” Cam said with a little wave. “Shee...,” Bella chimed in, flapping her hand, too. Laughing, he went out the door, happier than he had been in a week.

Cam wandered the showroom, pointing out rugs in bright colors to Bella. Gabe and a helper were busy loading their rugs in his truck. “Look, Bella, blue...can you say blue,” she pointed to a big rectangle rug in front of them. “Boo,” Bella mimicked. “Yellow,” Cam said, pointing to the next square rug. “Yewow,” Bella repeated. “Such a smart girl,” she grinned. Bella pointed to the next rug, “Red,” Cam answered the non-verbal request. “Wed.” “Good Girl,” she said, looking for a new color to share. She was constantly surprised at Bella’s growing vocabulary. “Excuse me,” came a lady’s voice from behind her. Cam turned to move Bella out of the aisle and then turned to the lady to excuse them, but the words caught in her throat, not at the high maintenance woman glaring at her, but at the man who walked up behind her. Jackson stared at her as if he had seen a ghost and then down toward Bella. His scowl dared her to step out of line. “Can we please get to that rack,” the woman complained, pointing to the row of rugs they blocked. “Hello Camille,” Jackson said suddenly. She would have been happy to move on and not even acknowledge that they were acquainted, but running away was not in her nature. “Jackson,” Cam responded coldly. Of all the emotions she had expected to feel if they ever ran into each other again, icy indifference was not one she would have predicted. She pulled Bella closer, unsure of how he would react to seeing her.

“You know this person?” The woman pinned her with a haughty stare. “Camille and I are old friends,” Jackson said smoothly, wrapping an arm around her. “I see.” The brunette extended her hand. “I’m Linda Ames.” “Ames?” she asked. “Yes, Jackson’s wife.” “Camille Heskett.” She briefly shook the proffered hand. Not a flicker of recognition when she said her name. The stony look on Jackson’s face revealed that he had never divulged their relationship. A fact that meant he had never told his wife about Bella either. “Nice to meet you,” she said, but her face belied her words. “How do you know my husband?” “Cam,” Gabe drawled from behind her, picking Bella up and tossing her in the air. A moment later, his arm encircled her waist. “Jackson. Nice seeing you again.” “So you and Gabe finally got together, I see?” he said tightly. Camille almost laughed. Jackson didn’t seem to feel the least bit guilty about walking out on her, but the fact that she might have moved on did seem to get under his skin. “Yep,” she tilted her head up and could have blessed Gabe for bending slightly and claiming those lips. She knew it was just an act, but she needed a win on this one. “We have to go, sweetheart, if you are going to get those towels,” Gabe said, giving her shoulder a quick squeeze. Turning back to Jackson, he twisted the knife just a bit more. “We bought the Colver House to turn into our dream B&B. Renovations are done, and Cam is putting her final homey touches on everything now.” “That is...great,” Jackson said. His wife took in the entire dialogue without

another word. “Let me get out of your way,” Cam said cheerfully. “It was nice running into you, Jackson.” Gabe took her hand, and they walked out of the store without a backward glance. “I owe you big time,” she said when they were in his truck. “You don’t owe me a thing. Are you ok...seeing him again?” He waited as she contemplated the question and then truthfully responded. “Good, really good. How did I ever feel anything for that,” she glanced at Bella, “jerk. That snooty cold fish of a wife is a perfect fit for him.” “Bravo!” Gabe looked relieved. “Glad to hear it. My heart hit the floor when I walked in and saw him talking to you.” “Well, you played your part very well, Mr. Lundin,” she grinned over at him. “I wasn’t playing Cam. You need to know that. Neither of us has forgotten that ring you now hold, and the second you slip it on your finger, I will let the whole world know how I feel.” “You are serious, aren’t you?” “Yes, I am. I know what I want, who I need, but I’m willing to wait for you to get to the same place.” Bella, as always, took that moment to break the ice. “Uh oh,” she said with a worried look. “That’s her potty face.” “There’s a change station in the restroom at Big Tony’s,” he said, pulling up in front of the Pizza Place. “Gabe,” she said in a low tone. “I’m just going to need some time to sort everything out in my head. Things have been changing really fast for me.” “I can wait,” he said, turning back to Bella. “Right, Ms. Bella?”

“Wight,” she giggled back.

CHAPTER 14

Gabe wiped at his eyes. It had been a long, busy day. He had done five site visits around town and two potential client presentations. It was the first time that he had relaxed all day at nearly six, and he still had to finish the final proposals and review the end of month s Ana had put on his desk. The office would be closed the next day because it was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and his mother had a growing honey-do list for him to complete. Just as he was about to dig into the paperwork, he realized how hungry he was. Calculating what he might be able to get done if he took it home with him and picked up something on the way, he decided against it. He would work for a bit and then try to take a brief break. As his emails loaded, he heard the front door open. He waited and was surprised when Ana’s head peaked around the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?” he asked, noticing how much more pronounced her belly was getting. It caused her gait to be a bit more labored as she came into the room. “I’ve known you long enough to know that you would be reviewing the books tonight. I just wanted to highlight a couple of things, and we were headed over to mom’s when I saw the light on in here.” “I hate to keep you. We can review Monday, after the holiday.” “I made notes,” she ignored him and crossed to where the folder was on his desk. Opening it, she pointed out three sticky notes. “Anderson came in under budget, but I have some major concerns with Wade Johnson, your latest hire. He isn’t keeping within his budget, and his daily petty cash expenditures are high,” she said with worry. “Oh, and this one,” she pulled the second folder out. “Colver House. I’m starting to work with the new temp, Lacy, on these books next week. Cam has done a great job, and all permits have been issued, including her liquor license. I cataloged all expenses and have construction s closed, and daily operation s all started. Any would be appreciated, but Cam makes this easy.” “She’s doing great, and I think she’s ready to start taking reservations. She stopped in to see you earlier today, but you were out.”

“I’ll give her a call, or I can talk to her tomorrow. I’m going to try and get through these, and then go grab something to eat.” “Okay, anything else, let me know,” she turned to leave and then looked back at him. “Gabe, are you ok?” “I’m fine; why?” “I know Cheryl, Colver House, and everything else this year has been rough. Just wanting to make sure you are good.” “I’m good. You’re right. It’s been a crazy year.” “And you never took time off. I think you had less than half a day all year.” “Mom and Dad are trying to talk me into skiing around Christmas, so I’ll work in some downtime.” “Okay, well, don’t work too late.” “I won’t,” he said but was already three emails in before he heard the door close. Looking up, he grinned. She was going to make such a great mom, he thought to himself. And it struck him that despite the ups and downs, he was good. Only one thing would make things better, but he had promised Cam she would have all the time she needed. Shaking his head, he focused on what he could control, business.

Cam took a deep breath as she grabbed the bag from her front seat and exited her car. Why she was this nervous made no sense, and why she had decided tonight of all nights to make a move was still not clear. She had been headed home. Her mother was keeping Bella for the night. It was a tradition for them to decorate the day after Thanksgiving. They would all be at the Lundin’s for the holiday, so her mom was getting prepared, and somehow a toddler in tow had been her idea of fun. As she drove by Reclaiming History, she noticed Gabe’s truck in the parking lot and realized how close it was to the end of the month. She knew of his penchant for staying late to ensure that the paperwork was in order. Without a second thought, she drove to Mr. Wong’s and ordered their favorite entrees. Just a friend buying dinner for a friend, she rationalized, but the truth was, she wanted to see him. As she entered the outer office area, she tried to calm her overactive nerves and inhaled softly before taking the last few steps to his door. As she stood in the doorway, watching for just a moment, she had to it that he was one extremely fine-looking man. A bit tired and crumpled, but finelooking none the less. He reviewed a file in front of him, his brow furrowed, oblivious of her presence. She cleared her throat, and his head popped up, and then a smile lit up his face, and her heart did a flip flop. “I...I was headed home when I saw your light and thought maybe you could use some dinner,” she said, holding up the bag. He made short work of the distance between them, “God, I could kiss you. I am famished,” he said, taking the bags from her and heading over to the small table and chair set off to the side of his office. “So why don’t you?” she said, without missing a beat. Not sure how the words had gotten out before she could filter them, she could feel the color rising as he spun back around to her. He set the bag on the table and walked slowly back to where she stood. Gently, he placed his hands on either side of her face, and their eyes met just before he lowered his head. It was a gentle kiss, unhurried. Compared to the bathroom episode, it was tame but still had her tingling to her toes. After a moment, he

pulled back, still holding her face in his hands. “Hi.” “Hi, back at you,” she felt fifteen and giggly again. “Are you hungry?” “Well, I didn’t bring Mr. Wong’s just for you,” she teased and followed him back to the table. He began pulling containers out, and she opened them, in perfect synch with each other. “Ana said you are just about ready to start taking reservations,” he said, tearing the plastic off a fork and handing it to her. “Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that. I feel like we have a few last touches to add, but I think it’s time to get the grand opening on the books and even start opening future reservations.” “That’s awesome. What do you have in mind for the Grand Opening?” “I thought an open house, just local press and then some social media coverage. I believe we could get it all together for two weeks from Saturday.” He whistled, “Goodness, where has the time gone.” “I know. I can’t believe we are this close,” she said, putting a spring roll on his plate. “You are coming over tomorrow, right?” “When have I ever missed a Thanksgiving at your house? I wouldn’t miss your mother’s blackberry pie if I were terminally ill,” she said. His mother only did her pies for special occasions, and while her pumpkin was good, her blackberry ruined all other deserts for Cam. “Point taken, that was a dumb question,” he said, shoveling in a mouthful of food. “Man, I needed this.”

“Glad I could help. So have you looked over the books thus far on Colver House? Are you good with everything?” “Ana said you are keeping a great eye on things, and she closed out the construction s. The bottom line is still looking great.” “I like Lacy, the new temp who has been helping me. Is it your intention to continue the bookkeeping out of this office?” “I think that’s a good idea since we have everything set up. That way, you don’t need to find file storage space and so forth. If you prefer to move it to Colver House, though, we can discuss it?” “I just don’t want to impose.” He gave her a disgusted look. “Not going to happen. We are in this together.” “In that case, I’m good, as it is one less thing that I have to track.” She dug back into her food. “Do you and Bella have plans over Christmas? By that time, you should have help at the B&B that can cover for a couple of days if you even have bookings that soon.” “I will start interviewing for help in the next week. But I don’t plan to take reservations before New Year’s weekend. Why?” “I was wondering if you want to go skiing?” Cam froze with a fork halfway to her mouth. While they had vacationed together as kids, since they went to college, that had not been a t family function any longer. She didn’t want to misunderstand his intent, but looking at his face and with the ring hanging out there, she ventured, “Are you asking as you, or your family and mine?” “Me,” he said. “I thought we could do a quick getaway,” he shrugged. “I know we might not have a resolution on our situation, but I thought I would put it out there.” “I love skiing.”

“I , even if you do ride your cute fanny more than your skis.” “I was twelve,” she said, hitting his arm. “I did get better over time.” “Yes, you did,” he said with that. I’m humoring you look in his crinkled eyes. “Can I...think about it?” “You have a lot of thinking to do these days,” he teased. Cam felt her head bobble up in shock, “did you just take a jab at me?” she ribbed. “A bit,” he grinned cheekily. Leaning over, he nuzzled her neck. “I’m just hoping that we can get down to negotiating on several fronts.” She ran her hands up the back of his head and tilted her head for better access. “You’re incorrigible,” he whispered against her skin. “And you are inpatient. What would you do if I suddenly slipped that ring on one day, really?” she whispered, her heart thudding in her chest. “Truth?” He backed up to look her directly in the eyes. “Truth,” she said nervously. “Cam, I’d marry you in a heartbeat, and we’d spend the next thirty years negotiating everything from dinner to hot,” he kissed her neck again, “positions.” She shoved him, “You are the incorrigible one!” “I know,” he said, sitting back and looking at her seriously. “In case there is any misunderstanding, I’m asking you to marry me. I love Bella and want to adopt her. And I love you. We have known each other so many years, and I’ve tamped down my feelings for a long time. I’m not going to do that anymore.”

CHAPTER 15

Camille sat at her dressing table, prepping for the big day ahead. Bella had decided that she would allow her mother some quiet time this morning and was still snoozing in her bed, so she used the time to ready herself. Colver House was due to open to the public at noon. A huge open house had been planned, and they would be headed that way as soon as Bella was awake. She checked her hair again and stood to look in the mirror. She had barely slept a wink, and it was not just the big day for Colver House occupying her mind. She had been rewinding and replaying her life frame by frame. Specifically, she was focused on Gabe and their evolving relationship. One they had, so far, kept from the families. She was finding it harder and harder not to seek him out, and a lot of the time these days, she felt like she was fifteen and back in high school. At Thanksgiving, he had almost given them away by holding her hand under the table during dinner. She had been certain Sophie had caught them, but not a word had been spoken. Since then, he had brought dinner over numerous times, stopped by Colver House often, and they talked on the phone two or three times every day. She looked forward to ing her days with him, watching the relationship with Bella blossom, and in general looking forward to a real future together. But there was still one step she hadn’t made that they never spoke about. She leaned over and picked up the velvet bag from her jewelry box. As she slid the ring from its resting place into her palm, she held her breath. Maybe she should wait and do it in private, she thought, almost losing her nerve. Inhaling, she held the ring poised over her finger, and after a moment, slowly slid it on. She put her hand out in front of her, and the tears welled up. It fit like it had been made for her. It was perfect, she thought, and it was her promise to the man that she knew with absolute certainty she was meant to be with.

“Oh my god! How could you not tell me?” Sophie assaulted Gabe as he entered the door. “Whoa, what did I forget?” “You don’t forget this kind of thing. Ana tells him,” she turned to Anastasia, who looked ready to cry. “Are you going to cry?” “No,” she said, her bottom lip quivering. “What is going on?” He turned to his mom, who had come up behind Sophie with Camille’s mother in tow. “I’m not sure. We were headed over to talk to Camille, and suddenly Sophie lost it and headed in this direction.” “Is it a pregnancy thing?” he asked, as Ana reached out to hug him. Sophie moved to his other side and ed in the group hug. “I love you both, but you need to start making sense.” “You’re engaged!” Sophie said hysterically. “What!” his mother cried, gazing at him with slightly crazy eyes. “Son?” his father ed the group standing just inside the door. “I don’t...” he stopped and looked down at Ana. He needed to find Cam, and now! “Gabe, what is going on?” his mother asked. “I need to...” he paused, scanning the crowd, searching for Cam. Finding her, he made a beeline past the caterers to where she stood. Both mothers were right behind him, with his sisters waddling along as quickly as possible. “Hi,” Cam turned to them.

“Oh Camille, Everything looks just wonderful,” his mother said, close on his heels. “I’m so proud of you,” her mother gushed, coming up on the crowd. He looked down at her hand and noticed the gloved hand that was dirty like she had been gardening. “Were you digging in the dirt?” his father asked. “Yeah, Bella and a friend found the new bushes upfront. So I was just fixing them up.” “Sweetie, give me those gloves. You have guests due in just a little bit.” Her mother scolded. Cam looked up at him the moment she grabbed the finger of the glove to remove it. In that second, he knew. He never broke eye as she pulled the glove off. The gasps ed but didn’t stop his forward motion. He grabbed her and swung her around in a circle before setting her back on her feet. “Oh my goodness,” her mother gasped. “Camille Heskett, is that an engagement ring?” “Yes, Mrs. Heskett, it is,” Gabe said, smiling from ear to ear as he leaned forward to kiss his future bride. “What? I don’t understand,” his mother huffed behind him. “Well, I’ll be damned,” his father said. When he finally lifted his lips from hers, he noticed that all the other women had tears on their cheeks. “Cam and I have an announcement to make,” he said, feeling like the luckiest man in the world. No regrets and no second-guessing. This was not the traditional way he had meant to propose, but it worked for them. After twenty years, she could still surprise him; it turned out. The next twenty were going to

be a fun crazy ride.

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