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A small town like Love didn’t harbor many secrets. By the time Cameron opened up the Moose Café the next morning, the entire village had heard about Paige’s return and the fact that she had brought back a baby who was his spitting image. His phone had been ringing off the hook since last night with inquiries from concerned citizens and well-meaning friends. Add in a few town gossips and his head had been spinning with all the attention being directed his way.
Paige’s name was on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Even gentle-hearted Honor had been up in arms, especially when he had confirmed the fact that he was Emma’s father.
Last night Paige had reached out to him about meeting up over at the site of the unfinished cannery building. She had mentioned something about getting all her ducks lined up in a row before the town council meeting. He’d reluctantly agreed to meet her this morning after he opened up the café and made sure Sophie and Hazel could hold down the fort. Still, after all this time, he found it almost impossible to say no to her. Although he respected Paige for wanting to make things right, he wasn’t sure of his role in her grand plan. A long time ago he had made peace about the fact that instead of being involved with the running of a cannery, he was now owner of a popular and profitable eatery. God had shown him that when one door slammed shut on him, another one had opened up with wide-open arms.
The Moose Café had been his blessing after so many turbulent moments.
After parking in the makeshift lot next to the building, he got out of his truck and took a moment to survey his surroundings. The morning sun beating down on him felt incredible, as did the springlike temperatures Love was experiencing. The smell of the bay drifted toward him from the pier across the way, assailing his senses with a briny, salty aroma. He watched for a moment as a group of local fishermen made preparations to head off in search of a great day’s haul. He felt a deep respect and admiration for fishermen. It was a rigorous, often dangerous job that was dependent on the elements. At times, circumstances were completely out of their control.
Cameron turned away from the pier and scanned the area for Paige. Within seconds he spotted her up on the hill facing the building that had been earmarked for the cannery. Emma was sitting on her hip wearing a pink coat and dark leggings. Just the sight of his daughter instantly brightened his day. He prayed that one day soon she would have an awareness of him as someone important in her life. There was nothing more powerful than a father in a young girl’s world.
He felt a tightness in his chest as he surveyed the half-finished construction. Even now, the sight of it still hit him like a ton of bricks. It had held so much potential for greatness. All of it had gone up in a puff of smoke. “And for what?” he grumbled to himself. Greed and misplaced values.
“Morning, Paige,” Cameron said as he walked up the incline to where she was standing. “Good morning, beautiful,” he crooned as he tweaked Emma’s nose. The little girl buried her face against her mother’s chest, then peeked her head out to look at him.
Paige watched the interaction between the two of them, her face lit up like sunshine. With not a hint of makeup on and her blond hair pulled into a high ponytail, she looked fresh-faced and radiant. She was dressed casually in a pair of dark jeans and a windbreaker. The April weather was unpredictable, ranging from light snow to balmy temperatures and lots of sunlight. At the moment it was glorious, if a bit breezy. After a frigid winter, the residents of Love deserved blue skies and warm sun.
“Thanks for meeting me. I’ve always liked the view from up here. You can look out and see Kachemak Bay and all the fishing boats.” Her mouth quirked. “A part of me was hoping I’d walk up to the site and see that the construction had been finished.” Emma tugged at Paige’s hand with her chubby fingers.
“That wasn’t possible. The town didn’t have the money to complete the project,” he said in a sharper voice than he’d intended. The subject was a tricky one, considering they both knew why the funds hadn’t been available. Robert Reynolds’s deception had caused so many ripples throughout Love. Paige hadn’t remained in town long enough to see all the damage firsthand.
Paige pointed in the direction of the building. “I’m wondering if the original plan for this building can be scaled down if the town decides to move forward with the project. I think it could be a lot more cost-effective and the cannery could get up and running sooner if the construction is scaled back.”
Had Paige been staying up at night thinking all this through? It was impressive but a bit premature in his opinion. The project was a long way from being green-lighted. He wasn’t so sure Paige realized that it was far from being a done deal.
“That’s a good point,” he said. “The original blueprints were a bit ambitious.”
“This building represented so much. Hopes. Dreams.” Paige let out a sigh. “The future of this town was all wrapped up in this factory.”
“You and I had plans for the future. And lots of dreams,” Cameron blurted out. He didn’t know why he’d thrown that out there, but he was tired of pretending as if his life hadn’t been derailed by events that had been out of his control. He was tired of guarding his heart due to Paige.
“Yes, we did,” she acknowledged. There was a wistful edge to her voice. “We had lots of plans. It seems like a lifetime ago.”
She was right. It had been a long time since he
had allowed himself to remember all they had shared. They’d talked about settling down and building a house with a clear view of the mountains. That particular dream of hearth and home had been difficult to say goodbye to. Because of her business background and his own entrepreneurial sensibilities, they had tossed around ideas of creating their own enterprise. At the time it had seemed as if their lives had been ripe with such promise. Such incredible hope now turned to ash.
A bitter taste rose in his mouth as reality washed over him. None of it had come to pass. That knowledge caused an ache that threatened to pull him under. Suddenly he was eager to get away from Paige before he succumbed to the push and pull of their beautiful memories. Loving Paige had once caused him a world of hurt and pain. Falling back in love with her wasn’t an option. It had taken him years to finally get over the loss of her. He couldn’t afford to believe again in the possibility of the two of them. He had no interest in having the rug pulled out from under him again.
“Why did you want to meet me out here?” he asked in a clipped tone. He didn’t intend to linger here with her at the site of his colossal failure.
Paige juggled a fidgety Emma in her arms. “Because so far, you’re my only ally here in Love and I wanted to toss some ideas around with you.” Emma held up her hands to Cameron and he happily transferred her to his arms. Just having her snuggled against his chest made it hard for him to focus on the subject at hand.
Ally? How could he ever be one to someone he didn’t trust? Paige’s withholding the information about Emma had cemented the cold, hard fact that she couldn’t be counted on.
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t exactly say that. Just because I stepped in with Jasper doesn’t mean we’re a united front. This is separate and apart from Emma. While I definitely see the positive aspects of resurrecting the cannery deal, there are also several drawbacks.”
Her face fell. “But I thought you, of all people, would support this plan. You lived, breathed and dreamed about building a cannery for years.”
He blew out a frustrated sigh. Paige didn’t need to remind him of that fact. “Yes, I did. But sometimes we have to come to terms with the reality that not all of our dreams come to fruition.”
Paige frowned at him. “Is this about my integrity? Is that why you have reservations?”
All of a sudden he was wishing he’d passed on her invitation to join her this morning, although holding Emma in his arms was worth it. This wasn’t a road he wanted to go down. He’d made up his mind to keep things civil with Paige for Emma’s sake. But he knew it wasn’t wise to put his faith in her. The ache of her betrayal served as a constant reminder.
“That’s a loaded question. And a little bit unfair since I’m still processing being a father to a child I knew nothing about until a few days ago.” He gazed into Emma’s innocent eyes. She was studying him with a look of curiosity etched on her face. “Dada,” he said, placing her tiny little hand against his chest. “Dada.”
Paige sucked in a deep breath. “I was wrong keeping Emma from you, Cameron. I’m willing to say that with one hundred percent accountability. So far you’ve admitted no culpability in anything.” Paige’s features tightened. A small furrow appeared on her brow. “Is it so hard to say you might have been wrong about me?”
