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By the time he reached his house, Cameron was emotionally fatigued and exhausted. When he opened his front door and walked in, he heard a rustling sound. Looking down, he noticed a long white envelope sitting on the hardwood floor. He crouched down and picked it up, his body stiffening at the swirly, unique handwriting. The letter was from Robert. Paige must have delivered it to his house earlier today. Adrenaline raced through his body as he contemplated whether or not he even wanted to read Robert’s parting words.
He sighed. How many times was he going to run away from the things that challenged him? The things that reached into his chest cavity and tugged at him? He opened the envelope with his finger and pulled out the letter. He felt a lump in his throat as he began to read the letter.
Dear Cameron,
By the time you read this letter, I will no longer be on earth, but in Heaven with the Lord.
I deeply regret how my actions tainted you and destroyed your relationship with Paige.
Mere words could never capture how deeply I wish I had been a better man.
God has forgiven me for my weakness, even though I haven’t managed to forgive myself. You were the son I never had, Cam. And hopefully you will someday be Paige’s husband. The two of you belong together. Please don’t let my sins affect your future. Your beautiful Emma deserves a family. The type of family you can build with my beloved daughter. Remember...tomorrow is promised to no man. Live with love while you can.
With love and regret,
Robert
Cameron let out a ragged sigh as he finished the letter, folded it in half and put it back in its envelope. He brushed a tear away. The missive couldn’t have come at a better time. Knowing that Robert had truly been remorseful provided the closure he so desperately needed. And hearing his old friend confirm his own thoughts about creating a family with Paige and Emma showed him that he was on the right path.
Like Robert had said, tomorrows were never promised. He was going to reach out and grab his happiness, not only for himself, but for Paige and Emma, as well.
If he kept quiet, he stood to lose everything he held so dear. What kind of man would he be if he walked that same path yet again? As a father, how could he ever look Emma in the eye and tell her that he’d done his best to keep their family together? Becoming a man of God meant stepping out on a limb and believing. Hoping. Praying.
With faith, hope and love, everything was possible. Instead of dwelling on how complicated his world had become, he needed to simplify everything. He needed to go to Paige and lay himself and his feelings bare before her. Like never before, he began to pray. He prayed that somewhere in her heart Paige still loved him. He prayed that he would find the words to convey the depth and breadth of his feelings. He prayed that it wasn’t too late to make things right and keep his family together.
Chapter Eleven
By the time Paige made it back to the homestead, she was just in time to put Emma down for the night. Even though she was a bit fussy, Paige managed to rock her to sleep. Although she felt at peace with regards to the resolution of the cannery project, thoughts of Cameron continued to run through her mind. Perhaps she should have chased after him in an attempt to smooth things over? Fear had held her back. Despite how far they had come, she still worried about making herself vulnerable.
If she was being honest with herself, all signs lately had pointed to a possible reconciliation for the two of them. He had been so tender toward her. And that wonderful kiss they had shared loomed large in her thoughts. It had been so full of hope and promise for a new beginning. But it hadn’t come to pass. Perhaps their painful history was too powerful to overcome.
The sound of tires crunching in her driveway drew her attention to the window. The outside light illuminated a truck that resembled the one Cameron drove. With her pulse racing, she watched as he stepped down from the pickup and began walking toward her front door. Not wanting the doorbell to awaken Emma, Paige pulled it open to greet him.
Looking a bit weary, Cameron stood on her stoop dressed in the same casual outfit he had worn earlier at the meeting. His rugged, strong presence was overwhelming.
“Cameron. I’m surprised to see you here. Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s fine. There’s no emergency,” he said. “May I come in?”
“Of course,” she said, opening the door wide and ushering him inside.
Cameron turned toward her. There was a strained edge to his features. He seemed jittery.
“I left the meeting rather abruptly. And I was short with you. Rude, even. I’m really sorry about that.”
Paige nodded, feeling relieved that he’d addressed the elephant in the room. “I understand. Things were so hectic afterward and I know you must have wondered why I didn’t talk to you about the information Dwight gave me.”
“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me,” Cameron admitted. “I would like to think you could tell me anything. But, more important, I’ve been wrangling for weeks now with something that I need to get off my chest.”
Paige frowned. “What is it?”
“I’m ashamed about my blindness. All this time I’ve been holding on to the past when I should have been moving toward the future. I was wrong about you, Paige. I know you had nothing to do with your father’s embezzling from the town funds.”
She felt a heavy weight being lifted from her chest as Cameron spoke the words she’d been waiting to hear for two years. “H-how? Why now?” she asked.
“I’ve been putting the pieces together for a while. When you told me about the trust fund, it was the first time there was an actual explanation for the money you’d been tossing around.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know why I didn’t mention it all that time ago,” she murmured. “I suppose that I didn’t want you to view me as some pampered princess.”
