Cameron’s green-hazel eyes flickered, and she watched as a half-dozen emotions ran across his face. He took a step forward, then stopped. Hazel grabbed hold of his T-shirt sleeve and pulled him back to her side. She was in full Mama Bear mode.
“What are you doing here?” Cameron asked in a curt voice. His expression was now shuttered.
“Hello, Cameron,” she said with a nod in his direction. “I—I’m sorry to just drop in like this, but under the circumstances, I thought it was best to show up here unannounced.”
“Circumstances? What circumstances?” Cameron asked, his mouth twisted. His eyes seemed dazed. He let out a brittle laugh. “Are you talking about the fact that your father nearly bankrupted this town and then fled like a thief in the night? Or the fact that you’re not exactly welcome here?”
“All of that, I suppose,” she said in a soft voice. “I knew if I had called beforehand, you would have refused to see me. Maybe even run me out of town again.”
His almond-shaped eyes cut straight through her. “You’re right. I would have told you to stay away. For good.” He spoke through gritted teeth. It seemed as if he was on the verge of exploding.
Her mouth was as dry as sandpaper. She felt as if she’d lost all her nerve under the heat of Cameron’s anger. And Hazel was glaring at her with such venom. Her harsh facade served a purpose. She was protecting Cameron, who was the closest thing she had to a son. It warmed her to know that she was still looking out for him.
“Hazel, would you give us a minute? Alone?” It took every ounce of courage she had to make the request. Hazel had been shooting daggers at her ever since she’d walked in.
The older woman’s eyes bulged and her frown grew even more ominous.
“If you think I’m leaving Cameron here alone with you so you can torture him some more—” Hazel blustered.
“It’s fine, Hazel,” Cameron interrupted. He placed an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Thanks for the backup, but I’ll be all right.”
A silent form of communication passed between them. With a quick nod at Cameron, Hazel strode off toward the back of the café, her heavy footsteps the only sound echoing in the room.
Though she had asked for a private moment with Cameron, a feeling of awkwardness settled over her. An obvious tension hummed in the air between them. The intensity blazing from his eyes made her look away from him. Even after all this time, it wounded her to see so much animosity in his beautiful green-hazel eyes. She wrapped her arms around her middle. Her gaze focused on the coffee pooling on the floor and the shards of the shattered mugs that needed to be cleaned up.
Cameron’s harsh voice cut into the silence. His eyes sparked like molten fire. “Whatever brought you back to Love has to be huge. So, let’s cut to the chase. What are you doing here?”
* * *
Paige’s mouth opened, then closed. She cleared her throat. He easily recognized the signs of her anxiety. Her warm hazel eyes blinked rapidly. She bit her lip, shifting from one foot to another. Time hadn’t lessened her impact. As always, she took his breath away with her beauty. Her golden hair fell all around her shoulders in waves. He couldn’t help but appreciate her stunning features and heart-shaped face. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. But unlike how he had in the past, he wasn’t about to tumble over the edge. Been there, done that. Falling for her had cost him everything. He had nothing more to give her.
Now when he looked at Paige Reynolds, all he saw were flashing warning signs.
“I’ll ask you again. What are you doing here?” He repeated the question, his tone curt. “It’s pretty foolish to come back to the scene of the crime.”
She winced. Her eyes flickered with emotion. “I have some unfinished business here in town,” she said. “Some things I need to settle up.”
Bitter laughter burst from deep inside him. His lips curved into a sneer. “Business? The last business you conducted in this town left Love on the verge of bankruptcy. Let me warn you, our coffers are empty, if you’re hoping for a repeat performance.”
She visibly bristled. Anger flared in her eyes. “That wasn’t my doing, Cameron. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I had no idea what my father was up to when he was working on the cannery deal with you.”
“Right,” he snapped. “Tell me another one, only this time please realize that I’m not the same fool I was two years ago.”
“I never thought you were,” Paige said in a soft voice that brought him back to a point in time when she’d been his everything. His stomach twisted painfully. Seeing her after so long made him feel as if he’d been sucker punched in the gut. That was what it felt like to be staring into Paige’s big, expressive eyes. The pain rippling through him served as proof that he wasn’t over the past. Not by a long shot. The weight of it was sitting on his chest like a five-hundred-pound elephant.
“But I was a fool,” he said in a low tone that matched her own. “A complete and utter fool to let my heart rule my head.”
She shook her head, the long strands of her hair swirling about her face. “I want to make things right, Cameron. My father regretted what he did. Believe it or not, that’s the truth. That’s why I’m here. I want to return some of the money my father stole. And I want to do whatever I can to help get the cannery up and running.”
Paige’s words nearly knocked him off his feet. She was here to revive the project? And give back some of the money her father had stolen? That was crazy!
“You’re about two years too late to resurrect the cannery deal, although I’m not about to say no to a big fat check made out to the town of Love,” he spit out. The old resentment was rising up in him again. Try as he might, he couldn’t contain his emotions. They were bubbling over like an overflowing pot on a stove.
She took a few steps toward him, quickly swallowing up the space between them. Her nearness made him want to take a step backward. Having her so close was dangerous to his equilibrium. His fingers itched to reach out and tuck a few strands of her glossy hair behind her ear. Or run his palm against her cheek. He shook his head to rid himself of those treacherous notions. How could those thoughts have even crossed his mind?
“It’s not too late. It can’t be.” Her voice rang out stridently. “This town still desperately needs the business.”
“Those dreams died, right around the time you and your father absconded with the funds.” Paige’s eyes pooled with tears. Her chin quivered. He could tell she was trying to act brave, even though she was failing miserably. He shouldn’t care that he’d hurt her with his gibe, but he did care. Even after all this time and everything she’d done to him, he still hated to see her suffer. It caused a physical ache inside him.
“So where is he? Your father? Mr. Big Shot. Shouldn’t he be here making this speech? Or is he too afraid he’ll be put in jail and brought up on charges?”
Tears slid down Paige’s face and she choked back a sob. Her graceful fingers wiped away the evidence of her sorrow. She bowed her head for a moment, then slowly raised it, her mournful eyes meeting his gaze.
“He’s dead, Cameron. My father passed away two months ago of liver cancer.”
Cameron felt as if someone had knocked him in the teeth. Robert Reynolds was dead. His former mentor. The man who’d betrayed his trust and made him a town pariah. Paige’s beloved father. He didn’t know how to explain it, but he felt a slight ache in his soul. They had once been close friends, or so he’d believed. The feeling of loss surprised him since all he’d felt toward Robert for the past few years was a hot, burning anger.
Paige, an only child, was now alone in the world, having lost her mother when she was a teenager. Before she’d shown up here today, he’d thought he