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For the next two days,I worked with Theo on the concert series, pouring myself into it as if I’d already made the commitment, had already moved. But I had a return flight booked, and I needed to get back to Kings Grove. If nothing else, I was going to be there for Maddie’s wedding. I’d made promises, and I wanted to keep them. But I had one foot out the door. I couldn’t live my life hoping to move a brick wall, and that’s what it felt like trying to get through to Cameron Turner.
Sometimes, I realized, you just had to walk away.
“One month,” I told Theo. “Let me see this wedding through and wrap up all the other loose ends.”
“One month,” he confirmed, giving me a broad smile. “This is going to be incredible.”
“Angel can help in the meantime?” Angel was a friend of Theo’s who’d stopped by while I’d been there, pitched in with some ideas and had already volunteered to help staff the concert series.
“He better,” Theo laughed.
“Okay. I’ll be in touch.” I hugged Theo goodbye and headed back to the mountains, resolved that this was the right next step for my life.
I just wished my heart felt as buoyant as my mind, but I knew eventually it would get on board with the plan.
Chapter 15
CAMERON
Iwatched Tuck and Harper drive away, and felt my entire body get heavier with every second as Tuck’s green Jeep disappeared from sight.
Tuck was a friend. And I’d brought him here, but I couldn’t help the sick angry feeling that flooded me as I imagined them in the car together, sitting close, talking.
I knew I was jealous, but I also knew I’d created this entire situation. I’d told her to go, I’d encouraged her to walk away from me. So why was it so hard when she finally did?
“What are you doing out here, moping?” Maddie said, strolling up the driveway, hand in hand with Connor just as evening fell on the first full day Harper had been gone. I looked up as they approached the spot where I sat in front of my fire and…moped.
“What makes you say that?” I said, forcing a smile.
“You look miserable,” Connor said.
“I’m smiling,” I pointed out.
They sat, and Maddie leaned forward. “That’s not a smile, Cam. That’s constipation, I think.” She looked to Connor for confirmation.
“Or maybe a bad burger?”
I heaved a sigh. “It was an attempt at a smile.” I gave it up and let my face reflect the rest of my body. I felt flat. “What’s up, guys?”
“Just came to hang out.” Maddie pulled two beers from the pockets of her sweatshirt. “Wanted to borrow your fire and figured you’d be out here.”
I lifted my own beer in salute as they raised theirs and for a moment we were all silent, pulling from our bottles.
“Where’s Harper and Tuck?” Connor asked, looking up at the dark big house.
“Valley. Tuck drove her down. She’s headed to Austin.”
“Ah,” Maddie said. “I forgot she was going. How long is she gone?”
“She’ll be back. It’s just for the weekend,” I said.
Connor was watching me, clearly thinking something he wasn’t saying, but Maddie didn’t suffer the same timidity.
“So that’s why you look like hell.”
“I look normal.”
