Where There's Hope_A Well Paired Novel Read online

  “I’d love a glass,” he said as if she were offering him fine wine.

  She poured more punch into her cup and got out a plastic cup for Cameron.

  “Sorry about the paper and plastic tonight,” she said as she handed him his drink.

  “I don’t know what you’re apologizing for. I crashed your daughter’s party and am eating your food and drinking your punch. It’s me who should be apologizing.”

  “You’re killing me with kindness, you know.”

  “That’s the plan.” He sipped his fruit punch, keeping his delicious chocolate gaze on her over the rim of his cup.

  “I haven’t talked to Delaney about you yet.”

  Cameron set his cup down and reached for her hand, but pulled back before making contact. “I’m not expecting you to, Hope. It’s a long, complicated story. I don’t want you to ever think that I’m pushing you to tell her about me.”

  And then she felt like the biggest turd. She’d been referring to their dating, and Cameron had eluded to his role as an uncle. Hope clunked her elbow on the table and dropped her forehead into her palm.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  She shook her head and puffed out her cheeks in an aggravated sigh. “I’m being selfish. To both of you. You’re Delaney’s uncle. Her only uncle. Our family is so small as it is, and I’m keeping her from knowing you.”

  Cameron placed his hand on her leg under the table and squeezed. “You’re an amazing mother. This could be a huge shock to Delaney.”

  “Actually,” she laughed. “The bigger shock will be introducing a boyfriend to her. She’s been asking me why I never go out on dates.”

  “Boyfriend?”

  Hope peered at him through her eyelashes and bit her lip, unsure if he was ready for that label. That kind of commitment. The goofy grin on his face and his fingers squeezing her thigh told her he was.

  “I’m too old to use that word, aren’t I? I sound like a teenager.”

  “If you’re old, what am I? I’m thirty-five and have four years on you, gorgeous.”

  His compliments flowed so smoothly, so naturally, and tingles of desire rippled through her.

  “I feel older than I am, is what I mean.”

  Cameron’s hand caressed her thigh and he closed his eyes, moaning softly before moving it. They shared a moment of intense silence before he opened his eyes again and he picked up his pizza. “You made these from scratch?” he asked after he swallowed his bite.

  “Yeah. My mom taught me. We make pizza almost every week.”

  “You’re a good cook.”

  “If you think this is good, you should try my breakfasts. They’re my specialty.” The pizza he held went limp, and he dropped it to his plate before reaching for a napkin and wiping his mouth. “I...uh, I didn’t mean it that way,” she stammered.

  “I know you didn’t. Which is why I should go.” He stood, nearly tipping his chair on the floor.

  “Cameron.” She rose to her feet as well.

  “Hope. Now that I’ve kissed you, touched you, I’m having a hell of a time keeping my hands off you. But I don’t want to ruin this. Us. I’m not pressuring you into...anything. We have a long past between us and need to take our time.”

  “What if I don’t want to wait anymore?”

  His eyes darkened and his gaze lowered to her mouth again. Hope steadied herself against his heated gaze that spoke of the passion that sparked between them and promised to ignite into something explosive.

  “Mom! Can we have cake now?” Delaney yelled as she stormed through the side door and into the kitchen, four loud and giggly girls in her wake.

  Cameron jumped back, nearly into the shadows of the empty dining room as the herd stormed through. The other girls were oblivious to him but Delaney stopped in her tracks.

  “Hi,” she said to him.

  “Delaney, honey. This is...um, my friend, Cameron.”

  “Hi,” she said again, this time studying him more intently. “I thought it was Uncle Ty’s truck in the driveway.”

  “Ty said he’d come by tomorrow after the party to bring you your gift.”

  “Oh.”

  “Are we having cake now?” McKenna asked, yet seemed more intent on Cameron. The other girls quieted, all taking him in now, and Hope stumbled with the right words to say.

  “I’m sorry to crash your part, Delaney. Happy birthday.”

  “Uh, thanks.”

  “Who’s that?” McKenna asked, not the least bit shy.

  “I’m a friend of Hope’s. I came by to hang out with her. You know, to keep her out of your hair. Unless you want her hanging out with you guys?”

  “That’s cool,” one of the girls chimed behind Hope. “Are you her boyfriend?”

  Delaney’s head snapped up, and she eyed Hope questioningly. Hope couldn’t tell if it was curiosity, fear, or enjoyment that crossed her daughter’s face.

  “Cameron works down at CC’s Boatyard. You girls may have seen him around town. He volunteered at the Fall Festival.”

  “I saw him at the dance,” Delaney confirmed.

  “That’s right. And he helped with the wiring. Remember I told you about the lights not working in the kitchen?”

  “I thought Uncle Ty fixed it.”

  Delaney was quite attached to Ty but not so much she’d be jealous, Hope prayed.

  “Ty was away at his hunting camp that weekend.”

  “Oh yeah. Okay.”

  The quiet ended, and the girls’ mouths picked up speed again. Hope heard the words cute, boyfriend, cake, ice cream, and movie from behind her.

  “How about cake?” Hope wrapped her arm around Delaney’s shoulder, drawing her to the kitchen table. “On better thought. Why don’t you all go wash up first while I get everything ready? You can use the bathroom upstairs too.”

  The girls ran off in a loud flurry.

  “I’m sorry—” Hope and Cameron said at the same time.

  Hope tilted her head to the side and smiled. “I want to talk to Delaney about us in private, first. I hope you understand.”

  “Of course.” Cameron picked up his coat. “I should go. It looks like you have a long night ahead of you, and I don’t want to make anything more difficult for Delaney. Or you.”

  “I’ll call you tomorrow.” They cut through the dining room to avoid the crowd by the downstairs bathroom door. Hope stepped outside on the front stoop with Cameron.

  “It’s cold. You should go back inside.”

  “I’m going to find time for us to be alone. Promise.”

  Cameron touched her cheek with a smile. “I’m a patient man, Hope.” His thumb lingered on her lip for a moment before he pulled away, whistling his way to his truck.

  The smile inside her heart floated across her chest and made its way up to her cheeks. It wasn’t a night of passionate kisses, but it would carry her through the rest of the night.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  HELL, HE WAS MORE NERVOUS than the day he stood before the judge to hear his prison sentence. Cameron had already known he’d be serving time. His lawyer had been disappointed in him for bypassing a jury trial and letting the judge determine his fate.

  The way he had looked at it, his fate had been determined years ago. There was no way his father would let him get away without being punished to the max. Saving himself time and money, he neglected his court-appointed lawyer’s advice and got the pain and suffering over with.

  Tonight, he was picking up Hope for their first real date and the nerves ran deep. She warned him that her parents and Delaney would be at the house and would want to interrogate him. He was ready. He thought.

  He pulled into her driveway and shut off the engine to his truck. Cameron tugged at his t-shirt under his button-down, the material feeling like a constricting tie at his throat.

  What if her parents disapproved? Hope told him they knew who he was, that she’d been wrong about hating him. But what if they weren’t as forgiving as she had been? The last thing
he wanted to do was cause any dissension in her family.

  And Delaney. His adorable niece who looked just like his brother. And him. And her mother.

  There was no use in delaying the inevitable, and besides, the faster he got this over with the sooner he’d be alone with Hope. He felt around in his coat pocket to make sure the little package was still there and got out of the truck.

  The front door opened before his foot touched the front step. Hope’s welcoming smile lit up the front stoop, and he did all he could to keep from picking her up in his arms and covering her mouth with his.

  Those lips, though. Julia Roberts had nothing on Hope Windward.

  “Hey,” she said coyly, her voice wrapped around his heart, giving it a gentle squeeze he hadn’t felt since he was a young boy.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  Hope looked down at her feet then back up at him, scrunching her nose in that adorable manner she did when she was confused. “I’m wearing jeans and a sweater.”

  “I didn’t notice.” And he hadn’t. It was her rich hazel eyes and her sunshiny sparkle that brightened his dark world. She wore her hair down tonight, soft ribbons of dark blonde hair flowing just past her shoulders. Hair he longed to run his fingers through.

  Cameron walked up the steps, stopping in the open doorway.

  “Well, I’m noticing you. And you look very handsome. I don’t know what I like better, though. Sexy whiskers or the soft skin.”

  Cameron rubbed his cheeks with his fingers. He’d shaven tonight for her family, thinking the clean look was more presentable to her parents and her daughter than the usual scruff on his face.

  “You name it, beautiful, and I’ll do it.”

  Hope raised an eyebrow and her gaze dropped to his lips. “You should probably come in and meet my parents first, don’t you think?”

  Hell, he hadn’t meant for everything to come out like a sexual innuendo. She opened the door wider and he stepped inside, savoring the subtle hint of citrus as he brushed past her.

  “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” she whispered as she took his hand in hers and led him into the living room.

  He didn’t get much of a look last weekend, only caught enough of a glimpse to see piles of sleeping bags, pillows, and bags were strewn all over. And the only other time he’d come over it had been empty.

  Now it had touches of Hope. The room was big and open. A beige couch with dark blue, green, and burgundy pillows sat against the long wall, a grouping of pictures hanging behind it. Delaney and Hope’s parents sat on the floor around a cherry wood coffee table, a pile of cards in the center.

  “Uno!” Delaney said.

  “Drat,” Diane said.

  “Draw four.”

  “Grandpa,” Delaney whined.

  “Hey, you three. Can you put the game on hold for a minute?” Hope tugged at his hand bringing them further into the living room. “Mom, Dad. This is Cameron. Delaney, you remember him from your party, right?”

  “Yeah. Hi again.”

  “Here’s, uh, a late birthday gift. For letting me intrude on your party.” He handed her the box with the silver bow. “I ate some of your pizza too.” The curious stares from the adults had him twitching. He wanted to shove his hands in his pockets, but Hope squeezed his and pulled him closer to her.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” she said.

  Cameron shrugged his shoulder in what he hoped appeared to be a nonchalant manner.

  “Oh, wow. Cool. Thank you.” Delaney held up the bracelet. “It’s an Alex and Ani with ballet shoes. Thanks.” She slid it over her wrist and held it up for everyone to see.

  “Alex and Ani?” Hope’s mother asked.

  “I don’t know anything about this kind of stuff. I had some help.”

  “Don’t look at me,” Hope said. “This is all Cameron.” She looked at him with heat and promises in her eyes.

  “Are you planning on introducing us?” her father asked.

  Clearing her throat, Hope blinked rapidly and finished the introductions. “Cameron, meet Diane and Rich Windward. My parents. Parents, meet Cameron Smithfield. Giver of gifts.”

  She needed to stop stroking his hand with her thumb or he’d publicly humiliate himself with his growing erection. Not exactly the first impression he wanted to give. He allowed himself to think about his parents for a second, which helped diminish his straining zipper.

  “Nice to meet you.” Rich held out his hand, and Cameron released Hope’s to shake it.

  “My pleasure, sir. And lovely to officially meet you, Mrs. Windward. Hope speaks quite highly of you. Of both of you.” He shook Hope’s mother’s hand and looked her in the eye to show his sincerity. While he and his brother had been schooled in the art of ass kissing, his brother had passed with flying colors and Cameron had failed—purposely—at every test.

  Now, however, thirty-some-odd years later, he’d learned about honesty. About being humble and kind. About reaping what you sow.

  “Hope speaks quite highly of you as well,” Diane replied. There was truth in her words, but also an edge of skepticism, and he couldn’t blame her.

  “We need to get going or we’ll be late.” Hope hugged her mother and father and kissed Delaney on the cheek. “Be good for your grandparents.”

  “She always is.” Rich put his arm around Delaney’s shoulder and patted her head. “She takes after her grandpa.”

  “God help us all.” Diane laughed.

  “Thanks again, Mom and Dad. I appreciate it.”

  “Have fun. And it was nice meeting you.”

  “It was nice meeting you too, Mr. Windward.”

  When Cameron and Hope were buckled in the cab of his truck and at the stop sign at the end of her road, Hope unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted next to him.

  “You.” She trailed her finger down his neck and brought her lips close to him. “Are,” she whispered in his ear. “Amazing.” Hope sucked on his earlobe, and he almost forgot to put the truck in park before reaching for her.

  “Hope,” he growled. She let go of his ear and he cupped her face in his palms, bringing her mouth to his. “You’re killing me here.” He kissed her, hard and passionately, then loosened his hold on her and lowered his hands to her shoulders, rubbing them in between moans.

  Her touch on his neck burned him. Burned him with desire. Burned him with an eagerness he didn’t know if he could contain. Not with Hope’s hands on him, skimming around the collar of his shirt, her fingers working their way down his chest.

  “Hope,” he practically whimpered. The zipper on his khakis wouldn’t make the night.

  Cameron sucked at her lips then sealed their mouths together, tasting her sweetness, swallowing her moans with his. When she rubbed her breast against his arm, he nearly jumped.

  “Wait,” he panted. “We’re still...on your road.” He glanced in the rearview mirror, her house a tiny dot in the distance.

  “Let’s go somewhere.”

  “That was the plan.” He wanted to take her to a nice dinner. Maybe a movie if she could be out that late. He didn’t want her parents to have to drive home in the middle of the night, but he wanted—needed—time alone with her.

  “We can go to your place.”

  “No,” he said more harshly than he meant.

  Hope dropped her hands from his neck and drew away.

  “That’s not what I...Hope.” He lowered his forehead to the steering wheel not wanting to ruin things between them. Exhaling loudly, giving himself time to settle, he raised his head and turned to her.

  She fidgeted with her coat and looked out the windshield. “It’s okay. It’s been...a long time for me. I’m not usually so...forward.” Hope brushed the hair out of her face still avoiding eye contact with him.

  Of course, she’d take his No as a brush off. As a rejection. He could beat around the bush or tell her exactly what his trepidations were. A decade in prison gave him plenty of time to ponder, to think about all of his past mistakes, to mak
e goals and commitments for his future.

  Honesty was high on his list.

  But having a heart-to-heart at the end of her road wasn’t where he wanted to have it. And a crowded restaurant wasn’t ideal either. They needed a private, quiet place where they could talk, and while his apartment wasn’t what he’d planned for the night, it seemed like the only option.

  “I wanted to wine and dine you tonight,” he said, putting the truck in drive and reaching for her hand. She didn’t pull away, but she was a far cry from being receptive.

  “You changed your mind?” The uncertainty was back in her voice. They’d passed that hurdle, he thought, last week, but they were still too new to each other.

  “No. I still want to. And I will. But not tonight. Tonight I want you alone.” He heard her intake of breath and cursed himself. Again with the innuendo. Hell, he wanted her naked in the worst way, but not yet. “We have a lot to talk about. Big conversations that won’t be interrupted by waiters and waitresses or other distractions.”

  “So where are we going?”

  Cameron rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. “My place is small. I don’t even have a couch. Or a bed. Not that we need a bed,” he stammered. “It’s just dinner. I won’t pressure you into anything.”

  “I think we’re past that now,” she snorted. “In case you didn’t notice, I’m putty in your hands.”

  She felt better than putty, but he’d keep that comment to himself. He turned down the main road that would lead them out of town.

  “I can’t cook and my cabinets have peanut butter, canned soup, a jar of sauce, and a box of noodles.”

  “Sounds like mine.”

  “Do you like Chinese?”

  “Love it.”

  Cameron pulled into the parking lot to Kung Po. “Stay put.” He hopped out of the truck and jogged around the hood. When he opened Hope’s door for her, she swiveled her legs around and he helped her out. Holding her body snugly against his, he kissed her hard and fast. “Let’s go.”

  He took her hand in his and closed the door behind him. Once inside, he let Hope order, approving of her choice of dishes. Hell, she could have ordered white rice and tea and he would have been happy.