The Mighty Quinns: Cameron (15 page)

She had one thing to do before starting her journey. The check for Vivian was sitting on the dining-room table where they’d left it a few days before. She picked it up and tucked it in her pocket, then grabbed her keys.

As she walked to the Jeep, she thought about all she was leaving behind. It was a risk. He might not be here when she returned. But this was something she had to do.

The sun was well over the horizon when she arrived at the ranch outside Vulture Creek. She opened the gate and drove through, then jumped out to close it behind her. As she approached the house, she noticed a single car parked out front. To her relief, it wasn’t Walter’s convertible.

Sofie squinted against the morning light as she climbed the front porch steps. She wasn’t quite sure how this was going to go, but the fact that she was coming with a hundred thousand dollars in hand might make things a bit easier.

The sound of the doorbell filtered through the open windows of the ranch house, and she waited, wondering if Vivian might still be asleep. A few moments later, the door opened.

“Hi,” Sofie said.

“What are you doing here?” Vivian murmured.

“Can I come in for a few seconds? I just have some quick business I need to take care of.”

“If it’s anything like the business you brought last time, then no, you can’t come in. Just go away.”

“It’s not,” Sofie said.

Vivian nodded reluctantly, then slowly opened the door. As Sofie wandered inside, she noticed the moving boxes stacked in the corner of the living room.

“What happened?”

“I told Walter I knew about his collection. He got so angry at me—that I would think he’d steal my money, that I wouldn’t trust him to have my best interests at heart. We had a huge fight. And when I asked him how much he’d spent of my money and how much he’d kept for himself, he wouldn’t answer me. That’s when I knew.” Tears filled her eyes. “Love really sucks.”

Sofie held out her arms, and Vivian crumpled into her embrace. “You’ll be all right. You did the right thing.”

“I’ve been so stupid,” she continued. “And now I have nothing. No man, no money, no way to make a living.”

“Did you talk to Stella?” Sofie asked.

Vivian nodded. “I told her everything. After what Walter did to me, I thought she deserved to know. She filed divorce papers a couple days ago. He’s demanding spousal support. Although the prenup will probably prevent that.” Vivian forced a laugh. “I guess I should have had a pre-prenup, huh?”

“You know, sometimes a fresh start can be a good thing.” Sofie pulled the check from her pocket and held it out to Vivian.

“What’s this?”

“Your money. Cameron and I found the people who sold Walter the artifacts. We gave them the option of refunding your money or going to prison for their activities. They chose the refund.”

Vivian stared at the check in disbelief. “You got it back?”

“Not the part that Walter took. But it’s enough to live on for a while. Maybe enough to stay here if you want.”

She shook her head. “No. This place is just one big reminder of how stupid I was. I need to find someplace new, where no one knows me. Where I can start over.”

Sofie nodded her. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. Where do you think you’re going to go?”

“I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to live in San Francisco. I like those trolley cars and the bridge. It looks like a really friendly place. What about you?”

“I’ve been thinking about Seattle,” Sofie said.

“Really? Isn’t that where—”

“Yeah. But I’m not going there for him,” Sofie said. “I’m going there for me. To see if I can make a life for myself there.”

“Good idea,” Vivian said. She drew a deep breath, then shrugged. “So, I guess it’s time to say goodbye.” She gave Sofie a fierce hug. “Good luck, Sofie. I hope you find happiness.”

“You, too, Vivian.”

Sofie gave her a little wave as she walked out the front door. When she got into the Jeep, she pulled the road atlas from the backseat. Seattle. She hadn’t considered that option, but now it made perfect sense. After all, Cameron had lived in her world for a while. Maybe it was time she experienced his.

Six weeks in Seattle without seeing him might be an impossible task. But there was some comfort in the fact that he’d still be close by.

“I-25 north to Colorado,” she said, reaching for the ignition. The engine rumbled. “I guess my new life has officially begun.”

* * *

C
AMERON
STEERED
his car through the late-afternoon traffic, frustrated by the constant stops and starts. He should have left the office earlier to beat the Friday-afternoon rush, but he’d been delayed when Dermot had called a last-minute production meeting.

Though he’d hoped that today would be a good one, Cameron had come to the realization that nothing was going to happen. It had been over six weeks since he’d found the note on Sofie’s pillow. Six weeks and a few days since she’d walked out of his life.

He’d counted down the days, first in Albuquerque as he spent the last of his time there and now back in Seattle, back at his old job at Quinn Yachtworks. He’d expected to hear from her last week, at least in an email or a phone call to mark the six weeks she’d been gone, but there had been nothing.

He cursed softly, then reached for the car stereo and turned up the volume. It was no use thinking of her. He couldn’t will her back into his life. He couldn’t make her magically appear just by blinking his eyes. The only thing he could do was wait…and hope.

Cameron hadn’t been the only Quinn to experience a complete reversal of his life. Strangely, all four brothers had met women, and three had gone from single to attached in those six weeks—all except for Cameron.

Dermot’s girl, Rachel, was a goat farmer from Wisconsin. Kieran had found himself a country singer, Maddie West, who had arrived in Seattle a few days ago. As for Ronan, he hadn’t made it home yet. He was weeks overdue, and all he would tell the family was that he might be back at Thanksgiving, Christmas at the latest.

In truth, Ronan was the only one of the brothers who’d made a truly daring decision. But then, he’d never been as tied to the business as Cameron and the twins had. He’d worked hard, but he’d never found a niche for himself, a spot where he felt comfortable.

Cameron could have stayed in New Mexico, but after his grandfather’s deadline had passed, it was so much easier to make a living at his real job. He’d grown tired of sleeping in Sofie’s empty bed, tired of wandering around her apartment at night, surrounded by her belongings but not her.

In the end, he got back on the bus for Seattle, determined to carry on with his life, even though it wasn’t what he’d imagined for the two of them. If she wanted him, she knew where to find him.

Cameron wasn’t sure how long he was willing to wait before he gave up hoping. The past few days had been sheer hell—his nights filled with thoughts of her, his days kept just busy enough to put her out of his mind for a time. Just yesterday, he’d thought he’d seen her in the crowd. But when he looked again, she was gone, a figment of his imagination.

He’d thought about calling her mother to find out if she’d returned home. But it wasn’t fair to get her family involved in their fractured relationship.

When he reached the marina, Cameron pulled into his parking space. Since he’d returned to Seattle, he’d settled back into all of his old routines—Seahawks games on Sundays, Mariners games during the week, and on Friday afternoons he always went out sailing. It gave him time to clear his head, to reorganize his priorities—and to think about Sofie.

He always grabbed a latte from the shop across the street, the caffeine giving him a boost of energy after a long week of work. Looking both ways, Cameron jogged across the street to the Spinnaker, a favorite hangout for the local sailors.

He stepped to the counter and the barista smiled at him. “Sixteen-ounce triple-shot skim latte?” she asked.

“You got it,” Cameron said.

“How does the weather look?” she asked. “I heard it was going to rain this afternoon.”

Cameron chuckled. “Really. Doesn’t it rain every afternoon? If I stayed in when it rained, I’d have to dust the cobwebs off my boat.”

“No, the rain would wash them away,” she teased.

He tossed four dollars on the counter and took the latte from her, then turned for the door. Just as he was ready to walk out, a voice stopped him.

“Cameron?”

He held his breath as he slowly turned around. And when he saw her, standing in the middle of the coffee shop, he let it out. She looked more beautiful than he remembered, and he reached out and grabbed her hand, just to make sure she was real. “Sofie,” he murmured.

“Hi,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze.

He wasn’t sure what to say. He had so many questions, but none of them seemed to matter right now. “This is the last place I expected to see you.”

“I knew I’d find you here,” she said. “You come here every Friday before you go sailing.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’m a trained detective. I know all kinds of things.”

Cameron shook his head. “Where have you been?”

“Here,” Sofie said.

“In Seattle?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I came up after I left New Mexico. I—I wanted to check the place out. To see if it was a good fit. I’ve got a temporary job with the Seattle Police Department as a dispatcher. I work mostly on the weekends and some evenings.”

“Wait a minute. You’ve been here the whole time? Even when I wasn’t?”

“Can we sit?” she asked, glancing around. “I feel kind of conspicuous standing here.”

“Come on. We’ll go to my boat. It’s just across the street in the—” Cameron paused. “I expect you know exactly where it is.”

“It’s a really nice boat,” she said with a hesitant smile.

He took her hand as they crossed the street, the simple gesture a confirmation that his feelings hadn’t faded. Just touching her was enough to set his pulse racing. He could barely take his eyes off her.

Cameron stopped at his car and retrieved his bag from the trunk, then slung it over his shoulder. He held the gate open as she walked through the gate, then followed her down the pier.

“Callisto,”
she said, staring at the name painted on the stern. “One of the moons of Jupiter. It’s a pretty name.”

“I thought of the name before I built the boat,” he said.

“You built this?”

“I designed it. And I built a lot of it, but I had help. It’s hull number three for me. The third hull I designed. One of my favorites.”

He tossed his bag into the cockpit, then stepped from the pier onto the deck. Cameron held out his hand.

“Aren’t I supposed to ask you if I can come aboard?”

“No. You’re always welcome.”

She hopped across the gap to stand beside him, wavering slightly as she regained her balance. “I’ve never been on a boat this big before. I’ve been on fishing boats, but that’s it.”

“Would you like a tour?” he asked, drawing her down into the cockpit. Cameron set his coffee down in the rack near the wheel, then turned back to her.

“Not really,” she said.

“Something to eat?”

“I’m not hungry.” Sofie drew a sharp breath.

“You know, I thought I saw you. Yesterday, I was at Pike Place, and I thought I caught a glimpse of you in the crowd and—”

“You did,” she said. “I followed you there. I was going to talk to you, but then I chickened out. I came today instead.” Sofie took a ragged breath. “I—I really think it might be best if you kiss me. I mean, just to get it out of the way. So things aren’t so awkward.”

Cameron wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her closer. “I think I can manage that.”

As his mouth met hers, Cameron was stunned at the intensity of his feelings. He’d worked so hard not to miss her that he hadn’t even realized how deep the void had been. And now she was here, filling him up again until it seemed as if they’d just seen each other yesterday.

When he finally drew back, he looked down into her beautiful face and saw tears glittering in her eyes. “Don’t cry,” he whispered. “This isn’t supposed to be sad. We’re supposed to be happy.”

“I can’t help it. I’ve been thinking about this moment for six weeks.”

“Six weeks and three days,” he said.

“Yes. Six weeks and three days. And even though I’ve imagined this moment a million times, it was so much better than I’d hoped.”

“I could try to make it even better, if you’d like,” Cameron said, wagging his eyebrows. He kissed her again, this time wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up, their bodies molding to each other.

“We still fit,” she said.

“Lucky thing,” he said. “Nothing has changed, Sofie. I’m still in love with you. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it work. You just say the word.”

“What is the word?”

“Yes?”

“What am I agreeing to?” she asked.

“A lifetime of happiness. A man who’ll do everything in his power to protect you and to treasure you. A future filled with laughter and love. Anything you want, Sofie, I’ll make it yours.”

She stared up into his eyes for a long moment, and Cameron thought she might refuse his offer yet again. But then she nodded. “I’d like that. I’d like to make a life with you, Cameron. And I’m thinking we should stay in Seattle. I’d like to learn how to sail.”

“You really want to live in Seattle?”

“It rains here. Almost every day. Do you know how wonderful that is? I’ve learned to enjoy long walks in the rain.”

“And what else do you like about Seattle?”

“I can get a fabulous cup of coffee on every street corner.”

“And?”

She laughed. “And you’re here. Since you’re my guy, this is exactly where I need to be.”

Cameron dragged her into another kiss, then pulled her onto the cushioned seats in the cockpit. “God, I’ve missed you. Don’t ever do this to me again.”

“I promise, I won’t.”

He pressed a kiss to her neck and then sat up. “So, do you think we should sail this boat or should I show you the bed?”

“There’s a bed?” Sofie asked.

Cameron nodded. “A big, comfortable bed, just belowdecks.”