Falling for her convenient groom

Family Blessings lead to new beginnings

Jules Sheehan will do anything to keep custody of the two orphaned girls in her care—including a marriage of convenience with their uncle. Cam Quinn crosses the globe as a travel writer, but he’s ready to settle down. Now tough, tender Jules is offering the home he’s secretly longed for. Can this marriage in name only become a family of the heart?

Award-winning author STEPHANIE DEES lives in small-town Alabama with her pastor husband and two youngest children. A Southern girl through and through, she loves sweet tea, SEC football, corn on the cob and air-conditioning. For further information, please visit her website at stephaniedees.com.

Also By Stephanie Dees

Family Blessings

The Dad Next Door

A Baby for the Doctor

Their Secret Baby Bond

The Marriage Bargain

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

The Marriage Bargain

Stephanie Dees

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09480-1

THE MARRIAGE BARGAIN

© 2019 Stephanie Newton

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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“Whatever it takes, we’ll keep them safe. I promise.”

He put his hand on her shoulder and she closed her eyes, praying for guidance, praying that she wasn’t about to make a terrible mistake that would end in hurt for everyone.

When she opened her eyes, they were directly on his. She took a deep breath. “I need a husband.”

He laughed but sobered when he realized she wasn’t joking. “Okay, you’re serious. I’m just not sure I’m following you.”

Tears stung her eyes. “I don’t need just any husband. I need you. The judge we pulled for this case is all about biological family. And he prefers married couples over singles. If we get married…we would be both.”

“Do you know how crazy this sounds?”

“I do. I know.” She raked her fingers through her hair. “I’m not taking any chances with the safety of the girls. I can’t, Cam. I promised Glory.”

Dear Reader,

Thanks so much for joining me in Red Hill Springs in The Marriage Bargain! When Jules appeared in her siblings’ stories, I noticed that she always appeared to be perfect and calm, never a hair out of place. She just seemed to know where she was going and how to get there. In order for Jules to grow, I knew she was going to have to learn to deal with chaos, which came by way of two precious baby girls and their handsome uncle (who brought his own version of chaos to the party).

Over the course of the story, though Jules and Cameron struggle with different things, they both learn that their identities don’t come from perfection or family or success or any of the other things we try to replace God with in our empty hearts.

Just like Cam and Jules, you have a Father who says that you were wonderfully made, who knew you before you were even born. I pray that you can rest in the knowledge that His opinion is the only one that matters and He loves you far beyond anything you can imagine.

I hope you’ve enjoyed your time with the Sheehan siblings in the Family Blessings series. For more information about upcoming books, please visit www.stephaniedees.com, or find me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/authorstephaniedees.

Warmly,

Stephanie

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

—Psalms 139:14

For lovely, grace-filled Gaynelle. Thank you for welcoming me into your family and loving me like your own.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Cameron Quinn looked around the tiny town of Red Hill Springs. Big pots of pansies, twinkle lights in the trees lining the street... Apparently the basketball team at the local high school was doing well this year—the storefronts were full of team spirit. It had charm, he guessed, if you were a person who liked that down-home kind of stuff.

He wasn’t.

Cam shrugged into his sport coat, slid his sunglasses into the pocket and started across the street. If the Hilltop Café was still the center of gossip in this small town, he’d know soon enough where to find his mother. He nearly choked on the word. She’d lost the right to be called that a long time ago.

Bells jingled on the glass door as he pushed it open. Same brass bell, same clanking melody, the childhood memory surprising him with its intensity. Or maybe it was the aroma of fresh pancakes and coffee on the burner that had him instantly back in middle school, a broom in one hand, a doughnut clenched in the other.

He stepped up to the counter, nudged aside the drape of tinsel someone forgot to take down after Christmas and took a stool. In seconds a glass of water was sweating in front of him and Ms. Bertie was greeting him with a smile. “What can I get started for you, hon?”

She had to be a grandma by now, but she hadn’t changed a bit from the days he’d come in after school for a Coke before riding his bicycle home. On the best days, she’d asked him to sweep the sidewalk in front of the café and paid him in pastries. Her small kindness had meant something to a boy nobody wanted. He drew in a breath, the onslaught of memories harder than he’d expected.

“Just some information, if you have it. I’m looking for Vicky Porter. She lives here in town. Or at least she did.”

Bertie Sheehan slapped the order pad down and rounded the counter to drag him off his stool by the elbow. “Cameron Quinn? Is that you?” She wrapped him in a hug before pushing him back to study his face. “Oh, my goodness, it’s been so long. And it’s so good to see you.”

He grinned. “Thanks, Ms. Bertie. It’s good to see you, too. I wasn’t sure you’d remember me.”

“I never forget the good ones.” She nudged him gently back into place on the stool and climbed onto the one beside him. “Mickey, get me a burger and fries,” she called into the pass-through. “I did not expect you to come walking through my door today.”

“Me, neither, to be honest. But, Ms. Bertie, I’m really not hungry. I just need to find my... I need to find Vicky. It’s important. Do you know where she lives?”

Bertie nodded slowly. “She manages a trailer park about six miles out. Her place is the first one on the right as you go in. But, Cam—”

“Thanks, Ms. Bertie. I owe you one.” He slid a twenty onto the counter.

She gripped his wrist. “Cameron, listen to me. Your mom’s not doing so well since she broke up with Jerry. And your sister’s death... Well, it hit all of us hard.”

He didn’t want to hear about how bad things were for his mom. He wasn’t here for her. “I’m not—I don’t—Ms. Bertie, where are Glory’s girls?”

“Oh, so that’s what finally brought you home.” She rocked back on her stool with a knowing, somewhat relieved smile. “You don’t have to worry. They’re not with Vicky. They live with Jules.”

The blank look on his face must’ve given him away because she laughed and pointed to an old photo on the wall of herself with her kids. “Jules—Juliet—my youngest. She and Glory were inseparable from the moment they met in nursery school. Those two were more like sisters than friends.”

A vague memory surfaced of two little girls giggling in one of the back booths here at the Hilltop. “I need to see them.”

“Jules lives at the old Parker place now, just past the Springs church.”

“Thank you.” The knot that had been building in his chest since he first heard about the car accident that killed his sister and her husband eased, just a little, knowing the girls were safe. He leaned forward and kissed Bertie on the cheek. “I mean it—thank you.”

The cook came out of the kitchen door with a white container. “Figured you might need this to-go.”

“Take it, Cameron,” Bertie ordered, in her just-try-to-argue tone. “You look a little skinny.”

Cam took the box. For years, he’d imagined that there was no one in the world who cared whether he lived or died, but he was wrong. Here was one.

The curvy road out of town was familiar and it was pretty, with pine trees sending long shadows over the pavement and bright yellow wildflowers crowding the shoulders. He noted it, like he did everything, but he didn’t see it, not really.

Instead, he was in the front yard of the shabby little house where he and his baby sister, Glory, had lived with their mom and stepfather. She’d been six, a petite fireball of a kid missing her two front teeth.

That day, he’d tossed her into the air like he had since she was a toddler and she’d giggled before clinging to his neck. He still remembered how she smelled like cotton candy when she’d lisped into his ear, “Please don’t go, Cam.”

He was nine years older than Glory—the two of them had different fathers—and when their mother married again, he’d been fourteen. He’d stuck around for another year, until his new stepfather had kicked him out.

Glory at six years old was the carbon copy of their mom. Cam was a tall, muscular teenager who, with the exception of his green eyes, looked like his dad, dark skin and all. And it was his skin color, Cam figured, that his stepfather couldn’t live with.

His mom had walked to the door with a defeated expression. He’d waited a horrible long minute—wanting her to stop him, waiting for her to say she didn’t want him to go—before he’d gently set Glory on her feet and walked away without looking back.

He’d returned only once, when Glory graduated high school, but his stepfather threatened to kill him if he ever came near them again. He never did, but that didn’t mean he forgot about his baby sister.

Now Glory was gone and Cam had done the one thing he’d sworn he’d never do—come back to the small town where he grew up. Because when Glory died, she’d left two little girls behind, and he was here for them. He might’ve been a powerless, penniless kid when he left Red Hill Springs, but he was far from that now.

He turned onto the dirt road that led to the Parker place. Cam wasn’t sure what he expected, but the house that he remembered as a sagging pit was the bright white centerpiece to a pristine yard with a black minivan parked in the driveway.

When he got out of the car, the sun had disappeared behind the trees and a chill bloomed in the air. Decades-old camellia bushes with candy-colored blossoms flanked the stairs. A light clicked on in the house. He’d come so far to see them and now nerves jittered in his stomach.

He cleared his throat and knocked.

He waited. And waited, shoving his hands in his pockets and turning to look back at the highway, until the door slowly opened to reveal a pint-size version of his sister, wearing a pink nightgown and sucking her thumb. He lost his breath.

Her big green eyes studied him. “I’m Eleanor.”

“Hi.” Cam smiled at his niece, but inside he was reeling.

“Eleanor Prentiss, what did I tell you about opening the door without a grown-up?”

Cam looked up as a woman walked into view. Her blond hair was piled into a loose knot on top of her head and she carried a baby wrapped in a towel. Brilliant blue eyes locked on his and her feet stuttered to a stop, along with his heart.

He blinked, trying to gather the thoughts that scattered like leaves from winter-worn trees. “I’m Cameron Quinn. Glory was my sister.”

Those blue eyes had gone ice-cold as she stepped between Eleanor and the open door. “I know who you are. What are you doing here?”

“Eleanor and Emma are my nieces.” He could’ve told her about the promise he’d made himself, that he would find them. That, unlike him, they would never wonder if they were wanted or loved. But instead, he let those simple words hang in the air.

She stared at him for a long minute, then, with a deep breath, nudged the door open a little wider. “I guess you should come in.”

* * *

“People have been coming to the door with food and presents for the girls for weeks. Eleanor likes it.” Jules led her guest calmly into the family room, but inside, her stomach was quaking. Glory’s brother had been missing since she was a kid. But there was no denying those eyes.

“Understandable.” He glanced around the room. “Nice place. I remember it a little differently.”

“Yeah? It’s kind of a disaster right now. I’m usually at work all day so being home with kids is new.” She grabbed a couple of toys and a fleece blanket off the seat of the club chair with the hand not trying to keep hold of a naked, wiggly, slippery baby. “Have a seat. I’m going to find some pajamas for Emma and be right back. Come with me, Eleanor.”

“I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Jules hesitated. She might be new at this mom thing but she was pretty sure you weren’t supposed to leave your kids with someone you didn’t know. Even if that someone was drop-dead gorgeous and happened to be their long-lost uncle.

He held up his hands. “I’ll sit right here in this chair. Besides, I wouldn’t even make it out of the driveway before the cop sitting in the patrol car across the street pulled me over.”

She paused midstep and looked back. “Ah, yeah. My mom doesn’t hesitate to call in a favor. Sorry about that.”

“She’s the one who told me where to find you.”

“Hedging her bets. Pretty much my mom in a nutshell.” With Emma squirming vigorously now, and minutes if not seconds before the need for a diaper would become extremely obvious, Jules had to make a decision. “I’ll be right back. It won’t take but a minute.”

The girls’ room had, until six weeks ago, been her guest room. Now the walls were painted pink and the designer curtains she’d chosen so carefully had given way to sheers with pink and mint-green pom-poms. The dresser with its pretty flower arrangement and artfully placed picture frames instead held the changing table and baskets of diapers and wipes. She placed nine-month-old Emma on the changing table and tucked a diaper underneath her, mind racing.

Was he here to try to take them from her?

Jules had been there for both children’s births, for Eleanor’s first steps. For preschool plays and birthdays and holidays.

He might be their blood. She was their family.

She tucked Emma’s pudgy little arms and legs into a sleeper covered in ballerina bears, and zipped it up. “Up we go, pumpkin.”

As she walked into the family room, Cam looked up from where Eleanor had fallen asleep in his arms. Jules swallowed hard. His eyes were an exact match for his sister’s.

She missed Glory so much. Every bath, every feeding, every time she tucked the girls in and turned out the lights, she wished she could turn to Glory and say, “Wow, what a day, but these are some amazing children you made.”

Cam’s soft voice pierced her thoughts. “I read one story and she was out like a light. I hope I didn’t mess up her schedule.”

“No. She didn’t nap today, so she was probably ready. I’ll tuck her in. Just need to get a bottle out for Emma.” Jules put the baby in the portable crib with some toys and went into the fridge for a bottle. She ran some hot water into a cup and set the bottle in it, ignoring how weird it was to have a stranger in her house watching her do it, even this stranger with her best friend’s eyes.

Jules leaned over Cam and picked Eleanor up from his arms. The sleepy toddler buried her head in Juliet’s shoulder. “Be right back.”

In the bedroom, she flipped off the light, leaving the room bathed in the soft pink glow from the ballerina night-light. She laid Eleanor in the bed and placed her silk lovey within arm’s reach. Eleanor burrowed into the pillow and murmured, “Mama be here when I wake up?”

She brushed the wispy baby hair away from Eleanor’s eyes. “No, baby, but Aunt Lili will be here.”

“Mama with Jesus and God?” The three-year-old’s eyes never left hers. She’d asked the same questions all day, every few minutes, right after the accident. Now it was only in unguarded moments, when it was almost like she’d forgotten. Jules wanted to scream at the injustice of it all, but instead she just smiled softly at Eleanor.

“Yes, my sweet girl. Mama’s in heaven with Jesus, but I’ll be here when you go to sleep and I’ll be here when you wake up. Promise.” She held her pinkie finger out to Eleanor, who gripped it with her own small finger. They’d been doing that since Eleanor was a just a toddler. Pinkie promise, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks. Pinkie promise, I’ll bring you the best cupcake.

For the past three years, a pinkie promise had been their solemn oath—a pledge given and received with the utmost confidence. Tears filled Jules’s eyes and she blinked them back again. The pinkie promise had no power to make anything better for Eleanor. Not this time.

Jules rose slowly to her feet, grief a heavy weight on her shoulders, and another problem to shoulder was waiting for her in the living room.

Eleanor’s eyes popped open in panic. “Aunt Lili, don’t go.”

“I’ll be right outside. I’m not leaving.”

Cam glanced up from the photo album he was holding as she walked back into the living room. His eyes were glossy and her feet faltered. He gestured at the baby monitor. “I heard your conversation. Is it always like that?”

She continued to the kitchen to pick up the bottle and test the temperature on her wrist. “Yes. Not quite as bad as in the beginning, I guess.”

Jules picked Emma up from the portable crib and laughed when the baby started kicking the moment she saw the bottle. She glanced at the clock to note the time and settled in the rocking chair with a sigh.

“It seems like they’re doing really well.” He closed the photo album and set it aside. “Eleanor’s not that much younger than Glory was when I left home. Her hair’s a little lighter, but she’s got Glory’s eyes and smile. Her spunk, too. It’s...”

“Uncanny. I know. She’s funny, too, or at least she was. Before.” Jules paused. “People say kids are resilient. I hope that’s true, for their sake.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I don’t know. I hope so.”

“Cameron, why didn’t you ever try to make contact? Clearly, you’ve been very successful as an adult.” That was, if his fancy watch was any indication.

A frown wrinkled his brow. “From all accounts, Glory seemed to be happy. I guess I told myself she didn’t need me stirring up the past. I thought I’d—I don’t know—have more time.”

“And now? Why did it take you so long to get here?”

“I was out of the country. Off the grid.” He grimaced. “Way off the grid. I write adventure travel books and it took some time for my office to find me.”

She hadn’t expected that excuse. “What do you want? I’m sorry to blurt it out like that, but I’m a practical person. I don’t like unanswered questions and I hate surprises.”

A slow smile spread across his face and those crystal clear green eyes warmed. Her heart picked up speed.

Huh. That was a reaction to mull over later.

“I didn’t know where the girls were. Or more important, if they were safe.” He shrugged, spreading his hands. “It’s really very simple. I came for them.”

“And now that you know they’re safe?” Her voice was soft because she was holding the baby, but what she felt inside had jagged edges.

He didn’t look away. “I’m still here for them.”

She shifted the sleeping Emma to her shoulder and patted the baby’s back. “Do you know what Eleanor’s middle name is?”

“No.”

“It’s Cameron. Her name is Eleanor Cameron.” The words stuck in her throat—they were so painful and so hard because her friend wasn’t here to say them herself. “I know Glory would want you to know your namesake. She’d want you to be a part of their lives, so I’m not going to stand in your way. But if you hurt them, there won’t be a second chance.”

“I’m not gonna...” He rubbed a hand over his close-shaved hair, impatience simmering in the move. “Okay, that’s fair, I guess. I haven’t exactly been present the past few years.”

“Take some time to think about it, because the girls need people who will stick around.”

He nodded slowly, rising to his feet. He picked up his jacket from the back of the chair where he’d slung it when he arrived. “I haven’t had a family in a really long time, Jules. I’m not about to mess this up. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Juliet watched as he walked across the room, pulled open the door and strode through it. When the door closed behind him, she let her head drop back onto the cushion. Either she was doing the right thing letting Cameron into their lives—and she really, really hoped she was—or she was making the biggest mistake of her life.

Chapter Two

Cam stepped out of the rental car and squinted up at the house he’d come to see. He’d called a real estate agent about looking at some properties. Jules had said last night that the girls needed someone who would stick around.

He’d spent his entire adult life traveling from one exotic locale to the next, moving on just when things started to get real. He was good at short-term relationships, sliding in and out of other cultures with ease.

It was the long-term ones that gave him pause. But that would have to change if he wanted a relationship with his nieces.

Tires crunched on the driveway behind him and he turned to see a patrol car cruising toward him. Perfect. Just what he wanted to do today: deal with a cop who wanted to bust his chops for no reason.

A muscular man with short-clipped hair and mirrored aviator glasses stepped out of car. “Cameron Quinn?”

“That’s me.” He walked closer to the huge cop, eyes on the hand closest to the service weapon still snapped in the guy’s holster. Cam was a black man on someone else’s property and, like it or not, that made him a target. “Can I help you?”

The hand slowly extended and a smile spread across the cop’s face. “You don’t remember me, do you? Joe Sheehan. We were in the same class in the fourth grade.”

Cam gripped Joe’s hand, hyperawareness slipping away as he laughed. “Oh, yeah, it’s been a while. I’m not sure you had those biceps in the fourth grade.”

Joe chuckled. “No, I was pretty hungry in those days. I heard you were back in town. Planning to stay awhile?”

“Thinking about it. My nieces are here.”

Joe nodded. “I know. They live with my sister.”

“I forget just how small small towns are.”

The cop laughed again. “Yeah, I moved back a couple of years ago and it was definitely an adjustment. Fortunately, there are some advantages to everyone knowing everyone else, especially if you have teenage kids. Ours can’t do anything without their mom and me hearing about it.”

“I guess that would be an advantage...if you’re the parent.”

Joe’s rolling laugh bounced off the house behind them as a black sedan pulled into the driveway. The real estate agent, Cam assumed.

“So, you interested in this place?”

“I haven’t looked at it yet.” Cam glanced again at the house behind him. “I guess we’ll see.”

“Well, it’s a beautiful place. Good luck...and welcome back to town, however long you decide to stay.” Joe backed toward his patrol car. “If you’re around on Saturday afternoon, some friends and I play a pickup game of soccer down at the park. And tell my sister I said to bring you to Sunday lunch at the farm.”

“Thanks, I will.”

The real estate agent walked up to Cameron and held out a hand. “You must be Mr. Quinn. Hey, Chief.”

“Marjorie Ann, good to see you. I was just leaving. Nice to see you again, Cam.”

The agent, an older lady with a short white bob, had a perky smile on her face. “Shall we?”

“Sure.” Cam followed her through the front door. He’d asked for something near his nieces—which the agent had delivered—but this house was massive.

“The whole estate’s in perfect condition and it comes with the furnishings. Everything’s included, right down to the dishes in the cabinets. I know you said you have young nieces. There’s even a beautiful nursery and a playroom.” She walked toward a wide bank of windows and pulled open the curtains.

It was definitely way more house than he needed. When she’d emailed him the possibilities, he’d almost rejected the property without looking at it because of its size, but wow—that view made him glad he’d reconsidered.

Rolling pastures stretched out behind the house, swirling fog still lingering. A clear blue pond reflected the slightly rosy sky. In that second, he could see two little girls cartwheeling on the lawn. “It’s very nice.”

The agent’s heels tapped across the wide pine plank floor. Her thick Southern drawl drifted back from the kitchen. “Gourmet eat-in kitchen. Top-of-the-line appliances. Fully stocked with anything you might need, except the food, of course.”

He followed her into the expansive room. Once again his eyes were drawn to the windows and the large farm table in front of them. A family could sit and linger around that table. “And that building down the hill, that’s the barn?”

“Yes. There’s a small apartment on the second floor. Any questions so far?”

“Do you think it would it be possible for me to rent the place until the closing date if I make an acceptable offer?”

The older lady turned to him, a delighted expression on her face. “Why, yes. I think that could be arranged. I don’t believe the owner has any interest in the property at this point.”

“Write it up at full price. It’s worth that, probably more.” He could see the dollar signs like stars in her eyes and smothered a laugh. “Let’s try and get this done today. I’ll come by your office in an hour or so to sign the paperwork.”

That brought an instantaneous furrowed brow. “That timeline’ll be pushing it, but I’ll do my best. Feel free to look around. I’ll just head back to the office and get started.”

He walked her out before turning back to the great room to look around. The space had warm wood tones and comfortable furniture. He envisioned a puzzle on the round table in the corner and a cozy fire burning in the fireplace. Laughter echoing off the vaulted ceiling.

Half-embarrassed, he shook off the thoughts. He couldn’t shake off the longing as easily.

Cam tried out the word: home.

He’d been traveling for more years than he could count. A few months here and a few months there. He’d had all kinds of adventures all over the world and people paid him to write about them.

Was it possible that he could build a life here? Have family nearby? He wouldn’t have considered it until he’d seen the faces of those little girls, seen their beautiful eyes full of sass and darkened with sorrow.

He wasn’t a family man, but with that first glimpse of his nieces came a rush of love and a desire he’d squashed for years. He wanted roots. He wanted...

Home.

* * *

“So he just knocked on the door and introduced himself?” Juliet’s older sister, Wynn, sat on a stool beside the frosting station in the kitchen of the bakery, her eleven-month-old baby sleeping in a stroller beside them. “Girl, that is gutsy.”

Juliet looked up from the tray of doughnuts she was filling with pastry cream. “I know. I wanted to hate him, but I couldn’t. It was obvious that he was blown away by the girls.”

“Of course he was. We’ve all fallen in love with them.”

Jules paused in her work to glance at her phone. Nothing.

“It must’ve been hard to come back here after what happened with his mom and stepdad. It was hard for me and I had you guys.” Wynn paused. “Jules, what’s going on with you? I’ve never seen you so tied to your phone. You’ve checked it at least six times since I’ve been sitting here.”

“It’s the girls’ first day at day care. I’m a nervous wreck. It’s only been a few weeks. What if I’m pushing them too hard?”

Wynn shrugged, but Jules noticed she glanced over at the stroller, where Addie Jane lay sleeping. “You have a business. You can’t take off forever. Did they fuss, going in?”

“Not really. Eleanor saw a friend from church and she was excited to play. She’s outgoing like her mom.”

“See? It’s going to be fine. What about Emma?”

“Stuck her bottom lip out, but didn’t cry. The ladies in the baby room are sweet. They’ve already sent me one picture of her, playing with blocks on the floor.” Jules slid a doughnut over to Wynn and twisted the pastry bag to keep the pressure on the tip as she continued.

“Thanks. I’m glad you’re testing the waters before I have to put A.J. in there.” Wynn glanced at the baby again. “She looks angelic when she’s sleeping, doesn’t she?”

Jules laughed. “Yeah. It’s when she’s awake that’s the problem.”

“No kidding.” Wynn paused in the act of taking a bite, doughnut in midair. “How are you sleeping?”

Jules slid the tray of doughnuts into the waiting rack, pulled out a tray of vanilla cupcakes and picked up a different piping bag. “Sleep? I don’t sleep. It’s my first day back at work and already I feel like I’m failing them.”

“I know this is going to be difficult to hear, Jules, but you’re not perfect—and that’s okay.”

“I like being good at things.” She paused in making her signature frosting swoops on the cupcakes as Wynn snorted. “Stop it. I’m being serious. Besides, this is important. Glory left the children with me, but she didn’t really give me any advice on how to deal with her mother, who’s drunk texting me all the time, or...whatever.”

“Whatever, like Glory’s brother showing up?” Wynn licked her finger and grabbed a napkin from the table.

“Yeah, exactly.”

“What does he look like?” Wynn tapped on her cell phone’s keyboard.

“You know the biracial doctor on Grey’s Anatomy? Like that, but with more intense eyes.”

“Whoa.” Wynn turned the phone around to show Jules the picture she’d pulled up from Cam’s author website.

“Yep, that’s him.” Jules sighed. “So if the situation’s not awkward enough, I’m also tongue-tied because he’s that good-looking.”

“That’s so rough.” Wynn’s words were compassionate, but the laughter behind them gave her away.

Jules rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the sympathy.”

“Anytime. So have you heard from Garrett about a court date for finalizing the guardianship?”

“No, but he said when he gets word from the clerk, he’ll let me know as soon as possible.”

The baby stirred and Wynn jumped up with a panicked look on her face. “Uh-oh. I better get back to the office. I know you’re anxious to get all this finalized, but don’t worry. Garrett knows this stuff inside and out.”

“I know.” Wynn’s law partner was well-known for his skills in family court. But Jules wouldn’t breathe a sigh of relief until the legal papers were signed by the judge.

She picked up the piping bag again. She had two more trays of cupcakes to frost and then she was going to check on her babies at preschool. Maybe that made her a helicopter mom, but she didn’t really care. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for those girls.

* * *

An hour later, Cam pushed open the door to Take the Cake, which he found on Main Street next door to the Hilltop Café. He hadn’t been in Juliet’s business before, but he was impressed. It had a charming homey feel, with some reclaimed architectural pieces on the walls and a couple of tables that looked like they came out of someone’s barn. However, even those tables were glossy, and the glimmer of glass from the bakery case gave the whole place a polished, intentional look.

The door from the kitchen swung open and Juliet came into the customer area with Emma in some kind of contraption strapped to her chest. She stopped short when she saw him. A hesitant smile curved her lips, lighting her eyes. “Oh. Hi.”

He smiled back. “Looks like you have company today.”

Jules crossed her arms around the sleeping baby. “She... I went by to check on her and the day care workers said she was having a hard time going down for a nap, so I brought her back with me. I know it’s probably not the right thing to do, but she just lost her mom and she’s had so many changes—”

“Jules, you’re not gonna get any judgment from me. I think it’s fine.”

“You do? Okay.” She took a deep breath. “Sorry, still new at this mom thing. Can I get you something?”

“I didn’t have breakfast. How about a cup of coffee and some kind of pastry?”

“Wintertime, I always have pumpkin bread. I serve it with homemade whipped cream. I also have apple Danish.”

“Can I have whipped cream with apple Danish?”

“Now you’re talking.”

Today she was dressed all in black, which just made her blue eyes look more intense. Her hair was pulled back in a low bun. When she looked up with a smile, he said, “I bought a house.”

“What? That’s great! Congratulations!”

“Thanks. I’ve never bought a house before. I mostly live out of suitcases and overnight delivery boxes.” He’d never really thought about how pathetic that sounded.

“With your job, I guess you haven’t been in one place long enough to settle down before.” She slid a piece of apple Danish from the bakery case onto a plate. A squirt of homemade whipped cream from a stainless steel dispenser and a sprinkle of cinnamon topped it off. It looked amazing. “One second.”

Jules disappeared into the back and reappeared a few seconds later with a candle, which she stuck into the pastry and lit. “Now. A piece of Danish worthy of your celebration.”

“Can you join me?”

She hesitated, glancing behind her at the kitchen, but picked up a bottle of water and eased into the chair across from him, her hand keeping the baby in place.

Cam blew out the candle with a smile and cut a piece of Danish with his fork, but set it down again. “I didn’t have anyone to tell about my new house...so I came here. Thanks for being happy for me.”

She smiled, but her lip trembled. “You’re welcome. I wish Glory was here to see this.”

“Me, too.” He took a bite of his Danish and groaned. “Jules, this is good.”

“Thanks.” She patted Emma’s little back. “I’m just getting back to work, but luckily I have an awesome assistant who’s been with me awhile. So, you just went out this morning and bought a house?”

“Technically, I made an offer and they accepted, but yeah.”

“Where?”

“Now, that’s the best part. It’s next door.”

Her eyes widened. “To what?”

Feeling really satisfied from the apple Danish he’d just inhaled, he grinned at her. “To you. And the girls.”

“Oh. Wow.” She paused. “The Grayton house?”

“I’m not sure I heard it called that. Supposedly some country star built a house down here and didn’t realize it would be quite so quiet living in the ‘middle of nowhere,’ as the agent put it.”

“That’s it. Abbie Grayton built it. I think she was here for about two weeks before she went back to Nashville.”

“It’s a beautiful house with a pool and a pond. I think I got a little caught up in the idea of taking the girls fishing when they get older.”

“You fish?”

He laughed. “I’m an adventure writer. Of course I know how to fish.”

“When do you move in?”

“I already did. Or I will, I guess, when I take my suitcase in. I bought the place furnished, and arranged to rent for the month or so until closing.”

“Wow,” she said again, but she looked a little disconcerted.

“Jules, when I said I wanted to be a part of the girls’ lives, I meant it. I’ve been on my own a long time. I waited too long to come back, and missed having a relationship with my sister. I don’t want to make the same mistake with the girls.”

He paused and looked out the window to the street lined with flower boxes of pansies. He’d been away a long time. If he didn’t know homes like the one he grew up in existed in this small town, he wouldn’t believe it.

Maybe it was time he reclaimed his past and brought it into the future, where he could make peace with what happened to him. “Look, I know I messed up with Glory—believe me, I get that. But please, give me a chance with her girls.”

Jules put her hand on his and he felt a jolt of recognition. Kindness. He’d found it in every corner of the world in one way or another. It was more than he deserved.

She drew in a long breath and smiled. “Why don’t I bring Emma and Eleanor by tonight to see the house? I know they’ll love it.”

Undeserved kindness.

He cleared his throat and nodded. “I’ll be there.”

Chapter Three

A few hours later, Jules’s bakery assistant, April, stuck her head in the door. “Hey, Garrett Cole is here for you.”

“Thanks. You can send him back here.” She checked the supply of chocolate chips, last on her list, and stepped out of the walk-in pantry just in time to see Garrett push open the door. “I think my pulse rate jumped through the roof when I heard your name.”

Garrett chuckled. “I get that a lot unfortunately.”

“So what brings you by? I assume if it was good news, you would’ve just called.”

He took a deep breath. “No easy way to say this, Jules. One of the family members filed for custody.”

Her stomach plummeted. She wanted to scream and fought to keep her violent disappointment in check. “I was so afraid Cameron was going to do something like this.”

“It’s not entirely unex—” He narrowed his eyes. “Who’s Cameron?”

“Glory’s older brother. He showed up at my house to see the girls a couple of days ago. But if he’s not the one who filed for custody, then who?”

“Victoria Porter.” Garrett pulled a sheaf of papers out of his leather case and handed them to her.

She reached for the papers with one hand and the edge of the counter with the other. “Glory’s mother.”

“Yeah. I’m so sorry. I know if the children’s grandmother had been a good plan for the children, Glory would’ve stipulated that in her will.”

“She and her mom didn’t get along. Vicky didn’t kick Glory out, like she did Cam, but she is the most selfish person I’ve ever met. If she’s filing for custody, there’s a reason, and it doesn’t have anything to do with what’s best for the girls.” Jules paused, tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. She didn’t want to say this out loud, but she had to ask, “Does—does she have a chance?”

Garrett waved the stack of papers away when she tried to hand it back. “That’s your copy. And the answer to your question is I don’t know. We got assigned Judge Walker and he’s known to prefer biological family for child placement.”

“Even if the biological family isn’t suitable? And Glory named me as guardian in the will?”

“Well, your definition of suitable and the judge’s might be a little different. Once custody becomes an issue, the parents’ wishes are considered, but aren’t always followed. It doesn’t make sense, but that’s the way it is.”

She stood and walked to the window that overlooked the street behind the bakery. “I can’t believe this.”

“You mentioned the children’s uncle? If you can get him to testify that the children would be better off with you, it might help.”

“What if he sees this as an opportunity and decides to file for custody, too? I really could lose them.” Her voice broke and she cleared her throat, desperately trying to hang onto her composure. These past few weeks had been the hardest of her life. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

Garrett shook his head. “I don’t know, Jules. I want to tell you everything’s going to be okay, but this case just got a whole lot more complicated. Once custody proceedings start, it’s really hard to know what the judge will do. This one prefers biological family. He also prefers married couples over singles trying to adopt. I’ve been in his courtroom a lot and he’s very unpredictable.”

She shoved her fingers into her hair, resting her palms over her eyes, willing herself not to break down in front of her lawyer. “This is horrible. Those girls have already been through so much.”

Garrett put his hand on her shoulder. “We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure they stay with you. In the meantime, make friends with Glory’s brother.”

Jules nodded. “We’re visiting him tonight. Hopefully, he’ll see us as a family—that the girls are meant to be with me.”

“Good. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.”

She watched through a blur of tears as Garrett walked back out through the door. The girls were her responsibility now. Glory and her brother had both suffered at the hands of a mom too interested in her own comfort to put them first. Jules would never let that happen to Eleanor and Emma—no matter what she had to do.

* * *

Cam placed the few items he’d picked up at the grocery store into his giant Sub-Zero refrigerator. He put a cartridge in his single-cup coffee brewer and looked out the window as the steaming hot liquid hissed into his mug.

It seemed impossible that he’d bought a house—not just because he was back here in his hometown, but because he was making plans to stay. But when he looked out those big windows at the stretch of green and the glimmer of water, it felt right. It felt like possibility.

The sun dipped behind the trees, sending long shadows across the pasture. He glanced at his watch. He’d expected Jules to be here by now, but she must’ve gotten held up.

He picked up his coffee and walked through the French doors onto the wide porch beyond the kitchen, fatigue settling in his shoulders. He didn’t often second-guess decisions. His success and reputation depended on a certain amount of creative bravado. Making a decision to buy this huge house? That was out of the norm, but surprisingly, he didn’t feel regret. He felt...hope.

When he’d seen his niece standing in the doorway of Juliet’s house that first night, it all clicked. It seemed so simple. Yes, he was taking a big risk moving to Alabama, but so what? He’d built a writing career out of being a risk taker. And he’d turn the world inside out if he had to, for Emma and Eleanor.

He glanced at his watch again: 5:30 p.m. and no sign of Jules. Maybe she forgot? He didn’t want the girls to go to bed without him at least hearing how their day went. He grabbed his keys off the counter.

A couple minutes later he was standing on her front porch, his hand raised to knock, when he saw water pouring out from under the closed door. Uh-oh.

He reached for the knob, pushed open the door and stepped into chaos. Water dripped from the ceiling, seeming to come from everywhere. Emma was screaming from the portable crib, her little face red and tear streaked.

Eleanor jumped up and down, making water splash, soaking her clothes and her hot-pink Mary Janes. “Hey, guess what? It’s raining in the house!”

“I see that.” He picked the damp baby up from the crib, putting her on his shoulder. Her little body curved into his, trembling and needy. He held her close, this tiny innocent sweetheart, patting her back as Jules came through the hall door with an armload of towels, her cell phone tucked next to her ear. Her hair hung in wet ropes around her shoulders, jeans rolled up to midcalf.

She came to a hard stop when she saw him. Cam froze, glancing up at the ceiling as a fat drop of cold water landed on his forehead. “So...what happened?”

She tossed towels on the hardwood floor in a haphazard pattern, words spilling out in a rush. “The water heater’s in the attic and I guess it exploded. Water just started pouring out of the ceiling. The ceiling in the entire house is soaked and dripping.”

He couldn’t tell if she was crying or if it was just the water tracking down her cheeks. “Oh, boy. Okay, so why don’t I get the girls out of here? I’ll take them next door and get them dry and fed. When you get things settled, come over.”

Cam could literally see the thoughts churning in her mind as she tried to figure a way out of letting him leave with the girls. He should probably be offended, but he did appreciate that she was so protective of his nieces—even when the one she was protecting them from was him. “I’ll take good care of them, Jules, I promise.”

“I know.” She looked around her ruined home with a sigh, but her fingers were still clenched into a fist. “The water mitigation team should be here within the hour.”

Cam wasn’t sure anything could be done to save the wood flooring, and the ceiling was definitely a total loss. He wasn’t an expert—by far—but it looked to him like it was going to take a while, maybe months, to fix this kind of damage. “Got it. Okay. Come over after you’re done with the workers and we can talk some more.”

“I will.”

He turned to where Eleanor was tap-dancing in a puddle on the rug. “Come on, splash princess, we’re going to my house.”

Eleanor started toward him but looked back at Jules, green eyes darkening with fear.

Juliet dropped to her knees on the watery floor in front of the three-year-old, who’d known so much loss and change in the past few weeks. She gripped one little water-pruned hand. “It’s okay, Eleanor. You go with Uncle Cam and I’ll see you in just a little while.”

Eleanor hugged Jules, arms cinching around her neck in a death grip before she let go.

Jules picked her up and followed Cam into the kitchen. She unhooked the diaper bag and Eleanor’s backpack from their place by the back door. “You’re going to need these. There’s a change of clothes for each of them and Emma’s due for a bottle at six.”

As he grasped the bags, she held on a second too long. “Cam. Take care of them—I’m trusting you.”

“Should I send my résumé over for you to check out?”

He was joking, but Jules tilted her head and smiled. “No, that’s okay. My brother Joe is the police chief here and I already had him run a background check on you.”

Cam was still laughing as he opened the front door of his new home. He’d worried, a little, about whether Juliet was the right person to raise his nieces, when he’d met her the other night. He wasn’t worried about that now.

She had grit. And there was nothing more he admired than a little grit.

* * *

Juliet tiptoed out of the nursery in Cam’s new house. It was ridiculous how perfect it was. Layers of white and pale gray and texture everywhere, from a faux fur throw on the floor to the bedside table made from a tree trunk. It was precious and both girls were sound asleep. She pulled the door almost closed and sagged against the wall next to it.

What a night. If any sense of reaching for perfection had remained before this debacle, and she would’ve guaranteed that it didn’t, it was gone now.

The ceiling had literally come crashing down.

She shivered. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be warm again after being soaked to the skin for so long, but when she walked into the great room, Cam had a roaring fire going in the fireplace and a plate of food on a tray waiting for her.

“I hope you’re okay with pad thai. It’s my go-to when I need a quick dinner.” He glanced up with a smile and her stomach did a crazy loop-de-loop.

“It’s hot and I’m hungry. Thank you.” She sat on the edge of the hearth with her back to the fire and took a bite. “Cameron, this is so good. I guess you learned to make it in Thailand.”

He laughed. “No, actually, Brooklyn. There’s a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that has the best Thai food this side of the ocean and a little Thai grandma who took a starving kid under her wing.”

After inhaling an entire plate of food, she put the tray down and leaned back into the warmth of the fire. “I’m starting to feel like a human again. Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

“This house is great.” She wanted to be kind and act normal, but in her mind, she was reeling. The first blow had been the custody suit. One thing she’d had going for her was a stable home and business. Business was decent, but faltering without her daily presence.

And now her home was in a shambles for who knew how long. She had to do something to keep the girls safe and with her, even if it meant doing something drastic. And drastic was definitely the word for the germ of an idea starting to form in her mind.

“I like it even more than I thought I would,” Cam answered. “I spent all afternoon roaming through the house and the grounds and I still don’t think I’ve seen it all.”

“You decided to stay because of the girls?” Her voice quivered and she hated it, but she had to know where he was coming from. She remembered the beautiful, perfect nursery down the hall.

Was he doing all this so he could get custody, or did he have another motivation in mind?

“Yes. I’m not sure I would’ve ever come back to Red Hill Springs if they weren’t here, but they are. And now, so am I.” His face softened as he mentioned the girls, but still, she needed to know he would fight for them.

She tried to make the question light, but couldn’t pull it off. “Have you seen your mother since you’ve been in town?”

The mention of his mom was like slamming into a wall of ice. He stopped smiling. “I wouldn’t say I have a mother. So, no. Why would you ask me that?”

“She filed for custody of Emma and Eleanor. My lawyer brought me a copy of the paperwork this afternoon.”

Cam shot to his feet and walked to the wide windows. She could see his reflection, muscles tensing as he fought for control. When he turned back, his face was calm. “Glory and Sam listed you as the guardian for the girls. She can’t get them. Right?”

“Glory and Sam wanted the girls with me, yes, but the judge won’t grant me guardianship as long as there’s an open custody petition.”

“Has she even seen them since the funeral?” He walked closer and his smooth grace reminded her of a caged tiger, pent-up energy and a hint of tightly leashed rage.

“No. She’s been messed up for a long time. I’m not sure why she thinks she can raise two girls and I don’t know why the judge would believe it, but I’ve asked around. The judge we pulled is unpredictable and he favors biological family.”

“There’s gotta be a reason. She doesn’t want to raise them. She didn’t want to be a mother to her own two children. There’s gotta be a reason she’s trying to get custody.” He sat beside her on the hearth, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him.

“They have life insurance money from Glory and Sam. Quite a bit of money, actually, that hasn’t been released yet. But when it is, it will go directly into a trust for the kids, for college.”

His eyes narrowed on hers. “It will go into a trust automatically? Or that’s your plan for the money?”

“Oh, I see your point. You think she wants custody so she can get the life insurance money? That’s...” She floundered, searching for the right word. “There’s not even a word for how despicable that is.”

“Yeah, it is. Jules, what do you need? Do you need money for an attorney? Whatever it is, whatever it takes, we’ll keep them safe, I promise.” He put his hand on her shoulder and she closed her eyes, praying for guidance, praying that she wasn’t about to make a terrible mistake that would end in hurt for everyone.

When she opened her eyes, they were direct on his. She took a deep breath. “I need a husband.”

He laughed, but sobered when he realized she wasn’t joking. “Okay, you’re serious. I’m just not sure I’m following you.”

Tears stung her eyes. “I don’t need just any husband. I need you. The judge we pulled for this case is all about biological family. And he prefers married couples over singles. If we got married...we would be both.”

“Do you know how crazy this sounds?”

“I do. I know.” She raked her fingers through her hair. “I’m not taking any chances with the safety of the girls. I can’t, Cam. I promised Glory.”

“I want to protect them, too, but getting married? My family, if you want to call it that, was not like yours. My dad split when I was a baby. My stepdad beat me and threw me out of the house when I was a teenager. I’ve bounced around the world for the past fifteen years. Trust me when I say I’m not husband material.”

She leaned forward, her eyes laser focused on his, her voice soft. “I know better than anyone what your family was like. When your stepdad decided he liked being drunk better than having a job, guess where Glory ate her meals? And guess where she stayed when he figured out that she was more fun as a punching bag than your mom, because if he hit her, both of them would cry?”

Grief was etched on his face. “I didn’t know any of that, Jules. It wasn’t like that for her before they kicked me out.”

“Glory thought you were the lucky one. Because you got away.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“I know.” She took another deep breath and released it in a long pent-up stream. “None of that is your fault. But that is why I would do anything—absolutely anything—to protect them. You couldn’t protect Glory, Cam. You were just a kid. But you can protect her babies. Help me protect them.”

He grabbed her hand, gripping it in his. “I will. I promise.”

“Then marry me.” She looked down at their joined hands. “Please?”

Chapter Four

Cam sat in a chair on the stone deck behind his house, a cup of coffee in front of him. In his life of continuous travel, there’d been one constant that kept him grounded. Every morning, he read the Bible.

That sweet, tough little grandma who taught him how to make pad thai had also been the one to give him the Bible. In those days, he’d been an angry kid who’d known a lot of Christians in the small town where he grew up. It hadn’t seemed to do him any good.

But Ya-ya was different. She gave him a job. A place to stay. She gave him a Bible and she taught him to read it.

He could never repay her kindness.

Cam tried to focus on the words, but thoughts of Juliet and her proposition from last night kept creeping in, destroying his peace. He’d tried to tell himself she wasn’t serious, but what if she was?

What if her proposal was the best possible way to protect his nieces?

He’d never imagined getting married and settling down. The thought of trusting someone that much seemed too dangerous somehow. He’d take zip-lining in the Andes mountains or BASE jumping in the Alps over that, any day.

But now that Jules brought it up, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He wouldn’t have to trust her with his heart to get married to her, of course. But he’d have to trust her with their hearts, which might be even harder.

He thought of Jules, how she’d looked sitting by his fireplace last night, that warrior heart of hers on her sleeve. She’d go to battle for the girls. And they’d be safe with her.

Maybe it was his own heart he should be worried about.

The door to the deck opened behind him and what had been an undercurrent of anxiety spun into a low hum. His muscles tensed but he didn’t move. Jules stopped beside him without sitting, and the silence stretched, her question from the night before hanging unspoken in the air between them.

He glanced up at her. From the shadows under her eyes, it seemed likely that she hadn’t slept any better than he had. “The girls still in bed?”

She sank into a chair and set the baby monitor on the table between them. “Yes. I gave Emma a bottle around five and she conked out.”

“You should try to get a few more minutes.”

“I’m usually in the bakery by the time the sun comes up, so I’m not sure I could sleep in if I tried.”

“You’re not working today?”

“My assistant is opening up. After the debacle with the water heater last night, I wasn’t sure what I’d be doing this morning.” A smile ghosted across her face. “I never would’ve guessed that I’d be waiting for you to get back to me on a marriage proposal.”

At the words, his chest tightened. No matter what happened, from here things would be different, for all of them. “Jules, I...”

She forced a laugh, her big blue eyes shiny. “You don’t even have to finish that sentence. I understand. It’s a crazy idea.”

He let his gaze slide away from her to the pond in the distance, watching curls of fog waft lazily from the surface of the water. Canada geese were feeding on the tender grass around the edge. “How did geese end up in Alabama?”

“What?”

He shrugged. “I mean, did they stop here for a rest and the next morning one of them was, like, ‘You guys go ahead, eh? I think I’m gonna stay’?”

She was looking at him like she was thinking about calling the guys in white coats, but tears weren’t glistening in her eyes anymore. Instead, a hint of humor deepened a tiny dimple in the corner of her mouth.

“Geese mate for life, right?” Cam went on. “Maybe Gladys decided she was sick of flying back and forth every year, so Elmer just threw up his wings and said, ‘I guess we live in Alabama now.’”

When she smiled, her whole face lit up. “I suppose you feel that Elmer is a kindred spirit?”

“Well, it is a little surreal that a little over a week ago, I was waking up in Marrakech, with no home, no family and no obligations.”

Her voice was as soft and sweet as her smile, the slow drawl of her Southern accent taking him back to an earlier, nearly forgotten, time in his life. “It’s okay, Cam. We’ll figure something out about the girls.”

Cam lived a nomadic life. As a rule, he didn’t make long-term decisions. But Eleanor and Emma—and Jules—needed more than that. He reached for courage and hoped he’d find it. “I didn’t sleep last night. I kept imagining what life would be like for Emma and Eleanor if they lived with...you know. If they had to leave you, leave here.”

She swallowed hard, nodding but not speaking.

“They’ve been through so much already, losing Sam and Glory. And while I honestly think the girls would end up with you in the long run, what would that kind of separation cost them?”

Her face was a battlefield of emotion and he wanted to reassure her that he would make everything better. She thought getting married was a crazy idea. How crazy would she think he was if he told her that he’d been up all night not because he didn’t want to get married, but because the idea of it seemed like such a tantalizing dream?

He turned to her and reached for her hand, but stopped short. Her hand wasn’t his to hold. “Jules, there’s a lot about this world I can’t change. But in this case, I can change things for two little girls—two little girls who I already love. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to them and I didn’t do everything I could to prevent it.”

Jules pressed her fist to her lips, letting out a shaky breath. “You mean—are you sure?”

He scrubbed a hand over his short hair and walked to the rail before turning back to her. Regardless of what he said now, this was insane. They were both certifiable. “It’s still a crazy idea. You know that, right?”

She laughed. “Oh, yeah.”

“Okay, then. I’m in.”

Jules launched herself across the deck and into his arms, half laughing as she threw her arms around him. Shocked, he went still.

She pushed back, her eyes wide. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean... Okay, I’m going to check on the girls now.”

“No need to apologize.” He managed an easy smile, but the turmoil spinning inside felt anything but easy. He took a deep breath. “So we’ll meet at the courthouse after you drop the kids off at preschool?”

“Yes. Can we say ten thirty?”

“Of course.”

Her face—with her wide, slightly dilated eyes—was a reflection of the range of feelings rushing through her, which should probably be comforting. He wasn’t the only one going into this with a healthy dose of fear.

A cry sounded through the monitor and she snatched it from the table like a lifeline. “I’ve gotta run. I’ll see you at ten thirty?”

“I’ll be there.” As she disappeared into the house, he turned back toward the pond, a knot in the pit of his stomach. But he was doing the right thing. They were doing the right thing.

Right?

* * *

Jules opened the door of her childhood home and was greeted by an enthusiastic silver German shepherd. She gave him a scratch, nudged him back with her knee and stepped into the kitchen.

Light streamed in through the window over the sink, giving the room a hazy golden glow. Fitting somehow, because as a child, she’d often ended up at the kitchen table eating a piece of cake or a muffin while she poured out the details of her day to her mom. It wasn’t any wonder that she’d ended up associating baking with love and contentment.

She’d never felt more loved than when she was sitting at that kitchen table, soaking up her mom’s caring attention. She could only hope that Eleanor and Emma would know as much love from her as she’d felt from her own mom.

After following the corridor to the guest room, she pushed open the closet doors and found what she was looking for tucked way in the back of the top shelf. She laid the garment box on the bed and gently removed the lid, barely breathing as she lifted her great-grandmother’s lace veil from the layers of tissue.

When she was a little girl, she’d often imagined wearing this veil on her wedding day, placing it on her head as she did now and turning to admire it in the floor-to-ceiling mirror. She stared at her reflection. She’d certainly never imagined wearing it to the county courthouse for a wedding to someone she barely knew.

“Jules?” Her mom appeared in the door to the bedroom. “I saw your car outside. Are you okay?”

She faced her mother, warmth rushing into her cheeks. “I’m fine.”

Bertie walked the few steps across the room and stopped to arrange the veil around her shoulders as Jules turned back to face the mirror. “Is there a reason you came by to try it on today?”

“I’m getting married.” As soon as she said the words, she wanted to take them back. And that should tell her something about the absurdity of what she and Cam were planning to do.

“I see. Someone I know?” Bertie’s expression never changed as she fiddled with the veil.

A giggle bubbled out as Jules turned to face her mom. “Only you would say that. Nothing has ever ruffled you. One of us kids could’ve cut off a limb and you’d say calmly, ‘We’re gonna need some ice on that.’”

“I think you’re exaggerating a little.” Bertie brushed an imaginary speck off Jules’s shoulder.

“I’m marrying Cameron in less than an hour.” Jules searched out her mom’s eyes. By nature, she found excess emotion annoying and rarely useful, but she found herself on edge, in need of a little bit of Bertie’s imperturbability.

“You know, my grandmother Elisabeth wore that veil when she married my grandfather. She had three very small children when she was widowed. She didn’t have a lot of choice when she married my grandfather. But you do have a choice, honey.”

Jules wished she could share that she didn’t have a choice—not if she wanted to protect the girls—but that was the one thing she couldn’t say. “I know. I’m doing the right thing, Mom. For me and for Emma and Eleanor.”

Bertie brushed a loose curl away from Juliet’s face. “I asked my grandmother one time if she ever regretted marrying so quickly. She said, ‘The heart loves who it wants to love, Elberta. And I love your grandfather with all my heart.’ About that time, he came in from the field, grabbed her by the hips with his dirty hands and kissed her, right in front of me.”

“So she fell in love with him, anyway.”

Bertie tipped her head and studied Jules’s face. “Or she decided to love him, anyway. Regardless, I know you lead with that magnificent brain of yours and rarely do anything without thinking it through from a million different angles. I trust you. And back in the day Cam was a good boy who didn’t deserve anything that happened to him. Hopefully, he’s grown up to be a good man.”

“He is, Mom. Everything’s going to be fine. I promise.”

Her mother kissed her on the forehead. “I know. Stay here just a minute.”

Jules turned back to the mirror and stared at her reflection. Her dove-gray dress was understated, but was probably the most elegant thing she owned considering the majority of her wardrobe was imprinted with her Take the Cake logo.

She heard her mom reenter the room and saw her mom’s sweet face behind her in the mirror. “You’re so beautiful, sweetheart.”

Jules’s throat ached, and for a moment she longed to turn back the clock to when she was a little girl, when she and Glory would play house in the walk-in closet, when her mom would entice them to the kitchen with cookies and her dad would be coming in from work with a big grin on his face.

Life had seemed so simple then.

When she turned back around, a gold ring glimmered in Mom’s palm—her dad’s wedding ring. “For you. I know your dad would want you to have it.”

The ring was a little dull, a little scratched and battered, but it was a pure sign of the love that her father had for her mother—and for their children. Jules missed him every single day. Her father had been a big man with a hearty laugh. The local chief of police, he could be stern when needed, but she’d never hesitated to crawl into his lap and lay her head on his broad shoulder.

He’d never met a problem he didn’t face head-on. She liked to think she was like him in that way, practical and driven.

She lifted the ring from her mother’s hand and slid it onto her thumb, her throat aching. “Thanks, Mom.” A half laugh, half sob came bubbling up. “If I don’t go, I’m going to be late for my own wedding.”

“You’ve never been late for anything in your entire life. Go. I’ll be praying.”

Jules glanced in the mirror at her reflection one last time. Color flagged her cheeks, but the veil was perfect.

And she was as ready as she would ever be.

* * *

Cameron paced outside the small gray stone courthouse in the county seat a few miles down the road from Red Hill Springs. He glanced at his watch for the fourteenth time in as many minutes. This half-baked plan may have been Juliet’s idea, but he should never have agreed to drive separately.

As he paced back the other direction, her black minivan pulled into a space across the street. The merry-go-round of what-ifs stopped short in his mind as he saw one long leg and then another swing out. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her in anything but her work clothes. But today, she had on heels, a formfitting dress and...a wedding veil.

His heart did a little stutter. He caught her eye as she crossed the street, a hesitant smile on her face. And had to steady his voice before he could speak. “Wow—you look incredible.”

A trembling hand touched the veil. “I hope it’s not too much. It was my great-grandmother’s.”

“It’s perfect. I have something for you.” He turned to the bench behind him and picked up a small hand-tied bouquet of pale pink roses. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but he realized now that he didn’t even know if she liked roses. And maybe he’d been making a huge assumption. “I, um, I didn’t want you to get married without flowers.”

She smiled down at the bouquet. “I love it, thank you.”

He held out his arm for her. “Ready to go in?”

She nodded and slid her hand into place at his elbow as they walked into the building. Fifteen minutes later, license in hand, they were waiting to see the judge. Feeling like he did when he landed in New York City after months in the slower pace of a third-world country, he stopped outside the door to the courtroom, mind swirling with thoughts. “Are you sure you want to do this? We can find another way. We’ll run away to Argentina or Uruguay or Iceland—I don’t know. We’ll figure out something.”

“If you changed your mind, it’s okay, Cam.”

“No.” He said it—and surprisingly, meant it—with a steadiness he hadn’t been sure he felt, and the tightness in his chest loosened its grip. “If you’re good, I’m good.”

“I’m good.” She said it quietly. And the doors to the courtroom opened.

The judge looked up as they entered the room and came down the stairs from the bench to meet them. He didn’t look nervous at all, which seemed strange considering the dive-bombing bats in Cam’s stomach. He could adapt to a lot of things, and had, but marriage was a new one.

The words to the marriage ceremony were familiar as the judge said them, but the five-minute ceremony went by in a blur. There were I-do’s and I-will’s, but the first thing Cam really heard was “You may kiss your bride.”

Somehow, ridiculous as it seemed, he hadn’t foreseen this moment, and he had the urge to ask her, Is this okay?

Then, with the weight of her father’s ring on his finger, he cupped her cheek with his hand, slid his other hand around her waist and pulled her closer, letting his lips gently brush hers.

He’d made promises before—some of them he’d kept and some of them he hadn’t—but he’d never felt a promise down to his toes like he did this one. He looked into Juliet’s eyes and he knew in that second that he could never find another person who gave her heart as truly or loved as sacrificially as Jules did.

Letting go of her would be...crazy.

Chapter Five

Jules slammed the door to her car and swung her bag with her laptop over her shoulder. She pulled her coat tighter across her chest. A front was blowing through and the north wind felt like it could slice right through her.

As she hurried toward the bakery and past the law office where her sister worked, the door swung open and a hand grabbed her arm.

“Get in here. We need to talk.” Wynn nearly pulled her off her feet as she dragged her into the office.

Wynn’s partner, Garrett, lounged at his desk in the back, tossing paper balls at the trash can across the room. He looked up with an apologetic wince.

“What’s going on, Wynn?” Jules had hoped to have a day or two to get used to the idea of being married to Cam, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen. She should’ve expected it; in a town the size of Red Hill Springs, especially when every third person was a member of her family, secrets were hard to keep.

“Oh, no. That’s my question. Mom told me something that is just...so crazy that I know she didn’t make it up.” Her sister glared at her, hands on her hips, looking all fashionable in her cashmere wrap. By comparison, Jules felt dumpy in her typical work outfit of black leggings and Converse sneakers. She pulled her coat tighter around her and adjusted the strap of the bag on her shoulder.

Wynn snatched her hand and pulled it close. “Oh. My. Lanta. It is true. You have on a wedding ring. Jules, what did you do?”

Jules snatched her hand from her sister’s grasp and fingered the unfamiliar gold-and-diamond ring Cam had put on her finger yesterday. It was beautiful, catching the cold winter light in a million tiny sparkles.

And it felt like it weighed five hundred pounds on her finger. She slid her hand into her hair, rubbing the back of her neck. This was the conversation Jules had been dreading. Of everyone in the world, Wynn knew her the best. She even knew how scared Jules was of losing the girls. And despite the fact that Wynn had made some spectacular mistakes in her life, she always seemed to have it together.

“Well?”

Jules cleared her throat. “Garrett said—”

Alarm flashed across Garrett’s face as his feet hit the floor. “Oh, no, don’t even try that. Garrett said make friends with the uncle. Garrett said try to get the uncle on your side. Garrett did not tell you to pledge your undying love and the next fifty years of your life to the uncle.”

Jules took a deep breath. “You’re right—you’re right. He didn’t. But I did. Marry him, I mean. So you’re both going to have to deal with it.”

Wynn rubbed a hand across her eyes. “I can’t believe you did this. You—the person who has to consult her calendar before she decides to brush her teeth in the morning—just up and got married. What were you thinking?”

Jules shook her head. It wasn’t like it was a complicated decision. Could it really be that hard for Wynn to understand? “It’s actually very simple. I may not have birthed Eleanor and Emma, but they’re mine to protect. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them. Does that clear things up for you?”

Wynn rocked back on her heels. She glanced at the portable crib where her baby girl lay sleeping, and shook her head with a small shrug. “Okay. I get it—I do. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

Jules met her sister’s eyes, so much like hers that they could be identical. The truth slipped out before she could stop it. “I hope so, too.”

“Do you really think the judge will buy it?” Wynn turned to Garrett. “Do you?”

He leaned forward, his earnest face and unruly brown hair a counterpoint to Wynn’s polished beauty. “I don’t know, but if it’s going to have a chance, you’re going to have to act like it’s a genuine relationship.”

“Agreed.” Wynn nodded and turned back to Jules. “Family lunch on Sunday. We’ll have a cake and take pictures, like a reception. You better make it look real.”

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