“We do have airports in Vermont, you know.”
“We checked on that. Closest one that could take the Lear is in Burlington, which is more than two hours from here. Time—”
“Is money,” she said with a sigh. “I know.”
“Besides, you’re taking the Lear to Fiji, and for the record, I’d like to point out it wasn’t my idea to move you out to the bumfuck of nowhere.”
Cameron laughed at his colorful wording. “This is not the bumfuck of nowhere. This,” she said, with a dramatic sweep of her arm, “is the lovely, magnificent town of Butler, Vermont.”
“It’s as charming as I recall from the last time I was here for Linc’s wedding.”
“Are you being sarcastic?”
“Me? Sarcastic?”
“I thought Lena was coming with you.”
“Yeah, about that . . . We’ve kind of cooled it.”
“Is she still working for you?” Cameron had spoken to her recently and hadn’t heard that she was no longer in Patrick’s employ.
“Oh, yeah. It’s all good.”
Cameron was certainly used to the way women came and went in her father’s life. She’d learned not to get attached to any of them. They didn’t stick around long enough to make it worth her while. “Well, it’s great to see you and to have you here. I know it’s not what you’re used to, but I think you’ll enjoy it.”
He stopped walking and turned to her. “You’re here. That’s all I need to enjoy myself, honey.”
Cameron let the garment bag flop over her arm so she could hug him. “Thank you so much for coming, Dad.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Happy to be anywhere you are.”
* * *
They stashed Patrick’s bags in Cameron’s black SUV. “Where’d you get this beast?”
“Will insisted I trade the MINI for something built for Vermont winters. I don’t love it, but as I haven’t survived a winter here yet, I’ll take his word for it.”
“So this is the store, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Show me around.”
“You really want to see it?”
“I really do.”
She took Patrick’s hand, eager to introduce him to all her new friends. “Right this way.”
He followed her up the stairs to the porch and into the Green Mountain Country Store in all its glory.
“Wow.” Patrick took a look around and glanced up at the vintage bicycle fastened to one of the wooden beams above the store. “I feel like I just stepped into an episode of Little House on the Prairie.”
“Isn’t it amazing? I’ll never forget the first time I came in here. It was like I’d been transported or something.” She looked up at him as he took in the barrels full of peanuts and iced bottles of Coke and products from a bygone era, a simpler time, hoping he’d see the magic she saw every time she came through the doors to the store. “That’s dumb, right?”
“Not at all. It’s quite something. I’m wondering, though, how in the name of hell you built a website for a place like this.”
Cameron laughed. “Slowly and painstakingly.”
“I can’t wait to see how you’ve captured it.”
She tugged on his hand. “Come meet Dottie and have a cider doughnut.”
“Oh, I don’t think—”
“You have to! Your visit won’t be complete without one.” She led him back to the doughnut counter where Dottie was pulling a fresh batch from the oven. “Perfect timing. Dottie, this is my dad, Patrick, and he’s in bad need of a doughnut.”
Dottie wiped her hands on a towel before reaching across the counter to shake Patrick’s hand. “So nice to meet you, Patrick. We’re all very big fans of your daughter.”
“As am I.”
“Can I get one of those for him?”
“Of course! Another for you, sweetie?”
“Absolutely not! I’ve got a dress to fit into on Saturday, so don’t tempt me.” To Patrick, Cameron added, “Dottie is the devil when it comes to these doughnuts.”
“Why, thank you,” Dottie said with a proud smile as she handed over a piping-hot doughnut to Patrick.
Both women watched expectantly as he took a bite.
His blue eyes lit up. “Holy Moses, that’s good.”
“Right?” Cameron said, pleased by his obvious pleasure. “I limit myself to two a week, or I wouldn’t fit through the doors around here. Come on upstairs and check out the office. See you later, Dottie.”
“Bye, Cam. Nice to meet you, Patrick.”
“You, too.”
He followed her through the store, stopping to look at various items as they went.
“That’s Hannah’s jewelry,” Cameron said of the pieces that had stopped him for a closer look. “She’s Will’s older sister, twin to Hunter, who’s the company CFO.”
“She does beautiful work.”
“I know! I’m a huge fan. I have a couple of her bracelets. Helps to have friends in high places.”
“I’m glad you’re making friends here.”
They proceeded up the stairs to the offices on the second floor. “So many friends. And now Lucy’s here a lot, too, which makes it even better.”
“Back so soon?” Mary asked when they arrived in the reception area. “I didn’t think I’d see you here again for at least two weeks.”
“I wanted you to meet my dad, Patrick.”
Mary came around her desk to shake his hand. “So nice to meet Cameron’s dad. We adore her here.”
“So I’m hearing. Nice to meet you, too.”
“This is our office.” Cameron opened the door and turned on the lights so her dad could see her workspace.
“Our office?”
“Mine and Will’s.”
“You two share an office? They didn’t give you one of your own?”
“We tried,” Mary said. “Those kids are inseparable.”
Cameron blushed and shrugged. “What she said. Besides, if I’m in another office, how am I supposed to play footsie with him during the day?”
“Ugh,” Patrick said with a grunt of laughter. “TMI. I’d go crazy sharing office space with anyone, especially such a small one.”
“Not everyone can have an acre in the sky to call their own,” Cameron said disdainfully.
He tweaked her nose. “It’s not a full acre, and I do need my elbow room.”
“You’re a spoiled, pampered brat, and we all know it.”
Mary laughed at their sparring.
“Don’t listen to her, Mary,” Patrick said with a wink, which had Mary blushing to the roots of her brown hair. “We all know who the spoiled brat is here.”
“Yeah, and it’s not me.”
“I’m afraid I have to side with your daughter, Patrick. There’s nothing spoiled about her. She works harder than all of us put together.”
“Thank you, Mary. I’ll make sure Hunter hears about your fifty percent raise.”
They left Mary laughing as they went back downstairs.
“What’s her story?” Patrick asked.
“Who, Mary?”
“Yeah. She’s adorable.”
“Dad . . . Don’t. She’s a really nice person. Leave her alone. She wouldn’t stand a chance against your brand of charm.”
“Why can’t I have a little fun while I’m in town?”
Cameron stopped on the landing and turned to him. “She’s off-limits. I mean that.”
“Don’t be so touchy, Cam.” He kissed her cheek and proceeded ahead of her into the store.
She watched him go with a growing sense of unease. She’d be watching him this weekend and keeping him far, far away from Mary—and all the other single women in Butler.
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