ago.” Her smile was friendly, but he thought he saw a new note of curiosity in her eyes. “You recognized Lover’s Leap. Are you from around here?”
“No.”
He didn’t elaborate, so she tried again. Extending her hand, she said, “I’m Sage Rafferty, though professionally, I’ve kept my maiden name, Sage Anderson.”
Cam took her hand but ignored the hint. “It’s a pleasure to meet you and to view your art. You have a gift.”
“Thank you, Mr.…?”
“Is this for sale? The Lover’s Leap painting?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes. This painting is my contribution to the auction we’ll be having later today to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative. It’s a charity our local quilt group contributes to. You’re welcome to bid on the painting, um … I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”
“I didn’t give it,” Cam replied, impressed by her persistence.
Devin walked up and said, “Dad. I’m in luck. Someone is selling popcorn. You want a bag?”
“No thanks.”
“That accent.” Sage Rafferty’s gaze shifted from Cam to Devin, then back to Cam. “You’re from Australia, aren’t you?”
She knows Sarah . “Yes, we are.”
“You’re Cameron Murphy.”
“Yes, I am.”
Now her eyes flashed, but not with fear, like the other Eternity Springs residents. Sage Rafferty’s eyes snapped with frustration. “Well, it’s about time you showed up.”
Okay, that reaction surprised him.
She put her hands on her hips and stepped toward Cam. “Does she know you are here?”
He spared a glance around. One person out of three appeared to be watching him with wide-eyed interest. “If she doesn’t know yet, it won’t be long. Is she at home?”
Now the woman folded her arms, thought for a minute, then shook her head. “She’s at the Fresh tent. It’s on the northwest corner of Second and Aspen.”
Cam turned to leave, and Sage called out a warning: “You take care with her, Murphy. She has friends in this town.”
The unspoken “And you don’t” swam after him and attached itself to his back like a remora, but it didn’t bother him in the least. Sage Rafferty hadn’t grown up in this town with him and Sarah. She wouldn’t know that for as long as he could remember, Sarah Reese had been the quintessential Eternity Springs princess beloved by all. He had been the gutter rat the townspeople barely tolerated and didn’t like one bit.
Except for Sarah. She had liked him. For a short, bittersweet, teenage-angst-ridden few months, she had claimed to love him. And he, fool that he’d been, had believed her.
Cam continued down Aspen, only now he didn’t spare a glance at any of the vendors’ tents. He ignored the buzz of conversation that followed him and turned a blind eye toward shocked, vaguely familiar faces. He was a man on a mission. A hunter tracking his prey.
A great white shark at the end of his swim from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to the middle of Nowhere, Colorado.
Then the crowd before him parted and he saw Sarah standing with a pair of tourists. He caught his breath as his body tensed. He gave her a quick once-over.
In high school, Sarah had been the wholesome, fresh-faced pixie-next-door. Now all grown up, she was a sexy, sparkling sprite, still tiny but deliciously curved. She wore a hot-pink T-shirt tucked into form-fitting jeans, and pink canvas shoes. When she threw back her head in carefree laughter, a hollow ache spread through his chest.
He had loved Sarah Reese. Deeply. Completely. If only …
She turned her head and saw him. Those big, beautiful eyes went round with alarm, and her face drained of color. She mouthed the words No, oh, no. Not you .
Not me .
A volatile mixture of anger and grief rushed in to fill the hollow place inside him.
Not me. Yeah, well, so what else is new in Eternity effing Springs?
Emotion took control and propelled Cam forward. He turned his head first left, then right, scanning the area for Lori.
“No.”
He didn’t elaborate, so she tried again. Extending her hand, she said, “I’m Sage Rafferty, though professionally, I’ve kept my maiden name, Sage Anderson.”
Cam took her hand but ignored the hint. “It’s a pleasure to meet you and to view your art. You have a gift.”
“Thank you, Mr.…?”
“Is this for sale? The Lover’s Leap painting?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes. This painting is my contribution to the auction we’ll be having later today to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative. It’s a charity our local quilt group contributes to. You’re welcome to bid on the painting, um … I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”
“I didn’t give it,” Cam replied, impressed by her persistence.
Devin walked up and said, “Dad. I’m in luck. Someone is selling popcorn. You want a bag?”
“No thanks.”
“That accent.” Sage Rafferty’s gaze shifted from Cam to Devin, then back to Cam. “You’re from Australia, aren’t you?”
She knows Sarah . “Yes, we are.”
“You’re Cameron Murphy.”
“Yes, I am.”
Now her eyes flashed, but not with fear, like the other Eternity Springs residents. Sage Rafferty’s eyes snapped with frustration. “Well, it’s about time you showed up.”
Okay, that reaction surprised him.
She put her hands on her hips and stepped toward Cam. “Does she know you are here?”
He spared a glance around. One person out of three appeared to be watching him with wide-eyed interest. “If she doesn’t know yet, it won’t be long. Is she at home?”
Now the woman folded her arms, thought for a minute, then shook her head. “She’s at the Fresh tent. It’s on the northwest corner of Second and Aspen.”
Cam turned to leave, and Sage called out a warning: “You take care with her, Murphy. She has friends in this town.”
The unspoken “And you don’t” swam after him and attached itself to his back like a remora, but it didn’t bother him in the least. Sage Rafferty hadn’t grown up in this town with him and Sarah. She wouldn’t know that for as long as he could remember, Sarah Reese had been the quintessential Eternity Springs princess beloved by all. He had been the gutter rat the townspeople barely tolerated and didn’t like one bit.
Except for Sarah. She had liked him. For a short, bittersweet, teenage-angst-ridden few months, she had claimed to love him. And he, fool that he’d been, had believed her.
Cam continued down Aspen, only now he didn’t spare a glance at any of the vendors’ tents. He ignored the buzz of conversation that followed him and turned a blind eye toward shocked, vaguely familiar faces. He was a man on a mission. A hunter tracking his prey.
A great white shark at the end of his swim from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to the middle of Nowhere, Colorado.
Then the crowd before him parted and he saw Sarah standing with a pair of tourists. He caught his breath as his body tensed. He gave her a quick once-over.
In high school, Sarah had been the wholesome, fresh-faced pixie-next-door. Now all grown up, she was a sexy, sparkling sprite, still tiny but deliciously curved. She wore a hot-pink T-shirt tucked into form-fitting jeans, and pink canvas shoes. When she threw back her head in carefree laughter, a hollow ache spread through his chest.
He had loved Sarah Reese. Deeply. Completely. If only …
She turned her head and saw him. Those big, beautiful eyes went round with alarm, and her face drained of color. She mouthed the words No, oh, no. Not you .
Not me .
A volatile mixture of anger and grief rushed in to fill the hollow place inside him.
Not me. Yeah, well, so what else is new in Eternity effing Springs?
Emotion took control and propelled Cam forward. He turned his head first left, then right, scanning the area for Lori.
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