He didn’t see her. His gaze locked on Sarah’s. In the gorgeous eyes that had haunted his dreams for years, for decades … in the same violet eyes that had once shone with love for him … he now saw fear.
Fear. Of him? Really? After all he’d done to protect her?
Well, fine. Just fine. Maybe it’s time I earn it .
Sporting the great white shark’s cold, dead eyes in addition to its smile, Cameron Murphy strode up to Sarah Reese in front of dozens of people on a public street in Eternity Springs, Colorado, and said, “Hello, Sarah.”
“Cam.” She swallowed, hard. “You’re here. Why?”
“I want to speak with our daughter, Lori. Where is she?”
FOUR
Sarah thought she might just have a heart attack and die right here in the middle of Aspen Street. Surely that would be better than watching the shock and surprise and scandal on the faces of her friends and neighbors as they realized who had walked up and said what.
Cam was here. Here, in Eternity Springs. Looking fierce and ferocious.
And talking. Talking about Lori. Our daughter .
Oh, shoot. Oh, shoot, oh, shoot, oh, shoot .
Sarah’s stomach took a nauseated roll. Heat flushed her body. She was horrified and embarrassed and afraid. He’d outed her. The man had outed her! Here, in front of the whole world, he’d revealed her deepest, darkest secret—that he was Lori’s father.
Why? she silently screamed. Why had he come here? What did he want?
Lori. He wanted to speak with Lori.
Over my dead body .
Thank goodness Sarah’s daughter was safe and sound and away in Virginia, working a summer internship at a horse farm. He’d be hard-pressed to track her down there. The last thing Lori needed was to have Cam Murphy show up without warning to turn her world upside down.
Like he’s just done to me .
Okay. It had happened. That milk had been spilled. The water was already under that bridge. The horse had already bolted from the barn. So now what?
I’ve used up all my clichés, that’s what!
Damage control. She needed to do damage control. Quickly.
Sarah cleared her throat and managed to squeak out a shaky “Hello, Cam. If you’ll give me a moment to secure my booth, I’ll be happy to go somewhere with you and discuss … things.”
“Just tell me where to find Lori,” he repeated, his expression hard, his eyes twin green glaciers.
Sarah glanced frantically around in search of a friend. Where was Nic? Where was Sage or Ali? Where in heaven’s name was Celeste? I need help!
But instead of a friend, she spied Pauline Roosevelt watching with avid fascination from the tent directly across from hers. Sarah softly groaned. Pauline had lived next door to the Murphys when Cam was little. She’d inherited the title of Eternity Springs’s biggest gossip after Glenda Hawkins moved to Florida, so of course she’d be the one to witness this disaster. The other woman’s eyes gleamed with scandal and disapproval.
Sarah wanted to melt into the earth and disappear. She turned a pleading gaze back to Cam. “This isn’t the place for this discussion. I’ll be with you in just a minute.”
She didn’t wait for a response but turned away and reached for her cash box. She’d no sooner picked it up to leave when a pair of tourists approached, asking to purchase more of the poppy-seed muffins they’d had for breakfast. A quick glance at Cam’s impatient expression had Sarah ready to tell the tourists to help themselves for free, but then an Aussie-accented voice offered, “I’ll be glad to man your booth for you.”
Sarah turned her head and spied the teenager who’d driven the tour van the day of their ill-fated reef trip. The one who’d called Cam “Dad.” While her stomach took a little flip at that particular memory, he flashed her a grin and added, “You can pay me in some of those chocolate-chip cookies. I’m starved.”
“Oh.” This was the child Cam had wanted. Sarah knew she shouldn’t hold his father’s betrayal
Fear. Of him? Really? After all he’d done to protect her?
Well, fine. Just fine. Maybe it’s time I earn it .
Sporting the great white shark’s cold, dead eyes in addition to its smile, Cameron Murphy strode up to Sarah Reese in front of dozens of people on a public street in Eternity Springs, Colorado, and said, “Hello, Sarah.”
“Cam.” She swallowed, hard. “You’re here. Why?”
“I want to speak with our daughter, Lori. Where is she?”
FOUR
Sarah thought she might just have a heart attack and die right here in the middle of Aspen Street. Surely that would be better than watching the shock and surprise and scandal on the faces of her friends and neighbors as they realized who had walked up and said what.
Cam was here. Here, in Eternity Springs. Looking fierce and ferocious.
And talking. Talking about Lori. Our daughter .
Oh, shoot. Oh, shoot, oh, shoot, oh, shoot .
Sarah’s stomach took a nauseated roll. Heat flushed her body. She was horrified and embarrassed and afraid. He’d outed her. The man had outed her! Here, in front of the whole world, he’d revealed her deepest, darkest secret—that he was Lori’s father.
Why? she silently screamed. Why had he come here? What did he want?
Lori. He wanted to speak with Lori.
Over my dead body .
Thank goodness Sarah’s daughter was safe and sound and away in Virginia, working a summer internship at a horse farm. He’d be hard-pressed to track her down there. The last thing Lori needed was to have Cam Murphy show up without warning to turn her world upside down.
Like he’s just done to me .
Okay. It had happened. That milk had been spilled. The water was already under that bridge. The horse had already bolted from the barn. So now what?
I’ve used up all my clichés, that’s what!
Damage control. She needed to do damage control. Quickly.
Sarah cleared her throat and managed to squeak out a shaky “Hello, Cam. If you’ll give me a moment to secure my booth, I’ll be happy to go somewhere with you and discuss … things.”
“Just tell me where to find Lori,” he repeated, his expression hard, his eyes twin green glaciers.
Sarah glanced frantically around in search of a friend. Where was Nic? Where was Sage or Ali? Where in heaven’s name was Celeste? I need help!
But instead of a friend, she spied Pauline Roosevelt watching with avid fascination from the tent directly across from hers. Sarah softly groaned. Pauline had lived next door to the Murphys when Cam was little. She’d inherited the title of Eternity Springs’s biggest gossip after Glenda Hawkins moved to Florida, so of course she’d be the one to witness this disaster. The other woman’s eyes gleamed with scandal and disapproval.
Sarah wanted to melt into the earth and disappear. She turned a pleading gaze back to Cam. “This isn’t the place for this discussion. I’ll be with you in just a minute.”
She didn’t wait for a response but turned away and reached for her cash box. She’d no sooner picked it up to leave when a pair of tourists approached, asking to purchase more of the poppy-seed muffins they’d had for breakfast. A quick glance at Cam’s impatient expression had Sarah ready to tell the tourists to help themselves for free, but then an Aussie-accented voice offered, “I’ll be glad to man your booth for you.”
Sarah turned her head and spied the teenager who’d driven the tour van the day of their ill-fated reef trip. The one who’d called Cam “Dad.” While her stomach took a little flip at that particular memory, he flashed her a grin and added, “You can pay me in some of those chocolate-chip cookies. I’m starved.”
“Oh.” This was the child Cam had wanted. Sarah knew she shouldn’t hold his father’s betrayal
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