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.“Oh, darlin’.What kind of hostess would I be if I allowed my guest to work in the kitchen? Sit down.Would you like some lemonade?”“I’m fine, thanks.”“This is my son, Luke—”“We’ve already met, Ma,” Luke said, interrupting.“Oh?”“Earlier today.” Luke pulled his feet out of the middle of the kitchen and pushed the chair next to him away from the table.“Hey,” he said.She smiled a hello and sat down.“Well, okay.Good, you’re already acquainted, I suppose.” She directed the comment at Luke, then turned to her.“You really should have some lemonade.It’s just the right balance of sweet and tart.Taken me years to get it right.”“I will in a little while,” Campbell said.Luke still stared, unnerving her.“You changed,” he finally said.“No more scarf.” His grin hung sideways.She shrugged.“More comfortable this way.” She smoothed her hands over her jean capris and loose floral blouse.Did he think she’d changed because of his comment? Why did that matter to her?The front door popped open.“Hello? I’m back.” Jane’s voice rang out before they saw her.When she appeared, an oversized bag hung on her arm.“I brought the pages.” She glanced at Luke.“Oh my goodness.” She held a hand to her mouth.“Look at you.” A giggle escaped.He stood, towering over her.Her eyes followed him upward, and she shook her head.“I can’t believe how grown up you are.What are you now—twenty-five?”“Twenty-seven.”“Twenty-seven.Unbelievable.I haven’t seen you in…gosh, years.Since your high school graduation.You went off to that fancy college and never came home for the summer anymore.”He pulled her into a hug as she wiped tears from her cheeks.Jane and her tears.Was it just the reunion or did she cry all the time?“Would you like some lemonade?” he asked as Jane sat next to Campbell.“Sure, thanks.Campbell, this boy was born when we were all fifteen.He was the cutest thing.I think we even babysat you a time or two.Suzanne and I.” She laughed.“I think I rocked you to sleep.”“Now you’re just embarrassing me.” Luke set the glass down in front of Jane.“You ready for some now, Cam?”His familiarity caught her off guard.Mom always called her Cam.Or Camby.Lots of people shortened names, she told herself.It didn’t mean anything.She nodded.The door opened again and Lila’s voice rang out.“I’m here.” Her sing-songy Southern tone carried into the kitchen.She appeared in the doorway and, like Jane, gasped when she saw Luke.“Isn’t he gorgeous?” Jane giggled again.“I can’t believe how grown up you are.Like, a real man.”Luke’s face flushed pink, and he shook his head.“Maybe I need to get my dinner to go—this looks like the kind of party I don’t want to crash.”“Don’t be silly,” Lila said.“You’re family.Don’t let us chase you off.I’m sure you’re used to being surrounded by beautiful women.” She laughed.“Oh, not this one.Hasn’t found anyone who meets his criteria,” Adele said.“Or should I say, ‘his requirements.’ ”He glanced at Campbell, but she quickly looked away.“Oh? What criteria is that, Lukey?” Jane smiled and sipped her lemonade.“Lukey?” He chuckled.“No one has called me that since I was five, Mrs.Atkins.”“Now that’s just mean.” Jane laughed, her plump face lighting up at the playful banter.“I’m just not anxious to rush into something just for the sake of having someone in my life,” Luke explained.“You really are a grown-up,” Lila said.The large diamond on her finger caught the light from the window behind Campbell.“I’ve tried to set him up with three or four different girls.Adorable girls.” Adele stirred something on the stove.“Vapid girls, Ma.” Luke rolled his eyes.“The first criteria is that she has to have a brain.”They all laughed, but as Luke’s smile faded, Campbell noticed his eyes danced in her direction.She reminded herself to keep her head on straight.A phone rang.They all stared at her until Campbell finally remembered she’d turned her ringer on.“That’s me.Sorry.” She stood.“Boyfriend?” Lila’s eyebrows shot upward and Jane let out an “Oooh.”She escaped Luke’s watchful eyes and stepped into the hallway.The caller ID said TILLY, and Campbell almost didn’t answer.“Hello?”“Hi, hon.I’m sorry to bug you again.Just wanted to make sure you got the text I sent.”“I got it.I haven’t called the lawyer yet, but I will.”“Well, don’t bother.I just got off the phone with him.He asked if I could get you to his office tomorrow.I guess he’s got a big European vacation planned and they leave day after tomorrow.”“Oh.”“You sound disappointed.”“No, it’s fine.I can make that work, I guess.”Tilly paused.“Cam, can I ask what it is you’re doing up there? I’ve been thinking about you all day.”She sounded suspicious.And worried.Did she know something? Had Mom confided in her when she hadn’t trusted her oldest friends? It was possible.Tilly had become more like family to them over the years.“I had a few more days off.I figured I’d use them.”“That’s it?”Campbell sighed.“I’m hoping to find some answers, I guess.”Another long pause.“Answers to what?”Campbell knew Tilly meant well, but she didn’t want to burden her by making her feel like she had to be a surrogate mother in her mom’s place.She could take care of herself, after all.But if Tilly knew something…“I found a trunk,” Campbell said.“There’re about a dozen paintings of this place, Sweethaven.Plus, photos of my mom as a kid and scrapbook pages she made back then.I thought,” she paused, “I might find out who my dad is.”Now Tilly sighed.“What’s wrong with that, Tilly?” Campbell asked.“I have a right to know, don’t I?”“You know your mom would’ve told you if she wanted you to know.Didn’t you guys talk about this when she was alive?”“She said we were better off on our own.”“She had reasons for that.”“And I accepted those reasons, but now that she’s gone, I guess, I feel more alone than I thought I would.I just want to know where I came from.” Campbell tried to maintain her composure, aware that the others weren’t too far out of earshot.“Hon, I just don’t want you to get hurt.Going off on a wild goose chase, trying to find a father and unearth all of your mom’s secrets—it’s just not a good idea.”Campbell heard the concern in Tilly’s voice.Should she try to reason with her? To explain Mom had planned to tell her everything—she just ran out of time?“Tilly, she didn’t tell you, did she?”“No, Campbell.And I never asked.” She paused.“Call the lawyer, okay? Then get home where you belong.”She hung up, Tilly’s last words ringing in her ears.Home.Where she belonged.But without Mom, it didn’t feel like either of those things anymore.Was she crazy to hunt for a father she’d never known? A man who had quite possibly never wanted her? Was the search a bad idea?But Jane and Lila wouldn’t be in Sweethaven forever.This was her one chance to find out what she could, to hopefully find her father.“Dinner, hon.”Campbell hadn’t seen Adele pop her head around the corner.She startled at the sound of her voice.“You okay?”Campbell nodded.“We’re going to eat outside on the patio [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]