Heidi told him as she stood as well. “You’ve been here every day. I really appreciate it.”
“Part of the job.”
“Still. I know Athena is grateful, too, even if she’s having trouble articulating her feelings.”
Heidi smiled as she spoke.
Cameron collected his medical bag then followed Heidi to his truck. It was late afternoon on the first Friday in December. The skies were dark and threatening, but the temperature wasn’t cold enough for snow in town. Further up the mountain, they could get a good dump in the next couple of days.
Holiday decorations brightened the old house that stood on the ranch. The exterior was a little shabby, but the twinkling lights added a welcoming glow. Heidi was friendly enough. Pretty, he thought absently. Single. He should have been interested, maybe ask her to coffee or out for a drink. Only he wasn’t the least bit interested.
He’d dated plenty when he’d been younger and had learned he was the kind of man who wanted to settle down. The problem was with whom.
After his daughter had been born, his ex-wife had announced she was leaving. From his point of view, her desire to leave had come out of nowhere, leaving him blindsided and the single father of a newborn. It had taken him a while to realize that whatever made his wife leave was out of his control.
Over the past few years, he’d become aware of a nagging sense of having missed something. Fool’s Gold had plenty of single women and he’d been set up with more than his share. But he hadn’t felt the need for further dates with any of them. Maybe the problem was his—he wasn’t willing to trust his daughter or his heart with just anyone.
Heidi paused by his truck. “Thanks again.”
“You’re welcome. You have my cell number. Call me if there are any problems.”
“Don’t you ever go off duty?”
“No.”
“This town is lucky to have you.”
He chuckled. “Remind people of that the next time I raise my rates.”
“I will, I promise.” She smiled. “Don’t take this wrong, but I’m hoping not to see you before the holidays. Unless you plan to bring your daughter by for a horse-drawn carriage ride. We’re keeping the tradition in place for the holidays.”
“We might have to come by for that.” He grinned. “But not for anything else. How’s that?”
“Perfect. Merry Christmas.”
“The same to you, Heidi.”
He got in his truck and started the engine. Heidi walked up the porch steps. He watched her go, hoping for a spark or even vague interest in the sway of her hips.
Nothing.
Twenty minutes later Cameron was pulling into his own driveway. The Christmas lights he’d spent much of the long Thanksgiving weekend putting up glowed in the darkness. Lit wreaths hung in all the front-facing windows, along with flickering candles. Not real candles. Kaitlyn had informed him those weren’t really safe around fabric or children. So she and Rina had bought battery-powered ones from the hardware store in town.
Like most homeowners in Fool’s Gold, he had an account at the hardware store. Based on all the packages his daughter and Rina had dragged home from various trips, he wasn’t looking forward to that bill. But it was worth it to see his baby girl so excited about the holidays.
He parked in the driveway and turned off the engine. Before he could step out, the front door banged open and Kaitlyn flew across the porch.
As always the sight of her made him want to get down on his knees in gratitude for having her in his world. Sure, the first couple of years had been tough as he and his daughter had figured out how to make a single-parent family work. But every second of fear and worry had been worth it. She was the best part of his life.
He left his bag on the passenger seat and stepped into the night. Kaitlyn flung herself at him, wrapping both her arms around his waist and hanging on tight.
“Hey, baby girl,” he said softly, touching her cheek.
She looked up at him, grinning. There was a smudge of flour on her cheeks and a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “We’re making cookies. Rina said we could and it’s Friday!” As if the cookies were all the more magical because of the day.
“Christmas cookies?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
“Uh-huh. We rolled them out and then used cookie cutters and now they’re cooling and after dinner we’re decorating and Rina said you could help.” She paused to draw breath. “I can’t stand waiting, can you?”
“I’ll manage.”
His daughter released him, then ran around the truck to get his medical bag, something she’d been doing since she was big enough to drag it into the house. Now she carried it more easily. The time might even come when she couldn’t be bothered, preferring to spend her time with her friends. But that was for later. Right now, he was a blessed man.
Kaitlyn led the way into the house. The smell of freshly baked cookies mingled with the spice of marinara sauce. Noah, their sheltie, raced to greet him. A female—despite her name—Noah circled around his legs in an attempt to get closer and express her joy about yet another pack member returning.
“Hey, you,” he said, scooping up the dog.
Noah bathed his face in ecstatic kisses. When he lowered her to the ground, she ran off to get her ball.
Rina stepped out of the kitchen.
“Hi,” she said, her long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. “Is Athena all right?”
He nodded. “She feels better than Heidi, who’s still feeling guilty about what happened. They should both be back to normal by the morning.”
Big blue eyes crinkled slightly as she smiled. Cooking had added color to her cheeks, making her look flushed. Her mouth was full and inviting and the way she moved...
Out of long habit, Cameron pushed away “those” kind of thoughts. Sure, Rina was beautiful and funny and great with his daughter. But while he liked her company and liked having her around, he wasn’t ready for a long-term relationship. He wasn’t going to let something as fleeting and confusing as romantic involvement with Rina get in the way of his daughter’s happiness.
He’d thought he loved his ex. She’d stunned him by leaving with no warning. But in the panicked few weeks that had followed her departure, in the reality of caring for a newborn while trying to keep his practice alive, he hadn’t had time to miss his wife. Or maybe he hadn’t loved her at all. Either way, by the time he’d resurfaced, his life slightly under control, he no longer regretted her leaving.
Lesson learned, he reminded himself. Friendship he could understand and trust. Rina was his friend. One of his best friends. He was going to do everything in his power to make sure that didn’t change.
“I told Daddy he could help with the cookies,” Kaitlyn said, walking to the sink
