Coming Home to Seashell Harbor (Seashell Harbor #1) - Miranda Liasson Page 0,105

a table and ran for the back.

Hadley said, “I give up!” and beckoned them over as she took another phone call.

Yep, joyous. There was no other word for it.

“No need for a meeting,” Cam said to Maddy. “I’ve come to a decision.”

“I know that,” she said softly. A glance over at Hadley showed her busy talking on the phone, tucking in an errant puppy, and carefully wrapping the tiny one up in a bundle for its next meal.

“Hey, Maddy.” Cam pulled two coffees from the stroller and set them on the counter by the door. “I brought these for Hadley and me but I’d love for you to take mine. I…I’ve got something I need to attend to. Tell her I’ll see her a little later.” He turned to push the stroller out the door.

“Does Hadley know?” she asked, stopping him in his tracks.

“Know? About the building?” he asked.

“No,” Maddy said softly. “That you love her.”

Love? This was not a romantic decision. “Hadley deserves to have it. She’s found the thing she should be doing in the world.”

“Well,” Maddy said, resting a hand on his shoulder. “I always knew you were a good egg. But sometimes I’m not sure you realize it yourself.”

“I haven’t done anything to get credit for.”

“You’ve put her needs before yours. Don’t you know that’s what love is all about?”

* * *

Later that morning, Darla was holding the bundled puppy and gently squirting formula into her mouth. “Look at her,” Darla said. “She’s swallowing more every day!”

Kit stood up from a chair, and Hadley climbed out of the puppy pen to see.

“Oh, I’ve never seen anything so tiny and sweet,” Kit said, bending down to watch. “Why did the mom reject her?”

“Fuller couldn’t say for sure.” Hadley blotted the milk from the puppy’s fur. “But the mom was moved right after she gave birth, and really stressed, so she was probably very frightened. Plus this one is the tiniest of the litter.”

“She won’t be little anymore if she keeps eating like this.” Darla held up the drained syringe. “She took five cc’s!”

“That’s a whole teaspoon,” Kit said.

Hadley grinned. “That’s a great meal for a brand-new puppy, actually.”

“Do I have to burp her?” Darla asked. “Or can I just cuddle with her?”

The bell tinkled as Ivy and Mayellen entered, back from the morning dog walk.

“It’s nearly time for Cam’s live interview,” Ivy said as she turned on an old-model TV that sat on the counter. “Come on over, everybody.”

Hadley was dreading the interview almost as much as Cam was. She felt a stab of guilt because if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have been forced to do it. And what would he say about his restaurant? It had been an amazing couple of weeks not thinking about it, but now the topic couldn’t be avoided.

She’d passed out early last night but asked Cam to stop by this morning to discuss things before the interview. She’d been so consumed with the puppies she hadn’t noticed when he’d stopped by with coffee, and he’d had to leave before they had a chance to talk.

Ivy fiddled with the remote and smacked the side of the old set a few times to find the interview was already in progress. They gathered around to see Cam on camera, dressed in a shirt and tie and looking like the sexiest man alive. Which he definitely was, Hadley thought with a pang. She knew how uncomfortable he felt but also knew he’d handle himself well. And maybe he’d see that not having his life perfectly in place wasn’t the big deal he thought it was. That would be a good thing, right?

The popular local sports reporter who scored the national interview sat beside Cam at a desk. Cam made the nervous gesture of tugging at his tie as the reporter began. “We heard you and Ms. Wells are in competition for a downtown building owned by a longtime business owner, Maddy Edwards.”

Hadley gasped and held her breath. Her friends glanced anxiously at her and then the TV. The pounding of her heart was so loud that she had to lean forward to make sure she heard Cam’s reply.

“Not anymore,” Cam said.

“What do you mean?” the reporter asked.

“Hadley Wells, Maddy’s granddaughter, has created a dog rescue in the building that’s really unique—it will provide spay, neuter, and vaccination services at a very reduced rate. It’ll also be a fantastic place to go volunteer if you love dogs or even want to foster a dog.