Coming Home to Seashell Harbor (Seashell Harbor #1) - Miranda Liasson Page 0,11
new hip. Maybe she’s tired of running after dogs. Maybe she wants to travel. Relax. Do needlework.”
Hadley rolled her eyes. “She doesn’t do needlework.”
“Whatever she wants, Hadley. She’s given her life to this business. You can’t blame her if she wants to change course.”
“She’s just been through a major operation.” Now it was her turn to sound overly patient. “She shouldn’t have to think about selling her beloved business.”
“She has been thinking about it. That’s why she asked me.”
“My grandma would not choose you over me. I’m her blood!” She was more than a little fired up.
“Mayellen and Ivy told me you’re only here for the summer. So maybe you’re her blood but I’m best for her future plans and goals.” He tried to sound calm and not let unresolved issues from the past make him overly emotional. But he was failing epically.
He saw his words strike a chord, and it wasn’t a good one. “You will never be best for my grandmother.” She snorted. “That much is obvious. I just can’t believe she would sell this place willingly.” Then she added, “To you. You’re…you’re just as cocky and arrogant as ever.”
Yeah. Ouch. Maybe she hadn’t resolved those issues either.
Then she whirled on him. “Maybe you intimidated her.”
He gave a quiet snort himself. At six four and two twenty-five, he probably did look a little intimidating. But he’d never physically threatened anyone off the football field. Except maybe his younger brother, Nick. But that was mostly in fun. “You know I’d never do that.”
She was still feisty, that was for sure, and part of him was relieved to see it. He’d worried that all the negative media attention surrounding her breakup from that ass Cooper Hemsley had squeezed the feistiness right out of her.
On the other hand, that feistiness could be a real problem. Because even as a teenager, she’d fought tooth and nail for passion projects. Like the time she’d picketed a construction zone for a new business that was about to be built over loggerhead turtle nests. And when she took the SAT three times to try to get into NYU. Which she ultimately did. With a scholarship.
And him. He’d been a passion project. In that she’d loved him wholly and completely. But he’d always questioned whether what she felt for him was real, never allowing himself to believe someone could love him like that. So he’d ruined it. He’d ruined them.
“That’s just the point, Cam,” she said softly. “It’s been a long time. I don’t know who you are anymore.”
Her words punched at him more than he cared to admit. He knew exactly what she thought he was. A first-class jerk. To her, he’d been exactly that, many years ago.
He’d fallen for her in high school, bad. But she’d always been out of his league. So before college, he’d dumped her before she could dump him. And he’d broken her heart. Stupid.
Such was first love. Innocent and sweet and sometimes foolish. He’d grown up and moved on, and he’d left his young self far behind.
But judging by the way his blood was coursing through him right now, maybe not as far behind as he’d like.
“Your grandmother told me to put in an offer,” he said. “She sure was in a hurry to unload this place is all I’m saying.” Since he’d come back home, Madeline Edwards had accepted him as a friend and a neighbor despite his history with Hadley. And he helped her out when he could. Like taking Bowie while she was in the hospital.
Hadley frowned, a little V delicately creasing the space between her brows. Which distracted him in a crazy way until she said, “Was she medicated at the time?”
“Oh for the love of—” Irritating, that’s what she was. He suddenly remembered she’d been really good at pushing all his buttons too.
“Okay, you two.” Mayellen rolled her eyes. “Enough.” Her voice brought Cam back to Pooch Palace, and the fact that there were actually other people in the room. Mayellen’s stern look reminded him that she’d had a lifetime of disciplining schoolchildren and he had the feeling she wanted to put both of them in time-out. “You’re disturbing the pets.”
Neither pet looked very disturbed. Bowie had fallen fast asleep at Cam’s feet. And the ratty-haired schoodle or doodle or whatever it was raised his head as if to say Hey, is anybody paying attention to me? Then dropped it again and went back to snoozing.