Elizabeth smiled at her guests in a silent thank you for humoring the little girl. “Dinner will be out soon. Enjoy your meal.”
She led Emma toward the kitchen. “You handled that like a master hostess. I might hire you.”
Emma beamed. “I like it here.”
“I like having you here. Let’s stop at your dad’s table and get his order before we make the brownies. Everything is ready in the back.”
“The lady keeps touching Daddy and smiling at him, but she doesn’t do it like you touch Uncle Sam. Do you know what I mean?”
“Yes, honey. I know what you mean.”
Emma knew what love looked like between a man and a woman. She’d watched her and Sam together and Jenna and Jack together. It spoke volumes she didn’t see those kinds of feelings between Cameron and Shelly.
Sharp, nothing got past Emma. Elizabeth had often admired the little girl’s ability to sum up a person upon meeting them.
Elizabeth might have to talk to Cameron about Shelly and Emma’s reaction to her. Cameron should know his daughter had Shelly’s number. Elizabeth hoped Cameron had it too.
“Daddy, I found Aunt Elizabeth and I got to be a hostess.”
“Darlin’, I’m speaking with your father. It’s not polite to interrupt,” Shelly insisted meeting Cameron’s daughter. She wanted to make a good impression. Cameron seemed so devoted to the little girl, so Shelly figured if she showed an interest in her too, he’d keep his interest in her.
She might have miscalculated, thinking Emma would stay out of the way and be quiet. Instead, she’d been rude and tried to dominate her father’s attention. Shelly wasn’t going to play second fiddle to a five-year-old.
Cameron heard the reprimand for his daughter’s interruption. She didn’t raise her voice, even sounded like a mother teaching her child a lesson, but still something bothered him. He let it slide and scooped Emma onto his lap and kissed her cheek.
“Hi, Elizabeth.”
“I’m taking Emma in the back to make brownies. What would you like for dinner? Your usual, Cameron?”
“Sounds great.”
“I’ll have the filet and lobster dinner.” Shelly cocked her head to one side and asked, “Are you sure you should take Emma into the kitchen? She could get into a lot of trouble back there. It’s a lot of work keeping your eye on kids. At least that’s what I’m told.”
Not the kind of work Shelly was interested in performing. Elizabeth imagined the only work Shelly performed happened on her back, conniving to extract money from whatever male was on top of her at the time.
Shelly ordered the most expensive items on the menu and took little interest in Emma, except to criticize her. Elizabeth felt sorry for Cameron. He had the worst taste in women or, more accurately, he chose women who didn’t make him feel anything besides lust. Shelly was the worst possible choice for him.
Cameron had gone too long without being loved. Elizabeth wondered if he remembered what it felt like to have someone love you above all else. Sure he had Emma, but it wasn’t the same as being loved by a partner. She sighed and felt sorry for him. He had everything going for him, and yet he hadn’t found someone who saw beyond the trappings of his life to the man who loved his daughter and wanted to be loved by a woman. Maybe the right person would show up before Shelly sunk in her claws and made Cameron’s life worse.
She looked at Shelly and remembered her comment about Emma being in the kitchen. She’d just bet Shelly was happy to have Cameron to herself and Emma out of the way, no matter what she said to the contrary.
“Emma will be just fine with me. I’ll get your dinners ready. How about some fresh drinks? Another martini, Shelly? Ice tea, Cameron?”
“That would be lovely. It’s been such a trying day.” Shelly did her best to look overwhelmed. Elizabeth held back the roll of her eyes at the melodramatic tone.
Elizabeth made a show of looking at Shelly’s empty martini glass and back at Cameron. Shelly already finished two martinis; the next would be her third in an hour. “I’m sure it has been. I’ll have your drinks sent over. Emma and I will be in the kitchen if you need us.”
Alone again, Shelly confronted Cameron. “You seem close to her. She’s very beautiful. Every time we come in here she treats you . . . special.”