Page 40 of Cameron

Her brother turned to her. “Cameron is going to buy it. I just know he is. I’m just trying to drive the price up.”

Cameron, the man she loved, who had hurt her so badly by not telling her the truth.

“You two were cozying up to one another,” Edward said.

“Do you think it makes me like Cameron now that I know the real reason why he was here? Do you think I want a man who is going to buy our property and take it away from us? Do you think I want a man who has lied to me?”

“I asked him not to tell you,” he said.

“You have no idea what you’ve done.”

Staring at the two of them, Edward sighed. “I screwed up.”

Her mother paced the floor in front of him.

“You will no longer be working at the ranch. It’s time you went out into the world and found out what real life islike. You’ve never had to pay rent, purchase your own car, or anything else. Time for you to experience the real world,” her mother said. “I want you off the ranch tomorrow. And you’ll need to get a job to support yourself. Your trust fund will no longer have money put in it every quarter. That money will now be used to try to save this ranch.”

“But, Mom,” Edward cried. “What am I supposed to do?”

“When we lose the ranch, where did you think the money was going to come from? Where?” her mother asked. “You’re done. I want you off the property tomorrow afternoon.”

His face flushed red and he stood his fist shaking.

“I’ve never worked anywhere before but the ranch,” he said. “Who is going to hire me?”

“Not my problem,” her mother replied. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I’m going to bed. It’s been a long disappointing day.”

Samantha watched as her mother, like a regal queen, left the room, not looking back at her son or even her daughter.

“Sam, you’ve got to help me,” Edward said.

Shaking her head, she stared at him. “No, Edward, I think this family has helped you all we’re going to. Now it’s time for you to stand up and become a man. You’re on your own.”

Turning, she walked out of the room and up the stairs to her bedroom. What could she do? She didn’t want to sell the property to Cameron. Would he help her? Would he give her a loan big enough to pay back the bank and even help her get her wedding venue business going?

Besides, she was angry at him at this moment. He’d lied to her. He’d lied to her about his reasons for being here and she had to speak to him. To tell him he’d turned out to be a big disappointment. But if she did that, then he would never work with her. And right now, he was the only person she could think of to save their ranch.

Going to her desk, she opened her laptop and booked a flight to Texas first thing in the morning.

As much as she hated it, she was going to see him. Talk to him. Try her darnedest to keep things civil but ask for his help. Without him, the Mistletoe Inn was lost. The ranch was lost. And she feared this would kill her mother.

With a sigh, she pulled out her suitcase and began to pack.

CHAPTER 15

Cameron had done everything he could to stay busy on Monday. He’d even met with some of his cousins. His brothers Caleb and Cody had come by and they’d been teasing him about whether Eugenia had found the love of his life.

He didn’t want to talk about it.

To keep Samantha from creeping into his mind and Eugenia from giving him even more grief about leaving Montana, he did his best to stay occupied and away from his own home.

But he also knew that Eugenia liked to show up in the recreation center. So he was going house to house visiting everyone except Aunt Rose. That woman he did his best to avoid. She was one cantankerous person who at Christmas always seemed sad.

As he walked back toward his house, a cold northern wind blew, sending a shiver through him. If there were pine trees around, it would feel like Montana.

Just then his Aunt Rose stepped out of the old mansion.

“Cameron, come see me,” she called.

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