Page 26 of Alaskan Reunion (Alaskan Grooms 2)

ing to lessen.

During her afternoon break Cameron approached her as she was digging in to a grilled turkey-and-avocado sandwich with a side of kale chips. He’d made her one of his new creations. A white-chocolate mochaccino. Although one sip of it confirmed it was rich and calorie laden, she wasn’t going to fret about it. She was feeling self-indulgent today.

“Hey, Paige. I have an Emma question. Is it my imagination or am I growing on her?” Cameron asked.

Paige swallowed a bite of her sandwich. She tried not to groan out loud at how good it was. “It’s not your imagination. She lights up when she sees you. And she’s very comfortable in your presence.”

“I thought so!” Cameron said, his voice full of excitement. “She doesn’t give me that ‘Who’s he?’ look anymore.”

Paige laughed at the visual. Emma had a very expressive face and she knew that particular look very well. She had always called it Emma’s grandpa face since she tended to scrunch up her nose like a little old man. “Believe me, that’s progress. When Fiona first came to us, it took Emma a long time to accept her. Now she adores her.”

“So, do you think I can spend some alone time with her this weekend?” Cameron tossed the question out casually but she could see the expectant expression etched on his face.

Although she had logically known this day would come, she didn’t feel prepared. Not by a long shot. She put her sandwich back down on her plate. “Do you think you’re ready for that?” Paige asked. She was biting her lip. Suddenly her pulse was beating erratically at the idea of Emma being taken from her normal setting.

“I take it you don’t.” Immediately he sounded defensive.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that Emma gets fussy sometimes and she’s really hard to get down for her nap. And she’s pretty finicky about meals.” She found herself rattling off a litany of reasons. “She’s also been having these issues with allergies. Some foods like strawberries and peas have been giving her an allergic reaction.”

Cameron crossed his arms. He frowned down at Paige. “Something tells me you could come up with a hundred reasons why I can’t spend some one-on-one time with my daughter.”

For a moment she felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Cameron’s eyes were like laser beams boring a hole straight through her. She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she apologized. “This is all new for me. It’s only ever been me. And Fiona. And lots of support from God along the way. Emma had a great bond with my dad but he was too ill to take care of her.” She shrugged. “I suppose I’m having a little trouble letting go.”

“She’s safe with me. I’d never let any harm come to her. Not on my watch.” His expression was so fierce it almost made Paige laugh. But she knew he was serious. He was fighting for some quality time with Emma and she had no right to stand between them. After all, she had come back to Alaska for this very reason. So Cameron could forge a bond with Emma. There was no point in putting roadblocks in his path.

“I know, Cameron. It isn’t that I don’t think she’s safe with you. I just need someone to cut the cord I’ve had tethered to me since the day she was born.” Paige’s voice cracked with emotion.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey. Nobody’s asking you to cut off any ties. I just need to establish something between Emma and myself that is separate and apart from you. It’s wonderful that you’ve acted as a bridge between us, but at some point I have to step up as a strong presence in her life.”

“I get it. And I have to admit that in the beginning I was really worried about the lure of the Prescott family. I kept thinking that you had so much to offer Emma. It’s hard sometimes to deal with the fact that she has no family on my side other than myself. There are no bells and whistles. No little cousins to run around with or a treasure-hunting grandpa to hang out with.”

“She has you. That in itself is amazing. And Jasper hung up his treasure-hunting days when Grace discovered that the Prescott ancestors didn’t strike it rich in gold. No more spelunking for him!”

“Oh no. What a shame,” Paige said. “He must have been devastated after believing in that Prescott family legend for so long.”

Cameron shrugged. “Sometimes when one dream dies, it’s time to find another one. How does Saturday sound for Emma? I’ve taken the day off.”

“That will be fine,” she agreed with a nod, wishing she still didn’t have qualms about Emma spending the day with Cameron without her.

As he walked away to take care of a customer, Paige couldn’t get Cameron’s comment out of her mind. Giving up on a dream wasn’t half as easy as he believed. She had once imagined a life with him—until those visions had crumbled into dust. Even though she had stopped fantasizing about a future with Cameron years ago, all of a sudden she couldn’t stop thinking about what might have been if events hadn’t altered the course of their relationship.

Marriage? A cozy house with a view of the mountains?

She immediately chided herself for taking this sentimental trip down memory lane. Aspirations were wonderful things, but it wasn’t wise to continue to fantasize about things that would never come to pass.

* * *

Cameron wiped his brow as he quietly shut the door on the guest room he had transformed into a makeshift nursery. It still had a long way to go before it was sugar, spice and pink teddy bears, but he was committed to finishing the room with a fresh coat of paint and all the trimmings.

After running him ragged for the past few hours, Emma had finally settled down for a nap. But not before calling out for her mama numerous times. Finally, out of sheer exhaustion she had drifted off into slumber on his shoulder. Using an equal measure of agility and finesse, he had placed her down in the crib that had been passed on to him by Liam. At first he had felt guilty about taking the crib that Liam had built with his own hands for Aidan, but his brother had insisted. Something about it had felt wrong, as if Liam didn’t believe he would ever find love again and add to his family.

Why hadn’t anyone told him how difficult it was to watch a fourteen-month-old for a few hours? The diaper change had thrown him for a loop. He scratched his head, still feeling unsure as to whether he had put the thing on correctly. And she had been fidgeting so much that he’d ripped a few of them while trying to change her.

Did the diapers even fit properly? Her pudgy little legs had looked crammed in. He didn’t want her legs to chafe against it, thus giving Paige evidence of his deficiencies in the baby-watching department.

He let out a grunt. Was he really standing here worrying about diapers? It was amazing how much self-doubt could arise when child care was involved.

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