Change of Heart

Chapter 26

26

There’s a minute when I wake up the following morning that I think I must have found my way back to New York. There’s no sunshine beaming through the curtains and I’m definitely not in my Heart Springs bedroom. It isn’t until Ben tugs on me, pulling me tighter against him, that I remember where I am and what happened the night before.

A shiver of heat runs through me as the memories flood my mind. The warmth spreads through my veins as the sexy times fade to the background, replaced by the sweet memories, the declarations Ben and I both made to each other.

I love him, and he loves me.

We cemented that love for each other last night, and yet, I’m still here in Heart Springs.

Somehow, I haven’t managed to fulfill my tasks yet.

I scoot out of Ben’s bed, needing the bathroom and a minute alone to think. If the bakery isn’t truly my passion, then what else am I supposed to do? I ran through my other job options, and it’s not like I can go back and try being a bookseller or wedding planner again. As far as I know, my options were limited, and the bakery has definitely been the best of them.

So it must be the third task, find myself a useful and productive and valued member of the community. I’ve volunteered at events and saved the local bakery. People say hi to me when they see me on the street. I ask genuine questions and converse freely with our customers at the bakery, and yet it still doesn’t seem to be enough.

“Story of my life,” I mutter under my breath.

No matter how far I reach, how much I change myself to try to fit in the mold others have deemed the only acceptable version of me, I can’t seem to get it right. I never found acceptance from my family, despite the thousands of hours and millions of dollars I brought to the law firm. Why would I expect acceptance from total strangers?

There’s a gentle knock on the door. “You okay in there?”

I open it sheepishly. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Ben leans on the doorjamb. He’s put on a pair of flannel pajama pants, but he hasn’t bothered with a shirt. His hair is sleep-rumpled and sticking up in several messy directions. “Don’t apologize. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t freaking out.”

I narrow my eyes because how dare he know my tics so well. “I’m not freaking out about us if that makes you feel any better.”

“Marginally.” He reaches for my hand, and I let him pull me closer. “What’s going on in that beautiful and sometimes self-destructive brain of yours?”

“It is too early for a call out like that. I haven’t even had coffee yet.”

He tilts his head toward the kitchen. “We can fix that.”

A few minutes later, we sit across from each other at the dining table, steaming mugs cupped in both of our hands.

Ben waits for me to speak, which is annoying and also does exactly what he wants it to.

“I sort of expected to wake up back in the real world this morning.” I take a sip of coffee, but it’s still too hot to drink and so I’m forced to keep talking. “And that was scary in a lot of ways, because I can’t imagine not having you in my life anymore when this is all done. But now that I know for sure that it’s not the love thing keeping me here, I can’t help but feel like a total failure.” My voice drops on that final word, the worst word, one that’s haunted me my entire life. I’ve been working since I was a kid to avoid failure, and yet here I am.

Ben reaches across the table for my hand, his thumb delivering soothing strokes over the skin of my palm. “You’re not a failure, sweetheart. We’re going to figure this out. And over the next few days as we get a handle on things, whenever you feel down, I want you to think about how far you’ve come since you’ve been here.”

“I’m still the same terrible person I was before. Only now I know I’m terrible and I mostly don’t want to be terrible, I just don’t know how to stop.”

“You’re not a terrible person, Cam.” He doesn’t elaborate, but he sounds so certain, and Ben is nothing if not trustworthy and reliable. “So what’s your plan for today?” He steers the conversation away from my existential crisis like it’s all been resolved.

Which it definitely hasn’t, but I don’t know what more I can do to fix it today. I pull my hand from his grip, wrapping it around my mug again and sitting back in my chair. “I’m going to the bakery this morning and then meeting with Anna in the afternoon.”

Ben raises his eyebrows just the slightest bit. “Are you going to work with her on her case?”

I shrug, though even the thought of it stirs a little something exciting in my brain. “I don’t know. I need to see what kind of paper trail she might have showing her claim to the store. But I probably won’t do more than this one meeting. The bakery is a full-time job, and I don’t want to commit to something if I can’t follow through.”

Ben nods, but doesn’t say anything further. We finish our coffees to the tune of amiable meaningless chatter and teasing, after which I kiss him and head back to my own house so I can dress for the day.

The bakery is busy once again, and before I even have time to stop and catch my breath, Emma is flipping the sign to “closed” and pointing me in the direction of the toy store.

I push through the front door, waiting for the tinkle of a bell to accompany the movement as it does in every other shop in Heart Springs. Instead, I’m greeted by a loud train whistle, which scares the shit out of me.

The woman at the counter laughs at my jump scare, but it’s not unkind. “Wait until you leave, that one’s even better.”

I try not to grimace, but I’m probably not very successful. “You must be Anna.”

“And you’re Cam. I was at the fundraiser for the bakery; you truly did such a magnificent job. Emma is so lucky to have you.”

I’m not one to usually shy away from praise, but I brush off her words. “It was nothing. Emma deserves it.” I make my way slowly over to the counter, taking in the space. It’s hard to move through the store, as the shelves are practically overflowing with toys. Baskets stuffed full of even more goodies line the aisles. It’s cluttered but cozy, and I can see how every kid in town must love coming here.

Anna watches me take it all in, a small smile on her face. “I know it’s a lot in here.”

“It is, but it’s cute. And obviously, it’s working out for you. Or it’s working out for the store, rather.”

Anna’s small smile shrinks further. “I’ve been working here since I was in high school. I love this place, and the thought of a stranger coming in and selling it for parts makes my stomach turn.”

My eyebrows raise. “Is that the nephew’s plan?”

Anna rolls her eyes. “He hasn’t said that explicitly, but he doesn’t live in town and there’s no way he’s going to relocate to Heart Springs to work in the store. He wouldn’t know the first thing about it.”

“People can learn to run a business, you know. And who knows, maybe this nephew is looking for a change in his life and does want to move here.” Despite trying for so long to get out of this place, I certainly am no longer a stranger to its appeals.

“If we can prove that that’s the case, I’ll happily leave him to take over ownership of the store. But I want to make sure if I’m walking away, I’m leaving her in good hands.”

“Fair enough.” My eyes flit around the room, looking for some kind of office. “Is there somewhere we can go to chat in more detail? I don’t know that I can be of much assistance, but I’ll take a look through whatever paperwork and evidence you’ve gathered.”

Anna leads me to a closet-sized office in the back of the store. There’s barely room for both of us and her tiny desk, but she hands over everything she has. And luckily, she actually has things to hand over. Letters and documented conversations with the former owner of the store, who passed away a few months ago.

“So do you think you can help me?” Anna asks after two hours of shuffling through papers, a tinge of hope in her voice.

I don’t want to let her down, and she does have a good case. It’s going to be tricky because the nephew is family, but his uncle made his intentions pretty clear. Of course, he could have helped everyone out by leaving a will, but the time for that has passed.

“You have a good case, Anna. Have you reached out to Noah Crenshaw at all? He’s actually the town lawyer and he could devote way more time and resources to your case than I could.”

Her nose wrinkles. “I did reach out to him, but he told me my case wasn’t financially worth the time it would take.”

I flash her a sympathetic smile. I’ve delivered the same response many times myself. I open my mouth to reply but Anna cuts me off.

“I can pay you for your time, obviously. I have plenty of money, that isn’t the issue here. I just need someone to fight for me, to help me get what I was promised. I care about this store, and I care about this town. Please, Cam. I need your help.”

Well, fuck.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, hoping I don’t regret this. “All right, Anna. I’ll help you. But I need you to keep in mind that I still have to keep up my hours at the bakery, and I can’t promise you a win here.” I pretty much never lose when it comes to getting the best deal for my clients, but this isn’t technically my job anymore.

Anna jumps out of her seat, an impressive feat in the tight space. She circles around the desk and throws her arms around my neck. “Oh my gosh, Cam. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

I awkwardly pat her on the back. “I know what it feels like to be invested in a business and I’ll do what I can to help you save yours.”

She leads me back through the store, where she hugs me again. I promise to keep her updated.

I push open the front door of the toy shop and almost have a heart attack as the sound of a thousand quacking ducks explodes around me. I shoot Anna a dirty look over my shoulder, but she just smiles and waves, and how does she listen to that all day long?

The people in this town really are something else.

—

Time passes like some kind of a hazy dream. In the mornings, I work my bakery shifts, though Emma lets me go earlier and earlier each day. She hires two part-time employees who come in to pick up the slack. At first, I hate that these newbies are taking my place, but the more I get to know them, the more I like them. And their presence leaves me with more time to work on Anna’s case, which invigorates and stimulates my brain in a way nothing else in Heart Springs has.

I spend my afternoons organizing our case, and I’m confident we’re going to come out of this victorious. We’re only a few days away from presenting all of our evidence to the nephew’s team and if they’re smart, they’ll take a look at everything we have and turn tail and run.

The weather outside stays crisp and snowy, and though it’s clearly the holiday season, I still have no idea when Christmas will actually be upon us. Instead, we seem to be trapped in a perpetual snow globe, and Ben and I take full advantage. We spend our time together ice skating, and having snowball fights, and strolling through the winter marketplace that occupies the town square each weekend.

When I let myself sit and really think about it, I realize how content I am here in Heart Springs.

Waking up next to Ben each morning is blissful in itself, then I get to fill my days with people whose company I truly enjoy, doing work I feel truly proud of. I come home each night to a man who loves me and knows exactly how to satisfy me.

I start to forget why I would ever want to leave this place.

I wake up the morning of our big meeting to Ben dotting soft kisses along my shoulder. His hardness is nestled against the curve of my ass, and I instinctively push back against him.

“I have to get up and get ready for my meeting,” I mutter as I turn my head to meet his kiss.

“I know. I figured you might need a little stress reliever before then.” He grins against my lips as his hands drift down to work their magic. He pushes into me from behind, his fingers working over my clit until I’m gripping the pillow and calling out his name. He finishes a second later, the two of us so in sync these days, our orgasms are almost always simultaneous.

“You really are the best alarm clock I’ve ever had.” I kiss him before throwing off the sheets and hopping out of bed.

I open the closet, knowing the ideal outfit is going to be there waiting for me. And it is. A sharp gray pantsuit, perfectly tailored and matched with a killer pair of red heels. The only thing different from my standard wardrobe back home is the polka-dotted blouse that ties in a floppy bow at the collar. I wish I could say I hate it, but it actually adds the perfect amount of flair. As I dress, I catch sight of Ben’s reflection in the mirror. He’s still in bed, the sheets draped over his waist, and he’s watching me like he can’t believe how lucky he is. Slipping into the suit feels a little like slipping into the old me, but I know the old me would never look at this life we’ve made in Heart Springs and feel grateful for it.

I slip in a pair of gold stud earrings and turn back toward the bed. I lean down and kiss him again, letting this one linger. “Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need luck, sweetheart. You’ve got this in the bag.”

I throw him a wink over my shoulder as I head out. “I know.”

He laughs and the sound follows me to the front door. Most days lately we sit and share a cup of coffee in front of the Christmas tree, enjoying the cozy morning together, but today I don’t have time for that.

Instead, I push through the café, hoping Mimi is around to provide me with the necessary caffeine. She waits behind the counter, though, as usual, there’re no other customers waiting for a drink.

Her eyebrows raise when she sees me. “Espresso shot?”

“Actually I’ll take one of those peppermint mocha things.” What can I say, I’ve developed an addiction to sweet coffee.

Her eyebrows rise even farther, but she turns to prepare my drink without further comment about my change in tastes. “You look nice.”

“Thanks. Anna and I are meeting today with the nephew’s legal team.” I refuse to acknowledge the man has an actual name, only referring to him as the nephew .

“How’s it going to go?”

“Well, we don’t really know that until the meeting is over.”

Mimi gives me a sharp look as she hands me my drink in its reusable cup. “How’s it going to go?”

I grin. “I’m going to kick his ass.”

“Good.”

I spin around, heading to the front door. “I’ll bring the cup back on my way home.”

“Make sure you do,” she says, though there’s several layers of teasing in her voice. “Oh, and Campbell?”

I stop by the front door, turning to face her.

“I’m proud of you. For taking this on, and for helping Anna.” She offers me a small smile and a wave, dismissing me like she didn’t just completely rock my world.

Her words run through my mind over and over as I stroll toward the toy store. Really, for a meeting like this, we should be meeting somewhere neutral, but the only place I know of in town like that is the conference room at Noah’s office and I’m not about to ask him for the space for obvious reasons.

Anna is anxious when I arrive at the toy store, but we run through everything one more time, and it seems to soothe her nerves.

And the meeting goes exactly as I predicted it would. By the time we’ve finished presenting our evidence, the nephew’s lawyers are shooting each other knowing looks. They tell us they need some time to discuss and consider their options, but it doesn’t take more than an hour before they’re calling and capitulating.

I’m ready for Anna’s hug this time and accept it with no qualms. She has tears in her eyes, and I have to blink away my own because I do not get emotional over cases. Especially ones I’ve won.

I leave Anna with strict instructions to not say or do anything more until all the paperwork is signed. And I don’t even jump when the squad of ducks hollers at me as I exit the toy store.

Ben is waiting on the front porch of his house with two glasses of champagne, and we toast my victory and kiss under the mistletoe he’s hung over the front door.

It’s a perfect day in what’s become a very long string of perfect days.

And it blends into yet another perfect night.

—

Ben and I stroll through the winter market in the town square a couple of days later. The ground is blanketed in snow, but none of it encroaches onto the paths snaking between the stalls, making it easy to stroll hand in hand from booth to booth. We sip on hot chocolate and say hi to everyone we encounter. It’s another fairy-tale-esque winter day.

We’re making our final loop around the town square when we pause to admire the giant tree that’s the centerpiece of the town’s holiday decorations. The tree towers above the buildings, blanketed in lights and swathed in ornaments that each bear some sort of tie to Heart Springs. There’s a whisk and a mixing bowl for Emma’s bakery, a stack of books for the bookstore. One of the favorite pastimes of the holiday season in Heart Springs is everyone finding the ornament that represents them.

I haven’t been able to locate mine yet, but Ben assures me it’s there somewhere. We found Ben’s easily the first day the tree went up. It’s a red heart shaped by the handprints of all his patients and the kids who benefitted from his carnival event. It’s basically the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, and I hate it a little more each time we see it. Not because he doesn’t deserve it or hasn’t earned it, but because he’s clearly so loved by everyone in this town, and despite the strides I have made, despite the acceptance I’ve felt recently, I still am not.

“Dr. Loving!” a voice calls across the square just as we’re about to head home.

We both stop and turn, and my blood chills a little when I see the absolutely drop-dead gorgeous woman waving to Ben from the other side of the tree.

I would say I try not to let the jealousy overtake me, but that would be a lie.

The woman jogs over to us, a wide smile on her face like she doesn’t know I’m silently planning her murder.

“Taylor, have you met my girlfriend Cam?” Ben asks the second she lands in front of us. Damn, this guy is smart.

She turns to me without dropping her smile, no hint of malice anywhere on her perfect face. “I haven’t, but that’s actually the reason why I stopped you. I wanted to talk to you, Cam.”

“Oh?” I manage to keep the hostility from my voice, which Taylor is making easy with her warm smile and the way she doesn’t even look at Ben after he introduces me.

“I heard what you did for Anna and for the bakery, and I was wondering if I would maybe be able to hire you to represent me?” The hope is clear in her bright blue eyes, and I hate to be the one to dash it.

“I’m sorry, Taylor, but I’m not actually a practicing attorney anymore. Those were sort of one-off occasions.”

Taylor clasps her hands together, making her look like an actual Disney princess. “Oh please, Cam. I really need your help. My ex-boyfriend is claiming that he gave me the idea for the business I own and trying to get me to buy him out when the man never spent a single cent or lifted a single finger to help me start it.”

“Have you talked to Noah Crenshaw?”

Her face hardens. “That’s the jerk who’s representing him.”

I do my best to morph my face into a sympathetic smile. “I really wish I could help, Taylor.” And I do. Her ex sounds like a total dick. “But I don’t think I have the time to take on anything else right now.”

Ben nudges me. “Your case with Anna is done, and Emma already hired the extra help for the bakery.”

“I’m aware.” I glare at him, wondering if he’s being swayed by Taylor’s pretty face.

“Give us a second.” He shoots Taylor an apologetic look and pulls me off to the side. “What’s with the excuses, sweetheart? You can try to hide it if you want, but I know how much you enjoyed working with Anna. Why not take on Taylor’s case and help her stick it to the man?”

“Don’t you think we’ve pushed our luck enough, Ben?” I whisper the words fiercely, making sure my voice is low enough so no one can overhear us. “Mimi made it very clear to me that lawyering is not a career option. I don’t think I should be breaking any more rules.”

His eyes soften and he reaches out to tug gently on a strand of my hair. “I think you should do what makes you happy, Cam. Fuck the rules.”

I tap my foot impatiently as I mull it over, not sure which is swaying me more, Taylor or Ben using the word fuck . Looking back at Taylor, who’s watching the two of us with a hopeful expression on her face, I sigh. “I guess there’s no real harm in taking a look at what she’s got.”

Ben grins and before I can say another word, Taylor is back at my side, throwing her arms around me.

I’d like to say I’ve become accustomed to the hugs, but this one still catches me off guard. “No promises.” I lace my words with serious warning.

She holds up her hands and begins walking away from us, like she wants to escape before I change my mind. “Understood. I’ll come find you at the bakery on Monday and we can talk more!”

Taylor darts off into the crowd, though she leaves a trail of squealing in her wake that makes me think she did not take my warning all that seriously.

Ben’s smile is triumphant and a little smug as we start our short walk home.

“You’re the worst,” I tell him as he pushes open the front door to my house.

“You know you love me.”

“I hate it when you’re right.”