Righting a Wrong (A Ripple Effect Romance Novella) by Rachael Anderson Page B

wait.”
    Of all the guys Cambri had dated over the years, none were half so good as Jace Sutton. How could she have walked away from him before? How could she walk away from him now?
    He’s not yours to walk toward or away from, came the sad reminder. It was true. That ship had already sailed, and no amount of hoping or watching the horizon would bring it back. She’d messed up, and that was that.
    Cambri cleared her throat, steering her mind toward slightly less depressing thoughts. “As much as I’d love to put a stream back here, I really don’t think Dad would have gone to the effort to get you over here if he wasn’t that opposed to it. Maybe I’ll just plant a tree, bury two posts for a hammock, and call it good. A water feature would be a pain to build anyway.”
    Jace must have caught the wistfulness in her voice because his arm came around her shoulders, and he directed her toward his truck. “The Cambri I know wouldn’t give up so easily. Where’s the girl who was about to break down her dad’s door with a sledgehammer or plant a bunch of perennials?” he teased.
    “She’s sick of fighting with him, so she’s giving up.” She stopped and looked up at him, feeling deflated all of a sudden. “No matter what I do or how hard I try, I’ll never be good enough for him, will I? I’ll never be you.”
    Jace spun her around to face him. “What are you talking about?”
    “You know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re the loyal one with your head screwed on straight, and I’m the disloyal screw-up.”
    “You? A screw-up?” Jace’s lips twitched for a moment then straightened, as he realized she wasn’t joking around. “I don’t get how you could think that. You’re beautiful, determined, motivated, successful, and loyal. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t. And if that’s your definition of a screw-up, then yeah, I guess you are one.”
    “Gee thanks,” Cambri said.
    He drew her into a hug, holding her close and reminding her how wonderful it felt to be hugged by him. “Your dad loves you, Cam. The only reason he acts that way or says what he does is because he’s afraid of losing you again. It was hard for him when you left before, and it’s going to be hard for him when you leave again. This is just his way of trying to protect himself from getting hurt. I mean, think about it. He already lost his wife. He doesn’t want to lose his daughter too. He just has a more ornery way of showing that.”
    Cambri simultaneously laughed and sniffed. His words rang true, easing the pain and restoring the good. She kept her arms tight around him, refusing to let go. “How do you do that? No matter what happens or how badly I mess up, you’ve always been able to make me feel better. Even when Mom died … ” She shook her head, remembering the pain. “I honestly don’t know how I would have made it through that without you. I’ve really missed you.” And don’t want to live without you anymore.
    His response wasn’t immediate, but it did come. “I’ve missed you too.” Was it her, or did his arms tighten ever so slightly?
    “What do you say we go check out the sheds and pump now?” He loosened his grip, bringing Cambri back to the harsh reality that he wasn’t hers to hold.
    She stepped away and glanced at the locked house once more, still not sure that was the right course of action. “Tell you what. If you convince my dad to let me do it, I’ll let you help built it.” If anyone could talk him into it, Jace could.
    “You’ll let me help?” Jace laughed. “Sheesh, I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”
    “Don’t worry. It’s an easy out. There’s no way you’ll ever get him to agree to it.”
    “That sounds like a challenge.”
    “It is.”
    “You know I never back down from a challenge.”
    “That’s my hope.”
    He laughed again and headed toward the house with that confident stride of his. The click of the lock sounded, the door opened, and Jace