Chapter 18 Cam
CAM
The gravel crunched under my tires as I drove up the long driveway to my parents’ place.
The house sat back from the road, a sprawling ranch style home surrounded by tall, leafy trees and immaculate gardens.
If it weren’t for my mom’s luxury SUV parked in front of the garage, you would never tell my parents were multi-millionaires.
“We’re here!” Alice unbuckled herself before I’d even put the truck in park.
“Hold on, monster. Let me stop first.”
But she was already bouncing in her seat, craning her neck to see if her cousins were outside yet. Audrey was more patient, waiting until I’d properly parked before opening her door.
I grabbed the dessert I’d brought and climbed from the truck, helping first Audrey, then Alice out. The scent of grilling meat wafted on the air, making my stomach growl.
“Audrey! Alice!” My brother Travis’s daughter Annabella came tearing around the corner of the house, her dark curls flying behind her. Her brothers, Oliver and Leo, were right behind her. Within seconds my girls were swept up in a tornado of cousin energy.
“Uncle Cam!” Oliver skidded to a stop in front of me, grinning. “Dad says we can play blob tag after dinner.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“That’s what makes it fun.”
Fair point.
I followed the chaos of children around to the back deck where Dad stood at the barbecue, spatula in hand.
His hair had gone mostly gray in the last few years, but he still had the broad shoulders and easy stance of a man who’d spent his life doing physical work.
He was wearing the apron Mom had gotten him for Christmas.
It said “Grill Sergeant” in big block letters, and he was absolutely rocking it.
“Cam!”
“Hey, Dad.” I shoved the dessert into the outdoor fridge.
He flipped a burger with unnecessary flair. “How’s it going, son?”
“Good. Busy. I need to talk to you about the Goldsboro franchise at some point, but it’s not urgent.”
“Sure thing, if you think you’ve got time. Your mom’s been worried about you handling everything at home with her laid up.”
“We’re managing.” Mainly thanks to Emily, but I didn’t want to get into that here.
As if on cue, Mom appeared in the doorway, moving carefully on crutches. She was only two weeks post-op and was already trying to do too much.
Travis’s wife Brooke was right behind her, hands hovering like she was ready to catch Mom if she fell.
I crossed the deck immediately, meeting her at the doorway. “Mom.”
“Cameron.” Her face lit up when she saw me. “You look thin. Are you eating?”
“I’m eating, Mom.” I took her elbow gently, steadying her as she navigated the threshold.
“Janice, for the love of god, let Cam help you sit down.” Dad didn’t even turn around.
“I’m fine, Dale. It’s just a knee.”
“It’s surgery.”
“I’ll sit when I’m ready to sit.”
Brooke caught my eye and shook her head, half exasperated, half amused. This had probably been going on all afternoon.
“Come on.” I kept my hand on the small of Mom’s back, guiding her toward one of the deck chairs. “Let me help you before Dad has an aneurysm.”
She settled in with a sigh that she tried to hide, propping the crutches against the armrest. “There. Happy?” She looked at Dad.
“Thrilled.” He flipped another burger. “Cam, beer’s in the cooler. Help yourself.”
“Thanks. You want one?”
“Sure.”
“What about you, Mom?”
“Iced tea for me, thanks.”
I grabbed the drinks and handed them out, then took a seat next to Mom. The kids’ laughter drifted up from somewhere in the yard. Travis appeared from inside carrying a bowl of potato salad, our sister Erica right behind him with what looked like her famous coleslaw.
“Hey bro.” Travis set the bowl down and pulled me to my feet, into a one-armed hug. “Long time no see. You good?”
“Surviving the chaos. You?”
“Same. Thinking about opening another location in Asheville.”
“Ambitious.”
“Or stupid. Haven’t decided yet.”
Erica hip-checked him out of the way to hug me next. Her baby bump pressed against my stomach, and I automatically put a hand on it.
“How’s the little one?”
“Active. Apparently, she’s training for the Olympics in there.” She stepped back, studying my face with that look she got when she was analyzing something. “You look good. Tired, but good.”
“Thanks, I think.”
“Where’s Devin?” I glanced around the deck. My brother-in-law was nowhere in sight.
“Chasing Levi.” She pointed toward the yard where Devin was running after a giggling three-year-old. “He ate nothing but fruit snacks all day and now he’s completely feral.”
“Sounds about right.”
We settled into the easy rhythm of family. Dad manned the barbecue like he was born to it, while Mom directed traffic from her chair, despite everyone telling her to relax.
The kids reappeared long enough to inhale some food before disappearing again. Audrey made sure Alice actually ate vegetables instead of just the burger and chips. Alice made sure Audrey knew that carrots didn’t count as a vegetable if you didn’t like them.
Normal. Easy. Exactly what I needed.
I was helping Dad scrape down the grill when Mom’s voice cut through the general conversation.
“So, Cameron. Who’s Emily?”
My hand slipped on the wire brush. I caught myself before dropping it, but Dad caught the fumble.
“What?” I kept my eyes on the grate.
“Emily.” Mom’s tone was innocent, but I wasn’t buying it. That was her I’m-digging-for-information tone. “The girls cannot stop talking about her. Every phone call, it’s Emily this and Emily that. So, who is she?”
My neck felt hot. “She’s my neighbor.”
“Your neighbor.”
“Yeah. She’s been helping out with the girls while you’re recovering.”
“Oh, how lovely.” Mom shifted in her chair. “That’s very kind of her.”
“She’s a princess!” Audrey’s voice rang out from somewhere in the yard. Of course she’d been eavesdropping.
She came running up the deck steps, Alice right behind her.
“She’s a real princess, Grandma. We tested her and everything.”
Oh god.
“A princess.” Mom’s eyes sparkled with barely contained amusement. “How wonderful. And how did you test this exactly?”
“With frozen peas!” Alice bounced on her toes. “Under the mattress. Well, under the sheet on the daybed. And she felt them right away, so that means she’s definitely a princess.”
“The Princess and the Pea.” Mom nodded seriously. “Very thorough.”
“She’s really pretty,” Audrey added. “And she knows everything about baseball. And she makes the best cupcakes, with butterflies on them.”
“She sounds remarkable.”
Silence fell over the grill. Everyone was looking at me. Dad had abandoned all pretense of cleaning. Travis was grinning into his beer. Erica had that look on her face, that meant she was filing away information for later interrogation.
“She’s just helping out,” I said, my voice a little strangled. “It’s temporary until Mom’s back on her feet.”
“Of course.” Mom’s smile was far too knowing. “Just a neighbor helping out. How fortunate that she happened to live next door.”
“Yeah. Fortunate.”
“And she’s good with the girls?”
“They love her.”
“Clearly.” She glanced at Audrey and Alice, who were now demonstrating the proper way to test for princesses using couch cushions. “It’s not easy finding someone you trust with your children.”
“No. It’s not.”
“This Emily must be someone very special.”
The way she said it, it was like she knew I’d been lying awake at night thinking about gold-flecked brown eyes and the sound of Emily’s laugh.
“She’s nice,” I managed. “The girls like her. That’s what matters.”
“Mmhmm.” Mom took a sip of her iced tea, still watching me over the rim of her glass.
Erica chose that moment to lean over. “You know, Cam, your face is doing something very interesting right now.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, you’re all pink and flustered. It’s cute.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You’re definitely flustered,” Travis added. “And in fact, I can’t recall ever seeing you this flustered, even when you were a teenager.”
“Fuck off.”
“And now you’re thirty-eight and apparently terrible at hiding when you like someone.”
“I don’t...” I stopped, dragging a hand through my hair. “Can we not do this right now?”
“Do what?” Mom’s voice was pure innocence. “We’re just asking about the kind neighbor who’s helping with the girls.”
“Right. The neighbor.” Erica’s grin was downright evil. “Who’s a princess. Who makes cupcakes with butterflies. Who knows everything about baseball.”
“And who Cam definitely doesn’t have any feelings for whatsoever,” Travis finished.
“I hate you both.”
“No you don’t.” Erica patted my arm. “You love us. We’re delightful.”
Mom was still watching me with that soft, knowing expression. The one that said she was happy for me even though I hadn’t admitted anything. Even though there was nothing to admit.
“Well.” She set down her tea. “I look forward to meeting this Emily eventually. She sounds like someone I’d like.”
Alice climbed carefully into Mom’s lap despite the knee. “Everyone loves Emily.”
“You should bring her by some time.”
“Mom...”
“I’m just saying.” Her smile was gentle. “If she’s important to the girls, I’d like to know her. That’s all.”
Everyone loves Emily.
Yeah. They really did. She was very… likeable.