Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“You shouldn’t have invited him.”
Cadee glanced up from the cake she was frosting to see Callum standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She didn’t have to ask who he was talking about. Callum had made his thoughts about Huck being back in their lives perfectly clear.
“We’ve been over this, Cal. Huck is Camden’s father. He has a right to be at his birthday party.”
Callum moved into the kitchen. “He has no rights when he ghosted you. You might not remember how devastated you were, but I do. Every morning that you walked into the kitchen with puffy eyes from crying all night long, I wanted to hunt Huck down like the chicken-eating coyote he was and make him pay. And he hasn’t changed, Cadee. Guys like Huck never do.”
A few weeks ago, she would have agreed wholeheartedly. But not now. Not when she’d watched Huck work so hard to build a tree house. Not when she’d seen the pride on his face when he watched Camden play soccer.
“He was a kid, Cal. People grow up. Huck isn’t the same person he was eight years ago.”
Callum’s voice rose. “That’s bullshit and you know it! Don’t tell me you’re letting that weasel sneak his way back into your heart.”
“Of course not.” She refused to let that happen. “I’m just saying Huck isn’t the same person he was eight years ago. None of us are. You need to give him the chance to prove that.”
“And if he doesn’t prove it? If he hurts Cam . . . or you again?”
Camden being hurt was one of her biggest fears. She could survive Huck leaving. She’d proven that. But how would it affect Camden? She’d seen how Rory Hennessy’s irresponsibility had shaped Huck and made him fearful of commitment. If Huck ended up leaving, would it give Camden the same fears?
“I think that’s called counting your chickens before they hatch.
” Mama stepped into the kitchen with the gingham plastic tablecloths they’d be using on the outside picnic tables where they planned to set up the party.
She had remained quiet about the entire Huck situation, only jumping in when Callum became too vocal.
She handed Callum the tablecloths. “Enough thinking about what ifs. Today is a joyous occasion. Now go put these on the outside tables.”
“Fine, but don’t come crying to me when things turn out the way I know they’re going to.” He turned and walked out of the room.
Cadee glanced at her mama. Her fears were obviously easy to read because her mama reached out and squeezed her arm.
“We can’t control what other people do. We can only control what we do. Giving Camden a chance to know his daddy is the right thing to do. When do you plan to tell Cam?”
“This week sometime. We haven’t really discussed exactly when.”
“And the townsfolk? When do you plan to let them know?”
“I figure we’d wait to see how things go with Cam first.”
Mama nodded. “I think that’s a wise idea to give him some time to acclimate to the idea before the gossip spreads like wildfire.
” She hesitated. “The gossip will spread like wildfire and most of the rumors won’t be kind.
Which is why I think it might be best if we tell the people who have a close connection to the Hennessy family first. Birdie.
Tully. Sheriff Gentry. Otis Hastings. Hopefully, they’ll put a stop to any malicious gossip before it starts. ”
Cadee nodded. “Good idea.” She leaned in and brushed a kiss on her mother’s cheek. “Thank you, Mama.”
“For what? Wanting to protect my grandson from gossip?”
“Not just that, but also for supporting my decision to give Huck a chance.”
Her mama’s eyes softened. “Everyone deserves a second chance. Now let’s get that cake finished.”
Camden had wanted to invite everyone in his grade. Even Miles Lynch. Which made her feel like the bullying had stopped. She kept the menu simple. Hot dogs, chips, a fruit plate, and birthday cake and ice cream. Some of the parents stayed to eat and celebrate, but most dropped off their kids.
Cadee hadn’t planned any games. She’d learned from previous parties that the ranch was filled with enough to keep most kids entertained.
The barn cat had a new litter of kittens Cadee was hoping a few of the parents would want to take home as party favors.
Cannonball and Casper, the two herding dogs, were always up for a game of catch or chase.
Callum and Cooper had saddled two of the old mares to give the kids horseback rides around the corral.
Not to mention, the acres and acres of land perfect for exploring.
The only section of land off-limits was the trees where the tree house was ready for its reveal. Huck had come up with the idea to use a wasp hive as a deterrent for going near the trees. Since most kids were afraid of wasps, including Camden, it worked well.
Huck arrived early to the party and immediately started helping.
He helped Cooper blow up helium balloons to attach to the mailbox and the white slat fences leading to the house.
He helped Cadee hang the Happy 8th Birthday sign along the porch eaves.
And he helped Mama keep the flies off the food she and Cadee had filled the picnic tables with.
But the biggest way he helped was keeping Camden entertained.
Like most kids before their party, Cam was a bundle of energy.
Annoying energy. If he wasn’t asking a million times about when his friends were going to get there, he was tracking dirt into the house or swiping chips from the bowls and leaving chip crumbs all over the tablecloth.
When she caught him getting ready to swipe a finger through the frosting on the cake, it was the final straw.
“Camden Joseph Stockton! If you touch that cake, I swear I’m going to send you to your room for the entire party.”
He got a belligerent look. “It’s my cake!”
Before she could really lose it, Huck spoke. “So you wouldn’t mind eating cake someone’s been sticking their fingers in?”
“I just wanted a taste.”
“And you’ll get one soon enough. For now, how about you and I kick around the soccer ball.”
For the rest of the party preparations, he played soccer with Camden. Then when the guests started to arrive, he grilled hot dogs, refilled the drink coolers with soda and bottles of water, and helped keep an eye on the kids that raced around like ants on an anthill.
Cadee had always had her family’s help at parties, but there was something about Huck helping that was different.
She couldn’t put her finger on why it was different.
It just was. When everyone gathered around the tables to watch Camden blow out his candles and she glanced over at Huck and saw the look of pure unadulterated love on his face, she finally realized what that difference was.
Camden was theirs.
They shared him as only two parents can.
Huck wanted the party to be as big a success as she did. He wanted that for his son.
For their son.
As much as her mama and brothers had helped her with Camden, Cadee had always felt like the full burden of Camden’s happiness was on her.
Now Huck shared in that. She could see it on his face.
Read it in his hazel eyes as he held up his phone and snapped photo after photo of their son blowing out his candles.
He’d been taking pictures of Camden all day. Something Cadee never had enough time for as she hustled around making sure everything was perfect for her son and his friends. After a party or holiday, she would always kick herself for not taking enough pictures.
But Huck relieved that worry. Every time she looked over, he had his phone out and was snapping shots. Probably because he wanted to make sure he captured these moments since he’d missed so many others.
After Camden had finished making his wish and blowing out the candles, Huck glanced over at her.
Something passed between them. Some invisible string she’d thought was long gone but was now even stronger.
Her heart swelled into her throat, and she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away. Didn’t want to pull it away.
It took Camden asking if he could open his presents and a chorus of kids’ squeals for the connection to finally break.
Camden wasted no time unwrapping his gifts.
Once he was finished and had thanked everyone, Huck looked at her expectantly.
The plan was for Cadee to have all the kids and adults follow her and Huck to the tree house.
But suddenly she didn’t want to share the gifting of the tree house with everyone at the party.
She wanted it to be something just she and Huck shared with their son.
Strangely, or not so strangely since they’d grown up reading each other’s minds, when she hesitated to answer his questioning look, Huck smiled and nodded in agreement as if he too didn’t want to share the moment with anyone but her and Cam.
So she allowed the party to end without mentioning the tree house. Once the last car drove away, Callum came up to her.
“What the heck, Cadee? I thought you were going to give Cam the tree—”
She covered her brother’s mouth with her hand and glanced over to where Camden and Huck were trying out the Nerf gun he’d gotten from one of his friends. She looked back at Callum and lowered her hand, keeping her voice quiet enough so Camden wouldn’t hear.
“Huck and I wanted to give it to him alone.”
Callum scowled. “So that’s how it’s going to be? You’re just going to cut off the people who’ve been here for you and Cam from the beginning? Did you think that maybe we’d like to see the look of surprise on Cam’s face too?”