Hometown Holiday Reunion (12 page)

“I kinda thought we'd put all that kid nonsense behind us. I mean, I did offer to escort you to a women's prison,” he said with a wry grin.

“Yeah, you did,” she commented in a disbelieving voice. “I still don't understand why.”

“Let's call it a peace offering. In the spirit of the season.” When she didn't respond, he decided to press a little. “We're not ten anymore, Erin. Or sixteen. I like my independence, too, and it kills me to rely on anyone for anything. But right now, to get what we want, we're gonna have to swallow our pride and help each other.”

“I guess you've got a point. Parker leaves for school around eight, so I could come in right after that. At least it's a short commute,” she added in the sassy tone he was starting to like just a little too much.

Getting to his feet, he said, “That's the spirit. If we can stick it out through the winter, in the end I think we'll both be happy with the end result.”

“Me here with my new business and Parker, and you back in Minnesota. Right?”

He wasn't sure why she'd phrased it that way, but he couldn't argue with the accuracy of her statement, so he nodded. “Right.”

Looking down at the beat-up door he was using as a tabletop, she scratched at a fleck of old paint on the surface. When she lifted her head, there was a disconcerting spark in her eyes. “Do you think you'd ever consider moving back here?”

“Not a chance,” he answered reflexively, the same way he'd done since graduating from high school. “I have a great job up north, and once I get my building designer's certification, I'll have the kind of career I've always wanted. Natalie's got her family now, so once Mom's feeling better, I'm outta here.”

The spark dimmed considerably, and she turned her attention back to the shop design. “It seems to me that if we adjust the width of these display shelves, people would have more space to walk in between them.”

And, just like that, she was back to business. Cam couldn't figure out what that very personal detour had been about, but apparently she was satisfied with his answer. The trouble was, even though leaving Oaks Crossing had been his plan all along, now he was starting to wonder.

Was it really the best way forward, or should he reconsider?

Recognizing that now was not the right time for soul-searching, he followed Erin's lead and got to work building a materials list. When Parker bounded downstairs to lend a hand, the three of them strolled around the store, chalking various areas on the floor and debating how much space each section would need. To Cam's surprise, the kid was actually helpful, especially when it came to designing the petting corral.

“The fence should be this high,” he suggested, holding a hand at his shoulder height. “And have one of those locking pool gates so little kids can't open it by mistake and let all the animals out.”

“That's good,” Erin approved, making a note on her clipboard. “It should also be low enough that if there's a problem, parents can lift their kids out quickly.”

“You mean a problem like not wanting to let go of a cute beagle?” Cam teased with a chuckle.

“I can only hope we have to deal with lots of those. Not just so the store is a success, but so all those poor darlings find good homes.”

“Everyone needs someone to love them,” Parker agreed in a voice that sounded way too somber for an eight-year-old.

Smiling, Erin put an arm around his shoulders and gave a light squeeze. “We'll do our best.”

Cam got the distinct impression that she was referring to more than pet adoptions, and he felt an unfamiliar twang in his chest. Parker didn't know it, but he'd become the prize in an emotional tug-of-war between the woman who'd dumped him into the foster system and the one fiercely determined to rescue him from it.

If Erin couldn't convince Parker's mom to relinquish custody of him, Cam hated to consider what might happen to the bright, sensitive boy he'd become so fond of.

“All right,” he said briskly to drag himself out of his brooding, “this looks like a good start. I've got stuff to do over in Rockville, so I'll stop by the home improvement store and pick up these supplies for you. When I was working on the diner, I opened a contractor's account there, so if I buy them, you'll get a discount.”

“That's great, Cam. Thank you.” Erin added a grateful smile and handed over her list. “In the meantime, we'll get this place all cleaned up so it's ready for construction this afternoon.”

She patted his shoulder with a look of encouragement that made it plain she'd guessed what his errand was all about, and that he didn't want to discuss it. How she knew that was beyond him, but he appreciated the supportive gesture all the same.

During the drive, he ran several scenarios through his head but finally stopped because every one of them ended badly. He strolled into the Farmer's Grill fifteen minutes early, figuring he'd park himself at a table and gain the upper hand in this very awkward situation with his father. Best laid plans, he thought when he noticed the tall businessman in a booth near the door talking on a sleek black cell phone.

When he saw Cam, he ended the call and stood to greet him. “Thanks for coming.”

He started to offer his hand, then seemed to think better of it and instead motioned Cam to the other bench. The waitress took their drink orders and once she left, the man he'd spent most of his life hating folded his hands on the table and fixed him with a woeful expression.

“There's no way for me to apologize enough for what I did to you, Natalie and your mother.”

Cam refused to take that bait, so he just sat back and crossed his arms in what he hoped came across as a casual but doubtful pose.

After they'd ordered lunch, his host tried again. “But I'd like to try.”

“Okay.”

Cam was waiting for him to suggest a check or some other form of payment that would get him off the hook. What he did instead was the last thing Cam could have anticipated, despite all his pondering on the way here. “All those years ago, I was a very unhappy young man who wasn't ready to take responsibility for myself, much less anyone else. After I left here, I spent a lot of time drifting from place to place, searching for what was missing from my life.”

The confession struck uncomfortably close to things Cam had felt from time to time but had never given words to. The idea that he'd somehow inherited his father's selfish streak didn't sit well with him, and he struggled to keep his voice civil. “If you're looking for sympathy from me, you're wasting your time. You had everything most people would give anything to have, and you walked away from it.”

“I know, and I regret that every day. I used to think that in time I'd move past the guilt, but as I get older it only gets worse. This time of year is the worst, because most folks are with their families and I'm alone.”

Now it made sense, Cam thought bitterly. He'd come back because he'd met someone and wanted to marry her, start a new family that suited him better than the old one. “So you're here for a divorce?”

“Absolutely not,” his father spat out, anger flaring in the dark eyes that were so much like the ones Cam saw in the mirror every morning. “Why would you even suggest that?”

“I don't know,
Dad
,” Cam shot back, adding plenty of venom to the name. “You tell me.”

The waitress returned with their lunches, which gave him a chance to get a better hold on his temper. Erin wasn't the only one with a quick trigger. Why she'd popped into his mind at that moment was a mystery to him, but the brief detour had the welcome effect of cooling him down enough to keep from throttling the man seated across the table.

“I came,” his father continued, “to make amends.”

The simple, heartfelt answer had a ring of truth in it, but Cam was still skeptical. “Why now?”

“The pastor at the church I've been going to has been counseling me about my...” he paused for a grimace “...shameful past. I can't change what I did back then, but I've missed you all very much, and I'm praying that we can somehow find a way to be a family again.”

Cam knew his mother had sent up the same prayer every day for nearly eighteen years. Because, for some reason he'd never understood, she still loved David Stewart and had never lost faith in the idea that he could be the husband and father they all needed. For his own part, Cam still wasn't sure about it, but he had to give the guy credit. He was standing firm and taking every hit Cam threw at him, refusing to back down from a fight.

Confronted by his special brand of unyielding opposition, most people he knew would have given up and turned tail a long time ago.

And then, for some reason, his earlier comment to Erin floated into his mind and he extended his hand across the table. “In the spirit of the season, I'll give it a try.”

As they shook, gratitude flooded his father's eyes, and he gave Cam a tentative smile. “I won't let you down this time. I promise.”

Cam had his doubts, but he'd already given his word, so he kept them to himself. But if things ended up the way he thought they would, David Stewart would have to run a lot farther away than Michigan.

Chapter Six

T
hat evening, it was almost nine when Cam finished the year-end inventory at the restaurant and headed for home. It had been a long, productive day, but he was bushed and long past ready for some peace and quiet. He'd expected to find the house dark and silent, but instead the Christmas lights were on and strains of “Auld Lang Syne” drifted through the open front door. As he came up the front walk, he stopped abruptly, hardly able to believe his eyes.

There, on the front porch, sat his parents. His father was singing quietly in a passable baritone while his mother looked on from her wheelchair with a contented smile. The sight of them together again after all these years did something funky to Cam's heart, and he took a deep breath to regain his composure.

When he'd been younger, he'd often imagined them reuniting and making their family whole. But that dream had died long ago, and he'd learned to function without the solid foundation buddies like Drew had taken for granted. Somewhere deep inside him, Cam felt that hopeful child coming to life, eager to embrace what he'd given up wishing for.

Putting the foolish notion aside, he climbed the front steps and greeted Mom with a kiss on the cheek before taking a seat on the old swing. “How're you feeling tonight?”

“Just fine,” she replied, adding a lopsided smile. “Did you have a good turnout at the diner today?”

“Yeah. Everyone who came in said to give you their best wishes for a Happy New Year.”

She sighed. “I miss seeing them.”

“I know, but the doctor said you needed to keep things calm a while longer,” he reminded her as gently as he could. Having run a busy restaurant for so many years, he understood that it was tough for her to be isolated from the Oaks Crossing social scene she enjoyed so much.

“Maybe it's time for less of that,” Dad suggested, “and more visitors.”

Coming from anyone else, the comment wouldn't have bothered him in the least. He might even have agreed. But because the source was his long-absent father, it sounded like criticism of how Cam and Natalie had handled Mom's recovery.

Tamping down a flare of temper, he did his best to appear reasonable. “Since I haven't got a degree in medicine, I figure it's best to follow the orders of someone who does.”

“Of course,” his father backpedaled. “I didn't mean to step on any toes.”

“It's easy for you to second-guess. You weren't there in the hospital when she couldn't recognize her own children or sit up long enough to sip water from a cup.”

“Cameron.” Although her voice was still far from its usual strength, her disapproving frown had nothing to do with the stroke she'd suffered. “What's done is done.”

“So you forgive him, just like that?” She nodded, and despite his vow to be patient, he lost it. Standing to his full height, he glared down at the man who'd left a twelve-year-old boy to be in charge of the family he'd decided had no place in his life anymore. “Well, I'm sorry, but I can't do it. This is Mom's house, and if she wants to have you as a guest, I can't stop her. But I've got no intention of staying to watch.”

Without waiting for the reprimand he probably deserved, he stalked back to his truck and kicked up plenty of gravel peeling out of the driveway. He had no clue where he was going, but he felt a bone-deep need to be somewhere—anywhere—else. As he drove away, it struck him that with the Christmas lights and porch decorations, the old homestead looked as bright and inviting as any home in town.

Sadly, the reality was anything but cheerful. Against all logic, his mother seemed determined to embrace the man who'd abandoned her, allowing him back into her trust without hesitation. And suddenly, he understood why.

She still loved David Stewart.

In spite of everything he'd done—and hadn't done—her feelings for him hadn't changed. How was that even possible? he wondered. Of anyone, she'd lost the most when he left, humiliating her in front of her friends and family in a way that no woman should ever have to endure.

Still searching for some kind of explanation, he found himself at the blinking traffic light in the village's tiny business district. He didn't remember heading in this direction on purpose, a sure sign that he had no business driving in his current state. He pulled to the curb and shut off the engine, gripping the wheel and taking deep breaths to settle a storm of emotions raging beyond his control.

When he heard a tap on the window, he glanced out to find Erin there with a flashlight, peering in at him in obvious concern. He cranked the old window down and gave her what he hoped was something like a grin. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself. Are you having car trouble?”

“Parent trouble,” he corrected her wryly. “Sorry if I woke you.”

“I was up reading the new book Lily got me for Christmas. Parker passed out on the way home from the mall, so I've been enjoying the peace and quiet.”

The reference to calm surroundings jerked Cam back to the argument with his father, and with great effort he shook off the lingering anger that was hanging on him like a tenacious linebacker. “Sounds nice.”

She studied him for a long moment, then said, “I've got shortbread cookies and cocoa. You want some?”

Her casual offer defused some of this temper, and he chuckled. “Do I look like I need it?”

“Well, yeah. That and a patient ear.”

“Since when do you have one of those?”

“It comes with the mom package.”

Since he didn't have any better ideas, he closed the window and dragged himself from the cab to follow her upstairs. “I won't stay long. I'd hate to get the hens clucking about how late I showed up here.”

“You know,” she said with a cheeky grin, “there's something wrong with the water pipes in the kitchen. They've been dripping all night, and I'm afraid they'll ruin the floor if they're not fixed right away.”

“So you're gonna tell folks I'm a hero?”

“Don't get carried away, hotshot,” she warned as she reached into a cupboard and took out a mug shaped like Santa's bag of toys. “There's a real leak, but I put a bucket under it. I was going to call you in the morning.”

“I should've known you wouldn't lie to anyone,” he said, ducking under the sink to see what was going on.

“I'm guessing you have.”

“Sure. Sometimes it's easier.”

She didn't respond to that, and he looked up to find her studying him again. “What?”

“Did you ever think that if you didn't take the easy route, things would go better for you in the long run?”

“Nope.” Standing, he wiped his damp palms on a towel. “This connection just needs to be tightened and it'll be good as new. I've got a wrench in my office, so I'll get it and be right back.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

She was giving him a strange look, and even though he knew he should leave it alone, he felt compelled to say, “I'm not a bad guy, Erin. I just don't like a lot of complications in my life. You can understand that, right?”

“I suppose, but you've always done things your own way no matter what anyone said. Why do you care what I think?”

Good question. While he didn't go out of his way to frustrate people, he didn't kowtow to them, either. If they liked him, fine. If they didn't, that was their choice. Because of his rocky personal history, he'd learned not to worry all that much about how other folks viewed him.
After all
, he mused darkly,
you didn't get to be the black sheep of your family by accident.

“I don't,” he finally said. “I just wanna make sure it's accurate.”

“Because?”

She was driving at something, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what. They stood toe to toe, her looking up at him without a hint of the uncertainty he normally saw when people were this close to him. Big as he was, he knew he intimidated people, and he frequently used that to his advantage.

But not Erin. Clearly unfazed, she held his gaze, waiting for him to answer her. He searched for something reasonable to say and finally came up with an explanation he thought she'd accept. “Because we're friends, and I do care what my friends think of me.”

She chewed on that for a few seconds before nodding. “Okay. That I believe.”

“Good, 'cause it's the truth.”

He strolled toward a door in the far wall of the kitchen and took out his keys. When he unlocked the door, she gasped. “That leads to the second floor of the Oaks?”

“This is the common wall between the two buildings. Where did you think it went?”

“I haven't had time to breathe, much less wonder about random doors in the building. Can you unlock it from either side?”

For a moment, he couldn't imagine why she'd ask him that. Then it occurred to him that she was a single woman with a young child. Even though they lived in the safest place he'd ever been to, he understood her concern. “After I get back, we'll lock the door and I'll give you both keys so no one can get in here from the other side. Will that make you more comfortable?”

“Much. Thank you.”

“You're welcome. I'm just sorry I didn't think of it before.”

Cam stepped through the door and picked up his toolbox, locking the door as he came back. As he'd promised, he handed Erin both keys before sliding under the sink to tighten the leaky joint. When the drip stopped, he wiped down the pipes and waited a minute or so to make sure he'd solved the problem.

“All set,” he announced as he got to his feet and closed the cabinet doors. “Anything else?”

“That's it for now.” Handing him the outlandish mug, she sat on one of the stools at the counter.

He took the one next to her and plucked a cookie from a plate decorated with candy canes and silver stars. “This is smaller, but it reminds me of the kitchen at the farm.”

“Parker said the same thing yesterday,” she told him with a smile. “He said it makes this place feel more like Grammy's, and it's his favorite spot in the apartment.”

Cam chuckled around a mouthful of crumbs. “That kid is something else. Have you told him about meeting with his mother?”

“I don't know how. I'm afraid if I mention it to him beforehand, he won't take it well. Once I know for sure what she wants, I guess I'll have to sit down and lay it all out for him. I'm not looking forward to it.”

“Has he ever told anyone what really happened to him?”

“Not to my knowledge. I figure that when he's ready, he'll tell me about it. Until then, I'm just doing everything I can to make sure he knows that I love him and I'm never going to give up on him.”

Big boys need that, too.

The thought came out of nowhere, and Cam lifted his mug for a long swallow of cocoa to keep this very observant woman from seeing his emotions in his eyes. He wasn't sure what was going on with him, but he couldn't deny that sometime between the old year and the new, things between Erin and him had changed.

Some guys would've taken that and run with it. But not him. And especially not with her.

* * *

It was nearly an hour's drive to the facility where Lynn Smith was being held. Medium security, Alice had assured Erin, which meant that the people there weren't exactly guiltless, but they hadn't murdered anyone, either. Unfortunately, that was a small comfort to a girl who'd been so by-the-book, she'd never even skipped class in high school.

“It's gonna be fine,” Cam declared as he drove past the guard station and parked in the visitors' lot. “She'll be on one side of the table, we'll be on the other. She just wants to meet you and see for herself what kind of person you are.”

“Why?” Erin asked for the countless time.

Slanting her a look, he gave her one of those almost grins he wore so often. “Are you seriously asking me to explain why a woman is doing something? I'm divorced for a reason.”

“Silly me.” She tried to laugh, but it came out sounding more like a shaky cough. Staring at the imposing brick building, she took a deep breath that didn't help settle her nerves even the tiniest bit. “I'm really scared about doing this. What if I say the wrong thing and she hates me?”

Cam angled in his seat to face her squarely. “You're not on trial here, Erin. If anything, she should be worried about meeting you.”

“You think so?”

“Sure. You've got a great family, a nice place to live and your own business. Not to mention a little boy who thinks you hung the moon. Most folks would think you've got it all, and they'd be pretty jealous of your success.”

Erin hadn't thought of herself that way, and hearing her accomplishments laid out was a real eye-opener for her. Fingering her father's oversize watch, she said, “I'm just trying to do what my parents taught me.”

“Maybe that woman in there didn't have anyone to teach her the right way to live, so she screwed up her life. Your job—” he pointed at her for emphasis “—is to make sure Parker doesn't suffer for her mistakes any more than he already has.”

Cam had a real knack for cutting through all the nonsense and getting to the heart of a problem. His direct manner could be tough to swallow, but as off balance as she was feeling right now, Erin appreciated him being so firm with her. “You're right. Let's go get this over with.”

Inside the entryway, they went through security measures that reminded her of an airport, and a guard recited a list of things they shouldn't do while visiting. From memory. It struck Erin that while this was her first trip to a place like this, for some people it was a way of life. The thought of doing this every day was sobering, to say the least.

Finally they were cleared and given badges that identified them as visitors. A middle-aged guard led them down a hallway toward a set of double doors that had large windows in them.