Hometown Holiday Reunion (16 page)

That didn't sound like something he'd come up with on his own, and she stared at him in astonishment. “Where did you hear that?”

“I've been doing some research online, hoping to find something that might give you an edge.”

“And?”

Grimacing, he shook his head. “She can keep him in foster care until she's released, or she can give up her claim and allow him to be adopted. It's her call.”

In Erin's estimation, the worst thing in the world was feeling powerless to change a bad situation. She'd never been the helpless, wring-your-hands type, and she wasn't about to start now. “Well, if she goes that way, I'll convince her to approve me fostering him until she's out of prison. At least that way he'll have a fighting chance at a good life, no matter what happens after that.”

“Are you sure?” Cam asked, scowling in obvious concern. “That sounds like a good way to have your heart broken a few years from now.”

“That may be, but all his life, people have been letting Parker down. I've got no intention of being one of them.”

Cam's ominous look mellowed into a slowly dawning smile. “You're amazing, y'know that?”

Admiration glittered in his eyes, sparking a flutter inside her that she hadn't felt in so long, it took her a moment to recognize it. Ever since she'd become Parker's guardian, the lion's share of her emotional energy had gone to the boy who relied so heavily on her. But now, gazing up at this stubborn man who'd gone out of his way so many times for her, she felt something else tugging at her heart.

It was Cam.

Jaded and cautious, for some reason he'd let her close enough to glimpse a side of him that she'd never even suspected was hiding under all that arrogance. Generous, caring, devoted to the few people he treasured even more than his precious independence. Instinctively, she knew that was how he'd treat his own family someday. Whoever was fortunate enough to capture his heart would never doubt that he loved her and their children with everything he had.

That was how her parents had been, and it was the kind of love Erin had always longed for but had never managed to find. Was it possible that all this time, she'd simply been searching in the wrong place?

“So...” He broke their connection brusquely, taking a healthy step back as if he'd sensed where her daydreaming was headed. “Let me know when you and Parker are going to see Lynn, and I'll clear my schedule so I can tag along.”

“You really don't have to do that. It's my second visit there, so I know the drill. I'm sure we'll be fine.”

“I know,” he said, giving her a gentle smile. “But I'm still going.”

And, with a kiss on her cheek, he strolled out the door.

Chapter Eight

M
an, was he out of shape.

It was Sunday morning, and Cam had made the foolish mistake of joining Drew for a long-overdue run. The lanky farmer worked outside all week hauling hay, mucking stalls and wrangling horses. Then, on the weekends, he took tourists and campers out to the woods for hiking and some moderately exciting rafting on the creek that ran along the edge of the Gallimore Stables property. Because of that, their excursion this morning had been more of an extended jog punctuated by sections of walking that had lasted far longer than Cam would have preferred. While he appreciated his old buddy dialing back the pace so he wouldn't kill himself, he wasn't thrilled at being forced to concede that it was necessary.

Unlike February in Minnesota, the weather was sunny and mild, and when he stopped on the front porch to stretch his tired muscles, he heard familiar voices coming through the screen door. Going inside, he was surprised to find Erin and Parker in the foyer chatting with his mother. They were dressed a lot better than he was, and he said, “You all look great. What's the occasion?”

“Isn't it wonderful, Cam?” Mom asked cheerfully. “Erin and Parker are taking me to church.”

“When we were here the other day, she mentioned that she sees us walking over every Sunday,” Erin jumped in to explain. “She asked if we'd stop to pick her up, and of course we said yes.”

“Of course.” Judging by her overly bright tone, Cam figured she knew exactly how he felt about the whole thing, and he dug deep for something else to say. “That's nice of you.”

“Isn't it?” Mom chimed in, adding an affectionate look for their guests. “Parker's going to tell me all about his science project on the way.”

“Do you want to come with us, Cam?” Parker asked innocently.

If the kid hadn't been so transparent by nature, Cam would've wondered if Erin had put him up to offering the invitation. Because it was Parker, Cam silenced his usual skepticism and did his best to appear casual. “Not today, bud. Thanks for the offer, though.”

“Oh. Okay.”

The boy's obvious disappointment made him feel like a jerk, and he found himself rethinking his answer. What harm could it do? he reasoned. He'd go sit for an hour, pretend to listen to the sermon and then leave. Nothing would change for him, but it would make Parker happy, not to mention his mother.

“On second thought, if you can wait a few minutes,” he said, “I'll get cleaned up and go along.”

Parker's face lit up in a delighted grin. “Cool!”

“Very,” Erin agreed, adding her own smile of approval.

But it was his mother's reaction that hit him the hardest. As he passed by her on his way upstairs, she reached out and caught his hand in a weak grip. When he turned, she beamed up at him with grateful tears shining in her eyes. “Thank you, Cameron. This means so much to me.”

He felt himself choking up a little, too. Not trusting his voice, he smiled back and gently patted her shoulder before continuing up the steps. As promised, he was back in five minutes, freshly scrubbed and wearing a button-down shirt and slacks. Accustomed to work boots, his dress shoes felt snug on his feet, but he figured that was a small price to pay to see the proud expression on Mom's face.

“You look so handsome,” she gushed. “Doesn't he, Erin?”

Giving him a quick once-over, Erin announced, “I guess he'll do. Are we ready?”

Once they were outside on the sidewalk, Parker insisted on taking command of the wheelchair. The sidewalks were fairly level, and his passenger was light enough, so Cam agreed to let him try it.

He and Erin took up the rear, and he leaned in to murmur, “You guess I'll do? What's up with that?”

“I'm sure women tell you all the time how good-looking you are,” she pointed out in a sassy tone.

“Well, yeah, but I wouldn't mind hearing it from you.” She stared at him in disbelief, and he realized he'd taken a dangerous step outside the friend zone they'd agreed to maintain. “Y'know, someone who doesn't have an agenda.”

“Let me get this straight. You're convinced that the women you date compliment you because they want something from you?”

“Pretty much.”

“That's sad.”

“Tell me about it,” he grumbled.

“No, I mean it's sad that you actually believe that. What kind of people have you been hanging out with up north, anyway?”

The wrong kind, apparently. While he hadn't come back to Oaks Crossing by choice, Cam had to admit that returning to his hometown hadn't been all bad. Reconnecting with the small, close-knit community he'd grown up in had shown him another way to live. He still wasn't crazy about folks knowing his personal business five seconds after he did, but instead of resenting it the way he used to, now he understood it was because they cared about his family and the tough time they'd been having.

Far from the anonymity he enjoyed in Minnesota, that sense of belonging had its high points. Like neighbors who offered to bring a wheelchair-bound woman to church for no reason other than the fact that it was a nice thing to do.

Thinking of nice gestures prompted him to ask, “Did you set up a meeting with Lynn yet?”

“Wednesday. Parker has a half day of school, so we can pick him up and drive out there.”

“What'd he say when you told him about it?”

“He was quiet, but he said he understood why we're going. I'm not sure he really does.”

“He trusts you,” Cam assured her. “He knows you wouldn't put him through this if you didn't have to.”

“I hope you're right, but I still think he's too young to deal with heavy stuff like this. I wish I could do it for him.”

The misery in her voice plucked a rare emotional chord for him. “I can relate to that. I've spent so much time the past few months taking care of Mom, I lost sight of how important it is for her to start doing things for herself again. It kills me to say it, but my dad was right.”

To his surprise, Erin wrapped her hands around his arm for a warm squeeze. “Good for you.”

She started to slide her hands free. On a crazy impulse, he settled his hand over them and kept them where they were. Erin looked up at him, and in those beautiful hazel eyes he saw something he never could have anticipated in his wildest dreams.

Understanding.

Women had looked at him in many different ways: affection, longing, anger. But this was the first time he'd found one who not only listened to what he was feeling but seemed to have a grasp of what it meant to him. Even more amazing, she'd praised him for it.

Erin Kinley, he mused with a grin. Who'd have guessed that after all these years, she'd end up being the woman who got him?

When they arrived at the simple white chapel where he'd once spent so many Sunday mornings, Cam gripped the handles in front of Parker's hands to help him muscle the wheelchair up the ramp. At the top, they paused for a quick fist bump that made his mother laugh.

“Boys are always boys,” she commented in a tone laced with fondness, “no matter how old they get.”

The entryway was pretty crowded, and Cam pulled rank out of concern for everyone's toes. “I'll take it from here, bud. Thanks for the help.”

“No problem,” Parker replied, grinning up at him.

“Oh, no,” Erin muttered with a grin of her own, “he's starting to sound like you.”

“There are worse things,” Cam retorted as they headed into the sanctuary.

“Name one.”

He knew she was yanking his chain, so he made a show of trying to come up with something. Pretending to search the air for an answer, he had the distinct misfortune of meeting a pair of familiar eyes in the congregation. “My father's here.”

“That's not—really?”

Cam nodded toward the pew where Dad was sitting. Alone, he noticed with more satisfaction than was appropriate considering the fact that he was in church and should have been more charitable than that.

Apparently, Mom had noticed him, too, and she said, “We should go sit with your father.”

“Why?” popped out of Cam's mouth before he could stop it. She flung a chiding look over her shoulder, and he gave in to her wishes with a resigned sigh. “Okay.”

“Cam?” He glanced down to find Parker gazing up at him. “Could I meet your dad?”

Erin's unconcerned expression told him that she didn't have any objections, so he tried to sound cool about it. “Sure. Come on over and I'll introduce you.”

It was all very stiff and awkward, but out of respect for his mother, Cam gutted his way through it. Thankfully, Parker was oblivious to the tension between the adults and offered up some kid-inspired small talk about Bear that made the whole thing go better than it might have otherwise.

“That's incredible, Parker.” Dad's approval seemed genuine, and he gave Cam a thoughtful look. “Not to mention, a worthwhile idea for someone else I know.”

That they'd come up with the same way to help Mom was surprising enough. That they were standing within arm's length and not scowling at each other was something else again. “I've been thinking the same thing.”

“I'll leave the details to you, then. If I can do anything to move the process along, please let me know.”

Humility wasn't a trait he recalled his father having, and Cam had to acknowledge that he was impressed. The David Stewart he grew up with had been overbearing and very much in charge of any situation that presented itself, in or outside the family. He hadn't been the warm, gracious type, but Cam had loved him because the man was the only father he had. But the cool, distant manner was all but gone now, and if they'd just met for the first time this morning, he could almost imagine them becoming friends.

The organist sat down and began playing softly to warm up the old pipes. It was everyone's cue to end their conversations and find a seat, and Cam expected Erin to herd Parker toward the section where the rest of the Kinley clan was sitting.

He was more than a little shocked when Parker asked him, “Is it okay if we sit with you and your parents?”

“Uh...” Silently consulting Erin, he got a smile and a nod that did something funky to his gut. Whether she was agreeing to make Parker happy or because she preferred being with him, he didn't much care. After their warm exchange earlier, he was just glad she wasn't leaving him to deal with all this on his own. “Sure. That's fine.”

“I'll take over from here,” Dad said, smiling as he grabbed the wheelchair handles.

Since there wasn't much for him to do other than go along, Cam motioned Erin and Parker into the pew, then settled in beside them. His father parked the chair in the aisle before sliding into the end seat. He opened a hymnal and held it in front of Mom so she could see the music. Leaning toward her, he said something that made her smile, and Cam wasn't sure what to make of the whole thing.

Wasn't that the dream of every kid from a broken home? Cam mused while he leafed through the hymnal to the right page. Mom and Dad back together again. Too bad that, for Natalie and him, this little reunion was coming too late to make a difference.

Or was it?

A small voice in the back of his mind chimed in with an alternate view of recent events, and he firmly shut it down before it had a chance to become a nuisance. His family was in pieces, and had been for years. There was no fixing it now.

“Are you all right?” Erin whispered, frowning at him. “That was a pretty big sigh.”

“No problem.”

She clucked her tongue at him. “You really should stick with the truth. You're a terrible liar.”

“You sound like my ex-wife.”

“You're hopeless,” she hissed, but the humor sparkling in her eyes let him know she wasn't serious about that. Funny, but now that he thought about it, Erin was one of the few people he knew who'd never let him get by with anything. Maybe that was why she'd always driven him nuts.

Resigned to sitting through a lot of off-key singing and a boring sermon, he plastered a polite look on his face and tried to give the appearance of someone paying close attention to what was happening at the front of the chapel. After greeting them all, a tall, slender man dressed in a gray suit strolled to the head of the center aisle and winged a smile around the packed seats. Cam had never met Pastor Wheaton, and he was impressed by the unconventional beginning of the service. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all.

“Before I begin, I'd like to welcome back someone who's been absent from our gatherings for far too long. Bridget Stewart, it's a blessing to see you again.”

Cam had expected a hushed murmur, maybe a few smiles aimed her way. He was stunned when the congregation broke into loud applause, with a few approving whistles thrown in from somewhere behind him. Glancing back, he discovered it was the Kinley boys, and a frowning Maggie was shaking her head in dismay. Beside her, Drew grinned and shrugged at him. And even though he was supposed to be behaving himself, Cam couldn't help grinning back.

Once everyone settled down, Pastor Wheaton remained where he was, apparently collecting his thoughts. There were some papers spread out on the antique oak lectern, and Cam wondered what the preacher was up to. It wasn't often you got surprised by what went on in church, and he was curious to see where this was going.

With another smile, the pastor put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on the heels of his black shoes. “I know some of you think I just wing it on Sundays, but that's far from the truth. With God's help, I spend a lot of time preparing my sermons, and I usually think they're pretty good. But every once in a while, something happens that convinces me I need to change my tactics.”

Strolling along the front of the pews, he looked like a guy out for a leisurely walk instead of at work. His casual, down-to-earth manner was nothing like the preachers Cam had detested when he was growing up, and he found himself leaning in to hear what the soft-spoken man would say next.