Hometown Holiday Reunion (8 page)

“It means she can name another guardian to care for him until she's able to do it herself.”

“Which could be years from now.”

Erin shrugged. “That's the law.”

“That's stupid.”

“I know,” she allowed with a slight grin, “but it's still the law. Even Parker insists she never hurt him. I take that to mean she just didn't keep the abuse from happening.”

What kind of mother stands by and lets her kid suffer like that?
Cam seethed silently. His own background wasn't the best, but he knew that if he and Natalie had been put in the line of fire that way, Mom would've taken them each by the hand and marched over to Granddad's house where they'd all be safe.

Grudgingly, he admitted that maybe Dad had done them all a favor by leaving before it came to that. It had torn their family apart, but at least no one had been physically harmed.

“Anyone who's spent five minutes with Parker can see that this is the best home he's ever had. If you need me to make some kind of statement or testify in court or something, let me know. I'll be there.”

“Really?” A flicker of hope glimmered in her eyes, and she beamed at him like he was some kind of hero. “My family's offered to do that, and I love them for it. But it would carry more weight if it came from someone I'm not related to. Are you sure you want to get involved like that?”

“Absolutely.” Seeking to lighten the intense moment, he grinned. “What are old enemies for?”

“We weren't enemies,” she corrected him with a laugh. “We just didn't like each other.”

“Y'know, I'm having a tough time remembering why.”

He expected her to rattle off a list of his many faults or throw his most objectionable pranks in his face. To his amazement, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“That's funny. So am I.”

* * *

Erin pulled back when she heard Parker's sneakers pounding down the creaky wooden steps. “He sounds like a baby elephant when he does that. Is it okay if I carpet those treads?”

“Sure,” Cam replied easily, standing as Parker joined them by the window. Resting a hand on the boy's shoulder, he looked him in the eye as if he was an adult on his crew. “I think I've got an old remnant floating around in the cellar that we can use. Wanna learn how to lay carpet?”

“Yeah!”

Grabbing Cam's hand, he tugged their landlord toward the basement door while Erin called out, “No power tools!”

Cam waved his agreement, then snapped on the lights before they disappeared down the narrow staircase.

Odd girl out, Erin thought. The story of her life. Eager to take a break from the chaos in their apartment, she put her hands on her hips and slowly spun, taking in the wide-open potential of the space that would soon house her store.

“My store,” she murmured, savoring the way that sounded. She'd enjoyed working for the judge the past several years, and learning the ins and outs of family law had definitely served her well in navigating her challenging situation with Parker. But owning a business, being the one in charge, was something she'd always wanted.

Glancing up, she sent a little smile to her father. “I'm taking my shot, Dad. I hope you're proud of me.”

A warm current swirled around her, and she couldn't help feeling as if he'd reached down from heaven to give her one of his famous bear hugs. He'd been gone four years now, ripped away from them in a car accident that had killed him instantly. Erin would give anything to see him one more time and have the chance to say goodbye.

But life didn't work that way, she reminded herself sternly, shrugging off the past as she decided what to do first. Since there wasn't much point in sweeping a floor that would soon be covered in ceiling tiles and sawdust, she opted for cleaning the grimy front windows.

It was a toss-up which was dirtier, the inside or the outside. It was a nice morning, so after she dug out her supplies she went out onto the sidewalk to get started. She hadn't been at it more than a minute when she heard her name being shouted from across the street. Turning, she saw Ellen Wheaton wave, then quickly check for traffic before hustling over to embrace her.

“Look at you,” the pastor's wife crooned, beaming as if Erin had won a Nobel Prize. “Opening up your own business. How's it going?”

Laughing, Erin motioned to the tired-looking building. “What you see is what you get. How are your holidays going?”

“Crazy but wonderful. All six kids made it home for Christmas Day, and I'm taking a break from getting the house back to normal. I'm still not sure where we put twenty extra people, but somehow we made it work. How are you and Parker liking your new place?”

“Well, it's smaller than yours but it's pretty much destroyed, too, except for his room. He wasn't sure about the move, so I wanted him to feel comfortable right off the bat.”

“Good for you,” the motherly woman said, giving Erin's arm a pat of approval. “Kids don't stay young forever, so they have to come first.”

She might not have Parker much longer, Erin worried with a frown. If she lost him just when he was beginning to make real headway, she wasn't certain she could bear it.

“Is something wrong, dear? You look pale all of a sudden.”

“Oh, I'm fine. Just tired from all this unpacking.” She felt awful not being truthful with the woman who'd stressed the importance of honesty in her Sunday school lessons, but Erin forced herself to smile. She didn't want to go around blurting out such a delicate problem and risk Parker hearing something that was sure to upset him. There was nothing either of them could do about it, so there was no point in dwelling on the negative.

“Oh, you poor thing. Before we settled here, we were reassigned to several churches, and all that moving was a lot of work.” Something inside snared Ellen's attention, and she stared through the window as if she couldn't believe her eyes. “Is that Cam Stewart?”

“Yes. He's my new landlord and contractor,” Erin explained, laughing at the sight of Parker trying to manhandle his end of the carpet roll.

Apparently it wasn't going well, because Cam said something and shouldered the runner himself. Ruffling Parker's hair, he motioned for his apprentice to go up the stairs ahead of him.

“How is Bridget doing?” Ellen asked.

“Cam said some days are better than others.”

“Now that he's back in town, we'd love to see him on Sunday. Please let him know he's welcome to join us anytime.”

Erin couldn't imagine why anyone would assume that she had any pull with the obstinate black sheep of the Stewart family. Beyond that, now that she knew he'd turned his back on God, there was no way she'd be mentioning church to him. “I'm sure he knows that already.”

“I hope so. Well, I'd better be getting back to my own cleaning. Have a good morning.”

“Thanks. You, too.”

With another wave, Ellen went back the way she'd come, cheerful as a sunbeam in July. Erin's phone rang, and she pulled it out to check the caller ID, almost dreading what she might see. When her mother's picture came up, she let out a relieved sigh and answered. “Hi, Mom. How are you today?”

“Baking up a storm, getting stocked up for our New Year's Eve party.”

“I thought I smelled something delicious.” A long-standing event for the Kinleys, they hadn't thrown a New Year's party since Dad died. But this year, with both Mike and Drew getting married, their mother had decided it was time to reinstate the old tradition. And, true to form, she was doing it to the hilt.

“Aren't you sweet? How are you and Parker doing in town?”

“It's still a little chaotic, but we're fine.” Glancing in the window, she watched while Cam held a yardstick and Parker drew a cut line the long way down the carpet remnant. “You won't believe who's been helping out today.”

“Hmm, let me see. Your brothers are all busy clearing those limbs that came down in the front pasture the other day, so it's not one of them.” She rattled off some more names, but after four, she laughed. “I give up. Who?”

“My landlord.”

There was a long pause, and then her mother said, “Cam?”

“He hired Parker as his assistant, and they're putting carpet on those steps so it won't sound like a herd of elephants every time someone goes up or down.”

“Well, isn't that nice of him?”

“Yeah. I didn't know he had it in him.”

“You two have always been like oil and water,” Mom lamented. “I never understood why you couldn't get along.”

“We both like doing things our own way, and we don't compromise. Did you know he's divorced?”

“What a shame. I know he can be a challenge sometimes, but he's got such a good heart.”

“I had no idea you thought of him that way,” Erin confessed, intrigued by the gentle assessment of someone she'd always considered a thorn in her side.

“My friend Pauline's daughter is moving back here. I should introduce him to her.”

“Don't bother,” Erin advised, continuing her window cleaning while they chatted. “As soon as Bridget's on her feet again, Cam's going back to Minnesota.”

“In the middle of winter?”

“I think he's nuts, too, but that's the plan. There's no cure for crazy.”

Mom laughed, and Erin heard the whir of the commercial mixer they'd all chipped in to buy her for Christmas. “If you and Parker want a nice home-cooked meal tonight, come by the farm.”

Her day hadn't started off all that well, and after her endless list of tasks was done, Erin could think of no better way to end it than in her mother's warm, family-filled kitchen. “That would be great. Thanks.”

“Bring Cam along if he's free.”

“Mom,” Erin cautioned.

“To thank him for his help today,” her mother added hastily. “Knowing him, he won't let you pay him for his time, so it's the least I can do.”

“Are you sure that's the only reason?”

“Of course,” she insisted stoutly. “I'm not one of those meddling, matchmaking kinds of people, you know.”

“What about Mike and Lily?”

“They set themselves up when she was Abby's teacher. I just nudged.”

“Uh-huh,” Erin teased. “And then there's Drew and Bekah.”

“The girl needed a place to stay, didn't she? So I donated a few things for her to use in that back room at the rescue center and set an extra place at the table once in a while.”

Erin knew that tone, and she decided to play along. “But?”

“If you and Cam made peace and got to be friends, I wouldn't complain. Like you said, he's leaving eventually, so it would be nice if you two could bury that tired old hatchet before he goes. Life is short, honey, and the only one who gets hurt by a grudge is the one carrying it.”

“That's one of Dad's,” Erin commented, recognizing the slice of Irish wisdom immediately.

“That's how he lived his life, and I was always proud of him for it. I know it's not easy to forgive and forget, but in the end, it's best for everyone.”

“I'll think about it,” Erin hedged, although the concept didn't irk her the way it would have a few days ago. From agreeing to her terms on the building to befriending her shy foster son, Cam had surprised her several times since their awkward reunion. “I'll pass along your invitation, but don't be disappointed if he can't make it. At any rate, Parker and I will see you tonight at six. Can I bring anything?”

“Not a thing. See you then!”

Erin ended the call, smiling when a picture of her with Parker after the church Christmas pageant appeared on the screen. It was a real stretch sometimes, being his only parent, even though everyone in her family had generously taken the lost little boy into their hearts. She knew they'd had a tremendously positive impact on him.

But as she'd told Cam earlier, Parker should have a man in his life he could count on. Someone who would guide and teach him, who'd be patient when he needed a sympathetic ear but also urge him to realize his potential. His swift connection with the tall contractor amazed her, but it also made her sad.

Because Cam had made it clear that his stay in Oaks Crossing was temporary, and Parker needed someone who would be around for the long haul. That left him with Erin, and while she wasn't convinced that she was enough on her own, in her heart she knew one thing for certain.

She was better than nothing.

Chapter Four

B
y five that afternoon, Cam was beat.

Having worked construction for most of his adult life, he was used to long, demanding days and moving from one task to the next pretty much without a break. This project was something else again.

Parker was a quick study, eager to please and soaking in Cam's every word like a little sponge. He didn't touch anything he wasn't supposed to, and he was surprisingly helpful when Cam needed an extra pair of hands. The problem was Erin.

She had some very precise ideas about how to do...well, everything. Cam had anticipated that, and he took most of her directions in stride because he knew that if she approved of the final product, she'd be more likely to purchase the building when their three-month lease term ended.

And now, he was listening to her say for the hundredth time, “I think it would work better if we did it this way.”

Finally at the end of his patience, he intentionally allowed some menace into his stare. “Do you?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.” Stepping away, he leaned back against his makeshift work bench and folded his arms. “Go ahead.”

She blinked at him like a stunned owl, then shook her head. “I don't know how to actually
do
it.”

“Just how it should be done. Right?” She glared at him, and he nudged Parker's shoulder with his elbow. “Girls.”

He added a male wink, and the kid smiled. “Yeah. Abby can be pretty bossy sometimes, too.”

“Whaddya do when she gets like that?”

The boy shrugged. “I let her have her way. She's younger, and besides I don't wanna make her mad.”

“So,” Cam commented, angling a look at his tormenter, “Mike's daughter inherited the famous Kinley temper. Imagine that.”

“You two are hilarious,” Erin shot back, but the humor twinkling in her eyes let him know he'd made his point. “In my defense, this is going to be my store, and I'd like a say in how things are going to look.”

“I can work with that,” Cam agreed, glancing at his assistant. “How 'bout you?”

Erin had warned him that Parker was still timid about expressing his opinions to adults, so Cam expected him to simply nod. Instead, he flashed a mischievous grin. “Do I get paid the same?”

Cam laughed and held up his fist for a bump. “That's the way. Always get the terms up front, so you know what you're getting yourself into. And yes, you'll get paid the same no matter whose ideas we end up using.”

“Okay.”

“Now that we've settled our working arrangement,” Erin interrupted, “it's getting late, and Grammy's expecting us at six. You should go get cleaned up for dinner.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Parker scampered up the much quieter carpeted steps, leaving Cam alone with Erin for the first time since she'd taken her upsetting phone call from the social worker that morning. An awkward silence stretched out between them, even more noticeable considering the fact that they'd been poking at each other only a minute ago.

“Mom wanted me to invite you, too,” Erin told him. “If you're not busy.”

“Thank her for me, but I have to get home. I want to get in a shower before Mom's nurse leaves for the day.”

“Another time, then.”

“With everything I've got going, I doubt it.” He winced at the pitiful edge on his voice and dredged up a half-hearted smile. “Sorry.”

To his surprise, she reached a hand out and rubbed his shoulder. “It's tough running a business while you're caring for someone seven days a week. You need to make sure you take some time off, or you'll burn yourself out and be no good to anyone.”

“I guess.”

“Being here all day today probably didn't help.”

“It was great,” he blurted out before he had a chance to consider how it would come across to her. “The addition to the restaurant was a small job, and putting together a Laundromat doesn't take much imagination. This will be fun. As long as you stay outta my way,” he added with a mock growl.

Her laughter brightened the rapidly darkening space. “Don't hold your breath. But I will promise to try not to step on those steel toes of yours if I can avoid it. Deal?”

She held out a small hand, and after a moment he accepted the gesture. “That'll work.”

“Come on, now,” she teased, flashing him a dimpled grin. “You've had more difficult clients than me.”

Cam made a show of thinking that one over, then shook his head. “Nope.”

She narrowed her eyes then tilted her nose in the air as she turned away. “Good. I like being number one.”

The feisty comeback was just the kind of thing he expected from her, and he was still chuckling when he pulled the shop door closed behind him. It was a quick drive to his mother's house, and when he got there he frowned at the sight of yet another strange car parked in the driveway. Even more of a concern was the fact that the nurse was gone.

She knew how important it was for someone to be with Mom around the clock, Cam complained silently. What was going on? As soon as he opened the front door, he had his answer.

“You're kidding me!” a familiar downstate accent reached him in the foyer. “Then what did she do?”

“Chased him off with a frying pan,” his mother's quieter, halting voice answered, and then he heard something that had become as rare as a blue moon these days. She laughed. “That bear never came back.”

“Smart bear,” her guest approved, looking up when Cam stopped in the archway. “Speaking of smart bears, how's my favorite godson?”

Strolling into the living room, Cam stooped to kiss her cheek. “I'm good, Aunt Connie. How're you?”

“Bored to death, with your uncle roaming the wilds of Tennessee on one of his boys' club hunting trips. So I decided to take a few days to go antiquing and come see my baby sister. I hope y'all don't mind me popping in this way without calling, but I'm too tired to drive another mile.”

“Not a bit,” he replied, noting the pink in Mom's cheeks and the lively sparkle in her eyes. “This is your home as much as ours, and you're welcome anytime.”

“Good to have you,” his mother added, beaming at her older sister affectionately.

Over her head, Cam mouthed, “Thank you.”

His aunt gave him a quick wink and went on in her customarily brisk way. “I'm taking care of dinner tonight, to give Bridget a break from all that bachelor food.”

“Hey, I'm a great cook,” he protested, leaning against the door frame with a grin. “I can reheat meals from the café as well as anyone.”

“Good boy,” his mother said, gratitude shining in her eyes.

“Yeah, well, don't spread that around. I'm the black sheep of the family, remember?”

“Oh, you.” Connie laughed, waving him off. “Get changed and go have some fun. We'll be girl-talking all night, and if you don't escape you'll be bored out of your skull.”

“Can I talk to you first?”

The look she gave him made it obvious that she knew why he'd made the request. With a smile at her younger sister, she led him into the kitchen and turned to him with a calming gesture. “I know what you're going to say. I shouldn't have called Davey.”

Cam hadn't heard the man referred to that way in years. It made him sound like a cuddly child's toy, and for some reason the nickname grated on nerves that had already been stretched to near their limits. “Then why did you?”

“He had a right to know what's been going on here,” she whispered, sending a concerned look toward the living room. “They're still married, after all.”

“A technicality,” Cam retorted through grinding teeth. “Several times, Natalie and I tried to convince her to divorce him, but Mom's heart is too big for her own good. She still thinks there's hope for him.”

“It's not your place to question your mother,” Aunt Connie said, easing the scolding with an understanding smile. “You may be right, but circumstances are different now. She doesn't want any unfinished business when she—”

“Don't say it,” he interrupted sternly. “She's not dying, so there's no need for her to be thinking that way. Unless someone she trusts put those thoughts into her head.”

“Don't you be glowering at me like that, Cameron. I'd never do something like that to her, and you should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking I might. Bridget wants to make her peace on Earth so she can meet her Maker with a clear conscience.”

“She didn't do anything to make him leave, so why does it matter?”

“Because it does. To her,” his aunt added when he opened his mouth to argue further. “You don't share her faith, which is your choice. It's not right for you to deny her that comfort because you're angry at God.”

This was one of those arguments he instinctively knew he couldn't win.
Never discuss politics or religion
, Granddad had cautioned him more than once.
You'll never change anyone's mind, and you'll alienate a lot of people while you're trying.
So, in the interests of keeping things in his mother's house on an even keel, Cam decided to do something he seldom did. He backed down.

“All right,” he conceded with a grimace. “You've got a point there.”

“Of course I do,” she replied, patting his arm proudly. “Now, you should pay attention to what I said and go have some fun. Working all day long and being cooped up here at night isn't good for someone your age.”

“You make it sound like I'm still in high school.”

“Oh, honey,” Connie said, giving him a fond smile. “To me you'll always be the captain of the football team.”

He wasn't sure what to make of that, but he decided not to waste any more time debating. Ten minutes later, he was freshly scrubbed and in his truck headed...

Where?

Cam hadn't had an evening to himself in so long, he wasn't sure what to do first. He was starving, but the only restaurant in town that served dinner was the Oaks Café, and he'd spent enough of his time there lately to last him the rest of his life. Rockville had a few nice spots, but after his challenging day, he wasn't in the mood to tackle the half-hour drive.

That left Maggie Kinley and the warm, welcoming kitchen where he'd felt at home for as long as he could remember. Her invitation to join the family tonight wasn't the worst offer he'd ever had, Cam mused as he turned onto the road that led to the outskirts of town and into the country.

As he left the streetlights behind him, he noticed a smattering of early stars strewn across the sky. They seemed to be dangling from nothing, accenting a full moon that glowed brightly over rolling hills of bluegrass and seemingly endless acres of old-growth oak trees that had given his hometown its name generations ago.

Out here, the houses were farther apart and ringed by huge expanses of farmland and white pasture fences that gave this part of Kentucky its unique charm. A couple of miles out, he found a freshly painted sign lit by a covered art-gallery-style bulb.

Gallimore Stables. Established 1910.

As he drove down the wide gravel lane it occurred to him that whenever he'd come here the Kinleys' horse farm had looked just the way it did now. That was a real accomplishment in a world that seemed to evolve into something new on a daily basis. All of Oaks Crossing shared the same commitment to tradition, he realized, and although he'd once considered that a negative, he was beginning to see the appeal of a place that had gracefully weathered the passage of time while keeping its character intact.

On either side of the driveway, long stretches of board fence framed pastures that led to dimly lit barns, where he knew a herd of many different breeds of horses was tucked in for the night. Some had been rescued from bad situations, while others had come from owners who couldn't keep them anymore. As their business, the Kinleys worked with retired racehorses, training them for use by new owners who wanted to ride the beautiful animals instead of race them.

Cam parked his truck in the turnaround beside a few other cars and smiled at the most inviting sight he could imagine on a day like this. Light spilled from all the windows of the rambling white farmhouse, adding to the festive Christmas lights outlining the roof and porch railings. When he reached the front door, he grinned as he reached into the opening of a huge wreath to press the button on a snowman's round stomach.

“Merry Christmas!” the thing yelled with a mechanical chuckle. “Come on in!”

Chuckling to himself, Cam opened the door and was met by the mouthwatering aromas of turkey, home-baked bread and cinnamon. Without looking left or right, he made a beeline for the kitchen and paused in the open doorway for another long whiff. “Wow, it smells amazing in here.”

“Oh, it's not much, really. Just some leftovers from Christmas dinner,” Maggie Kinley assured him in her usual offhand way.

Her apron directed him to Kiss the Cook, so he strolled in and did just that. “Best leftovers I've ever smelled. Thanks for inviting me.”

“I had to, seeing as you haven't been here since Drew and Bekah's wedding,” she chided him with a smile that reminded him of Erin's. “I can't figure out why you waited so long to come over and see us. You've always been welcome anytime.”

“I've been kinda busy, with the restaurant and Mom and all.” When Cam heard the whine in his voice, he cringed. “Sorry.”

“For being honest? Please.” She waved off his apology and reached up to pat his cheek. “We all have things to deal with, Cam, and these days you've got more than your share. Anytime you want to talk, you just come out here. I might not have an answer, but I can promise you I'll listen.”

Made without any fanfare, her offer went a long way toward settling his riled-up nerves, and he had to admit that Erin could be right about him trying to manage everything on his own. “Thanks.”