Hometown Holiday Reunion

“My Cam,” Mom approved, extending a trembling hand to pat his arm. “Such a good boy.”

Her praise hit him hard, and he had to swallow the lump that suddenly clogged his throat. Accustomed to working with a crew of tough-as-nails guys, he wasn’t used to having a softer touch in his life, and he had to admit it was kind of nice. “Thanks. Are you ready for dinner?”

Shaking her head, she pinned him with an alarmingly alert stare. “Who was here?”

Assuming she’d been asleep during his father’s unwelcome stop, Cam swallowed a curse. “No one.” She gave him a chiding look, and he relented with a frown. “Fine. Your husband came by, and I told him it was a bad time for a visit.”

There would never be a good time, but Cam figured it was best to keep that opinion to himself. He didn’t want to upset her any more than necessary.

“Why?” she asked.

“You mean, why did he come, or why did I send him away?”

“Both.”

Cam filled her in on the little he knew, then remembered the business card he’d jammed into his pocket. He fished out the crumpled paper and showed it to her. Then, to his amazement, she took it from him and stared at it for several long moments.

“You should call him,” she finally said.

When she got tired, her speech began to slur a bit, and he assumed he’d misunderstood. “I’m sorry, Mom. What did you say?” She repeated it, and he scowled. “Not a chance.”

“Please?” Fixing him with a trusting look, she gave him another half smile. “At least think about it.”

Cam’s instinct was to refuse outright, then list the many reasons they all had for avoiding contact with the man who’d abandoned them when he’d come to the decision that his family was more of a burden than he cared to shoulder. Just as he was about to launch his argument, though, Cam noticed something in his mother’s gaze.

Fatigue had begun to set in, and her ability to focus on him was starting to fade. But somewhere in the lines of her face he saw a trace of her old determination. It was the kind of look she’d given him when he was a teenager bent on defying her just for the fun of testing her limits. Seeing it now bolstered his flagging hope that in time she’d recover from this devastating blow and be herself again.

“You want to see him, don’t you?” he asked.

“Not if it hurts you.”

Meaning she wanted it for herself but wouldn’t sacrifice Cam’s peace of mind to get it. For the life of him, he couldn’t begin to understand why she felt so strongly about reconnecting with a man who’d neglected her for so long. His father wouldn’t be back in town for a few days yet, which gave him some time to mull over the situation and make a decision.

“Okay, Mom,” he finally gave in, covering her frail hand with one of his own. Giving a gentle squeeze, he forced a smile. “For you, I’ll think about it. But don’t tell anyone I gave up so easy. I’ve got a reputation, y’know.”

That got him a faint laugh, and she murmured a thank-you.

“You’re welcome. Meantime, I’m starving. How ’bout you?”

“Smells good.”

“Sure it does,” he replied in a chipper tone he hoped disguised how he was really feeling. “Lena still uses your recipe at the Oaks, and it’s a big hit.”

His mother beamed at the mention of her old friend, who happened to be a fantastic cook. While he got their dinner together, Cam searched his memory for snippets of town news that he thought might interest her. He knew he wasn’t the most entertaining person in the world, but Oaks Crossing was full of characters ranging from quirky to borderline insane.

All he had to do was cherry-pick some of the mindless gossip he heard at the café on a daily basis. Apparently, the busybodies he’d spent most of his life resenting served a purpose, after all. Who knew?

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