Judging by his expression, Faith figured the man was not in the least disappointed. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. What about you?”
She shook her head. “I’m just admiring.”
“My wife used to do that, too, before she got pregnant.” He pressed his hand against the window. The nurse noticed him and beckoned, and he practically tripped over his feet in his haste to go in and visit his daughter.
Sighing a little, Faith turned to go as he fumbled into a protective gown and the nurse transferred the baby from the bassinet into his arms.
Admiring was all she would ever do.
“D’ya think she’s got a boyfriend?”
Cameron propped his feet on the end of Erik’s hospital bed. On the television hanging from the wall, college basketball was in full force. “Does who have a boyfriend?” The question was for show. He knew exactly whom Erik was referring to.
“Jeez, Dad. Get a clue.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I have no idea if Ms. Taylor has a boyfriend.” Didn’t mean he hadn’t wondered plenty about it himself. Not that he intended to apprise his inquisitive seven-year-old of that fact.
“You could ask Dr. Taylor,” Erik suggested. “He’d know ’cause she’s his sister. I wonder what it’s like to have a sister?”
Cam shrugged. “Can’t help you there. Never had one.” Nor a brother.
“Did my mom have a sister?”
Cam’s gaze slid from the television to Erik. “No. Your mother was an only child, too.” One of the things they’d had in common.
“Am I gonna get to go home for real tomorrow?”
Long used to his son’s ping-pong method of bouncing from topic to topic, Cam nodded.
“Good.” Erik’s knees bounced. “I don’t gotta go back to school yet, though?”
Cam gave Erik a dry stare that his boy interpreted just fine.
“If I see Tommy Bodecker in the halls, I’m gonna pound him.”
Cam made a noncommittal sound. Truth was, his son didn’t have a violent bone in him. Erik didn’t even squash bugs. He was more interested in collecting them and giving them names.
“She’s real pretty, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Not pretty like Mom.”
Cam closed his eyes. The clear image of Laura that should’ve been there wasn’t. He opened his eyes again, and stared blindly at the television. “Your mother had hair as black as midnight and eyes the color of lilacs.” She’d been barely five feet tall, with an eye-popping hourglass figure. Kissing her had generally been most easily accomplished if he simply lifted her up to him.
That wouldn’t be such a problem with Faith. Her head reached his shoulder. He’d just have to lean down a little. She’d lean up a little.
The thoughts snuck in. Grabbed hold, good and tight, not so willing to be shook.
“I know. I got Mom’s picture in my bedroom,” Erik said. “Just Faith’s all…kinda…gold.”
Cam’s hand curled. Golden. She was that. “Yeah. You gonna finish that milk shake or not?”
Erik snatched up the oversize cup. “Yes,” he said protectively, and tucked the straw between his teeth for good measure.
Relieved to have distracted his son, Cam focused once more on the ball game.
Too bad his mind wasn’t as easily swayed as his son’s.
Faith was golden. Gleaming blond hair, gleaming brown-green eyes. Gleaming golden skin, satin smooth and sleek with lean muscles and long limbs.
Dammit.
Chapter Six
Every inch of every bleacher inside Thunder Canyon High School’s gymnasium was occupied that Friday night. The heat generated by all the bodies was more than enough to keep the enormous building warmed, as two teams battled it out on the hardwood for top spot in the state basketball semifinals.
Todd Gilmore, star center, stood on the foul line, bouncing the ball a few times, preparing to take his second free throw that would put his team in a tie game. Only ninety seconds remained on the clock.
Feet pounded collectively on the metal bleachers, creating a racket loud enough to wake the heavens. Gilmore’s name was a throbbing chant on the air.
Faith, sitting in the nosebleed section—second row from the top—peered down to the sideline where Cameron stood, his attention intently focused on his players. The long sleeves of his white shirt were folded up over his forearms. His narrow gray tie was pulled loose of his collar. His thick hair was slightly rumpled. He gave no indication whatsoever that he even noticed the raucous crowd.
Todd set up for his throw, the basketball rolling smoothly from the tips of his fingers in a graceful arc toward the basket.
It sank right through, and the crowd went ballistic.
The man to Faith’s right crowed. “Nothing but net!”
Faith smiled, still watching Cameron.
Erik stood on the bench behind him, right behind the players on his father’s team. He had an enormous foam finger on his hand that he waved about wildly. She knew he’d been released from the hospital on Wednesday as scheduled, because she’d seen him and Cameron leaving as she was leaving, having grabbed a sandwich with her brother for lunch that day in the cafeteria, and she’d watched their departure from her SUV parked in the lot.
She still wasn’t sure if that had been cowardice on her part, or common sense.
But Erik had noticed her, and waved until she’d feared he’d fall out of the wheelchair he’d had to use until reaching Cameron’s car.
Now, Faith couldn’t tear her attention away from Erik’s dad.
Cameron clapped his hands together as the game continued, frenzied. He called out to his players. Faith could see him glance up at the clock as if the depleting seconds were of no consequence. Up the court the players pounded. A bank shot, deflected. Down the court again.
The crowd was on its feet.
The noise was deafening.
How long could it take for ninety seconds to pass?
Faith pressed her fist to her mouth, her heart in her throat, just as caught up in the game as everyone else. She could see Bobby Romano in the stands, his expression dark as he looked at his son, Danny, on the sidelines, still benched.
The ball whizzed from player to player. The seconds cranked down. Twelve. Eleven. Ten.
“Come on. Come on.” Her gaze slanted down again to Cameron. His hands were on his hips, his feet planted. She could practically see him willing his boys through their play.
Seven. Six. Five.
The ball flew. Hit the backboard. Bounced off the rim.
Players scrambled, rebounded.
Slammed the ball home.
The buzzer sounded.
And the crowd erupted, people pouring onto the court.
Cam’s team had won.
Faith blew out a long breath, her heart pounding. She sat down, her legs weak.
“Helluva game!” The man beside her was positively gleeful. “Helluva game! First time we’ve made it to the state championship in seventeen years!”
She laughed. Her gaze kept sliding down to where Cameron stood. He’d lifted Erik up onto his shoulder and the boy was waving his foam finger over his head. Parents and players milled around, a congestion of jubilation on their side of the court, while the opponent’s side rapidly emptied. She gathered up her coat and started making her way down the steps.
“Faith. Faith!” Erik’s voice managed to find form among the loud roar.
She waved at him and angled her steps diagonally toward him. Her heart thudded unevenly. The players were whooping and hollering, slapping each other on their backs, and she couldn’t help but laugh at their exuberance. She also couldn’t get any closer to Erik than the second to bottom bleacher. “Good game!”
Erik’s smile practically reached around the back of his head. “When are you gonna come tobogganing?”
Faith lifted her shoulders. “Whenever your dad says you’re up to it.”
Erik wriggled around until he got his dad’s attentio
n. Cameron tipped him off his shoulder, making the boy giggle before his feet hit the bleacher next to Faith.
“Did you see me wave at you when I got outta the hospital?”
Faith bent her knee on the bleacher so she was closer to his level. “You saw me wave back, right?”
“How come you didn’t come and see me?”
She pulled out her pager and held it up for him to see. “I was on call. A skier got lost.” That was the truth. She’d hovered in the hospital parking lot longer than she ought to have, in fact.
“Did you rescue him like you did me?”
“Well, he was a lot easier to find than you were,” she assured.
“Did ya’ hear that there’s gold in the mine? All ’cause of me falling in?”
Faith laughed. “Well, that ought to drive Tommy Bodecker clean out of his tree.”
Erik grinned, grabbing her hand. He was still practically yelling to be heard over the din. “You gotta come with us to The Hitching Post. Dad never lets me go there, but he’s gonna tonight, ’cause we won. Says I’m his good-luck charm, so he’s gotta.”
“Naturally, a good-luck charm should always be included in the after-game celebration.”
“So, will you?”
She started to shake her head, but Cameron leaned over just then. “Come on along,” he invited.
Her heart jolted. She tried to tell herself it was just surprise, but she wasn’t convinced.
“Everybody’s going,” he continued.
Of course. She ordered her heart to settle right back down again. Fat lot of good it did, though.
“I know it’s late, but I owe you a dinner,” Cameron added unexpectedly. The people standing between them were finally shuffling out of the way and Cameron scooped up an enormous duffel bag packed with sports equipment. He looped the strap over his shoulder and looked up, his gaze meeting hers. “What do you say?”
Heat squiggled along her veins.
“Please?” Erik wriggled her arm.
He’s a family man. A family man. A family man.
“I…sure.” She exhaled the word, ignoring the frantic reminder circling inside her head.
Cameron nodded. “Meet you there. Hustle up, Erik.”
Faith blinked as Erik scrambled down from the bleachers and hurried to catch up with his dad’s long-legged stride. The squiggles were still squiggling, even though she couldn’t have said whether or not Cameron was pleased she’d agreed.
“That is one seriously good-looking man.”
Faith jerked around to see Tanya smirking at her. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“I didn’t know you were here,” her friend returned. “So…what gives?” Her eyebrows rose meaningfully.
“Nothing gives. Did you close the store tonight?”
“Yup. No point in staying open when all the sports fans were here. Derek’s on duty and Toby is spending the night at a friend’s. All of which I mentioned at dinner the other day. When you did not mention that you were coming to the game tonight.”
Faith stepped off the bleachers. Tanya followed. “I wasn’t planning to,” she admitted.
“Just couldn’t help yourself, huh?” Tanya bumped her shoulder to Faith’s when she didn’t reply. “Hey. I’m just teasing you, you know. Because it’s pretty nice to see you showing some interest in a man. After you split up with Jess—”
“I’m not interested,” Faith said hastily.
Tanya just eyed her and the defensiveness oozed out of Faith, leaving her feeling deflated.
They pushed through the gymnasium doors and followed the clusters of people heading to their cars. “He’s not the kind of man for me,” she said after a moment.
“Why on earth not?” Tanya sidled in front of her, and stopped, forcing Faith to stop as well. “Sweetie, you’re my best friend. Talk to me.”
Words welled up inside Faith, but they were held back by a dam of her own making. “I’m not interested in any kind of man,” she rephrased. “Yet—” she added hastily, recognizing the glint in her friend’s determined blue eyes.
Tanya tucked her arm through Faith’s. “Well, that’s something, at least. You want to come over and have coffee and cake? Derek was baking again on his day off. Death by Chocolate. Seriously good stuff.”
“Tempting.” It was. Derek’s prowess in the kitchen was significant. And he had a way with chocolate that generally made him the designated chef at the fire station when he was on duty. “But I can’t.” They neared her SUV and she tugged out her keys.
“Early shift tomorrow?”
“Um, no.” Though she was on call, as she usually was.
Tanya was eyeing her again. “Okay. What’s up?”
Faith unlocked her truck and tossed her purse inside. She tugged on the scarf hanging around her neck. “I, um, I told Erik I’d drop by The Hitching Post after the game.”
“Erik, or Erik’s fine-looking daddy?”
“Tanya—”
Her friend grinned. “Oh, fine. I’ll let you off the hook. But one of these days, you’re just gonna have to admit to me that you’ve got the hots for Cameron Stevenson.” Tanya squeezed her arm and stepped back from the vehicle. “It’s okay, you know. You don’t have to be ashamed of it. You’re a healthy, twenty-nine-year-old woman. Enjoy it.” She started to cross the lot, but turned back after a few feet. “By the way, I’m going to want details!”
Faith felt herself flush, and Tanya laughed, as she darted between the slow-moving cars. Faith climbed into her SUV, only to sit there for a good ten minutes before the congestion in the parking lot eased. Ten minutes during which she seriously considered turning left out of the lot and driving straight home.
But when she nosed out of the lot, the SUV seemed to turn right of its own accord.
The Hitching Post was located in Old Town, down the street from The Hall. The parking lot behind the building was already bulging with cars, so she parked down the block and walked back to the popular grill. As she walked beyond the old-fashioned hitching post outside the building, she couldn’t help but remember the frantic night she’d spent searching for Erik.
But when she pushed through the door, she pushed aside those thoughts. Erik Stevenson was standing on a bar stool, near the original bar from when the establishment was once a saloon, putting him at the same height as his dad’s tallest player, and making him easily visible through the crowd.
She crossed the hardwood floor, heading his way. Country music throbbed through the place. She had to turn this way and that to slip between groups of people crowded around the bar tables, and nearly fell on her rear when a young man backed straight into her.
He hurriedly steadied her, and she smiled off his humorous apology, only to turn around and find Cameron standing two inches behind her.
And she felt truly unsteady in that moment as every nerve she possessed went on alert.
“I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show.” His fingers wrapped around her arm and even through her coat she felt the jolt of it. “Come on. I’ve got a table over here.” He guided her through the throng, his tall body close behind hers, and she dragged in a breath, surreptitiously pressing her palm to her swaying stomach.
The table was nearly in the corner, and an enormous basket of cheese-covered fries sat in the center of it. Cam scooped Erik off the bar stool and carried him—one arm around the waist—over to the table, and dumped him on a chair. The boy could hardly seem to stop laughing, and his high spirits were so infectious that she relaxed a little and managed to slide into the chair that Cameron pulled out for her without completely embarrassing herself.
Which didn’t mean that she didn’t nearly jump out of her skin when he touched her shoulders. She looked up at him.
“Your coat?”
Her cheeks heated. He was only trying to help her out of her coat. Her thoughts skidded and she hurriedly unbuttoned the big round buttons on the front and shrugged out of the navy wool peacoat. He tossed it on the fourth chair
that already held an assortment of winter wear. Then he sat down in the chair to her right. The square table was spacious enough, but his legs brushed against hers as he scooted in.
“Sorry,” he murmured, and angled his legs in another direction.
Faith hurriedly snatched up one of the menus sitting on the center of the table and studied it, even though she’d eaten at The Hitching Post often enough to have the entire thing memorized. “Have you and Erik already ordered?”
Cameron plucked a few crispy fries from the basket. “Only these.” He pulled them free of the melted cheese topping them.
Her stomach dipped again as she watched him consume them, then lick his thumb before wiping his hands with his napkin.
“Get you something to drink?” The pregnant waitress who stopped by their table was young. Fairly new to town, too, Faith knew, courtesy of Tanya, who kept her finger pretty firmly on the town’s pulse. The petite Latina looked busy, but her sparkling eyes and smile didn’t show how harried she undoubtedly felt as she waited patiently.
Faith’s gaze skated over Cameron’s beer and Erik’s soda. “I’ll just have water, thanks.”
“I’ll be right back with that. Give you a chance to look over the menu.” She hurried off.
Even though the place was crammed with people and noise, Faith felt very alone there at the table with Cameron and Erik. It wasn’t necessarily an unpleasant sensation. Erik was slurping his soda through his straw, blowing bubbles as much as drinking, and Cameron was working on the cheese fries with an oddly intense determination.
She wasn’t going to blindly study the menu any longer, and she flipped it closed. “Amazing game tonight.”
Cameron’s eyes slanted her way for a moment. “Yeah. Haven’t seen you at any of the games before.”
She repositioned the napkin in her lap. “Guess I got caught up in the excitement like the rest of Thunder Canyon. It’s on to the state championship now. Quite an accomplishment on your part.” His lashes were unreasonably thick, she noticed, not for the first time.
“I’d feel more accomplished if the guys were pulling better grades in math.” His lips twisted wryly. “Basketball’s just a game.”
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