An Unexpected Family

by Jenna Mindel

  “I definitely need to work some of this off.” Rose wished that she’d worn looser shorts.

  “You look good to me,” Cam added.

  Rose felt her cheeks heat, but her skin blazed after she spotted the pleased look that passed between Helen and Andy. Darren’s comment about being the only woman Cam had brought to his parents’ house sunk in deeper. Maybe that was a good sign.

  “Okay, let’s hit the shoes.” Cam’s father rose from the table with a clap of his hands.

  Everyone followed suit, taking their paper plates to the trash and dumping their silverware into a dishpan of soapy water. Cam had taken Rose’s plate, so she gathered up the condiments and soon felt a warm touch to her elbow.

  “Come on, my mom’s got this. You can be my partner.” Cam shifted his hand to the small of her back.

  She stared into his eyes a second or two. Partner. The word rang through her ears like an echo. That was exactly what she wanted, but would Cam consider it?

  “You okay?” He caressed her back.

  “Yeah. Fine. Great.” Rose tamped down the excitement bubbling within her. She skipped down the deck stairs before she leaned into his touch. “Maybe I should wait and throw with Greg.”

  Cam waved that idea away. “Darren’s got him.”

  Rose followed Cam to a level area where the lawn butted up against a line of woods. Two lanes had been created, complete with sandpits and wooden backstops. Chairs were scattered about, all with good views of the area of play.

  Her mind churned with possibilities. A partnership might be the perfect solution. They worked well together and if Cam became her business partner, he’d have a solid reason to stay in Maple Springs. And he could prove he could do something as good as or better than fishing. He could run a successful business with her.

  If he stayed, they could be more...

  It was too early for counting flowers and romance and business deals. She’d sent her refusal of the Deans’ offer only this week. Kurt’s brothers might yet pursue legal action as they’d threatened. It was still a wait-and-see thing. She couldn’t let her heart get doubly trampled by losing both Cam and the diner. She had to be smart and take measured steps. Make sure her ducks were in a row before—

  “You ever throw horseshoes before?” Monica asked with a friendly challenge ringing in her voice.

  Rose nodded. “At every family picnic since I was ten.”

  Monica grinned. “I knew you were a good egg the minute I met you.”

  “Thanks.” Rose didn’t dare admit that she thought she and Cam were a couple at first meeting, or that she’d felt sorry for Monica’s poor choice in men.

  “I usually team up with Erin, but since you’ve got experience...”

  “Back off, she’s mine,” Cam growled.

  Rose laughed, but her stomach tipped and rolled. Too bad he’d only meant that about playing horseshoes. She glanced at Cam and shivered at the look he gave her.

  Maybe they could be more.

  “Come on.” He steered her toward a couple empty chairs with his hand at the small of her back.

  His touch felt nice. Much too nice.

  Rose watched as Darren and Greg played against Cam’s younger brothers, Marcus and Ben. The foursome were raucous with their teasing and Greg lapped up the male attention. He positively glowed from the praise he received when he threw a leaner that pushed him and Darren ahead.

  “I’m so glad you’re here today, as I’ve been meaning to stop into your diner.” The woman engaged to Cam’s oldest brother sat down next to her.

  Rose searched her memory for the redhead’s name. “Ginger, right?”

  “Yes. Zach and I have the glass store farther down on Main. Have you thought about rejoining the chamber?”

  “There she goes.” Cam’s brother Zach shook his head. “Give it a rest, would you?”

  “I’m still on the membership committee.” Ginger stuck out her tongue at her fiancé before turning her attention back to Rose. “As I was saying, Linda let the diner’s membership lapse, but we could reinstate it for less than a new member fee. We’d love to have you as part of the Maple Springs Chamber of Commerce. There are perks, too—free advertising for one.”

  Rose glanced at Cam, but he shrugged. This was her decision, and until he was truly invested in Dean’s Hometown Grille, she needed to quit looking to him for direction. “Sure. Reinstate me.”

  Ginger smiled. “Great. I’ll swing by with a membership packet.”

  “Come on, sweetheart, we’re up.” Zach called for Ginger to play against Darren and Greg.

  Rose caught her son’s eye and smiled. “Way to go, Greg.”

  “Thanks.”

  Surrounded by these strong Zelinsky men and women, Greg thrived. He laughed a lot, too. They were a good influence for her son.

  “Any word on a new sponsor?” Cam’s father slipped into the seat next to him.

  “Soon, I hope. This weekend’s placement helped. My manager’s talking with a large electronics company. Same brand I use for my GPS and fish finders. It’s a good start. If I land something big, the smaller sponsors will follow.” Cam sounded confident.

  Of course he was. Rose had seen that room filled with trophies and excitement. Would her partnership idea stand a chance if Cam got his big sponsor?

  The stability of family and a good future was all she’d ever wanted for her son. With Cam she saw glimpses of that but once the novelty of playing Dad wore off, would Cam feel boxed in and bolt like Kurt?

  Greg needed this and she did, too, but in the end it would be up to Cam needing them back to make it last.

  * * *

  Cam offered Rose a graphite pole set up and ready to go. “This is a spinnerbait and it’s pretty easy to use. Just cast like I showed you and then reel it in. It’s pretty weedless so you shouldn’t get too tangled up. If you feel a hit, pause for a second to let the bass get a hold of it, then jerk it to set the hook. Ready to fish?”

  “I suppose.” She didn’t look ready, but reached for the pole.

  Greg had cast three times since they’d stopped his parents’ boat. The kid went straight for the top water lures, looking for the excitement of surface hits. Greg had a knack for fishing bass, all right.

  They had plenty of room in the eighteen-foot pleasure craft with a decent-size inboard motor. Cam had first driven around the inland lake because Rose wanted to see the scattered homes and scenery much to her son’s impatience. Cam understood that kind of antsy feeling to get a line in the water, but this evening wasn’t about rushing. They had all evening and Cam wanted to take his time and enjoy.

  Cam stepped behind Rose. “Casting is all in the wrist. No need to swing your arm way back. The goal is to keep the lure and hooks out of the boat.”

  “Like this, Mom. See?” Greg demonstrated a perfect cast.

  Rose nodded and gave it a try. The lure went nowhere because she’d failed to open the bail like he’d showed her.

  Cam pointed. “You’ve got to release the line here. Open the bail with your finger as you cast.”

  She tried again and the lure went no farther than a couple feet into the water. “Okay, what am I doing wrong?”

  “Reel in.” He stepped behind her and covered her hand with his. Steering her aim, he gently drew back, pressing her finger down on the release. “Like this. One easy movement. Point your finger at the sky and then release the line three-quarters of the way through.”

  The lure sailed through the air, but Cam didn’t notice how far. He breathed in Rose’s scent and got lost. His fingers brushed her wrist.

  “Now what?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

  He didn’t answer. She might as well be fog rolling in, obscuring his thoughts and enveloping his senses. His hands slipped to her waist, resting on the slight swell of her hip. He tightened his grip wh
en she leaned into him.

  “Reel.” He barely recognized his own voice.

  “Fast or slow?”

  “Hmm.” He focused on how easy it would be to skim her neck with his lips or nibble the curve of her ear.

  She suddenly jerked the pole back, nearly knocking him in the nose. Then she giggled. “Oh, no. I think it’s stuck.”

  He watched the line dart sideways and for the life of him couldn’t figure how she’d caught a fish. “Easy now, you’ve got a fish on. Reel in to tighten up the slack, but let it run a bit. Feel the fight.”

  “You got one, Mom!” Greg joined them.

  She laughed when the bass surfaced with a splash. “Wow, look at that!”

  Cam stepped back and enjoyed watching her bring her fish closer to the boat. “Looks like a nice smallmouth. You got it. Don’t horse it, now. Bring it in easy, so you don’t lose it. That’s it.”

  He leaned over the side of the boat, grabbed the line and then picked up the bass by its mouth. “Greg, hand me those pliers, would you?”

  Greg did as asked.

  Cam dislodged the hook with ease and laid it out on the measuring stick before holding it out to Rose. It was maybe two pounds or so. “Sixteen and a half inches. Nice fish.”

  “My first one! That was pretty fun.” Her excitement was contagious.

  He laughed, loving this moment. “I don’t know how you did it, but keep doing it. Now you know why I chase bass. Here, hold this and I’ll take a picture.”

  Rose scrunched her nose, then turned to her son. “You do it, Greg.”

  “No way, Mom. This one’s yours.”

  “Okay.” Rose didn’t sound too certain, but held out her hand. “Will it bite?”

  “No. Tail might wiggle.” Cam chuckled. “Grab its mouth here, like so.”

  He grinned when she held it out with two fingers. One wiggle and that bass was hitting the floor. He raised his phone and clicked.

  “Now what?” Rose still held the fish as if she could barely stand the feel of it.

  “Put it back in the water.”

  She tossed it over the side of the boat.

  Cam tipped his head. “Gently, Rose. Gentle.”

  She scrunched her nose. “Oops, sorry.”

  He checked the photos. The images of both Greg and Rose each holding the first fish they caught tugged at something deep inside him. It was more than pride in teaching them how to fish. It was the way they looked at him, the way they smiled with wonder. It twisted sharp and sweet. He wanted more outings like this. Many more.

  “Let me see.” Rose peered over his shoulder.

  “I’ll send them to your phone.”

  “Thank you.” She squeezed his arm.

  “Sure, no problem.” He looked at her.

  Her face looked sun-kissed from being outside all evening. He’d have added his own kisses if Greg had not been with them. Out here on this inland lake loaded with bass, he should be casting, working the shallows and getting some much-needed practice hours in, but he didn’t want to.

  Tonight wasn’t about fishing. Not really. It was giving something of himself to Rose. On some level he wanted to show her who he was and why he did what he did, hoping she’d like it, too. Hoping she’d like him.

  All he knew was that he didn’t want this to end. He didn’t want to drop Rose and Greg off at the diner and then head home alone to his empty house. He didn’t want an empty life. Not anymore.

  Running from his failures, he’d kept up the pretense that he was a winner. He’d fed that fiction by doing whatever it took to earn points at tournament time. He’d never return to those old habits no matter how tough it got. This past weekend had been great, the fishing exhilarating, but part of him knew tournaments could be a bundle of nerves and frustration when things didn’t go right. Part of him didn’t want to return to that world even though he knew he had to.

  “What?” Her eyes were soft and questioning.

  He shook his head. “Nothing. Come on, there’s more fish to catch.”

  “Tell Mom about where you and Tommy stayed while you were fishing in Canada,” Greg goaded. “The one where the shower sprayed water all over your bed.”

  Cam chuckled and humored the kid with the quick tale told many times about the crazy motel room with a bathroom that wasn’t more than a cubicle with walls that didn’t reach the ceiling.

  He and Tommy had filled the boy’s head with stories of their many fishing trips. Rose laughed, too, but the story had lost some of its shine. That was the last time he’d gone to Canada with his brothers and cousin. Things had been going downhill for a while and then he’d been disqualified for fishing after dark, after practice hours had ceased. The reality was that he’d caught a slob of a winning bass during practice and had tried to hide it so he could retrieve it later, during the tournament.

  They settled into silence and fishing, each at their own spot on the boat concentrating on the next cast, the next lure and landing the next fish. The drift was perfect, but Cam’s mind wandered.

  He’d excelled at fishing once upon a time without having to cheat. Cheating had been the crutch he had used to get by in school, keeping the shame of his reading level secret. He’d let Rose know about his issues. Sort of. He hadn’t told her how bad it really was. He had been too afraid to accept her offer of help for fear she’d think less of him.

  She deserved a man who could provide for her and Greg and wouldn’t let them down. Could that man be him? Maybe, with a new sponsor. Or maybe the pressure would be even greater. Fishing to support a family was something he’d never wanted before. Could he do it now?

  With God, all things are possible.

  It was a snip of a scripture he had heard all his life. He’d heard it on the radio, too. Many times. Cam knew this wasn’t something he could do on his own. He’d been there, done that and it hadn’t worked. Not in the end, after losing nearly everything.

  He glanced at Rose, casting like he’d taught her. She laughed with her son and they teased each other. Clearly, she enjoyed this. Like she’d had fun throwing horseshoes. Rose fit well with his family. His mom already loved her and had given him a nod of approval that said Rose was a keeper.

  He’d known that the minute he’d spotted her. The big question was did he have what it took to keep her? Forever.

  Chapter Nine

  Later that night, Rose regretted that the drive back to the diner had seemed so short. They’d laughed about their evening of fishing. After tonight, she felt part of the Cam and Greg club. “So, you’re really going to cook that thing?”

  Cam pulled into the back alley and parked. “It’s a turkey.”

  “I know, but it’s summertime.” Rose thought he was crazy for taking the huge fresh turkey from his parents so he could use it for a special this week.

  “Wait till you see what I do with it. My mom was going to freeze it. I couldn’t let her kill all that flavor.”

  Rose shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever had anything but frozen.”

  “Fresh is juicier and, well, fresher. Plus it’s from a local farm.” He gestured toward the back seat. “Greg, grab those leftovers for you and your mom.”

  “Okay.”

  “Just the pierogi, Greg. Leave the potato salad for Cam.” Rose unlocked the back door, flicked on the light and dropped her beach bag near the stairs.

  Cam hefted the turkey under his arm and followed them inside the diner kitchen, where he stashed the bird in the fridge.

  Rose didn’t want to think about how recently that turkey had been walking around. Cam encouraged her to buy as much as she could locally, but she still ordered from a food salesman that Linda had used.

  “’Night, Cam. Thanks for fishing.” Greg yawned.

  “’Night, bud.”

  Rose thought she saw her son look between
them and then smile, but wasn’t sure. She and Cam both watched Greg dart up the stairs, leaving them alone.

  An awkward silence settled between them, so Rose said the first thing that came to mind. “I can’t believe he’s turning in this early.”

  Cam rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. “Yeah.”

  Rose wasn’t going to drag this out even though part of her wanted to do just that. “Thank you for this evening, for fishing and your mom and family and, well, everything.”

  “You’re welcome, Rose.” There it was, that caressing sound in his voice that made her knees feel weak.

  “It’s late. I’d better turn in, too. Good night, Cam.” Rose backed away.

  “Good night.”

  She was equally relieved and disappointed when he left. She heard him lock the door and raced up the stairs. Her pulse hadn’t quite settled back to normal yet.

  After spending the day at Helen and Andy Zelinsky’s large home with its large deck and long picnic table, her apartment seemed small and inadequate. Was it so bad to want a home of her own with a husband who’d love her enough to stick around?

  Rose squared her shoulders, searching for a more grateful attitude, but came up empty-handed. Kurt had robbed Greg and her of days like today filled with family life. She slumped onto the couch and remembered the tickets in her pocket.

  She pulled out two tickets to the chicken barbecue held by Cam’s church only days away. “Hey, look what Cam’s mom gave me. With the Fourth of July on a Sunday, the diner will be closed and we can go before the fireworks. Maybe even attend the parade, too. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

  Her son downed a glass of milk. “Is Cam going with us?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I didn’t ask him.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure, what is it?”

  Her son sat next to her on the couch. “Do you like him?”

  His voice sounded pensive and terribly serious, so Rose looked him in the eyes and stalled. “Cam? Why do you ask?”

  Greg shrugged. He sat very still as if gathering his thoughts for another question, as if something gnawed at him.