An Unexpected Family

Rose looked thoughtful. “I suppose I’d believe that, but making deals with God shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

Cam laughed. “You know, my mother said the same thing.”

Rose frowned. “Maybe you should listen to her.”

“I’m working on it.” He laughed.

That much was true. He needed to change and this time he was serious. This time, he’d do things differently. He’d get it right. He’d do right instead of wrong.

He’d grown up attending church. He’d even been part of the youth group, same as the rest of his brothers and sisters, but that didn’t mean the words had sunk in. The idea of eternity had been lost on him. He’d lived for the present too long and it had cost him.

Cam scanned Rose’s profile. She seemed much too serious for a pretty woman with a whole lot of life left to live. He supposed losing both her husband and mother-in-law couldn’t be easy on her or her son. She’d had to be tough.

He made her uncomfortable with his teasing, and yet he hadn’t imagined a tug of awareness between them. He wouldn’t explore it, though. Not when he needed to focus on fishing and the tournaments that kept him on the road about 70 percent of the year.

She caught him gawking. “What?”

“Does your boy like to fish?”

“I don’t know.”

Cam’s eyebrows rose. “Didn’t he ever go with his father?”

Rose’s warm green eyes turned cold. “Greg was six the last time he saw his father.”

That statement hit like a center punch to the gut. Kurt Dean had died maybe three years ago, but they’d busted up long before that. Cam couldn’t keep the words from falling out of his mouth. “Maybe I can take him.”

“Look, Cam, I appreciate what you’re trying to do. But please don’t.”

“Every boy needs to learn how to fish and if anyone can teach him quickly, it’s me.” Cam had fished from the time he could walk.

His folks still lived in the house on a small inland lake where he grew up. He’d had a Snoopy fishing pole until he turned ten and his father had given him a real, cork-handled rod like the pros used for his birthday. From then on, Cam had fished more than he did anything else.

“We’re not some project for you to feel better about your life.”

Cam hadn’t meant it that quite that way. Rose hid some deep hurts and rocky bitterness and it was small wonder. Kurt Dean had abandoned them.

Rose stood. “It looks like the game is over. I’m going over there.”

“Mom,” Greg called out and waved.

She waved back and walked toward him.

Cam followed.

At least he could introduce her to the youth director, who happened to be his cousin. If nothing else, he could rely on John to say something good about him. He wanted Rose to trust him. He meant what he said about being a better person and part of that included helping her and her son. Whether she wanted him to or not.

Chapter Four

Rose walked toward the volleyball net set up on the beach. The foamy plastic clogs she wore filled with warm sand. When was the last time she’d even been to a beach? Maybe this upcoming Sunday, if the weather held, she and Greg could make a day of it here. She’d even pack a picnic lunch.

“Hey, Mom, I’m going for a swim with the others, okay?” Greg ran toward her, smiling. His eagerness was a good sign that he liked the program.

Before she could answer, her son ran into the water and dove straight under, following in the wake of a couple of other boys his age. “Well, yeah, go ahead.”

“Maybe we should join them,” Cam whispered close to her ear.

“No. No way.” Rose ignored the little voice inside that disagreed with her quick refusal. The old Rose would have jumped in without a thought to a towel or the fact that she wore jeans and a T-shirt.

“Hi, Cam.” The youth director’s smile was wide and welcoming.

“John, this is Rose Dean. Her son is Greg Dean. They’re new to the area.”

John extended his hand to her. “Right. New owner of Dean’s Hometown Grille. You must have met with my wife when you signed up Greg. He’s a good kid.”

“Thank you.” Rose kept her eye on her son splashing with the other kids.

“There’s two lifeguards on duty. One on the beach and one on the raft out there. Is Greg a good swimmer?”

Rose bit her bottom lip. She’d enrolled him in swim lessons when he was little, but it had been ages since they’d been to any sort of pool or lake together. Greg had gone with her parents a few times near where they lived, but that had been while Rose worked. “He’s passable. I think.”

“He’ll be fine. It’s not too deep by the swim dock. Maybe seven feet. Cam and I spent many a summer on that dock.” John nodded toward Cam.

Rose located Greg. He’d made it to the dock and was climbing up the ladder only to jump back in and repeat the process. “So, you’ve known each other a long time?”

“John’s my cousin,” Cam explained.

“Ah.” Rose saw a faint resemblance.

“Cam was a huge help earlier this month with our canoe trip and fishing the river across the bay. This guy volunteered as if his life depended on it and I appreciated the help.”

“Yeah, about that.” Cam rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m pretty much tied up cooking for Rose. This week and maybe next.”

Rose flashed him a look. That was news to her. He’d said he’d fill in a few days this week and she thought that would be it.

John looked at her and then back to Cam. “He’s a guy of many talents.”

“I’m beginning to see that,” Rose agreed.

Cam laughed, but it sounded awkward and lacked conviction. “That’s me.”

John looked at her as he slapped Cam on the shoulder, then he checked his watch. “I’ve got to round up the troops before send-off. Nice to meet you, Rose.”

“You, too.” Rose cringed when John blew a whistle for his group to gather round.

She glanced at Cam. He’d volunteered for the youth program at his church. It was for his cousin, so maybe that didn’t count. Or maybe that comment about becoming a better person was true. Cam had made a deal with God and Cam appeared to be holding up his end of the bargain.

Rose headed closer to the shoreline and waited for Greg. “Thank you for introducing us, although I’m sure I would have met your cousin in time.”

“You would have, but you’re welcome anyway. I’m going in for a quick dip. You sure you don’t want to join me?” He stripped off his T-shirt.

Rose did her best not to look at him and failed. Every inch of his exposed skin was golden brown. He looked like a man who didn’t take life seriously. A man who had no one but himself to worry about.

She stood there like an idiot, unsure what to say or do, her face probably flaming red to boot. “Ah, no. You go ahead.”

He gave her that smile. That smile that said he knew how he affected her.

She was sunk.

Greg saved the awkward moment by running toward her. “Can I go back in with Cam?”

“Come on, I’ll race you to the raft.” Cam waded in the water.

Greg beamed. “Can I?”

Rose sighed. “Go ahead. I’ll wait here.”

She plunked down in the sand, kicked off her shoes and sunk her feet into the water lapping up on shore. She wiggled her toes and stared at the luscious blue water of Maple Bay that opened into the broad expanse of Lake Michigan.

Closing her eyes, she leaned back on her hands and tipped her face toward the sun. It was hot, but nice, especially with her feet up to her ankles in water that bordered on cold. She was glad she hadn’t gone swimming. At least, that’s what she wanted to believe. Where had all the fun in her life gone?

She suddenly felt drops of water and sat up quick.

“You should come in. The water’s great.” Cam shook his head, sending more droplets raining over her as he slipped back into his T-shirt.

“It’s too cold.” Rose wiped off the water from her skin before zeroing in on her son. He was jumping off the raft with a couple of boys from the group.

“Some things never change.” Cam nodded toward where kids jumped and dove into the water only to climb back out and do it again. And again.

Rose wasn’t so sure about that but watched the activity viewed by a male lifeguard perched in a tall white chair with red lifesaving rings looped on either side. The kid had a smear of zinc on his nose and didn’t look that much older than those he watched.

“Can you swim?”

Rose glared at him. “Of course I can, but that doesn’t mean I want to wearing jeans.”

“It’ll loosen you up.” He grinned at her, completely unrepentant for tossing out such a passive insult.

“I think I’ll stay tight and dry.” Loosening up led to trouble.

“This feels like the summers I remember.” Cam grinned as he sat next to her, looking out over the water. “My brothers and I used to come here after school and swim as early as mid-May. It was a game to see who’d go in first.”

“You must have a lot of memories here.”

He nodded. “Both good and not so good. We’re the reason there’s a lifeguard on that raft. My brother Darren started a fight with a couple of the Bay Willows kids that ended in an all-out brawl when I was about Greg’s age.”

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