"My parents should be back soon." Camden looked down the road. "It's starting to get dark. How late do you think Brody is going to be?"
"Don't know," Eric replied. The two sat comfortably in silence, Camden cocooned in Eric's arms, watching the sky turn colors of cotton candy, as the stars began to peek out from the clouds one by one. A rumble sounded in the distance, and Eric looked up to see a dust cloud over the road.
"Your parents are back," he whispered. He glanced at the flying dust cloud again. "Brody may be here, too. I see two cars." Camden tucked even tighter into the protective embrace of Eric's chest and arms. She couldn't help but peer at the cars parking by the camper, though. Her parents parked first, and Jack got out, heading toward the camper with bags of groceries. Camden thought he was probably in a hurry to light the grill.
Molly was close behind with several bags in her arms. When she noticed Camden start to move, she called, "Stay where you are! I want you to relax. I haven't gotten to spoil you in a while," and kept walking straight to the camper.
Camden leaned into Eric as the second car began to park. The top of Brody's Jeep had been removed, and Camden sat frozen, her eyes glued to his entourage. They had never brought guests in the past. It was always family only. Then again, she couldn't exactly judge, since she was sitting in Eric's lap, and her family had never even met him before.
Camden heard her brother laugh at something one of the blonde twins said. She stared, waiting for the moment he would see her. When the sleeping body in the passenger seat moved, causing the hat on his face to fall into the floorboard, dark curls flashed in the sunlight, and Camden thought she would choke. The ability to breathe left her. Brody had brought Shane.
As Shane's eyes adjusted to the sunshine, he stretched his arm. He couldn't believe he had slept the last part of the trip. He had worked the night before until last call, but Tiffany, Stella, and Brody had not been quiet at all. Shane lifted his hand to his chin and jerked his head to one side and then another. After cracking his neck, he looked over to Jack, who was getting another load of groceries from the truck.
"I thought your parents had been here since yesterday. Why are they just now getting groceries?" he asked.
"Weird," Brody mumbled. Only distracted momentarily, Brody turned to the back seat. "Ready for the best weekend of your lives, ladies?" As Tiffany and Stella cheered, Shane's eyes scanned the campsite and stilled as they came to rest on a couple snuggling at the fire pit.
"Holy shit," he muttered, unable to remove his eyes from the woman staring back at him.
***
Chapter 4
"What?" Brody's attention snapped back around. "What the fuck?!?!" he bellowed, letting Shane know that he had seen Camden, too. The girls began fretting over Brody, who was so pissed he was struggling to undo his seatbelt. Still, Shane continued to gawk.
Camden broke their stare and hurried to get off Eric's lap. She watched horrified, as Brody slammed the door to his Jeep and stalked across the campsite. "Where the hell have you been?!" he demanded. "Mom and Dad have been sick with worry. I," he emphasized," have been sick with worry!"
Brody's cheek twitched, and his muscles looked rock hard and ready for a fight. Camden could feel Eric's warmth as he stepped behind her. Brody glanced over her shoulder at Eric.
"You the motherfucker who kept my baby sister away the past three years?"
Brody's glare would have made a lesser man waiver, but Eric stood tall and looked him straight in the eye.
"I'm the motherfucker that has spent the last two and a half years convincing her to come home," he said evenly, although Camden knew he was clenching his teeth. Her heart sank, as she realized he had just let them know that she actively tried to stay away. She knew that her family must realize that, but on some level she hoped they would overlook that she had deliberately chosen to stay gone.
Brody continued to glare at Eric. "Two and a half years?" he repeated. Camden nodded. "You live with this guy?" he looked at Camden before returning his glare to Eric. Camden had no voice, so she nodded again.
"How long?"
"T-t-two years," she stuttered.
Brody's expression softened. "Damn," he whispered. Brody tagged Camden's arm and pulled her into a bear hug. "Can't breathe," she whispered, as tears streamed down her face. She knew by his hug that he forgave her.
Brody let her go, and gestured to their audience, still watching from the Jeep. Tiffany and Stella warily made their way to the group, as a surly Shane followed.
"Camden, dude that lives with my sister, this is Tiffany, my girl," Brody said as he pulled Tiffany to his side. "This is Stella. She's here with Shane. You know him." Brody looked around the group. "Tiffany, Stella, this is my baby sister Camden, and this here is...." He paused, and Camden filled the silence. "Eric." The group waved half-heartedly and murmured hellos. The air in their midst was awkward, but it was interrupted quickly by the arrival of Molly and Jack.
"Brody!" Molly called. "You didn't tell me you were bringing friends!" she scolded. Brody colored at the reprimand.
"Mama, in my defense, I thought it would make the weekend merrier. I didn't know the whole family would be here."
Camden curled into Eric's embrace, feeling like she was the one being reprimanded. Seeing how Brody's comment affected her prodigal daughter, Molly narrowed her eyes at her son. Jack, ever the peacemaker, stepped into the fray. His hand on Molly's shoulder immediately calmed her expression.
"Brody, we have plenty of food, so it is just fine that our camp is full this year." He glanced between Brody and Shane. "You boys got the tent set-up under control?" The two men nodded.
"Good," Jack continued. "When you two are done, you can join me and Eric at the grill." He turned to the girls. "You ladies can join Molly in the kitchen. Tonight, we're having Camden's favorite. Hope you all like salmon." With that he broke the awkward pall that had been hanging over the group and sent the group to their respective chores.
***
Shane's mood was plummeting rapidly. He hadn't missed the kiss Eric placed on Camden's cheek, or the encouraging nod towards Molly and the girls, before Eric had joined Jack at the grill. He also hadn't missed the laughter and bonding currently in effect between Jack and Eric. The sight of Camden's boyfriend fitting into the family festivities so effortlessly left a heavy feeling in Shane's chest.
Camden looked as stunning as ever. The last three years had been kind to her body. Her figure was now more curvy and womanly. Her hair shone in the sun, reminding him of his childhood nickname for her. Sunshine. He had called her Sunshine. She had always thought it was because she was blonde or because she was always so peppy, but in truth, he had called her Sunshine because she had been the star around which his world revolved. God, he had missed her.
When he looked over from the Jeep and saw her, his entire world had stopped. It was as if the heavens had opened and an angel choir sang, while a beam of light haloed Camden's beautiful face. Man, she turned him into such a sap. As he finished the final stake on his tent (he hoped Brody wasn't expecting him to share with Stella), Camden's laughter carried across the campsite. Shane couldn't help the smirk that lifted his mouth. Camden's laugh was his favorite sound in the world. He turned to see what had made her so happy, and tried not to grimace as he saw Eric holding her over his shoulder.
"What's got your panties in a twist?" Brody's question jerked Shane from his now melancholy thoughts.
"Nothing," Shane muttered. "I just need a beer." He tossed his mallet on the ground and headed towards Jack and the grill, doing his best not to look at Camden as she beamed at Eric.
"Hey, Shane, my man. How're things at the bar?" Jack handed Shane an ice-cold beer and leaned against the RV.
"Well, I'm starting to turn a profit, so I guess things are going pretty well. This is actually the first time I've been able to take time off since I bought it."
Jack nodded in reply. "So," he started. "Eric's a nice guy."
Shane groaned in
ternally. Of course, Jack would bring up the one topic Shane didn't want to talk about. No one knew his feelings for Camden, and he would bet no one knew how she used to feel about Shane. "Yeah. Seems nice," Shane mumbled.
"You know...I always thought she would end up with you."
Shane couldn't school the shocked expression he was sure now graced his face. "M-me?" he stumbled. "Why me?"
Jack laughed. "I'm not blind, boy! I always saw the way you looked at each other! Never could understand how you kids could miss it. Broke my heart when she ran away. Always figured you had something to do with it."
Guilt gnawed at Shane's insides. "Why did you think that?" He could hardly ask, knowing that Jack had been right all along.
"It just seemed to me it was finally time for something to happen, what with Camden being 18 and all. Then you got shipped back to Afghanistan. I figured you rejected her thinking you were saving her." Shane was in awe of Jack's insight. He never realized how much the man noticed.
"You've never let on," he argued. "You've still always treated me like family."
"Shane, my boy, you ARE family. And you had my girl's best interest at heart. You didn't know she'd run. Couldn't exactly hold you accountable for it. It was her decision, after all."
"Don't hold it against her, sir. Camden loves her family more than anything. Please don't punish her for choices she made because of me," he begged.
"You should know me better than that, Shane," he scolded. "I love my girl, and that's all she'll ever know."
The silence, which should have been awkward, was comforting to Shane. Jack had been his only real father figure, and knowing now the patience and love Jack had shown him the last few years (in spite of Camden's absence), strengthened that bond. The men stood quietly, working the grill and enjoying their beers.
"Yep," Jack broke the silence. "Eric's a nice boy. Takes good care of my girl." He paused, looking at Shane seriously before continuing, "but I've never seen her as happy as she was whenever she was around you."
He patted Shane on the back, and then started moving the salmon from the grill to a serving platter. "It's never too late for true love, Shane, my boy. Love like that only comes once in a lifetime." Jack finished loading the platter, nodded at Shane and walked away.
Shane stood frozen for a moment, before Camden's tinkling laughter reached his ears once again. He stared at her across the campsite, still so beautiful after all this time. Could Jack be right? Was it not too late? Shane pondered his future, and whether Camden might be a part of it, as he made his way to the group now seated around the picnic table next to the RV.
***
Chapter 5
"Oh, God. Yes! Harder!"
"Make it stop," Camden whined and rolled into Eric. "She is so loud. My mom can hear her!"
"Didn't you tell me your parents were hippies or something?" Eric laughed.
"Yeah, yeah. Free love and all that crap. That was a long time ago," she protested. "And it still doesn't mean she wants to hear that volume of enthusiasm while she sleeps."
Camden pulled her pillow on top of her head, causing Eric to laugh harder. He pulled her into his arms. "Go to sleep, baby," he murmured. "We have to be up early in the morning to hike."
Camden groaned. "Don't remind me. I'm going to be worthless after this night of interrupted sleep." Another round of moaning filled the air. Earlier, Camden had talked a little bit with both girls, and Stella was the one with the Southern accent. The one who was filling their campsite with audio porn. And since Brody said Stella was at the campground with Shane, it meant that Shane was responsible for keeping her awake. This weekend was hard enough without him being here working to make it more uncomfortable.
She would have been fine if he hadn't shown up. After Brody's initial blow up and hug, she felt comfortable with her family. Tiffany and Stella were okay, and she was obviously on great terms with Eric, but Shane was an ass all night. He hadn't said one word to her, he glared at everyone, and he wasn't even polite to her mother. He was behaving like a jackass, and she would love to call him on it, but after three years with no contact, it wasn't her place.
The night noises were finally softening, so Camden wrapped her arm around Eric's middle, placed her head on his shoulder, and tried to go back to sleep.
***
"Wake up, sleepyhead," the husky voice whispered in her ear. "Time to go hiking! Gotta get your exercise!" he sing-songed.
"Five more minutes, mom," she grumbled. Next thing she knew, she was on her back, her hands over her head, Eric straddling her.
"I am not your mother! Now, get up." He playfully popped her rear end, or as close to it as he could get, and laughed. Camden sat up and pushed him off her.
"I'm up. I'm up." She set her feet on the ground and scanned the floor of the tent for her hiking boots.
"While you are waking your brain up, I'm headed outside." He kissed her forehead. "Your mom has breakfast ready." He winked at her before climbing out the tent door.
Camden groaned and began to change into her favorite Doctor Who shirt and khaki shorts. As she laced her hiking boots, she questioned whether she should have come camping in the first place. She wasn't planning on staying in contact with everyone. Too much had changed in the last three years. She knew they would be upset when she left again. She was prepared for it. This time, she would even have to contend with Eric. He would never agree with her choice to cut ties with her family.
Eric never had been able to understand her stubbornness about returning home. It wasn't as if she pretended her family didn't exist. She had pictures of them all over their apartment, and she told stories from her childhood constantly. She celebrated their birthdays and her parents' anniversary. You would never know that she didn't talk to them or see them unless she told you. So, why, Eric had always asked, did she continue to cut them out of her life? They loved her. They hadn't mistreated her. She had an idyllic childhood. It baffled him, and it was the only point of contention between them in their relationship.
Camden sighed. She had probably made a mistake in coming, but she was here now, so she needed to make the best of it.
***
It was a mistake. It was the worst mistake of her life. Camden mentally cursed herself for her stupidity. She hadn't been hiking in years, but she stupidly thought it would be old hat. She couldn't have been more wrong. She was hot and sweaty. She was sticky from bug spray that was doing nothing to keep away the bugs. She knew better than to wear new hiking boots, so she wore her old pair, which was totally broken in; yet her feet hurt anyway. It was no wonder.
The hike had started okay. Her dad took them down some familiar kid-friendly paths that were well-worn. Within fifteen minutes, Tiffany was moaning about her feet. Brody fussed over her and would pick her up to carry her through any areas she deemed "too difficult."
Once they entered the intermediate trails, Tiffany and Stella had decided they were done. Molly offered to walk them back so they wouldn't get lost. With the girls gone, Brody's and Shane's competitive sides came out. Eric was competitive by nature, so he was definitely in favor of spicing up the hike. Camden had been ready to call it quits when the other girls did, but Shane's continued glares at her and at Eric stopped her. She wasn't sure what his problem was, but she wasn't going to leave Eric at his mercy.
When they reached the obstacle portion of the trail, Jack went around it to wait at the finish line. The guys had decided to make it a race, and Camden went along, just like she had done when they were kids. The four lined up at the starting line, and her dad called out, "Go!"
The guys took off a like a shot, but Camden was keeping even with them. The first obstacle was a rope ladder that led to a zip line. The zip line landed near a group of tire pairs, which was followed by a section where they had to climb on the ground underneath a rope net. Next came a wall they had to scale by pulling themselves up a rope.
Once Camden saw what was beyond the zip line, she knew she was screwed, but luckily, t
he second zip line got stuck while Brody was on it, which held him and Shane back. In her opinion, it evened the playing field for her and Eric. By the time they reached the climbing wall, Eric was in the lead, but Shane was closing on them. Brody was still bellowing from the zip-line as it swayed above ground.
Camden had just started climbing the rope, when she felt a hand grab her shoulder. The very next moment, she was on the ground, gritting her teeth in pain, and watching a jackass climb the rope in her place.
"We have a winner!" Jack called. He looked at Eric, who was beaming as sweat dripped down his dirt covered face. Shane, he noticed, was not nearly as happy. Jack looked beyond the boys to see where his children were, but there was no sign of them.
"I can't get this damn zip-line unstuck!" Brody yelled.
The three men looked at each other and chuckled, before turning to walk around the climbing wall. As they cleared the wall, Eric began running.
"Camden, what the hell?" he yelled as he ran. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, and his heart sank. "Are you okay?" He wiped away a tear with his thumb.
"I'm pissed," she grimaced.
Two shadows covered the ground around her. Eric looked behind him to see Jack's concerned face and Shane's uncomfortable one.
"What the fuck, Shane?!" Camden demanded. "On what planet is it okay to pull someone off a rope they are currently in the process of climbing?"
Jack's and Eric's eyes snapped back to Shane.
"You pulled her off the fucking rope?" Eric yelled, getting in Shane's face. Both men were about the same height and build, but Camden knew Shane would win in a fight. Eric didn't have the training that Shane did, but that didn't stop him from pulling back his fist and letting it fly.
Shane's head snapped back from the impact of Eric's fist. Jack grabbed his shoulders to steady him.
"Don't you ever touch her again, you hear me?!" Eric roared. He turned to Camden and leaned over, obviously not concerned at all with retaliation. Leaning down, he scooped Camden gently into his arms, and began to walk back to camp.
Only You Page 3
