An Unexpected Family

by Jenna Mindel

  “Thanks, buddy.” Cam fist-bumped her son’s ready hand. “I really do need to leave, though. Very nice to meet you both.”

  “See ya, Cam.” Greg grinned.

  They watched him leave, and Rose braced for the inevitable questions.

  “Is that true? He just got up and helped out? Who is this guy?” Her father beat out her mom.

  “His name is Cam Zelinsky. He grew up here and he’s got restaurant experience.”

  “Doesn’t he have another job?” her mom added.

  Rose sighed. She didn’t know exactly. She was placing the future of her diner in a stranger’s hands reviewing those tax returns. “He owns his own business, but I’m not sure what. I’ll find out more next week.”

  “Hmm.”

  Rose could see the gears turning inside her mother’s head. “Come up and see the apartment. I’ll change and then we can go for a walk around town.”

  Her mom kept pace with her while Greg and her father dawdled, looking over the diner more closely.

  Rose paused, in case there was something on his mind, but her father was looking at a grouping of framed vintage postcards that depicted Maple Springs around the turn of the century. Even then, this area had lured folks from downstate for the pristine summer months.

  “Greg sure seems to like this Cam fellow,” her mom whispered.

  “Mom...” Rose knew where this was headed and slammed on the brakes. “We met him today. Please, don’t even go there.”

  “What?” Her mother tipped her head. “Why not?”

  “Because.” Rose kept walking.

  Her mother knew better than anyone the heartache she’d gone through when Greg had turned four. That’s when Kurt had served her divorce papers and Rose had been a mess. Her mom had urged Rose to move back home, so she did. Her mother had watched Greg while Rose worked erratic restaurant hours waitressing. In time, she’d been promoted to waitstaff supervisor and then finally she’d landed an events manager position. Her parents had been the anchor she’d needed after being set adrift by her husband.

  The sad thing was that even after a failed marriage and her last dating disaster, her mother still wanted to see her only daughter walk down the aisle. Rose had robbed her parents of a wedding day when she’d eloped with Kurt. They’d been disappointed for sure, but adamant that she stay in college. She’d let them down on that one, too.

  Rose sighed.

  “Tired, honey?” Her mom followed her up the steps that led to the apartment over the diner.

  Her father and Greg had caught up to them and four sets of feet stomped up the narrow wooden stairwell.

  “A little.” Rose was more scared than weary.

  Aside from a few months of college, she was truly on her own for the first time in her life. Part of her wanted to run back to the comfort of living with her parents, but God had given her this opportunity.

  Linda’s sons had thrown her off balance today with their threat to take her inheritance away. Linda’s will had been so clear; at least that’s the way it had sounded from the packet she’d received.

  Once Rose understood those financials, she’d have a better reference point to consider whether the Deans’ offer was a good one. After all, knowledge was power. She hoped Cam knew what he was doing and she prayed he wasn’t playing her.

  * * *

  What was he doing?

  Cam stared at the flames licking the dry tinder he’d helped his father stack into the fire pit. It might not have cooled off enough to need a campfire, but what was a summer’s eve gathering without one?

  Seriously, what made him think he could teach Rose to read her business returns? Read. Ha! That was an odd choice of terms considering his issues with written words. Numbers were different. Numbers were concrete and made sense, like that periodic table.

  “You can toss that log on now.” His father touched his shoulder. “Cam?”

  “Huh? Oh.” He tossed in the piece of wood he’d held and then reached for another.

  “You okay, son?”

  “Yeah, sure.” He’d escaped from the noise of the back deck to help his father while everyone else cleaned up after dinner.

  In honor of Father’s Day, his mom had gathered his siblings for a cookout. Matthew was out on the Great Lakes with his job as a freighter first mate, but his wife, Annie, and her baby, John, were here. Zach and his fiancée, Ginger. Even Darren, although he’d sulked through dinner, since his girlfriend had recently left for her music thing in Seattle. Of course Monica, his younger brothers—Ben, Marcus and Luke—and their baby sister, Erin, were here, too. His sister Cat, working on assignment somewhere, was also absent.

  “Something on your mind then?”

  Cam looked his dad in the eye. Retired from a long army career, Andrew Zelinsky still carried an air of authority that encouraged the truth or else. As usual, Cam darted around giving a straight answer. “I’ll figure it out.”

  “No word on a new sponsor.”

  “Not yet.”

  “What’s past is past.” His father nodded. “You’ll make a comeback.”

  “Right.” Cam snorted and stared at those flames some more.

  He’d leveled with his folks to an extent. He’d been disqualified from a tournament last year because he’d broken practice rules by fishing after dark. He’d broken more than that with an illegal catch, but nothing had been proven. Still, that decision had not only dropped his standings to the bottom of the pile, but cost him his last sponsor. It could have been worse. He could have been banned from the profession and it would have been justified. Although rumors swirled, his business manager had been able to keep things relatively quiet.

  Still, Cam had pushed things far too many times in his fishing career. When competition got fierce and the stakes were high, he’d cut corners. Literally. He’d trimmed fins on fish to make sure they qualified. He’d even stuffed a couple lead sinkers into the bellies of bass for better weigh-ins.

  Cam had massaged the truth so well that he’d gotten away with it too many times. It had finally cost him, though. Like now, offering to teach Rose how to review her financials when he only knew what the numbers meant and where they should be.

  “How’s the new job?” Monica wiggled her eyebrows at him with a teasing glint in her eyes.

  Relieved for an escape from his father’s scrutiny, Cam laughed. “I’m just filling in.”

  “I can’t believe you’re cooking at my favorite place to eat. Don’t mess with it too much.” His brother Darren pulled a soft drink can out of an ice-packed metal tub and cracked the tab.

  “Come by and see.” Cam tossed another log on the fire, grabbed an icy beverage and kept staring into the flames.

  “I don’t get it, why are you working there? If you need money—”

  “The new owner is pretty and single,” Monica pointed out.

  “Ahh.” Darren nodded. “Now it all makes sense.”

  Cam took a long drink and shrugged. “She needed help and I’ve got a few days before fishing in the first Northern Open.”

  “So, you swooped right in and saved the day.”

  “It’s what I do.” Cam winked.

  “Poor woman. Does she know about you?”

  “Not yet.” Cam laughed, but his brother didn’t realize just how loaded his teasing words were.

  “I’m hearing good things about Rose Dean. The women on the church planning committee are looking for a place to have their meeting. I’ll tell them to go there.” His mom wrapped an arm around his waist and gave him a squeeze.

  “Thanks, Mom.” Grateful for the switched focus, Cam scratched his forehead.

  “Is everything all set for the Fourth of July barbecue?” Monica asked. “It’s only two weeks away and I need to print off the flyers.”

  “It’s a go.” His mother looked up at him. “
Would you be interested in grilling? It’s going to be big this year. The chamber is sponsoring a live band for entertainment complete with a dance floor.”

  “Nope.” Cam backed away from his mom and slid onto a lounge chair. He took a long pull from his drink. If he fished well at the tournament the weekend before the Fourth, any number of opportunities could arise and Cam wanted to be ready to accept.

  Darren raised his hands. “Don’t look at me. I’m on duty that day.”

  Cam watched their mom wrangle their younger brothers into manning the huge grills for their church’s biggest fund-raiser. Ignoring the stitch of guilt that tweaked for not helping, Cam figured he’d buy a ticket instead. Maybe two or three, enough to take Rose and Greg, if he was around.

  No matter how attractive he found Rose Dean, Cam knew better than to ask her for a real date. Romancing Rose would be like walking into quicksand. Not only was there a kid involved, but Cam didn’t do anything long-term. Fishing came first and fishing kept him traveling. It wasn’t only his livelihood, it was his life. It’s all he had and he’d come too close to ruining it for good.

  Going to the Fourth of July barbecue would be about introducing Rose to more folks in town. Establishing her as the new owner of the Grille and proving she belonged there. He didn’t want those Dean boys getting their hands on the diner. Not when Linda had wanted Rose to have it. Not when Rose wanted it. Whatever it took, he’d help her keep it.

  * * *

  Monday morning, Rose entered the diner a little before six in the morning. The early sun shone on a quiet Main Street, making the overnight dew glisten. It was so quiet this morning, she hated to ruin it. But she had a business to run and dropped whole roasted coffee beans into the large grinder and pressed the button. She ignored the teeth-jarring sound and savored the rich smell of fresh ground coffee. Would Cam be late? He knew the diner opened at seven, but they hadn’t talked about when he should arrive.

  A rap at the door startled her. Cam peered through the front door glass waiting for her to let him in. The sun hit him from behind, making the ends of his blond hair shine like gold. He wore khaki shorts and a T-shirt and a colorful bandanna over his head like a cap.

  Her mouth dropped open, so she closed it quick. “You’re early.”

  “Good morning to you, too. Haven’t you ever heard the early bird gets the worm? Believe it or not, I’ve always been a morning person.” He winked at her.

  Rose felt her cheeks heat and looked down, spotting a brand new six-pack of tall glass tumblers in his hand. “What are those for?”

  “Iced tea. I like my iced tea in real glass.” Cam headed for the kitchen like he owned the place. “Any specials today?”

  Rose hadn’t thought that far. Chuck had always been the one to decide which specials to make. “You choose.”

  He opened the industrial fridge and grinned. It was the same good-time smile he’d given her before. “I’ll see what you’ve got.”

  Rose ignored the swirling butterflies that raucous grin produced and followed him. “There’s a load of whitefish in the freezer Chuck was supposed to do something with.”

  Cam grabbed a small metal cart with shelves and loaded it up with things needed for the prep station. She’d had her doubts but this morning, Cam eased them. He definitely knew his way around a restaurant.

  Rose relaxed. “Coffee’s done, would you like a cup?”

  Cam didn’t even look up from the depths of the fridge. “Yeah. Light cream and sugar.”

  Rose fixed them each a mug. Easy, since they drank their coffee the same way. She offered a steaming cup to Cam as he filled the prep station with the items from the cart. “Here.”

  “Thanks.” He accepted it, took a sip and then looked at her. “It’s good.”

  “Hey, I want to thank you for all this.”

  Cam nodded. “You’re welcome.”

  “You said you’ve done this before?”

  He grabbed a metal mixing bowl and the muscles of his arms flexed. “From low-end to high-end, I’ve worked in a lot of restaurants. I used to wait tables at the Maple Springs Inn during my high school years. So, how do you fit into the Deans? You married Linda’s eldest son, right?”

  Rose sighed. “Yes. I was married to Kurt.”

  Cam looked concerned. “I read about Kurt’s death in a tour bus accident a few years ago. Then Linda—man, I’m sorry for your losses.”

  Rose had lost a mother-in-law she barely knew and an ex-husband she’d rather forget. She’d lost her husband years before his death, before his career really took off, but Cam didn’t need to know all that. “Thank you.”

  Cam’s intent gaze studied her. “I can fill in for Chuck until he comes back.”

  “But don’t you have another job, your own business perhaps?”

  Cam’s bright eyes dimmed. “Not for a little while.”

  Rose scrunched her nose. What did that mean? “I’ll pay you the same rate as Chuck. He was paid pretty well, but I don’t want him back. I’ve already emailed the newspaper to run an ad for a new cook.”

  He nodded as if the money didn’t matter. “That’s fine.”

  Rose went to grab the new hire paperwork from a small file cabinet under the cash register stand. She hadn’t even checked him out, references and the like. What if— No, he’d proven himself capable. “If you wouldn’t mind filling out your information and the W-4, I’ll place you on the payroll effective this past Saturday.”

  “Okay.” Cam took the forms and pen she offered. It didn’t take long before he handed them back.

  Rose glanced over everything. Cam’s handwriting was atrocious. “So, what is it that you normally do?”

  “Does it matter?”

  Rose felt her stomach clench. “It might.”

  Leaning against the counter, Cam folded his arms, which were already nicely browned from the sun. Those pesky muscles of his flexed again, too. “I’m a professional fisherman.”

  Had she heard correctly? “As in like a charter boat or guide?”

  His lips formed a grim line for only a moment, then that flirty grin returned. “As in the Bass Pro circuit. I’m heading for a qualifying tournament this upcoming weekend, so I can cook for the next few days until you find someone permanent.”

  “Oh.” She wasn’t sure what that meant, but it sounded an awful lot like something her ex-husband used to say when he was between music gigs.

  “It’s none of my business, but is it only you and your son working here?”

  Rose nodded. “After Linda died and the diner closed for a bit, the waitress she had went to another job. I just hired a replacement. She and a busboy both start later this morning. I enrolled Greg in a summer program that goes from eleven to four. Today is his first day.”

  “My church has a summer teen program. If it’s the same, Greg’s in good hands. They do a lot.”

  Cam went to church? He’d prayed over their food Saturday, but it was a rote prayer. Rose narrowed her gaze. “What church do you attend?”

  “The big white one at the end of Main, the other side of Center Park. Can’t miss it.”

  Rose knew exactly where he meant. The structure was Christmas-card beautiful as well as a traditional denomination she didn’t belong to. Looking into Cam’s blue eyes, she wondered where he was coming from. Nobody did something this big out of the goodness of their hearts without wanting something in return.

  He went to church.

  Anyone could attend a church. What really mattered was where a person placed God in their lives. “Why are you doing this?”

  Cam shrugged. “Let’s just say I’m trying to be a better person.”

  Rose didn’t like the sound of that, either. What had he done to make him need redemption? With his looks and lazy smiles, she could only imagine. She might find Cam attractive, but she wasn’t stupid, nor would she allow
herself to become interested. Rose wanted to keep the vow she’d made not to date until after Greg was grown and gone off to college. She’d be older and hopefully wiser by then.

  Her husband had walked out on her and their four-year-old son. The next man she’d offered her heart to had crushed it. He’d turned out to be a fraud with no genuine interest in Greg. Her son had been only eight at the time. Old enough to have his heart trampled, too.

  Soon after, they got word that Kurt had died.

  Nope, Rose had been burned well enough to know not to misplace her trust ever again. Staring Cam down, she weighed her options and didn’t have any. She needed a cook and he’d offered to fill the gap, for a few days anyway. “We’ve got a deal then.”

  “Yes, we do, Rose.” Cam gave her that lazy smile. “Now, I’ve got a special of the day to plan.”

  “Yes, you do.” Rose watched him return to the kitchen before settling on the stool near her cash register with her tablet.

  She didn’t like the way he’d spoken her name like a caress. No wait, she did like it, and that was the problem. She refused to be putty in anyone’s hands. If he expected her to fawn over him, he was wasting all that charm.

  Professional fisherman. Ha!

  The lines around Cam’s eyes hinted that he had to be close to her age of just over thirty, but he seemed like a big kid at heart. What kind of career could someone really have fishing? The image of Huckleberry Finn came to mind and Rose nearly giggled.

  Cam was a character, all right, but men like him and her ex-husband were all too common. They didn’t want to grow up and certainly wouldn’t live up to their responsibilities. Her ex had barely paid his child support and that had been the extent of his fatherly duty. The last time Kurt had seen his own son had been after Greg had turned six. Kurt had shown up with a sorry excuse for missing their child’s birthday.

  She heard the rattle of the metal cart being pushed to the prep station once again and took in the items on top. The frozen whitefish, potatoes, cabbage, raisins, almonds, lemons and sweet pickle relish.

  Curious, she got up and went toward him. “What do you have in mind for today’s special?”