An Unexpected Family

by Jenna Mindel

  He didn’t trust the angry glare she flashed him and considered it safer to follow than lead. The thought of her pushing him over made him chuckle.

  “What’s so funny?” Rose said.

  “The look you gave me up there. I could see you pushing me down these stairs.”

  Already at the bottom, Rose suddenly stopped and turned. “Yeah, about that. I really don’t want you encouraging Greg to pursue fishing as a career.”

  “Whoa.” He nearly collided with her and braced his hands against each wall to keep from teetering off the last step. He towered over her standing barefoot on the floor. Her toenails were painted a sparkling chartreuse very close in green to the plastic curly tail lures he used with jigs.

  She blushed and stepped back, giving him room.

  “Relax, Rose, he’s only eleven.”

  She bristled at that. “He’ll be twelve in August. And again I ask, what do you know about raising kids?”

  Cam shrugged, knowing he couldn’t begin to find the right words to express the feelings that had shot through him when he heard that kid say he wanted to be like him. “Absolutely nothing, but if I had a dime for every I-wanna-do-this-or-that-when-I-grow-up I heard from my brothers and sisters, I’d be a rich man.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “That’s right. You’re one of ten.”

  He stared at her pretty mouth a second or two. “I’m the third one. My mother is the one who taught me how to cook. Seven of us boys had to learn, not just my three sisters. I was the only one who really enjoyed it. Although, Darren’s pretty good in the kitchen with game.”

  “Game?” She scrunched her nose.

  “Venison, turkey, grouse, rabbit, fish—you name it, and he hunts or catches it and eats it.”

  “Huh.” Rose looked as if rallying up another argument.

  “What about you? Any brothers or sisters?” Although he’d briefly met her parents, he knew so little about her background.

  “One brother, older and married with two kids. He lives in South Bend, Indiana.”

  Cam nodded. “Good largemouth fishing near there. You know, fishing is an honest pastime. There’s a youth bass fishing club in the next county. It might not hurt to check it out for Greg.”

  Rose rested her hands on her hips, looking feisty yet again. “I want Greg to go to college. That’s why this diner is important. I’ve been socking away money into a college fund for him since he was born. After seeing those financials, thanks to you, I can sort of understand them. I might actually have enough by the time he graduates to pay for his tuition. First couple of years, at least.”

  Cam raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, I get it. I promise I won’t dissuade him from your college plans.”

  “Good.”

  He looked up to get his eyes off her. They stood in a relatively small space of an entryway lit by one overhead light fixture. The old-fashioned glass cover needed to be cleaned. He could see dead flies lying in it. He made a mental note to take care of it in the morning. To his right stood the back entrance leading into the diner and the short alley outside.

  “Although, they have bass college tournaments, too. In fact, college is important even in fishing. Maybe especially in fishing because it’s tough to make a living at it. There’s a school near the Ohio border that has an amazing fishing team, scholarships, too.”

  Rose advanced on him with that glare back in full force. “You’re—”

  “Irresistible?” He took a step closer.

  She pushed at his chest, but laughed. “Impossible. You’re impossible.”

  He grabbed her hand and held it, stroking the underside of her wrist with his thumb. He could feel the frantic flutter of her pulse and threaded his fingers through hers. It was all he could do to keep from pulling her against him.

  Could they get involved? That thought scared him as much as it tempted. Pursuing Rose meant settling down for the long haul. An image of those boxes she had stacked in the corner of her apartment came to mind, making him think about her and Greg moving into his house someday, making it more of a home.

  Did he want that?

  Searching her eyes, he realized part of him wanted it very much. “I care about your son, Rose. He’s a good kid and I’d never steer him wrong. I hope you know that.”

  She gave his hand a friendly squeeze. Her eyes had never left his, as if weighing his words. His motives. Him.

  Finally, she smiled and pulled her hand away. “I believe you.”

  “Good.” He wanted her hand back, but shifted to safer ground by changing the subject. “How’d it go with Linda’s attorney?”

  Rose blew out her breath. “He told me I shouldn’t worry about making a decision in a week. He doesn’t believe the Dean boys have a strong case since Linda’s will was very clear. She wasn’t under any pressure or influence to change it, even if she didn’t explain her reasons fully to her sons. She expressed that she wanted me to run the business right away, even before her estate was settled. He thinks I should call their bluff and he offered to notify them of my decision and then it’s a wait-and-see. I’ll call him when I decide for sure. Probably tomorrow.”

  Cam could see that her mind was already made up. She wasn’t giving up her diner without a fight. Nor should she. “You’re doing the right thing to keep it.”

  That confidence wavered. “Am I? I hope so. I pray so.”

  “I’ll pray so, too.”

  “Thanks.” She wore a curiously hopeful expression.

  He inwardly squirmed under her searching gaze that made him all too aware of his shortcomings. The confined space where they stood didn’t help, either. Two small steps was all he need take and they’d come together. What he needed was to leave before he acted on that impulse.

  Being there for Greg was one thing, something he could probably handle, but could he really be all that Rose needed him to be? If he let his attraction to her get the better of him before his future was set with sponsors and a spot in next year’s pro circuit, he could ruin everything.

  Greg might want him to date Rose, but Cam needed to take things slow. Too many things were uncertain. If he blew it with Rose, he wouldn’t be there for her son.

  Maybe God wanted him to build a relationship with Greg and help the kid where he could. Introducing Rose to his family was a big part of that. She needed to see where he came from. His parents were good people she could trust and call on if needed. Especially when he was gone on tournaments.

  Cam wanted Rose to trust him, but he’d have to earn that trust.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning, Rose heard Cam come in the back of the diner. She’d given him a key to the entrance off the kitchen. Hearing another voice with Cam, she turned and smiled at the older woman with him. His mother. She had classic features and highlighted blond hair pulled back into a short ponytail. They carried trays of fresh strawberries and gallons of real maple syrup that they set on the big metal table in the kitchen.

  “What’s with those?”

  Cam grinned. “Today’s special. Strawberry pancakes with Zelinsky-made maple syrup.”

  “I like the sound of that.” Rose breathed in deep the luscious aroma of the sweet fruit and offered her hand. “Good morning, I’m Rose Dean. You must be Cam’s mom.”

  The woman’s blue eyes gleamed as she returned the handshake. The color was not nearly as brilliant a shade as her son’s, but in them Rose detected excitement. “I am, and it’s Helen. Cam’s going to help me get up and running for the next couple of days.”

  Rose was floored. Cam’s mom looked forward to this. “I can’t even express how much I appreciate this.”

  Helen’s smile only grew broader. “I’m glad to do it. Cam said you and your son are coming out to our place next week. Make it Tuesday and have dinner with us. And if you like the syrup, there’s more where this comes from
.”

  Rose glanced at Cam.

  He winked at her. “Local ingredients are better.”

  “Okay, sure.” Rose was definitely getting the upside of this bargain all the way around.

  “Come on, Mom, I’ll show you the prep station.”

  Rose watched them for a moment. Helen donned a hairnet, and Cam tied on his bandanna. They both washed their hands and Cam explained the process of setting up. The pride in his voice as he showed his mom what to do wasn’t lost on Rose.

  He loved this.

  While making coffee, Rose overheard Helen whisper to Cam that she was pretty and smiled. It was a nice compliment considering she hadn’t donned a trace of makeup this morning. Grinding the coffee beans and then filling several coffee filters so they were ready for the day, Rose couldn’t rely on the kindness of Cam or his mom. She needed to hire a cook and soon.

  While the coffee was brewing, she crossed the floor to check email on her tablet. Surely, someone had applied for the cook position. Opening her inbox, nothing was there but a forward of something silly from her dad. Two days with no hits. Not one.

  Not a good sign.

  “You okay?”

  Rose looked into Cam’s concerned-filled eyes. “No one has answered my ad for a cook.”

  “Give it time.”

  “Not something I have a lot of, I’m afraid.”

  With Cam’s next fishing tournament in Virginia at the beginning of August, she had only a couple weeks to get a cook hired on and transitioned before he left for good. And that was if Cam stood by his offer to help with all that. What if he didn’t come back?

  She’d be sunk.

  Her week to decide about the Deans’ threat was nearly up, as well. She’d call Linda’s attorney later today and request that he send word that she had no intention of selling. Rose wanted to make this work, but with so many things unsettled, she might fail in the end if she couldn’t find a good cook.

  “It’ll be okay, Rose.” Cam squeezed her shoulder. “God’s in control.”

  She patted his hand and stood. She knew that but it didn’t make her feel any better. “Thanks for the reminder. I’ll get the doors. Are you ready?”

  He grinned. “Oh, we’re ready.”

  Rose lifted the Closed sign and flipped it to Open before unlocking the front door. A man waited to come in, a tall man with brown hair and bright blue eyes.

  “Good morning.” She opened the door for him.

  He smiled and extended his hand. “You must be Rose. My name’s Darren.”

  Accepting the handshake, Rose felt her mood lifting. “Are you here about the ad for a cook?”

  He chuckled. “No. I’ll leave that to my brother. I hear you and your son are coming to my folks’ next week.”

  Cam stepped from around the counter.

  Glancing between the two men, she kicked herself for not seeing the strong family resemblance. This was Cam’s brother, the one who hunted and cooked game if she remembered correctly. “We’re going fishing.”

  “And dinner. Tuesday,” Cam added.

  Darren grinned. “That’s great. It’s our brother Luke’s birthday, so you can meet the whole family.”

  Rose blinked. What?

  Cam came closer, wiping his hands on a towel. “Don’t scare her out of it. What are you up to?”

  “It’s my day off and I thought I’d grab some breakfast before hitting the hardware store.” Darren smiled at her. “What’s good here?”

  “Ahh.” Rose couldn’t seem to form two words. Dinner with Cam’s parents was one thing, but the entire family? All twelve of them?

  “Everything.” Cam gave her an odd look and returned to the grill area, where his mother was mixing batter. “Come on up to the counter. Mom’s here and we’re making strawberry pancakes as today’s special.”

  “Look at you. You’re right at home here,” Darren said.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” Cam gave her a saucy wink.

  She hadn’t moved.

  Neither had Darren. He leaned toward her and whispered, “You’re the first woman he’s ever brought to our parents’ place.”

  “Yeah?” She didn’t know what shocked her more: dinner with Cam’s whole family or that she was the first woman he’d ever brought home to meet them.

  Rose’s nerves tightened even more. If he didn’t fish well this weekend, would he consider staying? Not likely. He’d said that not qualifying for next year’s series wasn’t an option. He’d likely chase the next tournament after the next until he was back to where he’d been.

  She fetched Darren a cup of coffee as he took a seat at the counter, her thoughts in a tangle. If she gave Cam a reason to remain in Maple Springs, would he?

  Last night Cam had said that he cared about Greg and she believed him. Could he care for her, too—enough to introduce her to his parents? Enough to stay? She’d never been enough for a man to stay before...

  Rose glanced at Cam, wishing she could read his thoughts and see into his heart. The bell on her door jingled. Two couples entered and sat down at a four-top table in front of the window. Rose grabbed menus and then hurried to fetch four waters. Breezing behind the counter, she grabbed four plastic cups and nearly dropped them. Cam was right there, steadying the teetering pebble tumblers by covering her hands with his own.

  Her eyes flew to his. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  The warmth of his touch surged up her arm as if she’d touched an electric fence. She pulled away quickly. Maybe she should find a reason to cancel Tuesday, before she fell head over heels for a man whose mere touch spiked her pulse.

  Filling the cups with ice water, Rose considered her options. Canceling would not only disappoint Greg, but it wouldn’t help her cause to give Cam a reason to stay, if that’s what she planned to do.

  She watched as he served up a short stack of strawberry pancakes with whipped butter and real syrup along with a pretty, fresh strawberry garnish. Cam was good. He had a head for the financial part of the business and a creative flair with the menu. A better cook than she’d ever hope to find, but could she keep him?

  * * *

  During a lull in the morning rush, Cam ducked into the stairwell off the diner’s kitchen to clean that overhead light he’d spotted last night before he forgot. He grabbed the step stool from under the industrial sink and placed it below the fixture.

  He heard footsteps and looked up as Greg came down the stairs. “Morning, bud.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Cleaning this light for your mom.” Cam unscrewed the glass and carefully held it while he stepped down.

  The kid looked worried. “Aren’t you leaving today?”

  “Not till after we close. Why, what’s up?”

  Greg shrugged. “I don’t know. Can we call you and like, see how you did?”

  “Probably not a good idea. It gets pretty hectic during tournaments, but I’ll give you the website where you can check the standings. Sometimes there’s a video of weigh-ins at the end of the day.”

  Cam kept his phone with him for emergencies only. His friends and family knew not to call him unless it was urgent. He was strung pretty tight while fishing and the importance of this weekend’s tournament promised to up the stress. He had to do well.

  “Cool.” Greg tipped his head. “Why are you doing that now?”

  Cam washed it and then dried it. “I didn’t want to forget.”

  Greg watched his every move. “Don’t forget to write down that website.”

  Cam chuckled. “I’ll do it right after this. Did you eat?”

  Again, the kid shrugged. “Cereal.”

  Cam reattached the glass globe. “Come on up to the counter. My mom’s making pancakes.”

  “Your mom?”

  “She’s going to coo
k for me while I’m gone and today, she’s learning the ropes.” Cam slipped behind the counter as Greg sat on an empty stool. He touched his mother’s shoulder and she turned. “Mom, this is Rose’s son, Greg. He’d love some pancakes.”

  His mom smiled. “Nice to meet you, Greg. My name’s Helen.”

  Greg nodded.

  “Where did you go?” His mom ladled three pools of pancake batter on the grill.

  Cam looked around for a pen with no success. “I was cleaning an overhead light fixture.”

  “For my mom. I don’t think she could have reached it,” Greg added.

  “Ahh.” His mom’s eyes narrowed on him.

  He knew that look all too well. His mom was thinking, putting two and two together in her mind but coming up with six.

  Cam spotted Rose breezing over to put in an order and cupped her elbow to keep her from slipping away. “I need your pen and a blank order sheet for a minute.”

  She handed them over, but slipped out of his grasp quicker than a bass spit back a lure. Moving toward her son, Rose smoothed back the kid’s hair. “What’s the plan for group today?”

  Greg shrugged off her touch. “I don’t know.”

  Cam’s mom set a plate of steaming pancakes in front of the boy. “Here you go, Greg.” Then she looked at him and then at Rose and smiled. “Very nice.”

  All he’d done was wash a light fixture, not slay some dragon. He glanced at Rose.

  Her cheeks were pink. No doubt, she’d picked up on his mom’s attaboy tone. He hoped Rose also noticed that his mom didn’t fluster easily. She’d listened, learned and produced. His mom had once mentored him in the kitchen, and she’d already taken a couple of counter orders and waited on Greg to boot.

  He quickly jotted down the website address and slipped the paper to Greg. “Here you go, bud.”

  “Thanks.” Greg stuffed the paper in his pocket before digging into the pancakes.

  “What’s that?” Rose took back her pen and pad.

  “A website so I can check out Cam’s progress at the tournament.” Greg’s answer was muffled.

  “Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Rose gave Cam that daggers look she’d given him last night.