Cam inhaled sharply. “Yeah, I heard that.”
“That’s kind of why I’m calling.” Brian’s voice lowered. He cleared his throat. “Um, Coach has suggested I help out the new guy while you’re away. He needs to get some things for his apartment, and he’s hopeless with shopping. Kind of like you, I guess.” Brian laughed awkwardly. “I said I’d ask you first. I don’t want you to think I’m going behind your back or anything. But I do have a lot of time on my hands while you’re not here.”
Weird how that question hit him right in the gut. It wasn’t like Brian was cheating on him. Just trying to fill in some time with some work to do.
Cam knew how he felt. “Yeah, sure. Whatever Coach wants.”
“Do you know when you’ll be back?”
“Not yet.” Cam kept it short, because he didn’t want to talk about it. Didn’t want to admit he had no idea how to get back on the field. Not without causing himself greater harm. But he still wasn’t ready to let football go.
Because then what else could he do?
“I guess you’ll be coaching the high school team for a while. How is it going?”
“Yeah, pretty well.” Cam felt the tightness in his chest lessen. “They’re a good bunch of kids. Enthusiastic, talented, they just need some honing. I guess I’ll keep doing it for a few weeks.”
“It’s good you’re keeping yourself busy. And football’s football, right? You can come back when you’re ready.”
“Yep. The football is good. And they have so much stamina. I’d forgotten how much unharnessed energy teenagers had.” His thoughts turned to Michael – and of course from there they leapt to Mia. He swallowed hard as he remembered how soft her long hair was as it brushed against his cheek. “Anyway, I’d better go. Lots going on here.” Lies, all lies. “I’ll catch you later, okay?”
“Sure. Take care. Glad you’re doing well.”
Cam disconnected and grabbed his car keys, heading out to the SUV that the dealership had loaned him. He climbed inside and pressed the ignition, turning the stereo to high. Loud music blasted out – a new track Gray had sent him yesterday to check out. The pumping bass somehow calmed him, making his breath slow and easy.
Glad you’re doing well.
Yeah, he was doing great. His career was hanging by a thread, his teammates were moving on without him, and he had a boner for a woman who was completely uninterested in him.
He turned the car around and drove down his driveway, eyes blinking at the reflection of the sun shining up from the creek.
Two of those things he had no control over. The third? She was a challenge, and she intrigued the hell out of him.
And he wanted her. Maybe too much.
Chapter Twelve
“Hey, Mom, come and look!” Josh called out from the living room. Mia put the last clean glass away and closed up the dishwasher, wiping her hands on the kitchen towel as she walked through the doorway.
Josh was sitting with Sam in front of the coffee table, the two of them leaning over a half-finished jigsaw puzzle. “We’ve done all the edges,” Josh told her, a beaming smile on his face. “I did most of it, didn’t I, Uncle Sam?”
“Yep, you did.” Sam nodded. “But the edges are the easy part. It’s the middle pieces that determine the men from the boys. See this bit?” he said, pointing at the picture on the puzzle lid. “We have to find all these different shades of blue and somehow put them all together. That’s where the skill is.”
“I can do that,” Josh said, his eyes lighting up. “Mom, do you want to help?”
Mia shook her head, shooting a grateful look at Sam. He and Josh seemed to have a natural affinity, and it made her life so much easier.
She may be able to start paying Sam some rent when she got her first paycheck, but it wouldn’t be market rate. That’s why she was already planning on painting the living room during her free weekends, and why she’d written up a schedule of repairs for the kitchen and bathrooms.
She owed Sam a lot. They all did.
“I have some work to do,” she told Josh. “You can carry on with the puzzle until eight, then you need to shower and get into your pjs, okay? If you do that, we’ll read some Harry Potter together.”
“Sure,” Josh said. “It’s a deal.”
Sam looked up at her again, his grizzled face pulled into a frown. “Are they working you too hard already? It’s only your first day.”
“Says the guy who only takes one day off a week.”