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“Lorraine, you’ve already done so much by letting me stay here. You don’t have to find me work.”
“Oh, nonsense.” She waves her hand towel at me, not slowing her mile-a-minute pace as she washes dishes. “I did nothing. Word gets around is all. We ran an ad in the paper with our new logo you did, and that nosy Irene Crane wanted to know where we got it. I know she’s in real estate and has to know the lay of the land, but she always wants to know everything about everything. At least someone’s finally benefiting from her jaw wagging. You haven’t even had time to bake with me this week, because you’ve gotten so many requests.”
I catch the corner of a proud smile on her face before she moves to the cabinet to put some dishes away. Now I know where Pete gets his helpful instincts. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
My phone rings in my pocket. Good. I hope it’s Pete, so I can… what? Vent? Damn it. I really have nothing to gripe about. I love Wenatchee—its pace, the people, the scenery, Pete’s family. But it’s like everything else in my life—I don’t feel like I’ve earned it.
Crap. Not Pete. It’s Mom.
I ignored her when she called on Monday. Ten good son points for me. Part of me was worried that she’d say something to get me to come home. Mostly, though, I was terrified to learn if Dad has discovered by now that I’m not in South Carolina.
“Cameron?”
“Hey, Mom.”
“Oh, you finally answered. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you. Your father said you flew out to Kiawah to check on our real estate office but that you left already. I wish you’d told me. We could have made a trip of it. Are you back in Bellevue yet?”
She’s probably going off whatever convoluted scraps of information he threw her. The empty feeling inside me that bloomed the night my brothers showed up expands—if she knew the truth, would it even matter? She’s so far under his wing; I think I lost her a long time ago.
“No. I was, but I left again. I’m staying with…some friends out of town.”
“When will you be back?”
“I…I’m not sure. I’ve been doing some freelance work on graphics, making designs and logos for businesses.” I realize I don’t want to let down my few clients, if I should even call them that. It’s been so rewarding to see their excitement over something I created.
“I’m so confused. First, your father said you left the company because you wanted to go into real estate. Now, you’re doing freelancing. Then, there’s this business about this Carver person that he says you…you know.”
Nodding to Lorraine, I slip out the side door of the kitchen. My father told Mom about Pete?
“Pete?” I croak. “Pete Carver,” I clarify.
“I don’t know. I think that was it. Your father has been so upset. He said people were…saying things.”
“He’s my boyfriend,” I blurt into the bright morning sun.
I’d rather she hear that than that people have been saying ‘things.’ Pete and I aren’t up to things. We’re in a relationship.
“I’m dating him.”
“Oh.” The surprise in her voice is evident. It’s followed by another of greater measure. “Oh.”
“Dad wasn’t happy when he found out,” I add, trying to calm my racing heart. I don’t know what she’ll do with my truth, but I’m glad I’ve delivered it.
“Have you always… How long… Since when?” she finally settles on.
“We’ve been dating a little over a month.”
“But you never said anything.”
“I didn’t think it would go over very well,” I confess, picking at a chip of paint on the trim of the house.
It breaks off and falls to the grass, leaving me guilt-ridden over defacing the Carver’s property when they’ve given me shelter. Shelter. That’s what it is. I’m basically here to hide from my family.
“And it didn’t,” I amend. “In case you haven’t guessed yet from Dad’s mood.”
“Oh, sweetie. Don’t think that. You know how your father gets. He’s just very set in his ways, and it’s not all over you. I think he and Randy are in some tiff over this Angelica person.”
“Angelica? Who’s that?”
