AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Which way now?’ someone asked.
Lost in his thoughts, Cam hadn’t realised they were this close to the edge of the woods and the people ahead had already reached the crossroads. Deciding he would try to have a chat at some point with Ziggy and ask him how his bursary scheme worked, Cam wove through the milling group and pointed to the right. ‘We’re going to cut across here and then we’ll meet one of the estate roads that will take us directly to the farm.’
Letting the group go ahead of him now they were confident on the directions, Cam waited to make sure no one was left too far behind. He was pleased to see Scott chatting away with Adam Lau and his girlfriend, Zoë. Scott hadn’t asked him for his phone back yet, and though Cam had retrieved it from his car boot and charged it up, given the number of missed calls and messages from Scott’s father which had popped up on the notification screen, he’d decided to accidentally forget it. Scott would want it back eventually, of course, but if Cam could give him the rest of the evening to hang out and relax with his friends, then it seemed like a small gift. If there was any blowback from Willoughby senior then Cam would deal with that as well. The man had already learned once that Cam was not easily bullied, he would have no problems in serving him a reminder of that fact.
Cassie was at the back of the group, talking into her mobile. Usually so animated, her rigid posture and pulled-down mouth had him concerned there was something wrong at home. He caught her eye and waggled his thumb in and up-and-down gesture. She grimaced before giving him a thumbs up and began walking towards him. As she grew closer, he caught her words and understanding dawned.
‘Don’t cry, baby, don’t cry. You are going to have such a lovely time with Granny and Granddad. Daddy said you’re going to the beach tomorrow. You love it at the beach.’ She threw Cam a helpless look and he moved to her side, curling an arm around her shoulders to offer what comfort he could. ‘I love you, sweet girl, night night,’ she said, looking like she might burst into tears too. Her tone changed then. ‘Oh, bloody hell, Ed. I don’t think I can stand it.’
Cassie sniffled as she chatted to her husband and Cam hugged her tighter, wishing there was something more he could do. ‘Really?’ Cassie’s voice sounded brighter. ‘You’re not just saying that to make me feel better? That little minx!’ Cassie glanced towards Cam and rolled her eyes as she turned the phone away from her mouth. ‘Ed says she’s been fine all day. Barely even mentioned me or looked at him because she’s been so wrapped up with his parents… What?’ she addressed the last into the phone. ‘Oh, Cam’s here being my emotional support stand-in. We’re all on our way to a welcome barbeque the lovely people who own the estate are throwing for us. Oh, and guess what! I met Hope and she’s lovely.’
Cam shot her a warning look, which only made his friend grin wider as she blew him a kiss. He should be relieved, he supposed, that Cassie and Hope had hit it off so well, but when they’d disappeared off together earlier, he’d worried about exactly how much Cassie would reveal. Resolving to have a chat with her later, Cam let her go and walked ahead so she could finish her chat with Ed in privacy.
He’d been gutted when Cassie had broken up with him halfway through their first year at uni, but it had been the right thing to do. She and Ed were much better suited, for one thing, Cam having struggled a little with Cassie’s need to be the centre of attention when he was happier sitting on the sidelines. He’d never wanted her to dim that bright light of her personality, but he hadn’t been comfortable being dragged into the spotlight either. Ed was much more like Barnie in that respect and happy to throw himself around on the dancefloor or join the million and one causes and committees Cassie had got involved with. It had all worked out perfectly as far as Cam was concerned because he’d gained another friend after Ed and Cassie had got together, and a beautiful goddaughter a few years later. He adored Fleur, their vivacious little three-year-old, who was already showing every sign of being as full of personality as her mother, and spent hours in the run-up to her birthday and Christmas trying to find the perfect gifts for her.
‘Ed says hello,’ Cassie said, curling an arm through his as she moved up beside him.
‘I take it Fleur turned on the waterworks?’ Cam asked.
‘That girl of mine is going to win an Oscar when she grows up,’ Cassie replied with a laugh. ‘I could hear her giggling in the background while Ed and I were saying goodbye, so she’s absolutely fine.’ But there was no mistaking the tiny bit of doubt in her voice as she said it.
‘This will be the longest you’ve been apart from her, won’t it?’ She might be big on personality, but he knew Cassie well enough to know when she needed a shoulder to lean on. Ed was due to join them tomorrow, which he hoped would make things easier for her, but he understood it was going to be tough for Cassie having to be apart from Fleur.
Cassie nodded. ‘She goes to both our parents for holidays, but we’ve never left her for longer than a week before.’
‘If it gets too much, then you only have to say the word.’ Cam would struggle without his friends to help guide the younger members of the group, but he and Barnie would handle it if they needed to. Some of the recent graduates like Adam and Zoë would likely relish the chance to step up and take on more responsibility.
‘I know, and I appreciate that, but it’s been so long since I’ve been able to commit to some field work, and besides, I want Fleur to be confident and capable. I don’t want her clinging onto my hand and afraid to try new things.’
Cam doubted any child with parents like Cassie and Ed would be a shrinking wallflower. ‘There’s a spare lodge next to mine. I could have a chat with Hope later and see about whether your in-laws could come up and use that for a few days. There’s loads of space for Fleur to play during the day and she’d get to see you both in the evenings.’
Cassie’s megawatt smile all but lit up the early evening. ‘Do you think that would be possible?’
Cam shrugged. ‘I don’t know without talking to Hope, but if it’s a problem, then I will happily move into one of the tents for a week and they can use my place instead.’
Cassie leaned her head against his shoulder. ‘You really are the best guy I know,’ she murmured.
Cam pressed a kiss to her temple. ‘Second best. You married the best. Come on, let’s go and chat to Hope about it now.’
When they arrived at the farmhouse, the family were still in the process of setting everything up. Before Cam could suggest they help out, several of his students were already in motion, taking plates and dishes off Stevie and Rowena before they could take more than a couple of steps out of the kitchen door. Barnie was halfway up a stepladder stringing fairy lights along the back wall, a petite dark-haired girl bracing the bottom step as she instructed Barnie to rehang the string about six inches further along. Meena, Cam assumed. Hope was behind a group of trestle tables organising the food being ferried from the kitchen, so he made a beeline towards her. ‘What can I do?’
‘Zap’s sorting out drinks inside, can you see if he needs a hand?’
‘Of course.’ He was going to suggest Cassie come with him, but she’d already circled the tables and was shuffling plates around to make more room for the seemingly unending stream of food. Hope gave her a small frown but didn’t say anything and Cam wondered if she preferred to do it herself. Too many cooks and all that… Deciding they were more than capable of sorting it out between them, Cam beat a not quite hasty retreat towards the kitchen, forgetting all about his earlier concern about Cassie spilling too many of his secrets.
Stevie met him at the threshold. ‘Cam, darling, your students are simply the most charming bunch! Rowena and I can’t lift a finger without one of them volunteering.’ She nodded towards the sink, where Scott was already elbow-deep in washing-up suds, with Adam beside him wielding a tea towel and Zoë following instructions from Rowena about where things could be put away. Zap was supervising a couple of the other students as they filled jugs with ice and either mint, slices of lemon and lime or chopped fruit. He then poured in the requisite measures of alcohol before Ziggy added the mixers.
‘Hope sent me in to give Ziggy a hand, but I see I’m pretty much surplus to requirements,’ Cam joked.
‘Rhys is looking after the barbecue,’ Stevie said. ‘Why don’t you go and see if he needs some help?’
‘Okay.’ Cam doubted Rhys needed his help, but he knew when he was being politely dismissed. Spotting a metal tub filled with cans and bottles, he grabbed a couple of beers from it and wandered over to where Rhys stood behind a pair of enormous gas barbecues.
As Cam had suspected, he had everything under control, but he accepted the beer with a grin of thanks. ‘Perfect timing.’
‘I have my uses,’ Cam said with a laugh. ‘Mostly they involve keeping out of the way.’
‘That’s a useful talent,’ Rhys replied, surveying the people milling around the yard. ‘There’s a reason why I’m hiding behind here.’ They clinked bottles and shared a smile.
