Chapter 12
The next sixmonths fly by, our lives having returned to some kind of normal and Cam’s healing progressing along nicely.
While there are still some kinks to iron out, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been because both Cam and London now live with me full-time. Just like I’ve always wanted them to be.
We moved London out of her apartment after her lease expired and Cam, who is still on a leave of absence from his smokejumper duty, has remained here. Cam heads to Chester Fork some weekends to stay at his mom’s house when he has Taylor so she can see him, too. But mostly Taylor stays with us here.
That kid is the spitting image of Cam. But way more obnoxious and funnier than Cam ever was when he was a kid, which we make sure to razz Cam about every chance we get. Because Taylor spends every other weekend here with us, he has his own room and he decorated it in a race car theme. We spoil him beyond belief, but Cam is a good father and is strict when he needs to be.
The custody-battle and his injuries, however, have taken a toll on Cam. The divorce has been acrimonious, as is the ongoing custody-battle. Lisa had broached the subject of moving to Florida and taking Taylor with her, but Cam put his foot down. No way was she taking their son away from him or to another state where he couldn’t share custody.
He rarely opens up about his feelings over the divorce, keeping much of it to himself with the exception of his anger, but this morning he seems more than willing to share. Proving that he’s finally trusting in the relationship that we’ve worked hard to rebuild.
“I’m just so pissed at myself for ever hooking up with Lisa in the first place. None of this would’ve happened had I not been so eager and stupid when I went into the Air Force. And now Taylor is stuck with a flake for mother,” he laments, scraping a pile of scrambled eggs on his plate.
Cam loves to cook for us. We never go hungry when he’s in the mood to whip something up. “Did I tell you she’s dating some hippie-surfer-dude? And I know she’s involved with drugs.”
His eyes flash to mine with a knowing glare. We have very different takes on that lifestyle. London and Cam have been on my back to lay off the hard partying, which I have, and I’ve stayed away from the people in my past who have pushed it on me. But I don’t agree with their concerns that I might have a problem.
The only reason I ever used in the first place was because I was trying to fill the void and emptiness of not being loved. Classic psychology 101.
Now that I have them both back in my life and bed, I feel whole. No other high required.
I lift a shoulder, setting my phone down on the table that’s been blowing up for the past hour. Being a successful musician means always being in demand. It gets old, fast. There are times when all I want to do is to walk away from the spotlight and work from the shadows as a songwriter, so I can have the normal family life I crave.
“Don’t give me that look,” I scold him, rolling my eyes when he quirks a brow. “Like I’m the devil because I’ve experimented with drugs. And you know for a fact that I’d never have them in the house with Taylor around. Lisa, however, is another story.”
“Don’t I know it. I have no idea what she was doing when I was overseas or away for work. When I was gone, she always found excuses to leave Taylor with her mother or ask my mom to watch him. She was probably partying and sleeping around. And when I was home, she’d go out with her friends and leave him with me.”
I silently commiserated with Taylor’s situation with a neglectful and addict parent. Although when I was a kid, my father, when he was around was just drunk and abusive. I would have rather been on my own.
“Thank God he has you and Doreen.”
A phone vibrates on the table, but the call is coming from Cam’s phone this time. He wipes his hands on the napkin and answers.
“Hello? Oh, hey Curtis.”
It’s the divorce attorney Cam hired. I leave him to his conversation and bring my plate to the sink, cleaning off the remnants of my breakfast when Cam’s roaring voice grabs my attention and I swing back around to see what’s going on.
“She wants to do what? What the fuck does that mean?”
Cam stands, pushing back the chair as it scrapes against the wood floor, and begins pacing. The next few minutes all his replies to the attorney are in grunts and “uh-huhs” but the agitated movement continues.
“Are you fucking serious? She has stipulations? That fucking bitch.”
He gruffly stomps off into the living room, asperity in his tone, as London comes around the corner, dressed in her business slacks and blouse, ready to head off to the office. Her eyes grow wide with curiosity.
“What’s going on?” she whispers conspiratorially, accepting the coffee cup I hand her. She smiles and mouths a “Thank you.”
Wrapping my arms around her, I bring her in for a morning hug and kiss. Although we had quite the frisky make-out session this morning in the shower while Cam still sawed logs in bed, I can never get enough of her.
“I’m not sure, but it doesn’t sound good.”
She glances over her shoulder at where Cam went off and lifts the mug back to her lips. A grin of pride forms across my mouth as I hone in on the ring London wears on her finger.
An engagement ring.
The one-of-a-kind, Neil Lane 3.5 carat radiant-cut diamond engagement ring, surrounded by round diamonds, adorns her finger. The ring that I gave her when she finally accepted my proposal to marry me.
