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I choose to be evasive. “Come down and see.”
Travis takes that as a challenge and bursts past me, flying down the stairs at the speed of a runaway locomotive. I’m barely to the bottom when I hear him say, “Camden… what are you doing here?”
As I turn the corner, I see them bumping fists.
“I came to help your mom shovel the snow,” Camden says as he leans against the counter, sipping at his coffee. “And I’m going to check out the smoke detectors before I leave. I’ll teach you how to change the batteries and you can do it next year.”
“Really?” Travis says. I’m sure the idea of climbing a ladder has far more appeal than I’d like it to.
“I’ll teach you how to shovel snow, too, after we eat.”
Travis wrinkles his nose, his reply half-hearted. “Oh… okay.”
Camden laughs and his gaze slides over to me. “If you have anything else you need help with on the house, you let me know before I leave. I’ll figure out a time to come back and take care of it for you.”
“Okay,” I say softly, my heart swelling with gratitude. I move to the griddle and nod toward the table. “Sit down.”
Travis starts talking Camden’s ear off as I load up two plates with French toast and bacon. I stand at the griddle and work on the extra pieces because I certainly know my son’s appetite and if Camden’s is anything like Mitch’s, they’ll polish off all of this. I manage to eat two slices myself as I’m cooking.
After we’re finished, I clean the kitchen while Travis helps Camden with the front stoop. When they come back in, I’m settling back down at my laptop to get more work done.
They’re mid-conversation and I pick up what Camden says as they shut the front door. “…at practice this week, you let me know. We’ll work on it when I get back in town.”
“Awesome.” Travis’s face is flushed from the cold but I can see his eyes lit with excitement to be talking hockey with Camden. It causes a tiny pang of hurt in my chest because that’s something he’s been missing.
Camden hands Travis the shovel. “Do me a favor, bud… put that back in the garage.”
“Got it,” Travis says as he takes the shovel and I stand from the table.
I slap him on the butt as he passes by. “Great job, kiddo.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
When Travis is out the back door, I move toward Camden in the foyer. He throws his thumb over his shoulder at the door. “I’m going to head out.”
“I cannot thank you enough for coming to do the snow. That was really kind and unexpected and—”
Camden smirks and holds out his hands. “Thank you is fine. And you fed me well, so I might have come out on the better end of the deal.”
Laughing, I incline my head. “Well, thank you, then.”
“Anytime. We’ve got three away games over the next week so the schedule is tight, but when we get back, we’ve got an unprecedented seven days in a row with no games. We’ll have practices, but that’s a good time for me to come do your batteries so—”
“You don’t have to do that,” I rush to say, but the look on Camden’s face has me slamming my mouth shut.
“Just accept the offer of help, Dani,” Camden chastises. “It’s what friends do, okay?”
I blow out a breath and laugh nervously. “Okay… fine. I’m not good at accepting help, so double thank you.”
“And that garage of yours,” he says, nodding once again toward the back door. “It’s a death trap waiting to happen with the boxes stacked everywhere. It needs to be organized. I’ll help do that too.”
I’m silent for a moment, battling my need to be strong and not accept the offer against the woman who actuallydoesneed help and recognizes a genuine offer when she’s presented with it. “I’m really glad we reconnected, Camden. I appreciate what you’re doing not only to help me but Travis too. I know Mitch would be so grateful.”
“I’m glad,” he says and then reaches back for the knob. “Make a list of anything else you might want fixed or whatever. I’ll knock it out next week.”
I slip my hands into the back pockets of my jeans, rocking forward on the balls of my feet. “Will do.”
Camden smiles, nods and starts to turn for the door.
