Coming Home to Seashell Harbor (Seashell Harbor #1) - Miranda Liasson Page 0,49
the first person in his family to go to college. Belonging to a swim club, being gifted with a car, even if it was an old one, assuming access to a college education was a gift—those were all part of a foreign world.
And yet…deep down where it counted, he and Hadley had been very much the same. Hardworking, determined, both wanting to make the world a better place.
So here he was. Trying to set aside his own dilemmas and do something to help somebody else, thanks to Hadley’s voice in his head. He knew he had some serious work to do to get himself together. And he was ready to start.
But just seeing a field again in the summer heat, sitting in the empty bleachers, and hearing the roar of the crowds in his head bombarded him with memories of other fields and accolades and triumphs, and even the crushing defeats. The memories brought on a desperate yearning he feared might crush him.
But still, he stayed. Like everything else he’d ever done, he understood that he was never going to be able to truly move on unless he faced up to his fears.
Hadley had been right about that.
It was weird to agree on something instead of butting heads or poising to fight to the death over the Palace.
Yet their kiss two days ago had proved that they still had the same unholy chemistry as ever.
Times ten.
A slap on his back pulled him from his thoughts. “Hey, you showed.”
Cam stood and clasped hands with his old high school friend Drew McDowell, then hugged him, returning the back slap Drew gave him. “I couldn’t let the youth of this community be brainwashed solely by you, could I?”
“Hey, I’m respectable now.” Drew ran a thoughtful hand over his short beard and assessed Cam in that way he both loved and hated. Loved because Drew always saw him for who he was. Hated because, true to his being a counselor as well as the football coach, Drew sometimes saw too much. “But my guys can use a talk from a hometown boy who became a big star.”
“Still the same hometown boy.”
“Noted. I’m glad you’re here. The boys will be too.” Drew paused then added, “Hey, I heard the Palace got deluged. What’s the damage?”
“Extensive.”
“Sorry to hear it. How’s Hadley taking that?”
Cam shrugged. “She thinks her grandma wants to keep the place going. But I’m not so sure.”
“I hate to see you two on opposite sides.” Drew must have taken Cam’s silence as a license to give some advice. “She’s still a catch, man. You two were crazy about each other. Good opportunity to rekindle those old feelings, right?”
Cam frowned. “Why does anyone who’s happily married want everyone else to be too?”
“Because it’s great. Also, Christine wants you to come over for dinner.”
“I’d love to.” Drew and Christine had dated since high school and were expecting their third child. Cam knew that, in a different world, that could’ve been him and Hadley.
Where had that thought come from? Because they were talking high school here. How many people actually ended up with their first loves?
The boys were running up the bleachers, pounding big feet against the aluminum stands and making a racket. “So, how’s your team?” Cam asked, eager to talk about something safe like football.
“It’s a little different here than when we were young. The economy’s not as good. Some of the families have fallen on tough times. These kids don’t have enough role models to push them to dream big dreams. That’s why I took you up on your offer to come today.”
“I get it.” Cam certainly didn’t grow up in an easy time—money was tight and his dad was a struggling single parent who worked hard to provide. Yet Cam had grown up believing that any goal was possible with hard work and discipline.
“I meant what I said about you joining us once a week,” Drew said. “I know you’ve been going through a lot, so if you’re not up for it—”
“I’m doing great,” Cam said quickly. He was fine in every way that mattered—he’d had every fortune and a big dose of luck on top of his talent. The fact that he was expected to be a role model when he couldn’t even play football anymore was a little dicier. And made him feel like a bit of a fraud. “Let me think on it. And I meant what I said about funding the uniforms.”