Coming Home to Seashell Harbor (Seashell Harbor #1) - Miranda Liasson Page 0,50

gathered around, many of them stealing glances at him, some staring outright.

“Hey, Cam,” one said. “Will you autograph our jerseys?”

He stood and walked down the remaining concrete steps, being careful not to catch his bad knee, to the front of the stands so he could face the team. Smiling at the boy who spoke, he said, “Sure, but for the next few minutes, I want you to think of me not as someone famous but as someone just like you—from our town, born and raised here.

“My story is all about dreaming big and working hard to achieve your dreams. And working hard on the field teaches you how to work hard in life. So today, I’m going to start by talking about training techniques. Then we’re all going to jog a few laps and hit the gym.”

Suddenly it seemed no one was paying any attention. Great. He’d had a platform to make a difference and he’d blown it by being preachy and long-winded. Cam turned to see what everyone was looking at. Two people were crossing the field with a handful of dogs, Alaskan mush team style, the animals straining at their leashes.

Hadley.

Drew reached into the first row of seats and pulled out a big wire basket of tennis balls. He turned to Cam. “I might’ve forgotten to mention that Hadley’s bringing a few rescue dogs that need some exercise.”

Cam raised a brow, as in, you’ve got to be kidding me.

“I thought having the guys play with the dogs would be good for physical conditioning. And fun too.” He rushed to add, “Of course, you can do whatever you want with them afterward.”

Cam crossed his arms and stared hard at his friend, who for some reason seemed to think that was hilarious. “Hey, it’s for the team,” Drew said. “Plus, it’s good for them to learn service.”

“Service?”

“Yeah. Dog walking. Good for the community.” Drew punched him in the arm, leaving Cam to stand there, grappling with his suddenly rampant emotions. Bowie and Jagger led Hadley’s pack, along with three dogs he’d never seen before. A motley crew, bolting down the field, towing Hadley behind them. Mayellen walked behind Hadley with another bunch of dogs.

The boys clamored out of the stands and rushed the field, his inspirational talk all but forgotten. Soon everyone was laughing and chasing dogs around.

Hadley had begun talking to Drew and a few of the team members, only to catch Cam’s gaze and look quickly away, back to laughing and talking with the boys. But Jagger noticed him and broke away, bolting toward him.

Cam leaned down and scratched behind the dog’s ears. “Hey, buddy, how’d you get a pile of friends, huh?” The dog leaped up and licked his face, wiggling his skinny butt.

Cam straightened to find Hadley directly in front of him. Oh no, was his first thought as a barrage of feelings hit him like a Mack truck. That four a.m. kiss had stirred everything up, taken away his peace of mind. What had he been thinking? Because he couldn’t stop thinking about her. How she’d felt tangled up with him on that wet floor. How her lips had felt on his.

She was wearing jean shorts and a T-shirt that read WALK A DOG, MAKE A FRIEND. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she looked not much older than the kids on the football team. Several of the boys were openly checking her out, making Cam instinctively step sideways to block their line of vision.

It struck him that being with her now felt just like before, all those years ago. The same excitement. The same thrill. The same ease. It was as if they’d been together yesterday, not twelve years ago.

Cam grabbed a ball from the bucket. Jagger immediately perked up, jumping and anticipating Cam’s throw. Cam gave it a good toss, and the dog bolted after it, his long legs flying.

“Maybe he thinks he’s a greyhound,” Hadley said.

“Well, a dog can dream,” Cam said, laughing a little nervously. “So, how’s the roof?” She seemed nervous, too, not looking directly at him, keeping her focus on the dog.

She shrugged. “We’re getting estimates to fix it. I think my grandma’s insurance will cover it, though.”

He nodded and lifted a brow at the dogs. He saw some new recruits among the pack. “More?”

She shrugged. “Word of mouth, I guess. Anita Morales brought in a stray that followed her home while she was walking her own dog. Some kids found that little pit bull mix hiding