her, that she could enjoy a man’s company without worrying about a Relationship with a capital R.
She parked her Volkswagen and walked dejectedly toward the door. As she passed the dark, ugly Winnebago, she had dark, ugly thoughts about her sister. “A few days” was turning into a few weeks. Finally, Violet admitted that they were going to have to sell the RV and promised to see to it right away, but nothing had happened yet. Lily suspected the market was crowded with used RVs.
As she found her house key, a shadow moved on the back steps. Lily gasped, too startled to scream.
“It’s me. I didn’t mean to scare you, I swear.” Cameron stepped into the pale glow cast by the porch light. He wore jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, a backpack with reflective tape on the back. His bicycle leaned against the house.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Is something wrong? Does your uncle know you’re here?”
“Nothing is wrong and he doesn’t know. I sneaked out.”
“You know better than that,” she said, pushing open the door and turning on the kitchen light. “I’m calling him immediately.”
“Don’t.” Cameron’s voice was sharp with urgency. “At least listen to what I came to say. Please.”
She studied him, this boy she had known all his life. He was, and always had been, amazing to look at. The girls were adorable, of course, yet Cameron had the truly classic beauty of his mother and the graceful athleticism of his father. He had Crystal’s fine features and vivid coloring, and Derek’s intensity. His appearance seemed to set him apart from the rest of humanity, as though he was a storybook prince about to leave on a quest.
He took off the backpack. “We need your help,” he said.
“We, as in…?”
“Me and Charlie and Ashley. See, it’s about Uncle Sean.”
Oh, God. Lily braced herself. She’d thought he was doing a good job, but now terrible possibilities flipped through her mind.
“Don’t look so worried,” Cameron said. “It’s nothing bad.”
“Sorry.” She motioned him inside. “I didn’t realize I was so transparent. So what’s up?”
“Red Corliss got Uncle Sean a sponsorship for a tournament. It’s a big deal, Lily. Huge. It means good money and the chance to get his career back. It’s a good deal for all of us.”
She nodded. She and Sean had not whitewashed the truth about the family finances. Cameron understood that there were complications.
“So this is good news, right?”
“The best,” Cameron agreed. “Except that Uncle Sean turned the deal down.”
“Why would he do that?”
Cameron looked annoyed. “It’s idiotic. He’s all worried because the sponsor wants us in the picture.”
“You and your sisters?”
“Yep. It’s Wonder Bread.”
“The sponsor?”
“Sure. I mean, it’s not Chevrolet, but it’s a sponsor. And anyway, they’re marketing to people who want to believe Uncle Sean is the New Male, a family man.”
Lily felt a tickle of inappropriate humor in the back of her throat. “New Male.”
“Did you know he’s been approached by a bachelor TV show?”
“You’re kidding.”
He shuddered. “Nope. Luckily he turned that down. But he needs to take this offer because it’s all about golf.”
“What’s stopping him?”
“He thinks it’s exploiting us kids.”
“Is it?”
“We wear the hats and shirts to the games, we eat the sandwiches. Big deal.”
“Tell me about this tournament.”
“That’s the other thing. It’s not just the one tournament. He’ll need to play all summer.”
“How far out of town?”
“The big one, with the big payoff, is in Pinehurst. That’s in North Carolina.”
“That’s pretty far.”
“My dad used to fly all over the place for tournaments.”
“And your mom looked after you and the girls. Your uncle doesn’t have that.”
“No,” Cameron agreed. “But he has you.”
Lily let out a startled laughed. “Cameron, you know I love you and the girls, but I can’t stay behind and babysit—”
“I didn’t mean you’d stay behind. You could come along, you know, so he wouldn’t worry about us when he’s supposed to be thinking about his game.”
“Oh, Cameron. Do you hear what you’re saying? This summer is supposed to be a time for you and your sisters to build a life in a new situation. It’s the work you’re supposed to be doing. And now suddenly this is all about Sean and his game.”
“But—”
“No wonder he’s rejecting the offer.”
“You’re wrong. It’s about all of us,” Cameron said fiercely. “Me and Sean and the girls and maybe even you. This is not just a game. It’s a chance to change everything.”
“By focusing on Sean.”
“By focusing on something besides my dead parents for a change,” Cameron snapped. “What about