Chapter 14

fourteen

Cam sat in his portable chair next to the center line of the soccer field while Brady warmed up with his team. He watched as the kids fiddled with each other's stars and stripes bandanas when it wasn't their turn to kick the ball into the net.

The patriotic addition to the uniform for the Fourth of July tournament had created all the buzz. Brady had rushed into Cam's room at five thirty a.m., eager to have the bandana tied around his head when they didn't have to be at the park until eight forty-five.

He pulled a sip from his water bottle as the morning sun beat down, glad he'd gone with white athletic shorts and a cobalt-blue sleeveless top. Lots of sunblock had been a must because it was lining up to be a hot one.

He glanced up when Fiona wandered over in a pair of short shorts and a red and white striped tank top, carrying her collapsible chair and a bulging cooler tote on her shoulder. She'd tied her hair back with a navy-blue scrunchy, leaving the line of her graceful neck exposed. The stylish aviators covering her eyes added to her summer look. Somehow, she always managed to pull off effortlessly sexy. "Here she is."

"Here I am." Smiling as she set her seat up next to his, she sat down. "This place is insane today. I had to park on the street."

Cam nodded. "It's definitely packed. Teams from all over are playing until lunchtime."

"Fiona! Fiona!" Brady yelled from across the field, waving to her.

She laughed, waving back.

"He's crazy excited that you could come today."

"I wouldn't have missed it." She looked around among the people everywhere. "Where are your parents?"

"They'll be here. They're having breakfast with Grandpa first. They're also grabbing some stuff for the barbecue they're hosting tonight. They'll head this way after. You're welcome to come. To the party."

She nodded. "Your mom mentioned something about it when I saw her at the office earlier this week. I'll probably swing by."

"You know you're always welcome. Everyone would love to see you." And if she stuck around to watch the fireworks with Brady and him, that would be a holiday bonus.

The coaches blew their whistles, and the kids huddled up with their teams.

"Do you need a snack?" Fi asked. "I brought juice boxes, orange slices, string cheese, pepperoni slices, and a couple of different types of gluten-free granola bars that are really good. I don't think Brady's tried this brand yet."

He smiled, remembering how Fi had always packed way too many snacks for the long Saturdays she'd spent at his wrestling tournaments. "I'm good for now, but thanks."

"No problem. But help yourself. I brought enough for everyone."

"I don't doubt it."

Fiona chuckled as she pulled something from the pocket of her bag, unfolding a white cloth. She'd painted Go Brady! in his cobalt-blue and black team colors.

Cam grinned, absolutely adoring the woman who'd gone above and beyond to make his son feel special. He had no doubt she'd packed the various snacks for Brady. And the banner would make his day. "He's going to love this," he said, holding on to one end.

"It's my name!" Brady yelled as he took his spot on the field, grinning and waving at them again.

They both waved back.

The whistle blew, and the kids started the game. And like any game with five-year-olds, they all abandoned their positions to run after the ball.

"Go get it, bud!" Cam yelled.

When Brady was the victor and ran with the ball, doing his best to dribble how they'd practiced, Cam clapped. "That's the way, Brady!"

"Yes! Look at you!" Fiona yelled. "Go, Brady!"

And then Owen—Brady's friend and teammate—stole the ball and started running in the wrong direction.

"The other way, Owen! Kick it the other way," Cam and several other parents shouted.

The coach ran along the side, and eventually, Owen understood his mistake.

Everyone clapped when Owen ran the right way.

"That's how you do it, Owen!" Cam hollered. "Nice recovery."

Fiona laughed. "Peewee sports are always the best!"

Cam grinned. "The rule is there are no rules, even when there are supposed to be."

Fiona laughed again.

The ref blew the whistle when the ball went out of bounds.

When one of the kids threw the ball back in play, twenty soon-to-be kindergarteners swarmed in, and Brady disappeared into the pack of red and blue jerseys.

Moments later, Brady fell forward on his hands, letting out a cry that made Cam cringe. Because he knew that sound—the real deal he'd only heard a couple of times when something was seriously wrong.

Immediately, Cam rushed out of his chair when Brady didn't get up, jogging toward the center of the field, where he met the coach who had just beat him there.

Brady looked up as tears streamed down his sweaty cheeks while he sat on his knees. "My arm hurts."

Cam crouched next to him, slightly relieved that nothing was obviously broken. "Where, bud?"

"My wrist." He struggled to hold it up as he sniffled and started to cry again. "It hurts a lot ."

Cam stopped Brady's movements. "You don't have to move it." He looked at the coach. "We're going to get this checked out."

She nodded. "That's a good idea. Feel better, Brady."

He sniffled. "Okay."

Cam focused his attention on Brady. "Let's put your arm against your chest like this," he said, carefully moving it, clenching his jaw when Brady sucked in a sharp breath.

"It's going to be okay," he said, scooping up Brady and nodding his head to everyone as they started to clap as they walked off the field.

Fiona waited on the painted line as her brow furrowed beneath her aviators. "What's going on, guys?"

Brady sucked in several shaky breaths. "My arm hurts a lot."

She wiped the tears off his cheeks. "That's no good."

Brady shook his head.

Cam looked at Brady's wrist, noting that it was starting to swell. "I'm pretty sure urgent care is closed today. I'm going to take him up to the hospital to get this checked out."

"No," Brady said, adamantly shaking his head as he started to cry again. "I don't want them to take my blood out!"

Cam blinked, taken aback by Brady's reaction. Apparently, their last doctor's appointment had created some serious trauma. "They're not going to take your blood out."

Brady struggled in Cam's arms, hurting himself more, clearly terrified. "Yes, they will."

"Brady," Fiona said, settling a firm hand on his knee. "When Ms. Stella hurt her arm, they didn't take her blood out."

Brady sniffled as he considered. "She has a cast."

Fiona nodded. "That's right. And now her arm feels a lot better."

"You can come to the hospital with us. You can tell the doctor that they didn't take Ms. Stella's blood out."

She huffed out a small laugh as she smiled at him. "How about you and your dad send me some texts to let me know how you're doing, and I'll go shopping for a surprise."

Brady perked up. "A surprise?"

She nodded. "A boy who plays soccer the way you do—who's so brave—he definitely needs a surprise."

Brady nodded. "Okay."

Cam looked at her. "Can you grab my chair?"

"Of course." She touched his arm. "Everything's going to be okay."

He nodded, even though his stomach was a mess. "I'll keep you up to date." And then he left, eager to get his son taken care of.

For nearly five hours, Fiona worried while Cam and Brady waited at the emergency room on a major holiday. As the sixth hour drew near, Fiona hurried to her phone at the other end of the counter when it alerted her to a text.

We're finally heading home with a splint for a mild sprain.

She typed back. I'm so glad he's okay. If you're up for it, I have the promised surprise.

Brady's been waiting. Mostly patiently.

She grinned. I'll head your way in a couple of minutes.

Fiona moved back to the treat she was preparing, spreading the last glob of homemade vanilla frosting on the chocolate cake she'd baked, covering it with the protective plastic top.

Grabbing the new books and various other quiet activities for Brady to enjoy, she put them in a basket before tying the Get Well Soon balloons she'd bought to the handle.

Food from the fridge came next—Cam's surprise after he'd mentioned that he and Brady were skipping the party at his parents' tonight.

After loading everything up in the car, she poked her head back inside. "I'm leaving, Mom."

"Have fun," Mom called from upstairs. "Gage and Cheryl are picking me up in about twenty minutes. I'll be out until after the fireworks so don't wait up for me."

"Okay. Love you. Be safe."

"You, too, honey."

Fi left, eager to get to Cam and Brady. Most of the day had been agonizing after an endless wait. Heading out to the various stores and then back home again to get culinarily creative had kept her busy.

Making her way through the insane traffic, especially out by the lake, she eventually turned down Cam's long, quiet driveway, pulling up next to his truck.

Cam opened the front door, looking tired but gorgeous as he smiled at her. "That was quick."

She pulled out the gift basket and then the fabric cooler she'd used earlier at the park. "I won't stay long," she said, handing him both.

"You can stay for as long as you want."

"How's he doing?"

Cam nodded. "Pretty good. He landed wrong just right to get a decent sprain. But it's not broken so we'll deal."

She went back to the car for one more tote, plus the cake. "I'm glad it wasn't worse."

Cam chuckled when he spotted both. "Jesus, Fi, do we need to hire movers?"

She smiled as she shrugged, walking his way again. "You know I don't do well sitting still. Especially, when I'm worried."

He winked as he stepped back to let her in. "Thanks for doing this. He'll be thrilled."

"You're welcome." She walked inside, smelling aftershave in the air as she stepped out of her sandals. Heading toward the great room, she stared out at the spectacular lake view and the uptick in boat traffic.

Brady lay on the couch, covered with a light blanket, as his splinted left wrist rested on a pillow while he watched cartoons.

"There's the patient."

He turned his head, grinning as she walked in. "Hi, Fiona. I got this thing on my arm. It's not a cast, though. I can take it off sometimes but not yet."

"That's good news. Do you hurt less?"

He nodded. "They gave me medicine like I take at home—the kind that tastes like cherries. And I put ice on my wrist."

"I'm glad you're feeling a little better."

He nodded again as he eyed the dessert in the container. "Did you make a cake?"

She nodded. "A chocolate one with vanilla frosting. And your dad has a basket that's just for you."

Brady's eyes grew wide as he looked at the balloons, books, puzzles, and easy-to-make crafts Cam set next to him on the cushion. " Wow !"

"And I made you guys some dinner," she said more to Cam as Brady dove into his basket of activities. "Gluten-free fried chicken and the macaroni and cheese Brady likes." She gestured to her tote. "Plus, some fruit. Oh, and a big ol' Caesar salad."

Cam grinned. "You made your mom's dressing?"

She smiled, knowing how much he loved it. "You had a rough day, too."

He shrugged. "It's better now."

"The croutons are gluten-free, so you can both have some greens. That stuff's in the cold pack."

"Hopefully, you're going to stay and dive in. From the weight of this bag, there's definitely enough for all of us. For days."

She laughed as she nodded, happy to be there. "If you guys are hungry, I'll help you set stuff up."

He nodded. "I'm starving."

"Me too," Brady called as they headed to the kitchen to get ready for some home-cooked food.

The sun was on its descent over the distant mountain range as Cam glanced at his son asleep on the cushions between himself and Fiona. It had been a long, stressful day that eventually got better after the doctor told him Brady's wrist would be healed sooner rather than later. And Fi surprising them with an awesome meal had meant everything.

Her arms were splayed across the back of the couch as they both relaxed with their legs crossed on the coffee table. It was tempting to capture her hand closest to his and intertwine their fingers, but he didn't move, thinking better of the idea. "Are you heading out for the fireworks?"

She shook her head as she stared out at the water. "I'm fine right here. If that's okay."

He nodded, thrilled that she'd chosen to stick around long after dinner had been served and Brady conked out. "It's more than okay. I meant it when I said you're always welcome."

"Thanks."

"You were my lifesaver again, Fi."

She looked at him now. "I wanted to help. You guys are two of my favorite people."

He smiled as she did. "That's nice to hear."

Her gaze wandered to Brady. "He seems to be comfortable."

He nodded, studying his son in his dinosaur pajamas. "The plan is elevation, ice, and Tylenol for the next couple of days. And he'll need to take it easy. I haven't had the heart to tell him that he won't be able to go to day camp for the next three weeks. And soccer is definitely out of the question."

Fi turned down her bottom lip as she looked at Brady again. "Poor guy. If he can't go to camp, what will you do about work?"

He shrugged. "I have the next couple of days and the weekend covered, but I'm still working on the rest. Usually, my schedule's pretty flexible. That's why I handle renovations. My team is awesome, which allows me to pop in and out. But this next week, we're starting a pool house and sunroom over in Keene. Ezra's giving us a hand so we can keep a steady pace, but…"

"Do you want some help?"

He steamed out a quiet breath because he'd nearly said yes without thinking. It was starting to become a habit—needing Fi. But he'd always needed Fi… "Mom and Dad will give me a hand when they can. But, yeah, that would be awesome if you could help fill in the gaps."

"Of course."

He sighed again. "You're making my life too easy, Fi."

"Good."

Her subtle perfume wafted in the air. Her big brown eyes stared into his. He didn't want to get used to something he couldn't keep. "There will be days when I can be home earlier than others. And I know Mom can pick him up after her meetings."

Fi shook her head. "I'm on vacation, Cam."

He raised his brow. "I've seen your whiteboard at the office."

She grinned. "It's just a couple more smaller parties. And none of them are happening this next week. But I do have a couple of conference calls scheduled with Leo and our VIPs."

"The wedding."

She nodded.

"So you and Leo are video-calling the governor of Washington?"

"Well, no. Leo is meeting with The First Lady and her daughter at their residence and then at the flower warehouse on Thursday. They're adding me via FaceTime. The wedding's just a couple of days after I get back, so I need to stay in the loop to keep things smooth for the main event."

Apparently, meetings with impressive VIPs was just another day at the office for Fi and her buddy. "Huh."

"But Brady can do some quiet activities while I take care of that, and he can help me shop for the events that are coming up here in Vermont. He'll have fun. We'll make it work. The only glitch I see is an occasional transportation issue."

"Use one of the trucks. There's an extra sitting down at the office."

She adamantly shook her head. "That's too much."

"You need to be able to drive. There's a vehicle you can use. It's a simple problem with a simple solution."

She held his gaze before she eventually nodded. "Okay."

"Pick it up tomorrow if you want. I'll let my parents know. They'll tell you to use it until you're ready to go back to Seattle. I'm telling you the same thing."

She wrinkled her nose. "We'll see."

"I'm offering. It's up to you."

"Thank you, Cam."

"No problem." He stretched out, crossing his ankles the opposite way, more than a little aware that Fi's fingers now touched his shoulder. "So, you can be here Monday morning?"

"Definitely." She startled when a firework exploded over the water. "That's really pretty."

He nodded as two more rockets of color filled the sky. "It's certainly not bad."

"I don't think I'll ever get over this view."

"Ditto on that." Using his phone, he turned off the lights in the room so they could see better. "It's been a while since we've done something like this."

"It has. This is our first time watching the fireworks from indoors."

"Mm-hmm," he replied.

"I might like it better," she said as more fireworks ignited.

"Me too." He grinned as she did. Because this moment felt so much sweeter than those they'd shared in the past—he and Fiona enjoying a quiet evening together, comfortable in each other's company again. Unlike holidays before, tonight had been hard-won. "I'm glad you're here, Fi."

She sent him another smile. "Me too."

"Happy Fourth."

"Happy Fourth, Cam."