Page 9 of I Loved You First

“How’s my other boy?”

His smile dimmed as his gaze wandered back to the grocery store. “I’m hanging in there.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Mom cleared her throat. “Sweetie, I just got off the phone with Stella.”

“How’s she doing?”

“Pretty good, considering. She was able to head home from the hospital last night.” Then Mom paused before she cleared her throat again. “Fiona’s with her, honey.”

He nodded. “I heard something about that.” And that’s what he was going with because he was still taking it all in.

Mom huffed out a laugh. “Maple Ridge and its gossip mill.”

“Mm-hmm,” he replied. Then he opened his mouth to say something else when his mom spoke again.

“She’s back for a while, Cam. Stella said Fi’s taking an extended leave of absence. She’ll be here for the next several weeks.”

He scratched his jaw, shocked all over again. Fi hadn’t come back to town since the day she left. Now she would be in Maple Ridge for most of the summer. “Huh,” he said this time—the best he could do when the surprises kept coming.

“Maybe you two can finally talk and clear the air.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“I imagine all of this is a lot, but I need a favor.”

“Anything.”

“Stella asked if Dad could head over to the house to look at her banister. She said it’s wobbly, and she’s a little unsteady with her bruised ribs and her arm in a cast. Dad’s out at the Dawson site for most of the day…”

He clenched his jaw, understanding what his mother was asking. The situation wasn’t ideal. He didn’t have a problem with Stella. She’d been perfectly polite to him and his son anytime they’d run into each other over the last several years. But this wasn’t how he wanted to see Fi for the first time after so long.

He had things he needed to say. Maybe she did too. Today was hardly the day for that conversation.

“If it makes you too uncomfortable…”

“No. It’s fine.” He glanced at his watch. “I have some time now since you’re picking Brady up.” If he discovered anything but a quick repair, he’d take his leave and send one of his guys over.

“Thanks, honey.”

“No problem. I’ll see you later.” Hanging up, he looked at the store again as he turned over the ignition and headed toward Stella’s place. He certainly knew where it was.

Cam arrived at the house less than ten minutes later, parking along the curb across the street.

Stella opened the door, bruised, bandaged, and cast, still wearing her pajamas, as she stepped out on the front porch. “That was fast. I talked to your mom half an hour ago.”

He smiled as he headed up the path to the porch steps. “Wobbly banisters shouldn’t wait.”

Stella smiled back. “Where’s your beautiful son this morning?”

“He wanted to try wilderness camp this week. As soon as he found out they would be looking at owl vomit and touching snakes, he begged me to sign him up.”

Stella laughed. “To be young and curious.”

Cam shrugged. “Mostly, I’m just trying to keep him busy now that preschool’s out for the summer.”

Stella chuckled again. “Come on in, Cam.”

“Thanks,” he said, stepping inside as Stella gestured him in before her.