Jane had been checking her phone off and on for an hour. Today was the day that Cameron was meeting Crystal at her doctor’s appointment. Jane had tried not to let her insecurities about Cameron creep in while she waited for his phone call. Ever since that night at the assisted living center, and their kisses in the rain, everything between them had been like a fairy tale. But Jane was a realist, and she knew the rainbow bubble would pop sometime.
The doctor’s appointment would be a big dose of reality, for everyone.
And Jane’s heart hurt to think about it. She was more than impressed that Cameron wanted to be equally involved in his baby’s life. But she also knew the bond a child created between a man and a woman was like nothing else. It was why she suspected her mother was so hurt when her dad remarried, and why her mom had never remarried herself.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she turned off the vacuum she’d been using at the Daleys’ house. But the text was from someone inquiring about the ad she’d posted on the Pine Valley website. She wrote back a quick reply with a possible interview time.
Jane slid her phone into her pocket and turned the vacuum back on. The work was mundane and gave her plenty of time to think about Cameron. His family was great, and even though she and they existed in different spheres of life, his mom and dad had been nothing but accepting of her. And Cameron had been great with her dad. Jane didn’t worry about her own mom because her mom always ran toward dollar signs.
Jane reached the edge of the area rug and switched off the vacuum. The Daley home had mostly wood floors, but Mrs. Daley liked the rugs vacuumed religiously.
Another text came in, and Jane checked it. The job applicant had responded, agreeing to the interview time. Jane put the vacuum away, then went into the kitchen and started to methodically clean.
By the time she was finished with the Daleys another hour had passed, which meant that Cameron should have definitely been out of the appointment, even if the office was running behind.
She climbed into her car and tried not to think about what this delay could mean. Maybe the doctor was late, or maybe Cameron was talking to Crystal about future arrangements. Or maybe... She blinked against the stinging in her eyes.
Once she reached her next client, an older woman who lived in a condo by herself, Jane resolved to not think about Cameron and Crystal for the next hour. She cleaned Mrs. Burnett’s house with vigor, getting corners and areas that had likely not been cleaned since the place was built.
She was a sweaty mess when she finished, but it had helped take her mind off things. Still, Cameron hadn’t called. Maybe he’d forgotten? Got caught up with business, or something? But they’d texted each other just that morning, and Cameron had said he’d call Jane after the appointment.
Jane heaved a sigh and loaded her cleaning kit into the trunk of her car. Then she headed home to take a shower. She was grateful to find her dad on the phone with someone when she came into the house. She was too keyed up to have any sort of normal conversation with her dad; he’d know that something was off.
She showered and dressed. Cameron still hadn’t called. Now she was annoyed. What was he doing? Why wasn’t he calling her? She couldn’t stand not knowing... even if the news was bad. She told her dad she was going to run some errands. Then she started her car and headed toward Cameron’s.
She hoped he was home so that she could find out what was going on. But then again, if he was home, why hadn’t he called her?
When she pulled up to his cabin, there were no lights on. So, maybe he wasn’t home. Was he still with Crystal?
Jane sat in the car for a moment, then gathered up her courage and got out. She knocked on the front door. There was no sound or movement. The sound of an approaching car drew her attention, and she turned to see a car coming up the lane to the cabin. It took only seconds to figure out that it was Cameron.
She wondered if he was alone, or maybe he and Crystal were in some deep conversation about their child.
Jane felt like a fool showing up like this. She couldn’t move as she watched the car approach. By now, he would have seen her car parked to the side of the driveway. The garage door started to open, and Cameron pulled into the garage.
Jane decided to wait on the porch until he went inside and shut the garage. Then she’d make her getaway. Suddenly she didn’t want to confront him. Her tears were already starting, and she just needed to be by herself.
“Jane?” Cameron said, coming through the front of the garage.
Too late. She froze as he saw her on the porch. She gazed at him, trying to read his expression, trying to understand what had been going on.
“Hi,” she said at last. “I was just checking on you since you never called.”
Cameron looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. It’s been a hell of a day.”
Jane felt like she was shrinking. She bit her lip, wondering how she could gracefully move past Cameron and leave.
His eyes were back on her. “I have sort of a long story to tell you.”
Dread pooled in her stomach, and she felt like she was going to be sick.
“Do you want to come in?” he asked.
No, she wanted to say. “Okay.”
Cameron continued up the steps and walked past her. He didn’t try to touch her or kiss her. He merely used his key to unlock the front door.
The interior was dim, with the western light of the sky nearly gone. He walked into the kitchen, and Jane followed, feeling like a lonely dog following its master.
“Do you want something to drink?” he asked.
“No,” Jane croaked out. She wrapped her arms about her torso, unsure if she should stand or sit.
Cameron opened a water bottle and guzzled down the whole thing. Then he crunched it and tossed it into the trash. He turned and braced his hands on the counter across from where Jane stood.
His head dropped forward, and Jane wanted to leave—she didn’t want to hear Cameron say the words...
“She’s not pregnant,” Cameron said in a quiet tone.
A jolt shot through Jane. “W-what?”
Cameron lifted his head, and in the dimness of the kitchen, she could see the tears in his eyes. What did this mean? Crystal had lied? She’d miscarried? Was Cameron heartbroken over it?
“She’s what my mother said she was,” Cameron said, his voice stronger now. “She was trying to get back together with me. When I got to the doctor’s office, Crystal didn’t show. She texted me about a half hour after the appointment time and said she wasn’t feeling well, and she’d reschedule later. So I talked to the receptionist about rescheduling, and I was told there was never an appointment in the first place.”
Jane stared at Cameron. His tone was full of bitterness, and that somehow comforted Jane. But the pain in his gaze was heart wrenching.
“I went back to my car and called Crystal,” he continued. “She didn’t answer at first. I texted her, then waited and called her again. Finally, she answered, and she did sound sick... or so I thought. She told me the receptionist had been mistaken.”
Jane moved to one of the barstools and slipped into it. Cameron remained standing.
“I had an awful feeling that wouldn’t go away,” he said. “Just like I did when those men delivering furniture arrived here. I called my mom and told her what happened. She told me to go get a pregnancy test and make Crystal take it while I was at her house.”
Jane’s eyes widened. “Did you?”
He nodded, rubbing at his neck again. “I think I sat outside of the pharmacy for an hour before I went inside.”
Jane would have helped him, had he called her. She waited for him to continue.
“I knew it was kind of a crazy move, but I went for it.” He looked down at the counter and didn’t speak for a long time.
“You don’t have to tell me everything,” Jane finally said.
He lifted his head and wiped at his eyes. “She was home, and at first she tried to kick me out. I threatened to hire a lawyer to get an order that would force her to take the test.”
“A lawyer can do that?” she asked.
Cameron shrugged. “I don’t know. I was pretty desperate, so I bluffed my way through. She took the box from me and disappeared down the hall. I stayed by the door in case she became hysterical for whatever reason.”
When he faded off again, Jane rose from her stool and walked around the counter. She placed a hand on his back. He didn’t seem to mind, so Jane took that as a good sign.
“She came out about fifteen minutes later, crying.” He took a deep breath. “She hadn’t even opened the pregnancy test. Instead, she threw it at me and then started throwing other stuff.”
Jane drew away from him, looking more closely at him. “Were you hurt?”
“I’m pretty good at ducking,” he said in a dry voice. “But I refused to leave until she told me the truth. Finally, she screamed, ‘I’m not pregnant, now are you happy?’”
“I don’t even know what to say,” Jane said.
“I’ve got to be the most gullible man in the world.” His tone had sharpened with anger now.
“I’m sure you’re not the first man to be lied to that way,” Jane said. “How are you to know, unless you do see the test or an ultrasound?”
“Yeah, I know, I just feel like... like she could have continued to string me along, and when would I have found out?” Cameron straightened. “Plus, I let this mess affect my relationship with you.”
When he reached for her, Jane had no problem melting into his arms. “It’s not your fault, Cameron. You’re a good man, and sometimes good men are taken advantage of.”
“You sound like my mom.”
Jane drew away enough to look up at him. “Is that a good thing?”
The distress in his eyes had lessened, and he bent closer to her. “It’s a good thing. I’m really sorry for all of this.”
“Don’t apologize for anything,” Jane said. “I’m just glad you’re finally free of Crystal.”
He nodded. “Me too. Although I sort of feel like I lost a kid.”
“Of course you do,” she said, moving her hands up his chest, then settling them on his shoulders. “You’d already accepted the pregnancy in your mind and were making plans for the future.”
Cameron pulled her into a tight hug and buried his face against her neck. “Do you know you always smell good?”
Jane chuckled. “So do you.” And he did. She was glad she’d come to his cabin too. Cameron was much better in person than Cameron any other way.