Hometown Holiday Reunion by Mia Ross

Cam’s peace of mind to get it. For the life of him, he couldn’t begin to understand why she felt so strongly about reconnecting with a man who’d neglected her for so long. His father wouldn’t be back in town for a few days yet, which gave him some time to mull over the situation and make a decision.
    â€œOkay, Mom,” he finally gave in, covering her frail hand with one of his own. Giving a gentle squeeze, he forced a smile. “For you, I’ll think about it. But don’t tell anyone I gave up so easy. I’ve got a reputation, y’know.”
    That got him a faint laugh, and she murmured a thank-you.
    â€œYou’re welcome. Meantime, I’m starving. How ’bout you?”
    â€œSmells good.”
    â€œSure it does,” he replied in a chipper tone he hoped disguised how he was really feeling. “Lena still uses your recipe at the Oaks, and it’s a big hit.”
    His mother beamed at the mention of her old friend, who happened to be a fantastic cook. While he got their dinner together, Cam searched his memory for snippets of town news that he thought might interest her. He knew he wasn’t the most entertaining person in the world, but Oaks Crossing was full of characters ranging from quirky to borderline insane.
    All he had to do was cherry-pick some of the mindless gossip he heard at the café on a daily basis. Apparently, the busybodies he’d spent most of his life resenting served a purpose, after all. Who knew?

Chapter Three
    S omeone was going to die.
    She’d start with whoever thought it was a good idea to start hammering at—Erin squinted at the clock on her phone—seven on a Wednesday morning. Thankfully, Parker had spent the night at a friend’s house and wasn’t here to be rudely awakened by the busy beaver hacking away downstairs.
    Recognizing that her tattered sweats and “Whatever” T-shirt were hardly the right outfit for this particular confrontation, she yanked an oversize Cincinnati football jersey overtop and stormed down the stairs to restore some peace. Her bare feet stomping down the wooden steps didn’t make much of an impact, and by the time she reached the first floor she had a good head of steam going.
    Seeing who she had to thank for her early wake-up call didn’t help settle her temper even the slightest bit. “Cam!”
    Obviously startled, he jerked his head around and stared at her as if she was the last person he’d expected to find there. “Yeah?”
    Reminding herself that cluelessness was a dominant male characteristic, she struggled not to scream at him. “Do you know what time it is?”
    â€œAbout seven. Too early for you?”
    â€œIt’s Christmas vacation.” He gave her the blankest look she’d ever seen, and she realized that he needed more of an explanation than that. Without caffeine, the best she could dredge up was, “Sleeping in is part of the deal.”
    His sheepish expression was completely at odds with the cocky guy she remembered, and in her foggy state she actually thought it made him look cute. “Sorry. I don’t have kids, so I didn’t get that memo. Want me to come back later?”
    â€œNo,” she answered on a yawn. “I’m awake now, and I’ve got tons to do myself. Want some coffee?”
    The offer was clearly a surprise to him, and she had to admit she didn’t know where the invitation had come from. She must be more tired than she thought. But it would be rude to extend it and then yank it back, so she tried to look okay with the idea.
    â€œThat’d be nice,” he said, grinning over at her. “Can I make a suggestion first?”
    â€œSure.”
    â€œYou might wanna turn your sweatshirt right side out so people can see more than just an outline of the tiger.”
    Erin glanced down to discover that she had indeed pulled her outer layer on inside out. Seeing as the rest