close. “Me? Why do you think I’m at fault?”
Something in his father’s expression cautioned Cam not to push, that he wouldn’t like what he found if he continued his quest for answers. He ignored the warning. “I know Mom. That woman loves you like crazy. She’s torn up about this. Really hurt. So I know this is you.” His brothers might be too in awe of their father, suffering from longtime hero worship, but Cam had always seen his dad as human. A loving and caring man, but a gruff person with his share of issues.
“You know, I’m not taking our separation that easily either,” James answered in a low growl.
“Yeah, right.” Cam snorted. “You’re still working with Mike, laughing it up with your beer buddies, and shoving your face full of whatever crap you want now that Mom’s not here to tell you no.”
“You mean not here to nag me.” James glared. “Yeah, I work with Mike. We have a fucking business to run. What? I’m supposed to sit and cry my eyes out like a pussy because your mother can’t—” His father broke off and swore.
“Can’t what?”
“I’m trying .”
“To what? Have a heart attack before you hit sixty-one?” He looked at the bad carbs around his father, still not sure how James maintained such a trim form. “Is it another woman?”
“No.”
But his father’s cheeks colored.
“ Oh my God. You’re cheating on Mom?” Cam stood, horrified to be right.
“Boy, it’s not like that. Damn it.” James stood as well and dumped half a bag of chips on the couch. Making a mess, as he apparently did wherever he went.
“I can’t believe you. Mom has always been faithful to you.”
“Shut your mouth for two seconds and listen. I’m not cheating on your mother.”
Relieved, Cam nodded.
“Not exactly.”
“ What? ”
“I’ve been faithful to that woman for thirty-six years. Never once stepped out on her, and trust me, I had opportunity.” His dad’s eyes glowed with anger. “For over three decades I did whatever that woman wanted. I left the Corps, took up with my own father in the construction business when I’d really wanted to go to school. Yeah, I wanted to study. Scary shit, huh?”
Cam just stared.
“I did for my family, because that’s what a real man does. We settled here near your mother’s people. Not mine. My folks are in Wisconsin, but you know that. Everything I’ve done has been for your mother in one way or the other, and I’m tired of it.”
“That’s crap, Dad.” Cam didn’t like his father’s tone. His dad’s…resentment. “You’re telling me you’ve been unhappy for so long and none of us knew? This is insane. A midlife crisis, right? Or is it about you getting a piece of ass? Something on the side?” He wanted to vomit. “I looked up to you.”
“Bullshit. Credit me with some intelligence. You never looked twice at me for anything. Not like your brothers.”
“Why? Because I refuse to swing a hammer or a wrench for a living?”
“There’s nothing fucking wrong with that!”
“I didn’t say there was!” What the hell? “Let’s stick to topic, shall we? Who is this other woman?”
“There is no other woman. Shit. I never should have talked to you in the first place. Knew you wouldn’t understand.”
“Why? Because I’m a Nancy ? A momma’s boy?”
“Yeah, that’s right.” James snorted. “Jesus, Cam. You’re still pissed off about shit I said when I was teasing? And you wonder why we never ‘talk,’” he ended in air quotes. “I can’t say boo without you crying about hurt feelings.”
Cam couldn’t believe his father could be this dense. So wrong about everything. No matter what his father thought, Cam did look up to him. He reined in his temper and said in a calm, controlled voice, “Dad, despite what you think, I do respect you. You taught me how to be a man. How to treat a woman. To go for what I want in life. I see— saw —your marriage to Mom as something to emulate. That I might
Something in his father’s expression cautioned Cam not to push, that he wouldn’t like what he found if he continued his quest for answers. He ignored the warning. “I know Mom. That woman loves you like crazy. She’s torn up about this. Really hurt. So I know this is you.” His brothers might be too in awe of their father, suffering from longtime hero worship, but Cam had always seen his dad as human. A loving and caring man, but a gruff person with his share of issues.
“You know, I’m not taking our separation that easily either,” James answered in a low growl.
“Yeah, right.” Cam snorted. “You’re still working with Mike, laughing it up with your beer buddies, and shoving your face full of whatever crap you want now that Mom’s not here to tell you no.”
“You mean not here to nag me.” James glared. “Yeah, I work with Mike. We have a fucking business to run. What? I’m supposed to sit and cry my eyes out like a pussy because your mother can’t—” His father broke off and swore.
“Can’t what?”
“I’m trying .”
“To what? Have a heart attack before you hit sixty-one?” He looked at the bad carbs around his father, still not sure how James maintained such a trim form. “Is it another woman?”
“No.”
But his father’s cheeks colored.
“ Oh my God. You’re cheating on Mom?” Cam stood, horrified to be right.
“Boy, it’s not like that. Damn it.” James stood as well and dumped half a bag of chips on the couch. Making a mess, as he apparently did wherever he went.
“I can’t believe you. Mom has always been faithful to you.”
“Shut your mouth for two seconds and listen. I’m not cheating on your mother.”
Relieved, Cam nodded.
“Not exactly.”
“ What? ”
“I’ve been faithful to that woman for thirty-six years. Never once stepped out on her, and trust me, I had opportunity.” His dad’s eyes glowed with anger. “For over three decades I did whatever that woman wanted. I left the Corps, took up with my own father in the construction business when I’d really wanted to go to school. Yeah, I wanted to study. Scary shit, huh?”
Cam just stared.
“I did for my family, because that’s what a real man does. We settled here near your mother’s people. Not mine. My folks are in Wisconsin, but you know that. Everything I’ve done has been for your mother in one way or the other, and I’m tired of it.”
“That’s crap, Dad.” Cam didn’t like his father’s tone. His dad’s…resentment. “You’re telling me you’ve been unhappy for so long and none of us knew? This is insane. A midlife crisis, right? Or is it about you getting a piece of ass? Something on the side?” He wanted to vomit. “I looked up to you.”
“Bullshit. Credit me with some intelligence. You never looked twice at me for anything. Not like your brothers.”
“Why? Because I refuse to swing a hammer or a wrench for a living?”
“There’s nothing fucking wrong with that!”
“I didn’t say there was!” What the hell? “Let’s stick to topic, shall we? Who is this other woman?”
“There is no other woman. Shit. I never should have talked to you in the first place. Knew you wouldn’t understand.”
“Why? Because I’m a Nancy ? A momma’s boy?”
“Yeah, that’s right.” James snorted. “Jesus, Cam. You’re still pissed off about shit I said when I was teasing? And you wonder why we never ‘talk,’” he ended in air quotes. “I can’t say boo without you crying about hurt feelings.”
Cam couldn’t believe his father could be this dense. So wrong about everything. No matter what his father thought, Cam did look up to him. He reined in his temper and said in a calm, controlled voice, “Dad, despite what you think, I do respect you. You taught me how to be a man. How to treat a woman. To go for what I want in life. I see— saw —your marriage to Mom as something to emulate. That I might
Similar Books
