Page 84 of Caught in the Middle

Time, he tried telling himself. Maybe she just needed time. He only hoped it was wise to give it to her and wouldn’t result in her forgetting about him.

Chapter 30

By the time Cam finished helping one of his employees, it was half past five and he was ready to go. The only reason he’d been dragging his feet was the knowledge of what he’d planned to do once he arrived home. Unfortunately, he couldn’t put it off forever.

As he said his goodbyes and headed home for the night, he tried assuring himself it wasn’t a bad idea to have waited until the evening. However, his mind kept sending thoughts about dinner time and people needing a break after work that had him second-guessing it. But there was no way he could wait until the weekend and he sure wasn’t going to bring up personal matters with his boss during the workday. Not even on lunch.

He ended up spending most of the drive home not hearing the music. Whenever he made it, he quickly changed out of his work attire and began browning meat for tacos. The idea of how much food he’d have for leftovers had him thinking about Emma and her late-night snacking habits. The thought wrenched his gut.

After Cam ate dinner, stashed the rest of the food in the fridge, cleaned up the kitchen, and took a seat on the couch, he knew he didn’t have any more ways to procrastinate the phone call he was dreading. He pulled up the contact number he’d saved last week whenever Henry told him about the flight information, took a deep breath, and pressed to dial.

He felt pathetic being this nervous, but he couldn’t stop it. He was about to confront someone he respected and then lied to. He swallowed as the phone kept ringing. A small part of him hoped Henry wouldn’t answer, but then he’d have to dread getting his call back. Or sit wondering if he ignored him on purpose. Wow, he was losing it, he realized, rubbing a hand down his face.

About the time he expected the voicemail to pick up–something he hadn’t thought about what he’d say–a gruff voice answered.

“Hey,” Cam started. “Is now an okay time?”

“Sure. What can I help you with?”

Cam didn’t know if he should be thankful Henry wasn’t immediately telling him what a piece of shit he was or skeptical that he was being nonchalant about the call.

“I was hoping to talk.” He was surprised by how steady his voice sounded. “More like apologize,” he added.

There was a brief silence and Cam felt it in his bones, the dread of what was to come. “Okay,” Henry said. “One second.” Cam heard faint rustling noises. “Alright,” he came back on the line. “Had to clear off my desk so I could focus,” he huffed a laugh. “I don’t like to miss a good apology.”

Cam winced.

“I’m messing with you,” Henry said. “I was guessing I’d hear from you sooner or later.”

He let out a deep exhale as quietly as he could, nodding his head to encourage himself to plunge forward. “I’m sorry it wasn’t sooner, but I thought everyone might want the weekend to recoup from the trip home and I didn’t want to bother you during the work day.”

“I figured as much,” the man responded, his tone neither friendly nor rude but rather direct.

Alright, enough stalling, Cam told himself. Time to dive in. “I wanted to address my part this past week,” he started, all the words he’d planned now failing him. He frowned. “Well, I just wanted to let you know I take full responsibility for my role in lying to everyone and barging in on a trip I should have never been on.”

He heard Henry start to say something, but he kept going, not wanting to stop until it was all out. “It wasn’t my intention to pretend to date Emma or lie to your daughter and Asher, to a colleague, or my boss. I didn’t want to take advantage of you all, especially not your money, which is why I stand firm on insisting you let me reimburse you.” He swallowed. “I know I don’t deserve your trust, but I still want you to know that it was never my goal to use this as an opportunity to scale up at work or anything of the sort.”

He didn’t know how to read the scoffing sound that came from Henry, but he kept going before the man could say anything. “However, I should also admit that I would do it all again.” The line went silent. “I’m not proud of lying or deceiving, and I hope I’ve not ruined my reputation in your eyes–although, I understand if you think I’m scum–but at the end of the day I know I would do it all again if it meant getting to help out Emma.” He hadn’t planned on saying that, but it was true and it felt right to admit it.

“I could have stopped our crazy actions in their tracks, especially when I realized who we would be deceiving, but I didn’t. So all of the chaos and fighting and mess is as much my fault as it is hers, if not more for willingly going along with it. So I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry. I’m a better and more honest guy than that, and I take the blame for the fallout I caused your family.”

Cam clenched his jaw to keep from saying more. He said his piece and now he had to face the consequences. No matter what Henry said or how he deemed his character, he would accept it. He would deserve it.

What he wasn’t expecting was to hear the loud belly laughs break out from the man through the phone. Cam didn’t know what to think of that.

Henry finally said, “Son, I appreciate your owning up to everything.” Another chuckle. “However, I hate to break it to you that you’re not as good of a liar as you think.”

Cam’s stomach dropped as his heart rate escalated. Of all the reactions he expected, he hadn’t accounted for Henry thinking this phone call would be a ploy to get back on his good side. He’d meant everything he said.

“I know my girls well, so when I say I knew for damn sure that you and Emma weren’t dating, you can believe that.”

The words rattled in his mind. He knew? “How?” he asked, relief washing over him that Henry hadn’t meant what he thought he’d been saying.

The man let out a laugh and Cam got the image that he was sitting relaxed back in his office chair at home without a care in the world. “Because I pay attention,” he answered, as though that was explanation enough. “I know Emma. I’ve watched her grow up and seen that intelligent mind of hers at work. I recognized her panic at the restaurant, the deer in the headlights look on your face, the knowing teasing Lulu offered all week.”

Cam swallowed, a mixture of shame and comfort washing over him. “Yeah, I guess we should’ve known better to think we could fool anyone.”

“I think Lauren would argue otherwise,” he replied. “She was pretty upset that she’d been thrown through the wringer on that one, but I’d say that has less to do with you and Emma and more to do with her own guilt and actions.”

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