Page 44 of Call It Home

“He was.”

I watched her, witnessing subtle reactions flick across her face as she continued to stare ahead. It was as if a fragile dam had cracked, allowing emotions she kept hidden from everyone to leak through.

It hit me that I had underestimated Cameron’s dreams as well as her strength. She’d assumed a role that wasn’t meant to be hers, at least not at such a young age. She’d pushed aside her own aspirations to preserve her grandfather’s legacy.

Maybe we weren’t so different after all. Both of us were working to ensure the survival of a loved one.

Swallowing the last of my turkey sandwich, I leaned back on one elbow, wanting to know more about her. “What made you want to become a designer?”

A wry smile formed on her lips. “Do you want the long or the short answer?”

“Which do you want to give me?”

She took a long drink of her water, then crossed her legs like she was settling in for a story. “The short version is, I enjoy making things pretty.”

“You’re good at it.” Even without her usual makeup and fashionable clothing choices, she still looked beautiful. Her hair was pulled back into some kind of fancy braid, but a few strands had worked loose and fell against her naturally flushed cheeks.

She looked over her shoulder. “Thank you.” She gave a light snort. “Let’s hope Vivien and whatever other judge think so.”

“They will.” No matter what anyone else thought, I believed in our plan.

She sighed. “The longer version is, ironically, a little ugly.”

I waited, not wanting to push her, but eager to hear more if she was willing.

“My mother was a beauty queen. She wanted to be an actress, but her parents didn’t really support the idea, so at seventeen, she ran away from home,” she said, her voice trailing off as she became lost in thought. “She was certain that her looks would carry her far, and, in a way, they did. She competed in beauty pageants and eventually became a Marlboro girl, back when tobacco companies still could sponsor racing. That’s how she met my dad, an up-and-coming race car driver. They were inseparable, appearing on magazine covers and giving joint interviews. I think she loved sharing his spotlight more than she loved him. They got married, and seven months later, Chase and I were born.”

Her eyes grew contemplative, and I suspected she was no longer seeing the scenery in front of her.

“I have happy memories of my childhood. My mom would sit and brush my hair, showing me all sorts of ways to style it. As I grew older, she even let me practice on her hair. But as time went on, she became more and more distant. I remember a lot of arguments between her and Daddy. Mom complained about the travel trailer we lived in most of the year. She said she was tired of traveling from race to race. She said Daddy cared more about cars than he did her.”

She shifted to face me. “It wasn’t true, though. Daddy was always there for us. But it wasn’t enough for her. She wanted to be the center of attention, not in the shadow of him. He became one of the best, while she was replaced by younger girls.”

“I can’t imagine how hard that must have been,” I said.

“It was tough,” she agreed. “I remember thinking that if I could just make things look nice, she’d be happier. I kept the trailer clean and made sure Bristol was clean, too. Bristol loved hanging out around the cars and followed Daddy everywhere, so that was a challenge. I think our mom was actually jealous of her own daughter. Can you imagine? How awful is that?”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. As bad as it sounded, I’d known worse.

“Eventually, she ran off with a younger man. She calls once in a while. I’m the only one who still talks to her. But she didn’t even come to Daddy’s funeral. She couldn’t even be there for us when that happened. Needless to say, she didn’t bother to do anything but send flowers and a half-ass sympathy note when Bri was injured. But I still like to make things pretty, so there’s that. I’m sure a psychologist would have a field day picking that apart.”

“Then screw all the rest. The only thing that matters is that, despite everything, you found your passion. And you’re damn good at it.”

Her head tilted to one side, a skeptical look shadowing her eyes. “Just that easy, huh?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s never just that easy, but it doesn’t have to be overcomplicated, either, right? Your mom sucked. But you also found something you truly love. And you’re great at it.”

“Sometimes I think it overtakes my life.”

“That’s something only you can control,” I answered, tapping her on the nose. “In the meantime, did you find any inspiration out here?”

Her face lit up as she glanced at the creek where the water tumbled over the rocks. “You know, I think we should have one of those waterfall features when you walk in the door. It’s really relaxing.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.” I cleaned up our picnic and jumped down from the rock.

Cameron landed next to me. Her hand grasped my arm. “I didn’t mean to yell at everyone back at the house. I let Vivien get into my head, and she doesn’t belong there. I’ll apologize when we get back.”

“I think they’ll understand.”

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