Wednesday, 11 Spring
4. A case of the Brindleton Bay blues
Sunday for Cameron was Friday for most working folks. He was one four-hour shift away from a three-day weekend, and he woke up with a smile on his face.
At the end of his shift, his manager made his day even better. She told him he’d been promoted. “You still have a lot to learn about lifeguarding,” she said. “But you’re learning quickly. And you’re crushing all the fitness tests.”
Cameron grinned and thanked her. He had found the fitness checks to be unexpectedly easy. He had always enjoyed being active, and a day didn’t seem complete to him unless he went for a run or worked out. He was also just vain enough to like what he saw in the mirror when he took good care of himself.
He needed to remain active, because he was eating way too much food stand cuisine. Cameron was, at best, useless in the kitchen. Courtenay was a very good cook, and she tried to teach the basics to all three of her kids. Patrick and Halle were already able to make many simple dishes, but Cameron was now paying the price for his inattention during his mom’s lessons.
So, instead of going home and preparing something himself, Cam headed down to the Wharf and ordered a Lobster Roll from the food stand there. He took a long look at the dish before he ate it. I wonder if I could make this? he asked himself. Sunday was a good day.
But over the next few days, the realities of life on his own hit Cameron hard. Three days without work left him with too much time on his hands. The routine he had created for himself was already growing stale. He only had fun when he was somewhere other than home, so he found himself making his way to Willow Creek to hang out with his family and friends.
Today was a good example. Suffering from a full-blown case of the blues on his last day off before his work week began again, Cameron headed back to Willow Creek. Instead of heading to his parents’ house (that still sounded strange to him), he stopped by the Willow Creek Archives instead. A true Bookworm, Cameron had spent many, many happy hours there; he had learned to read very young, and he loved getting lost within the pages of a book. He could have read at home, but here, he might see a friend. He found a comfy chair and began to thumb idly through a book about Wellness. Even reading seemed less engaging than usual.
Soon, the quiet was broken by a voice that was far too loud for a library.
“Look who’s here! Cameron Ross!”
Cam knew who it was before he looked up. “Hey, Tim.” He grinned as he greeted his friend.
Cameron had known Tim Horton since the two of them were boys. Tim was just a bit older, but to Cam, he seemed to be far more deeply settled into the business of life. He had a real career—he was working his way up the business ladder—and, even more significantly, he was married.
Tim came over and sat down, ignoring a cross look from the librarian. “How’s life in…Brindleton Bay, right?”
Cameron nodded. “It’s…life.”
“Oh, come on, Cam!” Tim was an adventurous, exuberant character. He seemed to fill the entire library. “I saw your Dad the other day. He said you’re living in a swell house and that you’re working as a lifeguard. That sounds like a good start to me.”
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Cameron smiled. No wonder Tim is crushing it as a businessman, he said to himself. If life gave him a lemon, he’d make lemonade and set up a lemonade stand. Next thing you knew, you’d be handing him all your allowance.
A moment later, Tim broke off a thought in mid-sentence. He was distracted by the appearance of his wife, who had just walked into the library.
“Ava! C’mere! You remember Cameron Ross, right? I don’t think you’ve seen him since our wedding!”
Tim was right. He had an uncanny ability to remember details…even from his wedding day.
Ava Horton joined her husband on the couch. “Hi, Cameron. It’s good to see you again.” She lived life in a lower key than Tim did, a classic case of opposites attracting.
“Cam, we are going to invite you to our place soon,” Tim declared. Ava nodded.
“That sounds fun.”
“You know we’re sharing a house with Elisha and Chase and their wives, right? You know Kaleigh already. Chase married a woman he met at Foxbury. It’s been great.”
Elisha Scott and Chase Dornan were two more of Cameron’s friends from Willow Creek. Kaleigh Rinehart, now Kaleigh Rinehart-Scott, started dating Elisha when they were in high school. The three couples were now living in Pendula View, across the canal from the Courtyard Lane neighborhood where the Rosses lived.
“Some night when we’re all at home, I’ll give you a call or text you or something. That is, if you don’t mind something spur of the moment.” Tim looked at Ava, whose expression betrayed the fact she might prefer a bit more advanced notice of the arrival of a guest.
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“Sounds good. I don’t have much going on in the evenings.”
Again, it seemed that only the connections from his Willow Creek days could make him smile.
