Only You (Shepherd Family Saga, Book 1) [SAMPLE ONLY!]

Chapter 4

"What?" Brody's attention snapped back around. "What the fuck?!?!" he bellowed, letting Shane know that he had seen Camden, too. The girls began fretting over Brody, who was so pissed, he was struggling to undo his seatbelt. Still, Shane continued to gawk.

Camden broke their stare and hurried to get off Eric's lap. She watched horrified, as Brody slammed the door to his Jeep and stalked across the campsite. "Where the hell have you been?!" he demanded. "Mom and Dad have been sick with worry. I," he emphasized," have been sick with worry!"

Brody's cheek twitched, and his muscles looked rock hard and ready for a fight. Camden could feel Eric's heat as he stepped behind her. Brody glanced over her shoulder at Eric.

"You the motherfucker who kept my baby sister away the past three years?"

Brody's glare would have made a lesser man waiver, but Eric stood tall and looked him straight in the eye.

"I'm the motherfucker that has spent the last two and a half years convincing her to come home," he said evenly, although Camden knew he was clenching his teeth. Her heart sank, as she realized he had just let them know that she actively tried to stay away. She knew that her family must realize that, but on some level she hoped they would overlook that she had deliberately chosen to stay gone.

Brody continued to glare at Eric. "Two and a half years?" he repeated. Camden nodded. "You live with this guy?" he looked at Camden before returning his glare to Eric. Camden had no voice, so she nodded again.

"How long?"

"T-t-two years," she stuttered.

Brody's expression softened. "Damn," he whispered. Brody tagged Camden's arm and pulled her into a bear hug. "Can't breathe," she whispered, as tears streamed down her face. She knew by his hug that he forgave her.

Brody let her go, and gestured to their audience, still watching from the Jeep. Tiffany and Stella warily made their way to the group, as a surly Shane followed.

"Camden, dude that lives with my sister, this is Tiffany, my girl," Brody said as he pulled Tiffany to his side. "This is Stella. She's here with Shane. You know him." Brody looked around the group. "Tiffany, Stella, this is my baby sister Camden, and this here is...." He paused, and Camden filled the silence. "Eric." The group waved half-heartedly and murmured hellos. The air in their midst was awkward, but it was interrupted quickly by the arrival of Molly and Jack.

"Brody!" Molly called. "You didn't tell me you were bringing friends!" she scolded. Brody colored at the reprimand.

"Mama, in my defense, I thought it would make the weekend merrier. I didn't know the whole family would be here."

Camden curled into Eric's embrace, feeling like she was the one being reprimanded. Seeing how Brody's comment affected her prodigal daughter, Molly narrowed her eyes at her son. Jack, ever the peacemaker, stepped into the fray. His hand on Molly's shoulder immediately calmed her expression.

"Brody, we have plenty of food, so it is just fine that our camp is full this year." He glanced between Brody and Shane. "You boys got the tent set-up under control?" The two men nodded.

"Good," Jack continued. "When you two are done, you can join me and Eric at the grill." He turned to the girls. "You ladies can join Molly in the kitchen. Tonight, we're having Camden's favorite. Hope you all like salmon." With that he broke the awkward pall that had been hanging over the group and sent the group to their respective chores.

*****

Shane's mood was plummeting rapidly. He hadn't missed the kiss Eric placed on Camden's cheek, or the encouraging nod towards Molly and the girls, before Eric had joined Jack at the grill. He also hadn't missed the laughter and bonding currently in effect between Jack and Eric. The sight of Camden's boyfriend fitting into the family festivities so effortlessly left a heavy feeling in Shane's chest.

Camden looked as beautiful as ever. The last three years had been kind to her body. Her figure was now more curvy and womanly. Her hair shone in the sun, reminding him of his childhood nickname for her. Sunshine. He had called her sunshine. She had always thought it was because she was blonde or because she was always so peppy, but in truth, he had called her Sunshine because she had been the star around which his world revolved. God, he had missed her.

When he looked over from the Jeep and saw her, his entire world had stopped. It was as if the heavens had opened and an angel choir sang, while a beam of light haloed Camden's beautiful face. Man, she turned him into such a sap. As he finished the final stake on his tent (he hoped Brody wasn't expecting him to share with Stella), Camden's laughter carried across the campsite. Shane couldn't help the smirk that lifted his mouth. Camden's laugh was his favorite sound in the world. He turned to see what had made her so happy, and tried not to grimace as he saw Eric holding her over his shoulder.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Brody's question jerked Shane from his now melancholy thoughts.

"Nothing," Shane muttered. "I just need a beer." He tossed his mallet on the ground and headed towards Jack and the grill, doing his best not to look at Camden as she beamed at Eric.

"Hey, Shane, my man. How're things at the bar?" Jack handed Shane an ice, cold beer and leaned against the RV.

"Well, I'm starting to turn a profit, so I guess things are going pretty well. This is actually the first time I've been able to take time off since I bought it."

Jack nodded in reply. "So," he started. "Eric's a nice guy."

Shane groaned internally. Of course, Jack would bring up the one topic Shane didn't want to talk about. No one knew his feelings for Camden, and he would bet no one knew how she used to feel about Shane. "Yeah. Seems nice," Shane mumbled.

"You know...I always thought she would end up with you."

Shane couldn't school the shocked expression he was sure now graced his face. "M-me?" he stumbled. "Why me?"

Jack laughed. "I'm not blind, boy! I always saw the way you looked at each other! Never could understand how you kids could miss it. Broke my heart when she ran away. Always figured you had something to do with it."

Guilt gnawed at Shane's insides. "Why did you think that?" He could hardly ask, knowing that Jack had been right all along.

"It just seemed to me it was finally time for something to happen, what with Camden being 18 and all. Then you got shipped to Iraq. I figured you rejected her thinking you were saving her." Shane was in awe of Jack's insight. He never realized how much the man noticed.

"You've never let on," he argued. "You've still always treated me like family."

"Shane, my boy, you ARE family. And you had my girl's best interest at heart. You didn't know she'd run. Couldn't exactly hold you accountable for it. It was her decision, after all."

"Don't hold it against her, sir. Camden loves her family more than anything. Please don't punish her for choices she made because of me," he begged.

"You should know me better than that, Shane," he scolded. "I love my girl, and that's all she'll ever know."

The silence, which should have been awkward, was comforting to Shane. Jack had been his only real father figure, and knowing now the patience and love Jack had shown him the last few years (in spite of Camden's absence), strengthened that bond. The men stood quietly, working the grill and enjoying their beers.

"Yep," Jack broke the silence. "Eric's a nice boy. Takes good care of my girl." He paused, looking at Shane seriously before continuing, "but I've never seen her as happy as she was whenever she was around you."

He patted Shane on the back, and then started moving the salmon from the grill to a serving platter. "It's never too late for true love, Shane, my boy. Love like that only comes once in a lifetime." Jack finished loading the platter, nodded at Shane and walked away.

Shane stood frozen for a moment, before Camden's tinkling laughter reached his ears once again. He stared at her across the campsite, still so beautiful after all this time. Could Jack be right? Is it not too late? Shane pondered his future, and whether Camden might be a part of it, as he made his way to the group now seated around the picnic table next to the RV.