Buzz (The Riley Brothers Book 1) (5 page)

Jackson had barely stopped work to grab lunch when his phone rang.

“Hi, it's Jessica Henley. I got a message with his number from a Cameron Riley, inquiring about a real estate tour.”

“Yeah, that's my brother.” Jackson untied his apron and shrugged it off, hanging the heavy garment on a rack. “He's got a Toronto number still.”

“Oh, I see. I understand you and he wanted to tour the package of three houses?”

“Yes, with our brother Thomas. The three of us want to move home – well, I'm already here, but they'd be coming back.”

“That's wonderful that you're serious buyers. I'm available this afternoon at three, if that's a convenient time for you.”

“That's perfect,” Jackson agreed. Thomas had the next couple days off before he drove back to Halifax. “Shall we meet you in front of the houses?”

“Yes, is that fine? I'm assuming you know where they are if you live here?”

“Yep, of course,” Jackson invited her chuckle with his own. “In front of them at three?”

“Perfect. I'll see the three of you then.”

“Thank you, Ms. Henley,” Jackson answered, and when they hung up, he pumped his fist.

With his brothers in town, he could have the family reunions he'd always sort of daydreamed about. He'd never thought Cam would come back to Fredericton after getting recruited to Toronto. Superstars never came home until they retired. Million-dollar mansions and celebrity parties outshone the four or five fancy restaurants here.

Jackson tidied up his tools before he left his rented workshop space. He'd be glad to get a backyard workshop set up after they moved.

Cameron worried him, though. That fucking ex of his. He always wormed his way back into Cam's life with a few apologies and a sweet gesture, and Cam always fell for it. He was too kind. Could Cam tear himself away from his sport and his old love all at once?

He called Thomas first to tell him the news. The phone rang twice before his brother picked up, his voice rough around the edges. “Hey, Jackson.”

“Afternoon, lazy boy,” Jackson teased. “You up and around?” He liked to poke fun at the guy for sleeping in whenever he visited town for a weekend.

“I've been up for an hour, thanks,” Thomas grumbled. “Some of us have real jobs, you know.”

Jackson just laughed off the snide comment. Thomas
definitely
hadn't been up for an hour if he had that attitude, but he didn't call him out on it. “So I heard back from the realtor. We can do the tour today.”

“You told Cam yet?”

“No. Um, listen, on that note...” Jackson trailed off.

“Yeah?”

“I'm worried about him.” Jackson didn't want to talk about Cam behind his back, but this was a pretty big change. “You know about his ex, right?”

“Yeah, Nathan? You told me.” The scorn dripped from the name when Thomas said it. It was pretty much how Jackson felt, too; but when Thomas let such strong emotions slip, he was pissed.

“Well, that asshole's always had that way of, you know...”

“Winning him over again.”

“Exactly. And what with that and having to quit hockey, you know...”

“He might not be thinking straight? I don't know. He seems more clear and grounded than he has in years,” Thomas told him.

Cam
was
more focused, especially over the last day or so. He was getting his feet back on the ground. “Yeah. But if Nate comes back...”

“We'll sit down with him,” Thomas promised.

“I've told him before, but he never listens. Exes should stay exes. You broke up for a reason, fuckin' stay broken up.” Jackson pushed back the living room curtains to check for Cam.

Thomas didn't say anything.

Jackson hesitated, then shook his head.
It's probably nothing.
“Anyway, you comin' over or what? I can put on lunch for us all and we'll head out to the house tour.”

“Sounds good. I'll be there in half an hour,” Thomas promised.

“Soon as you get out of bed?”

“Bye,” Thomas groaned and Jackson laughed when the line cut off with that. He sent a quick text to Cam to let him know the news, then headed to the kitchen.

***

“Hey, I'm back! Holy crap, that smells good.”

Jackson laughed at the early feedback from his brother. “Thanks,” he answered, glancing around the kitchen corner. Cam was kicking off his shoes. “It's just sautéed onions, but it always smells like supper. My home ec teacher taught me that before I switched out for workshop class.”

“I'll keep that in mind. So, we got the house tour!”

“Yep,” Jackson smiled, and his heart lifted at the smile on Cam's face. His brother looked his age again, his nose and smile a little crooked. He hadn't been moping about his diagnosis, then. Good.

“Thomas's on his way. We'll have lunch and then he just has to drop off something to Mom and Dad and escape again before the tour.”

“Cool. Need a hand with anything?”

“Nah, I've got it. Grab a couple beers for us, we can eat outside.”

“Before he's back, though, I wanted a word.” One-on-one, Cam wouldn't feel cornered.

“'bout what?” Cam cracked open two beers, putting one beside Jackson and leaning on the counter nearby. His sideways gaze was sharp and perceptive as he watched Jackson. No wonder he'd been considered for captain: he was a lot smarter than he gave himself credit for.

“Are you gonna be... okay moving back here?” Jackson asked. It was the most hands-off way to ask the news.

“Oh, yeah,” Cam assured him, his chest swelling as he lightly punched Jackson's shoulder. “Getting cold feet already?”

“No,” Jackson laughed. “I just worry. I'm a big brother, it's my job.”

He'd said it for years, but for the first time, Cam looked at him – really looked – when he said it. Cam's face was set in a light frown, his eyes roving across Jackson's face while he fidgeted with his beer can.

“Are
you
okay?” Cam echoed. “I mean, man, I've hardly heard about your life lately. I was... pretty absent for a while.”

“No, man, we all knew that was gonna happen.” Was Cam feeling guilty now? Bullshit. He'd been training for one of the highest-paid and most demanding careers in the country.

“I mean, you're not dating or anything.”

Jackson grunted. That was down to a couple bad relationships, a lack of eligible guys, and his focus on learning new work skills. He wanted to be the go-to blacksmith for everyone in the area from house builders to art galleries.

Didn't mean he didn't want to date, but Cam was one to talk.

Oh. Wait.

This was his way of trying to broach it, wasn't it?

“Neither are you now,” Jackson pointed out, watching him. Cam looked away first, peering out through the small kitchen window to the picnic table. He had something to hide, then. “Or is Nate back?”

“No.” That was far more vehement an answer than Jackson had expected, but it set him at ease. Cam didn't lie like this. “No, it's not Nathan. He can fuckin' stay gone. I'm just saying, I'm not
not
dating. I'm open to it.”

Has he already met someone?
“Oh. Good.”

“Yeah.” Cam was done with the conversation. A purr shutting off in the driveway announced Thomas's arrival. Talking about boyfriends was awkward one-on-one, let alone around their presumed-straight brother. Jackson let it go.

The doorknob jiggled. “You locking him out until he gives the password?”

“Oh, shit, I locked it after me.”

“Toronto boy.” Jackson laughed as Cam jogged to the living room and called out his apology. Maybe too much of a big-city kid right now, but his brother would adjust.

He'd be okay.

“We're like the Three Stooges,” Cam laughed as they all piled out of Thomas's car. Broad-shouldered Jackson and lean, yet muscled Cam contrasted slender, baby-faced Thomas.

A woman in a tailored trousers and a blazer smiled as they approached. “You must be the Riley brothers,” she greeted them all with handshakes and introductions.

“It's our pleasure,” Cam responded, speaking for the other two. He'd always been the spokesman, for no particular reason. Jackson was talkative enough and Thomas wasn't reticent, but they both yielded to him when he was there. “Which house should we go to first?”

“Let's start at this end and work down.”

The houses weren't anything Cam hadn't seen before and the first two were especially plain, but he reminded himself they weren't million-dollar postage stamp lofts.

The first house caught Jackson's eye because it had a large, prime workshop space. He said he could easily bring it to code for his forge. The second needed more work, but a gorgeous feature nook in the living room caught Thomas's eye.

As they reached the third house, Cam's stomach clenched. Was he going to like it? Compared to a condo with a view of Toronto stretching out in front of him, minutes away from shopping malls...

Compared to having to share that view with Nathan,
he reminded himself. That was enough to jar him to attention as they walked up the path.

“This one's a bit different,” Jessica told them. “People touring it are very hit or miss about it. It wasn't built by the same builder like the last two – which was why they were both similar.”

It took just one look before Cam saw what Jessica had meant.

The living room was extremely bright with windows on two sides, and tall. Exposed beams crossed an open loft ceiling. A staircase snaked up to the top floor that overlooked the vaulted space. A semicircular nook against the bannister would serve as a small spot to relax. It was braced by a support post downstairs and he made note to find the engineering plans.

The kitchen was the most up-to-date of the three houses, and the open plan meant they already saw clear through to the glass back door and a spacious yard.

Cam loved it. He even had options for carpentry space: a walkout basement and a small outbuilding that needed roof repairs.

“Not my style,” Jackson chuckled when they concluded the tour, and Thomas nodded his agreement. It was a city loft in a house, which wasn't their style. Just as well – Cam wouldn't have to fight them for it.

“So, that's it for the three houses. Let's lock this one up and head back out.” Jessica led them back to the front sidewalk while Cameron followed, taking one more glance up at the gorgeous vaulted living room.

Thomas asked the question they were all thinking once they reached the sidewalk. “Are there any offers in on this place?”

Cameron held his breath for a second until Jessica shook her head.

“Someone was going to move here from Alberta and put in an offer, but... things didn't work out for him, I understand,” she answered. “So the owner's open to offers.”

“That's great,” Jackson spoke up. “We'll have to have a chat and call you by – say, five?”

Cameron noticed Thomas's startled little glance his way. Their kid brother still rented out in Halifax. He didn't know how fast the market moved.

“That's fine by me. You have my cellphone number,” Jessica told them, shaking hands again. “See you soon.”

When they were all Thomas's car, Cam leaned forward to brace his arms on the back of Thomas's seat. He watched Jackson as they pulled away from the curb for the short drive back to his house. “So?”

“Wow,” Thomas breathed out. “That's... that's a lot to take in.”

“What is?”

“They all need some work.”

“Lucky you know a guy who did a carpentry apprenticeship and has a lot of free time,” Cameron teased.

“You said you're a retired hockey player.” Jackson repeated, twisting in his seat to make eye contact.

Cameron swallowed but nodded firmly. “I already made up my mind at the restaurant when we decided to do this.” He avoided the emotional moment by switching right back to the subject of the house tour. “Did you guys like the first two? Neither of you were sold on the third one.”

“I liked the first one, and I think you liked the second, hey, Thomas?”

Thomas nodded. “And you were sold on the third from the moment we walked in.”

Cam couldn't deny it. “Yeah. I didn't know anywhere here had that kind of architecture.”

“It did suit you,” Jackson admitted. “I suppose you'll want me to custom-make some railings, huh?”

Oh, shit, that would be cool.
Cam's jaw dropped as he stared at Jackson, already imagining the possibilities.

“Don't strain his heart,” Thomas teased. The joke was cautious and even Jackson glanced at Cameron to make sure he laughed before chuckling.

“Fuck off,” Cam told Thomas, slapping his shoulder and leaning back in his seat again. “Anyway, I'm sold.”

“Do we wanna risk losing it? Offer lower?”

Thomas cleared his throat. “Well, I was doing some research and it's been on the market for a while. She even said the owner's willing to negotiate. I'm guessing a three-house package is harder to move than they expected.”

Man. We can actually do this.
I
can actually do this.

Cameron was a little worried about the mortgage, but it would be way cheaper than Toronto rent. He'd find a way to make it work – by manual labor, if he had to. It wouldn't be the same kind of stress that triggered his heart problems. Carpentry, beekeeping, teaching kids to skate – anything low-stress... He'd do whatever he had to.

“So, when are we gonna put in the offer?” Cam asked.

“Today?” Jackson asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.

Cam met his gaze and nodded firmly. “Today.”

“Today,” Thomas repeated in a murmur. Silence fell until they pulled up to the curb outside Jackson's cramped house – which, if all went well, would soon be up for sale.

Jackson shook his head before Cam climbed out of the car. “Don't drop us off. Let's go tell Mom and Dad.”

***

Their parents were ecstatic, and the brothers' offer was filed with only a few hours' worth of phone calls and paperwork. Jessica had told them it would likely be a few days. They'd had to sign an irrevocable clause to leave their offer on the table for two days so the seller could receive other offers.

Once they left the stuffy real estate office, Thomas headed to their parents' home while Jackson and Cameron headed to Jackson's house for a quiet supper. Celebrations would come after the offer was accepted... if it was accepted.

While Jackson flitted around looking at his furniture and muttering about boxes, Cameron's phone went off. He didn't even have to reach in his pocket to know who it was. Cameron had been expecting this call all weekend.

“Be back in a bit.”

When he sat on the picnic bench, Cameron pressed “answer” on the incoming call. “Hey, Coach.”

“Hey, kid. Haven't heard from you in a while. I thought I know what that means, but I wanted to make sure.”

Cameron swallowed. That was Coach Walker reprimanding him for not having the guts to call first and admit that he was deserting the team. “Yeah. Uh, I've been doing some thinking.”

“Don't hold back.”

“I'm moving back home. I'm quitting. At least... until I get my heart fixed. Maybe later, if I'm still... anywhere near the skill level I'd need to be to get back on the team...” Cameron trailed off.

There was silence for a long minute – near-silence, anyway. Spring birdsong was loud here. He lay back on the bench, staring up at the bright clouds as the sun tried to burst through.

“You sure about that?”

“Yeah,” Cameron said, his voice quiet. “I can't let it kill me.”

“I'm proud of you, kid. Everyone says it's quitting, but it takes guts to walk away while you're ahead. And to look after yourself. Can't say I'm not disappointed I'll never see your full potential, though. You had a lot more in you.”

Fuck. This sounded so final.

“Thanks, Coach Walker. I was gonna call, but... got caught up in the house hunt,”
and meeting gorgeous men
, “and wrapping my mind around it all is still pretty... you know.”

“I know.” After a moment, his voice quieter, the coach repeated, “I know. Look, I'm glad you're choosing your family and your future. The other guys might laugh, but in ten years they'll have a lot less than you if they don't play their cards right. I hope they all do, but you've got a good head on your shoulders.”

The coach had never said these kinds of things to him, let alone all at once. It only reaffirmed Cameron's suspicions: this
was
goodbye.

“Um, you guys still having the season-end party after locker clean-out?”

He didn't dare mention the game. The series was tied three-three and game seven was on Thursday.

He wasn't gonna be there, even in the stands.

Traitor,
his brain said.

Coach Walker knew what he was thinking.

“Yeah. You're coming, of course,” the coach told him in a voice that left no room for argument. “You gotta tell the guys yourself.”

“They already know, don't they?”

“Yeah, but they deserve to hear it.”

“I know,” Cam admitted. Coach Walker was right, as always.

“Are you coming to locker clean-out day?”

Cameron rubbed his face. He had to. It was in his contract. But all the media questions: what was he doing next? Was he drafted? Why hadn't he been on the ice? If the guys lost on Thursday, did he feel responsible?

“Maybe. As long as the journos don't fuckin' skin me.”

“I'll make sure they don't,” Coach Walker promised. “Come by later, around four.”

Cameron's flight back was early morning, so he could make it if he packed fast. Besides, he wouldn't miss the party for his life. “Pass on my love, a'ight? They're gonna do great.”

“Will do. See you there, kid. Take care.” There was warmth in the man's voice, and Cameron smiled.

His own brain still screamed at him that he was being a traitor and letting the others down, walking away from the chance of a lifetime. At least he had someone on his side who understood that voice in his head, and that made all the difference.