Memories of You Excerpt

Four days. It had been four days since Cameron last heard from her son. He’d sent her a text message explaining everything was going well and he would talk to her soon. She knew he was a grown man and with Marc, but she missed him. She’d wanted to call two days ago but decided against it. She had him to herself for twenty-three years, now was his time to get to know his father. His father. If she could manage to make her way through this without talking to Marc, she would be a happy camper.

As if on cue, the private line on her office phone began to ring. Cameron picked up the phone and said merrily, “Well, it’s about time! I was beginning to think you forgot about me. I miss you. How have you been?”

“To tell you the truth, Cameron,” Marc said carefully, “I’ve been better.”

Cameron’s smile disappeared, and she felt frozen in place. The sound of that heavy, baritone voice and that accent sent a shiver down her spine. Her brain felt cloudy and she wanted to hang up. “Marc.”

“I cannot tell you how happy I am to have met Jason. He’s a wonderful young man.”

“Yes, he is,” she said stoically.

“You raised him well.”

“I did my best.”

“But you did a lousy job of informing me I had a son,” he said in a clipped tone.

“That was necessary. I did what I thought best at the time.”

“And what about as time passed? Do you know how badly I want to throttle you right now?” Marc said in a quiet, serious tone.

“I can imagine.”

“No, Cameron, you can’t. Jason and I are going to spend some time together in Australia. I have a lecture and book signing there. When I get back to the states, we are going to have a talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Sure there is. You can explain why you broke my heart and took my son with you.”

She said nothing. She wasn’t about to argue with the man on the phone.

“How lucky is it that Jason brought his passport with him?”

“Uncanny,” she mumbled. Cameron sighed heavily into the phone. “Marc, take care of my heart. You are taking it with you to Australia.”

“I’ve always taken care of your heart, Cameron. You knew that once.”