Read Online The Book of Daniel by Z. A. Maxfield - Free Book Online Page A

when we got to my car.
    “My place.” I caught him giving me a nervous sideways glance, and I laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m not coming on to you or anything.”
    He was wary, and I didn’t blame him. I’d given him enough shit—stupid teasing like calling him the abominable fireman—that it made sense to look twice at an overture of friendship from me.
    I wanted to tell him to relax—to prove that I could be a good friend. I wanted to tell him he’d given me a lot of food for thought with that crack about leading with my wallet. There weren’t a lot of people in my life who’d have the nerve to say such a thing to me. Then again, there weren’t a lot of people in my life, period.
    “I’ve been thinking about what you said,” I told him. “About money.”
    Cam shifted uncomfortably. “Maybe that wasn’t the most—”
    “You were right. It probably does seem like I use that to keep from connecting. I admit I was blindsided by Jake and JT. It seemed sudden to me, and I handled their announcement badly. But regarding the boys who died… What was I supposed to do? Offer to resurrect them? I don’t know them. I don’t know their parents. But I wanted to help. So the first thing I thought of was funeral expenses. I’m not proud that I didn’t think of establishing an educational trust or a burn foundation in their name, I just… I didn’t think of those things, and I did think of funeral costs.”
    “That was a practical suggestion. I felt bad about saying that, after. I didn’t have the right to tell you how to respond.”
    “You had a point though. With Jake anyway. I used to lead with my heart. I can’t always remember how anymore.”
    Cam shrugged. “He really looks up to you.”
    “I know he does.” I recalled Jake’s face, hopeful, then crumbling to hurt when I admitted my inability to be optimistic for him. “I want him to be happy.”
    “It’s what you do from now on that counts, Daniel.”
    “I guess.” I pulled into my driveway and used my remote to open the garage door. “I’ll let you be my conscience from now on.”
    “Don’t do that.” Cam looked down. “I’m the last person who should be telling anyone what to do about family.”
    I wanted to pursue that, wanted to know more about where Cam came from and what kind of family he’d left behind to come to St. Nacho’s, but we’d arrived at my place, and I had some other things on my mind.
    “I couldn’t stop thinking about you the last few days.”
    “Yeah?” Cam still wasn’t looking me directly in the eye. He rarely looked right at me, but that was the first time I considered how odd that was, since he was direct with everyone else.
    “I discovered…” I swallowed. “I realized I wanted to do something for you. Maybe prove I don’t always think with my checkbook.”
    “Jeez.” Cam shoved both hands through his short hair. “I regret ever saying that.”
    “You were being honest. I appreciate that more than you know. You’ve always been really good to me. I haven’t made it easy.”
    He chuckled. “No. You most certainly have not.”
    “Come with me.” I got out of the car and came around to his side. “I have something, I thought…” Suddenly I was afraid to show him.
    “What?” He got out of the car and stood there, waiting.
    “I wanted to show you something. To share it with you if you’d like it. But it seems really dumb now.”
    Cam gazed at me thoughtfully. He was still in his uniform, and I couldn’t help but notice how good he looked. At the same time he was distant. Maybe it was that—the air of command his uniform gave him that made me doubtful. Maybe I was afraid he’d see this as just another time when I threw money around to make a problem go away. But maybe he’d realize I’d been thinking about him, and I wanted to see him happy.
    Cam grew impatient. “How will I know if you don’t just spit it out?”
    I took him into the garage and pulled the tarp of my motorcycle with a