“It does,” I say to her simply. “Because I care about them and they’re my family now.” My gaze moves to Daniel. “But I’m not here to fight. I’m here to make sure things are handled the right way.”
Elizabeth crosses her arms. “Handled? You show up here uninvited, and you call that handled?”
“I came here calmly,” I say. “And I’m not asking for anything outside of what’s right.”
Her eyebrow shoots up like she has a direct line to drama. “Daniel, he shouldn’t be here. This feels threatening.”
“It’s not,” I say immediately. “I’m not threatening anyone.”
She doesn’t hear that. Or she doesn’t want to.
Her hand is already on her phone. “I’m calling the police.”
Daniel stiffens. “Elizabeth—don’t. It’s fine—”
“No,” she snaps. “He can’t just show up here and intimidate you.”
“I’m not—” I start, but the phone is already ringing.
I step back a pace, palms open. “Ma’am, I’m not here to escalate anything. I came to talk respectfully.”
She aims a glare at me. “Respectful would’ve been staying away.”
Before anyone can say more, a door bangs open across the street. Of course it’s Debbie Carmichael, in a leopard print robe and slippers, phone ready to record, eyes practically glowing with the promise of morning gossip.
“You boys alright over there?” she calls.
Small-town radar never misses. And then, I hear sirens. Faint at first, then growing louder.
Perfect.
Two cruisers pull up. Officer Callahan climbs out, takes one look at the scene, and sighs like he already needs a second cup of coffee.
“Coach,” he says. “Morning.”
“Hey, Mark.”
Elizabeth steps forward like she’s been waiting for her cue. “Officer, this man came here to threaten my husband—”
“I didn’t threaten him,” I say, calm but firm. “I stated boundaries. No yelling, no aggression.”
Callahan looks from me to Daniel. “Anybody pressing charges?”
Elizabeth opens her mouth, but Daniel places a hand on her arm. His face is pale, realization dawning—how this plays in a town where his father is mayor, how a scene like this would look to the community.
“No,” he says quickly. “We’re fine. It was just a conversation.”
Callahan nods. “Alright then. Let’s keep it that way.” He shoots me a pointed look. “Cam, maybe head home. No need to make this more interesting for the neighborhood.”
“Got it.”
I step back off the porch. Before I walk away, I turn and meet Daniel’s gaze. “Do the right thing by Kate and your daughter,” I say quietly. “That’s all anyone wants.”
He swallows and nods once. I walk to my truck and leave.
I drive for a while, radio up on the back roads to give myself time to calm down. By the time I hit Main Street, my pulse had finally started to slow. The coffee shop’s open, the diner’s already full, and sure enough, I spot Haddie Carmichael out front of Cedar Perk, phone in hand, eyes alight like Christmas morning.
I scrub a hand down my face because I’m one-hundred percent sure that everyone in town will know about this conversation before noon.
