“God, yes. But tomorrow’s fine.”

They spent a few more minutes together, with Cam handing over everything Gavin would need, hoping he was doing the right thing by Piper. By all of them.

After, Cam walked up the hill to his dad’s back deck and found a couple of steaks on the barbeque, which he knew for damn sure weren’t on his dad’s list of acceptable foods. He headed into the kitchen via the back door and found his dad making out with some woman up against the refrigerator.

Cam slapped a hand over his eyes, which heightened his sense of hearing, and what he heard was clothing being quickly rearranged. “Are you kidding me?”

Emmitt cleared his throat. “Son, this is Margaret. She’s a librarian. Runs the Books on Wheels van.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Margaret, a pretty, redheaded, fiftyish woman who was flushed and breathless.

Her blouse wasn’t properly buttoned but Cam would die before mentioning it. He did his best to hold eye contact as she offered him a hand to shake. “You too,” he murmured, giving his dad a look when Margaret scurried to the oven to pull out cupcakes.

She smiled at Cam. “Honey, do you like cupcakes?”

“My dad’s diabetic. He’s on a low-sugar, low-fat diet.”

Margaret looked horrified. “So . . . you don’t like cupcakes?”

Cam looked at his dad, who had the good grace to grimace.

“Today’s a cheat day,” Emmitt said.

“Dad, we need to talk.” Cam gestured toward the living room.

His dad grinned at Margaret. “I think I’m in trouble.”

“I love trouble,” Margaret said, and gave him a wink.

In the living room, Cam rubbed the bridge of his nose where a headache was forming.

“I just realized why kids are considered great birth control,” his dad said mildly, following him in.

“Dad, you’re not taking your health seriously.”

“Of course I am. Sex is good for you.”

Cam squeezed his eyes shut. “You’re about to eat a whole bunch of red meat, and then have cupcakes filled with fat and sugar. And just to remind you, this baby that’s coming has already lost her dad.”

Emmitt’s face went solemn. “Or he. He already lost his dad.”

“Either way, they’re going to need you.”

“So what the hell am I supposed to eat?”

“You already know this,” Cam said. “You’ve got a list. You can eat anything we just bought at the store. Salmon, chicken, vegetables—”

“Ugh. Fine.” His dad started back into the kitchen. “Oh, and you might want to wear earplugs to bed tonight. Unless getting lucky is also against the rules.”

Cam just stared at him.

“By getting lucky, I mean having sex. In case you needed that spelled out.”