Frigate Cove Ch. 13-14

Jamie's biological father, Terry Monshein, had been difficult to find and even more difficult to convince to sign over his parental rights. He knew who Cameron Stuart was, and like Andrea, he saw an opportunity for nice payday. Aaron put a stop to that very quickly with the threat that he would sue for back payment of child support for all the years that Monshein had neglected providing for his son. The signature was forthcoming and the adoption papers filed. Both Cam and Glynnis were hoping that the process would be formalized before Cam left on his promotional tour.

The negotiations with Gerard Faschinau and Andrea had reached a stalemate, with neither side willing to budge. Aaron noted that her lawyer had filed intent to seek a judicial ruling, asking for a date on the docket, but that wasn't a costly procedure. Aaron immediately filed a notice of intent to defend the action. Now, it had regressed to being a waiting game. Theoretically it could end as late as the day the trial had been set to begin, but Aaron knew it wouldn't be that far in the future. Cam had nothing to lose by waiting. In fact, the problem had drifted to the back of his mind. He was far too happy about his life at present to worry about Andrea Delahey.

~*~

"I'm going to miss you, darling," Cam said, holding Glynnis tightly in his arms. "But the rewards will be even greater this time when I return."

"So you say, Mister Stuart," she snipped. "Here am I sitting in my home, waiting for my husband to finish his gallivanting about in America. You'll probably have forgotten all about me by the time you return."

"I think you're exaggerating, my dear. It won't be that long before we are sunning on the beach in Napili Bay. Besides, how can I not be anxious to be with a woman that I love and cherish more than anything in this world? There's only one thing missing."

"Well, with luck, you may have already made it happen. I wondered if you were ever going to do the deed, but I have a hunch you have."

"I never had a doubt," he grinned. "If it's so, I suspect it was that night that you virtually attacked me and made me your sex slave. I won't forget that for a long time to come. Perhaps you'd like to give me an encore, Ms. Wildcat."

"Perhaps I will ... when you return. Who's your tour guide this time? Not Ms. Niven, I hope."

"Now Glynn, you know perfectly well Marjean would never provide someone who was a threat to you. Besides, Lauren is engaged now. It seems that her tour with me earlier this year was the spark that gave her boyfriend the impetus to propose. So ... she's off the market."

"I know. I'm not really jealous, you know. I know you so well now ... I have no doubts about you. But this trip is even longer than the last."

"Yes, American Thanksgiving is a major event and even more important for our sales than Christmas. But when I get home, you, me, and Jamie will find ourselves on the beach in Hawaii, sunning and enjoying the tropical breezes."

"So, now that you've got number four and five sketched out, where will you take us next year?"

"Good question. Why don't you see if you can find a place that you'd like to go that will allow us to take Jamie and possibly our newborn. After all, we can't leave them behind to miss all the fun."

"Will you want to know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"You've asked me that more than once," he said, holding her closely. "The answer is still no. I don't want to know. I'm hoping for a girl, but that's just a hope. I won't be disappointed no matter which ... boy or girl."

"Good answer, lover. Boy, can I even pick 'em for a husband," she grinned.

"I think I did just as well choosing you for a wife," he replied with a smile.

Both heard the page to board the aircraft.

~*~

"Don't get too comfortable tonight, Cam," Marjean warned him. "Good Morning America want you on their show tomorrow early."

"Me? They want me? Uh ... what do I have to do?"

"You have to get up very early, that's what," she laughed. "Oh, and by the way, one of their production assistants will be at the hotel to pick you up and take you to the studio."

"When?"

"Six o'clock. Don't be shocked, Cam. You're on later in the show, so it could be worse."

"Do you realize I'll have to get up at five in the morning? That's two o'clock in the morning in B.C."

"It's the price of fame, Cam," she laughed. "The publicity you gain will send your book sales into orbit. Trust me."

"I do, Marjean. I really do. But ... six o'clock? I won't be responsible for how I look or what I say at that time of the day."

"You've been spoiled getting to sleep in each morning."

"Yes, I suppose so. I just hope I don't embarrass myself tomorrow."

"You'll be fine, Cam. Just be yourself. You have an engaging personality and you don't come across as some stuffy academic. That, and the fact that you're a pretty good looking guy won't hurt either."

"We'll see," he grimaced.

~*~

"Where in the world is Frigate Cove?" Robin Roberts asked Cam shortly after he had been introduced and she had outlined the theme of his books.

"It is on the east coast of Vancouver Island, about an hour north of Victoria, Capital of B.C."

"I know you were born and brought up in Toronto, what prompted you to move there?"

"Almost as soon as I discovered it, I fell in love with it. It's quiet, secluded, lightly populated ... all the things I wanted and needed to foster my writing."

"We're showing a picture you took from your front porch. It looks beautiful. I understand you married recently."

"Yes ... like my new home, I met and fell in love with a beautiful woman and her son. I had no idea what happiness was until they came into my life. I'm sure they're watching this, so hello Glynn and Jamie. I love you," he smiled.

"You start your book tour tomorrow here in New York. Will you be home for Christmas?"

"Yes and no," he grinned. "I'll be finished the tour two weeks before Christmas, home for a few days, then the three of us will be on a plane to Hawaii for Christmas. We plan to laze around for a couple of weeks. After the New Year, I'll be working on book four of Gascoigne's adventures. The plan for now is one each year, but that also depends on how well they sell."

"It doesn't sound like sales are a problem from what I'm told," Robin assured him. "I also understand there's some interest from TV and Hollywood."

"There have been feelers, but at this stage, nothing is on paper. It would be an expensive concept because of the sets and locations. I'm not holding my breath."

"Well, congratulations on your success and your latest book, Gascoigne's Penitence," she said, holding up the book for the camera.

"Thank you," Cam said with a smile and a nod to the audience applause.

~*~

"You were great, Cam," Marjean enthused. "Just exactly what I was hoping for. You really look good on TV, too. It's going to do wonders for your sales, and if the public likes this book, the ones who are just discovering you are going to want to read the others as well. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Marjean. I was nervous as hell to begin with, but Robin was good at putting me at ease. I guess that's why they pay her the big bucks."

"Francis Conners will be meeting you for lunch at the hotel. He'll be your minder this tour."

"He?"

"Yes. No more hot babes for the newly-married author. Oh, and by the way, Francis is gay. Don't let that put you off. I have high hopes for him in our office, but this will be a test of his endurance and diplomacy. I'll want some verbal feedback from you. I'm sure he'll be fine, but like Lauren, this is a new experience for him."

"Okay, I'll try and teach him everything I know," Cam chuckled. "After all, this is tour number four for me. I'm getting to be an old hand at this."

"Yes. I also think this will probably be the last of the long route-march tours as well. You're well known in literary circles now, so some selected appearances should be enough in future. I'm thinking we might get some TV attention after your appearance this morning, so don't be surprised if there are a couple more early mornings or noon type appearances. I'll let you know if your agent calls."

"Thanks, Marjean. Now, I'm going back to the hotel for a nap before I meet with Francis. That early call didn't help my jet lag. Talk to you soon."

~*~

"Oh, the TV star calls," Glynnis teased when he called her that evening.

"That's me. So ... what did you think?"

"I think you and TV are very good for each other. You came across so relaxed and you smiled so easily. I'll bet half the women in the audience swooned when they saw you."

"Swooned, eh? Well, as long as I didn't embarrass myself, I'm happy. I was nervous about that, but it turned out okay thanks to Robin. She's a real pro."

"What did Marjean say?" Glynnis asked.

"She was very pleased. Her thoughts were much along the lines of yours. She also suggested that since it was a national show, we may get some other interview requests over the next three weeks. I'll let my agent deal with that through Marjean. She's the boss of this tour, so I'll let her tell me what she thinks would help us."

"Who's taken Lauren Niven's place?"

"A gentleman by the name of Francis Conners. Nice guy, quite well educated and is thought of as a future bright light at Houndstooth."

"Oh ... not hot babes this trip, eh?" she giggled.

"No ... but I may have to watch myself with Francis. He's gay."

That broke Glynnis up. "You don't think he's going to come onto you, do you?"

That got Cam laughing. "No ... not my type. But we have a lot more in common than you might think, so I'm sure we'll get along well."

"Good. I notice you advertised our trip to Hawaii this morning."

"Darn right. It's all planned and I can't wait for some warm sunshine and the azure blue waters of the Pacific. Looking out my window, it's raining and gloomy right now. But once the tour gets underway, we'll have plenty to keep us occupied. I'll probably do a little work on number five off and on. I've got the plot sketched out, so now it's filling in the blanks. I think this one is going be different."

"Oh ... how so?" she asked.

"Sex, my dear. Lieutenant Gascoigne is going to sweep a young lady off her feet, only to discover that she is the daughter of the port admiral in Bridgetown, and she is already spoken for. How's that for a conundrum?"

"Is he going to ravish her and leave her with child, the rotter?"

"Be patient, all will be revealed. You'll just have to wait for the book to come out."

"No I won't. You always let me read your first drafts. I may want some input on just what his naughty deeds might be. Are you prepared to listen?"

"Of course. You're much more experienced at naughty deeds than I am. You know I can use some help in that area."

"I'll give you some practical demonstrations when you get home," she promised.

"I'll look forward to that with anticipation of forbidden pleasures," he assured her with a chuckle. "I'll be in Toronto in two days and I'll be meeting with Aaron to see if we can't wrap up this fiasco with Andrea. I know Aaron says the longer it goes on the better it is for us, but it's like a black cloud hanging over me. Aaron knows I want to discuss it, so I hope he's done some groundwork before I get there."

"Don't worry about it, Cam. I'm sure Aaron will do what's best for you.

"Yes, I know. I keep telling myself that. Well, I'll call you after I meet with him."

~*~

"It's done, Glynn. It's finally over. Andrea has finally surrendered and accepted the last offer from us. Aaron will deal with the paperwork that makes sure she can't come back for more. He thinks she'll only see about half of it by the time her lawyer takes his cut. Still, the idea that she got anything still rankles me. However, that's the end of it and we'll hear no more about Andrea Delahey in our lifetime, I hope."

"I'm glad, Cam. That black cloud is now gone and we can just concentrate on the important things."

~*~

"That's the third interview so far and we're only halfway done," Cam sighed on his nightly call to Glynnis.

"You're in St. Louis, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's right. Next is Houston, Dallas, and Denver - then Arizona and the west coast. We've made some changes from the last tour. I don't know whether it was the TV exposure or the fact that the public has caught onto the Gascoigne character, but Marjean has had to up the number of books at each location to meet the demand. It almost scares me how well we are doing, Glynn. It's like being on a runaway train that we can't jump off."

"How's the new guy working out?"

"Francis? Great. I can see why Marjean has high hopes for him. We talk a lot about writing and publishing. He's very observant too. He's good at reading people, unlike me."

"Good, I'm glad you have more of a companion with you this time. It must help cut the boredom and sameness of the tour."

"It does. The only thing I can complain about is writer's cramp from signing all these books. I've had to teach myself to grip the pen lightly or by the end of the first hour, my hand feels like it's on fire."

"Oh my," she sighed dramatically, "the trials and tribulations of a famous author."

"Humph! I can see I'm not getting any sympathy from you."

"Just soak it in warm water and some Epsom salts. You'll toughen up by the end of the tour," she snorted.

"Oh, thank you for that handy tip. I'm very grateful," he growled.

"Think nothing of it. That's what wives are supposed to do for their husbands ... cure their ills."

"Well, on that note, I think I'll say good night and go soak my hand."

"I love you, you goof. Take care of yourself. I want you back here in tip top shape."

"I love you too, despite your frivolous attitude toward my pain."

He hung up the phone with smile. He had learned early on that she would keep him grounded and not let him get too full of himself. How did her ever find someone as perfect for him as Glynnis? He shook his head in wonder as he prepared for bed.

~*~

"You were on Channel 9 this morning," Glynnis said as they wrapped each other in their arms.

"Yes, I've finally been discovered in our home province," Cam smiled, kissing his wife once more. That made six TV appearances and four newspaper interviews all told. New York, St. Louis, Houston, Denver, San Francisco, and Vancouver.

"I haven't talked to Marjean in a couple of days, so when things settle down a bit, I'll give her a call and we'll each get a post mortem on the tour. As far as I can tell, it was a big success. And, as I told you earlier, Marjean thinks this will be the last of the grand tours for now. We'll let the books stand on their own merit doing more traditional advertising on number five and see what happens. We might just do New York, Boston, Dallas and San Francisco. That would be a big relief."

"I know these tours are tiring, love, but in a few days, we're off to Hawaii as your reward."

"You don't know how much I've been thinking about this vacation. The pressure of getting the book out in time to allow it was draining. I really need to recharge my batteries."

"I know, Cam. I'll take good care of you and make sure you really enjoy our time together."

"I'm sure you will. Let's go home. Jamie will be home from school in an hour. He should be getting his report card soon."

"Tomorrow, actually. He doesn't seem too worried about it, so I'm assuming that he's doing well. You've been working with him so I'm sure he'll have great grades. He actually loves the time you spend with him on his homework."

"I still think it's ridiculous that kids in grade two have homework. What do they do all day in school?"

"Apparently, the idea is to get them accustomed to the routine for future years. I'm anxious to see how your tutoring in math has helped him. That was his one weakness."

"I hope I've helped," Cam said. "I wouldn't want my ideas to confuse him."

"I can't see that happening," she smiled as they reached the car.

~*~

"Look, Mom. I got a good report card," Jamie said enthusiastically as he came in the back door and into the kitchen. "I got a good mark in Math, too. Dad really helped me, didn't he?"

"He's in his study. Why don't you go and show him," she smiled as he raced off to see Cam.

She could hear the congratulations from Cam and she smiled once more. Cam was a great father to Jamie, and he would be a great father to their next child as well. She felt a tear leak from her eye as she thought about how lucky she was to have met this man. Eighteen months ago she was homeless and stranded in this unknown village. Cam took them in and saved them. She still hadn't gotten over just how the fates had combined to save her and her son. The only thing she had been keeping from him was when to confirm to him he was going to be a father for the first time. That she was saving for Hawaii.

END