Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Cam waited a couple of days after Mitch’s therapy session to ponder things, to mull things over before he pursued the conversation they’d had.
He wasn’t the only one involved here, and neither was Mitch.
He had to think about the kids. He had to wonder and weigh everything, see if it was worth starting a relationship or not.
He thought they had the beginnings of something far more interesting than they’d had in high school, far more mature and worthwhile, but those baby girls were the priority, and he knew it.
So he needed to talk to Mitch about the things he’d been thinking about.
He waited until after the girls had been in bed for damn near an hour, and he and Mitch had been sitting there watching TV—Mitch in his recliner because that was the best thing for his back. Cam sitting on the other side of an end table with a lamp on it.
Cam would rather be sitting together on the couch so maybe he could reach out and touch, but he would take this right now.
He waited until a commercial break, because Mitch was watching some murder-death-kill show about some serial killer who had taken out thirteen people. That was never conducive to personal relationships or discussions. Then he cleared his throat.
Mitch glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. “You coming down with something?”
Cam snorted. “Asshole. No, you know I’m not.”
“Well, then you better tell me what it is. Come on, out with it.” Mitch made a come-on sort of motion with his fingers, as if he were being impatient. Too bad for him it looked more like a come-hither kind of signal, and it made Cam’s cock start to harden up in his jeans a little bit.
“Okay, so I’ve been thinking about things ever since you were in therapy the other day.”
“I knew I smelled smoke.” When he raised an eyebrow in return, mirroring Mitch’s earlier action, Mitch shrugged. “Okay, I’ll try to be serious. What were you thinking about?”
“I was thinking about you, the girls, whether or not it was worth it. I don’t want to break anybody’s heart.” Hell, he didn’t even want to come close.
“I don’t want anyone heartbroke, up to and including you.” Mitch never glanced away from him, those sloe eyes burning into him.
“The thing is, what we got going here, though, it feels like it could be a real thing.” Cam tilted his head and held his breath, waiting to see what Mitch might say to that.
Mitch nodded, as if he was telling the gate puller it was time. “It does. We’ve always had chemistry, man.”
“But?” It sounded like there was a but there.
Mitch shrugged again, wincing a little. His shoulders were moving now when he did it, at least. Therapy was doing some good. “It’s not so much a but as it is an if this, then that.”
“Okay, that’s fair. What kind of ‘if this, then that’ are you talking about scenario-wise?” Cam figured this was how grown-ups did things.
He sort of preferred the get-drunk-and-fuck way.
“If you and I decide to be an ‘us,’ we’ve got to think about what we show the girls and what we don’t.
We need to have a frank discussion about what we’re going to tell them when they start asking questions.
” Mitch stood, then came over to sit with him on the couch, which suited him down to the ground.
Cam wanted to be closer. He wanted to be able to look Mitch right in the eye and not be distracted.
He reached out to grab Mitch’s hand because Cam felt like this was one of those discussions that should have some touching that went with it. “That’s totally reasonable, babe. And I agree, we ought to know what we’re going to tell the girls if they happen upon something they shouldn’t.”
Lord have mercy. He felt as if he were applying for a job or fixin’ to sit down with a new sponsor. This was intense, and his heart was pounding. Unlike most of his business dealings, this was important because he cared about what happened.
“I guess one of the first things I need to ask you is when you plan to hit the road again.”
Cam had thought hard about that, and he had an answer for this one.
“Well, I’m gonna have to do a few of the bigger fall rodeos, some of the ones in October and November, but I have an in on the NFR from the stock shows I won.
Those put my standings up so well early in the year money-wise that I didn’t have to really fight this season. ”
Mitch arched an eyebrow. “That doesn’t quite answer my question.”
“Well, now I’m getting there.” He chuckled, patting Mitch’s hand.
“I’m looking at possibly three events in October and November, but I would go out and come right back.
I’d have to drive, so each trip’s going to be four or five days, so I would be here for all the major holidays and to help with the girls and everything while you get started with the roofing projects you’ve been bidding around. ”
Mitch nodded slowly, gaze never leaving his. “That actually sounds really reasonable.”
“Now, if I’m going to stay here and not somewhere else, we’re going to have to figure out how many of the bills I need to pay.”
Mitch rolled his eyes. “Jesus Christ, Cam. You’ve paid for a hell of a lot of shit.”
“Not since you had that influx of money. I mean, I’ve been paying for some groceries and gas, but that’s really it.
I want to help with the bills and not have it be out of the kindness of my heart, but because that’s what people do when they’re living together.
” His heart was in his throat because Jesus, he wasn’t sure if they were living together or not.
They were, but was it a thing? Was it too soon to talk about that?
Mitch just sort of stared at him for a minute, and then his grin dawned, kind of slow and stunned, but at the same time somehow bright and happy. “Okay, that’s… I can live with that.”
Cam thought maybe his soul had been holding its breath, because he found himself a bit lightheaded. “My heart’s just racing, honey.”
Mitch reached out and pressed one palm to his chest. The touch was solid as a rock, and so welcome. “So is mine. We haven’t even really done anything, and we’re moving in together. I mean, you’ve been living here, and that’s not going to change, but are you wanting to eventually move into my room?”
Cam gave that all the consideration it deserved, which was about two seconds. “Fuck yes, if you’re gonna let me. That is one of those things where we do need to have something we’re gonna tell the girls. I don’t wanna have to be sneaking around, but I don’t want them to feel weird either.”
“Listen to us being all adult.” Mitch was gripping his hands as if they were a lifeline. “Then we’ll work toward that — you can come to my room or vice versa whenever we need to right now, and we’ll let things develop naturally.”
He tried not to deflate because that was kind of disappointing, but at the same time, he totally understood. They had time.
He kept having to tell himself, it wasn’t just about him or just about Mitch. Those three girls deserved every bit of consideration he had.
The best he could do was give Mitch a nod, because his tongue was tangled.
Mitch squeezed his fingers, smiled. “Cool, thanks. I really appreciate how amazing you’re being about everything.”
“I’m not sure I feel amazing.” He shook his head, having a bit of a laugh at himself, not Mitch.
“I feel like I’ve been impatient, waiting for you to heal up so I can jump on you.
” He was reaching the end of his tether.
When it came to talking about his feelings, he’d probably done more today than he had in the last twenty years.
Cam thought maybe Mitch agreed with him and got it, because Mitch tilted his head, staring at Cam’s mouth now, not his eyes. “Can we have another serious discussion as adults later and do something else right now?”
“You mean, like, can I kiss you?” He reached up and ran his thumb over Mitch’s sharp cheekbone. “I think that sounds like a fine idea.”
Mitch nodded, and things got a bit breathless after that because he leaned forward, and so did Mitch, and they met halfway. Their mouths came together, their lips parting, and he swept his tongue over Mitch’s lower lip.
Then they were cooking with gas.
They tilted their heads just right. They came together, and that kiss went deep, hard, and hot as fire.
Mitch reached up and grabbed the back of his head, fingers sinking into Cam’s hair to hold them together.
He scooted forward until their legs were touching, until their chests came together the tiniest bit, but it still wasn’t close enough.
He worried about hurting Mitch or he’d have the fine son of a bitch sitting on his lap already.
They came up for air, and they gasped, foreheads pressed together, staring into one another’s eyes.
It was stunning because it was as if they’d never been apart, but at the same time, this was way more adult than they’d been able to achieve in high school.
This wasn’t a stolen kiss under the bleachers.
They were two fully grown men kissing in the front room. There was a very good chance they were going to be fully two grown men going to that big master bed and having mutually shared orgasms.
It might not sound exciting. Hell, someone might think it sounded boring is all get-out. But that was because someone wasn’t staring into Mitch’s near-black eyes and seeing…promises.
Cam licked his lips. “You, uh, ready to move into the other room, honey? We can lock up and all first.” They were letting Rosie in these days. He’d been house-trained by someone, but he still liked to be outside most of the daylight hours.
“Sounds good.” Mitch rose, stretching. “Bed will be more comfy, huh?”
“Easier on the back, for sure.” Hand in hand they moved around the house, locking doors and checking windows.
The younger girls’ lights were off, but there was a little light leaking out from under Bekka’s door.
Mitch tapped on the door, and opened it a bit. “I’m heading to bed, baby girl. If you need anything, holler. I love you. Don’t stay up too late.”