Chapter 30
Camilla
“You’ve been spending a lot more time with Dallas lately,” Isabelle said.
Camilla lifted her head from where it had been resting in her hands as Isabelle breezed into the room. “So?”
Her sister plopped down on the table across from her, an apple she’d swiped from the fruit bowl in her hand. She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. “I always liked him more than Cheyenne.”
Eyes narrowing on her sister, Camilla reminded herself that Isabelle had always been nosy when it came to relationships. This wasn’t anything new. But the fact that she was privy to not only the drama with Dallas but also to the issues with Cheyenne seemed to eat at her anyway.
Isabelle snickered. “Come on, you know I never got along well with Cheyenne. Whenever she hung out with you, it had to be just the two of you. I was never allowed to tag along unless you invited me before she voiced her objection.”
Was that true? Sheesh, how had she never noticed that before?
Her sister sighed and settled back in her chair.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Camilla finally asked. “Why not tell me that Cheyenne was being a brat?”
A shrug was all she got in response.
“You can tell me. It’s not like I’m going to go tell her or anything.”
Isabelle leaned forward. “Because she was your best friend. I might not have liked the way she monopolized you, but I could empathize with her. She was a twin. A half of a whole. And her twin left. I wasn’t going to try to insert myself into a friendship she probably desperately needed.”
After everything Camilla was dealing with, she hadn’t expected Isabelle’s sweet perspective to affect her so deeply. She made a good point, all the while staying objective. Isabelle was one of the good ones. She was levelheaded enough to see things for what they were.
“Besides, I didn’t know the full extent of what she was doing to your relationships. And when they didn’t work out, I really wasn’t willing to come between you and the person you needed to lean on the most. The two of you needed each other.” Pain laced her words and Camilla frowned.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Isabelle scoffed. “You’re my older sister by a couple of years. I didn’t expect you to want to hang out with me when you had someone you connected with better.” She smiled. “But I wouldn’t say no to hanging out more now that things are… different.”
They certainly were different. Cheyenne was keeping her distance—a fact that Camilla appreciated.
Right now, she needed to give herself enough time and space to think clearly.
She knew she’d forgive Cheyenne someday because that was the right thing to do.
But in the meantime, things were sort of muddled.
Her eyes lifted to Isabelle as she continued to sit in her own thoughts. Then Camilla sat up a little straighter. “Can I ask you something?”
Isabelle’s eyes drifted to meet hers. “Okay.”
“What do you think about Dallas? I know you were more on his team after everything blew up than you were with Cheyenne. But now that the dust has settled…”
“Oh, I’m still definitely on team Dallas.” She grinned. “He’s… well, let’s just say that I’m not going to deny there’s a little bit of jealousy on my part.”
Camilla’s eyes widened, and then so did Isabelle’s.
“Oh, not like that. I’m not crushing on him or anything.” Her lower lip popped out as she seemed to be considering her words a little more. “It’s more of a jealousy of what you two have together.”
Camilla snorted. “Lies and broken dreams?”
Isabelle rolled her eyes. “No. I’m talking about the connection.
That spark, you know? Like…” She glanced up at the ceiling and the sigh that burst from her sounded like it belonged in a romantic comedy.
“It’s the way he looks at you when no one is paying attention.
The way his eyes turn three shades brighter when he talks about you.
It’s the way his smile can bring literal warmth into the room just because someone says your name.
I swear, Camilla, he’s so totally gone for you, and I wish…
” She sighed again, locking her eyes with her sister.
“I wish I could find something like that.”
Isabelle wasn’t big on dating. Then again, Camilla had been so wrapped up in her own problems that she hadn’t been paying attention.
Had Isabelle had some serious boyfriends that Camilla wasn’t aware of?
The one person Camilla noticed Isabelle spending time with was Charlie Keagan, now Charlie Ashton.
Maybe her friend would be able to enlighten Camilla the next time they saw each other.
Isabelle laughed quietly and looked away. “Don’t look at me like I’m some hopeless creature. I’m not.”
“I never said you were,” Camilla said. Then she leaned forward and placed a hand on Isabelle’s hand. “You’ll find your happily ever after, too. There’s someone out there who will look at you with the kind of adoration you deserve. I know it.”
Isabelle nodded and looked away, blinked a few times, then returned to eating her apple.
She let out a shuddering laugh, then grinned at her sister.
“You need to get over yourself and forgive the guy. He’s desperately in love with you, and it’s pure torture seeing him day in and day out waiting for you to offer him crumbs. ”
Camilla gasped, her mouth falling open. “Hey!”
“It’s true. Even Marcus can see it. I’m telling you, that guy isn’t going anywhere. I’m pretty sure he quit his job or something because he was definitely supposed to leave.”
“Quit? No. Dallas loves his work too much to quit.” Didn’t he?
Then again, she’d seen him around more often lately. They’d gone on horse rides and hikes almost every day. He hadn’t given much of an explanation beyond that his next assignment was up in the air.
“You love him, don’t you?” Isabelle asked.
She glanced at Isabelle. “Of course I do.”
“Then what’s holding you back?”
That was a very good question. What was holding her back? Dallas had made mistakes, but in the grand scheme of things, they hadn’t been earth-shattering. Trust was a big issue, but it was fixable. Especially now that she knew the whole story.
“I don’t know,” she answered.
“He’s a good man, Camilla,” Isabelle whispered. “Better than most of us deserve.”
That had Camilla staring at her sister sharply. What a strange way to put it. But before she could ask her sister what she meant by that comment, the doorbell rang.
Isabelle glanced toward the front of the house, then back to Camilla with a knowing smile. She was fully aware of who was at the door.
Incessant fluttering exploded in Camilla’s chest. There were two truths she couldn’t ignore or deny.
Dallas Thorton was in love with her.
And she loved him back with every fiber of her being.
They walked along a dirt road. Dallas had asked her to take a drive with him, and after the conversation she’d had with Isabelle, Camilla couldn’t refuse. She needed to tell him how she felt before she lost him again. If she waited too long and he left, what would she do?
Wallow.
That answer was easy enough.
Dallas’s hand tightened on her own and he pulled her to a stop. He turned to her, his eyes beseeching. “You know how I feel about you, right?”
Her mouth went dry and she nodded, prepared to tell him she felt the same, but he pressed a finger to her lips.
“Good. You know I care about you more than anything. So listen when I tell you this. I’m not going anywhere.
Never. I’m sticking around. And if that means I’m sticking around to have you in my life as a friend, I’ll do it because it’s been seven years of torture—of not having you in my life—that I can’t think of a worse end than not to see your smiling face every single day. ”
She blinked several times. Friend? Fear swallowed her whole. Was she too late?
Opening her mouth again, she was once more stopped by him.
His voice seemed more urgent this time. “I got a new job.”
“You did?” she blurted. “But you loved your job.”
“I did—do.” The first hint of a smile tugged at his lips.
“I’ll still be doing something similar—just with not as much pay.
But it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I get to stick around.
” He practically dragged her then, without warning.
She stumbled after him until they rounded a bend in the road and came across a for sale sign slapped with another sign in bright red lettering. Pending.
“This place is hopefully about to be mine,” he whispered.
She gaped as she took in the immediate vicinity. An adorable cottage-style home was nestled between several aspen trees. There was a small barn and a dog run. The property had to sit on at least a couple of acres.
Camilla swung her attention to Dallas. “You’re… staying?”
He cupped her cheek. “I know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.
I didn’t want to get your hopes up if something fell through.
You deserve honesty, but I swear this is the last thing I’ll keep from you.
” His words came out in a frantic rush, and it was almost too cute how nervous he’d become.
She stood on her toes to kiss him so he’d stop rambling.
Dallas’s arms came around her waist, and together they looked at the cottage. She turned in his arms and gave him a kiss. It had been too long since she’d felt this… happy.
Camilla pulled back and smiled at him. “I forgive you.”
“You do?” he whispered.
She nodded, chewing on her lower lip. “I just needed… time, I think. To wrap my head around everything that Cheyenne had done. How things had turned out. I had to… grieve… for the time I lost with you.” Tears rushed to her eyes, but she blinked them away.
“I think… I was prepared…” She shook her head with a nervous laugh.
“I would have gone with you, Dallas, if you’d asked. ”
His eyes widened. “You would have?”
Camilla nodded. “It would have been hard, but if there’s one thing I’ve figured out in the last couple of days, it’s that I love you too much to let you walk out of my life. Again.”
He pulled her against him in a bone-crushing hug, then whispered kisses all over her cheeks until he found her mouth again. When he withdrew, his eyes were shining with his own unshed tears. “Do you remember what I said to you when we first met? When we danced for the first time?”
She let out a surprised laugh. “I seem to recall something crazy.”
He shook his head. “You called me crazy—because I said I knew you were something special.” Dallas’s expression sobered. “And I was right. Do you remember what else I said?”
Camilla searched her memories, then the blood drained from her face as she glanced up at him. She couldn’t voice it out loud. Too fast. She didn’t want him to think that just because she was prepared to take a step forward, she was ready for that. He confirmed her suspicions when he spoke next.
“I said it was only a matter of time, remember?”
“Dallas—”
“And if I were a lesser man, I’d take you to—”
Her heart galloped in her chest as she plastered her hand over his mouth. “Dallas.”
He pried her hand away with a sly grin. “Relax, beautiful. Just because I have the ring in my pocket—have since before I left seven years ago—doesn’t mean I’m going to ask you anything. I just wanted you to know.”
Seven years ago? He’d gotten her a ring?
She was starting to feel dizzy. But just like seven years ago, Dallas seemed cool as a cucumber.
Confident.
Collected.
And completely in love with her.
He knew her better than she probably knew herself. The fact that he didn’t drop to one knee and propose spoke volumes. But that smirk he wore also indicated he wasn’t going to wait forever.
The churning in her stomach kicked it up a notch and she bit back her own grin. This was what love felt like.
No, this was what it felt like to come home.
She placed a hand to his cheek and shook her head with a quiet laugh. “You’re something special, too.”
He turned his mouth to the inside of her palm and pressed a gentle kiss, sending sparks ricocheting up her arm. “Glad you finally caught up.”
Camilla laughed. “While I’m tempted to see proof of that ring, I think I’ll stick to tradition and settle for a date.”
Dallas scooped her up and spun her around, her laughter echoing around them. Soon, he placed her back on her feet and kissed her deeply, making her body heat and her limbs melt. “It’s a deal,” he murmured against her lips before kissing her like both of their lives depended on it.
And perhaps they did.