Chapter 34
Camila
Instead of our monthly dinner at Oregano’s, I invited my friends and their dates over to Hess’s house so they could get to know him. It was an easy invite. They were more than eager to meet my husband and see where I’ve been living the past four and a half months.
Everyone shows up with someone in tow. Carly with her serious boyfriend, Nate; Juliet with her fiancé, Vinny.
Emma is here with some guy named Doug, who’s clueless that his date keeps stealing glances across the room at Vinny.
And then there’s Blair, who came with a guy named Joel, whom she apparently met this afternoon.
She shrugs when I raise a brow. “What? He was cute,” she says. Classic Blair.
The guys gravitate toward Hess and the corral, and the girls pull me into the kitchen like it’s an intervention.
Carly’s gaze is greedy as she grips my arm. “Okay, Hess is ridiculously cute and charming in real life. He’s totally Yellowstoning all of us.”
Juliet frowns. “Except, I was expecting a cowboy. Where are his hat and boots?”
“I told you. He’s not always a cowboy. It’s very hit or miss.”
There’s a pout still on Juliet’s lips. “Well, I need to come back when he’s that version of himself.”
“And you look”—Blair’s eyes flick up and down, assessing me—“different. Happy different.”
Juliet tilts her head, studying me like she’s piecing together a puzzle. “You used to be our glass-half-empty girl. Always cynical. And now you’re glowing.”
“She’s in love.” Emma’s shoulders bounce.
I laugh, shaking my head. “I’m not in love. I’m just…” my words trail as I catch Hess’s outline through the window. “I’m just happy.”
I feel the shift they’re talking about too. “Hess makes it easy to be happy. I’ve never felt more taken care of by a man in my entire life.”
Blair’s jaw actually drops. “You? Miss I-don’t-need-anyone? Miss I-could-never-be-a-trad-wife?”
“Yeah, yeah, I know what I’ve said before.
And I still believe in strong, independent women who can and should do anything they want.
That hasn’t changed. But Hess…he doesn’t threaten that.
He adds to it. He respects me. He sees that I’m tough, that I work hard, that I’ve got a mind of my own, and he admires it instead of pushing against it.
I think”—I swallow, realizing I mean what I’m saying—“maybe I had aspects of it wrong before. Maybe independence doesn’t mean doing everything alone.
Maybe it’s about choosing someone who doesn’t take away from you but makes you more yourself. ”
There’s a beat of silence before Carly says softly, “Wow. Who even are you right now?”
Emma smirks, but her eyes are warm. “Whoever she is, I like her. Honestly, Camila, it suits you.”
Their teasing fades into smiles, into that soft kind of support that only old friends can give. For once, they’re not skeptical. They’re just happy for me.
Blair grins. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m kind of jealous. I mean, look at Joel out there. He’s such a tool. The dating pool is slim, and if you’ve found a good guy who isn’t threatened by a strong, successful woman, you have to snatch him up because that type of man is rare.”
“How married are you guys now?” Carly asks. “Like, share-the-same-bedroom married?”
“No.” I wave my arms out in front of me even though we did sleep in the same bed last week at his parents’ cabin. “Hess is very much the gentleman when it comes to our living arrangements.”
“Aww.” Juliet puckers her lips. “I love that he’s respectful.”
Then Emma, always the believer in happily ever after, leans forward. “So, are you still planning on divorcing him in a month and a half or staying married?”
“We haven’t really talked about it,” I say honestly.
“You haven’t talked about it,” Juliet scoffs.
I glance in Hess’s direction. “Everything between us is so new. We’re just figuring things out.”
Emma’s brows drop. “Yeah, but you said you were happy.”
“Just because I can admit I’m happy and that this relationship is healthy, doesn’t mean we should stay married. The plan was always to get divorced.”
I say the words, but even as they leave my mouth, the conviction doesn’t land the way it used to, and that surprises me.
Later, when it’s just the two of us and the house is quiet, we sit across from each other on the couch.
The TV hums softly in the background, but neither of us watches it.
I’m curled into the corner, Harvey lies on the ground in front of us, and Hess is at the opposite end of the couch with my feet resting in his lap.
His thumbs work slow circles over my arches, and I feel like I’ve died and gone to Heaven.
“Be honest. What did you think of my friends?”
He grins, still focused on rubbing my feet. “I loved them.”
“No, I want details.”
“Details?” He flashes me a charming smile. “What kinds of details?”
“What did you think of Carly and Nate?”
“They’re going to make it. You can just tell they’re perfect for each other, and that story of how they were anonymous pen pals without knowing they worked with each other? I mean, c’mon. That’s all I needed to know to be invested in them as a couple.”
I smile, warmth filling my chest. “Agreed. They just fit.”
“And Vinny?” I tilt my head.
“I really liked Vinny. He’s funny and a nice guy. Makes sense why you’ve all kept him around since middle school. He told me some stories about you.”
My eyes narrow. “Like what?”
“How you were captain of the debate team. How every guy in school was terrified of you.”
I laugh, nudging his chest with my foot. “Not every guy.”
“I can easily imagine you with teenage confidence and a microphone.”
I roll my eyes but can’t hide my smile. “Okay, fine, I was a little scary.”
“Juliet is aggressive, but I liked her. She asked a million questions, but I guess she’s just trying to protect you.”
“She’s not always the smoothest, but it comes from a good place.”
“I’ve dealt with worse. But Emma?” His smile softens. “How could you not love Emma? She’s the sweetest. Honestly, she might be my favorite.”
“Yeah. She’s pure sunshine.”
Then he leans forward, expression turning serious.
“But you were right about her secret crush. Every time Vinny spoke, Emma looked at him all doe-eyed. And it’s not one-sided.
I swear I caught Vinny watching her when she wasn’t paying attention, especially when Doug was fussing over her. There’s something there.”
“Right? How does this not end in disaster?”
He blows out a breath. “I don’t know. But I’ll see this through until the end.”
“And Blair?”
“She’s intense. A little scary, like I think she could beat me up, but I liked her a lot.”
That makes me laugh so hard my head tips back. “I love hearing your perspective. Really. It makes me so happy you met them.”
He shifts, his hands still moving lazily over my feet. My chest feels warm and full in a way I can’t quite describe. Each day Hess is in my life, it feels like he’s weaving himself deeper into me—so deep I’m not sure how to untangle the mess we’ve made.
“You don’t have to keep rubbing my feet, you know,” I say, suddenly aware of how long he’s been doing it.
He smirks. “It’s part of my arsenal.”
“You’re arsenal?”
“Yeah, break you down physically until you can’t resist me.” He lets go of my feet and gently crawls up the couch to where I lie.
“I can never resist you,” I whisper, but my lips are already tilting toward his.
The kiss starts soft, teasing, like we’re playing with each other. But it doesn’t take long before it deepens. His hands settle at my waist while mine slide up to his shoulders.
He murmurs against my mouth, “What did your friends think about me?”
The kisses trail down my jaw, to my ear, up to my forehead as I answer. “They were disappointed you weren’t wearing your cowboy hat.”
His head pulls back so I can see his smile. “Are all of you obsessed with cowboys?”
Grinning, I shake my head. “No, just me.” I lift my mouth to his, feeling his rough stubble against my lips.
“So you admit to it.” His words come between soft kisses on my neck and jaw.
“Fine,” I laugh, tilting my head upward, giving his lips easier access to my skin. “I’ll admit it. I have a thing for cowboys. Always have. Always will.”
“I already knew that.”
I adjust my position so I can look in his eyes. “Only after my mom told you.”
“Camila, you’re terrible at hiding your attraction for me.”
“And you think you’re so much better at hiding your attraction for me?”
“Nah.” His lips curl into a small smile before pressing his mouth over mine. “I never even bothered trying to hide it.”
That’s one of the things I like about Hess, one of the ways he makes me feel safe. He never plays any games with my heart. What you see is what you get, and I love that about him.