Chapter 14
Cameron
C ameron glanced at Sophia as he brushed down Tilly.
Clearly, she didn’t want him to know about her ex.
If it hadn’t been for her sister, he would never have guessed.
He had started kicking himself the second she’d told him the story of why she’d chosen her particular hairstyle.
Calling her Red might have dredged up memories she would rather not relive.
She glanced up at him, and in that moment, the world fell away. At least he hadn’t put his foot in his mouth when she’d made her confession. She didn’t seem upset about his reaction.
“Thanks,” he said.
One side of her mouth lifted in a half-smile. “What for?”
“For telling me something real,” he said simply.
Her smile widened. “Tit for tat, right?”
Cameron matched her smile with one of his own. He moved toward her, boxing her into the corner of the stall. He pressed both of his palms against the wall over her shoulders and relished knowing how he was affecting her.
Sophia’s chest rose and fell with more effort than before. She tilted her head up so her eyes found his and they practically sparkled as her cheeks filled with color. “Cameron,” she whispered, her voice holding a note of warning.
“Hmm?” he murmured, leaning closer.
“Is there something you want?”
“There are a lot of things that I want, but I’d be ecstatic if you’d help me out with something.”
“Oh? What is that?”
“How about a kiss?”
Her lips parted, and she blinked at him for a few moments before her eyes dipped to his mouth.
She was going to do it. Sophia was finally going to give in and kiss him again.
He shifted closer to her, and just before his lips were about to meet hers, she ducked out from beneath his arms and darted out of the stall.
By the time he turned around, she was halfway to the entrance of the barn.
And when he stepped out into the aisle, she had disappeared out the door.
He dragged a hand down his face. For someone who was so outgoing and flirtatious with the men who couldn’t manage to stay away, this woman seemed to have the hardest time letting Cameron get close.
The sound that burst from his chest was a combination of a growl and a groan. He stalked back to the horses to finish up what he’d been doing. But before he lost himself completely in his work, his phone buzzed in his back pocket.
Cameron yanked it out and nearly dropped it into the straw at his feet when he saw the message. He’d gotten Sophia’s number when he’d started working at the ranch, but they’d only ever messaged one another for work.
This was definitely not work-related.
Sophia : You might get your kiss if you take me on a date .
There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in Cameron’s mind when he responded less than one minute later.
Cameron : Deal.
He grinned when she responded just as quickly.
Sophia : Sal’s. Tomorrow at seven.
The diner wasn’t what he would have picked, especially since he’d never been able to take her on that second date he’d planned on five years ago.
Cameron : Nope. I’m planning this one. You owe me.
Sophia : Fine.
Cameron : You just rolled your eyes, didn’t you?
Sophia : Wouldn’t you like to know?
Cameron : I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven.
Sophia : Looking forward to it.
Nothing and no one would be able to wipe the smile from his lips.
“So what’s it gonna be? Dinner and a movie?”
Cameron gave Sophia a flat look. “With how hard it’s been to get you to agree to this date, I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Sophia looped her arm into his. “Okay. Impress me.”
It had taken him all day to decide where he was going to take Sophia so he’d make the best impression on her. As it stood, he wasn’t sure if he’d made the right decision, but it was too late to go back now.
Copper Creek was an old town. There were historical buildings all over the place, and some had decent stories behind them. But there was one story that had caught his attention the second he’d heard it.
Cameron opened the door to his truck and motioned for Sophia to climb inside. She smirked at him. “Such a gentleman.”
“Only the best for you.”
Today was already a success just because of the way she smiled at him.
He drove them to a less busy part of town.
There was an older building that was surprisingly still standing after there had been a fire.
A pottery studio still used the property, which was probably what made the place so special.
Sophia frowned when he pulled up to the front of the store. He might not be a local in the typical sense, but based on what he’d learned from Mateo, neither was his family. That fact gave him the confidence he needed to assume Sophia didn’t know about what made this place special.
“A pottery studio? Are you a closet crafter, Cameron?”
He grinned at her. “Not hardly, though if you’d like to go inside and paint something, I won’t complain.”
She snorted. “I’m not exactly the pottery type, either.” The curiosity burned in her eyes, but she didn’t plead with him to tell her why they were there. He hurried around the front of the truck to help her out, but she was already halfway out by the time he got there.
Cameron frowned. “I was going to?—”
“I’m not a princess, remember?” Sophia folded her arms. “I don’t need you to open the door for me.”
He wanted to argue but thought better of it.
Instead of pointing out that a man should be able to treat a lady well, he slipped his hand into hers and led her to the sidewalk.
She bumped into him as if she intended on going to the front door, but he took a beeline for the side of the building and guided her toward a less busy alleyway.
Before she could ask him what they were doing in the alley, she stopped short.
Her eyes trailed over the backside of the building.
The bricks still showed signs of being scorched, but as the original building was still standing, the owners had made the best of the situation.
A bright, colorful mural covered the damage.
Apparently, the owners of the place didn’t want to pay to paint over the damage.
The community had come together to create something new.
“What happened here?” she said.
“A fire.”
“I can see that,” she said with a laugh.
“But what’s all this?” She gestured to the images painted on the building.
Nothing about the mural was cohesive except for the fact that the people of this town had chosen to represent themselves.
Horses, nature, other animals, and a beautiful sunset made this wall a work of art.
Cameron turned his attention to Sophia while she drank it in.
“The owners of this pottery studio went through something horrific. They lost so much, but miraculously, most of the building survived.” He continued to watch her, waiting for her to realize the significance of why he’d brought her here.
“Instead of spending their money to replace the exterior with new bricks or painting over it with the typical brick color, they brought the community together. The scars are still present, but so is the evidence of their strength.”
Sophia frowned as her focus darted to him, still not understanding what he was getting at.
“Do you think that painting over those scorch marks shows weakness?”
“Of course not…” she hedged.
He reached out and touched the red strands of her hair. Understanding dawned on her face and she blinked several times as emotion showed in her eyes. Cameron didn’t have to say anything more, but he did. “And neither does this.” He tucked her hair behind her ear.
For a moment he considered kissing her. But the moment didn’t feel quite right. Sophia broke their eye contact first when she grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the entrance of the alley.
“Come on. I want to take you somewhere.”
Cameron grinned as she pulled him along. He’d had more plans for them, but he got the distinct feeling that this would be better.
“Turn here.”
Cameron gave Sophia a side-eyed stare, then he smirked.
Signs for the fair had been plastered all along this highway.
He’d been aware that there was a fair in town, and he’d seriously considered recreating their first date.
But after she’d shared the story about her choice in hairstyle, he’d known he needed something better.
He didn’t dare hope that she had a similar idea—nor that they could be even more perfectly matched. But if she did, then that would solidify everything he knew to be true.
The smile on her face was so like the smiles she’d given him back in Texas when they’d first met. She seemed freer with this one. It wasn’t a mask of who she thought everyone wanted her to be. With him, she was real.
When she directed them into the overfilled parking lot, he just knew it. She was going to take him up to the Ferris wheel, and they were going to look at the stars.
“What?” she demanded, and he blinked. Shoot, how long had he been staring?
He shook his head, and she rolled her eyes.
“Come on, let’s go.” True to Sophia fashion, she didn’t allow him to open the door for her.
By the time he got out of the truck and to her side, she was already striding toward the entrance to the fairgrounds.
Cameron slipped his hand into hers, and she didn’t pull away.
His heart hammered in his chest when she gave his hand a little squeeze.
He must be a complete sap. Already he could see a future with this woman.
She had enchanted him from the moment he met her, and she still made him want to learn all he could about her.
His desire for her only increased when they got in line for the Ferris wheel. The smile on his face must have been all sorts of ridiculous because Sophia squeezed his hand again as she looked up at him. “What are you thinking?”
He shook his head and brought her hand to his lips.
“If you knew what was going on in my head,” he murmured against her skin, “it would scare you off.” Cameron almost expected her to pull away at his confession.
Heck, he had anticipated that she’d look nervous or demand that he expound on what he’d said.
But she didn’t.
Her expression was thoughtful, and if he wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of amusement toying at her lips. It almost disappointed him that she didn’t demand that he explain himself. There would be plenty of time for that later.
At the top of the Ferris wheel, she looked at the stars while he was happy to look at her.
“You know something?” she said as the Ferris wheel came to a halt to allow people to get on and off. “I’d never ridden a Ferris wheel before that day you took me on one.”
He scoffed. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
She turned to him with a laugh. “It’s true. That was the first time.”
He studied her, not seeing any lie in her eyes. “Why? Didn’t you do that sort of thing as a kid?”
Sophia shrugged. “Never thought that the Ferris wheel would be fun. I thought it looked… boring.”
Cameron couldn’t help it. He tossed his head back with a laugh. “Of course you did. You don’t strike me as the sort of person who does anything by halves. Let me guess. You preferred the rides that set your heart racing.”
“Exactly,” she said with a smile, but then it fell away and her gaze turned serious. “You ruined me, you know.”
“What?”
“You ruined me for other guys. Every date I went on, I compared it to that one.”
He didn’t know whether to be heartbroken for her or intrigued by where she was going with this conversation. He could sense she was nervous, and the best thing would be to lighten the mood. Leaning close, he murmured, “I thought you didn’t date.”
Sophia snickered and pushed at his chest. “No second dates.”
“Except with me.”
Her eyes flicked up to meet his for a long moment. “Except with you,” she agreed.
Man, how his heart soared at that comment. “Does that mean you’ll agree to go out with me again?”
The Ferris wheel lurched forward, and she clutched his hand a little harder. Sophia chewed on her lower lip, tilting her head to the side for a moment before nodding. “I don’t know. It’s gonna be hard to top this one.”
He groaned with exaggeration. “Don’t break my heart, Red—” Cameron cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t call you that…”
She leaned forward so her lips nearly grazed his ear. “I like it.” Then she moved to his cheek and brushed a whisper of a kiss to its surface. “And I’d love to go out with you again.”
Pulling back to make sure he heard her right, he searched her eyes for any indication she was pulling his leg but saw none. A smile tugged at his lips, but the fear was still rooted deep in his gut. “Do I need to be worried that you’re going to disappear for five years?”
Sophia released a laugh and swatted at him, but he caught her wrist before she could make contact. Her eyes locked with his as he tugged her closer.
“Because this time, I know where you live,” he whispered huskily, “and it’s gonna be harder to escape me now that I have you in my sights.” His eyes dipped to her mouth before lifting to her eyes. She nodded. Then he closed the distance between them as he brushed a kiss to her lips.
The tease of his skin against hers was excruciatingly delicious and he wanted more, but he forced himself to hold back.
Sophia stared up at him with surprise, and he gave her his most charming grin. “Just in case we don’t get that date you promised me.”