12. Cameron
The moment I enter the house, the sound of pounding feet greets me.
Pair that with Milli’s excited shouting, “Daddy, you’re home!
” and all my stress from the day melts away.
I barely make it down the hall before she crashes into me.
Scooping her up, I squeeze her tight and revel in the few seconds she hugs me in return.
This right here is everything.
“God, I’ve missed you,” I admit, snuggling her close. She smells of innocence and the fresh ocean breeze. Leaning back to look her in the eye, I ask, “Did you play outside today?”
“Yep, and I got a surprise for you!” She giggles.
With that one little grin, I may as well be putty in her hands.
Lord help me when she's a teenager.
Bopping her on the nose, I tease, “You do, do ya? What kind of surprise?”
When she wiggles, I take the hint and return her to the floor.
Instantly, she reaches for my hand and pulls me toward the kitchen. “We have to eat first. Iz said so. Then I show you.”
Milli’s usually quick to let the cat out of the bag, so I choose not to press her.
Walking into the kitchen, my senses go on overload, and my mouth waters for more than what’s cooking.
Lizzy’s wearing a dark tank top and a pair of really well-fitting shorts.
I know this because her ass is wiggling in the air as she bends over to get something out of the oven.
Fuck. My. Life.
Why did I have to walk in and see this of all things?
It’s hard to stay professional when that fuckable ass is on display.
Oh, the things I want to do to her.
Lizzy places the pan on the stove, shuts the oven, then turns my way, a smile tugging at her lips.
Yep, she totally caught me checking her out.
I should feel ashamed, but the glorious color her lightly freckled cheeks turn is completely worth it. It’s the exact shade of pink she turned when she fell apart while I was buried deep inside her.
I may not be able to act upon my thoughts, but I certainly can replay these fantasies when I’m alone at night.
"Cameron?" she says, peering at me suspiciously.
Shit. She’s waiting for a response, and I have no idea what was said.
Now, it's my turn to blush. "Sorry, I was..."
God, get it together, dipshit. Pull your head out of your ass and focus on her actual words—not the fantasies flowing through your head.
"I was lost in thought,” I finally manage to spit out.
There—That’s not a total lie.
Her laughter fills the room, and that beautiful voice makes my chest squeeze tighter. God, I miss her laughter. Our friendly banter drew me to her in the first place.
"Obviously…” Shaking her head at my ridiculousness, she says, “I was saying I hope you like ribs. I also sautéed some mushrooms and asparagus. Milli helped make mashed potatoes, as well."
Then, my other senses hit me, and my stomach growls in anticipation. "Mmmm... It smells delicious. If you're not careful, we'll get used to this special treatment."
“Oh, it’s not that special, trust me. They happened to be on sale when I stopped at the store earlier.”
“Daddy, I set the table. Let’s sit down. Iz says we must eat before the surprise.”
“Now I’m really curious.” I dart my focus from Milli to Lizzy and back.
Both are grinning conspiratorially, but Lizzie holds up her hands in surrender, when I stare at her a moment too long. “Don’t look at me. It’s her surprise, and we’re keeping it until after dinner,” she emphasizes more for Milli’s reminder than mine.
Milli shakes her head and punches her fists into her hips. “I told you, Daddy, after dinner.”
“Okay… okay. I’ll wait.” Turning to Lizzy, I ask, “Need any help?”
“Just grab whatever you want to drink and have a seat. Your arrival is timed perfectly.” Placing two large serving dishes piled with food onto the table, she states, “Dinner is served.”
Once seated, I reach for Milli’s plate, but Lizzy beats me to it by placing a scoop of vegetables on it before it can be lifted.
I suddenly find myself in disbelief in this simple gesture.
As Milli’s sole provider, I’m used to being the one who does everything for her.
No one besides my family has ever stepped into that role.
The next thing I know, Lizzy places a scoop of potatoes with a rib alongside it, leaving me nothing to do.
How can she be so effortlessly thoughtful?
“Iz!” Milli suddenly chastises Lizzy, and I frantically search for what she’s clearly upset about.
Lizzy is just as clueless as me because she quickly asks, “What’s wrong, Mills?”
Milli’s brows have a deep crease, her lips purse as disgust fills her features. “Iz,” she warns, her voice raising in anger. Fisting her tiny hands beside her, she spits out, “I’m not a doggy!”
“Wha…” Lizzy starts, but my very determined daughter interrupts her.
“I’m not a doggy!” she repeats louder than before, then pushes her plate away before adding, “I don’t eat bones!”
Oh. My. Fucking. God. I’m dying.
Did she really just say that?
I’m at a complete loss for words, and I know better than to laugh at her expense in this moment.
Thankfully, Lizzy once again comes to my rescue.
“Oh… sweet girl,” she says, quickly grabbing her knife and Milli’s plate. “None of us are eating bones for dinner. Here, let me cut the meat from the bone for you.”
Milli crosses her arms and skeptically watches as Lizzy slices the meat away from the rib. When she’s done, she looks from me to my daughter. “Have you never had ribs before?”
“I’m certain we have… but maybe she’s too young to remember.” I shrug as if that should explain everything.
Milli just stares suspiciously at her pile of food.
Lifting a rib from my own plate I take a bite.
“Mmmm… This is delicious, Lizzy.” I may have exaggerated at first, but then, the actual flavors register, making me moan for real.
“Well, if you don’t want to eat these, I guess it means I can eat yours after you have your no, thank you bite, to make sure you don’t like it . ”
Emilia knows the rule. It’s something my mom instilled in me as a child as well. I never force her to eat, but she is required to take at least one bite before declining.
My daughter stares me down but knows I won’t budge on this.
Slowly, she reaches for her fork and pokes at the meat in front of her. I swear my child never blinks as she holds my gaze defiantly. Slowly, she brings her fork to her lips. Once the food is in her mouth, she finally closes her eyes and chews.
Then her eyes pop open, and she smiles jubilantly at Lizzy. “Mmmmm… This is good, Iz. I like it!”
Lizzy’s lips twitch but somehow, she manages not to laugh at my daughter’s antics. “I thought you might. Have you tried the potatoes you mashed?”
And just like that, the drama is forgotten, and we’re all devouring this scrumptious meal together.
This right here is something I could get used to.
During our first week of working together, Lizzy tried to leave just as I arrived home one night.
She had just set the table for herself and Milli, so I insisted she stay and eat—if she didn’t have other plans.
After all, if I hadn’t arrived when I did, she would have eaten with Milli and enjoyed the fruits of her labor.
Ever since, she’s taken to eating with us if I arrive in time, and I, for one, will never turn down her company.
After a few minutes, I break the silence by asking, “What did the two of you do today?”
I catch my daughter’s eyes widen and dart toward Lizzy as her mouth exaggeratedly clamps shut.
Lizzy covers her mouth with a hand, too. I’m not sure if it’s to finish chewing or for covering a smile, but she rotates her other hand in a circle, gesturing for me to move on from this subject. “Next question…”
“But…” I protest, and she shakes her head.
“It’ll ruin the surprise. You’ll find out soon enough. Why don’t you tell us about your day?”
“Sheesh… Okay… Point taken. Hmmm… Let me see… I spent most of my day either on the phone or in meetings. Besides being here with you, the highlight of my day was probably dropping by the studio and listening to Ruby Frax as they worked on their newest song.”
“I haven’t heard much from this new album, but the guys have certainly been putting some time in the studio. I’ve hardly seen them since they’ve been off tour.”
“I’m certain they’ll have another hit on their hands, if today’s session is anything to go by.”
“I know I’m biased,” Lizzy shrugs, “but honestly, I’ve never heard a song I didn’t like from either Jax or Ruby Frax for that matter. I’m looking forward to seeing them play again this summer.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “Don’t get me wrong. I think Jax is incredible as a solo artist, but when he started playing with Finn and Ryker, their talent as a band grew exponentially.
They feed off one another and push each other to limits that far exceed expectations.
Their ability to pull in crowds from all ages makes them in high demand for future shows.
Speaking of shows, did you catch any of their stops while on tour? ”
“I made it to their Seattle and Portland stops but never got to travel beyond that due to my class schedule.”
“They killed it in Portland! I was there…” I trail off as it hits me that our paths crossed once again mere weeks before officially meeting that day in the coffee shop.
Damn, this world is small.
“I watch Frax, too?” Milli bounces in her chair with excitement.
I don’t exactly switch my playlist when Milli’s around. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever purposely listened to children’s music just for her. Obviously, she has great taste in music. But a three-year old at a full-length concert? That might be pushing it.
“Uh… I’ll see what I can do,” I start but stop myself before promising something I won’t follow through with. Instead, I hedge, “They’re in Seaside for the summer, Mills. Maybe I can bring you into a practice session.”
“Or… maybe you can come to a family bonfire,” Lizzy cuts in. “The guys are known for singing at those.”