Chapter 27
twenty-seven
Rosalie
Idrive all the way home with a ridiculously stupid grin on my face while Paige jabbers on about all the things she and Addison want to do this summer.
I’m grateful she has found a friend she’s clicked with so quickly. I was anxious about her making friends this summer since school isn’t in session, and the university childcare is a mixed bag of ages.
She has one or two friends she mentions daily, and I vow to try and get their parents’ numbers, but for now, I’m not complaining about all the time Paige wants to spend with Addison, it just means more time with her incredibly sexy dad.
My thoughts go back to Cameron. Damn, he was bold today with all the subtle touches.
I didn’t know a simple touch to the knee could light me up so fast. It took everything I had not to squirm in my seat next to him at lunch or grab his hand and put it right where I wanted it.
And let me tell you, where I wanted it wasn’t on my knee.
I’m still thinking about all the things I’d love Cameron to touch when we pull into our driveway, and I’m forced out of my daydream and back down to earth.
Paige and I enter the house, and while she goes to play in her room, I head to my bedroom to collect laundry and mentally prepare myself for cleaning the house.
It’s literally my least favorite thing to do.
I’d rather muck out a hundred horse stalls than fold laundry and vacuum the house. I despise it that much.
I’ve just put the first load of laundry in the washer and am about to put my headphones in to play my new audiobook when my phone starts ringing in my hand. I look down, and my heartbeat quickens because it’s Cameron.
“Hello?” I answer, trying unsuccessfully to quell the excitement in my voice.
“Uh, hi.” There’s a loud exhale and it sounds like he’s nervous. I imagine him squeezing the back of his neck and maybe pacing a small space, and I smile at the visual. “I know we just saw each other, and I’m likely putting off solid desperation vibes, but at this point, I don’t care.”
If he’s apologizing for his desperation, I must have done a better job of hiding my own excitement, so I mentally high-five myself for playing it so cool.
“Okayyyyy?”
“Well,” he starts off—and yeah, that’s definitely nerves in his voice. “Every Wednesday, Addison attends Pony Tales. It’s a horse camp for elementary school kids run by the undergraduate equine science students at Winhaven University.”
This sounds familiar and I think I vaguely remember Elodie telling me about this program during orientation. I was so overwhelmed with information, I guess it went in one ear and out the other.
He continues. “It’s basically horse education, crafts, group games, and a little interaction with the horses.”
My excitement over the phone call wanes, and I wonder if this is Cameron’s way of helping me find more opportunities for Paige. But then why is he so nervous?
Erring on the side of caution he didn’t call for me, I tamp down my enthusiasm. “That sounds like an awesome opportunity for Paige to meet new friends and to hang out with Addison. Do you have the contact information? Is there a website? Do you think there are still spots open? Is there a fee?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s rarely full.” His response sounds off, like he wasn’t ready for the barrage of questions.
“All right, could you maybe text me the information? That way I can look through it and make sure Paige wants to go.” I laugh quietly, but speak out loud, “I mean, of course she’d want to go, but the responsible mom thing to do would be to check it out for myself, right?”
It’s quiet for a beat.
Then Cameron answers cautiously. “Yes, that would be the responsible mom thing to do, but I wasn’t calling just to give you the information for Paige.”
“Oh, you’re not?” I say, genuinely confused now as to where the conversation is going.
He laughs, but it sounds like it’s to himself and not me.
“No, I mean, yes. I was giving you the information so you could sign Paige up, but my ulterior motive was to have both girls occupied on Wednesdays at the same time. I thought maybe then we could occupy ourselves during that time, maybe go on a date.”
His words hang in the air for a bit while my brain processes what he just said. When it catches up, the giant smile returns to my face and I breathe out an “Oh.”
“Is that a good oh?”
I laugh lightly. “Yes, Cameron, it’s a great oh.
Let me actually do the responsible mom thing and check it out.
But I do think Paige would really enjoy it, and I remember Elodie mentioning it to me during orientation.
I should also probably discuss it with Paige, but who am I kidding?
She’ll be ecstatic for any additional time with Addison and horses. ”
“And if you do sign her up, what about that date?” He trails off, sounding kind of worried my answer will be anything but yes.
He has nothing to worry about. I’m more than ready to go on a date with him.
“Yes, definitely.” I giggle. “It’s a date.”
“Great,” he says, although it comes out on a whoosh like he’d been holding his breath, and I smile.
I love the way Cameron is a mixture of confidence and humility. His bold touches and words today are in complete opposition to the anxious man who just asked me on a date, so I decide to tease him a bit.
“Were you nervous I’d say no?”
“Considering this is the only plan I’ve come up with to get you alone, just a bit.” He chuckles.
“No need to worry, I’m excited. Want to plan for this Wednesday and I’ll let you know if things don’t work out for this week?”
“Sure, but if things don’t work out, I’m going to be scheming for another way to spend time with you.”
I laugh. “Sounds good, and I’ll let you know about camp as soon as I can.”
We say goodbye, and I’m high on happiness as I practically skip down the hall to talk to Paige about Pony Tales.
Luckily, Paige does precisely what I thought when I mention going to camp with Addison on Wednesday night.
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” she shrieks, each “yes” hitting a decibel of excitement I didn’t know existed and pairing the high-pitched noise with the most animated happy dance I’ve ever seen come out of such a tiny body,
“Okay, okay,” I say, laughing at her antics. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll call as soon as I can to check it out.”
She deflates just a bit, but I assure her Cameron said he’s almost certain there are extra spots. She seems appeased and turns back to her toys while telling her Alexa to “please play Taylor Swift.”
I wander back down the hall in a daze. I have a date.
I grab my phone off the counter, plop down on the couch, and bring up my mom’s contact, knowing she’ll be so excited to hear about this new development, but I freeze.
My finger hovers over the call button as reality takes a dagger, slamming it through my heart, and before I know it I’m in tears.
Today was wonderful. It was everything I imagined when I left Colorado, and more.
All I want to do is tell my best friend about it, but she’s no longer here.
I can’t pick up the phone to call her and tell her about our adventures at the park or the amazing guy I’ve met here in Winhaven.
I can’t call to tell her anything about my life, and it fucking hurts.
I’m a hysterical mess of whimpers, hyperventilation, and tears when my eyes catch on the journal I left on the table this morning, and I reach for it.
Other than a few voicemails I frantically saved on my phone so I could hear my mom’s voice, this is the most tangible thing I have left of her.
She’s all right here—the way she talks, her brief words of wisdom, her terrible jokes, and boisterous laughter.
I can literally hear her in my head as I read.
I snatch it off the table and open it to where I left off. I have to wipe my eyes several times and grab a whole new handful of tissues to ensure my tears don’t drip onto the page and ruin the words.