Chapter 31
thirty-one
Rosalie
“Good lord, the next time Mrs. Flowers needs Bean’s teeth floated it’s on you,” I say to Elodie as I walk into our office.
“I swear that old horse fights the sedative like it’s her superpower.
I think she purposefully tried to whack me in the face with her big ass head once I placed the speculum in her mouth. ”
Elodie looks up from her computer with an incredulous look on her face. “I mean, can you blame her? In no world is something called a speculum enjoyable. It doesn’t matter where it’s being placed, it’s always uncomfortable.”
I snort a laugh. “You’re not wrong.”
A disgruntled huff comes from the opposite corner, and I turn just in time to see Dr. Thatcher hastily gathering his lunch with his famous perma-scowl firmly in place.
“This isn’t girls’ night. There are just some things you don’t discuss in public places,” he says, stalking out of the office.
Elodie and I turn to each other and giggle.
“It’s a wonder he was able to get through vet school if he’s disgusted by a little vagina talk,” Elodie says loudly enough for Dr. Thatcher to have caught it.
“Oh my gosh, how do you shamelessly push his buttons like that? He still terrifies me.”
She shrugs, closing her laptop. “Years of practice, which means some day you too will be able to lob vagina jokes at Dr. Dickhead.”
“Can’t wait,” I say through my laughter. “You ready to go get lunch?”
Elodie and I have tried to make a habit of leaving the office at least once a week to grab lunch, even if it means just a walk across campus to the commons. Sometimes, on slower days, Kara can come with us, but today it’s just Elodie and me.
“So, you and Cam seem to be enjoying each other’s company,” Elodie says slyly as we push through the doors of the Equine Center into the bright sunshine and sticky air I’m still not used to, even after living here for more than a couple of months now.
As if it wasn’t hot enough outside, I feel my cheeks heat from her comment and fight the urge to fan my face.
Elodie knows Cameron and I have been spending quite a bit of time with each other, but last night was the first time she’d seen us together, and I knew I was in for a grilling.
But so is she after her contentious interaction with Beckett.
She was tight-lipped about it when she left last night, and I’m not sure now is the right time to bring it up.
“We have,” I say, dragging out the last word, giving myself time to decide how much I want to share.
“Ah, yes. I can see you’re really enjoying it by the enormous smile on your face and the dreamy look in your eyes,” Elodie says through laughter.
I can’t fight the instinct this time, covering my face with both hands and mumbling into my palms, “I really, really am.”
Sliding my hands down my face, I chance a glance at Elodie to see she’s smiling back at me, but it’s the softness in her eyes that draws my attention, wondering what she’s about to say, especially when she reaches for my forearm and pulls us aside, out of the way of oncoming foot traffic.
“I’m glad to hear it because I haven’t seen Cameron look at anyone the way he looks at you in a very long time,” she says, letting her last words settle before moving on.
“I didn’t think he would ever care about someone the way he cared about Julianne ever again, but seeing you together last night made me realize he finally does, and it makes my heart so happy it’s with you. ”
***
Elodie’s words are still rattling around in my head as I eagerly get ready for dinner with Paige, Cameron, and Addison, my stomach fluttering with anticipation.
Things with Cameron have felt different from my previous relationships, no matter how few and far between they were, but to hear Elodie say she hasn’t seen him this happy since his marriage to Julianne is both thrilling and daunting.
I’ve seen the way he loved her captured in the photos lining the walls of his house, and I can only hope one day he might look at me the same way.
There’s a knock at the front door as I’m putting on my shoes, and I look up just in time to see Paige fly by, heading toward the door.
“Make sure it’s them before you open the door.”
“Okay,” I hear, just as the door flies open. There’s barely any time between her response and the sound of the door, so I’m 100 percent sure she didn’t even hesitate before opening it.
Tonight, we’re going to The Fickle Fork, a fun restaurant on Main Street that has a weekly rotating menu.
They keep the menu a secret until it’s announced on their social media accounts early Sunday morning.
This week, they’re serving a variety of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, as well as more kid-friendly options.
I’ve been craving their brie and apple combo all week, so I don’t know who’s more excited, me or the kids.
I stand up and grab my phone from the dresser before moving to the front of the house, but as I round the corner, I hit a rather hard body.
I squeak, even though I know it’s Cameron.
His arms come around me, and he backs me around the doorway and into my bedroom before pressing me against the wall and crushing a searing kiss to my mouth.
Too soon, he pulls back with a smile. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself.” I breathlessly return the greeting, knowing my smile matches his.
“You ready to feed these girls and go back to my place for some swimming?”
“I sure am,” I say, grabbing my bag and moving out the door with Cameron at my back.
He grips the waistband of my shorts, fingers tucking inside, and hauls me back to his chest.
“You brought your suit, too, right?”
I hold up my bag, which holds all of our swim gear, as proof.
“I did.”
“Good, because if I can’t get my hands on you tonight, seeing your beautiful body and imagining what I’d do is the next best thing.”
My body feels electric just from his words, and I have to remind myself regardless of his heated promises, we’ll be swimming with the girls. So, all the indecent actions will have to wait for another time, a fact I remind him of with a playful, admonishing look.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t look and dream tonight.” He kisses the side of my neck and guides me out the door, all wound up and not thinking like a parent about to supervise her swimming child.
After loading the girls into the back seat, Cameron walks to the passenger’s side of his Jeep and opens it for me to get in.
“Up you go, ma’am,” he says, holding out a hand. I don’t need help getting into the car, but I gladly take it just for the brief moment of connection.
Cameron and I have been trying to be discreet about our relationship in front of the girls, refraining from too much touching or overt displays of affection. But we’ve discussed showing some subtle hints here and there of how we feel about each other to ease them into seeing their parents together.
I feel like the time to be fully open about our relationship is coming. We aren’t completely naive; both of us know Paige and Addison have most likely caught on, but we’ve been hesitant about the newness and the inevitable questions that will come with telling them.
I think Cameron and I both feel this is going somewhere, and we want to be honest with our girls. But we also want to be careful with their little emotions and what it means for all of us.
Thank God this isn’t our first time out together because nothing says sexy like trying to manage melty, stringy cheese pouring from a sandwich, but as the explosion of flavors bursts across my tongue, I decide every awkward swipe of my napkin across my chin is worth it.
Looking next to me, I catch Cameron’s eye as he lazily wipes a string of cheese from his own chin before giving me a panty-melting smile. How he’s able to make that particular combination of actions seem sexy, I have no clue, but the intense look he’s giving me has me shyly looking away.
After eating their weight in grilled cheese and french fries, the girls are ready for a swim. I’m in a food coma and ready for bed, but I’m here, ready to rally and enjoy the night as we pull into Cameron’s driveway.
After making sure Paige is in her swimsuit and knows to wait for the adults before hopping in the pool, I slip into the hallway bathroom to change.
I packed a cute one piece, knowing there would likely be a lot of pool shenanigans with Paige.
She frequently asks me to toss her into the air or wants to climb onto my shoulders and try to jump off, and I don’t need an accidental nip slip tonight.
When I come out, I can see Cameron through the sliding glass doors by the pool, dropping glow sticks in while the girls excitedly stand by, waiting for permission to jump in.
I take a moment to admire him from the back.
His broad shoulders, his defined triceps, the sexy way his waist tapers into his swim trunks, leading my eyes to his phenomenal ass and muscled thighs.
Paige chooses that minute to catch my eye and wave, causing Cameron to turn around.
He’s not dumb; he knows I’ve been back here checking him out.
A point confirmed when a broad smile spreads across his face and he briefly strikes an exaggerated muscle man pose before turning to grab both girls and jumping in the pool.
Holy. Hell.
All his physical hotness is on display, but it’s exacerbated by the way he interacts so easily with Paige. Seeing his arms around her, even if it’s just to pull her into the pool makes my heart flutter before melting instantly.
Opening the sliding glass door, I step out into the humid night air and move to the edge of the pool. The sounds of their laughter fill my ears as they all resurface from under the water, causing me to laugh too as I peer down at them.
“Girls, don’t you think one of us looks a little too dry to be at a pool party?” Cameron says while slowly swimming back to the edge of the pool, right where I’m standing.
“Yes!” Addison and Paige scream in unison.