Chapter 3
Chapter three
Kate
Penny’s Café is noisy in the best way—plates clinking, coffee pouring, and half the town pretending not to eavesdrop on the next table over.
Brynn and Knox are tucked into the booth across from me, still glowing from their wedding, while Kinsey slides in beside me smelling faintly of expensive hairspray and perfume.
“I can’t believe you two are actually up before ten,” I say, taking a sip of coffee.
“Knox bribed me,” Brynn mutters, yawning. “He promised pancakes and coffee before we leave for the airport.”
“Smart man,” Kinsey says. “Feed her and she’ll follow.”
Knox smirks. “That’s been my strategy since high school.”
Brynn elbows him, and Kinsey and I both laugh. I’m mid-bite of my muffin when the bell above the door jingles, and when I look, it’s the source of my recent battle of sexual frustration and satisfaction.
Cam walks in, dressed in a dark T-shirt, baseball cap backward, sunglasses hooked into his collar, and that easy, confident stride that turns heads for all the wrong reasons. He spots our table and grins as he makes his way over.
“Look who finally decided to join us,” Kinsey says as he slides into the booth beside Knox.
“Morning,” he says, nodding around the table. “Wasn’t going to miss breakfast with the newlyweds.” His eyes flick to me for a second, a soft glint of amusement there and gone before anyone else can notice.
Kinsey leans forward, resting her chin on her hand. “We were just talking about the latest Cedar Falls headline.”
Cam raises a brow. “Do I want to know?”
“Probably not,” Brynn says, biting back a grin. “But it involves you, a coat closet, and a librarian with excellent taste.”
I groan, covering my face with one hand. “Please tell me Haddie didn’t post that photo.”
“She did,” Kinsey says cheerfully. “Captioned it ‘Love at first strike.’”
“Jesus,” Knox mutters. “That woman needs a hobby.”
“I tried to block her once,” Cam says, grabbing the menu. “She cornered me at the post office and asked if she did something to upset me.”
Kinsey grins. “Maybe she’s right. You and Kate did look cozy.”
Cam laughs, leaning back against the booth. “You’re all ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous?” Kinsey repeats. “I call it observant. You two have that...energy.”
“What energy?” I ask, already regretting it.
“The kind that makes people whisper,” she says sweetly. “And post blurry photos on the internet.”
Knox takes a long sip of coffee, clearly enjoying this way too much. “So, what are we calling it? Friends? More than friends? Friends who make out when no one’s looking?”
My throat goes dry. “We’re friends,” I say quickly.
Cam glances at me, lips twitching. “Really good friends.”
Kinsey hoots. “Translation: they’re sleeping together.”
Brynn covers her mouth, eyes wide. “Oh my God, you are!”
“Brynn,” I hiss, laughing despite myself. “Lower your voice.”
Cam just shakes his head, smiling into his coffee like he’s too amused to care. “This is exactly why I stay off social media.”
“Oh, come on,” Knox says. “You knew this was coming. You two have been making eyes at each other since that night you danced at Gordy’s.”
“That was three months ago,” Brynn adds helpfully.
“Three months,” Kinsey repeats. “That’s commitment in small-town time.”
“There isn’t need to talk about commitment. We’re just…really good friends,” I say firmly.
“Really good friends who can’t keep their hands off each other,” Brynn counters.
Cam finally looks at me, that hint of a smirk tugging at his mouth. “Guess the jury’s still out.”
There’s something in his tone, gentle, teasing, that makes my pulse skip. For a second, no one else exists in the booth but him. Then Kinsey clears her throat loudly.
“Anyway,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Now that we’ve cleared that up, what’s on the honeymoon agenda? Please tell me there’s at least one matching outfit situation.”
Brynn groans. “Kinsey, I love you, but if you jinx my trip with talk of matching T-shirts, I’m unfriending you.”
“I’m just saying, Mr. & Mrs. Coach, you’d look adorable in a ‘Just Hitched’ visor.”
Knox smirks. “Brynn, if you even think about it, I’m withholding sex for the entire honeymoon.”
The whole table bursts out laughing, and for a few minutes, the teasing shifts away from Cam and me.
It feels good, like how things used to be before everything got complicated. Before I started noticing how his hand looks wrapped around a coffee mug or how easily he fits into moments like this.
When the plates clear and the conversation drifts to travel plans and small-town gossip, Cam glances at me again. “Is Evie still coming to practice at five?”
“Yep,” I say, tucking my hair behind my ear. “She’s already got her uniform laid out.”
“Good,” he says, smiling softly. “Tell her I’m bringing extra baseball cards.”
“She has enough cards, Wells.”
He grins. “Never enough cards, Kate.”
Brynn sighs dreamily. “You two are adorable. It’s disgusting.”
Kinsey raises her mug. “To bad decisions that might become good ones.”
Knox clinks his glass to hers. “And to gossip that keeps Haddie entertained and no longer focused on me.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m laughing, too.
Outside, the morning sun glints off Main Street, and when Cam stands to stretch, I feel his fingers brush lightly along my shoulder as he passes. Not enough for anyone else to notice—just enough for my heart to misbehave.
He leans down, voice pitched low enough for only me to hear. “See you at the field, Katie.”
When he walks out the door, Knox whistles low. “You two really think you’re fooling anyone?”
Kinsey shakes her head. “Oh, they’re fooling someone. Just not us.”