Chapter 50
Chapter fifty
Kate
There’s something thrilling about getting ready for a date with a man you’re technically already married to.
It’s five forty-two, and the house looks like it’s been ransacked by a particularly indecisive raccoon.
My closet exploded onto the bed—three dresses, two blouses, and a pile of jeans that I swear used to fit differently.
Evie’s sitting cross-legged in the middle of it all in her favorite purple dress, watching me with the solemn interest of a judge at a fashion competition.
“Mom,” she says, “you’ve tried that one on three times.”
“It looks different each time.” I stare at my reflection, tugging at the hem of a sundress. “Does it look too…flowery?”
“It looks like you’re going to a picnic.”
“It’s dinner, not a picnic.”
“Wear the blue one,” she suggests, pointing toward the corner chair where my favorite wrap dress is draped. “Cam likes blue.”
I freeze mid-spin. “And how do you know that?”
She shrugs, unconcerned. “He told me.”
My mouth opens, then closes. “Of course he did.”
Evie grins, triumphant. “You should wear it.”
“Fine,” I mutter, grabbing the dress and heading for the bathroom. “But only because my daughter-turned-fashion consultant insists.”
“He’s going to be here soon!” Evie yells from her bedroom, vibrating with excitement like she might blast off the floor.
“I know!” I call back, though I’m half bent over the bathroom sink trying to get mascara on my eyelashes and not my eyelid. It’s exactly six. Of course it is.
I slip on a sandal, grab my second earring, and that’s when I hear a loud thunk followed by a tiny gasp.
“Mom!” Evie shouts. “Matilda fell behind the bed and she’s trapped!”
Naturally, we need to throw a Matilda crisis into the mix.
“I’m coming!” I say, limping down the hall in one shoe while trying to secure the earring in my left ear. I almost drop it as I duck into Evie’s room.
She’s standing on tiptoe, pointing down at the stuffed dinosaur now wedged perfectly into the narrow gap.
“She needs help,” she says solemnly, like Matilda is in danger.
“I’ve got her.” I reach down, rescue the dinosaur, dust her off, and hand her over. Evie hugs her like she just survived a war.
Which is, naturally, the exact moment there’s a knock at the front door.
“CAM’S HERE!” Evie launches herself down the hallway.
“Evie, wait!” I call, even though we both know she’s not waiting for anything.
By the time I step into the living room, Cam is already inside. He’s crouched down to Evie’s level while she twirls once to show off her outfit—pink dress, green socks, and her favorite sparkly sneakers.
“Hey, bug,” he says, eyes crinkling. “You look nice tonight. Very fashion-forward.”
Evie beams, then she lifts her foot. “These are my fancy sneakers.”
Cam nods as if this is a universally understood term. “Very stylish. I might need a pair.”
She giggles, showing him Matilda. “Mom saved her. She fell.”
“Oh yeah?” he says. “Your mom’s a hero.”
Then he looks up at me. And everything slows.
I’m standing with one sandal on and the other dangling from my hand, mascara slightly smudged under one eye. I look exactly like a woman who sprinted between rooms trying to get ready in time.
He just stares, and that slow, soft smile spreads across his mouth in a way that makes my chest get too small for my heart.
“You look beautiful, Katie.”
I can feel my pulse in my ears. “Thanks. You’re early.”
He glances at his watch. “Actually, I’m right on time. You’re just—” His eyes flick to the mess behind me. “In a charming state of chaos.”
I groan. “Please don’t call it charming. It’s tragic.”
Evie tugs his hand. “Are we going somewhere fancy?”
“Not too fancy,” Cam says.
“Will they have chicken tenders?”
He nods. “Made sure of it. Let’s go, ladies.”
We drive just far enough out of town that we can stay out of the eyes of the Cedar Falls gossip ring. Not Roanoke proper, but close—a little mountain town with string lights across the main street and people who don’t know our names.
The restaurant Cam picked is small and tucked away, with brick walls and low lighting, romantic enough for us, but lively enough for Evie.
Evie’s swinging her legs under the table, narrating every bite of her chicken tenders, Cam listens to her like she’s delivering a keynote address, nodding solemnly, pretending to take mental notes.
“Did you know ketchup tastes different on fries than it does on chicken?” she says, brow furrowed.
Cam keeps a straight face. “I never really noticed that.”
“It’s science,” she says proudly, taking another bite.
After the plates are cleared, Cam leans back, reaching for his jacket draped over the empty chair beside him. His movements are easy, but I can tell by the quiet shift in his expression that something’s coming.
“Alright, bug,” he says softly, looking at Evie. “Remember how we talked about things changing a little bit?”
Evie nods, eyes wide and curious.
“Well, I got you something to make it official.”
He pulls a small white box from his pocket and slides it to her. Her little hands tremble as she opens it, and when she sees the bracelet, her mouth forms a perfect O.
“It’s so pretty,” she whispers.
“It’s for you,” Cam says, voice gentle. “I wanted to get both of you something special. Because this isn’t just about your mom and me—it’s about all three of us.”
She stares at him for a long moment, then at me, then back at him. “It’s my family bracelet?”
He smiles. “Exactly.”
She grins so big it practically lights up the room. “I love it!” She holds out her wrist eagerly. “Can I wear it?”
Cam fastens the clasp, careful with her little arm, and when he’s done, Evie throws her good arm around his neck, squeezing tight.
“Thank you, Cam.”
The bracelet catches the light as Evie twirls her wrist, the little star charm glinting in the restaurant’s soft glow.
“You like it?” Cam asks, smiling.
“I love it!” she says, eyes wide. “Does this mean I’m part of the team now?”
He grins. “You’ve always been part of the team, bug.”
Evie beams, kicking her feet under the table. “Then we need team T-shirts.”
Cam laughs. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I watch the two of them, warmth spreading through my chest. Evie’s bracelet sparkles every time she gestures wildly through another story. I can’t remember the last time someone looked at both of us and saw family. I don’t know that any man ever has.
When the waitress leaves dessert menus behind, Cam shifts. “I’ve got something for you too,” he says softly.
I laugh nervously. “Cam, you’ve already done enough.”
He shakes his head, pushing back his chair. “Not even close.”
Before I can ask what he means, he’s on one knee beside the table, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket.
My heart stops. “Cam…”
Evie gasps so loud the couple at the next table glances over. “Mom! He’s doing the thing!”
“I know we’ve already said vows, but Katie, I want you to know that I choose you. I choose us.”
Cam’s eyes stay locked on mine. He takes a breath like he’s settling something inside himself, then he speaks.
“I could tell you a hundred reasons why I want you,” he says.
“But it all comes down to this. I want my life to happen next to yours, Katie. I want mornings with you. I want dinners with Evie. I want every ordinary, messy, beautiful day with both of you. Not just for now. For always.”
The words are simple in the most perfect way. They fall between us with the weight of everything that’s brought us here—something I’ve secretly wanted and been terrified to want in the same breath.
For a heartbeat, I can’t breathe.
This is the moment I always thought belonged to other people. The kind of moment I used to watch from the outside and tell myself I didn’t need. The kind of promise I taught myself not to hope for.
And now it’s here—in Cam’s voice, in the certainty in his eyes—and it knocks something loose inside my chest.
He’s not talking about fairy tales or perfect futures. He’s talking about day-to-day life. About showing up. About choosing us—me and Evie—on purpose.
This beautiful man wants a future with me. With us.
Not because he feels obligated or because the court needs us to play a part, but because he wants us.
My heart twists and opens all at once, and I feel it—this quiet shift in the universe where everything starts to make sense.
All the years of doing it alone, of bracing for disappointment, of learning to carry things that were too heavy…
and now this miracle of a man is standing in front of me asking to carry them with me.
Not to save me. To stand beside me.
I press a trembling hand to my mouth as he opens the box. The ring glows under the low lights—vintage, worn, and beautiful, the diamond catching every flicker of warmth in the room.
He looks up at me, eyes soft but sure. “Katie, I love you. Will you marry me?”
The world seems to blur at the edges—Evie’s whisper of say yes, Mom somewhere in the background—but all I can see is him.
This man who stepped into the chaos of my life and never once looked like he was ready to run.
I nod, tears already spilling. “Yes.”
Cam exhales, a quiet, almost disbelieving laugh slipping out as he slides the ring onto my finger. Evie bursts into applause, bouncing in her seat.
“Now we match!” she squeals, holding up her bracelet.
Cam stands, cupping my cheeks as I reach up to meet him halfway. The kiss is soft, quick, full of something that feels dangerously close to forever.
When he pulls back, his voice is rough with emotion. “Guess we should start planning that backyard wedding.”
I laugh through my tears. “Guess we should.”