ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟝𝟡 #3
Now that photograph was here in his office.
I looked closer. It was new- or at least the frame was new. The photograph itself looked freshly printed. I ran my thumb lightly along the edge of the frame.
Cameron had put it here recently.
I smiled.
"You're still ridiculous," I whispered.
I stared at Jordyn's face, then I looked at Cameron's face in the photograph.
He was smiling that same smile he had when he looked at me now.
I swallowed. Maybe he missed her just as much as I did. I hadn;t really considered that option- I'd always thought ever since Jordyn died, Cameron had been trying to move on without her.
I didn't want that at all. Moving on without Jordyn felt like betraying her. I couldn't do that to my girl.
Maybe he wanted the reminder of us close in whatever way he could manage. I carefully placed the frame back on his shelve.
I was still looking at it when I heard footsteps.
Cameron stood in the doorway, and beside him was a man I'd never seen before.
He looked to be in his late forties, maybe early fifties. Tall, silver beginning to show at his temples, wearing a dark navy suit with a light blue shirt. No tie.
Cameron stepped inside. "Dixie, this is Harford Drews."
"It's an honor to meet you." The man smiled and extended his hand.
I shook his hand.
"Dixie West."
I raised an eyebrow.
Harford cleared his throat."I don't mean it that way. It's genuinely an honor."
"Why is that?" I asked softly.
He glanced briefly at Cameron, then back at me like he was confused.
"Because you're Dixie West."
~
Cameron was behind the wheel this time, pulling into our driveway before shutting the engine off. The car rolled to a smooth stop.
The engine clicked softly as it cooled.
I stared through the windshield at our house.
The same house where Cameron and I had somehow managed to go from married, to barely speaking, to separated, to cautiously finding our way back toward each other.
It was a little ridiculous when I thought about it.
Actually, it was extremely ridiculous.
If someone had told me six months ago that I'd be sitting in Cameron West's driveway after spending the afternoon meeting a man who might help me start my own law firm, I probably would have laughed.
Or asked them what they were smoking.
I never really thought about leading. I usually was always working under someone.
Before him, other attorneys, partners, supervisors. People who had titles and offices and opinions about what I should be doing with my career.
I'd always been good at the work. Very good, apparently, but I'd never really stopped to ask myself whether I wanted to build something that was mine.
I guess it would be kind of fun.
Terrifying, but fun.
I looked over at Cameron. He was still staring ahead, one hand rested on the steering wheel while the other sat loosely near the gearshift.
He looked worn down from the day. There was a faint crease between his eyebrows that hadn't been there earlier.
I wondered how long he'd been carrying that expression.
"Was Harford always that serious?"
Cameron laughed at my sudden question. "He wasn't that serious."
"He looked serious. That's concerning. I'm supposed to trust this man with my future."
"Well he's not making any decisions for you, he's just going to tell you what it would take, and then you decide."
"Yeah, I know," I glanced down at his lips then back up at his face.
I looked away before he caught me staring.
I got out of the car, and he laughed as he came around the front. I waited for him near the walkway. When he reached me, he held the front door open.
"After you, Mrs. West."
I walked inside. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, sweets."
I kicked off my shoes. Cameron shut the door behind us.
"You really think I can do it?" I turn to him.
"Hell yes. I don't even have to think about that one."
"How can you be so sure?"
"You're good at figuring things out. You've handled clients who were impossible, judges who were worse. Things like that, Dix."
Oh, and you've watched all of that?"
"Some of it."
"You've actually been paying attention." I smile to myself.
"I usually pay attention to you."
I looked at him, and he shrugged. We just stood there. Neither of us really seemed to know what to do next. I mean, we were finally home.
I looked toward the stairs. "I need to change, and so do you. You still smell like the station."
He looked down at himself. "That's a bit rude."
"It's true. Firefighter's smell."
He smiled.
We started upstairs. Halfway up, he looked back at me. "What do you want for dinner? I'm ordering."
"I don't know, what are you getting?"
"Well I asked you, Dixie."
I narrowed my eyes on him. "What happened to the man who used to order whatever he wanted and then tell me I would love it?"
I opened my closet and pulled out a comfortable pair of pajamas.
When I turned around, Cameron was standing in the doorway.
"He's trying to grow."
I smiled. "Indian."
"Indian?" He repeated, typing it in his phone.
"Yes, please."
"What do you want?"
I thought about it. "Chicken tikka masala."
"Okayy.."
"And naan."
"Obviously." He typed.
Of course he knew what I liked.
He knew how I took my coffee, how I hated raisins, he knew exactly which side of the bed I preferred.
He knew when I was upset even when I insisted I wasn't.
"Oh, and the samosas." I finished.
"Anything else?"
I thought about it. "No."
He looked at me.
"That's definitely not everything. You always say you don't want anything else and then start eating mine."
"That's because yours tastes better, can you blame me?" I shrug at him.
"We're ordering the same thing."
"Still."
He shook his head, smiling as he placed the order.
He put his phone down. "Forty-five minutes."
"Okay."
"Are you hungry?"
"A little."
"You want something now? I can whip up a little snack"
"No, thanks. I think I just want to sit down."
Cameron followed me to the living room where we both sat down on the couch. Cameron turned the TV on, though we weren't watching anything in particular.
I think he just wanted the background noise to fill in for our quiet.
I looked at him. "What would you call it?"
"What?" He frowned.
"My firm. If I ever even got to that point."
He shrugged. "I don't know."
"I don't either." I sighed.
"You could use your name."
"No. Everyone already knows who I am."
"That's generally the point, no?"
"I don't want something that sounds pretentious."
"Dixie West Law?"
I made a face. "Oh, no."
"West Associates?" He laughed.
"Worse."
"Alright- what about D.W. Law?"
I stared at him. "Noo..."
I leaned back against the couch. "Maybe just West Law."
"You're using my name?" He looked at me.
"You're my husband. And technically it's my name too."
"Yeah," He nodded, looking down. "You're right."
Cameron shifted closer. Before I knew what he was doing, his arm went around me. I relaxed against him as his chin rested lightly against the top of my head.
"I love you, Dixie West. I wanted to say it in the station but forgot."
I stared at him. He looked almost embarrassed saying it. That surprised me- Cameron wasn't usually embarrassed by much.
"Why say it all of a sudden?" I ask.
He shrugged. "I don't know."
I watched him. He looked tired. Really, really tired. His eyes were starting to lose focus.
"Cameron, are you sleepy?"
"No."
"Yes, you are. I can tell."
He smiled. "Maybe I'm a little tired."
"Yeah," He pulled me a little closer. "I just wanted you to know."
"Okay, now I do."
He closed his eyes and I felt his weight settle more heavily against me.
I looked down at him. "Oh no, Cameron..are you actually falling asleep?"
"Mm," He smiled without opening his eyes. "Wake me up when the food gets here."
"I'll try."
"Don't let me sleep too long, okay?"
"I won't, Cameron." I laughed. "Get up, seriously."
He finally opened his eyes. "Food?"
"No, not here yet."
"Then why are we getting up?"
"For starters, you're going to wake up tomorrow on this couch with a stiff neck and complain."
Cameron leaned in closer to me, shutting his eyes fully. "You're sturdier than you look."
~