Chapter Forty One
Camille
Hunter: Some of the guys from my unit
and their families are getting together
this weekend. You should come.
Just like that. No pressure, no expectations, at least not the kind he’d ever say out loud.
I stared at the message far too long, my thumb hovering over the keyboard.
Me: That sounds… nice. But I don’t
know. I wouldn’t want to intrude.
Hunter: You wouldn’t be intruding.
You’d be with me.
Me: I’m not sure how I’ll do with
meeting friends. I’m kind of out
of practice.
Hunter: Then we’ll call it a practice run.
Hunter: No pressure, Cami. Just good
food, good company, and maybe a
bonfire if the weather holds.
Me: You make it sound easy.
Hunter: It is. You’ll see.
He meant it. I could tell. But the truth was, nothing about this felt easy to me. After I set the phone down, my chest ached with that familiar tug-of-war between wanting more and being terrified of it.
That’s when my mom came in, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She gave me a knowing look before I could even open my mouth. “Let me guess,” she said. “Hunter invited you somewhere, and you’re talking yourself out of it.”
I blinked. “How do you always know?”
“Because I did the same thing for years,” she said simply, sitting beside me. “You should go, Camille.” Her tone was gentle, but it landed like a crack in the shield I’d been patching for years.
???
The day of the trip, I stood in front of my closet. Clothes spilled onto the bed. A variety of jeans, blouses, and dresses I hadn’t touched in years. None of it felt right. Too tight. Too loose. Too “mom.” Too much.
Dani had barged in with iced coffee and a mischievous grin, immediately tossing half my pile onto the floor. “Not that. Not that. Oh, hell no. Camille, why do you still own this cardigan?”
“It’s comfortable,” I muttered, grabbing it protectively.
She plucked it out of my hands. “Comfortable is not the vibe. This is an overnight with Marine Ken Doll. You need cute, flirty, but still you.”
My mom poked her head in then, clearly amused by the chaos. “I’m with Daniela on this one.”
I groaned, covering my face with both hands. “Can’t I just wear leggings and call it a day?”
Dani and my mom answered in unison: “No.”
By the time my bag was finally zipped, I felt wrung out from nerves alone. The kids were buzzing with energy, sensing something was different.
“Where you goin’, Mommy?” Zeke asked, climbing into my lap as I double-checked the twins’ bottles.
“Just having some mommy time for one night,” I said softly, kissing the top of his curls. “Grammy’s got you covered.”
He squinted at me, suspicious. “Is Hunter going?”
Heat flooded my cheeks. “Yes.”
“Good,,” he said firmly, satisfied.
I laughed, hugging him tighter.
But later, when the house was still, and my mom shooed me off to bed, guilt crept in heavily. I have never spent a night away from them. Every part of me screamed that I should stay, that leaving them made me selfish.
And yet, underneath the guilt was excitement.
Later that evening, Hunter’s truck pulled up to the curb. I spotted it from the window and felt my breath catch. He’d washed it, the exterior gleaming in the setting sun, and suddenly my nerves spiked all over again.
“You look hot,” Dani whispered from behind me, giving my shoulders a squeeze.
He stepped out of the truck looking handsome in dark jeans and a fitted white shirt that clung to his broad shoulders, his beard trimmed neatly.
He wore his signature Vans sneakers today in teal.
??He leaned against the door frame like he had all the time in the world, his grin easy, steady, the kind that made everything inside me feel steadier too.
Seeing him, I almost second-guessed my outfit.
Mom jeans, of all things. But the way they hugged my curves gave me a hint of confidence.
He always teased me, claiming my butt was his favorite thing about me, so I chose them for him.
A little gift wrapped in denim. I’d paired them with an off-the-shoulder top, soft cotton brushing my skin, simple but feminine.
The way his gaze flicked down and then back up told me he noticed. Heat crept up my neck, and I bit back a smile.
“Hey, Beautiful,” he said, leaning down to kiss me before I could lose my nerve. Quick, sure, warm. The kind of kiss that left me dizzy.
“Hey,” I whispered back, clutching the strap of my bag.
For a beat, neither of us moved, just taking each other in. And then he reached for my bag without thought, like carrying my weight was never in question.
“Ready?”
“Define ready,” I muttered, earning his laugh.
He glanced at Dani and my mom, both smirking behind me as co-conspirators. “Thank you for talking her into this.”
“Oh, she owes us.” Dani quipped.
“Big time,” my mom added with a wink.
I groaned. “I hate you all.”
As Hunter opened the passenger door and held it for me, butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Because even with the guilt, the nerves, the insecurities, and the endless doubts, I wanted to see his world.
I wanted him.