Page 49 of Camden

“My zipper got stuck.”

“Turn around.” His voice deepened, and it sent a tremble through my body. Was it normal to feel so many things for one person?

I did as he asked. He stepped behind me. Goosebumps covered my skin as his fingers ghosted over my bare skin. He fixed my zipper and trailed his finger from one shoulder to the other. I attempted to remain calm as his breath moved from the crook of my neck to my ear. His big body pressed against mine.

“There you go.” He didn’t try anything else. Didn’t kiss me. Didn’t make a move. And it made me like him that much more.

“Thank you.”

* * *

I’ve never had somuch fun on a date before. It was as if Cam and I had been dating for years. Or, at the very least, friends for years. The parade was a blast. I hadn’t been in one since high school when I rode on the top of the firetruck as a cheerleader. I was so lucky to be raised in such a small town. Sweet Springs reminded me so much of that community.

At least the good parts.

Cam kept his hand on my thigh during the entire parade, his thumb brushing the inside of my leg, causing several shivers to course through my body. Whenever I glanced at him, he wore an easy smile. Aviators covered his dark blue eyes, but I knew they were on me.

After the parade, we went back to his house so he could change out of his uniform. While he changed, I took a better look at his home without the smell of burning food. Pictures of his sister and a woman, who I assumed was his mother, sat on shelves beside a few of him and his friends on the force huddled together holding shots. I enjoyed seeing that side of him.

A brother, son, and friend.

He was such an amazing man. Cam bounded downstairs to find me staring and pointed out a few memories, laughing as he told me stories before leading me out the door to dinner.

The sun started setting over the river as we sat on the patio of Rocky’s steakhouse finishing our dinner. “Do you wanna stay for the firework show?” he asked.

“That is kind of our thing, huh?” I said over the rim of my beer.

“It is. We can stay here, or if you want, I know of a place with the perfect view.”

“Oh yeah? Where would that be?”

A crooked grin graced his lips. “It’s a surprise.”

“Are you taking me somewhere to murder me?” I joked as Cam tossed some cash on the table.

Standing, he held his hand out to me, which I took immediately. “Trust me, that’s the last thing I would wanna do to you. But we would be alone. No one else knows about this place.”

My heart leaped at the possibility of being alone with him. “Well, lead the way, sir.”

He led me to the truck, where he opened the passenger door, grabbed my hips, and lifted me into the cab. I pressed a quick kiss to his lips. His eyes heated before pulling me in for a deeper kiss, making my toes curl.

“Shit.” he groaned, flexing his hands on my hips. “You’re trouble.” He bit his lip, stepped back, and closed the door. I wiped my sweaty palms on my dress as he rounded the hood of the truck, not doing a thing to hide his happiness.

The ten-minute ride down a back road was a comfortable, if not tension-filled, silence. I’d passed this road hundreds of times but never thought about where it led. I sat up straighter as we crested the top of a hill. A clearing in the woods with a cabin surrounded by wildflowers came into view. A small picnic table and fire pit sat beside it. The river, a picture of peace, flowed behind the cabin. A short dock stuck out into the running water.

My brow furrowed as I turned and looked at Cam, who was already focused on me, gauging my reaction. “What is this place?”

“Follow me. I’ll explain.” He hopped out of the truck and rounded the hood to open my door. I stared out at the cabin before me. It was beautiful. The perfect hidden getaway spot. Cam grabbed my hips and lifted me from my seat. I placed my feet on the ground before I wrapped them around his waist.

Holding my hand, he led me to the picnic table. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back.” I watched as he unlocked the cabin and returned with a red and blue quilt a few minutes later. “The view will be amazing from the dock. They shoot the fireworks just on the other side of the curve in the river.” He pointed to where the river twisted around a bunch of trees and a sandbar.

He laid the blanket on the dock, and I kicked off my shoes, sitting on the edge, letting my toes dangle in the water. Cam rolled up his pants and did the same. “So, what is this place?” I asked again and looked around. It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen, but there was no way he could afford this place and his own house on an officer’s salary unless they were paying officers more than I thought.

“I haven’t told you much about my family. Aside from you knowing Stacey.” I nodded, waiting for him to continue. “My mother used to be married,” he huffed out a humorless laugh, running a hand through his hair, messing it up. “My father was a piece of shit, to be completely honest.”

“Where is he now?” I knew his mother wasn’t married anymore from Stacey, who had mentioned it in passing. Cam hadn’t told me much about her.

“Prison.” The unemotional tone surprised me. I reached over and rested a hand on his thigh. He positioned an arm behind me on the dock and leaned in closer, like being next to me comforted him.

---