Page 72 of Camden

“You like it?” I couldn’t help the hopefulness in my voice.

“I love it.” She looked around in awe. “It even has the hanging lights I wanted.”

One night when we were sitting on the deck listening to music, Stephanie mentioned how nice it would be to have something like this in the backyard. We talked about it in depth.

Everything she’d want.

Specifically, the swing to sit and read in when it started cooling down. She wanted to light a lantern, cuddle up with a book and watch the fireflies twinkle in the sky. I wanted her to be happy in this space. In this house.With me.

“I wanted it to be perfect.”

Her eyes shined with happiness as she looked around. “It is. I can’t believe you did this for me.” She unconsciously smoothed the fabric of her swing.

I shrugged. “I would do anything for you.”

“You really would, wouldn’t you?”

“I love you,” I said in response.

* * *

“How did Stephanie like the gazebo?”Mason asked as we both nodded to the teacher manning the ticket booth for tonight’s Jamboree. It was the kickoff to the football season for Sweet Springs. They introduced the varsity lineup for this year and ran a scrimmage. We both came to support Asher.

Plus, Ry and Steph would be here. And I’d go anywhere to be near her.

I fiddled with my vest as we walked through the crowd toward the bleachers. The school district had redone the football field over the summer and it looked more like a small university stadium than a high school football field. I guess that’s what happened when you won state for the second year in a row.

“She loved it.” I smiled to myself when I thought about her reaction this morning and the multiple pictures she had sent me throughout the day. “I almost regret building it right now. She refused to go inside and spent most of the day in that swing.”

“In this heat? Damn.”

“Every time I told her to go inside and cool off, she would stop responding until she sent the next picture.” With each picture I got, the more I wanted to go home and drag her ass inside. Not only was I worried about her getting heat stroke, but she also seemed to lose more and more clothes throughout the day. The last picture I received about an hour ago was of her in a black bikini top that left nothing to the imagination.

I prayed that she’d put more on before heading here.

“Are they on their way?” I asked, surveying the crowd, and looking for her.

“Rylie said they left the house twenty minutes ago. They should already be here.”

“I’m sure they’re with the moms,” I said. No doubt we’d find them stationed in the front row on the fifty-yard line. I greeted quite a few people as we pushed our way to the middle. I knew we would need to walk around since we were in uniform, but sitting with them for a little while wouldn’t hurt.

I heard her laugh before I saw her. Her head was thrown back. Her bare shoulders and cheeks were sun-kissed from sitting outside all day. The top of the gazebo was slated, so we could cover it in fabric or leave it open to look at the sky. I hadn’t put the cover on this morning, so I knew she sat in the sun most of the day. The teardrop swing only provided a little shade.

I pressed a kiss to Stephanie’s cheek when I reached her. “Hello, Beautiful.” Her shoulders were even more burned up close. “Sweetness, did you not put on any sunscreen today?” I asked, tracing my finger along her freckled shoulders.

She was beautiful.

“Hi.” Stephanie’s face lit up. “How was work?” she asked, avoiding my question.

“It was good.” I motioned for her to scoot down a little on the bench. “Did you wear any sunscreen today?”

She rolled her pretty eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. “No, Dad. I didn’t.” She liked it when I worried about her. Though she changed the subject again. “Your mom should be here soon.”

My brows rose. “My mom is coming to a game?” She hadn’t been to a game since I played.

“I texted her and invited her. I wanted to introduce her to Rylie’s mom.”

“Thank you, Sweets.” It meant more than she knew when she included my family. Stephanie and my mom developed a fast relationship over the past few weeks. A few days after their first introduction, I took her over to mom’s house for dinner. She was nervous my mother wouldn’t like her. That she’d made a bad first impression on her by showing up in tears the day they met. But, just like I expected, mom pulled her in for a hug and left me standing in the doorway. She’d already declared Stephanie to be her daughter-in-law and often asked when I was going to make it official.

---