Page 91 of Caught in the Middle

She gave him a mischievous grin that sent a thrill through him. His adventurous Emma, he admired. Here with him.

“Let’s just say all that social media creeping paid off.” She gave him a wink. “And it turns out, you were right. I think I’ll get along with your friends just fine.”

He let out a laugh. “I have no doubt about that.” Then he smiled again. “You did all this for me?” he asked. “Why?”

Her face turned serious. “Because when I was sitting in that meeting on Monday, I finally understood the difference between going after what you want and chasing other peoples’ dreams.” She swallowed. “I want to explore a life with you, Cam, and whenever I listened to your voicemail…” her voice drifted off.

“I was scared I lost you because I never heard back,” he admitted.

She shook her head, a sheen covering her eyes. “You never lost me. I’ve probably listened to it a thousand times by now, but I knew this was something that needed to happen in person. I still have so much to say.”

He gave her a quick but thorough kiss. “We have all the time in the world for that.”

The corners of her mouth lifted. “I thought you might be fond of a big romantic gesture.” He laughed and squeezed her tighter. “Plus, I stole your friends’ idea.”

He looked at her in question.

“You said they thought if I came to visit, then I’d at least fall in love with them and stick around if you turned out to be a dud.” She grinned. “So I thought if I could get in their good graces, then maybe you’d give me a second chance after proving to be a red flag.”

He burst out laughing. “Sweetie, you proved you were a red flag the moment I first saw you throw another man’s socks out the door.”

She smacked his shoulder but was laughing.

“But that didn’t stop me then, and I’m afraid nothing you ever do will stop me from feeling the way I do about you.”

Her heart stuttered. “How do you feel about me?”

He slowly lowered his forehead to hers, their noses grazing. “Like I’m falling for you.”

She tilted her head up to kiss him, then said, “I think I’m falling for you, too.”

He smiled, keeping her held close as everything else faded into the background and they stood like that, holding each other, all feeling right in the world.

Until a slight noise cut through their private and special moment as he heard Katie bellow from the doors, “Can we come in now? We can’t wait any longer.”

As Emma laughed and Cam turned to find all of his friends barging inside the serene atmosphere, he felt his heart swell. He let her go, but only to wrap his fingers within hers as their friends came barreling in to embrace and hug them, clap him on the back, and demand all the details. Slone even went so far as to complain Derek was breathing too loud, making eavesdropping even harder in a crowded restaurant.

Emma insisted that they push the tables back together and everyone join them for dinner, and before he could say otherwise as to steal her for himself, they were already rearranging furniture and taking seats like the big happy family he’d always felt them to be.

Cam looked from one face to another, then back to the woman who held his heart. They’d all shown up here for her, and him, to be a part of this special point in his life. He leaned back in his chair and smiled, rubbing the side of her hand with his thumb.

Cam let out a deep breath, a sense of peace filling him. Him and Emma, he thought with a smile, not realizing she was sitting right beside him feeling the same, knowing that she was right where she was meant to be.

Epilogue

The music played softly as everyone watched from their seats. Cam couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she walked down the aisle, her dark hair twisted into a half updo, the remainder in soft curls cascading down her back. He felt a swirl of pride and something much deeper in his chest as she continued walking, her shoulders back, the dress looking like it was designed with her in mind, and a joyous serenity on her face.

As Emma took her stance, her eyes found Cam’s, a thumping forming in her heart as the rest of the world faded into the background. Those blue eyes that she fell in love with, his heart bigger than any she’d known, and the life they were exploring together.

He gave her that grin he knew sent sparks through her and watched as her lips spread into a smile, one meant only for him. In a room full of people, a day of such happiness and celebration, and yet it felt like no one else existed. He could look into the depths of those brilliant and vibrant dark eyes of hers for the rest of his life. He intended to.

They were so lost in each other from across the room, that they barely noticed whenever the music changed and the bride began her debut down the aisle, Henry escorting her with such authority and a proud sheen in his eyes.

Emma finally tore her gaze away so that she could smile and see this magical moment for Lauren, watching as she made her way to her about-to-be husband waiting for her.

The next twenty minutes were a beautiful mixture of witnessing her close friend’s big day while unable to stop herself from drifting back to the gaze of her boyfriend watching with the other guests. Her heart felt full. It hadn’t stopped feeling that way since the night she surprised Cam at the restaurant. They’d finished the night off by having his friends join them for dinner and then he took her back to his place, where she’d acquainted herself with his bedroom real quick, then later the rest of his apartment and life in St. Louis.

She hadn’t had a plan as to where things would go, or how they’d do long distance. However, after several weeks, she realized her apartment in North Carolina was nothing but a home base to land when she wasn’t traveling for work. Cam never minded that she was on the go so much, and he’d even meet at her place on the weekends whenever she was headed back home. During the weeks when she didn’t need to be anywhere, she’d crash at his apartment and soon found herself making business connections and gaining clients there.

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