Page 95 of SALT

Her eyes flash to the covered plates before they latch onto mine, and for a second, it feels like she sees everything. Those crystal blue eyes already see straight through to my soul. Right now, they feel like they can see exactly what's beneath this chaffing lid too. Her tongue darts out and moistens her lip, and I see her nerves. She doesn't know. She can't know. Fucking relax, I remind myself. That's when her thumb anxiously tapping the lid on her own dish catches my attention. It's the dessert that has her rattled.

"Sunshine, are you seriously that nervous about me trying your dessert?" I tease in an attempt to settle my own nerves. Her brow furrows before her eyebrows rise. She may have been looking at me, but she wasn't seeing me. Her thoughts were a million miles away. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong." She shakes her head. "I just spaced out for a second, that's all. I've had a lot on my mind between work, school, and the house. At least the school part is off my plate."

"Have a drink." I grab the margarita I made and place it in front of her. "Relax. We're in the house. There's no rush to get anything done, and if there is, let me handle it. Isn't that what we're supposed to do? Share the load. I don't expect you to run your own business and come home and manage the house too."

"I don't want to hire people to cook my dinner and clean my house. My parents did that, and I don't want anything that resembles it. I enjoy cooking meals with you, and maybe one day I'll tire of doing your laundry, but not right now. For now, I enjoy it. I like taking care of you, putting your things away in a way I know brings you joy…" Her eyes leave mine. "I don't need some housecleaner making you happy when she organizes your tie drawer."

I can't help but bark out a laugh. "Are you serious? You sound jealous, and that's the last thing you should ever be." When she doesn't spare me a glance, I know that she is. Cameron is not this girl. She oozes confidence. I would have expected this before we officially became a couple, but not now. I should have given her this ring sooner. Perhaps that's where this insecurity is coming from. Asking her to have my babies but not putting a rock on her hand is backward. I know this, but I continue to try and do what I believe is best instead of what I feel in my heart. Allowing her to graduate with her surname, giving our relationship time to marinate and flourish without a title that she couldn't easily walk away from felt like what should be done. It doesn't mean it's what I wanted, but old habits die hard. I'm still determined to protect her at the expense of my heart, and that will never change, but it would appear, once again, in my pursuit to safeguard her heart, I've inadvertently wounded it.

"I'm not..." She fiddles with the handle on the lid covering her dessert, giving herself away. "I'm just hungry." She waves her hand and starts toward the dishes, intent on plating her own, making me awkwardly careen in front of her. "Ev, what are you doing?"

"Sit, I want to serve you, is all."

She crosses her arms. "Seriously?"

"Humor me." I smile.

"Fine." She sighs as she pulls out a stool at the island, and I slide the plate with the ring in front of her. "This better be good. Last time you made this recipe, you used different tomatoes, and it wasn't as good…" Her words die off as she pulls off the lid, revealing a pear-shaped engagement ring set inside a blue velveteen box. She sets down the lid, and her hands cup her mouth. "Ev, really? Is this happening?"

I'm instantly at her side, spinning the stool so that her eyes are on mine. "It's happening. I feel like I've waited a lifetime for this moment…" I trail off, my nerves getting the best of me because, while I may have been married before, I never proposed to Moira. Giving her my last name was the only option. It had to be done, so we did it. I didn't choose her, not in the way I'm choosing Cameron now. "I wasted a lot of time pushing you away because I didn't understand love. I thought it looked different. You and I on paper don't make sense. You're my best friend's daughter. I'm old enough to be your father?—"

"Everett." She sighs, dropping her head.

I lift her chin. "Let me finish… You were off-limits, a dream I thought I had no business dreaming, but that was because I didn't see it for what it was. It was always love, Cameron. Our love isn't a storybook, but that is because no love has the same beginning or end. It overcomes obstacles and fights when you have no fight left. Love isn't always easy. It's work, but it holds on and endures. Our love won't always be perfect. I've messed up, and I know I'll mess up again, but my heart belongs to you. I am yours, Cameron Salt. I just need to know if you'll take my heart and let me love you forever."

Her baby blues are filled with unshed tears before she rapidly blinks and they spill down her pretty face. "Yes, Everett Callahan, I'll take your heart. I've never wanted anything more."

My lips crash to hers, and the world around us dissolves. I'm no longer walking through this life alone. I'm no longer the guy in the corner watching my heart live a beautiful life without me. I'm her guy, and she's my girl. The sound of her stomach rumbling has me releasing her perfect mouth.

"I'm sorry. I was selfish. I should have fed you first."

"Proposing to me is not selfish." She slaps my chest. "But you could speed it along, put this perfect ring on my finger, and make it official."

I smile big and bite my lip as I reach for the ring. "If you don't like it, we can pick out something else?—"

"Nope. You picked this one for me, and it's the one I want."

I hold her delicate hand and place the ring at the tip of her finger. "I can't wait for the day I get to call you my wife and make you mine forever."

She lets out a stuttered breath once it's wrapped around its home. "Good, because you're kind of stuck with me, ring or?—"

"Dad," Connor calls out. "Where are you?"

Cameron's eyes widen as we hear the front door close.

"We're in the kitchen," I shout back before kissing Cameron's hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't know they were stopping by."

"It's fine." She smiles. "We can share our news."

Connor rounds the corner, his hand wrapped tightly around Mackenzie's. "It smells good in here. What are you cooking?"

Before I can respond, Cameron holds her hand up and squeals, "Marry Me Chicken!"

"Shut up," Mackenzie rushes to her side to check out her ring, and I smile from ear to ear. My heart explodes because she's so happy she can't contain her excitement to tell the world that she's mine.

Connor comes to my side and gives me a pound hug. "Congratulations, Dad." He releases me and turns to Cameron. "Let me see that." He grabs her hand and examines the ring before saying, "I will never call you mom. Let's just get that straight now." His eyebrows shoot up, and he drops her hand. "Too fucking weird."

---