Page 47 of Call It Home

The night air was much chillier, even more so than the mountains back home. But the stars appeared even more vivid against the dark sky. The other trailers were all dark. Like us, those teams were tired from long hours. I hopped into our golf cart and headed down the road, pausing at the Crafty that I knew was closed, and toward the houses. Ours was the third house. And while the others had some ambient lighting, ours had a bright light shining through the windows of the first floor.

“What the fuck are you doing, Cam?” I grumbled to the cool air.

I barged through the front door, only to be greeted by silence. I pushed through all the downstairs rooms. Finally reaching the main bedroom, I came to an abrupt stop. Cam was lying on her stomach, on top of a soft rug that had been temporarily stored in the corner of the room, sound asleep. Her still form was illuminated by the soft glow of the overhead lighting that I’d helped install just hours earlier, casting a warm glow on her delicate features. Despite her peaceful state, her fingers were still wrapped tightly around her phone, as if she had been in the middle of talking to someone before succumbing to exhaustion.

I stood there for a moment, gazing at her with a mix of relief and concern. I had been so angry at her for going out alone without telling me where she was going, but seeing her lying there, vulnerable and sound asleep, softened my heart.

Gently, I reached out and shook her shoulder, calling her name softly. She stirred, her eyes fluttering open slowly, thick with confusion. “Mac?” she murmured sleepily.

“Yeah, it's me,” I said gently, helping her sit up. “Come on, let's get you back to the trailer.”

Cam rubbed her eyes and yawned, still a little disoriented. “What time is it?” she asked, looking around the room as if she didn’t recognize it.

“Late,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “I don’t know how long you’ve been out here. Come on, let's go.”

She stood on legs that reminded me of a newborn deer I once saw. She smiled wryly. “I got the wallpaper up.”

I looked around in surprise. So engrossed in watching her sleep, I hadn’t even noticed the grass-cloth paper that accented the wall where the king-sized bed would ultimately go. “You hung that all on your own?”

“Mm-hmm,” she purred sleepily, her eyes already closing again as she leaned her head on my shoulder. “We were getting too far behind. And I like hanging wallpaper.”

“You did great, sweetheart,” I said, earning a sleepy smile.

Cam yawned and rubbed her eyes, clearly exhausted from the day’s events. I caught her when she wobbled, and we made our way back to the cart.

When we arrived at the trailer, I half-carried Cam inside and led her to her room. She collapsed onto the bed and rolled onto her side, already almost asleep. I knelt down and untied her shoes, taking care to tuck them neatly under the bed after I slipped them off.

I tried to pull her covers down, but a soft hand on mine stopped me. I don’t know what led me to pick it up, but I did. She’d cut her nails back, but somehow, they still looked clean and neat, despite all the work she did every day. I turned it over in my hand, rubbing my thumb over the small callouses that roughened the otherwise soft skin. Despite our size difference, her hand fit just right in mine.

“You’re such a good man,” she mumbled. Her eyes drifted shut as she wove our fingers together. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

I froze. For a brief moment, I dared to imagine a world where her words meant something more. A world where she saw me as more than a coworker, more than a friend. But reality quickly snapped me back. I knew that she only meant that she was grateful to have me working with her.

As she drifted off to sleep, a soft snore escaping her lips, I couldn’t help but feel a small smile tug at the corners of my lips. Maybe, just for now, I could be good enough. But the nagging doubt lingered, gnawing at me, telling me that it was only a matter of time before the truth would come to light. And when it did, would I still be good enough for her?

Chapter19

Cam

“And the winner is…CameronAllen and Mac Caldwell of Team Sterling! Way to go,” Cash exclaimed.

My exhaustion vanished in an instant as I heard our names called out. A wave of relief and excitement washed over me, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride in my chest. I knew we had a winner. Even sourpuss Vivien had been hard-pressed to find anything negative to say.

As the other teams erupted in applause, I turned and wrapped my arms around Mac’s waist and buried my face in his chest, almost ready to cry with relief. He picked me up and swung me around, the biggest smile lighting up his face, as well.

Competitiveness ran in my family. I didn’t know how much of it ran in my blood until we came here. I believed in my designs. I believed in our combined talent. But the validation that we deserved to compete alongside other award-winning teams was intensely satisfying.

Mac smirked down at me. “We did it, munchkin.”

I winked back, not caring that he’d reverted to using nicknames for me. “It was the wallpaper, you know.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Yeah. Sure. That’s what did it.”

Cash cleared his throat and brought our attention back to him. “As you know, there are only three more competitions left to go. Remember, our guest judges are only half of what you need to win. In three weeks, after the houses are complete, the homes will be opened up to the public for them to vote for their personal favorites, as well as the viewers when the show airs. The winners will be announced on live television. Tomorrow is the upper floor. This time, we won’t tell you what rooms to pick. But you must have half of the floor renovations completed. It’s up to you how you do it. We’ll see you back here tomorrow.”

I was running on pure adrenaline as we made our way to the interview area. Myles and Mitch gave us a friendly wave. “Good job, guys. Don’t get too used to that feeling, though. The next contest is ours.”

“Whatever it takes to help you sleep at night,” I teased. They were the team we got along best with, although the other teams were friendly, as well, just a little more reserved. Although, I don’t think The Roy-Als were used to losing. Their hands were flying back and forth as they walked away with perturbed expressions.

---