Page 43 of Forever with the Farmer's Daughter
“I was twelve and Craig was eight. We didn’t do anything spectacular on that trip, but I remember we had a great time just being together as a family.”
“Sometimes those are the best vacations.” I try to steer us to a lighter conversation. “It appears I lied to you earlier.”
Confusion fills his features. “About what?”
I fight to hide a smile. “It looks like I’ve been inside your house for the last ten years. Hanging right here on the wall.”
Cameron leans in to look over my shoulder. “Well, what do you know.” His warm breath tickles my ear sending a shiver through me. “Looks like I couldn’t take my eyes off you even then.”
I laugh. “It was probably the award-winning steer that caught your eye, not me.”
“Nah, you were beautiful even then.”
I turn to walk by him, rolling my eyes at his comment. “Pbfft, like you noticed.”
Cameron catches my hand stopping any forward movement the pull of our attraction, forcing my eyes up to meet his. “Trust me, I noticed.”
His head dips, lips brushing softly against mine. Before either of us can deepen the kiss, the front door opens announcing Craig’s arrival.
“Uh, sorry. Don’t stop on my account. I’ll be in the kitchen preparing the steaks.” He walks quickly from the front door to the kitchen leaving Cameron laughing and me slightly embarrassed.
Cameron kisses the tip of my nose and then nods toward the backyard. “We better go help him or there’s no tellin’ how he’ll season the steaks.”
I placemy knife and fork on my empty plate and fall back against my chair laughing. “I can’t believe I ate the entire steak.”
“Me either,” Craig teases. “I’m kinda sorry I gave you the biggest one.”
“Hey!” I ball up my napkin and hurl it at him across the table hitting him square in the chest.
Craig laughs tossing the napkin in his plate, before standing to clear the table. “It was nice having you here, Sam. You should stop by more often.”
Cameron takes my hand and I smile as he threads our fingers together. “I just might.”
As Craig takes a handful of dishes to the sink, Cameron lifts my hand to his lips, kissing it softly. “He’s right. It is nice having you here.”
“Well, thank you for inviting me.”
His thumb skates across the top of my hand. “You’re welcome here anytime.”
I smile to cover up the butterflies that are fluttering in my belly. “Keep feeding me like this and you may never get rid of me.”
“I’m okay with that,” Craig says from the kitchen over the rattle of dishes and running water as he begins to fill the sink.
Cameron winks. “I’m okay with it too.”
I laugh at his teasing as I rise from my seat. “Well, if I want to stay on Craig’s good side, I should at least help clean up.”
Cameron pushes up out of his seat. “I suppose you’re right. Besides,” he says with a kiss to my cheek, “the sooner everything is cleaned up, the sooner I’ll have you to myself.”
Cameron and I carry the rest of the dishes into the kitchen and place them on the counter. I look up at Craig, “You want to wash or dry?”
“I’ll dry since I know where everything goes.”
I bump him with my hip. “Okay then move over and let me get to work.”
Craig looks over my head to address Cameron. “Your girlfriend is bossy.”
Cameron grins and claps Craig on the shoulder. “She knows how to handle you, that’s for sure. Since you two have the dishes under control, I’m going to clean the grill.”
