Page 115 of Already At Risk
It was probably for the best that the waiter interrupted.
Ellie wasn’t ready to talk about how she really felt about Sully.
And I wasn’t ready to talk about how I really felt about Cameron.
Cameron was all smiles when he picked me and Chloe up for the baseball game. To no one’s surprise, Chloe wasveryexcited, from the moment I asked her about it to the moment Cameron showed up in front of our house.
And I wasn’t sure if her enthusiasm was simply that infectious or if Cameron was truly that happy to be bringing us, but his dimples hadn’t disappeared once since we got into his car. Not when we got stuck in traffic near the stadium, or when we had trouble finding parking—driving probably hadn’t been a great idea—or when we had to hike a handful of blocks to make it to the entrance, and Chloe whined that her feet hurt.
I’d tried to talk her out of wearing her new sandals, knowing that we might have to walk a lot, but she was insistent. Consequences of your own actions and all that.
“You got this, Champ,” Cameron encouraged, flashing her a grin as they strode beside each other on the sidewalk.
“Is it much further?” she asked, screwing her face up when she looked at him, half-blinded by the sun.
Cameron shook his head. “Nah. And I’ll make you a deal. If you can make it there, I’ll give you a piggyback ride on the way back later. ’Kay?”
Chloe’s brows shot up, and she stuck her hand out immediately. “Deal.”
Cameron took it with a chuckle, shaking.
“Dad says I’m too heavy for piggyback rides,” she added after he dropped her hand, conveniently waiting to add that information untilafterCameron had already shaken on their deal.
But Cameron just laughed. It was bright and full-bodied and sent an odd sensation careening down my spine.
“Maybe for him,” he said, and he did, to his credit, try to contain his grin alittlebit as he glanced down at Chloe. “But you’re not heavier than your mom, are you?”
Chloe seemed confused by that. “No.”
“Well, I did haveheron my shoulders the other day,” Cameron said, and I choked on the hot summer air, slapping a hand over my mouth. He shot me an amused look that explicitly said I’d better keep it together. “So I feel pretty confident I can handle a nine-year-old piggyback ride.”
“Really?” Chloe looked a little awed by Cameron’s strength, and I noticed her sort of eying his muscles in his short-sleeved Red Caps T-shirt, making it even harder to control my facial expression.
Cameron nodded. “Yeah, I was helping her reach something.” A slight pause, his glittering eyes darting to me. “On the ceiling.”
Oh, I reached something alright. Went straight through the ceiling, actually.
“You’re in trouble,” I mouthed.
“You felt secure up there, right, Mama?” he asked, ignoring my comment.
I was going to kill him.
I nodded, clearing my throat. “Of course.”
“See?” Cameron gave Chloe a warm look. “There you go.”
My daughter considered that for a second before checking over her shoulder to ask me, “What was on the ceiling?”
“Just a…spider, honey.”
“Ewww.” A whole-body shiver worked through her. “Not at our house, right?”
“We took care of the spider. Don’t worry, Champ.”
“Cam took care of everything,” I added and then decidedlydidn’tlook at him. I couldn’t. I shouldn’t.
I wanted to.
