Page 157 of Already At Risk
I felt Cameron’s shoulder move in a shrug.
“Maybe she doesn’t want someone new to play dad yet.” He hesitated and then added, “I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently, what I would have done if my mom had brought home someone new when I was younger. She never did, but I think I would have been happy, especially for her. Although I suppose it would have depended on who he was, you know? If he treated her right.”
I nodded, appreciating the way he was thinking about this so thoroughly. Always considerate, always reflective. “Chloe sees the way you treat me. She sees howgoodyou treat me, and I just know that one day, when she’s older, it will help her know what she should expect from a partner. And I think even now…” I looked over my shoulder and realized the way Cameron was hanging on my every word. “I think I haven’t seen my daughter as happy as she is in a long time.”
“Yeah?”
The corner of Cameron’s mouth slid up at that, but he looked away from me, focusing on grabbing a grape and popping it into his mouth. Once again, acting shy.
“Yeah, Cameron,” I insisted, and his arm tightened around me, pulling me close.
I’d never been happier to be so entirely cocooned in his arms. No more hesitation, no more holding back.
“I don’t think she minds you playing dad one bit,” I continued, curling my legs beneath my bottom, inching further into his embrace. “I hope that’s whatyouwant, though.”
Cameron released a little laugh, like the thought of himnotwanting it was humorous.
“Do you think Chloe would like a beach vacation?” he asked instead of answering me. His voice grew rough, emotion clear in it. “Maybe we could do a long weekend on the Cape? After the trial?” I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, he added, “Also, I’d very much like a copy of her skating schedule. Like the competitions or shows or anything outside her normal practices, since I already know when those are.”
“I—yes.” A laugh bubbled out of me. “Yes, to both. She would love a beach vacation.” I paused, let my voice lower and soften a degree as I thought about the picture of Cameron and his family in his office. “I’d love to go to the Cape with you.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded, and his lips pressed to the top of my head before he lowered his face next to mine. There was a pregnant pause and then a quiet admission against my ear.
“I’m trying not to get ahead of myself, but I’m really excited. I think I could be a good dad. If you ever wanted me to be and Chloe was okay with having another one. I had a really great role model, after all.”
I tipped my head back, needing to see his face. Stars shimmered above his head like a halo, and his eyes were just as bright as the constellations, just as clearly telling a story.
God, I’d fallen so hard for this man.
But I couldn’t help the tiniest thread of doubt for the future weave through my mind.
“I know you’d be amazing at it, Cameron. But what if…what if we don’t get a chance to do those things. What if Korey?—”
“Not going to happen,” Cameron said, voice hard. “If, Godforbid, this week doesn’t go the way we hope, I won’t stop fighting, Natalie. We’ll appeal, we’ll keep pushing, we’ll make it happen. You trust me, right?”
“With everything I am.”
“I made a promise to you, and I still plan on keeping it, okay?”
“Okay,” I breathed, already more at ease.
Cameron dropped a hard kiss to my lips and then pulled back to stare at me, his mouth opening and closing like he wanted to say something else. His eyes had a tortured quality to them, like it was killing him to keep it inside. My breath hitched, and words bubbled onto the tip of my own tongue, too.
But then, he swallowed and murmured, “I want you to eat before getting too distracted.”
Practical as always.
I tried to ignore the odd swirl of disappointment that vanished quickly anyway.
We spent the better part of the next hour eating and laughing before Cameron packed all the food up, and we landed on our backs, staring up at the skies. I pointed out the constellations I knew the names of, and Cameron listened, peppering me with questions about them, which I admittedly didn’t know a lot of the answers to.
“When’s the last time you’ve been home?” he asked after a moment of silence with only mellow notes of music lingering between us. “I know your parents are coming to support you for the trial, but maybe you’d like to visit Minnesota sometime, too.”
“It’s been a long time, so I’d really like that.” It was something that had been on my mind for a while. “Maybe sometime this fall? We could try to line it up with one of Noah’s games, and I could show you around where I grew up.”
Cameron’s grin spread. “Oh, do I get to come?”
