Page 17 of Already At Risk
“Oh, Juniper has thebestdresses,” Chloe said enthusiastically. “I think Mom should go shopping with her. She doesn’t haveanydresses.”
“I have a couple,” I protested. “I’m wearing one right now.”
I glanced down at the rosy wrap dress I had on, which I’d thought had complemented my complexion nicely. I’d always been told my fair skin had pink undertones.
“Yeah, but…” Chloe gave me a disapproving once-over, and I rolled my eyes.
“I think your mom looks very nice,” Cameron said, his voice warm and soothing.
“Yeah, you’re right. She does.” Chloe shrugged and then turned on her heel, walking off in the direction of home. “So how was the date?” she asked over her shoulder, and then she gave a pointed little look to Cameron and said, “It wasmyidea, you know.”
“Was it?” he asked with a tilt of his lips.
“Mhm,” Chloe said proudly.
Internally, I sighed.
“It was okay, honey,” I answered. “We can talk about it more when we get home.”
And discuss how it might be a bit before I went on anotherdate after that failed attempt. Dating during the custody trial might not be the best option, anyway. That should truly be my focus.
Chloe nodded and took off, running down the sidewalk ahead of Cameron and me. When she got to our house, she jumped up the steps two at a time.
She’d definitely had too much sugar today.
Cameron and I walked in silence as we followed her, stopping when we reached the bottom of the stairs she’d raced up. I turned to face him with a pained smile.
“Thank you,” I said. “For the escort. And from saving me the pain of ending that date myself.”
He nodded. “Anytime, Natalie.”
He sounded like he meant it.
“I’d invite you in, but I need to get Chloe to bed.”
Somehow. Might not be possible, but I had to try.
I took a backward step onto the bottom stair, slowly edging away from him. Not because I necessarily wanted to, but because I knew I needed to. Before my daughter said something embarrassing again.
Cameron brushed off my words. “Of course. Don’t worry about it.”
Another step. “Can I order you a ride or something?”
“Nah, I’m good.” He gave a reassuring smile but didn’t move.
I was halfway to my front door now. “You’re going to stand there until we’re inside, aren’t you?”
The corner of Cameron’s lips twitched. “I’m nothing if not thorough.”
“Noted.”
His mouth transformed into a smirk, and I tried not to stare at it. Tried not to remember what it had felt like on my neck, how talented it had been, even for those few short moments. I wondered, not for the first time, if walking away from him had been a mistake. Especially now that I knew more about him, knew who he was, that he probably would have been a safeperson to rip the proverbial sex Band-Aid off with, even if I told myself that was something I shouldn’t do. That I shouldn’t be jumping into bed with anyone that fast. But would it have been such a terrible idea if the man were Cameron? At the moment, it didn’t seem like it.
But I’d been fooled before.
And it didn’t matter anymore, anyway.
“It’s a good thing for a lawyer to be,” I added.
