Page 173 of Already At Risk
“With the biggest bouquet of sunflowers anyone has ever seen,” I laughed.
“Exactly.” Cameron pressed his mouth to mine again, lingering slightly. “What should we do until then?”
There were a million tasks on my to-do list to prepare for the wedding weekend, but we had about thirty minutes until Chloe came home from school, and the house was calm. It was the last bit of quiet we’d probably have for days to come. And I didn’t want to do anything but?—
Cameron picked me clean off my feet, reading my mind.
“I’ve made an executive decision,” he grunted, “I want to fuck my fiancée one more time.”
“One more time?” I asked breathlessly. “And then what? Will my husband take over?”
“Yeah, baby.” Cameron’s heavy footsteps sounded against the creaky stairs. “He will. He’s gonna take care of you for the rest of your life, don’t you worry about that.”
I wasn’t the least bit worried.
Thirteen years later
CAMERON
“Are wereallysure he’s good enough for you?”
“Yeah, Dad.” Chloe rolled her eyes at me, but there was nomistaking the nervous, jittery smile on her face. “We’re sure. And even if we weren’t, do you really thinknowis a good time to bring it up?”
I raised a brow. “Better than in ten minutes from now, when it’s too late.”
Chloe shook her head, huffing a laugh before she turned her attention to her dress, fluffing the white fabric around her ankles.
God, where had the time gone?
My throat tightened, and I nudged her with my elbow. She looked up, those green eyes bright and wide, reminding me of her mother’s. Her whole face had traces of her mom in it, her beauty and her brilliance.
“You know I’m kidding, right?”
Her lips tugged to one side. “I know you’re kidding.”
“I just don’t thinkanyoneis good enough for you.”
“I know you think that, too.”
“I’m a big fan of Oliver,” I said, wanting to make sure we were clear on that.
Chloe nodded, a slight sheen in her eyes now. “I wouldn’t be marrying him if you weren’t.”
My throat squeezed, threatening to close on itself. “He let your twelve-year-old brother be a groomsman. That really sealed the deal for me.”
Chloe laughed, twirling her bouquet in her hand. It was a summery yellow mix of blooms, but there were sunflowers in it.
She grew up with them.
“Eli looks really cute in his tuxedo,” she said, standing on her tiptoes to look at the front of the crowd, where her brother stood with her future husband.
“He’s happy to be included,” I said, also sneaking a peek at my son. His dark brown hair was brushed out of his face—a rarity. I could tell he was nervous to be standing up there, but also trying to keep his cool. Like he didn’t want anyone to know how excited he was. He smiled at someone in the audience, his dimplespopping, and then he chanced a glance at Oliver, who stood anxiously waiting for us. For Chloe.
I looked back at the bride to find her cocking her head to the side, watching me. Her long golden-brown hair was perfectly curled, flowing over her shoulders with a sparkling pin holding it back on one side. “We’ll always be around for him, Dad.” She pressed her lips together before adding, “I don’t know if I ever said this to you, but…thanks for giving me the one thing I always wanted.”
I reached out, grabbing her free hand and giving it a squeeze. “A sibling?”
“Well, yeah, but—” Her smile was soft. Mature. Calm now, the anxiety dimming. “I love Eli, but I was going to say a dad. Someone who I know will always take care of things. Who will always take care of Mom. I remember how she was before…before you. It’s fuzzy, but I remember. And I know how she is now.”
