Alice reached her first, throwing her arms around Emily’s waist. Audrey was half a second behind, practically vibrating with excitement.
“I did win.” Emily crouched down to their level, holding out the trophy. “See?”
“Whoa.” Alice’s eyes went huge. “It’s so shiny.”
“Can I hold it?” Audrey asked.
“Sure you can but be careful. It’s heavy.”
I watched the three of them huddle around the award, Alice’s pigtails already coming loose, Audrey’s ponytail askew. No makeup. No carefully curated outfits. Just two kids in comfortable clothes, excited to see the woman they loved win something special.
Could I have imagined this a year ago? No way. They would have arrived looking like miniature adults.
But Emily had done something I never could. She’d sat Natascha down and shared some of her story. The pressure she’d faced as a child. The damage it had done. How she was dealing with it now. I would forever be grateful to Emily for that, and to Natascha for listening.
She caught Emily’s eye. “Congratulations on your win. That’s a big deal.”
“Thank you.” Emily straightened up, one hand still resting on Alice’s shoulder as she gave Natasha a sweet smile. “I appreciate you bringing them.”
“Of course.” Natascha’s gaze dropped to the girls. “Be good for your dad. I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye, mommy.” Kisses and cuddles were exchanged, then Natascha climbed back into her car, leaving without fanfare, which was its own kind of miracle.
“Alright, everyone.” My mom clapped her hands, shifting into organizational mode. “Reservations are in forty-five minutes. Let’s get moving.”
The group began to disperse, breaking off toward their various vehicles. I caught Emily’s hand and tugged her toward my truck, letting the girls run ahead with their cousins. I was more than happy to let them ride with my parents, just so I had a few moments alone with my woman.
“Hey.” I backed her up against the passenger door, caging her in with my arms. “Before we go.”
She tilted her head, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Before we go what?”
“I just need a second.”
“A second to do what?”
I kissed her.
Not soft this time. Not sweet. I kissed her like I’d been wanting to all day, deep and thorough, my hands sliding to her hips to pull her closer. She made a small sound against my mouth and fisted her hands in my shirt.
When I finally pulled back, her eyes were dark and her breathing was unsteady.
“Cam.” Her voice was husky. “We’re in a parking lot. Your entire family is right there.”
“Don’t care.”
“The girls...”
“Are with my mom.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “I just needed you to know.”
“Know what?”
“That I’m so goddamn proud of you I can barely stand it.” I brushed my lips across hers, lighter this time. “That watching you up on that stage was one of the best moments of my life. That I love you more than I have words for.” Another kiss, barely a whisper of contact.
Her hands came up to frame my face, “I love you, too. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
That almost did me in. I kissed her again, expecting it to be our last one before I bundled her into the car. Emily had other ideas. Before I could pull away, she wound her arms around my neck, pressed so close that there was no space between us, and ran her tongue over my lips.
I swallowed a groan, deepening the kiss, wanting more than anything to drag her straight home. But no, we had a whole heap of people waiting to celebrate how amazing and talented she was, so, “I need you to know something else.”
