A grin splits his face. “I’m just so fucking excited. And happy. Everything is falling into place.”
I squeeze his hand, my throat tight. “I feel the same way.”
He smiles, leaning in to press a soft kiss to my lips.
We stay like that for a long moment until he eventually breaks the contact. “We should probably get back,” he says, but he doesn’t move, his eyes still fixed on mine.
“Yeah, probably,” I say, not wanting to let go of his hand.
We make our way back to the table, our hands still entwined. Georgia rolls her eyes and groans as her eyes land on our hands. “God, you two. Still so loved up.”
Felix gives her a gentle nudge. “Hmm. Jealous, much?”
“Yep. Totally.” She laughs.
Our meals are delivered—sky-high burgers, crispy fries, and more ice-cold beer. It’s familiar and comforting. I take a bite of my burger, the flavors exploding on my tongue, and moan in appreciation.
Cam gives me a wink when I catch his eye. A flush creeps up my neck, my heart skipping a beat. Even after all these years, he still has the power to make me feel like the lovesick teenager I was when we first got together.
I listen to the chatter around the table as I eat, my thoughts consumed by memories of the two of us as teenagers. God, I had a crush on him! He was all gangly limbs after a growth spurt, but that smile—it melted by heart. I fell fast and hard and, to my amazement, he did too. We got together young—true high-school sweethearts and I can’t imagine my high school years without him by my side. Then my thoughts drift to the breakup, the one mistake that could have cost me the most important thing in my life. I remember the pain of that time apart. We never should have allowed ourselves to be convinced we needed to sow our wild oats before settling down. But even then, deepdown, we knew we belonged together, and it didn’t take long for us to find our way back to each other. Now, here I am, in exactly the place I’m meant to be. I reach for Cam’s hand and give it a squeeze. He meets my eyes and my smile matches his.
Once the meal is finished and the bill settled, we all linger for a moment outside on the sidewalk.
“This was fun,” Georgia says. “We should do it again soon.”
“Definitely,” Cam agrees. “Maybe next time we can drag Kit out of his writing cave and get him to join us.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Felix says, “but no promises.”
After hugs and goodbyes and the promise to get together soon, Cam and I head toward the car, his arm slung over my shoulders. Contentment washes over me. I give in to temptation and press a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks for tonight.”
“I had a great time,” he replies, “but I can’t wait to get home and have you all to myself.”
And with that, we make our way home, where I’m determined to show him just how much I love him.
Chapter Three
Cam
It’s been another busyday, although I can’t complain. CC’s is going gangbusters with the coffee crowd, both our regulars and out-of-town visitors. It might be something to do with the fact we now bake all our pastries in-house—or at least Donna does—and the word has spread. I might even need to look at extending our hours and employing a few more people. It’s a good problem to have.
Mid-afternoon, the bell above the door tinkles and I look up as Georgia and Felix enter. I haven’t seen them since dinner last week, so it’s nice to see their smiling faces.
“Well, well, look who it is,” Georgia says with a grin as she approaches the counter. “One of the lovebirds in the flesh.”
I roll my eyes. “Very funny.”
Felix chuckles. “Can you blame us, Cam? You and Greg were looking awfully cozy at Jake’s the other night. Couldn’t keep your eyes off each other.”
“Or hands,” Georgia adds.
I flush at the memory. Greg and I had maybe gotten a bit carried away, stealing kisses and holding hands, but sometimes it feels as if we’re the only two people in the world. I shrug and raise my brow. “What can I say? The honeymoon phase never ends.”
Georgia scoffs. “Please, you two have been together for ages. Get a room already!”
“Who says we didn’t?” I fire back with a wink.
Felix laughs and links elbows with her. “Alright, enough teasing the man. How about some coffee?”
