“You’re going to be amazing at this,” Lex said at one point, his fingers tracing patterns on her arm. “You have the instincts, the curiosity, and most importantly, the trust.”
“I trust you both completely,” she confirmed. “Even when I’m scared, I trust you.”
“That’s the foundation,” I said. “Everything else we can teach. But trust? That’s something you give us. And we don’t take that lightly.”
She fell asleep between us eventually, worn out from the day’s observations and emotions. I looked at Lex over her head.
“She’s ready,” I said quietly.
“She is,” he agreed. “Tomorrow we find out exactly what she wants to explore.”
“This is going to be fun,” I said with a grin.
“For all of us.” Lex’s smile matched mine.
We settled in to sleep, Cami safe between us, and I felt that rightness again. The three of us together. Building something beautiful, one negotiation at a time.
Chapter Seventeen
Majesty
The smell of bacon and fresh coffee filled the kitchen as Lex and I worked side by side, preparing brunch. It was just past 10 a.m., and Cami was still asleep upstairs. We’d decided to let her rest after the intense week she’d had.
“French toast or pancakes?” Lex asked, whisking eggs in a bowl.
“Both. She needs to eat.” I flipped the bacon, then started cutting fresh fruit. “And this conversation is going to take a while. We’ll need the energy.”
“You have the materials ready?”
“On the dining table. Limits checklist, interests inventory, and the class catalog for the Ranch.” I glanced at the stairs. “Think she’ll be overwhelmed?”
“Probably.” Lex smiled. “But she can handle it. Plus, she has us.”
By eleven, we had the table set with food and all the materials organized. I headed upstairs and knocked softly on Cami’s door before opening it.
She was still curled under the blankets. I sat on the edge of the bed and ran my hand over her shoulder.
“Hey, beautiful. Time to wake up.”
She made a soft sound of protest and burrowed deeper.
“Come on. We made brunch, and we need to talk.” I leaned down and kissed her temple. “Plus, the bacon is perfect, and if you don’t come down soon, Lex is going to eat it all.”
That got her eyes open. “Bacon?”
“And french toast. And pancakes. And fresh fruit.”
She sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?”
“Eleven. We let you sleep in. Your dinner isn’t until six, so we have plenty of time.”
“Time for what?”
“For the conversation we promised you. About limits and interests and what you want to explore.” I stood and offered her my hand. “Come on. Food first, then we talk.”
She took my hand and let me pull her up. She was wearing one of my t-shirts, and it fell to mid-thigh on her. The sight made something warm settle in my chest.
Downstairs, her eyes widened when she saw the spread we’d prepared. “You made all this?”
