“I’ll try your pizza, if you promise to come back soon.”
My head bobs solemnly. “I promise.”
Her expression relaxes into a contented smile. She gently pats my cheek. “Wonderful.”
As we continue our stroll back to the main house, I make eye contact with Humphrey who is now off to the side of the gazebo, raking a section of the lawn that has clearly already been raked today. Maybe more than once.
He nods at me in approval, and I’m starting to realize that there’s more going on within the walls of this estate than anyone realizes.
When I make it to my new home later in the evening, Lincoln and Cameron are waiting for me. They’ve already made dinner, and it’s keeping warm on the stove. I can smell it all the way from the front door.
Residual white soup bubbles in my stomach.
Cameron hops off the couch with an excited shout, darting over to give me a strong hug.
My heart flutters when Lincoln rises to his full height and smiles at me, too. “Hungry?” he asks me.
“Starved.” My lips wobble when I return his smile.
I follow them into the kitchen, a feeling of ease washing over me. No one’s ever been excited to welcome me home before. Ican’t remember the last time someone even cooked me a hearty home-cooked meal.
And Cameron’s hugs? Gosh, this kid is going to be a heartbreaker.
It all feels so nice.
Idowant to bask in this feeling. Suddenly, that life of love Alba described a few weeks ago doesn’t seem so impossible.
Maybe I would actually like to experience that myself.
And despite what that marriage contract says, when Lincoln smiles at me, it feels like maybe I could.
31
JULES
“Okay, bud. Time to get ready for bed,” Lincoln says, collecting the deck of loose cards and dropping them back into the cardboard box.
“Aw, man. Already?” Cameron complains.
“Yes, sir.”
We finished dinner nearly an hour ago, and the three of us have been sitting around the table playing games, laughing, and catching up on our day.
“You play a mean game of Crazy Eights,” I tell Cameron with a smile. “I’m going to have to practice before we have our rematch.”
He nods. “You’ll get better.”
Cameron’s bluntness makes me laugh. He doesn’t sugarcoat things. Just says it like it is.I love that.
He’s walking backwards toward the hallway, when he pauses. “Um, Jules?”
I look over at him. “Yeah?”
“After I brush my teeth, will you tuck me in? Please?”
I blink in surprise. Cameron’s question throws me for a loop. I glance at Lincoln, and see the same shock on his face.
“Oh, yeah. Of course. I’ll give you a couple minutes and then meet you upstairs?”
