Camden settled in on the couch. Tina would be okay. Elena had the job of her dreams. He’d successfully guarded the Bennetts through a huge and surprising political event. Everything was good. So what was wrong, and why did it worry him?
After tossing and turning, he gave up and grabbed his phone. After a quick search, Camden found a website on raising a child with type-one diabetes and dug in.
Twenty-Four
Elena kept a close eye on Tina’s blood sugar all night. If she drifted off to sleep at all, she didn’t remember it. Maybe Tina was getting a cold, or the excitement of the night sucked up her energy. But Tina didn’t have a fever or the sniffles, and she’d been much more excited about other things without going hypoglycemic. Sometimes, diabetes just didn’t make sense and they’d both learned to live with that. From the fear in Camden’s eyes, Elena realized he had a lot of catching up to do. But the fact that he was on her couch right now, that he hadn’t run from the fear, reaffirmed what she already knew. He loved them and he would be there through both the fun times and the hard times.
By morning, Tina was stable, but Elena was groggy. She finally slipped into a light doze and woke to the smell of breakfast cooking. She left Tina sleeping—snuggled up with her stuffed horse and Toby at her feet—and went to the kitchen where Camden was cooking eggs.
“What’s all this?” she asked as she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. She breathed in the warm, salty scent of his skin beneath his cotton t-shirt, with just the faintest hint of his citrusy aftershave.
“I was doing some reading about what a kiddo with diabetes needs to eat after a crash. I hope I’m getting it right.”
That sent her heart into orbit. “Baby, you’re getting it absolutely right.” She kissed the spot between his shoulder blades and he grunted. “Thank you.”
Camden slid the eggs onto a plate and set the pan aside. He turned and pulled her to his chest. He nuzzled deep into her hair, then down to the side of her neck, and laid a kiss on the sensitive skin just below her ear. “Did she do okay over night?”
“She did just fine.”
“Shall we go wake the Mermaid and get some more food into her?”
“Sounds like a plan. But first.” Elena took his face in her hands and gazed into his eyes. “I love you, Camden. I love who you’ve become. I love that you’re in our lives.”
His eyes turned misty. “I love you too, Gorgeous. So much it hurts. I am so proud to be holding you in my arms. You amaze me every single day.”
He dipped his head to kiss her, a soft, sweet landing on her lips followed by another. He ran his tongue along her lips until she parted them and took him in.
They heard Tina’s voice in the bedroom and broke off the kiss. It sounded like she was playing with her dolls—a wonderful, reassuring sound if ever there was one. They smiled and touched foreheads before Camden patted her bottom. She turned and he draped his arm around her shoulders as they walked to the bedroom. Camden smiled and she felt his body shake with suppressed laughter, hearing Tina play. Elena didn’t blame him. She sometimes stood silently outside her door and just listened to her daughter’s imagination run wild. The things she came up with often left her trying not to laugh at the sheer cuteness.
Elena stopped Camden just before they got to the door and put her finger to her lips. She wanted him to have a chance to listen like she sometimes did.
“Would you like to come and feed the horses, Emily? They’re at our racetrack.” Elena grinned up at Camden. Emily was Tina’s favorite doll. The voice she used sounded like a man’s. Maybe she was imitating Camden and the way he was always showing her the world. Camden kept his hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh.
“Sure! I love horses,” Tina answered herself in Emily’s high-pitched voice.
“There they are. They’re running on the track. But I don’t like the way they’re running.” She pitched the man’s voice deeper. Angry. This didn’t sound right. It wasn’t the usual way she played.
“I like the horses. I think they’re running fine.”
“Well, I don’t. So I’m going to kill them.”
Elena’s eyes went wide. Camden’s mirrored her alarm. She started to step in the room to tell Tina this wasn’t an appropriate way to play when Camden stopped her. This time he put a finger to his lips.
“No! Please don’t kill the horses!”
“I can do anything I want. Bang! Bang!”
Elena covered her mouth. Camden squeezed her tight as she shook. What the hell? Tina never played like this.
“I’m going to tell on you! I’m going to run to the beach and get the seals to beat you up. I know their king and his name is Camden and he’s going to get you.”
“Ha ha ha!” Tina’s laugh sounded all the more evil for her innocence. “Too late. I’ve already killed him and the rest of the seals and your mother too because you are a bad little girl who told!”
Elena’s knees went out from under her. Camden held her up. This couldn’t be happening.
Tina stopped talking. Sniffles filled the room.
Camden nodded at Elena and they entered the bedroom. Tina sat in the middle of the bed holding Emily. Her stuffed horse lay sprawled out on his back. Toby let out a whine as he whipped his head to look at them, his expression saying what do I do?
