When he catches me watching, a slow grin spreads across his face. “What?”
“Nothing,” I say, stepping closer. “Just noticing you don’t look out of place.”
He tilts his head, eyes warm. “Guess I’m good at adapting.”
“Apparently.”
I slide my arms around his waist, resting my cheek against his chest. He reaches for a towel and dries his hands, then his arms wrap around me.
“This place feels different tonight,” I say quietly.
“Yeah?” he agrees. “Hopefully different in a good way.”
I nod against him. I just stand there a moment longer, listening to his breathing, committing the sound to memory before I let myself overthink it.
Eventually, I pull back. “We should probably get some sleep.”
He nods. “Yeah, I have to be up early for summer camp.”
“I have opening shift at the library.”
We finish up in silence, moving around each other, placing the last of the dishes back in the cabinets and starting the dishwasher. Cam switches off the kitchen light and glances down the hallway.
“Hey,” he says, low, “before we turn in.”
I stop, turning back toward him.
“We didn’t really talk about where I should sleep,” he continues, hands sliding into his pockets. “I don’t want to assume anything. And I don’t want it to be weird for Evie, either.”
A laugh slips from my lips as it hits me. “Wow, we got married and put this grand plan together and I didn’t even think about that.”
He smiles. “We were bound to miss something along the way. Still, I want you to be comfortable.” His gaze stays steady on mine. “I can take the guest room.”
“You can,” I say. “If that’s what you want.”
His mouth curves slightly. “This isn’t about what I want, it’s about what’s best for the two of you.”
“It’s really sweet of you to offer to take the guest room, but you can sleep in my room. If you want to.”
“Okay,” he says. “Then if it’s all right, I would much rather sleep next to you.”
We go through our nighttime routines, taking turns in the bathroom. I change into an oversized T-shirt and slide under the covers, the house settling into nighttime sounds around me as Cam plugs in his phone and lies down next to me.
He stays where he is, leaving room until I shift closer on my own. His arm comes around me, and my eyes drift closed.
“Night, Wells.”
“Night, Katie.”
Chapter thirty-one
Cam
By the following Tuesday, nothing about this feels temporary anymore.
I’ve spent most nights at Kate’s place since the move-in spectacle—late dinners, quiet mornings, learning routines. I still have my rental. I still keep some stuff there. But when practice ends and the day winds down, I find myself heading back to her street without thinking twice.
T-ball practice is moving along easily, kids laughing, cleats scuffing dirt as we run grounders to first. Kate’s sitting in the bleachers, cheering Evie on like it’s the World Series. Every time Evie waves, Kate waves back, that soft smile she saves only for her daughter tugging at something deep in me.
