And with that, I crashed my lips into hers.
It wasn’t that I hated my smile, but when I chipped my tooth, the first time I got dusted, I swear I thought I would never smile again. Eventually, I grew up, my feelings changed, and I learned to love my chipped front tooth. After all, it wasn’t the horse's fault it got spooked and threw me off. And now I had my perfect woman telling me she loved my smile.
I kissed her until we were both breathless. “Thank you.” I pulled away from her, letting her go. “I’ll see you guys in a bit, yeah? I’ll text you soon.”
She gave me a nod while still touching her bottom lip. She stepped down the porch and walked off to her Jeep.
“I’ll see you later, Tuck.” Then Cam followed Harper back to the Jeep. God, I cannot wait to learn both of theminsideand out.
29
CAM
The sky started turning gold when we met up with Tucker down at the beach. The sun hung low, casting long shadows across the sand and setting the tops of the waves on fire with light. The shoreline glowed. It was a warm amber stretching out in both directions, broken only by driftwood and scattered stones.
The water was glassy near the edge, gently lapping against the shore in a soft, rhythmic hush. Farther out, the lake caught the sky’s reflection—molten gold fading into blush pinks and smoky purples. Seagulls floated overhead, their wings catching the light as they glided silently across the sky.
Footprints trailed behind us in the sand, slowly filling with shadows as the sun dipped lower. Everything looked sharper somehow, like the light had carved each detail into place. The beach has been my happy place since I was a kid. I loved everything about it, even if it was a bit cold.
Harper looked like summer and fall collided in the best way. Her golden, amber-toned skin caught the last light of the day, glowing warmly against the backdrop of the lake. Her pink hairwas straight and in pigtails, with a couple of strands framing her face. She wore a black crew neck with a little ghost trick-or-treating across the chest, something goofy but completely her. Her leggings were black, and she carried her beat-up shoes in one hand as we all walked. She was stunning.
Tucker was a different kind of beautiful. I never really looked at men the way I look at him. He was wearing a half-up, half-down hairstyle that kept his slightly damp hair out of his face. I think my favorite part of his face was his eyes. I had never seen a green so captivating in my life. I loved that when he laughed, his eyes would crinkle at the sides. Tuck constantly just looked so damn happy. He wore dark gray sweatpants and a flannel over a T-shirt with his company logo on it. He held his shoes, and he walked barefoot through the sand.
My joggers were bunched up around my calves, and I carried my shoes in one hand as we walked along the shore. I had on a plain black T-shirt under an open flannel jacket, and even though I told myself I’d be fine with this jacket, the breeze had a bite to it. I should’ve layered up, but I didn’t really care to. I was glad I had my hat on, keeping my hair out of my face. Watching Harper fight the wind made me quietly thankful I didn’t have to. My hands and feet were cold, but my chest felt warm. I was at ease. I was happy.
“Okay,” she said after a minute, tone half-teasing. “You guys wanted to get to know me, right?”
I nodded. “Lay it on us, Shortcake.”
She shot me a look. “Still stuck on that nickname, huh?”
“You love it.”
She didn’t deny it.
“Fine. Basic facts. I’m twenty-seven. I was born on July twenty-ninth, which makes me a Leo—technically.”
“Technically?”
Tucker cut in. “Are we talking about zodiac signs?”
“Of course we are. And I’m not, like, a stereotypical Leo,” she said, tossing a strand of hair out of her eyes. “I don’tlovebeing the center of attention. But I do love deeply and overthink everything.”
“That makes sense,” Tucker said while giving her his sweetest smile.
“My favorite color’s obviously pink,” she added, motioning toward her hair with a small smirk. “But more like blush or rose or dusty pink. Not the neon bullshit. Wait, I also really love green. Either sage green or like a darker, emerald green.”
“Noted.” I made a mental note for future gifts.
“I love cottagecore stuff,” she continued, eyes sweeping the horizon. “Gardens, lace, old books, picnic baskets, mushrooms, cottages covered in foliage. The works.”
I nodded as she continued to speak.
“I’m a terrible cook,” she admitted, “but baking? That’s my shit. Give me a Sunday morning and an early 2000s playlist, and I’ll make enough muffins for a small village.”
Tucker raised an eyebrow. “But what kind of muffins? Cooking isn’t important to me because I enjoy doing it, but if you’re telling me, you can bake… this changes everything.”
“Really, any type! I love trying new recipes and experimenting.” She was clearly excited, given the speed at which she was talking. “Cam likes to cook too!”
