Her eyes gleam. “You look proud.”
“Mostly terrified,” I admit. “He was supervising with a look that said, ‘Don’t screw this up.’”
Cami laughs, the sound bouncing off these old walls like a melodic echo. And there’s something about hearing ithere, in a house built on fond family memories and love. It feels like her laugh belongs in this house. Like it’s never sounded more right anywhere else.
If we were back in Crystal Cove, we’d already be halfway to the shower.
It’s become our nightly ritual: start there, then again in bed, and again, voracious, as if our bodies know summer’s end is closing in.
Cami slips out of my jacket, draping it over the banister.
She steps in close, arms looping around my neck. “Are you feeling a bit more at ease?” she asks, tone tender, laced with care.
“Yeah.” My hands move along her back, tracing the curve of her spine through the thin fabric of her shirt. “I’m happy Grandpa’s hip isn’t broken. But getting him to rest while it heals is going to be a chore.”
Brow lifting, she looks up at me. “He didn’t strike me as the type to sit still.”
“That’s an understatement,” I say with a smirk. “He was already trying to convince Grandma to let him go home before the doctor even saw him. She wasn’t having it.”
Cami smiles, her thumbs brushing the back of my neck. “Sounds like she runs the show.”
“Always has,” I say, shaking my head slightly. “She and my mom will be home later tonight once he’s settled.”
Her gaze drifts over the photos and staircase before finding mine again. “It smells so good in here. Feels warm and cozy,” she murmurs. “You can tell love lives here.”
The wordlovehangs between us, an open door neither of us planned to walk through.
“Yep.” My gaze holds hers. “Love does live here.” I lick my lips. “You being here means a lot.”
Eyes searching mine, she says, “You asking me to come means a lot.”
Slowly, the world narrows to the hush between ticks of an old clock, a gentle hum from the fridge, and the heat of her pressed against me. I lower my head, and our lips meet, the kiss deepening with every heartbeat. Being with Cami feels easy in a way nothing else ever has, and I’m past pretending I don’t know what that means. I’ve fallen in love with this woman. Period. Full stop.
“I should grab our bags,” I say against her lips, our kiss beginning to slow.
“Want me to help?”
“Nope. You head up. Guest suite is the last room down the hall.”
Cool air brushes against my neck as I cross the drive, then grab our suitcases from the trunk.
When I step back inside, Cami’s halfway up the stairs, one hand trailing the banister. “Wanted to wait for you,” she says.
“Are there monster-like attic squeals?” I tease, hefting the luggage and following her up.
“Ha-ha.”
At the end of the hall, I nudge open a door.
Nothing about Grandma’s guest suite ever changes: lamplight pooling over the dark blue comforter, a vase of fresh flowers, and that whisper of lavender she swears helps people sleep better.
Cami turns in a slow circle. “It’s perfect.”
“Grandma always keeps it ready,” I say, setting our suitcases down near the bed. “I think she secretly hopes someone shows up unannounced.”
“Worked out in our favor,” she says with a small smile.
I move in behind her, hands sliding around her waist. “Wanna check out the orchard?” I press a kiss just below her ear.
