Page 55 of I Loved You First

“Thank you, Cam.”

“No problem.” He stretched out, crossing his ankles the opposite way, more than a little aware that Fi’s fingers now touched his shoulder. “So, you can be here Monday morning?”

“Definitely.” She startled when a firework exploded over the water. “That’s really pretty.”

He nodded as two more rockets of color filled the sky. “It’s certainly not bad.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over this view.”

“Ditto on that.” Using his phone, he turned off the lights in the room so they could see better. “It’s been a while since we’ve done something like this.”

“It has. This is our first time watching the fireworks from indoors.”

“Mm-hmm,” he replied.

“I might like it better,” she said as more fireworks ignited.

“Me too.” He grinned as she did. Because this moment felt so much sweeter than those they’d shared in the past—he and Fiona enjoying a quiet evening together, comfortable in each other’s company again. Unlike holidays before, tonight had been hard-won. “I’m glad you’re here, Fi.”

She sent him another smile. “Me too.”

“Happy Fourth.”

“Happy Fourth, Cam.”

fifteen

Fiona floated on a pool noodle next to Brady in the late-afternoon sunshine. They kicked about in the chest-deep water not far from Cam’s house. “How’s your wrist feeling?”

“Good.” Brady turned, resting his weight on the two blue noodles he’d chosen from the box of various floaties and lake toys, heading farther out into the cooler depths. “It’s not sore.”

“That’s good.” Fiona followed him, still getting a kick out of Brady’s swim trunks. Various dinosaurs wore sunglasses on his navy-blue shorts. “And it’s not getting wet?”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

“You’ll tell me if it does?”

He nodded. “But it won’t.”

She’d watched him like a hawk for almost an hour while they built a massive sand castle on Cam’s small section of private beach. Then they’d moved on to play in the water with the child-sized waterproof cover protecting his splint.

For the last two days, she and Brady had stayed busy with tons of reading, puzzle making, Lego projects, and the occasional movie. They’d gone to the party supply store, where Brady had been deemed the official party planning helper as he put needed items in their cart. They had even enjoyed some easy cooking and baking together, but an active five-year-old could only be still for so long.

After an increasingly restless afternoon, she’d texted Cam, and they had both agreed that a little lake time would be good for Brady.

“Let’s swim to the dock and back,” he suggested.

She nodded, noting that he still had plenty of energy for the thirty-yard swim. “But we have to use our noodles to help us so you don’t make your arm tired.”

“I’m a good swimmer.”

And he was. Cam had done an excellent job teaching Brady how to be safe in and around the water. “I agree. But we have to take care of your wrist until it’s healthy again.”

He scrunched up his nose. “Okay.”

She smiled as they started toward the dock. “It’s hard to be patient sometimes. Especially when we’re used to being able to do things a certain way.”

Brady sighed. “Yeah.”