Page 79 of I Loved You First

“No, they don’t.

She stood in the sweat shorts and T-shirt she wore, grabbing the paper cups and plates off the coffee table, bringing them to the kitchen. When she got there, she stopped to fix her ponytail.

Cam stood in athletic shorts and a T-shirt, heading for the thermostat. “I guess I’ll turn off the fireplace and turn the air-conditioning back up.” He frowned as he hit the switch. “That’s a sentence I never thought I would say in late July.”

She chuckled, tossing several items in the trash. “You can’t have a tent without a campfire.”

“True.” He walked her way as Fi got to work on cleaning up the mess in the kitchen, where the boys had made their own pizzas when they ditched the hot dog idea due to the downpour. And then there was the disaster of hot fudge and a dozen other toppings smeared onto a third of the opposite countertop, where the sundae bar had been set up.

Stopping behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck as he pulled her close. “Thank you, Fi.”

She turned in his arms, locking her wrists at the back of his neck. “You’re welcome.”

He brought his mouth down on hers, taking her deep, kissing her the way he’d wanted to for hours. “You taste good.”

She smiled. “You do, too.”

He slid his knuckles along her jaw, always eager to touch her. “I guess tonight officially wraps up Brady’s injured reserve stint.”

“I guess it does.”

“Will we still see you around here now that day camp is starting on Monday?” Because he was afraid things might change now that Fi wasn’t helping him out anymore. Their summertime crunch made every moment they had together feel all the more urgent.

She shrugged. “I guess that depends on whether you want to see me.”

“You know we do.”

“Then try to keep me away.”

“I like that answer.” Grinning, he kissed her forehead. “Tomorrow, I was thinking about taking Brady school shopping, which might be a terrible idea considering he’ll be coming off of a sleepover. Do you want to come with us?”

She nodded. “I do.”

He sighed as he settled his forehead against hers. “The first day of kindergarten is coming up fast. I think he’s as nervous as he is excited. I guess I am, too.”

“Aw,” she said as she pulled him closer, nuzzling her nose against his. “I think that’s pretty normal. For both of you.”

He closed his eyes, loving Fi’s affectionate gesture. “I imagine it is.”

Easing back, she kissed his lips. “I saw a great dinosaur backpack online that I really think he’ll like. How do you feel about me ordering it for him?”

“I feel fine about it.”

“Unfortunately, it’s on backorder. When I looked a couple of days ago, it said it wouldn’t arrive for a week or two.”

“That’s still plenty of time before school starts.”

“Mm-hmm.”

He slid his fingers up her spine. “After we shop, do you want to come home with us and go out on the boat?”

“Definitely.”

“We can have dinner, and Brady will undoubtedly go to bed early. After I tuck him in, we could watch a movie and make some popcorn. We can add the M&Ms to the mix, which is surprisingly good.”

She grinned. “I told you it was tasty.”

“You did,” he muttered against her lips. “Then I’m going to take you to bed.”