Page 70 of Sand in My Boots

The memories of this week wash over me, followed by recollections of the past, all hitting me squarely in the feels. Affection for Cameron soars, bursting through me, encouraging me to squeeze tighter. My hands clasp together behind his back, my chest nestling against his like he’s my lifeline.

We stand locked in this embrace until a little voice inside whispers, prolonging the goodbye won’t make it hurt less. As if Cameron heard the voice, he untangles himself from my vise. Instead of immediately letting me go, he captures my jaw in his hands. Moisture glistens in his green orbs. Emotionally stronger, he holds onto it without letting it fall.

“Keep in touch.” His words are unconvincing.

“I will.” The lie falls easily from my lips.

His mouth pulls into a timid smile. “It’s been fun, Jude. One day, you’ll find the man who can make all your weeks as special as this one’s been. Until then, if you ever want a repeat performance, you know where to find me.”

For the second time in less than an hour, his deep words hit me hard, leaving me reeling with no proper way to make sense of them. Rather than attempt to unpack them, and the stupid, sexy grin on his mouth, I do the only thing that makes perfect sense and absolutely none at the same time.

I leave.

Chapter 19

Cameron

“Until then, if you ever want a repeat performance, you know where to find me.”

What.

The.

Fuck.

Did.

I.

Just.

Say?

As Juli darts away, the words I practically seduced her with swirl through my brain. Sure, I meant every single one of them, including the part about finding the man who can give her more weeks like this.

Her soulmate.

Her one.

Gag me.

With everything I have inside me, I want to be that person for her. But we can’t always get what we want.

It’s a cruel truth, but a truth nonetheless.

Stretching out on the blanket—careful not to let any part of me touch the sand since I don’t have time to shower before our weekly meeting—I cross my feet at the ankles and prop my head up on my elbows.

The sky is still lit up in early morning oranges and yellow, but it’s the pink hue capturing most of my attention. Living here in South Carolina has its benefits, gorgeous sunrises year-round being one of them. I’m often up in time to catch it most days, albeit from the safety of my back deck, but I never tire of it. Kinda like I don’t think I’d ever tire of waking up next to Juli Langley.

“But no. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the case. It’s not reality.” I force the words out of my mouth for a better chance I’ll believe them.

I set a timer for forty-five minutes and stare up at the sky. I’ll allow myself forty-five minutes to wallow in thoughts of Juli, both past and present. When the alarm goes off, I’ll get up, pack up my stuff, and push her out of my mind.

It worked fourteen years ago. It can work now.

My mocking laugh punctures the stillness of the ocean. Even if I say it aloud, it won’t come true.

An hour later, I’m the first to arrive in the conference room we use for our weekly meetings. The four of us fit comfortably around the oval table, but there’s also room for a few extras if we need to invite other employees in. Checking over my schedule for the day—my brain anywhere but on work—Preston arrives next, followed quickly by Silas. As usual, Zane rushes in last.