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My stomach tipped dangerously with nerves. I’d woken with a tight chest, taking infinite care to get ready that morning. Cameron was out the door long before I was awake, helping Ian split wood or chop down trees, I wasn’t even sure. It all sounded very outdoorsy and out of my wheelhouse.
Which meant I spent the morning alone with my thoughts, staring at my clothing options with a growing sense of dread.
Had you ever tried to pick an outfit to impress your non-boyfriend’s family when he sort of felt like your boyfriend and you sort of felt like you might be falling in love with him even though it was a horrible idea and you had no idea how to act around his big, scary, loving family?
It was hard.
Add into that mix that I was about to walk into a cheesy movie small-town festival when I’d never attended one of those in my life, and it felt an awful lot like I’d want to start day drinking shortly after finishing my second cup of coffee.
I didn’t, but I sure as hell thought about it.
Ultimately, I settled on a pale pink floaty skirt that felt about as casual as I could manage, a pair of Italian leather sandals with straps that wrapped around my ankles, and a white tank top. When I walked into the house, Cameron looked at me like he wanted to eat me alive, so I figured I’d chosen well.
Then again, he was a terrible judge of whether I’d chosen well because I was quickly realizing that he always looked at me that way.
Greer plopped onto the couch between Poppy and me, and I watched with the slightest pang of envy when Poppy immediately repositioned herself to lay her head down on Greer’s thigh. Greer absently played with her sister’s hair while she watched the football replays with Tim and Cameron.
“When are they getting here?” Poppy asked.
Greer glanced at the clock on the wall. “Adaline texted me when they left Seattle. They should be here any minute.”
“They flew, right?” Cameron asked.
Greer nodded. “Lydia chartered a flight, so she and Erik and the baby are with them too. Beckett and Parker will get here in about an hour.” Then she looked at me. “You ready for all this?”
“Not even a little,” I admitted.
She laughed. “You’ll be fine.”
I wasn’t so sure about that, but I appreciated her vote of confidence all the same.
“Everyone under one roof,” Tim sighed happily. “It’s been too long.”
Sheila made her way over to the family room, perching on the arm of Tim’s chair. “You sure you’re up for a visit downtown?”
“Wife, you’ve asked me that seventeen times in the last six hours, and my answer hasn’t changed once. I told you I’m going to do it, and I will.” He patted her arm. “I’m fine. This is why we have wheelchairs.”
She sighed, but her nerves were clearly stamped on her face.
Cameron watched his parents carefully, and I watched Cameron.
My body practically vibrated with the urge to shift closer to him. Hold his hand, just in case it made him feel better.
It was weird and horrible and helpless, to care for someone like this. Objectively, I knew I couldn’t actually make him feel better but I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to try. The sensations growing steadily in my chest were foreign, with sharp, fixed edges rolling closer and closer to something permanent, even if it managed to defy definition.
Tim picked up Sheila’s hand and gave it a sweet kiss, and then he nodded to Cameron. “Help me up, won’t you? I want to be in my wheelchair outside when they get here. If I don’t get first dibs on that baby, I’m going to be cranky.”
“What about me?” Ian asked. “I’ve never even met her, why do you get to hold her first?”
Tim eyed his son over the rim of his glasses. “Don’t make me pull the cancer card because you know I will.”
Ian rolled his eyes, but his mouth was soft with a rare smile. He went to get the wheelchair, folded and kept out of the way in Sheila and Tim’s bedroom. Cameron stood and gripped Tim under both arms, Sheila helping from behind, and he stood with a slight grimace.
“Got it?” Cameron asked, watching his dad’s face carefully as he got his weight under his feet.
Tim nodded. “Can’t be here for long, but I’m all right.”
Poppy sat up, closing the cover on her Kindle. “Do you need an extra blanket, Dad?”
