thanks _ to the Kane brothers’ family jet and Cal’s connections, Cami and I are leaving Michigan for the first time since I brought her home with me almost six years ago. The entire adoption process feels like it happened a lifetime ago. When I first met Cami in the NICU while she was being weaned off drugs, I was barely twenty-four years old and still in great distress.
The social worker assigned to her case gave me the easiest choice of my life when I arrived in California.
Adopt Cami or let someone else do it.
Best decision of my life , I say to myself as I look at Cami. She has her cat ear headphones on while she watches an episode of her favorite show on the flat screen embedded in the wall of the plane. I tried to sit next to hers, but she wanted the couch to herself because my girl is a pillow hoarder, so Cal and I settled into the captain’s chairs diagonally from hers.
The flight attendant hands Cami a juice box before placing our waters on the table in front of us. I place my wireless headphones in my ears only to have Cal steal one from me.
“I forgot mine.” Her fingers intertwine with mine, sending a rush of heat up my arm.
“Are you going to play something or should I?” He gestures toward my phone on the table.
I press play and settle into the chair. Cal turns my hand over and starts running the tips of his fingers along the inside of my arm.
” Tickle?” I gasp.
His lips form the sweetest smile. “Some things never change.” My lips purse as if I had sucked something bitter. “I have changed.”
Raise an eyebrow. “As?”
I stop the music to answer him. “Well, for starters, I like country music now.”
“Talk about a metamorphosis,” he responds dryly. I nudge her shoulder.
He just laughs as he clings to my hand again. “What other thing?”
“I became completely vegetarian for a year after watching a documentary.”
His eyes widen. “Was your mother alive at the time?” “Yes. She was completely horrified by the idea and unofficially revoked my Colombian citizenship.”
He laughs lowly. “That sounds like her. That woman loved her churrasco more than anything.”
“I know. Why do you think I started eating meat again? She didn’t give me much choice.”
His smile widens.
“Plus, I’m a morning person now. No more snoozing and missing alarms for me.”
“Shame. I loved finding new ways to motivate you to get out of bed.” He smiles.
My eyes roll. “Rather, you found ways to keep me in bed for as long as humanly possible.”
“It was a noble effort.”
“The only noble thing about you was your commitment to making me come first.” “It’s an obsession, not a commitment.”
We both laugh. I keep telling him the different things that changed for me, which really aren’t many once I list them. The most life-changing event for her was becoming a mother, and Cal already knows all about it.
“How are you? Has anything changed?” I nudge him with my shoulder. “My life is pretty quiet.” He sighs.
“That’s not true. You’re a cat dad.” “Right. The pinnacle of my life right there.” “Jobless?”
“No.” She taps her fingers against his thigh in a random pattern. “Come on. Something has to have changed in six years.”
“I’m not afraid of clowns anymore.” “That?” I gasp. “Since when?”
“Ever since Iris convinced me to go to a haunted Halloween maze. Turns out that year’s theme was…
“Clowns?” My tone rises.
“I should have known she was cheating on me the moment she asked me to go with her. I don’t do horror, but for her, I was willing to put on a brave face and try. Also, Declan seemed angry when he talked about us dating.”
“Why didn’t you turn around and leave when you found out about it?” “Because Iris blackmailed me.”
“As?”
“She threatened to release this video if I abandoned her.” Cal pulls out her phone and plays a video of him using an umbrella as a weapon against a creepy clown.
“I think I love her.” I wipe the tears from my eyes after the minute-long video ends with Cal screaming.
“I’m sure you two will become instant best friends the moment you meet.”
My chest warms. “I can’t wait to share the photo I have of you at your fifth birthday party.”
His eyes pop out. “Tell me you didn’t keep that.”
I smile. “Of course I did. It always makes the bad days better.”
His hand holding mine tightens. “I have one of those too.”
My cheeks get hot. “Please don’t say it’s the one where I’m trying on makeup for the first time.”
His eyes sparkle. “No, that’s a classic though.”
I scratch my head. “I thought I got rid of all the incriminating photos of my mom.”
He shrugs. “Maybe you didn’t.”
I shake his shoulders. “You have to tell me which one.” I won’t rest until I know what embarrassing photo Cal has of me. for the bad days.
“Relax. Just kidding. I swear it’s not bad.” “Like I should believe you,” I scoff.
He rolls his eyes as he pulls a photo out of his wallet and tosses it onto my lap. “Consider this our first test of trusting each other.”
My hands shake as I lift the photo Cal kept in his wallet . “It is this…”. I turn the photo, answering my question for me.
Get drunk on life, not alcohol.
Love,
Wool
“You saved him.” I turn him over again and look at the younger versions of us. The photo has lightened with time and light exposure, and the edges have become worn over the years. “Is this what you watch on bad days?”
He takes the photo from my hands and puts it back in his wallet. “Yeah.” “Of all the photos, why this one?” My voice trembles.
“Because it reminds me that there was a time when I was truly happy.” I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into a hug. “I want you to be truly happy again.”
His arms tighten around me. “I’m coming.”
 |
The private car drops us at the most elegant hotel Dreamland has to offer. Cal takes us to a penthouse suite with its own private elevator, chef’s kitchen, movie theater, and a perfect view of the lake that makes up much of the Kane Company property.
“This is great!” Cami gets lost somewhere between the dining room and the chef’s kitchen.
I have never stayed in a place like this in my life.
Rowan, Cal’s brother who I haven’t seen since he was wearing braces and going crazy for comics, left a note about the all-access VIP passes.
Food. Drinks. Exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences.
I’ve spent my entire life around the Kane wealth, but this is the first time I’ve been able to enjoy it. Since Cal said to spare no expense, I call room service and order three overpriced steaks and a bottle of orange juice that’s too expensive for Cami.
I have Michelin star taste on a Betty Crocker budget, so I might as well enjoy the finer things in life while they last.
When in Dreamland…
A loud fog horn catches Cami’s attention. She runs back to the sliding door and presses her face against the glass, fogged by her hot breath.
“Look! A ship!” Cami points out a ferry arriving at the dock to drop off the families.
I kneel next to him. “I see that.”
“We can take the ferry tomorrow if you want.” Cal kneels on the other side of Cami.
“Actually?” Her eyes widen in amazement.
“Surely. Whatever you want.” He rubs the top of her already messy hair.
This is why I’m willing to wait for Cal. Because love like that, the unconditional kind that comes straight from the heart, is not
easy to find. She would know after searching for him and failing miserably since she left.
“Thank you!” Cami throws herself into Cal’s arms.
Cal blinks twice at my smile before smiling back with one of his own. Before he knows it, she’s throwing me into her arms too, crushing me against Cami. The extra weight throws him off balance and the three of us crash onto the carpet, with him taking the brunt of the weight. Cami’s giggles between us make Cal and I laugh too.
Cami breaks free and runs off to claim her bedroom. Cal’s arms stay wrapped around me and adjust my weight so I lie on top of him. I take a breath as his hand runs down my spine, leaving sparks behind.
His hand stops at the small of my back. “I want you two to laugh like that for the rest of our lives.”
A tingling spreads through me, starting in my cheeks and heading toward my toes. He cups my cheek and pulls me closer to her face.
“Cal…” I warn him. “What about Cami?”
The squeak of a mattress and the constant thud of someone jumping makes him smile.
“I think she’s a little busy right now.” Her thumb brushes my bottom lip.
“Still.”
He removes her hand, taking her warmth with him. “I dare you to kiss me.” Flicker. “That?”
“You hear me. Either kiss me or you will be forced to reveal a secret. The low murmur of his voice makes my lower abdomen tighten.
“It’s not fair.” My voice breaks. Challenges have always been a weakness of mine, right after the man who instigated them in the first place.
He pulls my chin closer. “Truth or dare? Choose carefully.”
I bite my lip. “I have many challenges to overcome. Fifteen, to be exact, at my last count. The piece of wood on the dock may be long gone, but the memory is still vivid in my head.
“At this rate, you’ll never catch up to me.” “Just because you’re a daredevil.”
He smiles. And you are a coward.
Coward? I will show you
I accept Cal’s challenge and kiss him. Our lips mold together, the discharge of energy sparking between us. He takes a deep breath as I trace the curve of his bottom lip with the tip of my tongue. The sound travels directly to my clit.
My entire body is overwhelmed by its taste and smell, turning the experience into sensory overload. I try to locate what the feeling is
on my chest, but Cal doesn’t let it distract me for long as he grabs the back of my neck.
Control slips away from me as Cal dominates. The world I know changes when Cal becomes my center of gravity and connects me to it .
“Mommy and Cal, sitting in a tree. KISSING.”
Cal and I split up. Our eyes are wide open as we look at each other. His lips are as swollen as his penis pressing against my stomach.
“First comes love. Then comes marriage. Next comes Cami in a Dreamland carriage!” She throws herself on top of me, crushing me against Cal’s chest.
So much for not getting caught.
|
“Are you and Cal getting married?”
The comb I was using to brush Cami’s wet hair slips from my hand. “Umm.”
“Can I have a sister?” Her smile expands until it takes up more than half of her face.
Shit. Shit. Shit. She knew Cami would have questions, but things are escalating too quickly for her to keep up.
I reach for the comb and place it on top of Cami’s king size mattress. Cal and I are not getting married. My tongue suddenly feels heavy.
“Why not?”
“Because not everyone who likes each other gets married.” And because I have no idea if we will ever get to a place where that is even remotely possible.
Don’t be so negative.
Hard not to be when pessimism is practically a default setting for me some days.
“So you like it?” She punctuates her question with a few air kisses, making me laugh.
“Of course.”
“Me too.” She smiles.
“You do?” His response doesn’t surprise me, but it’s nice to get confirmation, especially after everything that happened with Victor.
“Yes. He’s kinder than Victor. He listens to me and likes to ask me questions and doesn’t make me feel like I’m bothering him.” The confession rushes out of her.
I do my best to keep my emotions under control. It’s almost impossible, especially with Cami mentioning Victor. It’s my fault she was ever put in a situation where a man would treat her like anything less than a princess.
Never more.
I tuck a strand of damp hair behind her ear. “I think he’s a lot nicer than Victor too.”
“ And it makes you laugh and smile.”
My eyebrows rise. “I have always laughed and smiled.” “Yes, but you do it a lot more now.”
I am speechless. It’s such a simple observation from Cami, but it’s one that makes my entire chest hurt.
Cami pops the bubble of excitement forming in my chest with a random question, proving that six-year-olds really do have the attention span of a puppy.
“Can I have a bedtime story now?”
I agree with Cami’s request, although her comment stays with me long after she falls asleep.
Cal crawled into my bed while I was busy with Cami. I crawl under the covers and snuggle against him, although he ignores me completely as he continues reading his book. The look of concentration on him draws a soft laugh from me.
It makes you laugh and smile.
Cal makes me do much more than that. He makes me want to have fun, enjoy life, and dream in a way that I have long forgotten over the years. Even with the odds stacked against us, it makes me want to believe we can work out.
But most of all, it makes me want to trust him. To fall in love once again.
With the.
