Page 30 of Staying for You

“What’s that?”

“You forgot to say over. But I’m kind of sick of the word anyway. I didn’t get poop on my forehead. Roger.”

“Roger?”

“Isn’t that another thing people say?”

Damn she’s cute.

I start the tractor up again and look behind me before driving forward and letting down the blade again to keep pushing snow. “Roger that. I’m proud of you also for not having forehead poop like I did. You’re too pretty to smell like shit.”

“Well, aren’t you the sweetest thing?” she asks, letting her southern twang pour out of her.

We’re silent for the rest of the time I’m blading snow and I’m just finishing up, putting the tractor away in the shed.

“You doing okay there, buddy? Need anything? Over.”

I’m beginning to think that Cami might be one of the most fun women I’ve spent time with. She’s goofy and lighthearted. Whoever broke her heart and brought her to me is an idiot.

“Heading inside now.”

“Roger that. 10-4. Over and out.”

I’m chuckling, staring at the walkie talkie in my hand as I push through the door to the lodge and start up the stairs to my home. The scent of something delicious cooking assaults me when I’m halfway up the stairs.

I open the door and see Cami’s hips swaying side to side with Brody on her shoulders. He’s laughing and she’s singing, holding his hands in the air as she continues dancing around the living room. She spins around and tells him to hold on tight.

He squeals, clearly ready for whatever she’s about to do.

She falls on the couch and he goes down with her, bouncing a little bit and laughing a deep belly laugh.

Cami moves off the couch so she’s on her knees next to it and immediately starts tickling Brody’s belly.

His giggle is everything that’s perfect in the world. Uninhibited joy. As she moves away, he attacks her right back. She laughs it up, pretending that he’s really getting her. Then he jumps off the couch and climbs all over her.

They’re both laughing and I’m staring at the two of them wondering how this happened. Neither Brody nor Issy have a hard time taking to new people, but the fact that they’ve accepted her so readily does something to my heart that I can’t explain.

I clear my throat and they both jerk their heads in my direction.

Cami blushes, lifting Brody off her and reaches down to right her shirt that’s ridden up slightly to show her stomach. It’s not perfectly flat or showing definition of muscles. It’s soft and rounded ever so slightly, in a way that screams woman. I feel my pulse pick up and avert my eyes when she glances up. I know she caught me staring, though.

“It smells amazing in here.”

“Yeah? I’m sorry that I invaded your kitchen but I figured you’d be hungry when you got in and a hot meal might warm your bones after being out in the cold weather.”

I lick my bottom lip as she walks toward me and nod, reaching out to take Brody from her. “Thank you. If it’s as good as it smells, I imagine there won’t be any leftovers.”

“I made a big pot, you’ll have plenty.”

“You clearly don’t know the kind of appetite I have,” I tell her, patting my stomach. “And just so I don’t get accused of being a liar when you figure it out later, I wasn’t outside pushing snow with a shovel. The tractor has a nice warm cab. But I still appreciate the hot meal.”

“I heard it, actually, but couldn’t see. I remember my grandpa had a tractor when I was growing up that didn’t have a cab on it so I wasn’t sure…” She looks away, sheepish and maybe a little embarrassed.

“Either way, I’m thankful. What’d you make?”

“Ham and corn chowder. Do you like that? I just kind of snooped through your kitchen and threw together what you had all the ingredients for. Hopefully you weren’t saving them for anything in particular,” she adds on nervously.

“It sounds great, actually. I rarely make myself soup but it’s one of my favorite meals.”

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