Page 53 of Feels Like Coming Home

When I packed for this trip, I wasn’t expecting to go on any dates, so I hadn’t brought anything overly sexy or alluring. This was going to have to do. I decided to curl my hair and pin half of it back, exposing part of my neck, and putting my freckles on full display.

When I walked out of my room, Piper gasped as if I was wearing a ball gown and diamonds.

“Oh my god, you lookso hot!” she squealed and covered her mouth as she gaped at me. “Hays, you’re stunning, seriously. You haven’t looked this bright since before—” She stopped her words mid-sentence, not wanting to finish it. I knew what she was about to say,since before Connor’s accident.

I grabbed her hand and squeezed her index finger.

“Thank you, Piper. And thank you for being so supportive. Part of me still feels like it’s way too soon to be going on a date and the same part of me is also worried because of who I'm going on the date with. But you said it yourself, maybe this is life handing me happiness and I would be stupid if I didn’t at least try to chase it.”

I pulled out my phone to check the time and saw that Cam should be here in just under ten minutes. I was about to sit at the bar with Piper when the doorbell rang. We both looked at each other, surprised that Cam was early. Piper waved her hands at me and pushed me toward the door. When I opened it, a small gasp slipped from my lips.

Cam was standing on the cracked front step of the bungalow, wearing dark jeans and a white button-down shirt that he had cuffed at his elbows. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone, exposing his tanned and toned chest. His dark brown hair was tousled and slightly damp as if he had just taken a shower.

When I looked at his hands, I could see he was holding a bouquet of flowers, their bright pink and orange hues jumping out in contrast against his crisp white shirt. As I looked at the flowers further, I smiled as I discovered they were my favorite kind—dahlias.

“These are for you,” Cam said, holding out the flowers for me to take. “If I remember correctly, they’re your favorite.” A flirtatious grin was on his face as he said it, knowing good and well that he was right.

“You remembered correctly. Thank you, Cam, they’re beautiful.” I took the bouquet in my arms and stood in the doorway, committing the image of a freshly shaven Cam bringing me flowers to memory. I must have been staring too long because I heard Piper clear her throat behind me.

“Here, Hays, why don’t you leave those with me and I’ll put them in a vase so they stay fresh and don’t wilt.” She took the bouquet from me and winked.

“Do you have everything?” Cam asked, my eyes turned back toward where he stood on the front porch. A nervous flutter swept through my insides.Was I really about to go on a date with Camden Johnson?

“Yep! I’m all set.” I turned inside to pull the front door closed and caught Piper just inside the door flashing me a big smile and a thumbs up. I blew her a kiss from the doorway and pulled the door shut behind me.

Surprisingly enough, Cam drove his car to pick me up which I thought was odd because the town we were staying in was so small everything was walkable. He stood on the passenger side, waiting for me to approach, and opened my door for me. I could feel my cheeks burn slightly as I slipped in and took my seat. As I pulled the buckle across my lap, Cam slipped into the driver’s seat next to me.

“You ready?” His eyes lit up as he looked at me and I could almost count each of his individual teeth, his smile was so wide. I let out a breathy laugh and nodded as he started up the car.

We drove through town, letting the sound of the music playing on the radio hold the conversation for us. The energy in the car was vibrant and nervous. I wondered if it was my nerves or Cam’s that I felt buzzing between us. When we pulled up to the restaurant, Cam hopped out of the car and opened my door before I could even unbuckle my seatbelt. He offered me his hand which I took and helped me out of the car.

The restaurant he took me to was dark and intimate. Looking around, it seemed like it could only fit about ten tables inside the small, cramped space. The hostess showed us to our table immediately and Cam and I took our seats across from each other. After a few minutes of sitting at the table and getting used to the environment, my nerves started to disappear and I started to relax. As if picking up on my energy, Cam also seemed to relax after a few minutes. When the server came to our table, we both ordered a drink and our food before turning to one another once again.

We started to talk about old times and growing up in Pennsylvania. Cam told me about playing college football and how excited he was when he got drafted to play in the NFL. He asked me about my mom and She Who Thrives and the entire conversation felt easy and light. We only paused our conversation when the food came but picked up again once we had both cleaned our plates.

He told me about his friend Harvey and his wife and kids. As Cam spoke, I sensed a longing in him to have what Harvey had: a family of his own. Cam and I spoke for over two hours until the server came to ask us if we were ready for the bill or if we wanted another drink. I was perfectly content to sit at the table and talk until the staff threw us out, but I looked to Cam to see what his response was.

He looked at the server for a moment and then to me.

“There’s a bar back at my hotel if you want to go get a drink there?” His voice teemed with apprehension, unsure of how I would take the suggestion.This was it,I thought to myself.This was the moment where I either needed to work with what life was handing me or fight against it.It took me less than a few seconds to decide I was tired of fighting.

“We’ll take the check,” I told the waiter with a smile.

As he walked away, I looked toward Cam who had a surprised expression on his face. The server brought the check back quickly and Cam handed him his card. Once we paid for dinner, Cam stood and pushed his seat back. I turned to grab my purse which I’d slung across the back of my chair and when I turned around again, Cam’s hand was waiting for me to take, which I did.

We walked out of the restaurant together, holding hands, and sped off toward Cam’s hotel once we were back in his car.

27

CAM | NOW

Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.

I swiped the key card over the scanner and pushed open the door. Haley Johnson was in my hotel room, after going on a date with me, that I asked her on. When I picked her up from her house and she turned to hand Piper the flowers I bought for her, I had to quickly pick my jaw up off the ground after seeing her entirely exposed back. Ever since that moment, my pants have been tugging a little tighter across the front.

I held the door open for Haley to let her go in before me. Both to be a gentleman and so I could consume the exposed flesh of her back with my eyes once more. The tenderness of it made it look soft and it took everything in me not to place one of my hands on it. It was also sprinkled with freckles, just like her face, and I wanted to draw an invisible line between them with my finger. She set her bag down on the couch and turned in slow circles, taking in the room for the first time.

“Wow, Cam. This is nice.” She raised her eyebrows at me as she turned. My ego grew knowing that I had impressed her.

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