Page 39 of Sophia & Cameron

“Thanks,” he said.

“Do you have nieces and nephews?”

He shook his head. “Not yet. My brother doesn’t seem inclined to settle down, so who knows if I ever will.” He didn’t bother mentioning that he wouldn’t mind Paxton becoming his nephew if everything went the way he wanted it to with Sophia. The last thing he needed was to scare Sophia off.

There was a brief frown that marred her pretty face, and it had him wondering if she was recalling what he’d said of his brother and the history he had with him. But just as quickly as it had arrived, it disappeared.

Paxton returned before he could ask her about it.

In no time, they were all scrunched in beneath a fort constructed of chairs, cushions, and blankets. Paxton had picked the space between the two of them, and he was seated, hunched forward with his eyes glued to the television, which offered Cameron an unobstructed view of Sophia.

Every so often she’d glance in his direction, and he’d smile right back. Life couldn’t get any better than it was at this moment. He could see a future with Sophia doing this exact activity with their own children.

Goodness. What was happening here?These were thoughts he’d never had with anyone else. But he knew in his heart, it was exactly what he wanted.

He reached for her hand and laced his fingers between hers behind Paxton’s back. They had an undeniable connection, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect it. If he had to go to war for her, he would.

Soon enough, the movie ended, which meant bedtime for Paxton. Sophia excused herself to take care of the bedtimeroutine while Cameron put everything right again in the front room. Cushions were replaced, blankets were folded, and chairs returned to the kitchen. By the time Sophia had returned to him, the room looked good as new.

Cameron patted the seat beside him on the couch, and she settled against him. They were quiet for a long moment, just letting the silence of the evening wrap around them like a warm blanket. Nothing else was going on in the house. Her family were either still out or had turned in early.

Her head rested against his chest, and he brought his arm around her. Letting his fingers thread through her hair, he reveled in its soft texture. She’d changed her hair because of a bad experience, as a way to reinvent herself, and yet he couldn’t imagine her any other way.

Sophia’s thoughts must have taken a similar turn because she sighed. “My ex… his name was Brent.” She sighed again. “He loved my long hair. He always said that it made me look like a princess in all those storybooks, and he wanted me to keep growing it out just to see how long I could get it.”

Cameron tensed. Was this the boyfriend who had hurt her?

Thankfully, Sophia didn’t seem to notice his reaction to her statement, and she continued. “His nickname for me was Princess, and every gift he gave, every card, anything revolving around us and our relationship was royalty themed. I loved it. He made me feel so special—like he saw me better than anyone else.” She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out harshly. “Then I found out he was cheating on me with a couple different girls from other schools in nearby cities.”

He couldn’t help it. Despite knowing this confession was coming, Cameron couldn’t contain the rage he felt on her behalf. One hand clenched tightly at his side, and he prayed she didn’t notice the way he was reacting. She didn’t like it when he got angry. But this was a serious issue. It didn’t matter that it tookplace years ago. Someone had hurt her and made her feel like she was worthless.

“Anyway, that’s why I cut it.” She lifted her own hand to the strands surrounding her face. “That’s why I needed the change. I didn’t want to look anything like a princess. It made me sick to make that association.” There was an edge to her voice he had only heard a handful of times since he’d met her. “I’m not some damsel in distress or some girl who needs saving. I’m not a princess.”

Cameron shifted so he could see her face. “I’ve never thought you were some damsel who needed to be saved.” He chuckled, his hand cupping her chin. “I doubt anyone would look at you and see that. You’re strong, capable, and a spitfire to boot.”

A smile tugged at her lips and her eyes dipped to his mouth like she wanted to kiss him for the compliment.

He moved closer if only to indicate that his thoughts were in a similar place. His voice grew husky, and his breath fanned her face as he murmured, “I would never hurt you like that, Red. You are everything to me.” With that confession on his lips, he brushed a kiss on hers that was both scintillating and filled with all the promises he had yet to make. She pushed her hands around his neck and into his hair as she clung to him. No words needed to be said after that. They had each other, and they both knew it. With how good it was to be in her arms, he couldn’t think of anything more he could ever want.

A few more weeks passed,and they only got closer. Sophia shared parts of herself that she hadn’t shared with anyone else. Cameron felt he knew her inside and out.

The way they had behaved toward one another in the beginning was ancient history. Together, they made a good team. Cameron could see himself settling down in a place like Copper Creek.

“You know, I’ve been wondering. What’s going to happen when the contract with my brother is up?” Sophia hovered in the doorway of the stall where Cameron was doing a few tests to discern whether or not they’d successfully bred the mare in question.

He glanced over his shoulder at her, a smile tugging at his mouth. “Do my ears deceive me? Are you worried about my leaving?”

She scoffed, humor in her eyes, but at the same time he could see a marginal amount of trepidation. It had already been a few months and time was ticking. There had been some inquiries by other ranches for him to set up another contract, and he’d been putting them off. Normally, he would have the next one lined up, and yet he couldn’t pull the trigger to do so.

He heaved a groan as he straightened to his full height and moved toward her. His fingers brushed the hair at her brow and slid until he tucked strands behind her ear. With his other hand, he pulled her close. “All you have to do is ask me to stay, Sophia. I won’t go anywhere unless you want me to.”

Her breaths were shallower now. His proximity had a tendency to do that to her. She stared at him for a few heart-wrenching moments, and he started to second-guess whether they had a relationship that was strong enough to withstand the storms most took on in a lifetime.

Then she put him out of his misery as she framed his face with both of her palms. “Stay.”

His heart pounded. His stomach flipped. He hadn’t called a single place home in over five years. “Really?” he whispered.

“Really,” she murmured back. “Put down roots. Move to Colorado. I’m sure there’s plenty of work for you to do within driving distance.” Then she shrugged. “And maybe Mateo might consider hiring you on full-time.” She blushed and nodded again. “I really want you to stay.”

---