Page 25 of Single Glance

Cam’s voice made me jump out of my skin. I held my hand to my chest as I turned to face him. “Oh my God, Cam.”

His eyes darkened for a moment before he gave me his usual careful grin. “Careful, menace. Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll think you’re happy to see me.”

“In your dreams, sarge.” Laila batted my hand away, lying back to soak up more warm rays. I leaned against the edge of the counter. “How did you get her here? She hates almost everyone, including me most days.”

Cam smirked. “Not me. The moment I opened the door, she purred at my feet.”

“Traitor,” I mumbled under my breath. Cam turned back to the stove, scrambling eggs in the pan. The smell of bacon permeated the air, and my mouth drooled on instinct. Breakfast had always been my favorite meal, but I rarely made it myself. Usually, I grabbed a protein bar or shake as I ran out the door.

Cam turned back over his shoulder. “Sit, Hadley. I made enough for all of us.”

As I contemplated his offer, Emilia came crashing into the room, throwing her arms around my legs. “Auntie Hadley, Daddy’s back!”

“I see that, kiddo,” I said as I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Her perfectly braided hair. Seriously, what the fuck had I walked into? Was I still asleep, trapped in some weird dimension where Cam was this domestic guru, capable of making a mouth-watering breakfast andgetting his daughter dressed like she was going to the senior prom?

Cam turned, giving me a stern look. “Breathe, Hadley. You’ve got an hour before you have to hit the road.” He motioned to the set place next to Emilia. “Sit. Eat.”

I dropped into the chair, still staring at Cam. His plain white tee stretched over the ample planes of his shoulders and back, and his gray joggers clung to his ass. God, what was it with baseball players and their glutes? Yes, I had looked when I was at the game. I was only human, after all. I’d concluded there must be some sort of correlation with the sport and the way all the players filled out their pants. It was the best kind of treat for my eyes, especially first thing in the morning.

Cam set down a plate for me, then returned a second time with a cup of coffee. Just as I opened my mouth to protest, he shook his head, “Oat milk, two sugars. I got you, menace.”

My jaw hung open as he walked away. How the hell had he learned how I liked my coffee? I couldn’t remember us ever sitting down for a cup, not since college. There were only group project sessions we’d had at the local shop, but I didn’t think he even noticed I was there, much less paid attention to my coffee order.

Warmth sizzled in my chest as I took the first sip, letting myself enjoy this simple pleasure. I drank little coffee—it made my insides jitter too much—but I allowed myself one in the morning, just enough to match the energy of my second graders when they burst through the door.

Cam grabbed a plate and settled down next to me. Emilia abandoned her spot at the table and climbed into his lap. God, my ovaries wanted to explode at the sight. I’d always thought Emilia was a clone of her mother, but seeingher with Cam now made their similarities stand out more. They had the same smile, same shape of their eyes. As he nuzzled into his daughter’s neck, Cam smiled, soft and serene. He missed her. Obviously, I knew he said he missed her, but it was different seeing them together after a week apart. I wasn’t used to public displays of affection after growing up with my mom. The most I ever got were awkward sideways hugs.

Seeing Cam so open and honest with his affection for his daughter made my heart pound a little faster.

As Emilia stole a couple of pieces of bacon from his plate, Cam turned to me. “Busy day today?”

I shrugged, taking a large bite of my eggs. Holy shit. Add this into the unfair column. The man wasn’t only ridiculously attractive and incredibly athletic, but he cooked? It had to be the worst kind of cosmic joke. I quickly scooped up another pile and shoved it into my mouth. An appreciative groan slipped out of my mouth, and my eyes snapped up to Cam. He was smirking back at me, almost like he knew exactly what that sound meant.Bastard. He was already smug enough. I didn’t need to help him in that department.

He arched a brow. “That good?”

I shrugged. “I’ve had better.”

“Oh, I doubt that, menace.” He pressed a kiss to Emilia’s chubby cheek. “Why don’t you go color before school, Em? Daddy’s going to drop you off today.”

Emilia let out a loud cheer as she rushed off into the playroom. As soon as she turned the corner, tension crackled through the room, almost like a live wire flicked on whenever Cam and I were alone together. God, this stupid crush was getting frustrating. I couldn’t help but squirm under his intense stare.

I brushed the corner of my mouth, wondering if I’d left crumbs on my lips. “What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Cam said as he kept studying my face. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen you first thing in the morning.”

“Yeah,” I chuckled. “Usually, I try to look a little more presentable before facing you, sarge. But I passed out last night and was way too tired to do my usual routine.” When Cam wasn’t here, I’d been sleeping in Victoria’s house, at her request. Between the two of us, I moved easier than Emilia. After we visited Laila during the afternoons and evenings, we came back to the main house to tuck Emilia in. I brushed a couple of errant hairs away from my face. “Sorry if my morning face doesn’t live up to your standards.”

Cam chuckled as he scooped up our plates and walked over to the sink. I took that as my cue to leave, so I raced to the side door, ready to hide out in my house until work.

“For what it’s worth,” Cam called out as my hand hit the doorknob, “I think you look beautiful all the time—early in the morning or not.”

His words washed over me, and for a moment, I debated turning around and telling him just how much I’d missed him, how this house hadn’t seemed right until he walked back inside of it. That his grin was the best thing I’d ever seen at this hour, and I wanted to start all my mornings that way.

Instead, I walked outside, letting the fresh morning air wash all those words away.

TWENTY

“We need to talk.”

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