Page 3 of The Beachside Cafe 6
Cameron stared at her for a moment before leaning forward. “Hey. I’m just kidding. She isn’t making that dress for you. Lord, woman, I might have just told you your favorite dog died.”
Jaymee reached out and slapped playfully at him. “Oh, Cam! You had me freaking out. Don’t do that! I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, you know.”
“I know you don’t. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. But I know you had that exact dress in mind for your bridesmaids, right?”
Jaymee laughed, shaking her head. “No. That’s not going to be the dress Cheyenne will wear. And I’m not having any bridesmaids. I just want Cheyenne to stand up for me as my maid of honor. I assume you’ll have Alex as your best man?”
Cameron nodded. “Who else?” He set his phone down on the table next to him. His best friend, Alex, was a scientist with a laboratory of his own and had been instrumental in pointing out what chemicals were in the vials Cameron and Jaymee found in their investigation into Doug’s disappearance.
“You know he’s seeing a whole lot of Cheyenne, don’t you?” Cameron asked.
Jaymee blinked at him. “Well, if I didn’t know and had an objection, you would have just ratted on your best friend. How can I trust you from now on?” She ended the question with big grin so he would know she was kidding.
“I’m usually very honest with you,” he deadpanned.
Jaymee immediately caught what he said and let her jaw drop. “Usually?”
Cameron shrugged.
“Yeah, I knew about it.” Jaymee brought the joke to an end, shuffling in her seat and leaning forward to grab her drink. “I’m glad. I thought from the very beginning that he would be a great catch for her. They’re both very energetic and like to get things done. I’ve been delighted with Cheyenne’s work for our PI business. She really knows what’s she’s doing.”
“She’s a smart girl,” Cameron agreed. “You should be proud.”
Jaymee thought about Cheyenne, picturing her daughter in her mind. She couldn’t help smiling. “Oh, I am. Very much.”
“So you want to have the wedding here out on the veranda with a mariachi band and flowers everywhere? What about a theme?” Cameron’s eyes slid to the tank in the middle of the restaurant. Jaymee knew he could just barely see it through the window, but was positive that’s what he was looking at. His smile told her he was going to say something humorous and she waited anxiously.
It was one of the things she loved the most about Cameron. He had a quick wit and a sense of humor that was in line with hers.
“How about Little Nemo? We can get a bunch of kids in here that way. I mean, it is called Saltwater Café, after all. It would kind of follow the general theme you already started by just having a clownfish.”
Jaymee laughed delightedly, thinking about a Little Nemo themed wedding.
“So I wear orange and white and have Cheyenne wear blue for Dory?”
“I’ll wear a dentist’s uniform. It will be great.”
Jaymee continued laughing, shaking her head at the same time. “I don’t think we’ll be going with that idea. But a cute one it is, Cam, really.”
“Aww, I thought we hit the nail on the head.”
“Let’s keep thinking.” Jaymee felt a sudden rush of affection and leaned over the table, resting her hand on his side while looking him in the eye. He immediately sat forward and took her hand in both of his. “I’m so glad to have met you, you know,” Jaymee continued. “I don’t know where I would be without you. I love you. You know I do.”
Cameron nodded, his eyes soft with adoration. “I feel exactly the same, Jay. When you opened that door the very first day I met you, I really… really hoped you weren’t Doug’s wife. I had never met you and he’d never talked about you in terms other than what you wanted to do to the café to make it profitable. That was the first time I’d ever been to his home office.”
“And what a time to come to me. It’s almost like God was telling us something that day. He disappears and you come into my life? And not just you but you brought Alex along and now Cheyenne is having the first true romance of her life.” Jaymee felt a wave of emotions wash over her.
Cameron picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the top. “You’re going to have a wonderful future, Jaymee.”
“Weare going to have a wonderful future,” Jaymee stressed.
“Yes, I sit corrected. We are. I love you. And I can only pray for the best with Cheyenne and Alex.”
THREE
Jaymee woke up from a sound sleep to hear light chattering coming from somewhere outside her room. It was as if two people were standing in the hallway talking. She pushed herself up to a sitting position and ran her hands through her hair. She stretched her arms up over her head and cracked her back.
The voices coming from outside had stopped. She wondered if she’d merely dreamed them.
