Page 49 of Camilla & Dallas
Both Camilla and Dallas watched him walk away, and when he was no longer within earshot, Dallas scoffed. “I don’t care what you think; he’s still got a thing for you.”
She laughed. “You’re either blind or more of an idiot than I thought.”
“Ouch,” he muttered, though his voice was soft.
Camilla gazed down at him with a grin. “Jason definitely has a crush on a Palmer, but it’s not me. Did you see how he reacted to hearing Isabelle wasn’t available?”
“No.” Dallas shifted, scooting until he appeared to find a more comfortable position.
“He was disappointed.”
This time, Dallas chuckled. “If he was disappointed, it’s because he wasn’t thrilled about the idea of cooking with Marcus. Your youngest brother might be good with the animals,but I doubt he could boil water without burning the house down.”
She whacked him playfully. “Hey.”
He grunted. “I didn’t know you were that protective of your baby brother. What I meant to say was that I’d rather spend my evening cooking with a pretty woman than her brother. What makes Jason any different?” The way he stared at her so unabashed had her stomach swirling with something not entirely unpleasant.
Dallas lifted his hand to her face and ran a calloused hand along her cheek. “You’re so beautiful. Have I told you that?”
Leaning into his touch, Camilla smiled softly. “You might have to remind me.”
“No one gets my heart racing like seeing you for the first time each day. I’m so deeply in love with you that there’s no way I’ll ever recover.”
Those fluttering sensations in her chest only ticked up a notch at his sweet words.
“I can see a future with you, Camilla. Whenever I close my eyes, you’re all I see.”
She exhaled a shaky breath. “I can see myself with you, too.” This was the closest they’d ever gotten to planning their future. “I see it all, Dallas. The picket fences. The kids. The big family dinners.”
It wasn’t as pronounced as before, but that crease between his brows returned.
“Anywhere?”
“What?” Confusion temporarily distracted her from the obvious worry lining his face. She searched his eyes, looking for clarification. What did he mean, anywhere? Did he not want to settle down in Copper Creek? She hadn’t thought about moving to a different place before.
Then again, Copper Creek hadn’t been the place where she’d been born. It wasn’t like she hadn’t moved before. She’d grown up in a different state, and this place was home mostly because of her siblings.
He opened his mouth once more, but his words were cut off when Jason called out to her again. Instead, a growl slipped past his lips.
She looked up and saw Jason striding toward them again. He didn’t look thrilled at all.
“I’m sorry to ask you this, but would you mind helping out? Marcus refused, and I still can’t find Isabelle.” He looked flustered, or maybe it was just irritation that seeped from his pores. Camilla felt bad for him. He probably hadn’t thought that getting hired here would land him in the kitchen indefinitely. Most men who worked on a ranch focused on the animals and the heavy labor that entailed.
Camilla nodded. “Of course.” She glanced down at Dallas apologetically. “Can we talk about this later?”
He nodded as he pulled himself to a seated position. The softness in his gaze sharpened immediately when he turned dark eyes on Jason.
Before they ended up in an argument or some show of masculinity, Camilla jumped to her feet. She gave Jason a little push toward the cafeteria building before she tossed a smile over her shoulder toward Dallas.
I love you, she mouthed.
He winked, then mouthed it right back.
Food prep allowed her to think more thoroughly about the conversation she’d been having with Dallas. It was possible that his attitude could be linked to his own insecurities. Since he’d arrived back, he’d made it clear he took full responsibility for what had happened—as he should. He’d been the one to leave without a word.
Maybe she’d been too hard on him without realizing it. If he was so worried about losing her that all he could fixate on was whether they’d be able to make it work anywhere, then perhaps it was time she put those concerns to rest.
Her own insecurities were valid. But he hadn’t given her any reason to doubt him, and it wasn’t fair of her to punish him for something he hadn’t even done.
