Cameron's breathing settled as she entered the canopy of the trees; this path was one of her favorite places to be in the entire world. Here, the busyness of the city was left behind. She could listen to the twittering of birds, the rustling of a late summer breeze through the branches above, and smell the perfume of the flowers planted along the path. Turning a curve in the path, she nearly crashed into a woman running along the path, headed in the opposite direction.
"Cass?" Cameron asked.
"Hey, Cameron!! What are you doing out here?" Cass asked. Her face held the glow of physical activity, her cheeks were flushed and her dark eyes blazed. She shimmered under a layer of sweat, her ponytail bouncing behind her as she jogged in place to keep her heart rate going.
"Just out for a walk, you know. I love it out here; it's so quiet. How was the honeymoon?"
Cameron grinned as Cass's face flushed deeper and she averted her eyes. "It was good," she said. "We had a lot of fun, and Hawaii is really beautiful. I just couldn't believe some of the things we saw. There was this long road that circles around one of the islands, and it was just the most beautiful drive!"
"I'm glad you guys had a good time," Cameron laughed. "So, uh, how's married life treating you?"
"It's the same, really, as it was before. I mean, there's that little twinge when I remember that I'm a wife now, and Drew says he gets that, too. But mostly, it's the same for us. I guess because we already lived in his house before the wedding, you know? So we still have breakfast together when he's not working, we still run together when we can. Same stuff, we just have a paper now. It wasn't always simple though; we had to adjust some to living together. How are things with you and Mac?"
"We're good," Cameron answered, looking to the ground to disguise her own flushing cheeks. "I met his son."
"Wow that's great!" Cass gushed, her jog slowing. She bent, stretching one leg out and squatting back on the other, working the run out of her system as her body cooled. "What was that like?"
Cameron stood back, admiring the changes she'd seen in Cass over the months that they'd been friends. Cass was still a round woman, and the extra weight flattered her body. Just as her sister Chelsea was always telling her, Cass really did have a deliciously curvy body. She'd toned up a lot though, and she was looking truly amazing. The best part was that she had no clue how great she looked, and she still wore the tenderness of insecurity.
"It was really good," she answered, watching as Cass stood and bounced on her toes for a few minutes. "You know, you really look amazing these days. I just had to tell you."
Cass blushed, her eyes watering as she met Cameron's gaze. "Thank you," she said. "I know my weight has changed, you know, but I still feel the same. Except for this." She gestured around them, indicating the path and ending on a wave to another runner who approached and then passed them. "I never thought I'd be doing this, but it really helps me clear my head."
"I hope I'm not interrupting you," Cameron said. "I'd hate to break your run; I know how you love it."
"No, I'm good," Cass answered. "Actually my car is parked by the river, so I'm on my way back."
"Oh." Cameron turned then, walking back toward the parking lot with her new sister-in-law.
"So, asking about married life, huh?" Cass asked, nudging Cameron gently with her elbow.
"Uh, well, you know, it's customary to ask a newlywed how they like it," Cameron hedged.
"Mmhmm, and no connection to a certain dating relationship?" Cass teased. "One that got heavy on the night of my wedding?"
Cameron's face flamed, and Cass laughed. "I guess you heard the morning-after story from your sister then?"
"I did. She said you guys looked so sheepish, sneaking up on the deck to breakfast. I think it's cute, though. Cameron, if you're happy, I'm thrilled for you. Are you thinking things might get really serious now that you've met his son?"
"Yeah, I think maybe. We all went to the zoo together, and at one point I went off to the bathroom. When I came back, I overheard them talking, and Mac sounded pretty serious. He was talking with Logan about whether he'd like me to stick around, you know?"
"What did he say?"
"Well, you know, he's nervous about me because of his mom. Apparently, there's a little boy who picks on him about Alex being gone, so he has a rough time with that. I think he's afraid I might not like him enough to stick around."
"Yeah, or that you might die too," Cass answered. "I had a lot of issues like that when I was little, because everyone I knew died. Like, just one after the other, and then suddenly everyone I'd ever known was gone."
"I don't want him to have to worry. That's just too much for a kid."
"But look at me," Cass said. "He'll turn out. Don't let Logan affect how you feel about Mac. I know he's important because he's Mac's son, and I'm not saying his feelings on the subject don't matter. But in a few short years, that little boy will be a grown man, and he'll be off on his own. Don't miss out on someone you love for the sake of a little boy's fears. If anything, maybe you can help him by being there. You know, Cameron, I wanted every one of my foster moms to be a mom to me. And I'd shut down a lot by the time I got to the Keaton’s out of self-protection."
"Do you think maybe Logan's feeling that? Because I'll tell you the truth here, Cass. I think that Logan's feelings will have a huge effect on whether Mac asks me to marry him or not. And I can't just discount this kid's fears."
"I think he's just afraid of losing out again. But you know what they say, 'it's better to have loved and lost,' right? I don't even know what my life would be right now if Janet Keaton hadn't found a way to reach out to me and open me up."
As they'd talked, the women had approached Cass's car. Leaning a hip against the edge of the hood, Cameron crossed her arms, thinking. "What do I do?" she asked.
"Go with the flow. If you love Mac, and he asks you to take it to the next level, go for it."
"Hmm. Maybe I will, if he asks," Cameron answered. "I bet you need to get going, huh?"
"Yeah,” Cass answered with a grimace. “I’m pretty gross right now, so I want to get home and shower. I'm supposed to be meeting with Drew for dinner in a bit."
"Okay, you go on then. I think I'm gonna hang out here and think a while. You really gave me a lot of new perspective," Cameron said.
"Well, you know you can call me anytime," Cass said, slipping into her car.
Once Cass was gone, Cameron changed her mind about staying by the river, and wandered over to her own car. She didn't really need to think anymore; she knew exactly what she'd say to Mac.
If he ever proposed.
Chapter Six
Pulling into the driveway in front of Mac's house, Cameron took a breath and checked her appearance in the rearview mirror. Her backseat was not as full as she'd have liked it to be, holding only one small overnight bag. She still couldn't figure out how she'd managed to fit everything she'd wanted in there. But Mac had said to pack light if she wanted to leave her car and travel with him on the motorcycle. He'd refused to tell her where they were going, only willing to say that it would be warm there.
With that minor information, she'd packed light as directed, forgoing fresh jeans and extra pajamas in favor of denim shorts and several tank tops to go with the jeans she was wearing on the trip. She was really looking forward to a long ride, perched on the back of the rumbling motorcycle with Mac between her thighs, her arms snug around his waist, her hands clutching his hard body and her breasts pressed flat ...
Cameron jerked, peering out through the car window at the sudden rapping on the glass. Pulling the release, she pressed the door open and stepped out into the late morning sun. Logan closed in, wrapping a skinny arm around her waist, his dark eyes beaming up at her.
"Hey, kid," she said, dropping her own arm around his shoulders and pulling him close so that she could muss his hair with the knuckles of her other hand. He giggled, shrugging her off and jogging back toward the house.
"Come on," he ur
ged her, twisting to look over his shoulder. "My grandma's been waiting for you to get here. She sent me out to get you so she can start tea. She says you two are going to have a great time until my dad gets back!"
Cameron's feet froze in protest, her steps faltering long enough for Logan to stop near the door and look back at her. "Your dad's not here?" she asked.
"No, he went to get the other bike. He said you'd ride more comfortable on it. But he told me to tell you not to worry about Grandma, and that she won't attack you with a Yahtzee box." Laughing, he waved an arm to beckon her inside, and then went shouting into the house.
Making a mental note to murder Mac when he returned from wherever he'd gone, Cameron willed her feet to move again, forcing one foot to move nervously in front of the other. It was too late to turn back and pretend to be fashionably late; with Logan screeching through the house, Mac's mother was sure to know she'd arrived. Right on cue, Marie Caswell's gray head bobbed in front of the window, and then the door opened and she peered out. A short woman with the classic grandmotherly look, she had faded blue eyes that might once have rivaled the eyes of her son, Mac. She smiled softly, wrinkles appearing here and there over the aged landscape of her face.
She was kind enough not to mention Cameron's obvious nervousness right away, though her eyes were twinkling with laughter as Cameron came close to her. "Aren't you just the prettiest thing?" she said, reaching out to take Cameron's hand. "Come on in, honey, and we'll have something to drink while we wait for Mackenzie to get back. And then we'll kill him together for sticking you with his mother so unexpectedly like this." She laughed at the shocked expression on Cameron's face, hauling her into the house.
"I really don't mind, Ms. Caswell," Cameron said quietly, unable to ignore the awkwardly childish feeling that filled her as she followed the shorter woman's gray head through the house.
"Silly girl, of course you mind," Marie answered, releasing Cameron's hand as they reached the kitchen. She walked to the counter next to the refrigerator, opening the door and taking out two jugs from the cool interior. Holding them up, she asked, "Sweet tea? Or lemonade?"
"Uh, tea please," Cameron answered, crossing her arms over her chest as the older woman poured tea into two tall glasses.
"That boy," Marie answered, waving Cameron over to a seat at the heavy table. "I told him you'd not like to be left alone like this,” she laughed. “What woman wants to be left alone to meet her man's momma by herself, I said to him. That boy," she finished, raising her glass to take a sip. Replacing the glass on the table, she raised a finger next, pointing and wagging it in Cameron's direction with a smirk. "I tell you what," she said. "If his father had pulled that on me when I had to meet his horrible old mother, he wouldn't have lived to the wedding."
Cameron laughed. "I take it he was with you, then?"
"He was," Marie agreed, giggling with an almost girlish youth as she remembered. Raising her eyebrows, she straightened her face and said, "Not that it made her any less dreadful. You go ahead and tell me if I'm ever dreadful, honey. I'd want to know. Heaven forbid I should ever be as vile as that woman." She reached across the table, patting Cameron's hand.
Nodding dutifully, Cameron decided she would absolutely never tell Marie that she was dreadful. So far, she really was sort of cute, and she was trying so hard to ease Cameron's nerves. She couldn't help but lean into the welcoming atmosphere. “Well, you're not dreadful yet," she joked. "But I think this is the part where you pull out the photo albums and show me four year old Mac in the bathtub. With bubbles. And maybe some Barbie dolls?"
Marie tilted her head, watching Cameron just long enough to bring back all the nerves before she broke into a full belly laugh, thick and throaty, the sound reminiscent of what must have been a sensual laugh in her youth. Before long, she'd taken her glasses off and rested them on the table so that she could wipe the tears from her eyes. "Oh, the Barbie dolls!" she shrieked, still laughing. She held a hand out in front of her, struggling to calm her laughter, but then she looked over Cameron's shoulder and broke down again, helpless. Confused, Cameron turned and found a horrified Mac in the doorway.
"What have you done to my mother?" he asked, grinning nervously as he entered the room.
This made Marie laugh harder, causing Cameron to laugh a little too as she said, "Nothing, I just, uh, asked her to play Barbies."
At this, Marie stood shakily and simply left the room, still crying with laughter. Mac took her seat and her tea, watching Cameron carefully. "Barbies?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Mmhmm. Barbies. I asked her if she had any of yours left."
Mac’s mouth fell open, his eyes growing wide as he stared. Surely his mother wouldn't have told Cameron about his childhood doll obsession. He'd played with any toy he could find as a child; it wasn't his fault the only neighbor child had been a girl! "My Barbies?” he asked. “Cameron, I didn't, uh. Well, I didn’t have any Barbies."
Missing his sudden stiffness, Cameron laughed, shaking her head. "No, I was teasing because she was upset that you weren’t back yet when I got here. I think she thought I'd be nervous or something and she was just trying to put me at ease. So I asked her to bring out your childhood bathtub Barbie pictures, and she just laughed and laughed. Care to explain that?"
"No," he retorted, narrowing his eyes at her over cheeks that had pinkened slightly. He cleared his throat, redirecting the conversation. "Wanna see the motorcycle I brought home? I borrowed it from a friend of mine and he kept mine in exchange, so I hope you know I'm making a sacrifice here, Miss Kingsley. My bike is at risk for your comfort."
"Wow, Barbies and motorcycles all in one day," Cameron teased. "You are a marvel, Mackenzie." She laughed as she let him drag her from her chair and press his lips to hers before leading her from the house.
***
"You sure you'll be okay in here? I want to get the bike ready so we can get going." Mac said softly, leaning close to whisper to Cameron. She’d seen and loved the motorcycle he’d borrowed for their trip, but they’d stayed to share lunch with Logan and Marie before planning to get on the road. With the beginning of Cameron’s favorite game show, they’d also settled in for some television.
"Yes, of course," she whispered back with a grin. "I wanted to catch the rest of this and see if I'm right."
Raising an eyebrow, he laughed, which drew his mother's eyes over to light on them, sparkling. "You’re going to win Wheel of Fortune, are you?" he asked, teasing.
"Well, I want to know if I'm right," she said, crossing her arms indignantly.
"Alright then," he said, kissing her gently. "We'll be back in a bit." Tapping Logan's shoulder, Mac strode through the door, his son close behind him.
"Dad, do you have it in there? Will it get smashed?" Logan asked, as he walked with Mac down the driveway to the luxury motorcycle parked near the street.
"Not in this," Mac said, walking up to the bike. "It's a Victory, called a Cross Country Tour. I borrowed it from my friend from work, and with all this storage, we should be fine. See? Check this out, kid."
Leaning forward to peer into the depths of the trunk compartment, Logan whistled. "You can fit a lot of stuff in there, Dad. I thought you were only going for the weekend?"
"I'm going with a girl," Mac laughed. "She's probably got a suitcase in her backseat and I'll have to talk her back down to your backpack or something. This thing has the trunk, plus front and rear storage, but it's still not a car. Still, there's no beating the way it feels to travel with a pretty girl with, uh" he stammered, remembering who he was talking to. "The wind in your face," he finished.
"Where did you hide her gift on this thing? Are you sure you have it? The ring? Is she gonna like it, do you think? Are you being careful so the little box doesn't break?"
Mac sighed. He loved being a father, but his kid sure was curious and full of questions. Wrapping an arm around the boy's head, he dragged him close, burying Logan's face in his stomach. Logan's arms came up, shoving at
his sides while the muffled sound of giggles escaped. "I hid it well, yes I have it, she's gonna love it, and I'm a careful man," he answered, laughing as he released his son. "You worry more than me," he added.
Walking over to Cameron's car, he opened the back door, expecting to find a giant travel bag, or worse, a luggage set of some kind. He was surprised to see only a small carry-on sized bag, stuffed to the seams and obviously struggling to hold its contents. "Huh," he said, leaning in to haul the bag across the seat and taking it over to the bike. Tucking it neatly into the trunk compartment of the bike, he returned to the car and leaned in the front to pop the trunk latch. Finding the trunk empty, he gestured for Logan to close up the car, and he headed for the house.
Cameron looked up, beaming as he walked in. "I was right," she said. "The guy chose the wrong letters though, the moron, and so the other girl won the game. But I knew it. I should totally go on that show."
"Is it even still going on?" he asked. "Like, is it still being filmed?"
Prescription For Love (The Kingsley Series) Page 23
