by Shar Dimick
Liv followed him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. “I’m sorry, Cam. I know how it feels when you want more and the other person doesn’t. There’s no feeling worse than that. I know it sounds trite, but she doesn’t know what she’s missing.” If he only knew, she thought. She looked away from him then.
Cam turned her around to face him. “Liv, look at me.” He lifted her chin up forcing her to look him in the eyes. He wasn’t going to miss his opportunity again. Nothing stood in his way now. She wasn’t married. “That special girl? The girl who only wanted to be friends? It’s you, Livvy.”
“Me?” Liv was stunned. “But, you told your brother we were ‘just friends.’ And last night, you wouldn’t touch me. You pulled away.”
“No, if I recall, you’re the one that said we were just friends. I was the one stupid enough to let my pride get in the way and agree with you, letting you walk out of my life without a fight. And, as for last night…I thought you were married. It took all my restraint not to…”
“I, I, I don’t understand…”
“God, Livvy, I wanted to kiss you so badly that day, last night...almost as much as I want to kiss you now.”
Liv gasped. “Me too…” Desire hung in the air between them.
Cam leaned toward Liv and tentatively touched his lips to hers. He drew back momentarily, hesitating. He didn’t want to scare her. Liv circled her arms around his neck and looked up into his eyes. He kissed the side of her neck and whispered in her ear, “Here we are again. This time Brad’s nowhere around.”
“Right, no Brad…That’s such a good thing,” Liv murmured before Cam found her lips again. She reached up and pulled him closer, tangling her fingers in his hair. I can’t believe this is happening, she thought as her body responded to his and she quit thinking altogether. He softly moved his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss. She opened her mouth slightly inviting his tongue in. The kiss rapidly grew more passionate and needy. Liv moaned as their tongues entwined together. Cam started to break off the kiss, but Liv drug his mouth back to hers. Starved, she couldn’t get enough of him. She didn’t know a kiss could be so good. He moved his hands under her tank top slowly, waiting for her to stop him. She didn’t. She was just as soft as he imagined. He longed to see her body, to touch it, to kiss it, to…
Pup-Pup started barking at a couple of playful chipmunks, taunting her from afar, startling them both and reminding Cam of where they were. He pulled back before he couldn’t stop. He knew it was too soon for her. That was close, he thought. Breathing heavily, he brought his hands around her waist and leaned his forehead against hers.
“Cam, I didn’t know. This is…” Liv began to say before she was overcome with emotion.
“Are you crying Livvy? Please don’t cry.” His voice raspy, fear filled him. He’d never forgive himself if he’d gone too fast. “I’m sorry if I…”
She hugged him to her and laid her head on his shoulder. “No, don’t apologize. I’m crying because I’ve wanted you for so long. I didn’t think this dream could ever be. And to think it’s my fault we never connected before. I know how to mess everything up. I thought you felt sorry for me and embarrassed that Brad almost caught us kissing.”
“I wasn’t embarrassed. I was angry that Brad ruined the moment before I could kiss you. And for the record, I’d wanted to kiss you all summer. I thought when you told Brad we were only friends, that was your way of telling me you didn’t want to kiss me after all; that you didn’t feel the same way I did. So you see it wasn’t anyone’s fault Liv. You haven’t messed anything up.” He descended on her mouth again. He outlined her lips with his tongue before plunging it into the sweetness of her open mouth. Liv raised her leg up and around the back of his thigh and pulled him even closer. She wanted to feel his hard body against hers. Her hands glided down his strong back as she pulled his shirt up from his waist band. She needed to touch him. Cam groaned. He knew they should stop, but it felt so good. It felt so right and he’d waited for this for so long.
It started to sprinkle. Liv looked up toward the sky and laughed as the rain splashed on her face. Cam kissed her throat and trailed kisses up her neck until he found her mouth once more. She gave herself into him oblivious to anything else around her. The rain came down harder and they were both soaked. Cam put his arm around her. “Come on! We better get back.”
“Yeah, we better get back.” Liv straightened her shirt and redid her pony tail. She started to feel embarrassed about how aggressive she’d been, although Cam didn’t seem to mind. She untied Pup-Pup’s leash and the three of them headed down the trail. The rain made the trail slick and muddy. By the time they made it back to the main road not only were they drenched, but splattered in mud too. Instead of leaving her to follow the road back to his place, Cam decided to walk with Liv back to the Adams’ cottage. He wasn’t ready to leave her just yet. Besides, he reasoned, her place was closer and he could dry off a little before finishing his morning run. He held her hand in his. The warmth of it radiated through him. He stopped right before the bend in the road that lead back to the cottage. The rain had slowed.
“What’s wrong?” Liv looked down at herself. Her tank top clung to her and she felt her hair plastered to her face. She must look a fright, but she didn’t care. Cam smoothed the wet hair out of her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb.
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m selfish, is all. I’m not ready to share you with everyone yet.” He lowered his mouth on hers. She melted into him and molded her wet body against his. She poured all her feeling into the kiss meeting his tongue with hers. She felt drunk on his taste. They broke the kiss off at the sound of a car coming from behind them. Liv was giddy. She was making out with Cam in broad daylight in the middle of the road and it felt so right, so good.
They walked around the corner and the cottage came into view. Liv immediately saw Sara’s face glued to the window.
“Here they come, Grandma!” Sara yelled. “And she has Cam with her!” Hannah smiled.
“Mom, Mom, what took you so long? Grandma was starting to get worried!”
“I’m sorry, Sara. I lost track of time.” She let go of Pup-Pup’s leash and the pup ran directly to the little girl and started licking her face. Pretty soon Sara was as wet and muddy as the dog. Sara giggled and squealed as she pushed the little dog down.
“Sara would you please run down to the bathroom and grab some towels for us? We’re dripping all over the floor.”
“Okay, Mom.” Sara disappeared down the hall.
“Sorry to have worried you, Mrs. Adams. It was my fault,” Cam said when Hannah appeared in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen.
“No worries, Cameron. I’m glad you two are safe. When the storm started to kick up I got a little worried about Livvy. I didn’t realize she was hiking with you or I wouldn’t have worried as much. It looks like she’s in good hands.” She looked over at Livvy and smiled. She knows, Liv thought as she touched her swollen lips.
“Actually Gram, I was sitting on the bench on the Big Loop overlook resting for a minute, when Cam came jogging up the trail. We got to talking and lost track of time.” Liv felt heated all over again when the thought of what else they were doing flickered through her mind.
“Well I’m just cooking up some breakfast. Would you like to join us?” she asked.
“Actually, I was wondering if you girls would like to go out on the boat with me later. It looks like the rain is clearing up. We should have a nice afternoon.”
“That sounds like fun, Cam. What do you think Gram?”
“You kids go and have fun! I’m not up to bouncing around in a motor boat in the heat of the afternoon. I’ll pack you a picnic lunch to take with you on the boat, though.”
Sara returned with a stack of towels.
“Here you go!” She handed one out to Cam and one to Liv.
“It looks like you could use some drying off, too,” Cam laughed.
Sara’s t-shirt was streaked w
ith mud and the front of it was soaked.
“Why don’t you run and change Sara,” Hannah said. “But first give Pup-Pup a bath!”
Sara gave Liv the “do I have to look.”
“Sounds like a great idea to me,” Liv concurred.
“Do I have to? We’re on vacation. We don’t mind being a little dirty,” Sara whined.
“It’s not the dirt that bothers me so much as the smell of wet dog!”
Sara grumbled, but headed toward the back utility room sink with Pup-Pup in tow.
“Well, I need to run a couple of errands before I can take the boat out. I’ll be back in an hour or so in the boat to get you.” Cam toweled off his hair and face.
“Here, you can take my car, if you want.” Liv tossed him her car keys that were hanging on the hook next to the door.
“Thanks, that’ll speed things up. I wasn’t looking forward to that five-mile jog back to my place. See you guys in a bit.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Liv took the damp towel from him.
Hannah nodded agreement and headed toward the kitchen to put some eggs on to boil.
“See you in a bit.” Reluctant to leave Liv, Cam stole one last kiss and was out the door.
Liv felt like a school girl again. She couldn’t stop smiling. “Grandma, I’m going to take a quick shower and then I’ll be in to help you with the picnic food.”
“Take your time, dear!”
Liv was blow drying her hair when Sara wandered into Liv’s bathroom. She wrote her name in the steam on the mirror and drew a smiley face underneath it.
“Hi, Sweetie.” Liv sorted through the drawer in the vanity looking for a pony-tail holder.
“Where did Cam go? He disappeared when I was giving Pup-Pup her bath. I hoped we could play ball again when it stopped raining.”
“You like him? Don’t you?”
“He’s great Mom! He’s fun to play with!”
“He is pretty great, isn’t he? Well, he took my car to grab a couple of things at his place and will be back soon. He’s going to take us out on his boat this afternoon.”
“Really? All right! Can Pup-Pup come too? Do you think I can go tubing?” She peppered Liv with question after question.
“Slow down a second. I’m not sure. We’ll have to ask Cam. For now, why don’t you get your bathing suit on and get our beach bag ready to go. Make sure you put in the beach towels and the sunscreen. Once you have everything ready you can watch TV. Cam should be here in less than an hour. I’ll be in the kitchen helping Grandma finish our picnic lunch.”
Sara squealed, “A picnic too! Sweet!”
And it was sweet, Liv thought. She could hear Hannah in the kitchen peeling hard-boiled eggs for the sandwiches. She was humming as she worked. Liv opened the fridge and dug out a jar of pickle relish from behind the milk. “Here you go, Gram.”
Hannah scooped some of the relish out into the bowl with the hard-boiled eggs and other ingredients in it without measuring it.
“You certainly seem to be feeling better today, Liv. You and Cam both looked like the cat that swallowed the canary! Did you guys reconnect?” She asked with a twinkle in her eye.
“Oh, Gram, you won’t believe it. In fact, I don’t believe it. Cam and I…”
“Finally figured out you both wanted to be more than ‘just friends,’” Hannah finished.
“Yeah, we did. How did you…”
“It’s about time, Livvy. It’s about time,” Hannah gave her granddaughter a hug.
Liv pulled back to look at her grandmother. “I’m so happy Gram. It almost feels too good to be true. I just hope I don’t mess it up somehow.”
“That’s nonsense. I’ve always thought you and Cam belonged together. I’ve watched the two of you grow up together. I knew you’d make your way to each other eventually, in the right time. I’m happy that the right time is finally now.”
“Thanks Gram, you have no idea how much, how long I’ve wanted this.”
“I think I do. Your grandfather and I danced around each other for years before we finally connected.”
“Really? I don’t think I ever heard this story.”
Hannah finished packing the picnic basket and sat down at the kitchen table. Liv pulled out a chair and sat down next to her.
“Well, your grandfather used to work for my father. We had a horse farm and Jack was a trainer. He was a few years older than I was. I used to find any excuse I could to go out and watch him work.”
“I didn’t know you had horses.”
“They were so beautiful. We raised quarter horses that my Dad then sold to area ranchers. I loved to ride,” Hannah continued, looking wistful. “Anyway, eventually your grandfather finally got the clue that I was in to him.”
“Did he kiss you?”
“Actually, I kissed him. He was taking too long. We were working in the barn together one day. A mare had just given birth to her foal. I got really emotional about it and hugged him. I could feel the heat between us.”
Liv blushed. She knew what kind of heat her grandmother meant. It was weird hearing her grandmother talk about it. “Then what happened?”
“I pulled back from his arms and looked up into his eyes. I could see the war in his eyes as he struggled not to kiss me. Before he could turn away, I laid one on his mouth. That’s was all it took. He had his hands in my hair and kissed me like no one ever had before. Thinking about that kiss still rocks me.”
“I didn’t realize Grandpa had it in him. He always seemed so serious and straight-laced.”
“Oh, most of the time he was, but when he wasn’t, he really let go.”
“So, did you guys get married soon after that?”
“No, Jack didn’t think he was good enough for me. He put up a lot of walls between us before he figured out I’d just keep knocking them down until he gave in to me.”
“That sounds like you Gram.” Liv hugged her Grandmother. “I miss him too.”
“Miss who?” Sara asked. She wore a bright orange and yellow striped swimsuit. She had her sunglasses perched on top of her head and her purple flip-flops on her feet.
“Grandma and I were just talking about my Grandpa. He died when you were just a toddler.”
“Is he up in heaven like Cocoa?” Sara asked. Cocoa was Liv’s thirteen-year old dog that passed away of old age last summer.
“Yes,” Liv smiled. “Just like Cocoa.”
“I miss Cocoa,” Sara said suddenly morose.
“Well, she is always in our hearts. Now are you ready to go on the boat with Cam?” Liv asked.
“For sure! The beach bag is out by the door. I found four beach towels and the big bottle of sunscreen.”
“Great. If you want, we can head down to the dock to wait for Cam.”
“Okay Mom. I got Pup-Pup’s leash too.”
“Remember, we need to make sure that’s okay with Cam first.”
“He’ll let me, Mom. I just know it.”
“Here’s the picnic basket,” Hannah said as she handed the heavy basket to Liv.
“Thanks Grandma.” Liv took it from her. “Are you sure you don’t want to come along?” she asked again.
“Heavens, no! I’d much rather stay here and work on my knitting.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Quit. I’m fine. Go and have fun.”
Liv kissed the older woman’s worn cheek. “Okay, then. We’ll see you in a little bit.” Liv headed out the front door with Sara and Pup-Pup. Liv turned back and looked over her shoulder. Her grandmother stood in the front window and waved. Liv smiled and waved back. Sara was already half-way down the hill to the dock below.
“Slow down! Wait for me!”
“Hurry up then!” Sara skipped ahead.
Liv chuckled to herself. It was turning out to be a really good day.
Chapter Seven
Cam whistled as he drove back to his place. He felt a little like he was sleep-walking. If this is a dream, he thought, I don’t
ever want to wake up. Going out on the boat was going to be great. He could spend more time with Liv and get to know Sara. He made a mental list of the supplies he needed to gather up: youth life jacket for Sara, tow rope, tube, sun screen, towels. He might need to fuel the boat up, too. He’d only taken it out once since he’d gotten to the lake, but he remembered the tank was low.
As he rounded the corner, he noticed his Dad’s shiny new pick-up was parked in front of the house. Along with it he could see his Uncle Roger’s Harley and a Mercedes he didn’t recognize. They’re early. Cam vowed to himself that he wouldn’t let his father ruin his good mood. He braced himself as he entered the house. It was only mid-morning and already a cigar-haze hung in the room. He heard his father’s loud voice bellowing from the dining room. They’d already started a friendly game of poker and were drinking beer. In fact, it looked as if everyone had had more than one beer.
Cam tried to escape down the hall before his father noticed him. The two of them could never be in the same room together for more than ten minutes without getting into an argument. Cam wasn’t Brad and never would be. Cam knew he couldn’t live up to his father’s expectations no matter how hard he tried. After a while, Cam determined it wasn’t worth trying. Instead of playing football like Brad, he’d played in the band. Instead of drinking beer and playing cards, Cam preferred to go mountain biking or kayaking. Instead of becoming an attorney, he’d become a physician. Cam was more like his mother and that didn’t sit well with Max Preston. Cam couldn’t be something he wasn’t and this caused more rifts than one. His mother always came to his defense, which would just set his father off more. Cam learned early on that avoidance was the best course of action when it came to his father. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quick enough this time.
“Is that you Cameron?” Max called out. “Come on in here. I wondered where you were. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you. Want us to deal you in?”
“No thanks, Dad. I’d like to, but I already made plans with a friend.” Cam tried to be diplomatic with his father. He stood in the entryway between the dining room and kitchen.
