That Night in Texas

“She’s so beautiful, Viv. So amazingly perfect,” Cam said, running his finger down Clem’s cheek.

She really was. Vivi couldn’t help placing her hand on Cam’s back and leaning her head against his shoulder. “We did good work,” she agreed.

“I want her,” Cam said, keeping his voice soft. Then he turned to her and his eyes blazed with conviction, determination sparking in those deep blue depths. “I want you, us. Together. All the time.”

Vivi felt her knees soften and gripped the edge of Clem’s cot to steady herself. She stared at Cam, not sure whether she’d imagined his softly spoken words. “Sorry?”

Cam’s smile was soft and tender. “You heard me, Donner.”

“I think I heard you, I’m just not sure I heard you correctly,” Vivi replied, idly noticing that her words sounded breathless. Not a surprise, since she was sure that all the air in the room had disappeared.

“Well, let’s get out of here and I can say it louder and with more emphasis. As much as I love our daughter, this next conversation is between her momma and me.”

Vivi looked at the big hand Cam held out to her, felt her heart pumping and her stomach swooping, the rest of her organs abuzz. Could this be happening? Really? To her? There was only one way to find out. So Vivi placed her hand in his and followed him out of Clem’s room. She expected him to turn left to go to her bedroom but instead he turned right and led her into the kitchen, pulling out a chair from under her small wooden dining table. “Sit.”

Vivi, for the first time ever, obeyed his order and sat. Mostly because her legs were about to go on strike. Cam moved to stand by the counter, his hands gripping its edge with white fingers. Good, maybe she wasn’t the only one who felt off-kilter.

“I’m going to stand here because I’ve got things that I need to say. It’s far easier to kiss you than to talk, so I’m going to keep my hands off you for a few minutes, if that’s okay?”

Not really, but if he was about to say what she thought he was about to say, she could live without him touching her, just for a little while. “Okay.”

“I was as mad as hell with you for not telling me that I had a child, but I get it now, I do. I’m so glad you put me as your emergency contact, but most of all I’m grateful you didn’t drown in that damn flood.”

She did, too, but that went without saying.

“I’ve known you for two weeks and a day, if you count that night we spent together three years ago. My feelings for you should scare me because really, who falls in love in two weeks?”

He was in love with her? Her heart jumped and Vivi tried not to wiggle in her chair as he continued his speech.

“I didn’t believe in love, not until you fell back into my life, wet, bedraggled and mud stained.” Cam released the counter, flexed his fingers and resumed his hold. “I fought you. I fought what I’m feeling because it scares me stupid. You were right, I did arrange the nannies and the loan as a test. I wanted to prove to myself that you would run, that you are as unreliable as my parents, that you couldn’t be trusted.

“I used your hot buttons—your independence and hatred of being controlled—to manipulate the situation to force you out of my life.” Cam pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and shook his head. “It was a stupid move, Viv, and I’m so sorry. I will always regret it.”

Vivi started to protest that he was being really hard on himself and she’d already forgiven him. But Cam held up his hand, asking for her patience. When she didn’t speak, he nodded his thanks.

“But you called me on my BS,” he said. “You saw right through me. I should’ve realized right then that you were right and I was wrong, but I can be a little stubborn.”

She couldn’t resist a comment. “A little?”

“A lot.” His lips kicked up. “Just like you.”

Fair.

“So, basically, I’m here to ask you, to beg you, to give me another chance. I can’t promise to always agree with you, but I can promise that I will always listen to you. I can’t promise to never make a decision on your behalf, but I promise to try and talk everything over with you. I can’t promise to change overnight, but I promise to try. If I give you stuff it’s to make your life easier, or because I think it’ll make you happy, not to control you. I promise to be a better man, Viv, for you and our daughter. And I promise, with my hand on the Bible, that I will be a good dad to Clem.”