Page 58 of Promise To Marry You
But first, I need to set a few things straight. A quick internet search gives me some names, and for the second time that day, I get on the phone with a law office, this one in Westport.
“Hello, I’d like to make an appointment to have a set of divorce papers drawn up as soon as possible.”
Chapter twenty-eight
Beckett
Cam’s nervous anticipation is contagious. I’m just as antsy to see the mural as she seems to be to show it to me.
Despite my constant reassurances that I’ve heard nothing but good things from other people around town who have been able to see her progress, Cam admitted last night that she’s anxious about my reaction.
No clue why. She should know by now that she could paint stick figures in the mud, and I’d love it.
“Okay, I need you to close your eyes.”
We come to a stop just around the corner of the community center building, and I arch my brow at her. “Close my eyes? How am I going to see anything if my eyes are closed?” I can’t resist teasing.
Sure enough, that earns me a patented Camilla Byrne eye roll. “Yeah, yeah, wise guy. Just…please?”
The plaintive note at the end of her response has me complying instantly.
I let her take my hands and slowly guide me around to the side of the building that is now home to her masterpiece.
Cam brings me to a stop and drops my hands, only to cover my eyes with one of hers. “No peeking. Not until I say something.”
“Okay,” I mumble, my heart starting to beat faster and faster.
I hear her take an audible breath. “There’s no good way to say this.”
My heart drops to the ground. It takes everything in me to stay still and silent when my defense to whatever she’s about to say is rapidly forming in my mind. I’m not letting her go without a fight.
“So I’ll just come out and say it. I love it here in Dogwood Cove. It’s become home to me, and I can’t imagine starting my new life anywhere else. I want to rent that vacant space and open my studio.”
Okay, that’s not where I thought she was going at first; this is much better. My heart manages to make its way back inside my chest, but it’s still racing. I sense her stepping closer and I let one of my hands drift up to find its place on her waist.
“You’ve been patient, and kind, and caring, and everything I needed these last few months. Everything, and so much more. And…” I just barely make out the sound of her sucking in another breath over the now pounding rhythm of my pulse. “And I want our relationship to be real. I wantusto be real. No more friends with benefits, no more holding back. You’re the man I want to be with, there’s no doubt in my heart about it anymore.”
She ends on a rush, and thank fuck, because I can’t hold back from kissing her, no matter how hard I try. My lips find hers even with my eyes closed, and our lips meld together, fitting like they were made for each other.
I could stay like this forever, knowing at last that she’s all in. But my eyes opened during our kiss and now the colourful wall behind Cam still demands my attention. And I guess I should respond to her declaration.
Lifting my head from hers shouldn’t be a challenge, but damn if it isn’t a hell of one. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to hear you say that,” I reply, my voice husky with emotion. “But let me clarify one thing. We’ve always been real, Cam. Whether it was our friendship, our marriage, or anything else. It was always very much real to me.”
“I think it always was for me, too,” she starts hesitantly, but her voice grows more confident and the sound of that makes me so fucking happy. “But I needed time to realize that. Time with you, here.”
Cam takes a small step to the side, and I finally get my first look at the mural.
“Holy shit, Cam,” I whisper reverently.
Even knowing her concept, seeing the early sketches, and talking about the design, did nothing to prepare me for the work of art in front of me. Cam has brought to life the coastal shoreline of our town and the surrounding area. She’s incorporated so many elements of Canada’s natural beauty, and she’s done it seamlessly.
On one side, waves crash on a rocky shore with swaths of blue depicting the ocean. Orcas are shown playing in the water. To the left, the shoreline is a forest of spruce and fir trees with all kinds of creatures nestled in, waiting to be discovered. The sky is a kaleidoscope of colour, depicting an entire day, sunrise to sunset, from left to right. An eagle soars across the sky, and the detail in its wings is incredible. Everywhere I look, vibrant colours bring every element to life.
It's breathtaking. Everywhere I look, there’s something new that captivates me. I was always impressed by her artistic talent, but this is beyond impressive.
“There’s something in it for you. For us,” she says and my eyes snap to her.
“What?”
