“Yeah. He’s an alcoholic and wasn’t really a good role model for me. I don’t like to think about what might have happened if I hadn’t met Kane. Your family has been my family since I was in junior high. Tom and Fiona showed me what it is to be good parents, and your dad had many a serious talk with me whenever I screwed up. He paid attention, and they loved me.”

“I’m so glad that you had that in your life, Cam. And I’m sorry that your parents are shitty. But it’s their loss.”

“Is it?”

“Pfft, yeah. I mean, you’re great. You have a fantastic career and good friends. You have a good life. And they’re missing it. But they don’t deserve to be a part of it, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.” He watches me for a moment. “You’re really far away.”

“Yep.”

“Why is that?”

“Because if I sit over there, I might make a fool of myself. I’m safer over here.”

He licks his lips. “What might you do, if you were over here?”

“I don’t think I have to spell that out for you, Mr. Cox.”

He laughs, and then to my utter surprise, stands up and rounds the ottoman that separates us, picks me up, and returns to the couch to settle me in his lap.

“There.”

“Okay, I admit, this is pretty comfortable.” I lay my head on his shoulder and loop my arm over his chest. Yawning, I settle in against him. “I could sleep here.”

“Why don’t you go ahead and do that?” He kisses my forehead. “Go to sleep, sweetheart.”

“Your legs will go to sleep, too.” But I yawn once more and feel myself drifting. “If I get too heavy, just move me.”

“Stop worrying so much.” He kisses me again. His voice rough with fatigue, he says, “Trust me, everything is just fine.”

Chapter 4

~Cameron~

She wasn’t wrong. At around two in the morning, I had to move us to the bedroom because my legs were, indeed, asleep. But she was resting so peacefully, I didn’t want to wake her. After we settled on the bed, she curled around me, laid her head on my shoulder again, and never even realized that we’d moved.

I hadn’t lied when I told her that I’d had the best night of my life. Nothing beats spending time with Maggie. Making her laugh, having a conversation, and watching her eyes light up as she watched the show was an absolute delight.

When I’m with her, everything in me settles as if she’s my safe place. And after being in a lot of sticky situations all over the globe during my time in the Army and even part of my civilian job, it’s the best feeling in the world to be here with her.