Riley
A few weeks passed, but they flew by in what seemed like a blink of an eye. All of a sudden—without warning, it seemed—warm weather was welcomed to Portland. Portlanders only enjoyed three months of sunny weather, so when it started, it came on abruptly. Suddenly boats filled the Willamette River and people were flocking to the beach at every opportunity.
The city streets were filled with people walking, rain boots replaced with sandals. Large coats replaced with tank tops. Smart pants replaced with sundresses. It was my favorite time of year.
Unfortunately, I was so busy I hardly noticed the change in weather.
Rose had me working a few big events, and even though I hadn’t been to Arizona since the first trip, I was doing some work over the phone for Lily, making sure everything was set for her big day.
When I wasn’t working, I was packing. My place, Camden’s place—I was a packing fool. On the rare Saturday neither Camden nor I was working, we were at the home improvement store looking at paint samples and appliances.
I woke up one day and I was suddenly an adult.
It was both wonderful and scary.
Nothing was more adult, however, than sitting next to Camden in the office of our mortgage broker, signing our names on the contract that made us homeowners. My name was right there next to Camden’s and we had purchased a house. Together.
It was both wonderful and scary.
When the kind woman who’d brought us through the hour-long process of signing the paperwork handed us each a key, I could’ve fainted. It was a surreal feeling.
“You two enjoy your new home,” she said with a smile, our cue to leave. Funnily enough, I had no idea what to do next. We’d just bought a house. Were we supposed to just go back to the condo and pretend as though something huge hadn’t just happened? But Camden rose, sure of himself, so I followed suit. He shook her hand and thanked her, and I did the same. Then he took my hand and led me from the building straight to the Batmobile. I slid into the passenger seat right after he’d opened the door for me, and I watched as he calmly walked around the front of the car and slid into his own seat.
He started the car, the nearly silent purr now familiar but still impressive. When he glanced over at me, I was sure I looked like a deer caught in headlights.
“We own a house, babe. You and me. It’s ours.” The emphasis he put on ‘ours’ made my heart melt a little. Sometimes I forgot how sentimental Camden could be. He was a lot of things: funny, smart, sexy, protective, sensitive. But he was also caring. The idea that he was just as excited to be linked in this legally binding way as I was… well, it was sweet.
I leaned over and kissed him, at a loss for words. I was still kind of in a stupor over the whole thing.
“Let’s go see the house,” he said, excitement filling his voice.
We’d only been able to get inside the house once since we made the offer and that was during the inspection. We’d taken a thousand pictures, or so it seemed, but I had to admit I was dying to go inside again and look around our house.
“Okay,” I replied, my excitement matching his.
He held my hand the entire trip, and as we pulled into our new neighborhood, I couldn’t help the smile or how it spread wider across my face. He must have felt it too because his hand squeezed mine. When we pulled onto our street, my heart rate spiked and I almost felt like I was going to burst with joy.
As we approached our beautiful home, I was completely shocked.
Standing outside the house holding a huge banner that read “Welcome Home” were Hadley, Rachel, Jasper, Camden’s mom and stepdad, and Justin.
“Oh my gosh. What are they doing here?” I asked, looking at Camden.
“Surprise” was all he said in response.
“Did you plan this?”
He shrugged. “I thought it would be fun to have everyone over.”
I leaned over the console and kissed his cheek.
He pulled the Batmobile into the driveway and our family and friends crowded around us, smiling and waving.
“Who wants a tour?” Camden practically shouted as he got out of the car.
I was met with hugs from everyone. Camden’s mother, Meg, pulled me in for a long embrace, whispering in my ear, “We’re so excited for you two.”
“Thanks,” I said after she pulled away.
Camden’s stepfather hugged me too. We’d come a long way in the months since we first met. And any resentment I’d felt toward him in the beginning had faded completely. He loved Camden, and I knew anything he’d ever said about me had only come from a good place. And the fact that he’d apologized and had since treated me with nothing but kindness and graciousness went a long way to endear me to him. “It’s a beautiful home, Riley,” he said, patting my shoulder.
“Thank you. It’s more than I ever wished for.” And that counted toward my whole life in that moment. Everything I had, the job, the house, the man—it was all more than I ever dreamed of having.
“You both deserve it, and all the happiness I know you’ll have inside of it.”
“Thank you,” I said again, tears stinging my eyes, unsure of what else to say.
“Stop making my girl cry,” Camden said with a smile, pulling me to his side and leading me to the front door.
The door opened and we all flooded in. My chest filled with emotion watching the people I cared about most wandering around my new home. It didn’t even matter that it was huge and expensive; what mattered was that it was ours and our friends and family were there, together, enjoying it.
“Hey, stranger,” Hadley said, sidling up to me where I leaned against the kitchen counter. “Long time no see,” she teased.
“Oh, Hadley, I’m sorry I’ve been absent lately. This has been a huge undertaking. Buying a house is crazy.”
“I can imagine.” Her words were kind, and I knew she wasn’t really upset with me for not being around, but I could also tell that she missed me. “It’s beautiful, Riley,” she said, looking at me and smiling. “It’s perfect, really. I hope you aren’t planning on changing much.”
“Not a ton. Just some paint colors and putting up window treatments. Really boring stuff,” I said with a laugh when I realized she probably didn’t care about drapes and paint samples. Hadley’s eyes drifted to where Justin was standing in the empty living room. “I notice the two of you haven’t really said much to each other since I’ve been here. What’s the update with him?” I asked, nodding toward where Justin was talking with Camden and his stepfather.
“No updates,” she said quickly, her eyes darting away from him.
“So he still hasn’t admitted he wants you desperately?” I joked. I knew there was something between Hadley and Justin, and I also knew that even though she denied it, she felt something different for him than she did all the other guys she hooked up with.
“Whatever happened between us is in the past. I’ve moved on.”
“Good,” I said, bumping my shoulder against hers, even though I didn’t believe her in the slightest.
“Babe,” Camden called as he headed toward the French doors that led to the backyard. “Come on.” He waved a hand at me, beckoning me to follow him.
“My presence is requested,” I said to Hadley.
“Keep pretending like you wouldn’t follow him anywhere,” she said with a wink.
I smiled at her, then went to Camden.
He took me outside and my mouth dropped open in shock. The entire backyard was set up for a party. There was a huge table with chairs with a beautiful tablecloth, complete with place settings. There was a free-standing hammock, food on the counter by the grill, an open cooler filled with beer and soda—it looked like the most beautiful summer cookout.
“Who did all this?”
“Well, Justin brought over all the food, and my mom put together all the decorations and stuff.”
I turned and looked at him. “I can’t believe this is my life right now.”
“It’s our life, babe.”
“Who wants a burger and who wants a dog?” Justin called out as he stepped outside. People all over called out their orders and I just leaned into Cam, wrapping my arms around his waist. The day couldn’t get any better.
“There’s no way my sister lives in a house this nice.”
At the familiar voice, I spun away from Camden, only to have my eyes land on my baby brother.
“Tripp? What are you doing here?” I screamed, running toward him and wrapping him in my arms as soon as he was in reach.
His arms circled me and held tightly. Tripp only lived a few hours away, but he was busy all the time with school and work so I hardly ever saw him. After a very long but not-long-enough hug, I pulled away and looked up at him, trying to hold back the tears. He was my little brother by four years, but he was tall and broad and I hadn’t been able to look down at him in a long time.
“Camden called and said you were having a housewarming party. I finished classes yesterday. Here I am.” He smiled and held his arms out like he was an offering, so I hugged him again.
“Tripp,” Hadley said, coming up beside us. “You grew up since I saw you last.” She hugged him too, and like always, Tripp’s eyes turned into big cartoon hearts. He’d been crushing on Hadley ever since I met her in college. It started innocent enough since he was just a boy back then, but he’d never outgrown his infatuation.
“Hey, Hadley,” he squeaked, hugging her back.
“How long are you here for?” I asked him, wiping the happy tears from my face.
“Just the night. Have to be back at work tomorrow evening.”
A huge frown pulled at my face.
“Sorry, sis. Someone’s got to pay the bills.”
“Don’t let her guilt you too badly. Riley works harder than anyone I’ve ever met.” That came from Jasper, who had just walked outside with Rachel.
“That’s the truth,” Rachel added, smiling widely at me.
“Tripp, this is Jasper and Rachel. They’re my friends and coworkers.”
“Nice to meet you,” Tripp said, holding a hand out to Jasper. But when his eyes turned to Rachel, it was as though he lost his words for a moment. “Um, hi,” he stammered. “I’m Tripp.” He reached out to her slowly and I watched as sparks ignited between them. Rachel blushed as my brother shook her hand for much longer than socially acceptable, but she wasn’t complaining.
“I’m Rachel.”
I didn’t know why it had never occurred to me to talk my brother up to Rachel. They were the same age and she was one of my most favorite people. I’m not sure I’d ever spoken about Tripp to them though, which was sad.
“Tripp is getting his MBA at University of Oregon,” I tell them, even though he and Rachel hadn’t taken their eyes off each other.
“That must be really interesting,” Rachel said. She sounded nervous, and Rachel was never nervous. “I took a few business classes in college.”
“Really?” he asked, smiling.
“Yeah.”
“Can I get you something to drink?”
I’d never seen my brother try to pick a girl up before, and I found it very entertaining. He wasn’t half bad, actually.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to take you away from Riley. I’m sure she wants to catch up with you.”
He didn’t even look my way before he replied with, “I’ll see her plenty. I’m helping them move. Come on.”
I watched, mouth gaping, as he smoothly pressed a hand to the small of her back and led her across the patio to where the giant red cooler sat with all the beverages inside.
“Did that just happen?” I asked anyone and everyone.
“Your brother better not screw Rachel over,” Jasper said, a warning tone to his voice.
“Hey, Tripp is a decent guy.”
“That may be so, but I stand by my statement.” Jasper was also a good guy, and I couldn’t fault him for wanting to protect Rachel; she was so smart and sweet. I didn’t think Tripp would ever do anything to intentionally hurt anyone, though.
“Maybe they’ll hit it off,” I said with a shrug.
“Okay,” Camden broke in, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “He’s getting her a beer, not an engagement ring. Chill out, guys. Let’s not start planning their wedding.”
“Yeah,” Jasper said eagerly. “Let’s plan yours instead.”
“Did someone say wedding?” Camden’s mother asked, coming up behind him.
“Have there been new developments?” Hadley asked.
And suddenly I was anxious. We were standing on the patio of my brand new house—which I couldn’t afford on my own—asking about wedding plans. The job, the house, the fiancé, the wedding—I absolutely couldn’t do it all, and my brain knew it.
“No wedding talk tonight, guys,” Camden said firmly, and I watched as all three of their faces fell, Jasper’s the most.
“There’s no hurry, dear,” Meg said, reaching out and squeezing my hand.
“Do you even know which season you want to be married in?” Hadley asked, clearly exasperated with me.
“Not in the winter,” I said without thinking. But as soon as I said the words I realized they were very true. I didn’t want to be cold on my wedding day. “I want it to be warm. Maybe on a beach.”
“Hot damn, we’ve got details!” Jasper’s voice was so full of excitement I thought he was going to burst. “Quick, ask her some more questions, Hadley. Get her to answer while she’s on a roll.”
“No more questions,” Camden practically growled. “Let’s just enjoy the house.”
“Can I get a tour?” Meg asked politely, and I knew she was trying to distract Camden and get him to cool down.
“Sure thing, Mom.” He pressed a soft kiss to my temple, then led his mother inside the house. He stopped by Justin, who was manning the grill, on his way in, and I knew he was asking him to keep an eye on me.
Hadley placed a hand on my arm, urging me to look at her. “Can we talk for a minute about how manly Tripp is?”
“Ugh,” I groaned. “Do we have to?” Sure, Tripp was handsome and swoony, but he was my brother and I wanted to think about him in feetie pajamas forever.
“I agree,” Jasper said, leaning toward us like he had a secret. “Why have you been hiding him from us?”
I laughed. “I wasn’t hiding him. He’s a busy college student. Plus he works a full-time job. I hardly ever see him.”
“Well,” Jasper said with a lilt, “if the way he’s devouring Rachel with his eyes is any indication, we’ll be seeing a lot more of him.”
“Hey, nice house.” Justin smiled at me and nodded toward the aforementioned house.
“Thanks,” I replied, wearily.
“So, uh, how’s Hadley doing?” He was trying so hard to seem uninterested I almost laughed.
“You could go talk to her yourself and find out,” I offered kindly. I knew there was something going on between them, but I also knew Hadley was somewhat of a man-eater. It was entirely possible that she caught Justin in her trap and then set him free without realizing he had formed an attachment. It wouldn’t have been the first time.
I watched as he looked over at her, his eyes zeroing in on her face, but then he turned back to the grill with a sad expression. “Nah, she looks busy. I was just trying to make conversation.”
“What happened between you two?” I asked softly, taking another step toward him, trying to make him feel like our conversation was private even though we were standing in the middle of my backyard.
He shrugged. “We hung out a few times. Nothing serious.”
“Is that why you’re always looking at her with sad puppy dog eyes?” I joked, trying to get a genuine smile from him. Luckily for me, it worked.
“I do not,” he said with his handsome smile across his face.
I’d gotten to know Justin a little over the past few months, and even though he seemed a little aloof sometimes, he was obviously a good guy. Still very much in his bachelor stage, but a good guy regardless. But it was strange how fascinated he was with Hadley and how little time of day she gave him. It wasn’t unlike her, but something about her attitude toward him, her indifference, didn’t ring true all the time. It felt forced and artificial.
However, I had my own damn problems to worry about without trying to figure out why they couldn’t get their shit together.
“Hang in there,” I said, patting him on the bicep. “She’s not all bad. If it’s meant to be, she’ll come around.”
“Thanks, Riley.” His tone was solemn, but then he turned to me and I watched as a mischievous grin spread across his face. “Do you want a burger or a wiener?”
I gave him a playful wink. “Don’t ask me questions you already know the answer to.”
He laughed as I walked away, and I was glad I could give him just a little bit of a mood lift.
I walked into the house and took a moment to just look around. The floor was empty, everyone still outside except for Camden and his mom, who I assumed were upstairs by that point. There was light coming in the windows, and the sounds of people laughing outside. I imagined many weekends filled the same way, with friends and family here, enjoying this crazy house that I never dreamed I would ever own.
My future happiness has never been wrapped up in possessions, or even my address. I didn’t need a house in a fancy neighborhood. But what I hadn’t realized was that I wanted a home and a family. Could I be just as happy someplace else? Definitely. But for whatever reason, Camden wanted this to be our home. And even though it was sappy and mushy, I was home wherever Camden was. So if I had to live in the big beautiful house to be with him, then I’d suffer through it.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out to see I had a text from Rose.
**Please advise any clients you may have meetings with this week that you’ll be out of town Monday and Tuesday. We need to take another trip to Arizona. Just a quick dress evaluation and catering appointment. Flight leaves at nine Monday morning. Meet you at the airport at seven.**
I sighed after reading the text. Another trip to Arizona was inevitable, but I’d been hoping to stay away a little longer.
**Message received. I only had one meeting that was high priority, and I’m sure Rachel can handle it for me. See you on Monday.**
At least I’d have the weekend to relax before being thrown back into the lion’s den. The last trip had gone okay as long as I kept my distance from Penelope. That was my plan going forward as well. I let Rose do her thing, took notes, and offered suggestions when they were needed, but it was definitely a different role than I was used to. When I was planning an event for a client, I was in beast mode. I had dedicated folders full of information: quotes, bids, renderings. Sometimes I even had collages if I felt the client was particularly visual.
Luckily, Rose seemed to be playing down our involvement as planners, but I wanted to focus on the planning so I didn’t focus on Penelope. Or, to be completely honest, so Penelope didn’t focus on me.
I heard footsteps upstairs and went to find Camden.
“This would be a wonderful room for a nursery, Cam,” I heard Meg say just before I pushed the door to the spare bedroom open.
“Yeah,” he said softly, not sounding too committed to the agreement. “When the time is right, maybe. We’ve got plenty of time for kids though. I kind of just want to spend some time with Riley, have some time where it’s just the two of us for a while. Maybe travel a little.”
I smiled at his words, loving his vision for us in the foreseeable future. I did want kids with Camden, but I agreed with him—there was plenty of time for that.
“Hey,” I said as I stepped into the room, trying not to startle them.
“Hey, babe,” Camden replied, his face softening as I entered the room. “We were just talking about you.”
“Good things, I hope.”
He lifted his arm slightly, just enough for me to press into his side. “Always.”
“I was just telling Camden how this room would make a wonderful nursery,” Meg told me.
“Mom,” he warned.
“You think?” I asked sincerely. “The other spare room is much closer to the master, so I figured we’d make that into the first nursery.”
“First nursery?” Camden asked, clearly surprised by my response.
I gave him a wink.
“Oh, I didn’t even consider that,” Meg said as she walked out the door to inspect the other room.
Once we were alone, Camden looked down at me. “Are we really going to need more than one nursery?”
I shrugged one shoulder. “I have no idea. I’m not even sure the other room is closer.”
“So you don’t want a house full of babies?”
“That sounds horrid.” I couldn’t help the laughter that erupted from me, or the visual his sentence conjured up.
“You know what I mean,” he said, smiling while rolling his eyes at me.
“I want kids. Someday. Not any time soon though. There’s no rush.” I gave him a gentle pat on the chest to try and ease his worries. I didn’t want him or me to stress about that; we had enough on our plate at that moment. “Oh, before I forget, Rose just texted me and needs me in Arizona again Monday and Tuesday.”
I watched as his eyebrows drew together.
“You’re going out of town again? In, like, two days?”
“Yeah,” I said softly, looking up at him. “I know it’s bad timing, what with the house and all, but I have to go.” He didn’t respond right away, not with words anyway. But I could see in his eyes that he was working something out in his mind. Almost as though he were weighing whether or not to say something. I wanted to know what he was thinking, wanted him to just come out and say it, but not if he wasn’t ready. “Will you be all right here by yourself?”
He turned toward me fully, taking my face in his hands and looking me right in the eye. “I’m never okay when you’re not with me. But yeah, I’ll be all right.” He moved in and pressed his lips against my forehead, resting them there and breathing me in. “Maybe I’ll stay at the condo.”
“Why?” I was itching to be in the new house, to move all our stuff in, to make it our own. To see Camden walking around in his boxer briefs in our home.
“Doesn’t seem right to sleep here without you.”
And like so many times in the last eight months, Camden left me speechless and emotionally raw with just one sentence.
“I’ll never understand how, in this entire huge world, somehow I managed to find you. And what’s even more mind-blowing is that, out of every woman on this huge world, you want me.”
At my words a smile spread across his face. “Do you remember our first kiss, babe? Who wouldn’t come back for more after that?”
Oh, I remembered all right. So did the other twenty thousand people at the arena that night.
“It was pretty impressive. For a first kiss, anyway,” I teased.
“All our kisses are impressive,” he argued.
“That’s true,” I relented. And almost as if he was trying to prove his point, he bent at the knee and captured my mouth, pulling me closer with his arms snaked around my waist. I let him lead the kiss, let him show me how he was feeling through it. The kiss was hungry and a little urgent, as though he was trying to keep me close.
We both heard his mother’s heels on the hardwood floors, the sound getting louder as she got closer the room we were in. He tugged gently on my bottom lip with his teeth, sending shivers to all the good places, then pulled away, scraping his teeth along my lip as he went.
“You’re terrible,” I rasped, hating the fact that he knew he’d gotten to me with that lip bite and there wasn’t a single thing I could do about it with all our friends and family around.
“I think you meant to say ‘impressive.’”