Chapter 51

Xander

Watching my nephews was great, and having Cami with me made it even better. Carter was napping on Cami’s lap in the family room, while Kaeden and James watched a movie in the living room. As for me? I was leaning against the doorframe, watching Cami cuddle my nephew.

“Are you just going to stand there?” she asked. “Or are you going to come in here and sit down?”

“I’m enjoying watching you,” I admitted before laughing. “That sounded bad, didn’t it?”

She smiled and shook her head. “I’m sure it would have under other circumstances, but in this case, it sounded sweet.”

I moved into the room and took a seat close to Cami. “Is it because creepy looks good on me?”

“That could be it,” she agreed with a quiet laugh. “I think it’s more that I have a good idea of what you’re thinking, and it’s not at all creepy.”

“What am I thinking?” I asked.

“That I’d make a good mother,” she replied after a beat of silence.

“Why did you hesitate?” I asked.

“It feels strange saying that,” she admitted. “That is what you were thinking, right?”

I nodded. Why lie? “At the very least, you’d make a good aunt. That’s more important than the mother part right now.”

“You aren’t sure you want kids?” she asked.

“I want kids,” I replied. “They just aren’t essential to my happiness. I could see myself marrying someone who didn’t want kids and just continuing to spoil my nephews. Do you want kids?”

“Yes,” she replied without hesitation. “I’d like to have a couple of kids. There are times when I haven’t been sure I wanted to have kids, mostly when I start worrying about all the things that could go wrong.”

“Because of your job?” I asked.

She nodded. “There have been some patients with issues that made me wonder if I have what it takes to be a mom. It’s easy to say you can parent a child with no problems, but what happens when you have a suicidal child? I’m not just talking about teens. I’ve had young children who wanted to die and some who intentionally hurt others. As their therapist, I keep some emotional distance from it all, but I couldn’t do that as their mom.”

I considered what she’d said before responding. “I guess most of us never even think that could happen. It’s not common, right?”

“No, it’s not the norm,” she replied. “That’s what I remind myself of when I let those fears start to get to me. Besides, I already know I’ll love my children no matter what. Yes, there will be pain and sadness involved with parenting, regardless of any problems they may or may not have, but there will also be a lot of joy.”

“I love you,” I blurted out. “Shit. I shouldn’t have said that now, not like this. I’m not trying to pressure you, but it’s the truth. I love you for who you are. This isn’t going to make things awkward, is it?”

Cami smiled and reached out to put her hand on mine. “I love you, too.”

“You do?” I asked. “Are you about to tell me you love me as a friend?”

“No,” she replied with a laugh. “I do love you as a friend, but it’s becoming much more than that.”

I grinned. “I guess this means I can call you my girlfriend now.”

She nodded.

“That’s good,” I told her. “My sister will be here soon, and I’m sure she’s already planning our wedding.”

“Wedding?” she asked. “Because of our fake relationship? It’s real now, but it wasn’t before. You didn’t tell her it was fake, right? I didn’t tell my mom, so I understand why you wouldn’t tell your family.”

“I told her, but she knows me really well,” I explained. “She picked up on how I feel about you.”

The alarm on Cami’s phone interrupted us. “Unfortunately, I’ll have to meet her another time. I have two appointments tonight. Oh, that reminds me. I came over here to tell you that the police arrested someone for putting the oil on the stairs. It looks like it was supposed to be someone else who fell.”

“That’s good news,” I told her. “I was worried about going on tour when someone might be targeting you. I had a private investigator look into Mitch, and he seems innocent, but I was still worried.”

“You hired a private investigator?” She looked shocked.

“I wasn’t taking any chances with your safety. I’ll fill you in on what I learned another time. There is some interesting stuff you might want to hear. Why don’t you hand me Carter so you can say goodbye to Kaeden and James?”

Cami stood and handed Carter to me before going up on tiptoes to kiss my cheek. “Thank you for the wonderful day. Call me anytime you need help babysitting.”

“Oh, you bet I will,” I assured her. “My nephews seem to be my good luck charms where you’re concerned.”