by TJ Thomas
After exchanging a quick look, June said, “We’re in.”
“Dawn?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Cam took Dawn’s hand. “Great, let’s go.”
They had only gone the length of a few storefronts when Cam pulled up short. She glanced back. “Kate, get out your phone and be ready to call the police.”
Kate said, “Okay. Why?”
Confusion washed across Dawn’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“We’re about to have some company, and I don’t want to take any chances.” Cam nodded in the direction of the figure approaching them and closing the gap quickly.
The color drained from Dawn’s face when she recognized Lori. “What are you doing here?”
“Really? You knew it would come to this. Wasn’t very smart of you, Dawn,” Lori said.
Without looking back, Dawn said, “Kate, would you make that call now? Let them know we need help enforcing a restraining order.”
“Of course.”
“Come on, baby, you don’t have to do that,” Lori pleaded.
“If you leave right now, we’ll call them off.”
“I’m not leaving without you.”
Cam had stood silent long enough. She knew Dawn was strong enough to stand up to Lori. But Lori needed to know Cam would stand up for her too. She took a step toward her, angling her body so Dawn was behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw June shift as well. “Yes, you are.”
“Back up, bitch, this doesn’t concern you.”
“I think it does and you made sure of that. You threatened to come after me if Dawn didn’t stop seeing me, but this doesn’t concern me? Actually, it concerns me quite a lot. The police are on their way and you don’t have much time if you want to get out of here.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“You’re in violation of the restraining order. But since we seem to have a few minutes, let me tell you how pathetic I think you are. How can you possibly hit someone you claim to love? It makes me sick even calling you a butch. You’re a disgrace. You’re pitiful.”
Cam saw it coming, but she didn’t duck. She allowed Lori’s fist to land on her jaw but she absorbed most of the blow. Still, it was enough to split her lip and it stung quite bit. Cam stood there, blood trailing from the side of her mouth and down her chin. “Did that make you feel better?” She asked as she wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve.
Cam sensed rather than saw June holding Dawn’s arm, allowing her to handle the situation. Lori seethed, and as Cam put her arm back down to her side, Lori struck her again. She let another blow land, knowing she’d have a black eye by morning. But she also knew the officer in the patrol car had pulled up and witnessed at least the second punch. When Lori went to strike her again, she leaned right, grabbed her arm and pinned it behind her back. As Lori yelled obscenities at her, she addressed the cop. “Officer, I’d like to press charges for assault. This woman attacked me and is in violation of a restraining order.”
Cam released Lori with the police officer there and stepped back.
“I saw those punches. You’ll want to get some ice on your face soon, but I’ll need to get your statements before you leave. Please don’t go anywhere.”
“Wouldn’t think of it.” The officer handcuffed Lori. She read her her rights as she walked her to the patrol car. Then Cam turned to Dawn who was shaking.
“What the hell were you thinking? I was handling it.” Dawn stood toe to toe with Cam.
“You were, but she wasn’t listening to you, and I wanted her to know I’m not afraid of her. She doesn’t intimidate me. I also needed you to know I would stand up for you. I’ll protect you.”
“You said you wouldn’t try to be a white knight. You egged her on. She could have really hurt you.”
“I said I wouldn’t track her down and I didn’t. If I’d seen a weapon or even thought she had one, I would have handled the situation differently, but I knew I could beat her in a fair fight.”
“Lori’s lucky Cam didn’t throw a punch,” June said.
Dawn shot her a withering look and June took a step back and remained quiet.
“Why didn’t you throw a punch?” Dawn asked.
“That would have defeated the whole purpose. If I’d knocked her down, she wouldn’t be in a police car right now arrested for assault and I might be. I’m sorry if I scared you.”
Dawn expelled a forceful breath. “I was only scared that she would hurt you.”
“I hope this means she won’t bother us again, but there’s no way to know for sure.”
“We’ll be careful. Now let me look at your face.” Dawn put her hands on Cam’s cheeks and assessed the damage. “Oh, Cam, that looks like it hurts.”
“It does, but it was well worth it if it gets her out of our lives.”
Chapter Nineteen
“You’re quiet,” Cam said.
Dawn had barely noticed the scenery passing as she’d been preoccupied for the entire ride. Luckily Cam was driving. They’d been dating a little more than a week and were headed to Cindy and Lynn’s for dinner. “I guess I’m a little nervous.”
Cam took Dawn’s hand and held it on her thigh. “Why? I thought you had a great time with Cindy and Lynn last time.”
“I did. I like them both. It’s just that…we weren’t dating then.”
“Why do you think that will change things? Cindy and Lynn both knew how I felt about you that time too.”
Dawn shrugged. “I don’t know. The two of them mean so much to you. What if I don’t measure up?”
Cam squeezed Dawn’s hand. “You don’t have anyone to measure up to. I love you and you make me happy. That’s all either of them care about. It’ll be fine.”
Dawn didn’t answer. Cam was almost at the house and there wasn’t any time to do anything about it anyway.
After climbing out of the truck, Cam took Dawn’s hand again. But she stopped before going any farther. “Sweetheart, try to relax. It will be okay, I promise.”
Cam had earned her trust and Dawn knew her word was good. “Okay, I’ll try.”
With Dawn’s hand in hers, Cam walked to the house. She pushed open the front door and called out, “Hello.”
Cindy called from the kitchen, “Come on back, you two.” She dried her hands on a dish towel as Cam and Dawn came into the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around Dawn in a warm welcome. “So good to see you again.”
The tension drained from Dawn’s shoulders as she returned the hug. “You too.”
“Would you like wine, beer?”
“I would love a glass of wine,” Dawn said.
“I could go for a beer.”
As Cindy reached for a wine glass and the bottle she had open on the counter, she said to Cam, “You know where the beer is. Help yourself. Would you take one out to Lynn and let her know you’re here?”
Before answering, Cam turned to Dawn with a question in her eyes. When she saw Dawn’s almost imperceptible nod, she said, “Sure, be right back.” She grabbed two bottles from the refrigerator and headed out back.
Cindy handed a wineglass to Dawn and picked up her own. “Here’s to new friends and new beginnings.”
“I’ll definitely drink to that.” After sipping the wine, Dawn said, “That’s lovely. It also smells amazing in here. What are you making?”
“I have lasagna Bolognese in the oven.”
“Sounds delicious. Cam said you love to cook.”
“It’s one of my favorite things. What about you?”
“I can barely boil water most days. Someday, I would like to learn how to make a few dishes. It would be nice to be able to make dinner for Cam sometimes.”
“I could teach you, if you want.”
“Really? That would be awesome.” Dawn made sure Cam was still out back. “Do you think we could keep it just between us for now? I would love to surprise Cam.”
Cindy smiled. “I think that’s a f
antastic idea. Let’s set something up before you leave tonight.”
Dawn only nodded as both of them heard Cam and Lynn coming in the back door.
“It’s great to see you again, Dawn,” Lynn said.
“You too.” Dawn met Cam’s eyes across the room.
They had a nice, comfortable dinner. After dinner, while Cam and Lynn did the dishes, Cindy showed Dawn around the yard. Dawn was amazed by the land that housed chickens and goats. “I didn’t realize you two had all this space back here. It reminds me a little of my parents’ farm in North Carolina.
“We didn’t start out to be farmers, but once we got the goats, we quickly realized we loved it. So it seemed natural to plant the huge garden and try to grow as much of our own food as possible. Of course, there was a pretty steep learning curve and the goats ended up eating most of our first harvest. Then, we figured out how to keep them penned in their own area. It’s a lot of work, as I’m sure you know, but we both love being outdoors. Building something that is our own is special and makes every minute we spend out here worth the effort.”
“I understand completely. Not only from growing up on a farm, but from spending time in my own gardens. I love it so much.”
“I noticed your yard when I visited Cam. Your flowers are beautiful and the layout of your beds is intriguing.”
“Thank you. Next time you come over, I’ll show you the gardens in my backyard. In addition to having more perennials back there, I also grow vegetables.”
“Sounds great.”
*****
Cam glanced over at Dawn as she backed down the driveway. “How was that for you?”
“It was wonderful. I have no idea why I was so worried. Cindy and Lynn are fantastic and dinner was amazing.”
“I’m glad you had a nice time. It’s a beautiful night. How would you like to go for a walk on the beach?”
“I’d love to.”
Cam and Dawn walked, talked, and kissed under the stars. It was indeed a beautiful night. The ride home was quiet. Cam walked Dawn across her yard and up onto her porch. Dawn opened her front door and turned to Cam. She wrapped her arms around her waist. “Will you come in?”
Cam put her forehead on Dawn’s. “I’m sorry I can’t tonight. I have to be up super early in the morning. Can I call you after work tomorrow?”
Dawn searched Cam’s eyes wanting so much to know what was going on behind them. “Darling, you don’t need to ask.”
Cam kissed her sweetly. “I love you.”
“I love you, Cam, sleep well.”
“You too.”
Cam crossed back to her yard before Dawn walked into the house and shut the door. She needed to ask Cam what was going on, but she was afraid to press her about something like this so soon into their relationship. They hadn’t had sex since that first time, well, make that several times. Thinking back on it was still exciting. They were great together. So why did Cam seemingly not want to go there again? Maybe it hadn’t been as good for her. Dawn knew Cam was turned on by her, but since then, she seemed to be avoiding getting in any situation that might lead to the bedroom. Dawn was starting cooking class with Cindy tomorrow. Maybe she could offer some insight into what might be going on in Cam’s head.
*****
“Hi, I’m so excited we’re doing this.” Cindy greeted Dawn warmly.
“I’m excited too but also nervous.”
“Nothing to be nervous about. Cooking isn’t that hard once you know some of the basics. Don’t worry, we’ll get you there. Did you have some idea of what you wanted to make for Cam?”
“I’m not sure, maybe butternut squash lasagna?”
Cindy laughed gently. “Oh, honey, now you’re making me nervous. That’s quite a hard dish to make. We can get you there with some time, but how about something easier for a first go. Did you have a second option?”
“Um…” Dawn shrugged. “Spaghetti?”
“Perfect! We can totally work with that. I even have all the ingredients for that on hand. I love that we can do this in the middle of the day. Not many people have such flexible work schedules. Let’s start with something simple. How are your vegetable chopping skills?”
“I’m decent at chopping and dicing, I do those all the time for salads.”
“Great, then you’re ahead of the game. Why don’t you start with this onion? We’ll prepare all the ingredients and then work on the process of putting it all together.”
“Great. Thanks for doing this Cindy.”
“No problem, I love this type of thing.”
After they finished cooking, they sat to enjoy the meal. Dawn twirled pasta onto her fork and took a bite. “This is delicious.”
“And not too hard to make, right?”
“It’s true.”
After a few moments, Dawn said, “Can I ask you a question? If it’s not something you feel comfortable talking about you can totally say no.”
“Go ahead and ask and then we’ll see.”
“It’s about Cam and me.”
“I thought it might be.”
“So, a couple weeks ago we slept together, but it was just the one night. Since then Cam won’t do anything more than kiss me. I’ve tried to make it clear that I’m open for more, but she always says there’s no rush.” Dawn shrugged. “I don’t understand what she’s waiting for.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything.”
“Okay, correct me if I’m wrong, but since you’ve known Cam, up until a few weeks ago, hadn’t you told her and maintained that you didn’t do relationships?”
Dawn blushed, but her gaze never wavered from Cindy’s. “Yes, that is what I said, but getting to know Cam changed things for me.”
“Do you think it is possible Cam’s scared you’ll change your mind again?”
“I suppose anything’s possible. But I won’t. I’m in love with her.”
“Okay, let’s put that aside for a moment. The only other reason I can think of that Cam would hesitate is that she needs time to adjust to the change in your relationship.”
Dawn furrowed her brow. “Do you think that’s it?”
“I do know you’re the first person she’s felt this deeply about since Melanie died. But no, knowing Cam, I think she would have figured out what she was okay with before she started pursuing you. So me, personally, I think she’s waiting on you. She needs to know you’re sure about what you want before she takes it any further. I suspect if you took your relationship to the next level and then you backed away it would devastate her. I’m sure she wants and needs you to be certain. But the best advice I can give you is to ask Cam. Have a conversation with her and let her tell you what’s going on with her.”
“That’s something to think about. Thanks for the ear.”
“Any time, I’m glad you’ve come into Cam’s life.”
“I know some people may think my mind changed pretty quickly, but Cam made an impression from the first day I met her and slowly made her way into my heart. Now I can’t imagine life without her.”
Chapter Twenty
Dawn and Cam strolled through Balboa Park hand in hand, enjoying the beautiful summer morning. Noon was still an hour off, but the temperature had already climbed into the high seventies. All around the park, people were running, doing yoga, or playing games. Frisbees were whizzing through the air. A group playing five-a-side soccer was off to the side. Nets were set up for raucous volleyball games, young lovers cuddled together on beach blankets, moms and dads pushed strollers, and canines big and small pulled their owners toward the fenced off dog area on the edge of the grounds.
“I’m looking forward to meeting Jo and Rhonda this afternoon. Will you tell me more about them?” Dawn said.
Cam paused, thinking about where to start. “Let’s see, you already know Jo went to college with us. She’s a great person and has always been an amazing friend. Some of our best stories from college involve Jo and her legendary plans for pranks. She
’s originally from Amherst but after college, she lived here until last year when she moved back to Massachusetts to be with Rhonda. Jo went to high school with Rhonda’s daughters.”
“Whoa.”
“I know. It seemed strange to me too at first, but I was one of the few that witnessed the night the two of them reconnected, at our friend Amy’s wedding last October. I didn’t have any idea that anything would come of it. But it felt right, somehow, the two of them together. Even though Jo was trying to keep her distance because she didn’t think anything could happen between them. As far as Jo knew, Rhonda had never been with a woman and Jo respected her too much to make a move.” Cam indicated a spot under a tree far enough away from all the ball games that neither of them would get clobbered while picnicking. “How’s this?”
“Looks great.”
Cam set down the picnic basket and pulled out the blanket. Dawn helped her spread it out and the two of them lay on it facing one another.
Dawn urged Cam to finish her story, “How did Jo get over that?”
“Rhonda kissed her.”
Dawn laughed. “That would do it.”
“Seems like it took more than one kiss for us,” Cam said good-naturedly.
Dawn reached out and lifted a lock of hair off Cam’s forehead. “That’s only because I’m a slow learner.” She leaned forward and kissed Cam tenderly. “Luckily, now we can do that any time we want.”
“Amen.”
Laughing, Dawn rolled onto her back and rested her head on her arm. “So then what happened?”
“The two of them decided to explore what was between them. It didn’t take them long to figure it out. Kate, June, and I went to their wedding last December.”
“Wonderful. So, now they’re coming here to take care of Jo’s condo?”
“Yeah, I figure it’s mostly an excuse to come to San Diego. Jo’s ex, Aideen, has been staying in the condo and Jo will probably just sell it to her. I imagine all the paperwork could have been done long distance. But it will be good to see Jo and get to know Rhonda a little better, no matter what the reason.”