And then the lights went down. Oops. The woman threw her another look and motioned to the screen. Where the movie was starting.
Cameron thrust the last of the snacks at her daughter and plopped into her own seat. Alex lowered his arm onto the arm rest between them.
She nudged him with her elbow.
He pushed back.
Well, this just wouldn’t do. No way was she going to spend the entire movie huddled in her chair, squeezing her arms to her side to keep from touching Alex while he was sprawled on the armrest that was half hers. But the only way to share it was to press their arms together.
Change of plans. She leaned toward his seat and stretched her arm along the entire armrest. Who said she had to share? He could use the one on the other side.
He smiled back but didn’t try to move her arm again. He just sat in his chair. Really close to her. His arm brushed against hers. Of course, it did. She was practically hanging over his seat, rudely, all because she was afraid to touch him. And now here she was anyway. Almost touching him. This was not a good idea. Because if she touched his arm, she might be tempted to do something else. Like hold his hand. And that was a monumentally bad idea.
She had completely miscalculated this situation. And now she was stuck with his arm dangerously close to hers.
Alex seemed to enjoy the romantic comedy as much as the kids did, never once getting restless. Josh had never been able to sit through a movie, his legs bouncing the entire time. She snuck a glance at Alex to find him… watching her and not the screen.
The stinker. Why wasn’t he tied in knots like she was? As soon as this movie was over, this was it. She was not allowing Lizzie to finagle her into any more situations with Alex. Yeah, that would be much better.
In the future, Mariana could come visit without her father. That would work. If Alex was involved, she’d send her mother so Cameron didn’t have to see the man who was so completely wrong for her. Except he wasn’t. He was practically perfect for her, aside from that whole “could be reassigned any day” aspect of being in the Army.
She should take her wish list and sign up for eMeet. Wasn’t that how singles met people these days? Then she could pre-screen everyone to weed out travel hounds and military. To be safe, she’d look for a homebody. He could have allergies and hate the outdoors. There was no way a man like that would choose Annapurna… or the Army… over her.
“Cameron?”
The lights brightened, signaling the movie was over. She presumed, by the scattered applause from the audience, that the movie had a happy ending. She’d been so wrapped up in figuring out a way to extricate Alex from her life that she’d missed it.
Alex smiled at her and her stomach did a flippity-dip.
Daggone butterflies. Take a break.
“Did you enjoy the movie?”
She sputtered a response. “Absolutely.” Hopefully he wouldn’t ask her any questions about the plot. The only thing she remembered was the scene with the river boat cruise, too focused on the man beside her.
“Good. I’m glad we did this. It gave me a chance to spend time with you.”
His smile never faltered as he hustled the girls out of the aisle. She snapped her jaw shut on his bombshell and followed them out of the theater.
“Mom, can we go for ice cream?”
“Yeah, Daddy. Can we? Please? Please?” The girls jumped up and down, their hands pressed together as they pleaded. You’d never know they had inhaled a huge tub of popcorn and an extra-large box of candy over the past two hours.
But she’d already been weakened by Alex and his great smile today. Time to make her excuses before she succumbed completely.
“We can’t. We have to tackle that chore list you’re still working through, Lizzie.” As soon as she said it, she regretted reminding Alex of the last time she’d seen him. That had not been her finest hour. Come to think of it, neither had today. And yet he still gave her that intense stare, as if her flaws didn’t matter.
“Come on, Mariana.” Alex directed his attention toward Cameron while he talked to his daughter. “Another time.” Then he leaned close to her. “I hope we run into you again soon.”
He chuckled and headed down the sidewalk while Mariana skipped alongside him.
How was Cameron going to think of anything else now? Especially when her Alex fantasies were a lot more entertaining than fighting with Lizzie about her chore list.
Chapter Four
Lizzie’s phone vibrated with a text. She glanced at the screen. Everything ready?
She dashed off a quick thumbs-up to Mariana and shoved her phone between the couch cushions before Mom noticed. The next step in their plan to get their parents together was all set.
* * *
Mariana had her car door open before Alex put the car in park. Sure, she was excited, but this was a little ridiculous. He had to sprint to catch up with her before she pounded on Cameron’s door.
After Mariana had begged daily, he’d finally agreed to a sleepover at Lizzie’s house. Had even confirmed it with Cameron directly. Via text. Using the number she’d given him. That was the point, right?
He hadn’t seen her since their afternoon at the movies. She might have been throwing up roadblocks left and right, but that was okay. He could be patient. Besides, he wasn’t sure if she was uninterested in him… or fighting her own feelings.
Much like he had been fighting his. He hadn’t even considered dating another woman since Valentina died. Hadn’t wanted to set himself up for additional heartbreak. But after getting to know Cameron, he thought it was worth the risk.
Could he convince her of it, too? He’d taken this job at Ft. Dunwoody because Mariana needed stability. He couldn’t keep handing her off to his parents when his unit deployed. His new role was designated non-deployable, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t have to travel. On top of that, nothing was ever certain in the Army. He could be reassigned at any point or be asked to deploy with a forward unit regardless.
Was that what was holding Cameron back? She was already dealing with an absentee ex. Maybe the risk of Alex heading off for parts unknown was too much for her. That he could handle. He’d convince her that, unlike her ex, he had no intention of leaving.
But could he really make that promise?
He was overthinking this entire situation. He and Cameron were single parents of girls who liked to spend time together. That should be enough for him. But it wasn’t. For the first time since Valentina’s death, he wanted more.
Cameron opened the door before they knocked and barely spared him a glance before acknowledging his daughter. Yep, she was avoiding him. But at least she wasn’t ignoring Mariana. He’d hate it if his daughter’s friendship was jeopardized because their parents couldn’t figure out how to be in a room together.
“Hey, sweetie. You ready to have some fun?”
Mariana held up her backpack and sleeping bag. “I’ve got everything.”
“Great. Lizzie and I just got back from Redbox. We’ve got a great night planned, so come on in.”
He hesitated on the porch. Was he supposed to follow Mariana in or just leave? He’d love to spend a few more minutes with Cameron. And they should discuss when he was picking Mariana up, right?
“So when should I come by tomorrow?”
She nibbled at her bottom lip and stared at her feet for a minute. “Come on in. We can check with Mom.”
Cameron didn’t look at all comfortable, but he wasn’t going to refuse the opening.
He followed her into the kitchen where a woman he presumed was her mother fiddled with something on the counter. When she spotted him, a huge smile broke out on her face. “You must be Alex. I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Barbara, Cameron’s mom.”
The resemblance between Cameron and her mom was striking, both having the same golden curls and bright blue eyes. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you, too. I know Cameron counts on you to help with Lizzie. Thanks for agreeing to have
Mariana over tonight.”
“Mariana is such a sweet girl. What about you, Alex? Where’s your family?”
“Mother,” Cameron huffed under her breath.
Barbara swatted at Cameron. “Leave an old lady alone.”
Alex chuckled. “They’re in Georgia, ma’am. They moved up to Ft. Gordon from Florida after Mariana’s mom died, but they weren’t ready to relocate north when I got stationed at Ft. Dunwoody.”
“I’m sure they miss seeing Mariana every day. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t get my regular Lizzie fix.” Barbara grabbed a huge basket and a blanket off the counter and thrust the items toward him. “Everything is set. Lizzie helped me pack the food and I stashed a bottle of that wine you like so much in there, so you two go off and have fun.”
Cameron’s brows furrowed. “We didn’t have any plans, Mom.”
Had they been bamboozled yet again? But this time it looked like Barbara wasn’t in on it, because she was just as confused as Cameron and Alex
“That doesn’t make any sense,” the older woman said. “Of course, you do. Lizzie asked me to babysit tonight while the two of you went on a picnic. I thought it was a grand idea.” She waved her phone in the air. “Lizzie set up one of those group text things with the me, Lizzie and Mariana on it to plan it all. I thought you knew, Cameron. You got the movie and the brownies.”
“I didn’t.” Pink crept up Cameron’s cheeks. “I mean, I did get the movie and brownies, but…” She rubbed her forehead.
Alex hid a grin. Those two girls, scheming again. He could do two things right now—ruin everything for everyone or take advantage of this chance to spend time with Cameron. He wrapped his fingers around the handle of the basket. “Sounds like a plan to me. Thanks so much for watching the girls, Barbara. We won’t be too late.”
He steered Cameron toward the front of the house before she could object.
It took until they were down the porch steps and halfway to the car before she spoke. “What just happened here?”
He opened the passenger door and stood back as she lowered herself into the seat. He settled the picnic basket at her feet and leaned into the opening. “Don’t you see what’s going on? The girls are trying to find ways to put us together. Not them. Us.”
Cameron’s brow furrowed for a minute longer and then her eyes widened. “Those two stinkers. I can’t believe they did this.”
“Nothing surprises me with those two anymore. But if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.” Please don’t say no.
“No, I, uh. I didn’t say that. I was just caught off guard.”
He crouched down so he could look her in the eye. “I know this may have been the girls’ idea, but I would have suggested it myself if I’d thought you’d say yes. Cameron, would you like to go on a picnic with me? I have no idea what’s on the menu, but if your mom was involved, it’s probably at least edible.”
That had her laughing. “At least there’s wine.” Her smile faltered for a split second. If he hadn’t been looking, he might have missed it, but it was there. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”
“How about we take this basket of mysterious food, find some grass to plop down on to enjoy this comfortable fall evening, and you can tell me all about why this is a bad idea.”
She hesitated for a moment and he held his breath. “All right.”
That was good enough for him. He knew when to take “yes” for an answer. He closed the door before she could change her mind. A few minutes later, Alex smiled at Cameron across the console of his SUV. With the picnic basket tucked at her feet, the two of them were headed to the National Mall. He hadn’t had a chance to visit the iconic park since he’d moved to town, but he’d seen how beautiful the monuments were lit against the night sky. What better place to convince this beautiful woman to give him a chance?
He found a parking spot along Constitution Avenue. That had to be a good omen in a city with a significant lack of parking. He’d take all the good luck he could get right now.
After Cameron climbed out, he grabbed the basket and blanket with one hand and resisted wrapping his fingers around hers as they headed for the Mall. After her insistence that she didn’t want him touching her, he wouldn’t violate that boundary unless she made the first move.
Cameron turned in a circle, taking in in the glowing monuments as the evening sky darkened and the lights brightened. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been here at night. We’ve done the typical touristy stuff, but this is amazing.”
He found a quiet spot in the middle of the grass and set the basket down. The two of them spread the blanket and got settled in. He might not have planned this evening, but it couldn’t have been more perfect if he had. He didn’t need fancy dinners—he did much better if he relaxed and had a chance to talk to a woman. To charm them, as Cameron had said. Sure, he could turn it on if he had to, but really, he just liked talking to women. Well, and kissing them. He definitely liked kissing.
Why did he have to go and think about kissing? Now he wouldn’t be able to picture anything else. Cameron definitely hadn’t given him the green light for smooching. Yet.
Cameron laughed as she pulled a container out of the picnic basket. “This is definitely the girls’ doing. We have sandwiches with the crusts cut off, packages of apple slices and chips, cupcakes, and juice boxes.” She whipped her other hand out. “And thanks to Mom, wine with plastic cups.”
He took the bottle from Cameron, poured two cups of wine, and then leaned back on one hand. Cameron brought the cup to her lips, appeared to hesitate for just a moment, and then sipped the deep red liquid. Neither of them spoke as the western sky glowed with pinks and oranges as the final rays of the sun sank behind the Lincoln Memorial and over St. Judith. When did he get so poetic? Cameron must bring it out of him.
Cameron sighed, breaking the silence. “My life is so busy that I never take time to appreciate how beautiful it is around here.”
“I agree.” But his comment was intended more about the woman beside him than the sky.
He had to get ahold of himself. She was here under protest, which meant he had to tread carefully. He took a bite of his crustless ham and cheese sandwich and crunched into a potato chip. Those girls. It was clear now what they were up to.
Well, he had a message for them. He didn’t need their help anymore. But he still had a long way to go to convince Cameron to take a chance on him. Maybe if he told her a little more about himself, she’d open up about what was holding her back. Seeing the sunset over D.C. reminded him of one of his more peaceful times on deployment. “On my last deployment, we were always busy during the day, out on patrol or assisting with the refugee camps. We barely had an opportunity to catch our breath. But every chance I got, I would climb onto the top of these huge shipping containers tucked in the back of camp. From there, I had a great view of the setting sun over the desert dunes.”
She fiddled with her plastic cup, took a sip, and then stared at the swirling liquid.
“Cameron?”
“How long were you gone?”
Yep, he’d pegged that right. She was worried about his job sending him on the road. Her ex was never around. But Alex’s deployments were different. They were his duty. “That deployment, about six months. But you never know—it’s whatever the Army needs at the time.” He could at least reassure her he wasn’t like her ex. “Deployments are easier now. There are phone calls and FaceTime and email. I was able to stay in touch with Mariana.”
“Josh never did, er, does.” She slapped her hands over her mouth. “I’m sorry. You didn’t bring me here to complain about my ex. Not that you planned to bring me here at all, I mean. This was really my mother’s doing… and the girls… and it’s just that the sun set was so nice and… and now I’m babbling.”
He covered her hand. “I like your babbling. It’s cute.” Oh, shoot. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. No woman wanted to be called cute. “Do you want to talk about Josh?”
“I guess you did want to talk about Josh after all.”
She dropped her chin to her chest. “I’m sorry. I’m such a mess right now. I don’t know why you want to be here with me.”
“Other than the fact that you are smart and funny and you don’t take yourself too seriously? Except for that day at school and when you’re worried about what your dog is going to do.” What in the heck was he doing, pointing out her more “endearing” moments? “Wait, disregard everything I said after smart and funny. But one thing’s for sure, I know you love your daughter.”
She stared at him for a moment. “Wow.”
He grinned. “I just don’t want you putting down this girl that I like.”
There it was, that blush that he was growing so fond of.
Now that she’d mentioned her ex, it would give Alex a chance to ask a few questions. “When did Josh leave?”
She fiddled with her cup. “When Lizzie was two. I thought after she was born, he’d settle down. It was something we argued about constantly.” She paused, as though she had something else to add, but then thought better. “I came home from work one day, toddler on my hip, to a note that said, ‘I tried. I’m sorry. Josh.’ I mean, who does that?”
“A man who doesn’t know what he’s got.”
“What about you? You haven’t told me much about Mariana’s mother.”
Wow, she went from staying at arms-length to digging right in to the tough stuff. But he wasn’t complaining, since she was relaxed enough to want to know more about his family. He held out the bottle. “I think that calls for more wine.”
Mommy Loves The Military Man (Mommy's Little Matchmakers Book 2) Page 5