“You are driving all that way—”
“To be sure you make it home safely. And I want to be there for you if you need me.”
I turned around and ran up the short hall.
“Where are you going? Did I say something wrong?” Harper sounded a bit panicked as he chased after me.
“I just needed a place to put my coffee down. And my doughnut. So I could do this.” I threw my arms around his neck.
Laughter rumbled in his chest as his lips met mine. He made it easy to be optimistic.
He had my SUV loaded soon after I finished my coffee. “You’re all packed.”
“I sent you the address to a coffee place. It’s close to my house. Let’s meet there.” I gave him a quick peck before sliding behind the wheel. “And thank you for making the trip.”
He nodded, then closed my door.
Hours alone in the car undid every shred of optimism. And now that I was almost home, I was extra glad Harper had made the trip.
Knowing he was in town made it easier not to give into what my daddy wanted. Far away, I had oodles of determination. At home, I felt like a kid again.
I pulled into the coffee shop, and Harper parked beside me.
Climbing into his passenger seat, I focused on taking even breaths. “This is probably a good place for you to stop following me.” I texted him my address. “My house isn’t far from here. I’ll update you soon.”
He rested an open hand on the center console.
I slipped my fingers into his hand. “I’m happy you came with me. Super happy about that.” After a quick kiss, I jumped out and got back into my car.
He waved as I backed out of my parking space.
A horn blared, and I slammed on the brakes. Crashing my car now would be the worst.
After waiting for the five hundred cars to go by—it only felt that way—I backed out and headed home. I reminded myself not to hold my breath all the way there.
Chapter 12
When I parked in the driveway, I grabbed anything I wasn’t leaving behind. My silent pep talk about growing up helped me make it to the door.
Daddy opened it, a wide smile on his face. “You came to your senses.”
“I did, but not in the way you think. I’m not staying.”
His jaw clenched, and anger flared in his eyes. His reaction made the next part harder to say.
There was no way I was changing my mind now. “It’s time I grew up, and you’re right. It’s not fair for me to take your money. I should be able to pay my own way. And I plan to do that.”
“You came all this way to tell me that?”
“You deserved a face-to-face answer.” I might’ve needed this more than he did. I handed him my keys and phone. “Stuff is boxed up and in the car. And there is some furniture and a few other things in a storage unit in San Antonio. It wouldn’t fit in the vehicle.”
Mom walked toward the door. “Is Camille here?”
Dad turned around. “Yes, but she’s not staying. Want to say goodbye?”
“Goodbye? Why isn’t she staying?” She paled. “What happened?”
After a deep breath, I plastered on the requisite smile. “I just came by to drop off the SUV and my stuff.” I hugged her like I might never see her again. “Love you, Mom.”
The tears in her eyes summed up how I felt.
I even hugged my dad. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll send you the details about the storage unit. The key is on the ring.”
He might not have noticed the change, but I’d chosen my words intentionally. I was no longer Daddy’s little girl.
To say that my heart wasn’t breaking would be a lie. Saying no to their money meant I wasn’t invited inside. This wasn’t love.
But I could get through this. “I’m going to go ahead and go. Bye.” Rather than waiting in the front yard for Harper to drive over, I headed down the driveway toward the street. I’d just let Mom and Dad wonder how I planned to get home.
And I’m sure that was exactly what they were wondering as they stared at me. Why did the driveway have to be so long? It took forever to make it to the street. And even then, I wasn’t out of sight until I reached the end of the block.
Once there, I called Harper.
He answered right away. “I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”
“Yep. It went that well. I’m walking to the coffee shop. You can just wait for me.” I hung up before I got emotional.
When I turned the corner, it started to rain. It was as if someone had scripted the sad movie sequence for my life.
A car sped by, splashing me with water from the street. I wasn’t going to ask how things could get worse.
The same car backed up and stopped along the curb. The guy got out, and I broke into a run.
“Cami! What are you doing over here?” Chase called out. “I was on my way to see you.”
Even Mom and Dad couldn’t agree on what was best for me.
Chase jumped back into his fancy sports car, something newer than I’d seen him driving before, and whipped the car around. Running faster wasn’t going to solve this. No matter how much determination I had, I couldn’t outrun a sportscar. Any car for that matter.
I stopped at the corner to avoid being hit by a soccer mom in an oversized SUV, and Chase stopped his car in the middle of the street.
He grabbed my arm before I could dart away. “What’s going on with you? Do you need a ride?”
“I don’t. Thank you.” I shook my arm, wanting him to let go.
He didn’t. “You act like you aren’t happy to see me.”
“Smart man. Very observant.” I adjusted the overnight bag on my arm to keep it from slipping.
A truck pulled up to the curb, and as the door swung open, I swung the bag at Chase’s chest.
Shocked, he let go of me.
“Bye.” I ran to the truck and climbed in before Harper made it to the sidewalk. He turned around and hopped back into the driver’s seat.
Chase gaped as we drove away.
“That was my ex. He’s a bit full of himself.” I buckled my seatbelt, then tossed my bag into the backseat.
Harper blew out a breath. “His mouth was about to be full of my fist.”
“Not worth it.” I slouched in the seat. “I’m a mess.”
“You can cry if you need to. I totally understand.”
“I meant a literal mess. My clothes are soaked, and thanks to Chase, I have mud splattered all over my jeans.” I rubbed Harper’s arm. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
“I was trying to save you from the rain.”
I hoped he didn’t get tired of saving me. So far, he was doing it a lot.
“What do you say we find a place to eat? I’ll buy you lunch, and you can change clothes in the bathroom.”
“Sounds great.” My new chapter had started, and the tears I’d expected never came. Adrenaline from being accosted by Chase had changed all that.
I’d never seen Harper so mad. And I’d never been happier to be rescued.
Something brushed my cheek, and my eyes sprang open. “Where are we?”
Harper smiled. “We’re home.”
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” I wiped at a tickle on my cheek.
“You were crying in your sleep.” Harper tapped the steering wheel. “It was torturous.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You aren’t the one who should apologize.” He kissed my hand. “I’ll carry your bag in for you. I’ve seen what you can do with it.”
Laughing, I clasped his hand. “Thank you for everything today. And I’m not as torn up as I thought I’d be.”
“Good. Want to come over? I’ll order a pizza.”
“That sounds great.”
He kissed my hand and shifted into gear. “Eli might be there.”
“I’ll be nice.”
Laughing, Harper shook his head. “When you climbed into the truck after whapping Chase, you were the same Cami who’d hugged me on the sidewalk and again by the poo
l. The woman who slid down the bowling lane was different. I didn’t dislike the other version of Cami, but this feels like the real you.”
“I hadn’t really thought about how different I was when my parents were around or otherwise inserted into my life.”
He pinched his lips together. “Let’s go eat.”
There was something he hadn’t said, but I didn’t think it was a prelude to goodbye. And if it was, I didn’t want to hear it right now.
Chapter 13
By the middle of the week, I couldn’t muster any optimism. There wasn’t enough work to keep me busy. I hadn’t been called for a modeling job in weeks. And my apartment felt smaller by the day.
The only upside was the social media work I was doing. I only helped out friends, and I wasn’t getting compensation for it. That wasn’t going to pay my bills.
My hope that I’d find a great and grown-up solution withered.
I paced in the studio when the phones were quiet. Maybe the exercise would ignite a genius thought.
Haley leaned out of her office. “Go grab a doughnut. The back and forth is making me crazy.”
Or maybe not.
I grabbed my purse. “Text me if you need anything.”
The shop was quiet. The mid-morning lull was a great time to talk to Tessa.
“Coffee?” Tessa held up a mug.
“No. I’ve had four already. That’s a bad idea when I’m this stressed.” With my back facing the counter, I dropped into a chair.
“No leads on a different job?” She sat down across from me at a table.
“Nothing. You and Delaney make it look so easy! You have businesses. I can’t even find a decent place to live on what I make.”
The door opened, and Tessa jumped up. “How can I help you?”
“It’ll take me a minute to decide. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to order,” a woman said.
Not all customers were as nice.
As soon as Tessa sat down again, I continued, “I love working there, but I need another job and a different place to live. I don’t even have a car anymore. What am I going to do?” Mostly, I was venting. I knew Tessa didn’t have the solution.
A hand touched my shoulder. “Forgive me for eavesdropping, but—”
I gasped when I turned around. “You’re Haley’s aunt! Please don’t tell them what you heard. I haven’t mentioned anything about trying to find a second job. They are not being greedy. It’s not that at all. In fact, I think me working full time is making it tight for them because Nacha is working fewer hours some days because of the baby. But you probably know about the baby.”
The woman grinned. “Yep. And I’m more than a little excited. What kind of job are you wanting?”
This was what caused me the most trouble. I knew what I didn’t want to do. Anything else—almost anything else—I’d be willing to try. “Not sure really. I’m open to all possibilities. The only things scratched off my list are working in fast food—because I was repeatedly told I wasn’t good at it—and being an engineer. I hated that job. But I was good at it. Doesn’t seem at all fair.” I’d rambled long enough.
“Well, I have a goat farm and could use some extra help. There is also a trailer on the property if you’d like to live there.”
Goats? I’d never thought of myself as an outdoorsy sort of girl, and I’d have put being a spy as a higher possibility than working with farm animals. But life was funny that way. “I don’t know anything about goats. Except that they say ‘Bah, bah.’ That’s what they say, right?”
“Something like that. And I’ll teach you how to care for them. Someone has been teaching me. He still comes around, and I’ll never complain about that. If you know what I mean.” The woman winked.
I was quite sure I didn’t want to know.
“Transportation would be kind of an issue. I don’t have a car.”
She rubbed my arm. “We can work something out. And if you wanted to continue working at the studio part time, that wouldn’t be a problem. Here’s my number. If you want the job, call me. I can bring my truck and help you move.”
My head spun like a ceiling fan on high speed. “When would I start?”
“As soon as you want.”
I picked up the napkin where she’d written her number. “Thank you. I’m Cami, by the way. I know we’ve met, but I wasn’t sure if you remembered my name.” I was hoping she’d tell me hers because I always called her Haley’s aunt. I didn’t know her actual name.
“Joji.” She turned to Tessa. “I’m ready to order. I’ll take one of everything in the case. That’ll surprise my cowboy.”
Tessa was having a good day, and so was I. I couldn’t wait to talk to Haley and Nacha. That was next on my to-do list.
After Joji left with her huge order, I hugged Tessa, then ran next door.
“Haley, could I talk to you and Nacha about something? It won’t take long.”
Nacha walked out of her office. The sleeve of crackers in her hand was almost a permanent fixture. “What’s going on?”
“If there is anything we can do to help you, we’ll do all we can.” Haley perched on the edge of my desk.
“We all know that some days there just isn’t enough to keep me busy all day. And while I appreciate being able to live in that apartment, I really need more space. And a kitchen. Not that I cook, but still. Anyway, would y’all be okay with me going back to part time? Like when I first started?”
Nacha teared up as she nodded. “That would be great.”
Haley’s shoulders relaxed. “We’d be one hundred percent on board with that.”
“Good. Because I’m taking a second job. And I’m moving.”
“Where?” Both ladies asked in unison.
“Your Aunt Joji asked me to work at the goat farm. And she said I could live in the trailer there. I’ll have my own place and two real jobs. I need to call her and sort out the details. But I think this is good for me.” I couldn’t wait to tell Harper all about this recent turn of events.
Haley laughed. “Sorry. I was picturing you with goats. But I think it’s great. Look at you! You don’t need your dad’s money.”
It was silly to have a squad of people cheering me on for growing up, but I loved it. “Thanks, y’all. None of this would have happened without the two of you. I even met Harper because of you.”
Nacha wiped her eyes. “I’m happy for you, Cami. Really and truly delighted for you.”
My phone buzzed, and I checked my messages. “Harper wants to take me to lunch.”
“Have fun. And you might not mention to Harper that there are cowboys coming and going on Aunt Joji’s goat farm.” Haley waved as she walked back into her office.
Not long ago, having cowboys around would have been a huge plus for taking the job. Now, I didn’t care. I had eyes for one guy. And he was taking me to lunch.
Chapter 14
I took a picture of the tray loaded with barbeque. “I want to post this.”
Harper grinned. “Are you doing their social media now too?”
“Oh, no. I want it for my page.” I wasn’t going to hide anymore, afraid of what my parents would think of my choices.
I typed out the caption—Barbeque + my superhero = The perfect lunch date—and showed him before posting. “See.”
“Fabulous.” He winked. That word had been added to his vocabulary because of me.
“I enjoy this. You can plan on me taking a lot more pictures.”
“Fine with me. How long are you going to make me wait to hear your good news?”
I nudged the tray toward him. “You are looking at the newest farm girl at Joji’s place.”
His eyes widened. “A farm?”
Nodding, I laughed. “A goat farm.”
“Real goats?”
“Yep. And the even better part, there’s a trailer on the property, and I can live there. I still need to call her and work out the fine print. But I’m excited. And . . . I almost forgot. I’ll still be work
ing at the studio part time.”
“It seems perfect.” He pointed at the food. “Are you going to eat?”
“Yes! I’m starved. Good news makes me hungry.” I picked up a rib. “How’s your day?”
“Better now. Adam and Eve invited us for dinner tonight. I’m not sure if you’re up for that. I know it’s last minute.”
“Fun. Yes. Absolutely. Their baby is due any day, isn’t it?”
“Sure is.”
I’d met Adam and Eve and seen them at parties, but we hadn’t gotten together with just them. And it felt a little monumental because Adam and Harper were close friends. Having dinner with his friends made us feel more like a couple. And I loved that.
“Do you miss not working with Adam?”
“I do. That was the biggest downside to moving out here. Especially because I don’t see him nearly as often now that he’s married.”
“Well, I’m glad they invited us. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too. When are you going to talk to Joji?”
“Whenever I get a few quiet minutes at work.” I grabbed his hand. “I’m so excited. Working on a goat farm is definitely something I haven’t tried before.”
“Choosing your own adventure looks good on you.” He listened, then used my words to compliment me later.
I snapped a picture of his smiling face but didn’t post it.
If my parents did find my page, they could see my barbeque lunch, my morning doughnuts, my coffee, and even the goats.
But not Harper.
They’d get to see his face when they met him in person.
Between having dinner with friends, working, and posting on social media for my friends, I somehow managed to pack up my apartment in record time. I didn’t have much, but it was all mine.
Everything I owned except two boxes fit into the bed of Joji’s truck. The other two boxes were in the bed of Harper’s truck.
Joji climbed into her monster of a pickup. “I’ll meet you out there. You have the directions?”
“Got ’em.” Harper draped an arm around my shoulders. “We won’t be far behind you.”
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