Barefoot and still in her pajamas, Julie sat at the bottom of the stairs leading up to her apartment, sipping a cup of coffee and reveling in the early morning quiet as she waited for Finn to arrive home from his friend's house. Her son could find his own way upstairs, of course, so she didn't really need to wait outside, but Julie wanted to thank Becca again for taking Finn for the night. And if she just happened to see Cameron for a few minutes before he headed off to work for the day, well... that would be okay, too.
Julie smiled behind her coffee cup as she mentally replayed the events of the prior evening. She'd come home from her meeting with Garrett feeling emotionally exhausted, but Cameron had somehow managed to revive her, simply by being there. And then, when he said that terrible thing to her... oh, man, he'd really pissed her off! Julie could still see the look of shock on his face when she'd shoved him up against the garage the way that she had. But later, after the harsh words and soft apologies—and the divine solace of a tender embrace—she'd seen something different in his eyes. Hurt. He'd convinced her to take the day off from work, told her to take as much time as she needed, and Julie had seen the sincerity in his eyes. But behind the sincerity was pain, and it was in that moment that she knew: Cameron Shepherd had feelings for her. And as for herself? Well, she suddenly had an Ex to contend with, and that made her a risky prospect when looking at it from Cameron's side of the equation. Julie had wanted so badly to reassure him, to tell him that it didn't matter, that Garrett Bradley could go to Hell for all she cared. And if she'd had only herself to think of, then that's exactly what she would have done. But she had a son to consider, and he had to come first, even if it meant putting her own wants and needs on the back burner. She'd wanted so badly to help Cameron understand, to tell him that she felt something for him, too, but she didn't know how. She'd reached out to him then, her fingertips tracing the chiseled line of his jaw as she tried to convey with her eyes all that her lips couldn't say; hoping that he could somehow decipher a message that she herself was just beginning to comprehend, and praying that he hadn't already given up on her.
I don't think that he has, Julie grinned, recalling the firm bulge of his erection against her lower belly when he'd pulled her in close. He'd almost kissed her right then and there, on the lips. And dear God, she'd wanted him to, but—
He stopped, Julie sighed with regret, setting her mug down on the step beside her. Would there ever come a day when she could stop living her life in limbo?
The chirp of a car horn interrupted her thoughts, and Julie rose from her seat as Becca's van pulled in to the driveway. The vehicle came to a stop and the back door slid open, Finn and Brandon spilling out almost immediately.
"Hey!" Julie called out as they raced past her. "Can I at least get a hug?"
Both boys sprinted back to practically tackled her with hugs, and Julie laughed as she fought to maintain her balance. When they finally let her go, Becca was already out of the van, pulling Finn's overnight bag from the back of the van.
"Hey! How come I don't get the love like that?" Becca kidded, holding out the bag as she approached Julie and the boys. "Here, Finn. Don't forget your stuff. Brandon, how about giving Finn a hand, so we moms can have a little chat, okay?"
Finn took the bag, and both boys bounded up the driveway and disappeared around the side of the garage. When their footsteps reached the top and she heard the door fall closed, Julie turned to her friend.
"Thanks again for taking him last night," she said, waving to little Baylee who sat strapped in her car seat.
"Anytime," Becca assured her, and then tugged Julie around to the back side of the van. "So? How did it go with Garrett? Did he satisfy his curiosity enough to slink back under the rock he crawled out from?"
"No, not exactly," Julie started, peering up at her apartment to make sure that the windows were closed. She didn't want the boys to overhear. "Garrett wants to see Finn."
"What?" Becca blurted out, and then lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "Why?"
Julie shook her head and shrugged. "He says he wants to be... involved," she said, hot tears pooling in her eyes. "He wants to be a dad."
"Just a tad bit on the late side, isn't he?" Becca spat, stepping around to the side of the van and returning a moment later to hand Julie a tissue. "So, what are you going to do?"
Julie shrugged again as she dried her eyes and stuffed the tissue into the pocket of her robe.
"It's not my decision, it's Finn's," she said. "I have to tell him, today. Cameron gave me the day off."
"Oh, you talked to Cameron?" Becca asked, all wide-eyed innocence.
Julie smiled. "Yes, he waiting for me when I got home last night, and don't pretend that you had nothing to do with that. He told me that you talked to him."
Any defense from Becca was interrupted as Cameron stepped out from his house, the screen door slapping softly closed behind him. His usual renovation-work attire had been replaced by cargo shorts, running shoes, and a navy blue Sub Shack t-shirt. His dark hair was still damp from the shower, and as he skimmed down over the stairs and headed for his truck, Julie secretly admired the fluid grace of his movements and the long, sinuous lines of his physique.
"Good morning, ladies," he greeted them, his smile growing just a bit wider as his eyes met with Julie's.
"Morning," Julie murmured, giving him a sideways glance as a heated flush washed over her face.
"Morning, Cameron," Becca purred sweetly. "Where are you headed off to, looking so handsome this morning?"
"Uh... nowhere, just work," Cameron stammered, casting Becca a wary glance before climbing quickly into his truck and starting the engine.
The two women watched in silence as he backed down the driveway, waving as he pulled away from the curb and drove off into the distance.
"I shouldn't tease him that way, but he's such an easy target," Becca tittered. "It's cute how he gets all flustered and embarrassed, isn't it?"
"Hmm?" Julie asked distractedly, her gaze following Cameron's truck as it made the turn at the end of the road and disappeared from view. She dragged her eyes away, belatedly realizing that her friend was watching her with suspicion. "Sorry. What'd you say?"
Becca's eyes narrowed, and her gaze traveled slowly in the same direction that Julie had been looking just a moment before, then returned at the same snail-like pace. Suddenly, her eyes flew open wide, and she grabbed Julie's arm and glanced around to make sure the kids were still out of hearing range.
"You slept with him!" she gasped excitedly, a huge grin spreading over her face. "Didn't you?"
Julie bit back a smile at the thought of it. She could have, she knew. Recalling the dark urgency in Cameron's eyes when he'd nearly kissed her and the reluctance in his voice when he'd turned to leave, Julie knew that it would have been so easy to entice him into spending the night, but she was glad that things hadn't turned out that way. Whatever was happening between them was about more than sex, and she wanted to savor every moment, no matter frustrating it might be to her awakening libido!
"No, there was no sleep involved," she grinned, allowing that to sink in to Becca's dirty little mind before admitting the whole truth. "And there was no sex, either! We just talked."
"Talked?" Becca repeated, wrinkling her nose. "That's it?"
Julie shrugged. "Actually, no. We folded some laundry, too, come to think of it."
Becca groaned. "You two are hopeless!"
"Sorry, sweetie. If you want to live vicariously, you're going to have to do it through somebody else," Julie laughed. "But seriously, it was nice. Cameron's a great guy, and... I like him. I mean, I really like him."
Becca's hand fluttered up to her mouth as her eyes misted over, and then she threw her arms around Julie's neck and hugged her.
"Well, of course you like him!" she squealed. "And he likes you."
Julie pressed her lips together and nodded. "Yeah, I know," she admitted timidly. "I think he's holding back, though, to see how this whole Garrett thing plays out..."
"Well, what are you waiting for, then?" Becca crowed, gently pushing Julie out from behind the van. "Go talk to your son, and get the ball rolling!"
Becca reached in through the window of her van and tooted the horn, and a moment later Brandon came scurrying down the stairs. He jumped into the van, buckling his seat belt as his mother slid the door closed. She turned and gave Julie a hug.
"Good luck," she said, offering an encouraging smile as she slid behind the wheel and started the engine. "If you need anything at all, you call me, okay?"
"I will," Julie promised, stepping back out of the way.
Julie waved her friend off, and then stood in the driveway watching until the van disappeared from view, stalling for time. She dreaded telling her son about his father, but she knew it had to be done—this was his decision, not hers. Julie turned with a sigh and glanced up at the wide front window to her apartment. Finn was up there waiting, and despite lying awake most of the night, she still had no idea how to broach the subject of his long-lost father coming back into their lives. But the longer she put it off, the more difficult it was going to be, so with a deep breath and a quick prayer for luck, she started toward the stairs.