“I may get grandbabies after all.” Grace laughs as she moves ahead of me to step inside Cameron’s condo.
I stand still, processing her words. We’re not there yet—not even close—but I guess at least I have his mother’s approval. I know how important she is to him, so to know she approves of us is a relief.
“Mom, I’m going to walk Paisley home,” Cameron says, standing at the open doorway of his condo.
“I’m right here.” I point behind me where my front door is a mere foot away.
“I’m walking you,” he says, leaving no room for argument.
“Good night.” I wave to Grace.
“Good night, sweetheart. I’ll see you again soon.” She sounds just as assured as her son as she waves and closes the door behind her.
“You sure I can’t convince you to stay?” Cameron asks as we stroll hand in hand the steps it takes to get to my front door.
“I’m sure. You need this time with her.”
“I need this time with you too,” he says, pulling me into his chest.
“Well, you see now that we’re official, that means you get to see me whenever you want. So, this one night with your mom, that’s just a blip on the radar.”
“Us being official means I need to be with you every spare second I can.”
“Are you going to be one of those boyfriends?” I tease.
“I’m your boyfriend,” he says, kissing me softly.
“And you’re Grace’s son. She drove here to see you, to spend time with you, and that’s what you need to do.”
“Hard-ass,” he mutters, but I can hear the humor in his voice.
“Go. Enjoy your time with your mom.”
“Fine.” He brings his lips to mine for a soft kiss. “Good night, beautiful.”
“Night, Cam,” I say, stepping out of his hold. He stands behind me while I unlock the door and slip inside.
“I didn’t think you would ever get home,” Willow says, scaring the hell out of me. I whip around to find her sitting on the couch.
“I didn’t expect you to still be up.”
“Well, we have a lot to talk about. Namely, Cameron sleeping over last night, and you spending the day with him before going to work.”
“Wil,” I say, plopping down on the couch next to her. “I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into.”
“What? Did he hurt you?” My best friend is on immediate alert.
“No. Nothing like that,” I assure her. “He’s just intense and so sure of himself. Of us.”
“Oh, so there’s an us?” she asks, tucking her legs underneath her as she turns to face me.
“As of tonight, there is an us,” I say, barely able to contain my smile.
“Paisley has a boyfriend,” she sings.
“Stop.” I laugh. “He wanted to put a label on it, and honestly, he’s hard to resist.”
“So, last night?”
“He said I was staying with him or he was staying with me. He was adamant about it, and well, I chose here.”
She nods. “And today?”
“He insisted on making me breakfast, and afterward, he wanted to hang out. So we just watched a movie at his place, and then we went to work. Oh, and he insisted we ride together too.”
“It’s great you two are together, but I don’t want you to lose yourself in him either. You have choices. Cameron’s bossy self is just going to have to deal.”
“I know. It’s not like that, though. He’s confident in what he wants, and he wants what he wants, but tonight when he thought he was pressing too hard, he backed off.”
“Pressing too hard?”
“We had dinner with his mom. She was in town for his game.”
“Wow. He wanted you to meet his mother?”
“Yep,” I say, popping the p and tilting my head back to stare at the ceiling. “Fast, huh?”
“I mean, not really. There are no set parameters for a relationship. As long as you’re both on board with the pace, I say go with it.”
“You know this means he’s going to have to officially meet my dad, right?”
“Ah, and how do you think Daddy dearest is going to take the fact that his princess is in a relationship?”
“You know the answer to that question.” I raise my head to look at her. “He ended up being cool with the kiss. My dad, I mean. So, maybe there’s hope that he’ll be cool with Cameron too.”
“I don’t know. Remember prom?” She laughs.
“Don’t remind me.”
“I thought Nick was going to shit his pants when your dad asked him his intentions with his daughter. And then when he asked him if he not only carried protection but how old it was and if he knew how to put it on. I swear, I’m surprised I didn’t piss my pants.”
“Can we not go down memory lane?” I beg.
“Easton Monroe is not only a badass on the baseball field. He’s lethal when it comes to the women in his life.”
“That.” I point at her. “That is why I have never brought a guy home. Not after senior prom.”
“You never really had a boyfriend in college, P. Sure, you dated, and there was that what six-month stint with Henry, but you never labeled him as your boyfriend. No matter how hard he tried.”
“Yeah, well, Henry wanted to get to my dad, which is why he never did. He was going to school to be a sports agent.” I can’t help but roll my eyes as I think about Henry, the asshole that he was. He was pissed when I called off our little “fling” I guess you could call it. I intercepted a text message of him telling his friend that as soon as he and I quote “met the rents,” he was in there, and his career would be launched. Needless to say, he never got to meet my parents, and I kicked his using ass to the curb.
I wish I could say that Henry was the only guy who tried to use me to get closer to my dad, the league, or my uncles, but I’d be lying. Maybe that’s why I’ve been letting my guard down so much with Cameron. He’s already playing in the majors. Sure, his spot isn’t a definite as he fills in for Hastings, but he’s here. He doesn’t need me to help him.
It’s refreshing.
“Tonight, Cameron’s mom told me he had a poster of my dad on his wall when he was little. I started to freak out. I thought that I hid it well, but his mom pretty much nailed my mood and immediately put my mind at ease. I really think Cameron is with me for me. Not for my dad, my name, or any potential connections.”
“Has he asked to meet him? Your dad?”
“No. But he has said that he knows it’s going to happen, and he’s ready for anything Dad happens to toss his way.”
Willow tosses her head back in laughter. “He doesn’t know Easton Monroe like he thinks that he does.”
“Right?” I smile. “Thanks for listening. I should let you get to bed. I know you have to be up early tomorrow.”
“Meh, I’ve gone on less sleep.”
“That we have,” I agree.
“What’s your schedule tomorrow?”
“Another home game, and another the day after that.”