In response, Cam opened his and burrowed me into him, closing the jacket over me as far as it would go. “We should make an effort to come here more often.”
I nodded, watching Belle play on the beach with our friends, Lyn and Peetie’s daughter, Sara. Lyn and Cam’s mum, Helena, pretended to chase them, and their giggles floated up into the air to join the caws of the seagulls above our heads.
I always loved Cam’s hometown of Longniddry. I loved the nearby beach we were on, and I loved that my kid loved her grandparents so much. I loved that she was having the kind of life I’d always dreamed of having as a child.
“Cole and Shannon will be enjoying the sun,” Cam said, a smile in his voice.
Belle shrieked as she spun out of Helena’s reach only to go running straight into her Grandpa Anderson. He laughed and swooped her up into the air, and she giggled and cried out as he spun her around before releasing her to the sand again. Sara demanded the same treatment, and Peetie obliged as Lyn and the grandparents looked on. I followed Belle with my eyes as she ran on ahead a little.
As I gazed at her, she morphed into a little boy with strawberry blond hair, looking at the water in awe. It was a memory of the day I’d jumped on a bus with him and taken him to Balloch so he could see the loch for the first time. He’d been six; I was only fourteen.
“I still can’t believe my wee brother is married.”
“He’s twenty-seven, Jo,” Cam reminded me gently.
“He’ll always be wee to me,” I whispered, feeling a little emotional. “You’ll get it with Belle. She’ll always be six years old to you.”
“Baby, are you all right?” He ducked his head to look at my face.
“It’s silly.” I shook my head, blinking back tears. “I just feel like… ever since I got everything I ever wanted, time has just sped up. Belle will be in high school before we know it. I love being a mum. I love us as parents. I don’t want that to stop.”
“It will never stop, Jo.”
“I know, but look at Cole. It doesn’t stop, but they don’t need you the same way after a while.”
Cam was silent a moment, I think surprised by my sadness.
But like always, he had the ability to surprise me too. “Do you…? Do you want another baby?”
I tensed against him, afraid to look him in the eye and give myself away. “You’re forty this year, Cam.”
“And you’re only coming on thirty-five. There’s still time… if that’s what you want?”
Hope began to bubble up within me as I turned to look at him. For months this had been pressing on me, but Cameron had never given any hint that he wanted to have another kid. It would be more financial stress. It would mean maybe having to look for another place to live. But I really wanted another baby. I wanted Belle to be a big sister like I had been, and to have her little brother or sister look up to her the way that Cole had looked up to me.
“Would you want another baby?”
Cam searched my eyes, a small smile starting to play on his lips. “Yeah, I’d want another baby. I just didn’t think it was something you wanted. You usually tell me when you want something, Jo.” He was grinning now as he saw the excitement enter my eyes.
“I really want another child,” I whispered. “I really do.”
He nodded slowly. “Then we’ll start trying.”
“Just like that? No discussion?”
“It won’t be easy.” He stared off down the beach. The others had gotten farther ahead of us, and Belle and Sara were skipping down the beach hand in hand now. “But it’s worth it.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on tight. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I kissed him, a long, slow, sweet kiss filled with every ounce of love and grat.i.tude I had within me that after all these years Cameron MacCabe still had the ability to make me the happiest woman on the planet. Tears trembled on my eyelashes, and when he broke the kiss they splashed onto my cheeks.
Cam swiped at them with his thumb. “Happy tears?”
“Very.”
He grinned and hugged me tighter. “This will be fun.”
“Adding another kid to the tribe?” I sniffled, chuckling.
“I meant the constant s.e.x… but yeah, that too.”
My laughter rang out down the beach as he tugged my hand and led me toward our family. At the sound of my laugher, Belle, blond hair flying wildly around her smiling face, immediately dashed back up the beach toward us.
Ellie
Leaning silently against the doorway of my mum’s kitchen, I studied Adam’s back as he stood alone at the sink washing the cups and mugs that couldn’t go in the dishwasher.
For not the first time I thanked G.o.d I married a man who didn’t mind kitchen duty.
“I can feel you there, you know,” he said quietly, the words tinged with amus.e.m.e.nt.
I smiled and stepped into the room. “Hannah and Marco are leaving in a bit.”
“We should probably head home too. I think Jarrod has worn out Bray.”
Slipping up behind him, I slid my arms around him, crossing them over his chest as I leaned my cheek against his shoulder. “I was thinking…”
“Hmm, that’s never a good thing.”
“I’m serious.”
Adam snorted. “So am I.”
I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me do it. “You’ll like this line of thought. I promise.”