Page 148 of I Loved You First

He shook his head. “Thank God.”

She chuckled.

“I thought better of the idea because I was afraid I might spook you. Then you left, and the only thing that mattered was getting you back. We haven’t had a whole lot of time since.”

“Life’s been pretty crazy.”

“I love our crazy life.”

She grinned. “Me too. But things are definitely settling down.”

“That they are. Nugget’s growing fast, and Brady’s doing awesome at school.”

Nodding, she smiled again. “He’s already starting to read, Cam. He knew all of those sight words when we practiced today.”

“He’s our smart cookie.”

She sighed, thrilled that Brady was thriving—that their little family had found a solid rhythm that worked well for all of them. “Yeah.”

“Should we get out and take a look around?”

She nodded her enthusiasm. “Absolutely.”

“Don’t trip,” he said, turning up the music as one of Adele’s hits played through the speakers.

“I’ll be careful.”

Getting out, she met him at the back of the truck, laughing when she recognized the old sleeping bags piled in the bed and the lantern Cam had always borrowed from his parents’ garage as he released the tailgate and turned the light up to a dim glow. “You thought of everything.”

He shrugged as he grinned. “If we’re taking a walk down memory lane, we’ve gotta do it right.”

She touched his cheek. “Out of all of our dates over all of these years, this is certainly one of my favorites.”

“So, you want to snuggle up with me in the dark?”

“I do.”

He hooked his hands around her hips, hoisting her onto the tailgate, staring into her eyes as he slid his palms up her sides. “So many amazing things have happened right here.”

“They have.”

“The first couple of times we came out here and just talked… The first time I kissed you.”

She sighed, remembering the sweet moment. “I love that memory.”

“It’s one of my favorites.” He caressed his knuckles along her jaw. “The first time we made out⁠—”

She laughed. “The first time I made out with anyone. It’s pretty lucky one of us knew what we were doing.”

He grinned. “I love that this was our place. That we talked and dreamed right here. That we stared up at the stars. That you gave me your virginity on that pile of sleeping bags.”

“Mmm,” she said as she smiled. “That was a magical night.”

“I always want there to be magic here. I always want this to be our place.”

She nodded, staring into his gorgeous eyes.

“This is where I want to tell you how much I love you—how much I adore every single thing about you.”