Page 90 of I Loved You First

Cam put the gluten-free loaf back in the pantry, eager for a look at the picture he’d been banned from peeking at. “I have a feeling Fi’s really going to like whatever you’re drawing.”

Brady exchanged his black marker for a brown one. “She will.”

Heading for the sink, he grabbed the dishcloth, wiping up the crumbs from their sandwiches and the smears from the farmers market strawberries he’d piled onto each of their plates and somehow managed to get all over the counter. He glanced at the clock when he heard a car door slam. One thirty was earlier than he was expecting Fi.

Brady gasped as his head whipped up to look down the hall toward the door. “I’m not ready for Fiona to see my picture yet. I still have a lot to do.”

Feeling guilty for their errands taking longer than he’d planned, Cam headed toward the front of the house. “I’ll talk to her in the driveway so you have more time to work.”

“Okay.” Brady immediately got back to his project.

Grinning on his way down the hall, he loved that Brady had such a big heart. He also didn’t mind that Fi and Melody had finished early. The more time they had together, the better.

He opened the door, and his smile vanished when Ally stood next to a red convertible with rental plates. “Fuck,” he said under his breath as dread slammed into his belly.

She smiled, settling her sunglasses on top of her head as her long blond hair blew in the breeze. “Hi.”

Quickly closing the door behind him, he walked her way. “Ally, what are you doing here?”

She shrugged her sun-kissed shoulders, wearing a navy-blue tube top-style sundress. “I wanted to see you. I want to talk to you about Brady.”

It was impossible to deny that she was beautiful as he stood before her. Ally’s stunning face and killer body had gotten her several midrange modeling contracts down in Boston when they had been in middle and high school. “I thought we decided you would call—that you wouldn’t just show up if this was a conversation you wanted to have.”

She shrugged again as her bold blue eyes studied the house. “This place is gorgeous.”

He nodded. “We’ve lived here for the past couple of years now.”

She turned her head, tracking her gaze up his cargo shorts and T-shirt. “You look good, Cam.”

“Thanks.” He scratched his jaw because he had no idea what he was supposed to do at this moment. “Ally, you can’t be here. Brady’s inside. This situation is far too complicated for you just to stop by.”

She nodded as she looked down, staring at the blacktop. “I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I know I haven’t been much of a mother to Brady at all. But I want to change that. I want to be in Brady’s life. I want to be in yours.”

He rubbed at the back of his neck as the sudden tension squeezing his shoulder blades gave him a headache. “I don’t see that happening—for you and me.”

She met his gaze again. “I meant I want to be your friend.”

He nodded.

“I’m interviewing for a job at one of the top salons in Boston, so I’ll be a lot closer. I’d like to get to know Brady. It can be on your terms, but I want to have a relationship with my son⁠—”

The front door opened, and Cam felt his world start to fall apart as Brady stared at Ally.

Ally gasped before she grinned. “Oh my goodness, look at you. You’ve gotten so big.”

Brady frowned as he looked at Cam.

“Brady, this is Ally,” Cam quickly said before Ally had a chance to do any damage.

Ally’s eyes widened as her gaze flew to Cam’s, clearly surprised by the introduction.

“Ally and I are friends from a long time ago,” he continued to explain.

“Oh.” Brady looked at Cam again, clearly unconcerned. “Can you help me spell words?”

He nodded. “Sure. I’ll be right there.”

“Okay. But we need to hurry before Fiona gets here.”