Page 48 of One Hundred Desires
“Are you sure that’s wise?”
Red shook his head. “Nope, but it’s necessary.”
Val moved aside, but when Viv stepped up next to him, she said, “Don’t kill him because we have a date tomorrow.”
She walked into the house and made a beeline for her niece, who was on a blanket on the floor, looking up at several toys hanging above her head.
“Hey, princess.” She scooped her up, having become more familiar with babies over the last several weeks. She even watched her niece one night while her brother and Cameron ran into Copper Creek for supplies. She’d panicked a bit when Natalie got fussy, but a little snuggling and a walk around the living room put her right to sleep.
“You’re back,” Cameron said as she appeared from the hall.
“I am, and don’t try to steal her from me just yet. You can have her when she gets fussy or pees.”
Cameron laughed. “You sound like a grandparent. It’s what they like best about their kids having kids. You get all the good parts and get to hand them back when the unpleasant parts come up.”
“Pretty much all the parts have been pleasant. Everyone would have a dozen kids if all kids were like your daughter.”
Cameron laughed. “No one could afford a dozen. Have you seen the diapers we go through?”
“I have.” Viv kissed the little cherub on the forehead and placed her back on the blanket to stare at the stars and colored rainbows that hung about her head. “I need your help.”
Cameron smiled. “Does this have to do with Red?” She rubbed her tired eyes. “I may have dated him, but it was a whirlwind, and we rushed past all the stuff we should have paid attention to. I’m not the best one to offer advice about him.”
In all her life, Viv never imagined that she’d be falling in love with a man who had been engaged to her brother’s wife. They lived in a twisted world, but it was her world, and she’d have to get used to it. “I’m not looking for advice about Red. I’m looking for advice on how to dress for our first real date.”
Cameron looked at her strangely. “But you’ve been seeing him for over a month.”
“Not really seeing him in the dating sense. The first month I was working for him. I never mix business with pleasure.” She blushed because that was kind of a lie with Red. “Okay, I’ll confess to kissing him, but it never went beyond that.”
Cameron’s mouth fell open. “Never?”
“No. And since then, we’ve been taking things slowly. I’m talking slug speed ahead. Sloths at the zoo. Maybe he learned something from you because we are paying attention to all the important things like open and honest communication, our likes and dislikes, our shared and individual expectations. Honestly, some days it’s like full on therapy, but taking our time has brought us closer than either of us have ever felt to someone. The only time I’ve seen him naked was when he called me to help him with the Sarah problem.”
“Wait. You mean that since you’ve stopped working together, you still haven’t—”
“Nope, but tomorrow, we have a date. It’s a real date with all the bells and whistles, and I’d like to wear something nicer than jeans and a T-shirt.”
“Wow, he has changed. He’s investing in you.”
“We are invested in each other. And I think he’s investing in himself too.”
“I’m so glad. I always knew Red was a good guy; I just wasn’t the right girl to bring it out in him, and neither of us was ready for what we thought everyone wanted from us. It was stupid. I’m so glad he found you.” She picked up the baby. “Come with me. I’ve got you covered.”
Inside Cameron’s bedroom was a walk-in closet as big as a New York City apartment. Viv didn’t know what she could pull together. It wasn’t like they were similar in build. Cameron was far taller than her, but she went straight for a little black dress. “This should work. It’s a mini-dress on me, so it should come mid-thigh or below for you.” She went to the wall of shoes. “You look a seven. While your boots would make a statement, I don’t see them finishing off the look.” She pulled a pair of gemstone-adorned flats from the shelf. “I used to love these, but I swear my feet grew half a size with Natalie. Try them on.”
She slipped out of her clothes and into the dress, which fit like it was made for her. And the shoes were a perfect fit as well. “I love them.”
“I’ll help with your makeup and hair.”
Viv smiled. “I never had a big sister to show me stuff.”
“You do now.”
In the living room, she heard the sound of her brother and Red. She quickly changed her clothes and dashed to Red to ensure he was okay.
“Everyone fine?”
Val smiled and nodded. “Your boyfriend wanted to assure me he had the best intentions for you. He agreed that if he ever broke your heart, I could murder him and feed him to the wild animals in the forest.”