Page 23 of Meeting Me, Loving You (Hearts of Maple Lake #1)

JULIET

I never thought I’d be waking up in Cam’s cabin—in his guest room—but here I am.

We stayed up late studying, and now I’m exhausted.

It was around midnight when Cam began to yawn, and I encouraged him to get some rest. Reluctantly, he did, leaving me to study for another hour in his living room.

Although Cam’s cabin is an unfamiliar place, I feel safe here.

Even if I didn’t have Dax along to protect me, I think I would feel protected by the simple fact that this is where Cam lives.

It’s warm and inviting, just like the man himself.

Dax stretches himself across the bed as I get up, enjoying the way the sunshine spreads across his long, white fur.

Walking into the connected guest bathroom, I grab my sweater and leggings from a little wooden chair in the corner and investigate the shower situation.

It’s a large shower, with glass doors and a built-in shelf that’s lined with bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash—all of them are men’s products.

I can’t help but grin at the idea of wearing Cam’s scent today.

I take a gloriously hot shower, enjoying every minute of it, and dress in my clothes from yesterday.

Once I’ve towel-dried my hair as much as I can, the smell of bacon starts to tickle my nose.

Even Dax stands at the door, his snout poking at the air as he seeks the source of the savory aroma.

Grabbing the T-shirt I slept in—a large, soft, green tee that Cam let me borrow—I step out into the hall, allowing Dax to take the lead as he follows his nose toward the kitchen.

Peeking my head around the corner, I’m graced by the image of Cam standing at the stove, mixing scrambled eggs in a pan.

In no rush to interrupt the scene, I take a moment to appreciate him.

He’s tall, but the ceiling is high, making the room feel spacious and open.

From the way Cam’s shoulders are relaxed, I can tell he’s completely comfortable in his own home.

A dish towel hangs over one shoulder, and his brown hair is ruffled from sleep.

He’s sporting a worn grey hoodie with a college logo on the back, and black sweatpants that sit low on his hips and fit snugly around his muscular thighs.

I find it adorable when I notice he’s wearing blue and black checkered slippers, and my heart squeezes at the simple sight of Cam in his house doing normal, everyday things.

Dax doesn’t have the patience I do, and he runs right up to him, shoving his nose into Cam’s hand.

Cam crouches to give him a good scratch behind his ears. “Hey, boy,” he croons. “Where’s your mama?”

The early-morning sun shines through the kitchen window, bouncing off the butcher block countertops. Still gripping the borrowed shirt in my hands, I step around the corner and into view.

“Good morning,” I say, placing the T-shirt on the counter.

Cam turns around, seeing me for the first time, and a smile spreads across his face as he stands. “Good morning. I’m making you bacon and eggs.”

“It smells great, thank you. And thanks for letting me use your T-shirt last night.” I slide the garment across the counter toward him. He watches but leaves it in its spot as he checks on the bacon in the oven.

“No problem. Did you sleep okay?” he asks. He closes the oven door and takes a step toward me.

“I slept great. Thanks for helping me study—it was… kinda fun.” He meets my eyes with his, and I can’t help but smile when his lips twitch into an almost-mischievous grin.

“It was fun,” he says. “But if you thought studying all night was fun, just wait till we start on the tourist list.”

His excitement causes a fluttering deep in my stomach, and I turn away as my cheeks warm. I’m looking forward to more time spent with Cam, but I have to be careful and keep my feelings in check.

Needing fresh air and a moment to recenter myself, I say, “I’ll just let Dax out.”

“Alright,” he replies. “Food will be ready in five.”

When we’ve had our fill of Cam’s amazing cooking, I’m grabbing my textbooks and backpack in the living room when I hear Cam say my name. I turn around to see him standing in the space between the living room and kitchen with his hand running over his beard.

“I was wondering, would it be okay if I got your phone number? You know, in case you need saving again or something.” His deep voice is slightly shy, and I find it endearing that he’s being so sweet in his request.

“Yeah, of course,” I reply, whipping out my phone. Walking back to where he stands, I hand my phone to him and he takes it in his large palm, giving me a smile before typing in his number and adding himself as a contact.

“There you go,” he says, still grinning as he hands it back to me. “I added myself as Cam , and you can text me so I have your number too. ”

I send him a quick text with my name and a goofy face emoji. Not that the name is necessary—who else would it be?

His own phone makes a noise from his pocket, and he pulls it out, chuckling to himself as he looks at my text.

My heart flutters wildly in my chest, and I turn back to grab my bag and coat.

I whistle for Dax to follow, and when Cam and I are bundled up to face the cold, we all walk out to Cam’s truck.

Cam left after dropping me and Dax off at my apartment.

I was almost sad to see him leave, but I’ve taken up more than enough of his time since yesterday afternoon.

My apartment has power again, but it will take time for the space to warm up.

I wonder if Ali is awake yet and if she’s working today.

I texted her last night about the storm and how we would have to reschedule wine night again , but I didn’t tell her I was at Cam’s.

She stayed at her parents’ house, and I don’t know when she was planning to get back today.

Before I go knocking on her door, I send her a text.

Wake up, sleepyhead! Unless you’re at work, then this text just sounds dumb.

I change into clean clothes—beige sweatpants and a matching cropped sweatshirt—and brush my teeth as I wait for her response. It’s only a few minutes later when my phone dings with a message.

Ali

Hey! No work today. I’m leaving my parents’ house to come home now. What’s up?

Do you have plans today?

Ali

Nope! Want to hang out?

Yes! Since the storm ruined our wine night, should we do a mimosa morning?

Ali

Ooh, yes please! When I get back, I’ll grab some things and come right over.

Twenty minutes later, Ali knocks on my door, and I welcome her in, giving her a tight squeeze before releasing her. Dax wags his tail but waits patiently for Ali to pet him.

Lowering her bag—of what I can only assume is craft supplies—to the floor, she reaches her hands out for Dax, who excitedly throws himself into her embrace.

“I’ve already made the mimosas. Well, a whole pitcher, actually,” I say, walking to the kitchen.

Ali stands and follows me. “This was a great idea, Jules. We keep missing our wine nights, and I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

“I’m not avoiding—” I look up from pouring our drinks to find Ali smirking at me as she holds back a laugh. “Ali, don’t tease me like that!”

“It’s not my fault you’re so easy to tease!” She exclaims as she takes the glass I offer her. “I know you’ve been busy, as you always are. By the way, how did you sleep in here? Your apartment is freezing.”

“I didn’t, I went to Cam’s.” The words come out before I even realize it, and I quickly slide my gaze up to catch her reaction.

It’s as I expected. Ali’s eyes are wide with interest, and her lips rise up at the corners in a barely controlled smile.

“It’s not like that,” I reassure her. “He came over yesterday to check on me, and when he saw the power was out, he offered for me and Dax to spend the day with him.”

“And the night ?” Ali can’t hide her excitement, intent on catching every word that comes out of my mouth.

I explain what happened since waking up yesterday morning, ending with Cam dropping me and Dax off at home today. Ali takes a sip of her drink and tips her head toward me, indicating she wants more information.

“That’s literally all,” I say. “He just helped me study all day. I even stayed up to study after he went to bed. It was very chill, very… friend -like.”

“Uh huh,” she says, taking a seat at the kitchen counter. “Well, if anything else happens between you, I want to hear about it. You two would make the cutest couple!”

I groan at how dramatic she can be, and take a sip from my long-stemmed glass. After a moment of hesitation, I press on. “He asked me to be a tourist with him.”

“That’s exciting! Where are you planning to go?”

“Maple Lake,” I say flatly.

“Maple Lake…” She pauses. “Is there another Maple Lake somewhere?”

“Nope,” I chuckle nervously. “It’s this one.

He wants to experience the tourism here.

He said he’s missed Maple Lake and wants to see it from another perspective or something.

” I’m still not sure of his reasoning to tour his own town, but I’m willing to go along with it for the study sessions.

“In exchange for me being his tour buddy, he’s going to help me study. ”

“That’s an interesting exchange, but I’m sure it will be fun. And I’m certain it will help you a lot. You always seem to do better on exams after you’ve worked with a study partner.” She says this in all seriousness, remembering all the hours she’s come over to quiz me with my flashcards.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m hoping for.” Gesturing toward the bag she left in the living room, I ask, “What did you bring?”

Her eyes light up and she jumps to her feet. “We’re making earrings!” I laugh as she runs toward her bag, and Dax chases her, his tail whipping wildly with delight. “There was a sale, and I could not pass up these adorable leather teardrop pendants.”

I always enjoy seeing Ali in this phase of pure excitement. It’s one of the things I love most about her. She wears her heart on her sleeve, she’s honest to a fault, and she always knows how to have fun.

Grabbing both our cups, I walk into the living room, where Ali has begun to spread the contents of her craft bag on the low coffee table.

We always have something playing on the TV in the background to make the cozy atmosphere complete, so I grab the remote and turn on a sweet romcom we’ve watched a million times.

I take a seat on the couch and wait for her to give instructions on how to make the earrings.

Once everything is laid out to her liking and the opening credits of the movie play across the screen, Ali straightens her shoulders and says, “Let us begin!”