Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 296

Camilla's flight home landed the next evening. She figured it would be about eight when she touched down, so she didn’t bother asking anyone to pick her up. Stepping out into the busy airport, she caught a glimpse of a familiar car weaving through traffic. It looked just like Lance’s.

She was about to head that way when a wave of sweet perfume drifted past. A woman, dressed so stylishly it was almost over the top, rushed toward the car like a butterfly caught in a gust of wind. Camilla watched her lean in at the driver’s window, say something quick, and then slip into the back seat before the car eased away, lost in the crowd.

The sound of high heels clicking on the pavement lingered in Camilla’s mind. She just stood there, staring after the car, feeling thrown off in a way she couldn’t quite explain.

Even after she grabbed a cab to Laguna Shores, she couldn’t shake that uneasy feeling. Since she’d met Lance, she’d never seen him with another woman. So who was she?

Camilla tried to brush it off, but some unexplained anxiety bubbled up inside her. It was stronger than when she’d discovered Barnard and Davina had some kind of connection. She hated how restless it made her feel.

When she walked through the door, Dane and Susan both looked genuinely surprised. Dane spoke first, “Camilla, you’re back. If you’d let us know, we could’ve gotten things ready. Lance is at the office. Let me give him a call so he can come home.”

“It’s alright,” Camilla said. “He’s busy, and I really don’t want him to drop everything just for me. I…”

Dane shook his head. “Lance was clear. You’re always the priority. If I don’t tell him, he’ll be mad at me.”

She let it go and changed the subject. “Where’s Jasper?”

“He’s in his room, playing with his toys. Want me to call him for you?”

“No, I’ll go up and see him myself,” Camilla answered.

Dane nodded and stepped away to call Lance. From where she stood, she couldn’t catch any of the conversation, but knowing Lance wasn’t home and hadn’t taken Jasper along set her off again.

That cheered Jasper up, and he pulled her down to the floor beside him. As they sorted through the pieces, Camilla’s mind couldn’t quite settle. She tried to keep her tone light as she asked, “Did Lance tell you to build this?”

“Nope, I just wanted to. Mom, are you okay today? You’re acting a little weird. Do you miss Lance or something?”

He looked up at her with those big, curious eyes, completely innocent. Camilla felt heat rush to her cheeks and quickly cleared her throat, steering the conversation away and helping him focus on the blocks again.

Then the sound of a car pulling into the driveway floated in from outside, and her nerves tangled up all over again. She pressed her lips together, resisting the urge to jump up, and kept searching for the next puzzle piece with Jasper. But the steady thump of leather shoes on the stairs was impossible to ignore.

A moment later, the door swung open and Lance filled the doorway. They locked eyes for a moment before he spoke first, sounding almost exasperated. “Camilla, how come you didn’t tell me you were coming back? You didn’t even give me a hint. If I’d known, I never would have gone out today.”