Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 379

Camilla and Lance didn’t head straight back to Laguna Shores. Instead, they stopped by the hospital to pick up Elise.

They’d promised to have dinner together, but after getting caught up at the Charles Estate, Elise had already called Camilla twice, worried they might not show up at all. Missing dinner now would definitely put her on edge.

Elise was doing much better these days, able to leave her room for short walks, and Camilla had been wanting to bring her home to Laguna Shores for a while. She even thought about hiring Elise’s medical team to make house calls, so Elise wouldn’t have to spend every day stuck in a hospital room. But with all the recent drama—everything with Barnard, then Sarah—Camilla worried Elise might get stressed, so she’d been putting it off until now.

Today, though, Elise was finally out of the hospital, and Camilla had no intention of sending her back. She’d already asked Susan to prepare a room.

When Elise stepped out of the car, the first thing she noticed was the riot of bright roses blooming in the greenhouse—a little burst of color in the dead of winter. Her eyes lit up for a moment, but then she glanced at Camilla, her expression a bit disapproving. “Camilla, these flowers must’ve cost a fortune. Didn’t I teach you better than that? We’re not the type to waste money on pretty things. I know you have some savings, but you need to set it aside for Jasper’s future, not blow it on stuff that doesn’t matter.”

After her husband’s disappearance, Elise had made thriftiness second nature. She’d always watched every penny, so her reaction was nothing new.

Camilla was about to explain herself, but Jasper beat her to it. “Grandma, don’t get upset with Mom. These flowers are from Dad. He bought them as a present, not Mom. And Mom works really hard, you know. When I’m older, I’ll make my own money. I don’t want to take hers—I just want her to be happy.”

Jasper’s serious little speech made Elise laugh, but she caught the way he said “Dad.” The surprise quickly faded into concern.

As a mom, Elise’s thoughts immediately went to Camilla’s first marriage, which hadn’t ended well. Watching Camilla and Lance become close so quickly—and seeing Jasper accept Lance so naturally—made her worried that history might repeat itself.

At that moment, Lance parked and stepped over, having caught some of the conversation. He offered a gentle reassurance. “Elise, it’s just a few flowers. They aren’t worth much, but if they bring Camilla happiness, that’s good enough for me. This is your first time here, and you haven’t tried my cooking yet. Why don’t you relax with Camilla while I get dinner started?”

Camilla didn’t try to hide this from Jasper. He heard everything, and he nodded with absolute seriousness. “It’s true, Grandma. Dad takes care of both me and Mom. Mom’s busy with work, so he’s always here when I need him. He’s not anything like the other dad. And since you’re going to live with us soon, you’ll see how great Dad really is.”

Jasper had spent time with Elise at the hospital before, but she’d never heard him say such kind things about Barnard.

If Lance had just been nice to Camilla, Elise might have doubted his intentions. But his steady patience with Jasper, the kind that can only be built up day after day, made it clear his feelings were sincere. Her suspicion toward Lance started to fade.

Still, she squeezed Camilla’s hand, her voice tinged with worry. “Camilla, seeing you happy, I want to wish you the best. But I’ve met his mother before. She doesn’t seem like someone who’ll be easy to live with…”