Page 115 of See You Again

“Relax, mo leanbh. I was only going to say I’d heard what she’s been through… I’m impressed. So far, it looks like my children have all chosen well.” Her lips twisted. “Now, if you could talk some sense into your brother, make him see that the strategic marriage he has planned is a mistake…”

“What marriage?” The three siblings exchanged a look.

“Fiona Carrol. Didn’t he tell you? I don’t think he’s actually proposed yet, but…” Siobhan gave a small shrug. “It’s only a matter of time.”

“Please tell me you are kidding.” Cara looked disgusted. “She’s absolutely foul. Why would Declan be interested her?”

“Because her father controls a hefty voting block of stock in Bloom Communications.” Luke looked thoughtful.

Cara blanched. “But that’s not a reason… He wouldn’t… Not her…”

“He’s determined to get control of the company back,” Siobhan said, but she bit her lower lip and looked away for a minute. “He’s coming for the holiday. Talk to him. Make him see sense.”

“The food’s ready,” Bruce said quietly.

The dinner conversation was stilted at first, but gradually they all relaxed. Dahlia shared gossip from her latest movie set, and Anne wanted to know how Cami had come to start a podcast. At the first lull, Siobhan pinned James with a stare. “How did the two of you meet?”

“We were friends in college.” James put another bite in his mouth to stall. He should have known better because Siobhan shifted her attention to Cami.

“I meant how did the two of you become a couple?”

Cami took a sip of wine. “I was being harassed by a business associate in a bar, and I saw James and asked him to pretend to be my boyfriend.” She tilted a brow at Siobhan. “And the rest is, as they say… history.”

James choked on his food. For a second, everyone sat in frozen silence until Luke couldn’t hide his snigger behind his napkin any longer.

His chest swelled—he was so freaking proud of her. Siobhan intimidated most people, but she hadn’t been wrong when she said Cami was feisty. A lot of people mistook her smiles and happy nature as weakness. But her core was solid steel. She’d made a career out of addressing difficult subjects and asking the questions that people didn’t want to answer.

James caught her hand where it rested on the table. Siobhan's gaze shifted to their joined hands, and a slow smile stretched her cheeks.

“As an Irishwoman, I appreciate a good story. And that sounds like the start to a good one.”

James felt Cami’s fingers relax under his.

“Now that Siobhan’s got the third degree out of the way… I don’t want to ambush you… Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about thallium?” Cara asked Cami. “I just don’t understand how she could have done it and not get caught.”

Cami wiped her mouth with a napkin, setting it by the plate in front of her. Siobhan rose to her feet to stretch across the table to refill Cami’s wineglass with a wink. James wasn’t sure what to think about that.

Cara’s words brought them back to why they had gotten together in the first place. “Dahlia is the one who originally listened to your podcast, and after she mentioned it, I listened, too. You and Madison are phenomenal, by the way. I’m completely addicted. I love that?—”

“Hey Car-bear, now’s not really the time to fan girl.” Luke rolled his eyes.

“I’m not!” Cara snapped. “And stop calling me that.”

“We are both huge fans,” Dahlia said, squeezing Luke’s knee.

“Thank you.” Cami grinned.

“James sent us the files you emailed, but it’s so much information.” Cara frowned.

Siobhan stood abruptly and paced into the adjacent family room. She stalked the short distance back and forth across the room.

“Siobhan, you’re making me dizzy,” Anne reproved.

“The idea that someone poisoned him—It’s infuriating! If I had known…”

“But you didn’t,” Anne soothed. “It was bad timing. If he hadn’t been being so difficult, it might not have happened.” The two older women exchanged a look that James couldn’t decipher.

“Mrs. Woodson said that he wouldn’t eat or drink anything unless it was prepared by her,” Cara reminded them. “So how could they have given him the poison? Not to mention he traveled to Ireland, but still had symptoms. Cami, what do you think?”