Page 154 of See You Again
“That’s because you always see the best in everyone. I didn’t know until last night that Corinne and her new husband were going to be here. She almost never joins us for holidays, but Cara’s happy for her mom to be here, so we have to smile.”
Cami reached up and lightly tapped his cheek, before taking the pie back from him. “Smiling isn’t hard for most people. I bet if you practiced doing it more, your muscles wouldn’t be so sore.”
He caught her hand and pulled her against him, and kissed her hard on her lips. “I’ve been smiling a lot this week.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m not going to be smiling if you make me drop this pie. I want to make a good impression.”
“Are you kidding?” James shook his head and started for the house. “I’m pretty sure Declan likes you more than me. It’s weird. He’s almost human around you.”
James stopped when he realized Cami was no longer walking with him. “What’s wrong?”
“Your brother loves you.”
James laughed. “I know that. I was just teasing.”
Cami didn’t smile. “I’m serious. Over the last week, I’ve watched him as he took care of… my problem… and when he came by to talk to you and Luke. I think he’s lonely.”
James scoffed. “To be lonely, you have to have feelings.”
“You don’t think Declan has feelings?” Cami had a funny look on her face, and James remembered Declan’s expression in the hotel the night Matt had attacked Cami.
“Declan has feelings,” he said, only partially to appease her. “I’m just not sure they’re human,” he muttered.
“I had lunch with Dahlia and Cara…”
“That’s the start to a terrifying sentence.”
She glared at him. “We compared notes on all the things he does for his siblings. I think he might have more feelings than any of you.” With an arch look, she sashayed past him into the house.
Anne had set up two long tables to accommodate the large crowd. James looked around at his family, his eyes automatically seeking Cami’s figure where she sat laughing with his sister.
Luke handed him a beer, and they clinked the glass bottles. “Happy Thanksgiving,” Luke drawled. “We’re almost a commercial.”
James chuckled and shook his head. “Sure. The Blooms are what Hallmark movies are made of.”
Luke smiled as he lifted his beer, his gaze on Dahlia where she stood helping Anne at the stove. “I never would have imagined this for all of us, though.”
James considered his brother’s words. “I’m proposing tonight.”
Luke choked on his sip of beer, and he looked at his brother with wide eyes as he wiped his mouth. “Wow.”
“Yeah.” His chest swelled with emotion. “I think I’m going to beat Cara to the fastest wedding.”
“You can’t gyp Mom out of a wedding,” Luke said.
“She’s still got you.”
“Thanks a lot,” Luke said dryly, and then he cocked his head. “Don’t hit me but?—”
“I’ve loved her for twelve years. Even when I thought I hated her, I was still obsessed with her. Now that I know she feels the same, I’m not taking any chances. I want a ring on her finger so that everyone knows she’s mine.”
Luke sighed. “I’m actually jealous. This letting Dahlia have her freedom thing is literally killing me.”
“Please. Essentially, you two are married. You live together, and if she’s on set, you travel back and forth. You might as well have it tattooed on your forehead.”
Luke grinned. “I know. But like you, I want to put a giant rock on her finger so that every other fucker knows to stay away.”
James’s eyes strayed to where Declan stood by himself looking out at the woods. “Cami said something that I thought was ridiculous, but now I wonder…”