lips.
“Cam, I think your sister heard that.”
“Tell her we’ll behave.”
Her cheeks warmed, remembering their first kiss an hour earlier. “You don’t think anyone followed us?”
“I don’t think so. Your idea of hiding them in your car seems to have worked. If anyone was watching.”
That was the big question. “Now what?”
“I guess you can leave. I’ll head there in a bit and see if they need anything.”
Anna brushed by Jordan on her way to the bathroom. “Tell him we’re fine, and he doesn’t need to come.”
“I heard that,” he said.
“Are you still coming here?” Jordan asked.
“No. Although I’m not sure I can sit here for the rest of the evening either.”
“Nothing to do?”
“No one to talk to. I’m feeling kinda lonely, Jordan.”
She smiled at the playful pout in his voice. “You want to come over? We can hang out with my family. Probably get some time to talk alone too.”
“I’m half-terrified and half-jazzed at the idea. Meet you there?”
Jordan grinned. “Meet you there.”
****
Cam’s car was already parked in her parents’ driveway when Jordan pulled in. Dillan and Miska had left the hotel to continue their own date, and Garrett was probably at his downtown condo. She wouldn’t have to share Cam with anyone—except maybe her parents.
How long had Cam been here? And what had the conversation with her parents been like? How much had he told them?
Inside, Cam sat in her living room with Mom and Dad, the three of them talking while a Cubs game played on the TV.
Cam stood when she entered, smiling her way, but Dad spoke first. “You do know, Jordan, that he’s a Reds fan?”
Cam chuckled.
Jordan met his gaze. So there had been a conversation. “I’m willing to make sacrifices.”
Dad shook his head, pretending to be appalled.
“Mom, Dad, we’re going out on the deck to talk.”
“Fine. But don’t listen to a word he says about baseball.”
Outside, the sky had faded to periwinkles and purples, magenta, and the faintest peach.
Jordan skipped the patio table—too close to the kitchen window—for the top step of the two-level deck and sat down.
Cam seated himself beside her. “That went well.”
“You talked to my parents?”
“I did. I told them I was very interested in you.”
It would have been nice to have witnessed that conversation herself. “Very, huh? And they said…?”
“They seemed good with it. No one called me too old or you too young. Your dad actually seemed to like the idea.”
“And my mom?”
“I guess I didn’t catch her reaction.”
“If she didn’t say anything, she’s probably good with it too.” Now for her brothers. “Have you talked to Dillan or Garrett?”
“I told Dillan tonight. I called him before I called you. He thinks we were slowpokes.” He eyed her, clearly thinking about how to say something.
And evidently struggling with it.
She nudged him with her shoulder. “What?”
He linked his fingers together and frowned at them. “I don’t want to be slow about the rest of this.”
The rest of this… His meaning dawned on her. She widened her eyes and faked a shocked expression. “Are you asking me to elope?”
“No.” He grinned at the vast, empty park beyond the backyard. “I’d like to have a good relationship with my future in-laws, seeing as how they may be the only parent figures I ever have.”
“Did you tell them about your sister?”
“Not yet. I’m not sure if… I would have, until everything that happened tonight.” He slid his hand over hers and wove their fingers together. “I don’t want them thinking I’m putting you in any danger. And then I have to stop and think. Am I?” He met her gaze. “Do you think I’m putting you in danger?”
When he held her hand like this? Shared the most private part of his heart with her? “No,” she whispered.
“Good.”
But he let her hand go and rubbed his palms together.
Why did he go back and forth like
“Cam, I think your sister heard that.”
“Tell her we’ll behave.”
Her cheeks warmed, remembering their first kiss an hour earlier. “You don’t think anyone followed us?”
“I don’t think so. Your idea of hiding them in your car seems to have worked. If anyone was watching.”
That was the big question. “Now what?”
“I guess you can leave. I’ll head there in a bit and see if they need anything.”
Anna brushed by Jordan on her way to the bathroom. “Tell him we’re fine, and he doesn’t need to come.”
“I heard that,” he said.
“Are you still coming here?” Jordan asked.
“No. Although I’m not sure I can sit here for the rest of the evening either.”
“Nothing to do?”
“No one to talk to. I’m feeling kinda lonely, Jordan.”
She smiled at the playful pout in his voice. “You want to come over? We can hang out with my family. Probably get some time to talk alone too.”
“I’m half-terrified and half-jazzed at the idea. Meet you there?”
Jordan grinned. “Meet you there.”
****
Cam’s car was already parked in her parents’ driveway when Jordan pulled in. Dillan and Miska had left the hotel to continue their own date, and Garrett was probably at his downtown condo. She wouldn’t have to share Cam with anyone—except maybe her parents.
How long had Cam been here? And what had the conversation with her parents been like? How much had he told them?
Inside, Cam sat in her living room with Mom and Dad, the three of them talking while a Cubs game played on the TV.
Cam stood when she entered, smiling her way, but Dad spoke first. “You do know, Jordan, that he’s a Reds fan?”
Cam chuckled.
Jordan met his gaze. So there had been a conversation. “I’m willing to make sacrifices.”
Dad shook his head, pretending to be appalled.
“Mom, Dad, we’re going out on the deck to talk.”
“Fine. But don’t listen to a word he says about baseball.”
Outside, the sky had faded to periwinkles and purples, magenta, and the faintest peach.
Jordan skipped the patio table—too close to the kitchen window—for the top step of the two-level deck and sat down.
Cam seated himself beside her. “That went well.”
“You talked to my parents?”
“I did. I told them I was very interested in you.”
It would have been nice to have witnessed that conversation herself. “Very, huh? And they said…?”
“They seemed good with it. No one called me too old or you too young. Your dad actually seemed to like the idea.”
“And my mom?”
“I guess I didn’t catch her reaction.”
“If she didn’t say anything, she’s probably good with it too.” Now for her brothers. “Have you talked to Dillan or Garrett?”
“I told Dillan tonight. I called him before I called you. He thinks we were slowpokes.” He eyed her, clearly thinking about how to say something.
And evidently struggling with it.
She nudged him with her shoulder. “What?”
He linked his fingers together and frowned at them. “I don’t want to be slow about the rest of this.”
The rest of this… His meaning dawned on her. She widened her eyes and faked a shocked expression. “Are you asking me to elope?”
“No.” He grinned at the vast, empty park beyond the backyard. “I’d like to have a good relationship with my future in-laws, seeing as how they may be the only parent figures I ever have.”
“Did you tell them about your sister?”
“Not yet. I’m not sure if… I would have, until everything that happened tonight.” He slid his hand over hers and wove their fingers together. “I don’t want them thinking I’m putting you in any danger. And then I have to stop and think. Am I?” He met her gaze. “Do you think I’m putting you in danger?”
When he held her hand like this? Shared the most private part of his heart with her? “No,” she whispered.
“Good.”
But he let her hand go and rubbed his palms together.
Why did he go back and forth like
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