along with a stack of dinner plates, napkins, and utensils. Three kinds of red wine from the Gallaghers’ wine cellar were being served with the meal, a Chianti, a Lambrusco, and a cabernet. Cameron poured himself a glass of Chianti, and I grabbed a cold bottle of water as Ray explained where in Italy he and his wife had been when they picked up the bottles.
“You can have a glass of wine, Jeremiah,” Ray offered, stopping his story for a moment. “I promise not to be upset at being the only one not imbibing.”
“Thanks, but he’s drinking”—I tipped my head at Cameron—“so I’m the designated driver. That’s our agreement, though lately we’ve been walking home from dinner.”
“Designated walker,” Cameron teased me, leaning into my back. I heard his deep contented sigh and smiled.
“Oh hey, I want to hear about the new apartment.” Courtney slipped around her father to stand behind her brother. “I’ll sit with you guys.”
Courtney, Seth, his sister, Grace, Cody, and Makayla all ended up sitting with us around the coffee table, and they listened to Cameron tell them about our place and our colorful neighbors, about sunrise Tai Chi in the parking lot, evening belly dancing lessons in the common room, the “care for the cat” community that we didn’t have to sign up to donate to but everyone appreciated our support of. There was food to buy, after all, and veterinary care. And of course, there was the occasional gift cleanup.
“Gift cleanup?” Courtney asked her brother, absolutely hanging on his every word.
“Yes, they’re all very nice cats, so they bring us an occasional offering of birds and insects, mice, chipmunks, and baby squirrels.”
“Dead?”
“The insects, almost always. The rest, no; sometimes they’re just traumatized. Jere has had to put more than a few small, fluffy animals back into their various habitats.”
All eyes on me.
“The cats are just trying to give back,” I explained. “Like he said, they’re all very nice.”
He had pictures of our apartment, and when he showed his siblings, they both commented that it looked small but really nice.
“And you like all the stuff in there?” Makayla ventured, holding Cameron’s phone and turning to him. “The deep turquoise area rug and the maroon sectional and the burnt-orange chair with the matching ottoman?”
“Yes”—he rolled his eyes at her—“and I know what you’re thinking, but Jere and I are going to do some redecorating at the house too.”
“Not the paintings, though, right?” Cody wanted to know. “They’re great.”
“No, those all stay, but some of the fixtures, the furniture––”
“Like the torture device masquerading as a couch?” Seth sounded especially hopeful to see it gone.
“Yes—” He snickered. “—Jere suggested that the couch be donated to a research facility for testing ass numbness.”
Makayla’s burst of laughter made everyone else chuckle.
“Ohmygod, that horrible, horrible couch!” Courtney squealed.
“No give at all on that thing,” Cody stressed, squinting at Cameron. “What the hell? Did you lose a bet? Is that what happened?”
Cameron made a cutting motion with his hand to shut them all up. It was all I could do to keep it together.
Their parents had stayed to sit with their guests after dinner, so Courtney and Seth went over and filled them in, Courtney scrolling through the pictures on Cameron’s phone.
“Hey, you don’t have any naked pictures of me on your phone, do you?”
“No.” He scowled at me, then added, “But there are a couple of––”
“Wow, you guys look great in your suits,” Courtney announced from across the room. “When was this taken?”
“At the Rauch Group’s company Thanksgiving party this past Monday,” Cameron told her.
He was a hero, as he’d secured Kingman’s for Axton Enterprises, the deal finalized, Merrell Barrett having unloaded the property before it had become a true drain on his family’s finances.
Some of the Kingman employees were even going to return, but many had gone the way of Lance, Cheyenne, and me, taking the opportunity to try something new.
“I loved that party,” I told Cameron, and he shook his head like I was ridiculous.
“Drake wasn’t interested in me.” He leaned in to kiss the side of my neck and lingered a moment, which caused a shiver to run down my spine. “You didn’t have to hold my hand all night.”
But I did, and Cameron liked it, and that was the important part. And yes, Drake Holmes had been very interested in my boyfriend, which became obvious when he’d cornered me at the bar and asked how long we’d been dating.
“Since the day we met at the restaurant,” I apprised