smirked. Hell, he was born into an advertising family. If he couldn’t sell her on this idea, then he didn’t deserve to work there.
As he stood to find Cammie, she actually entered the great room. After she had glanced about and realized that he was the only one there, he saw that she had started to turn on her heels and return to the kitchen. “Are you still hiding from me?” He asked with a smile.
“What makes you think I’m hiding from you? I just…have nothing to say to you, so I might just as well stay away from you.” She turned again while drying her hands with a paper towel.
“Come here. Change of plans.” He sat calmly, waiting for her to give in.
Stiffening, she asked, “Are we canceling the cocktail party? Because if we are, you really should have mentioned that before I spent the last hour boiling and shelling shrimp. Or maybe the hour before that when I was making all the hors d’oeuvres. Or hey, maybe even when I was baking the desserts starting around 6am. That would have been nice.” Her hands were on her hips as her frustration mounted.
He chuckled. “No, Cammie, the cocktail party is still on. We’re changing the wedding plans.”
“Oh, that,” she sighed and walked over and collapsed in the love seat across from him while she stretched out and collected herself.
“We’re going to do an engagement party here. Well, by here, I mean at my loft. It has the best set up. And then the wedding will be a very intimate destination wedding. We’ll have you come with us to cater it. Somewhere exotic. That’s all I know. Either way, we’ll probably plan the food here as much as possible, while recognizing that it could be impossible to transport food…huh. Customs.” He leaned back while he thought for a moment. Then he beamed. “Hawaii. Or The Keys.” He rubbed his hands together as he considered the possibilities.
“Do Sam and Haley know that you have changed their wedding?” She asked seriously. “No, I mean it.”
“Yeah.” He clapped his hands together. He was torn. He felt this intimacy with her that maybe he shouldn’t because she was so quick to push him away, but he felt so…comfortable with her that he couldn’t help himself. Once again, he found himself speaking to her in confidence. “You’ve been to weddings, right?” He asked seriously.
“Yes. Sometimes…even as a guest with other people waiting on me.” She nodded and looked at him with wide serious eyes.
He scowled. “Haley lost her family in an accident a few years back. She has no one, no other family. While Sam and I have no family left, we have a huge support system in place. The big traditional wedding could be really painful. In fact, Haley’s reaction has suggested already that it might be. So, Sam and I talked and think that a nice intimate destination wedding would be perfect. And we’d still like to have you cater. What do you think?” He stared at her and met her gorgeous eyes with his own pleading look.
Frowning, Cammie nodded. He wondered why she reacted the way she did, but he didn’t have to think about it for long. Suddenly, it all just came gushing out of her. “My heart breaks for her. She’s so…sweet, so special. I hate that anything bad has ever happened to her.”
“I know,” Adam agreed. “Believe me, I know.”
Hours later when everyone was dressed and the house was ready, the food prepared and set out according to Cammie’s instructions, Sam pulled them together to talk before the rest of the guests arrived. “I’m so glad that you have all been here this weekend,” he began.
“Here he goes, trying to take credit again when I invited him.” He nudged Cammie as he smirked at Sam.
“As I was saying, before my brother so rudely interrupted…as usual…was that Haley and I have decided to have an engagement party in two weeks…and then invite you all to go with us to get married in Key West.” He studied them all for a reaction.
Cammie smiled. “Sounds lovely. I can make it super special, the wedding of your dreams. I promise.”
Haley beamed at her. “Oh, I don’t doubt that, which is why I wanted to make sure that you were there. Thank you, Cammie. I think this will be more…manageable for us with everything going on in the coming weeks…” She frowned. “Especially since we have to be in Philly in just a couple