you and Cade together and I knew he was into you, but I’ve never seen him that into anyone, so I’d hate it if Mom and Dad got their way and caused trouble.”
I swallow hard to push down the growing lump in my throat. “I’m a tough nut to crack, Cam.”
“I get that, but so am I, and I had to change continents to get away from them. You didn’t sign up for their shit and it would screw with anyone’s head, tough nut or not.”
“I’m okay,” I say, reassuringly. “Cade and I love each other; we’re happy together. In the end, that’s all that matters. Neither of us would ever do anything to jeopardize that.”
“What if they do something else?” he asks, his voice is gravelly, and it’s then I do see a difference between Cade and Cam. They look the same, they even sound the same, and they definitely have the same demeanor, but Cam has a rougher edge than his brother. He’s weathered, the shadows I catch in his eyes speaking of untold demons.
“Then Abi and I will face it together.”
His lips curve up into a slow, knowing smile. “Like the Christmas party . . .”
“What do you mean?” I ask, frowning at him.
“Cade is calculated, probably one of the few useful qualities he got from dear ol’ Dad. He’s been biding his time and waiting for the perfect opportunity to let rip. If I know my brother—and I do very well—then my parents should be bracing themselves for a scene.”
“He wouldn’t?” I gasp, looking over his shoulder to see Cade and Jonathan heading our way, my man’s smile sending a wave of heat from my head down to my super happy parts. Knowing that that beautiful man loves me, and his brother—whom I’ve just met—seems equally as protective of me, I’m grateful for taking that first chance on Cade the night we met, and then again all those months later.
“We’re going to head home. My cankles are killing me,” Callie announces, walking back up to the table, Jonathan wrapping his arm around her waist. “How about you guys?”
Cade holds his hand out for me, lacing his fingers with mine and helping me stand at his side. Then he turns and does this weird handshake-bump thing with Cam, both of them grinning at each other as they do it.
“Jeez, still with the secret ‘Callie can’t know’ hand things?” their sister groans.
The twins stop, turn towards her—mirroring each other with scary accuracy—and mock salute Callie.
She rolls her eyes at them. “On that note,” she says, shooting me a wave, and arm in arm with her husband, walking towards the exit.
“So . . . the Christmas Party?” Cam says waggling his brows.
“What are you talking about?” Cade asks.
“We have to be there,” Cam continues, stating the obvious.
“I know that, Mom made it very clear.”
“So this is the perfect opportunity to stick it to the ‘rents,” Cam explains.
“If I was you maybe,” Cade says with a smirk.
“You are me, just in a boring form,” Cam shoots back, winking at me over Cade’s shoulder.
“You’re a fucker.”
“You know you love me.”
Cade chuckles and grips Cam’s shoulder with a squeeze. “Good to have you back, Brother.”
“Good to be back, and will be even better to watch you put Cade Senior and Annabel in their place.”
There’s a challenge, if ever I heard one.
“Are you going to have my back if I do?” Cade asks quizzically, causing my eyes to snap
“Don’t even need to ask that,” Cam growls. “I’ve got your three, six, nine, and twelve. Anytime you need me, I’m there.” His gaze moves to me again. “That goes for you too, Abi.”
It’s then I know that whatever happens at the Carsen Christmas party, Cade will always have family and best of all, I’ll always have him.
Halfway along South Lakeshore Drive, Cade turns into a parking lot and switches off the ignition.
“Can you walk for a couple of minutes in those shoes?” he asks, looking down at my heel-clad feet.
“What’s going on?” I ask, my brows drawn together.
“It’s been a good night; I want to take a walk to the lakefront with the womanfriend. End the night with a bang.”
“Your night can end with a bang at home, Carsen. I don’t fancy risking lewd public behavior twice in one night.”
He rolls his eyes then reaches across the central console, undoing my safety belt. “Trust you to think I was meaning that kind of bang.”
My eyebrows lift up to my hairline. “Since when do you