Angelo looked up from his pasta, his fork in midair. “It’s not every day a woman can do that to a man, you know what I’m saying?”
“What, embarrass him?” Nick chuckled.
“No, make him blush,” his dad said wisely.
Nick could barely hold in a belly laugh.
“I hope we can be sisters one day, Hadley,” Lucy said, no doubt just to get Cam’s goat. “Because I’m way too outnumbered around here.”
“I hope you all have had your fun,” Cam said, “but I have to say you’re right. Hadley means a lot to me.” He met her gaze across the table. “I’m really glad you’re here with me to enjoy this great meal.”
As they all dug into the great meal, Cam felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Thankful. He might’ve lost football, but he had his siblings, who would torment him until his last breath, of that he was sure.
And most importantly, he had Hadley, something he’d never dreamed of. He looked up to find her staring at him from across the table. And then she smiled.
He gave her a wink, dug into his plate, and ate the delicious food.
Chapter 24
The night of the gala couldn’t have been more ideal if fairies had sprinkled magical dust to paint the evening sky in hues of salmon and orange and the glassy ocean in deep midnight blues. There was even a full moon over the boardwalk.
The stunning color show made Hadley emotional and breathless with wonder. Or was it that her heart was so full, every sense seemed to be heightened?
In front of her on the grass of the beachside park, a sea of tables was set with bright yellow cloths. The boardwalk, which was doubling as a dance floor, was lined with rows of white lights. And the calmly rolling ocean served as the dramatic soundtrack to a picture-perfect setting.
Hadley had just complimented Maggie Hakutani and her daughter on the gorgeous orange and white gladiolas in tall glass vases on every table that were lit inside with tiny lights.
Everything was ready. It was as if the entire harbor were holding its breath, waiting for the guests, who were starting to arrive.
“Um, excuse me,” a voice said from behind her. “Are you the person in charge?”
She whirled around to find Cam standing there. He wore a simple black collared shirt, khaki shorts, and nice flip-flops, casual attire that most men would be wearing this evening. Darkly handsome, confident, and elegant, he simply took her breath away as he leaned against a tree, looking like everything she’d ever wanted. And he happened to have one of Lucy’s fancy drinks in his hand, which she hoped was for her.
“Hey there,” she said.
“Well, hello,” Cam said, giving a low whistle as his gaze traveled over her. She was wearing a simple black dress overlaid with black lace and cute sandals. Nothing special. But the way he looked at her made her feel…beautiful.
He held out the drink. “They told me to bring this to the badass lady with the headset.”
She shrugged. “All in a day, Cammareri.” Adjusting her headset, she took a sip of the drink he’d brought her and sighed. “That’s delicious. Better take it away until later.”
He snuck a quick kiss.
“I thought there was no PDA.” Not that she was protesting.
“That was just for good luck,” he said. “My way of being helpful.”
She laughed nervously. “That kind of help makes me forget everything I have to do.”
He straightened her headset and took back the drink. “You’re too good for that.”
“Are you nervous?” she asked.
“Yes,” he admitted. “But I’m also really excited. I can’t wait to see people enjoy our food. Thanks for letting my family do this. It meant a lot to my dad and my sister.”
“What does it mean to you?” she asked.
“I know what you’re trying to get me to do. Say I love feeding people.”
“Well?” she asked.
“Okay, fine. Yes. I’m really excited. I’m headed to the food tent now to help out. I think everything else is in control. You need anything?”
They’d agreed she would stomp out fires while he went to check on his family. “All is well—so far, anyway. We worked hard on this.”
“We worked hard on this together,” he amended. “See you after dinner?” He whispered something in her ear as they parted ways.
“See you,” she said weakly as she waved him off. When she finally got her wits about her, she walked over to the boardwalk, where a local band was setting up.
“Your cheeks are blazing,” Kit said with a wide smile.
Darla hugged her. “We saw him kiss you,” she reported like they were back in high school. “On the lips.”
Kit suddenly looked teary.
“Kit! What?” Hadley said.
“It’s…it’s wonderful to see you happy,” she said.
“I’m afraid to say it, but I am happy,” Hadley said. “But I’m not calling this anything. We’re just…we’re just…”
“Completely smitten,” Darla said, letting Hadley take a sip of her gin and tonic.
“Taking it one day at a time,” Kit suggested.
Hadley nodded, swiping at her own eyes. “Both of those.”
“I’m thrilled for you,” Kit said. “I’ve always liked Cam.”
“But Darla was ready to hang him up by the balls a few weeks ago,” Hadley said.
“I know but…I’ve decided he deserves a second chance.” She gave a resigned sigh. “He gave my mom some Giants wear, and she can’t stop talking about how wonderful he is.”
“Speaking of second chances,” Kit said to Darla, “I’ve heard Nick’s been working at your house every day this week.”
“He convinced me to let him fix my porch roof.”
“That’s pretty impressive considering the Cammareris don’t usually touch any house less than a century old,” Kit said. “Has he offered to do anything else for you?” Kit nudged Darla with her elbow.
“It’s not like that,” Darla said, but her fingers flitted nervously around her drink. “I’m just glad we can hold a conversation without getting angry with one another.”
“Nick helped my parents remodel their powder room and only charged them the cost of the materials,” Kit said.
“He’s a nice guy,” Hadley said. “Funny too.”
“He’s the same old Nick,” Darla said. “I mean, I get why I fell in love with him in the first place. He still tells the stupidest jokes. And he still has that same ratty vintage baseball cap collection. One day he showed up with one he bought on our honeymoon in Savannah. Weird, huh?”
Weird. That was one word for it…
“Speak of the devil,” Kit said, nodding toward the boardwalk.
And suddenly there Nick was, walking across the grass near the boardwalk. He stopped to speak to Cam, who was chatting with the valet parking staff. Hadley couldn’t help but notice Darla looking with interest but pretending not to, a move they’d all perfected well during their teenage years.
“Maybe he’ll ask you to dance later,” Kit said.