“Yes, it’s Cam, and we want to meet him as your special someone.”
Special someone? “Okay.”
“Good. Dinner is on Sunday.”
I grip the phone tighter. “Sunday? That’s family dinner night.”
“Yes,” she says. “His role in our family has changed now.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Be here by five. No need to bring anything. I’ve got it all handled. Gotta go. See you then.” She hangs up before I can argue with her. Damn that woman.
I arrive home a few minutes later and Cam is on the floor of the family room with Gunner up on the couch. He’s sketching a new design for an older boat he just bought.
“Hey, girlfriend,” he says because he can’t seem to stop referring to me by that moniker.
“Hey, boyfriend.” I walk over, and Gunner gets up, coming over to me so I’ll pet him, which I do. “We’ve been summoned to the big house.”
His pencil drops. “Really?”
I nod. “Sunday dinner.”
“Shit.” He cringes even though we know my family already thinks of him as one of us. “Am I going to be drilled with questions?”
I sit on the sofa behind him, so his back is between my legs. I massage his shoulders.
He lays his head on my thigh. “I’ll make you proud, girlfriend. I promise.”
“You can stop calling me girlfriend.” I squeeze a little harder to get my point across.
“Why, girlfriend?”
I stop massaging, holding up my hands.
“Okay, girlfriend. I’ll stop.” I move to get up, but he stops me, turning around and somehow getting me on my back. “I’ll stop now. For the rest of the night.”
“Uh-huh.”
He does stop for ten minutes while we have sex on the couch. But after that, he’s back to calling me girlfriend practically every other word. It’s somewhat annoying, but there are worse things, right?
Sunday comes way too quickly, and Cam disappeared this morning only to return with a bouquet of flowers for Marla and my dad’s favorite barbeque sauce from a store in Greywall.
“Why did you buy this stuff?” I ask as we walk up the hill toward the house, where most of my siblings’ cars are already parked. I had my suspicions but hoped it would just be the four of us.
“I’m coming as your boyfriend tonight.” I stare at him, and he holds up his hands. “I didn’t call you girlfriend.” He lowers his head to mine. “Girlfriend.”
I swat at his arm, and he laughs.
“Seriously, I’m not coming as Fisher’s best friend. I’m coming as your guy.”
“I like that my guy thing.” I step closer and tilt my head toward him. He doesn’t miss the fact I’m looking for another kiss and places his lips on mine. “I apologize ahead of time for their behavior. I know they’re going to do something bizarre or embarrassing, so just roll with it.”
He literally vacations with us and has been part of our family forever. I’m not sure why I’m so worried my family is going to embarrass me. Ha! Yes, I do. It’s because I know them.
I walk in through the garage and the house is eerily quiet when I know there are at least five babies here.
“We’re here,” I announce. “You know, just me and Cam, the guy you’ve known forever.”
We round the corner, and sure enough, my family is all sitting there and staring at us.
Marla gets up from the couch. “Hello, Chevelle and…” She looks at Cam, apparently waiting for me to introduce him.
I scrunch my eyebrows. “Cam.”
“Cam? Does Cam have a last name?” she asks like she’s never met him before.
“Baker,” I say slowly, not understanding why they’re pretending we don’t know him.
She holds out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Cam Baker. May I assume Cam is short for Cameron?”
“You may.” Cam shakes her hand and looks at me.
I shrug and shake my head. Like, just go with it, I guess.
“I brought you some flowers,” he says.
Marla accepts them and turns to the group. “He brought flowers. And they smell great. I’ll go put these in water. Why don’t you introduce Cam to the rest of the family?” She walks into the kitchen.
Now all my siblings are looking at us with serious faces. We step farther into the family room.
“This is Cameron Baker, everyone, but you already know that.” I turn to my dad. “This is my dad, Hank.”
Cam hands him the bottle of barbeque sauce, and my dad lifts it to look at it. “My favorite. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Cade is next to my dad, and he puts out his hand. “I’m Cade, Chevelle’s oldest brother. This is my wife, Presley, and our little girl, Morgan. Our daughter, Leighton, is downstairs with our brother, Rylan.”
Cam goes along with it all and shakes hands. We make our way through the room, and I do introductions with everyone until we reach Fisher.
“This is so stupid,” I mumble.
Fisher stares at Cam’s hand.
“Fisher, this is your best friend, Cam. And now he’s also my boyfriend.” I do the introduction as Allie bites her lip to keep from laughing. “And this is his wife, Allie. They have a set of twins, Axel and Laurie, who I assume are with Rylan in the basement.”
Cam puts his hand out, and Fisher shakes it. I’m not sure how much the two have talked since Fisher found us at his place, but they seem to be having some nonverbal conversation with their handshake and nods.
Marla comes back into the living room. “Everyone get introduced?”
“Yes, and this is weird, even for us.” I look around the room for one of my siblings to agree with me, but no one says anything.
“Then it’s settled.” Marla puts her hand on my dad’s shoulder and looks at Cam.
“What?” My forehead wrinkles.
“Welcome to the family, Cam. We couldn’t be happier that Chevelle picked you.” Marla hugs him.
Everyone else in the family swarms him with a big welcome. Once Cam is out from the middle of everyone, he pulls me into his side.
“This was cheesy,” I say. “At least I don’t have to be embarrassed because you were already a member of this family.”
Cam kisses me, and the room grows quiet.
“Okay, that’s just weird,” Fisher says. “I vote no PDA in front of the family.”
“Well, get used to it.” I fist Cam’s shirt and pull him to me again, giving him a big kiss.
The collective groans from my brothers make me chuckle against Cam’s lips.
My family is so odd, but they’re all mine.
25
“BYE, BOYFRIEND.”
Cam
I’m at the warehouse, working on the new boat, when my cell phone rings. My dad’s name flashes across the screen.
“Hello?”
“Cam, it’s Dad.” As if I didn't know.
“Hey.”
“I was wondering if I could come by and talk to you.”