“Cut it out!” Cane yelled from the bathroom. “You do not look gross. You look beautiful.” He came out of the bathroom, his hair gelled back. He wore black dress pants with a long-sleeved gray button-down. He looked good, and what else was he going to tell his hormone-crazy fiancée? That I was fat?
“I can’t even suck in anymore. I’m so bloated. My stomach just sits there.” I poked my pudge, and he chuckled, moving closer.
Grabbing my hand and tipping my chin with the other, he said, “Stop it. You are the most beautiful woman on this planet. Even sexier now that you’re carrying my baby.”
I couldn’t fight my smile.
“Where are you guys going?” I looked at the door, and Lora was standing between the frames, looking us over.
“Having dinner with a sponsor.” Cane released me to face his sister.
“Oh! Think they’ll mind if I tag along? I’m starving!”
“It’s bad manners to bring more mouths to feed, Lora,” Cane stated.
“The guy’s rich, right? I’m sure he doesn’t mind feeding another person!”
He sighed. He knew he wasn’t going to win this fight.
“I’m going! Mom’s not cooking tonight because she has a date with Andy. I need food in my belly, so wait for me!”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Cane called just before Lora could take off. “A date?”
“Yes, a date.” She smirked. “Andy is kinda cute, too.”
“She didn’t tell me anything about it,” he muttered.
“Don’t take it personally. I forced it out of her.”
“What?” I laughed. “How?”
“I grabbed her phone when she wasn’t looking, asked her what all the smiles and giggles were for. I also saw her with a shopping bag and checked it. It was a dress. Scandalous, showed a lot of leg.”
“Jesus,” Cane groaned, rubbing his forehead.
“What? She can’t hide shit from me, okay? I know her like the back of my hand. Anyway, wait for me! I’ll meet you downstairs.” She trotted off, and I looked up at Cane as he glanced at me.
“Your sister is a hot mess. Hope you realize that.”
He let out a belly deep chuckle. “Trust me, I’ve known it for years.” He picked up his cufflinks from the dresser. “Not sure what my life would be like without her, though. We’re eight years apart, and I thought I was fine as an only child, but when she came along, it was easy to forget what it had been like before. Siblings are annoying, but they make life much more interesting.”
“I bet.” All this sibling talk reminded me of Frankie. I’d texted her a few times over the weeks, and she said she was going to come visit over the summer but never got around to it. I didn’t fault her for it, though. I knew she was busy with working, her mom, and Clay.
Deep down, I hoped she’d ended that situation with him. Frankie didn’t need that complication in her life, and at the end of the day, she knew it wouldn’t have been right for them. But, life is life, I supposed. Shit happened, and I couldn’t blame her for how she felt. Sometimes love and lust chooses you, not the other way around. I, of all people, knew exactly what that was like.
We took Cane’s Aston Martin to Mr. Miller’s mansion in Concord. His home was probably three times bigger than Cane’s, with green grass and freshly trimmed hedges and so many lights on the lawn. I was kind of glad Cane was a minimalist. This mansion looked complicated. I was certain that if I lived there, I would get lost.
Cane parked in the large driveway behind two silver SUVs. My heart clanged against my rib cage as we walked to the door. I had my hand in Cane’s, and Lora was following behind us.
Cane rang the doorbell, and when it opened, we were greeted by an older man. I would have assumed he was Mr. Miller, but the black and white tux and white gloves gave him away. He let us inside and said, “Good evening, Mr. Cane. Miss Jennings. And…” The man looked puzzled as he spotted Lora.
“Lora Cane,” she filled in as she walked past him with a big smile on her face. “Don’t worry, I’m just the tagalong. No formalities for me.”
“Very well, Miss Lora Cane. I’m Brandon, and I will be taking care of you all this evening. Also, I don’t think Mr. Miller will mind that you have joined us. There is plenty of wine to go around, plus he loves having company.” He extended his arms, putting his attention on me. “Can I take your jacket?”
“Oh—yeah, sure.” I shrugged out of my leather jacket and handed it to him. He folded it over his arm and then turned to Lora, but she was already shrugging her way out of her jean jacket. She dumped it on his arm and continued her smile.