She looked into his eyes, feeling her heart rate slowing. “Really?”

“Of course. I want you comfortable being here. I want you to come back. A lot. I want dinner here with all of us to be something you look forward to, not that you dread. Whatever you want.”

She believed him. And she felt a strange mix of gratitude and affection and silly suddenly. “I’m making a big deal out of lemonade on the patio, aren’t I?”

He shrugged.

She was. Not because those women would automatically like her because she was charming and funny and they had a lot in common. Those things weren’t really true. But they would like her because Cam liked her. They loved Cam and Cam cared about Whitney and so those women would care about her because of Cam if nothing else.

That was friendship. That was love. That was acceptance.

She was catching on. She could learn this.

Those women were important to Cam and he would like nothing more than to see Whitney hanging out and getting along with them. So she could do this. For him.

She lifted on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his quickly. “I’ll be okay,” she said as she pulled back.

He nodded. “You will.”

“But thanks for giving me the option not to be.”

Something flickered in his gaze. She thought for a second he was going to grin and say something flirtatious.

Instead, he said, “You can always be not-okay with me, Whit.”

Her heart squeezed hard and for a second she couldn’t take a deep breath. But she knew exactly what to give him in return. She nodded and said, “I know.”

His gaze intensified and she knew she’d said the right thing. He leaned in and kissed her again, then set her back from him. “Go hang out. We’ll head home in a bit.”

Home. Together. She was shocked by how good that sounded.

They were friends. Hell, he might be her best friend. Yes, she realized a moment later, he was her best friend. He knew her, well, and he liked her anyway. She could be herself with him. She could be raw and real.

But they were more than friends. Already. Without getting naked. Without it being official.

But she definitely wanted to get naked with him. More now than before.

They needed to do that soon.

“Heading home sounds nice,” she told him. “So yeah, give me a little bit with the girls, but I’ll be ready whenever.”

He looked at her a moment longer, then nodded. “Good.”

Yeah, it was good. It was all good.

Or, it would be after this patio thing anyway.

18

Whitney took a breath, then turned and opened the back door. She stepped out onto the patio, pulling the door shut behind her, closing her off from Cam. Her lifeline.

No, that was stupid. She wasn’t scared to be out here. She wasn’t in danger. Except of making an ass of herself.

Zoe, Jane, and Josie all looked over. With smiles. Whitney felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease. These were Cam’s friends. Family. Even the two that weren’t his blood relations. She could spend time with them.

“Here, sit with me.” Josie reached out and snagged Whitney’s hand, tugging her down onto the love seat she was occupying.

Zoe and Jane each had a chair. The patio furniture was gathered around the stone firepit on the back patio. There was a fire but it was turned low and giving off little to no heat. Clearly it was for ambience as the night was warm.

The women all seemed relaxed, their drinks still mostly full.

“We were just talking about how amazing it is that Josie kept this engagement a secret from us,” Jane said to Whitney. “She’s the romantic of the group and I cannot believe she didn’t call us immediately.”

“She was just about to tell us how Grant proposed,” Zoe said.

Josie cast Whitney a look, then smiled.

Jane’s eyes narrowed. “Hey, what was that?”

“What was what?” Josie asked, her eyes round with innocence. She lifted her glass for a sip of lemonade. Or to hide her expression.

Whitney also took a drink. Did Josie know that she and Cam had known about their marriage and “divorce”? She assumed that Josie knew about Cam’s involvement, since he’d been the attorney to draw up the papers, but did she know Whitney had been in on it?

“That look you gave Whitney,” Jane said. She sat forward, looking at them both with suspicion. “What do you know?” she asked Whitney. “You two have a secret.”

Whitney’s eyes widened. “Um.”

Josie shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she told Jane.

But Jane focused on Whitney. “Did you know they were engaged before you came to dinner tonight?”

Whitney thought fast. Had she known they were engaged before she came to dinner tonight? No. Because they weren’t engaged. In her mind. Because she knew they were already married.

“No,” she said truthfully.

But she made the mistake of taking a beat too long. And glancing at Josie right after answering.

Now Zoe sat forward too. “Nuh-uh. There’s something going on.” She wiggled a finger back and forth between Josie and Whitney. “What’s up?”

Whitney really wanted Josie to take the lead here. This was completely Josie and Grant’s secret. They should tell—or not tell—whoever they wanted to when they wanted to. Oh, man, she could not screw this up.

“Nothing is up,” Whitney said. “I had no idea that Josie and Grant were going to announce they were engaged at dinner tonight.” Totally true.

“But you showed up tonight for the first time,” Zoe said, her expression suspicious. “That’s just a coincidence?”

Whitney nodded quickly. “Absolute coincidence.”

“So you know nothing about Josie and Grant being engaged and planning to get married?” Jane asked.

Whitney lifted her chin, in that way that Cam called her on. Yes, it was the way she summoned her moxie. He’d told her not to do it with him and no, she knew she didn’t need to anymore. But with these ladies? Oh yeah, she needed all the spunk she could muster to hold her own.

“I know that Josie and Grant are perfect for each other and I’m thrilled they’re together.” She glanced at Josie. “No matter how it happened.”

Josie gave her a big grin and Zoe and Jane looked at one another. Then Jane nodded. “Nicely done.”

Whitney lifted a brow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we know that you already knew they got married. And you managed to keep their secret and not flat-out lie to us. I’m impressed.”

Whitney felt surprise course through her. “Wait, you know they’re married?”

“I confessed earlier before we came inside,” Josie said.

Whitney slumped back against the cushion behind her. “Thank God.”

They laughed and Whitney felt a funny feeling of accomplishment. “You were testing me?” she asked.

“Of course,” Zoe said. “If you’re going to be a part of the group, we have to know you can keep secrets.”

Another emotion surged through Whitney. Was she going to be a part of the group? That sounded so nice. At her age, she should not want to be included and liked this much. It was pathetic. But it was still real.