Ford laughs as Lola places glasses of ice water in front of each of us. She then scribbles down our order and leaves again—this time with no ogling.
“I kind of want to revisit this Nate thing,” Lincoln says, leaning against the table with his jaw set in stone. The look he gives me ramps my blood pressure. I feel my fingers automatically moving, stretching, readying themselves for a fight should it happen.
“Let’s move this conversation along before it becomes a giant pissing match,” Cam sighs. “Ford, what did you do today?”
“Not a lot,” he says, trying to navigate everything around him. “I worked some. Going golfing after this.”
“You golf?” Lincoln asks me.
“Uh, no.”
“That’s too bad.”
“And why is that?”
“I’d love to beat your ass on the golf course,” he grins.
“You fight?” I volley back, not about to let him think he got one over on me.
“Fight what?”
“Men.”
My response isn’t what he expected and it’s clear he isn’t sure exactly what I mean. “Not in a while.”
“Oh my goodness, stop it,” Camilla chirps. “Ford, make them stop.”
“I kind of want to see where this goes,” he laughs.
As they banter back and forth, Lincoln and I don’t take our eyes off each other. It’s not a two-seconds-away-from-pounding-the-other’s-face kind of thing, but rather a don’t-push-me-because-I-shove-back kind of thing.
“If you ever want to test that, I train at Percy’s downtown. I’d love to do a couple of rounds with ya,” I smirk.
“Percy’s, huh?” Ford asks.
Before I can respond, Lincoln is cutting in. “I might have to take you up on that.”
“Oh, the hell you will,” Ford laughs. “I’m not going to save your ass if you walk head-first into a fight club.”
Lincoln looks at him like a scorned puppy. “For real? You have to take my balls right here?”
“Danielle took your balls a long time ago,” Ford chuckles, clapping him on the shoulder.
“You guys are so embarrassing,” Camilla mumbles.
I look over at her. She’s shaking her head, watching the salt shaker like it’s the most interesting thing in the world. The way her cheeks are a little pink makes me want to reach out and kiss her.
Instead, I reach for her hand beneath the table. Her head turns to mine and a slow, soft smile spreads on her lips as our fingers interlace.
“It’s okay,” I mouth to her as her brothers banter between themselves.
She gives my hand a squeeze, her dainty palm almost encased by mine. Then, in a flash of movement, her shoulders throw back and she lifts her chin.
“Hey,” she projects, her voice clear. “Can you guys hush for just a second?”
My stomach flips as I send her a questioning look. I have no idea what she’s doing but she’s doing something. She drops my hand and sits up in her seat.
“I want to say something,” she says, clearing her throat. “I don’t think this is particularly any of your business, but Dominic has suggested it’s the right thing to do.”
“What’s wrong, Swink?” Ford asks.
“Nothing is wrong. I just have a little announcement that I want to make and then forget—”
Lincoln’s palms smack against the table, the contents shaking at the force. “You’re fucking pregnant!” His jaw drops as he looks at Camilla and then, menacingly, at me. “Percy’s tomorrow,” he growls.
“My Lord, Lincoln,” Camilla laughs. “I’m not pregnant.”
“Thank fuck,” Ford exhales, slumping in his seat. “I was starting to side with Lincoln on this fighting thing.”
“Okay, hold up real quick,” I cut in. “What if she was pregnant? Would that have been the worst thing to happen?”
“Yes,” they say in unison.
“Okay, no,” Ford says, giving Lincoln a look to shut up. “It wouldn’t have been, and I’m sorry if that sounded really disrespectful to you. That’s not how we meant it.”
“That’s how it sounded,” I shoot back.
Ford and Lincoln exchange a look much in the same way Nate and I do, before Ford squares his shoulders to me. “Look, this is really hard for us. Swink is our baby sister, and aside from that one kid with frat boy hair, she’s never really brought a guy around us before. We just want what’s best for her.”
“And don’t you think I know what’s best for me?” she asks. “I appreciate you guys, Ford. I do. Sincerely. But . . .” She looks at me, the vulnerability in her eyes something I can’t resist. It’s not a sign of weakness this time. It’s a need of support, a silent plea to give her a hand.
“I get what you’re saying,” I say, blowing out a breath. “We’re in the same boat. I want what’s best for her too.”
She takes my hand again, but I don’t look her in the eye. I can’t. Truth be told, I don’t know what’s best for her. Not really.
“I can tell you all what’s best for me. Right now it’s Dominic. Maybe it will be Dominic for a long time, I don’t know.” She moves her hair to one shoulder and looks at Ford. “I’ve learned by watching you guys and by going through things myself that you can’t predict what’s going to happen. Look at you and Ellie.”
Ford grins and I wish I knew what they were talking about, but I don’t.
“I’ve let you guys kind of . . . guide me for my whole life,” she says softly. “I love having four big brothers. I always have. You were rock stars to my friends, and I’ve always felt safe knowing I had you in my corner. But now I have Dom too.”
She squeezes my hand as my heart tries not to choke itself out.
“It was also easier letting you call the shots,” she admits. “But I want to start calling them myself.”
“What are you saying?” Lincoln asks.
“I’m just saying I want a little freedom from you guys breathing down my neck. I know you do it so I don’t mess up, but . . . maybe it won’t be so bad if I do.”
This is the Camilla I know. This is the woman that can fuck me up with a smile or put me in my place with more class and etiquette than I could imagine. She’s just that—a woman. Not the little girl they once knew.
It’s Ford that breaks the silence. “We all mess up, Camilla. Look at Lincoln.”
“Fuck you again,” he laughs, and just like that, the tension ebbs from the table. “I get what you’re saying. But you need to accept the fact that we’ll always be hovering nearby. You’re our baby sister.”
My hand falls to Camilla’s thigh. It lands almost at the bend of her hip, and her foot stops tapping. Her eyes dart to me, her lips falling apart. I give her a wink to help quell the anxiety flooding her pretty blue irises.
“I’ll be fine. I need you guys to trust me a little more. Okay?” she asks.
After a few moments, they both nod.
“Good.” Heaving a deep breath, one hand clamping down on mine, she blows it out. “Back to what I was saying earlier. In the spirit of this conversation, I don’t think this is your business. But Dom says I need to tell you.”
They look at me, curious looks painted on their faces. I keep my features blank.
“I loaned Nate ten thousand dollars.”
“You did fucking what?” Lincoln barks.