The Dysfunctional Test (29 page)

He watched her when they said the vows, when Fisher handed over the rings, and right up until Justin and Heather kissed to seal the deal.

He watched her, knowing this was their last night together. Watched her, wondering if things could be different.

They posed for the photographer and stood in the greeting line. By the time they were seated at the head table for dinner, Troy was ready to haul Cam inside and lock their bedroom door. Lock out what should be for what could be.

Justin stood and tapped his crystal water glass. The crowd hushed to listen. “If I were to die today, I would go out as the happiest man. When I first saw Heather, I knew immediately that she was the one for me.” The guests cooed and gushed. “Heather and I want to thank all of you for coming, some of you from very far, to celebrate with us.”

Glasses clinked. Fisher and Anna stood and gave their speech together, leaving Troy wondering if he and Cam should have done the same.

Too late now. Troy rose and took the microphone.

“Heather, can you put your hand down on the table?” She did as asked. “Good. Now, Justin, place your hand over hers.” Justin, still grinning, did as directed. “Take a good, long look. Justin, this is the last time you’ll have the upper hand.” The guests roared with laugher. Troy lifted his champagne flute to toast. “To giving up manhood for love. Worth it, in my opinion.”

When he sat down and Cam rose, he wished he had let her go ahead of him. Cam would probably use her recycled speech from Anna and Fisher’s wedding. Not dull, but not from the heart either. Had he gone last, no one would remember her speech, and she wouldn’t feel like she’d done one more thing wrong in a long line of wrongs.

She took the mic and cleared her throat. “Fairy tales are just words in a book. Stories of love and conquering all to achieve that beloved, seemingly unreachable feeling,” she said.

Troy glanced around at the dropped faces, knowing this wasn’t a carbon-copy speech, and hoping it wasn’t her view of real love either. Damn, they should have done a speech together. This was going to be ugly. As he was about to stand and save her, she continued.

“But as someone recently taught me…” she paused to smile down at him, stealing his breath, “…it’s not whether or not they’re real that matters, but rather if we believe they’re real.” She looked back at the guests, and then to Heather and Justin. “May this day be your once upon a time.”

As everyone cheered and clapped, toasting Camryn’s speech and the couple, Troy stared at the woman he’d known more than half his life, but not at all. And in that moment, he made the decision to fight. He would fight for her, for them. He would not give her up to anyone, whatever the consequences, however it panned out. It didn’t matter that he was a simple construction worker, that his father was a drunk. He’d never touch another drop. He’d give her all the kids she wanted. Do everything in his power to make her happy.

If she wanted him.

Camryn sat down next to him. Before she could scoot her chair in, he gripped the back of her neck and kissed her. Right in front of everyone, letting them know she was his.

Pulling back, he dropped his forehead to hers. “That was beautiful, Cam.”

“Thank you.” She leaned back, allowing the waiters to set their plates down. She lifted her fork to cut the salmon. “You’re rubbing off on me. I’m turning into a gushy female. You know I actually intervened for Katie and John earlier.
Me
.”

She laughed. He swallowed.

“Camryn…”

She looked at him, and he couldn’t find the words to express everything he felt. There weren’t enough words in the English language that could remotely explain this feeling. Like drowning. In her.

A worried look crossed her face. “Are you okay?” He shook his head. She turned in her seat. “Have you eaten today?” He shook his head. “You look pale, Troy. Eat something.”

“Food won’t fix this.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

Staring into her hazel eyes, he tried to blink. Tried to spit out three simple damn words and couldn’t. Now was not the time. Here not the place. He needed her alone. Just him and her.

“Nothing,” he said. “Never mind. Let’s eat before it gets cold.” She looked doubtful, so he took a bite of wild rice to prove he was fine.

By the time cake was served and cleared, dusk had fallen. Lights flickered on in the trees, casting a white glow through the leaves. Justin led Heather to the open space in the center of the arranged tables and onto the platform. The DJ cued their song for the first dance.

Camryn dropped her chin in her palm and watched, looking like a starry-eyed little girl imagining her big day. She was different. Everything about her was different. She was still Cam—quiet and too smart for her own good. But she didn’t have all the weight on her, all the reservations which tied her down.

Perhaps he’d done that. Perhaps this whole charade was leading them here, where they were meant to be.

Emily bounded over and climbed in Cam’s lap. “The lights do look pretty,” she whispered to Cam. “Is everyone going to fall in love now? ’Cause of the romantic.”

“Romance, you mean?” Camryn grinned at her niece, and Troy’s pulse beat hard. He hadn’t seen her smile like that ever. Before now, there was always a pause before she smiled, as if needing to tell herself to do the act.

“Maybe,” she answered Emily. “If they’re lucky enough to fall in love.”

Holy shit. He did it. He had her believing in magic and love and ever afters. Had her grinning carefree, and laughing out loud. Making a fool of herself, doing something spontaneous, getting angry…all of it had worked. Watching her now, he knew. She believed.

But did she want him in return?

Fisher came by and swooped Emily off Cam’s lap. “The next dance goes to you, Em.”

A small crowd of guests had filled the dance floor. Fisher made his way there with Emily. Once he was out of earshot, Troy looked at Camryn. “If I ask you to dance with me, will you let me lead?”

She laughed. “That depends. Can you dance?”

“No, but I can fake it.”

He took her hand and walked to the edge of the floor. He tugged her against his chest and danced. She let him lead. Closing his eyes, he smiled into her hair.

Lemongrass.

“Would you look at that?” she said.

With great regret, he pulled away. His gaze followed hers over to Katie and John, dancing and smiling. “Looks like you did it after all, Cam. And you said you didn’t believe.”

Her cheek brushed his when she turned back toward him. She felt too right, too real in his arms. He only had one task on the list left. One more night with her. After that, after tomorrow, he was supposed to let her go.

But his heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

“Camryn, tell me something. Did these other men you were with before me make your heart pound? Your stomach flutter? Your laugh giddy?”

She stopped and leaned back to look at him. A thousand emotions dissolved together until he couldn’t even breathe waiting for her answer.

“No,” she said, looking away, setting them in motion again.

“Do I?”

Again, she froze, this time not looking at him. Her fingers tightened in his. Her breath fanned his neck. “Did the women before me do that for you?”

Crazy thing, he almost said there were no women before her. “No.”

“Do I?” She was using his tactic against him. Clever girl.

“Answer my question, Cam.”

John tapped her shoulder. She whirled.

“Let me borrow Camryn for a moment,” John said. “I just need a quick word. I’ll give her right back.”

Troy looked at her, her eyes cast down, shoulders tight. He’d waited this long for her, he could hold out a few more minutes. Troy nodded.

“I’ll wait for you by the table. We’ll finish this conversation.”

Chapter Nineteen

Life Lessons According to Camryn:

Sometimes the beholders of beauty need glasses.

Camryn watched Troy walk away and breathed for the first time in what felt like minutes. John took her hand and began to dance. Her head spinning with Troy’s question, she nearly jumped when John started talking.

“I took your advice.”

She forced herself to concentrate and smiled at him. “By the looks of it, things turned out okay.”

“They did.” He paused, staring at her. “I never thought of Katie as anything more than a friend. When I woke up this morning and saw her, something inside me shifted. Strange, you know? She was right in front of me.”

“I understand.” Too well, she understood. At least it would turn out well for John and Katie.

“I’m glad I came to the wedding, got to know you a little better. You’re not who I expected you to be.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Who were you expecting?”

His shoulder lifted and dropped. “Honestly, I always thought of you as aloof. An untouchable woman. Guess I was wrong. You seem happy.”

She nodded, the truth cutting her in half. “I hope you two are happy also.”

The DJ played an up-tempo song when the other ended, one of Heather’s favorites from a hair band Camryn hated. “That’s my cue to sit down.”

He held her a second more. “Thank you, Camryn.”

“You’re very welcome.”

An arm grabbed her from behind, dragging her deeper onto the dance floor. When she turned, Heather was grinning.

“Dance,” her sister ordered.

Camryn crossed her arms. “I’m sitting this one out, Heather.”

Katie wrapped an arm around Camryn and Heather, tugging them together. Before Camryn knew it, she was jumping and dancing through two sets. Though it couldn’t have resembled dancing, she had fun.

Justin’s friend, Jessie, caught the bouquet, and Cade caught the garter. Camryn frowned. Now there was a pair. Several of the guests started heading back home or to the hotel after that.

“My feet are killing me,” she said to Katie. “I’m going to sit for a minute.”

But her father had other plans. The music shifted to a slow song and he took her hand before she could even get to the grass.

“You look very nice tonight.”

“Thanks, Dad. So do you.”

He smiled down at her. “Two of my three kids are married off. When’s it going to be your turn?”

Camryn laughed. Her dad’s eyebrows rose.

Backpedaling, she shook her head. “Um, when I’m ready?”

“You’ve been dating Troy for more than a year.”

It never dawned on her until now just how heartbroken her parents might be with the breakup. Troy was like one of their own. Seeing Troy and Camryn together probably made them happy. After the shock wore off anyway.

“Dad, don’t be upset if this doesn’t work out, okay?”

“What do you mean by that?” His gaze was worrisome, not fierce, which had Camryn’s stomach flopping.

“Nothing. Well…”

“Is there something I don’t know?”

Yeah, everything.

Fisher tapped her shoulder at the song change, taking her father’s place. Her dad stood back and watched, the disappointment evident in the turn of his mouth. She knew this was coming. Troy and she were breaking up tomorrow once they got back to Milwaukee. But seeing that look on her dad’s face made her wish for a better outcome. Made her wish she could conform to their ideal version of a daughter.

Her dad turned and walked away.

“What did you do to upset Dad?”

Camryn looked at Fisher and shrugged. “He wants another wedding.”

“And?” She didn’t answer. “You don’t want to marry Troy?”

Oh man, she kind of did. Scratch that, really did. “I’m trying to be realistic.”

“I don’t get it.”

She didn’t either. For the remainder of the song, Camryn danced with her brother, avoiding eye contact and hoping he wouldn’t talk anymore. When the music ended and another fast one began, Camryn took off toward the bar before anyone else could stop her.

She ordered a white wine and turned her back to the guests. Smiling at the bartender, she took the glass he offered and sipped.

“I’ve been waiting at the table half the night, Cam.”

After briefly closing her eyes, she opened them and turned. “Sorry, Troy. I got caught up.”

He’d taken off his jacket and tie. The first two buttons of his shirt were undone. She wanted to undo the rest. Spread the shirt open…

He took her glass and set it on the bar. Gripping her elbow, he steered her away from the noise and around the corner of the house.

“Explain to me how this breakup is supposed to go. Are you going to dump me in front of the whole family at the gift opening? On the plane? Perhaps you’ll be kind and wait until we get home. Let’s just get it over with. We can have a huge fight right now. I’ll take the DJ’s microphone and stop the music.”

His nostrils flared, his mouth firmed. Her mouth dropped open, wondering where this sudden burst of temper came from. Her gaze roamed over his face, settling on his eyes. Though narrowed to slits, there wasn’t anger behind his eyes, or behind this outburst.