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“I’m glad you decided to come back. Mama said you kidnapped Freya and Auntie Cecily. Daddy always says you should do the right thing and turn yourself in when you do something you know is bad.”
“You know what?” Milo gets down in a squatting position and looks Katie right in the eye. “You’re right. I should always do the right thing and confess when I’ve done something wrong.”
Milo stands up straight, turns to me, and says, “Cecily. I owe you an apology. I came here to tell you I’m sorry if I let you leave the other night without telling you how I really feel.”
“Don’t think you could have stopped me but go on.”
“I should have been straight with you right away instead of seeing where things go. What I should have said, and I’m saying right now at great risk of emotional injury, is that I’m crazy about you. I love you. There’s no one else, and there won’t ever be anyone else.”
If my life were a cheesy movie, this is the part where I turn around to see my family watching from the kitchen doorway and demanding that I accept the gentleman’s offer of marriage. But when I look around, it’s only Katie and Cherise, and some toddlers wandering around.
I instantly feel bad. Cherise isn’t happy, and here I am getting a declaration of commitment from fricking Milo St. Germaine. That, right after telling her I have concerns about her dating situation.
As if reading my mind, Cherise points at me. “Don’t you dare. Don’t deny yourself this amazing romantic moment just because you feel sorry for me. And while we’re at it, don’t feel sorry for me at all. It’s awkward. That man gave me a huge opportunity and I’m happy things are going my way. Go and live your life.”
I bite my lip to keep from crying. I hate that she feels my pity. I don’t want our relationship to be like that. And I don’t want to flat out hate Augie because what if they get married someday, and he has to be my brother-in-law? Then everything will be awkward. So far, I’ve loved all my brothers-in-law, even Phillip, when he mutters about all of us people who can’t understand the metric system and who drive on the wrong side of the road. There’s still plenty to love. I’m lucky, and there’s bound to be one dud-in-law in the family eventually.
And best-case scenario, they break up, and I won’t have to coax her into it. After all, it’s none of my business.
“I love you, sis.” We hug, and over her shoulder, I see Milo watching the whole thing, leaning against the kitchen counter. He appears to have sat little Katie onto the counter to sip cider with him to watch the scene unfold.
When we’re finished hugging, Cherise squeezes my shoulder. “Get on out of here now. You two need some privacy, and it’s not going to happen here. The cabin might have six bedrooms, but there’s a reason why every room has a white noise machine.”
“What reason is that, Auntie Ceese?” Katie queries, using her more pronounceable version of Cherise’s name.
Cherise scoops Katie up and says, “Come on, we’re all going to watch The Grinch and then go to bed.”
When they’re gone, Milo crosses his arms and watches me for my response. “I didn’t come here to make you leave. I just wanted to say that, and to see you. I got the gift of spending the whole afternoon with you, which is more than I expected. Thank you.”
I sidle up to him and rest my hand on his arm. “It’s not a party until the cops show up,” I say.
He laughs. “True.”
“Just remember. We together kidnapped the baby. You were under my thrall.”
“I’m never going to live this down.”
“You’ve been officially baptized as a boyfriend of a Williams girl.”
Chapter Seventeen
Milo
“Where did those come from?”
Cecily smiles shyly as she bites into a chocolate-covered strawberry from the mini cooler in her lap. Her family loaded us up with all kinds of Christmas goodies before we made our escape from the remote cabin. I would have rather slipped out without any fanfare, but I’m quickly learning that family goodbyes can take up to an hour. I’m currently driving us out of the Blue Ridge mountains and back to Charlotte, and the drive is a slow descent in the dark. I have to watch carefully for ice patches on the winding roads.
“Your new pastry chef insisted that I take these with us.”
I know she remembers how our date ended at the restaurant.
“You want one?” Cecily reaches over and lifts one up close to my lips.
I grip the wheel, wondering if there’s a quicker way down this mountain other than tumbling down into the gorge.
“Why do you look upset?”
