Josh
He knew the drill. Brit had written the playbook.
“Yes, that’s good.” The photographer moved in. “Keep staring into each other’s eyes. Great… feel the love.”
Britney beamed up at him; he beamed back.
Was she feeling the love? Was he?
It felt like they were performing. Like they had dragged out last year’s script, dressed it up in new clothes, flashier bling. It was what people expected. No, this didn’t feel like love. It felt… like what he was supposed to do.
He looked up when Baloo barked out a laugh about something on his phone, stemming it when his mom shot him a sharp look.
“Phone down, Bronson,” she reprimanded him. “We’re here for your sister’s big night.”
“It’s kind of also my night,” he muttered, putting his phone away. Maybe he was back on track with his mystery man. Or had found a new one.
Britney signaled to the photographer that they were done now. “Mom, stop it. Leave Baloo alone.”
Senator Garner, who was famous for refusing to drop an issue if she hadn’t got the result she’d wanted, put her hands up. “Okay. Okay.”
Baloo was trying to slink away when the photographer caught his arm. “How about a family photo? If I could get you twins to stand on either side of the senator here…”
Josh headed for the door.
“Babe? Where are you going?” Britney called.
“It’s a family photo.”
“Don’t be silly.” Senator Garner beckoned him back over. “You’re family.”
“True dat!” Baloo smiled, launching into a multistage dap he’d taught Josh a couple of summers back.
Josh felt uncomfortable as he posed with them. He’d often wished he belonged to a different family. One that actually loved each other. But the Garners were nearly as dysfunctional as the Regises.
“So fun,” the photographer said, snapping away. “Now, if we could have the Queen and her mother on their own.”
“Glad that’s over,” Baloo said, as he and Josh made a dash for it. He checked his phone on their way out front and grinned at it.
An enormous limo pulled up as they reached the entrance.
Perry practically flew out of it. “Hey, hey! The royal court has arrived!” Ryder and Amber got out behind him. Then the rest of the crew: Noah, Quaid, and Crabcatcher. Everybody admired everybody else’s outfits. As Perry adjusted Quaid’s tie knot, a really cool vintage car rolled up.
“Sick,” said Crabby approvingly.
It was proper old-school Hollywood. Tinted windows. Slick tires. The works.
The driver’s door opened and the boys went mad when Cam stepped out.
Next-level Cam. He looked as Hollywood as the car he’d rocked up in.
“I did that!” Perry shouted, pointing at Cam. “That was all me! I’m a genius!”
Cam looked shy rather than embarrassed, not used to being the center of attention.
“Who’s the lucky date?” Baloo asked.
Cam grinned, excited to show her off. He opened the passenger door and held out his hand.
When Teagan stepped out, Josh’s jaw dropped.
Everyone else’s, too, judging by the shocked silence.
Coxie didn’t just scrub up well. She looked off-the-charts amazing.
The red dress, the hair, the shoes, all of it.
But there was something else he couldn’t put his finger on.
The second her eyes met Cam’s, a lightbulb went on.
She was into him. Happy. Glowing, actually. Both of them were floating inside the same happy bubble he’d wafted around in when he and Brit had first got together. Like someone had changed the normal filter of his life to a magic one that made everything better.
“Ladies and gentlemen?”
Josh turned and groaned. Great. More photos.
“If the royal court would like to join me inside…”
Brit came out as everyone else filed in.
“You all right, babe?” He saw a flicker of worry in her eyes. Like he might not have been as successful at shaking off whatever the hell was going on with him as he’d thought.
He held out his arm for her. “Now that my queen is here? Couldn’t be better.”