Chapter Thirty
Sue
The waiter nodded and disappeared toward the wine cellar. Meanwhile, my father leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, watching Cam the way a sommelier assessed a questionable bottle of wine, deciding if it was worth uncorking or throwing down the drain.
To his credit, Cam radiated calm. I was stuck between envy and admiration. My heart was beating harder than a hamster’s, and the evening was just starting.
“So, Cameron.” My father sipped the remainder of his pre-dinner wine. “Tell me, what is your preferred varietal?”
I gave a mental groan. Of course. My father didn’t ask about Cam’s work. Not even about his intentions toward me. My father—a man whose lifeblood was fermented grapes—wanted to test Cam on his palate.
Cam picked up his own glass. “That’s a tough one. It depends on the mood, the meal. But if I had to choose, I’d say a good Nebbiolo never fails.”
My dad’s eyebrows lifted. Paul stopped mid-sip. Even my mother gave an impressed little nod.
Dad leaned forward. “A Nebbiolo.” He tapped a finger against the stem of his glass. “Bold. Tannic. Demands patience.”
Cam nodded. “Exactly. It takes time to reach its full potential, but when it does, it’s worth every second.”
Oh, my. I swallowed the itch that inched its way from my throat to my stomach. That was not a half-assed answer. That was a correct answer, and judging by the tiny flicker of approval in my dad’s expression, I knew Cam had just won his first battle.
Dad took a sip of his wine, studying him. “Interesting choice.”
“I like a wine with layers.” Cam stole a glance at me. “Something that evolves and keeps you on your toes.”
I turned to stare at him. Was he talking about wine… or me?
Becky, who had been oddly quiet, leaned over to Michelle and muttered, “I think we’re witnessing some weird mating ritual.”
Michelle took a sip of her water. “I feel the same.”
My father, who had yet to show any emotion, finally let out a deep chuckle, setting his glass down with a thoughtful nod. “You know your wines, Cameron.”
Cam’s smile broadened a fraction. “I try. But I have a feeling I could learn a lot more from you, sir.”
Dad leaned back in his chair, clearly pleased but not about to admit it. “We’ll see.”
For a moment, it seemed like the worst was over. Cam had passed the first test. My father wasn’t sharpening a corkscrew into a weapon, and my mother hadn’t yet commented on my lack of posture. So far, so good.
My mother turned to Helen with a dazzling smile. “Helen, you must be so proud of your son.”
Helen returned the smile, dripping more warmth in hers. “I am. Cam has always been hardworking, and when he sets his mind to something, there’s no stopping him.”
My mother nodded, her eyes twinkling with the same calculated sharpness I’d spent a lifetime trying to survive. “That’s wonderful to hear. Of course, I imagine this engagement came as a bit of a surprise to you, too.”
“Surprising, perhaps, but not unbelievable,” Helen said. “My son has always had excellent taste.”
She gave me a smile that warmed my entire soul. I smiled back, grateful for this unexpected ally.
My father’s gaze landed on Cam’s wrist. “Is that a Speedmaster?”
Cam glanced down, then angled his wrist. “’57 reissue. Omega released it a couple of years ago.”
My father’s eyebrows lifted. “The Broad Arrow?”
Cam nodded, the hint of a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Yes. Manual wind, caliber 1861, sapphire back.”
That was it. I could almost hear the gears shifting in my father’s head as he leaned in with new interest.
“I have the original Moonwatch,” Dad said. “Fabricated in ’69. My pride and joy.”
Cam gave a low whistle. “No way. With the Hesalite crystal?”
My dad’s expression softened into something dangerously close to fond. “Of course. Acrylic scratches, but it also tells a story.”
Beside me, Paul groaned. “Great. You’ve activated the horology club.”
I was too stunned to speak. Cam and my father had just crossed into sacred ground—watch nerd territory. A place where time wasn’t measured in minutes, but in mechanisms, heritage, and the weight of legacy.
Cam smiled. “I inherited my first mechanical watch from my grandfather. A battered Seiko, nothing fancy, but it’s what got me hooked.”
My father nodded slowly. “It always starts with one. After that, it’s an obsession.”
“You can talk watches later,” my mom intervened, her smile graceful but firm. “Now let’s address the more interesting topics. Susanne, you didn’t mention your relationship was so serious. When I saw the pictures in the newspaper, I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
Cam and I exchanged glances.
“Well,” I said. “I thought you would be happy about it.”
“I am,” Mom said, her expression neutral. “It was completely unexpected though.”
Helen decided to step in again. “Love can be unexpected,” she said, gracefully gesturing with her wine glass. “In my career, I’ve learned the best things are often a surprise.”
My mother tilted her head, her expression gentle but calculating. “That’s true. What do you do, Helen?”
“I’m a psychologist.”
A silence fell over the table.
My brother’s eyes flicked to me and he smirked. “Sue, you are so screwed.”
“Paul,” Michelle hissed, nudging him.
She had Italian blood herself, which made her an excellent match for my brother’s fiery temper. I was still surprised they’d stopped fighting long enough to conceive a baby, which had brought an odd serenity in their relationship.
“Just saying.” Paul coughed. “I can’t think of a more intimidating job for a mother in law.”
“Paid assassin maybe.” Becky gave me a mischievous wink.
Helen smiled at Paul, the kind of sweet, knowing smile that made a person want to bolt for the exit. “Oh, don’t worry, dear. I don’t analyze people unless they’re paying me.”
Everyone laughed.
Cam kissed my temple and murmured, “Relax, baby. You’re doing great.”
Baby. How could that one word from his lips calm me down?
He’d never called me that. Maybe just for a moment, I could pretend that it was true, that this wasn’t a huge farce and that we were here indeed to celebrate something real, something meaningful.
I still wasn’t sure how my life had reached this point.
All I could do was pray we could get through tonight.
The waiter appeared, ready to take our dinner orders.
My father, naturally, asked a million questions about the wine pairings before he was satisfied.
Cam ordered for me, which earned him an approving nod from my mother.
God forbid I would get to run my own life without a man to make my decisions for me.
Paul and Becky got into an unnecessary debate over steak doneness. Michelle, bless her, quietly requested extra bread, whispering that she’d been craving carbs all day. Pregnancy did wonderful things for her already gorgeous complexion.
After the waiter left, my mother returned to the grilling. “Susanne, how did you two meet? You mentioned it was at school?”
I drained my wineglass. We had rehearsed this part, but that didn’t make me less nervous.
“Well, that’s when we were formally introduced,” I said. “But unofficially, we’d met the evening before.”
Cam came to my rescue. “Ah, now that’s a story.” His lips twitched. “Should I tell it, or do you want to, sweetheart?”
“Oh, please.” Becky grinned. “It has to be good.”
I sighed, bracing myself. “Fine, Cam can tell it. But let’s be clear, this is his version of the story.”
Cam cleared his throat, his words brightened by a wide smile. “I was fresh off a flight, looking for my best friend Sebastian’s apartment, and what do I find when I knock next door for the key? The most terrifying sight I have ever seen in my entire life.”
I pressed my lips together, glad that he hadn’t mentioned the date of said encounter. Had it only been a couple of weeks? Un-frigging-believable!
Becky’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, do tell.”
Cam leaned forward, eyes gleaming, gesticulating for effect. “Picture a woman, her face covered in some sort of pink sludge, hair tied back in a sweatband, wearing a robe that I swear was last seen in a 1970s horror film.”
My mother pursed her lips in disapproval.
Paul barked out a laugh. “Yeah, that sounds like Sue.”
Cam’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. “And she’s holding a giant glass of wine, staring at me as though she’s deciding if she should drink it or throw it in my face.”
Michelle laughed, holding her belly. “You guys are adorable.”
I threw my napkin at Cam. “You’re the worst.”
He caught it, completely at ease. “I thought I had walked into a haunted house. I almost ran.”
My mother shook her head, untouched by the hilarity. “Really, Susanne, I hope you’ve changed those habits and threw away that old robe. You can’t expect to hold onto a man like Cameron with that attitude.”
Everyone fell silent for a few moments. Humiliation burned my cheeks. My mother hadn’t changed a single bit. I had been worried about Cam’s mom and sister, about my dad’s reaction to meeting Cam, when I should have known the most dangerous thing tonight was my mother’s sharp tongue.
Becky saved me—sweet woman that she was.
“Holding a man down isn’t really what we do these days, unless it’s with handcuffs and for fun,” she said, grinning.
The men laughed, and I shot Becky a grateful smile. If anything good came of tonight, I hoped it would be a friendship with her. I liked her immensely.
My mother’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t comment further. She’d always known how to pick her battles, and Becky was a strong adversary. Maybe she could give me lessons.
“Why didn’t you run?” my father asked Cam.
Cam glanced at me, his amusement softening into something warmer. “Because the second I saw her eyes, I knew I was in deep trouble.”
My stomach did a wild flip.
Paul raised an eyebrow. “So, you saw her covered in… whatever the hell that was, and you still asked her out?”
“Absolutely,” Cam said smoothly.