The Paid Bridesmaid(18)

A lock of my hair sprang forward, escaping the clip keeping my knot in place, like it was trying to disagree with the rest of my body’s decision to blow off Camden.

And he took it as an invitation. He reached out with his long fingers and softly brushed the hair behind my ear, lingering. The sensation sent heated tingles coursing through my veins and I drew in a sharp breath.

He smiled at me seductively and it irritated me that he knew exactly the effect he was having on me.

“I know what you’re trying to do,” I told him.

Camden lowered his hand and I found myself aching to have him touch me again.

“Well, I’m not being subtle,” he said.

At that I backed myself against the sofa, like a cornered animal. I couldn’t let him touch me. He set me on fire with just a glance or that smile of his, and when his skin connected with mine? It threatened to overwhelm me.

Camden retreated to his corner, further proving his ability to properly read my signals. Which was good that somebody knew what was going on, because everything happening inside me was completely confusing.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll grow on you. Like mildew.”

That broke the tension and made me smile, and I could see from his expression that it had been his intent.

The comfortable silence that settled between us was interrupted by a new couple arriving at the party.

“Hey,” Camden said, “that’s Sadie’s stepdad and his fiancée.”

Geoff looked like he was in his fifties but was the kind of man who hadn’t heard that frosted tips didn’t look good on anybody and did not, in fact, make him look younger.

And the woman with him? “That’s her? That’s Maybelle?” I asked in shock. She looked like she was sixteen. “She’s a fetus.”

“She is younger than Sadie,” he offered and I nearly gasped again. She was obviously legal, but they looked like a dad and his daughter out for a day of fun. Sadie had never shown me a picture and I was kind of regretting that now. Mostly because Camden seemed to be enjoying my reaction far too much.

“I just . . . There’s nothing I can . . . wow,” I said. “She’s so young.”

He nodded. “Geoff couldn’t date much younger without having to notify the proper authorities. Maybe she has something other women don’t.”

“A curfew?” I asked, and that made Camden laugh.

And oh, that sound. It was glorious. I grinned in response.

“I’m sure what he lacks in youth and appearance she more than makes up for by not having a personality,” he teased and now it was my turn to giggle.

His eyes lit up, like he enjoyed making me laugh just as much as I had.

As if on cue, Sadie arrived with her mother in tow. Now that I knew how important it was to Sadie to have her mom show up, I’d offered to walk Brandy down to the party. Sadie had insisted on doing it herself. Maybe she was trying to show her mom some support, knowing that Geoff and Maybelle were here.

I noted that Brandy looked bright eyed and rested, which made me feel relieved. Now it was my job to keep her that way. Geoff and Maybelle moved to the opposite end of the party and I hoped they were smart enough to keep doing that for the rest of the events.

Sadie and her mother came over to us.

“Our maid of honor and best man together! So cute!” Sadie exclaimed and I brushed it off. Whatever she hoped for was not going to happen. “Mom, have you met Rachel yet?”

I was about to say that we’d already met when Brandy interjected, “I haven’t. Pleasure to meet you.” I didn’t know if it was intentional, or if she’d just been so drunk she didn’t remember.

“You too,” I said.

Then Brandy asked, “Rachel, was it? You’re the friend Sadie’s never mentioned before.”

Camden straightened up next to me and my heart froze. Brandy could easily upset everything. She knew that Sadie had never gone to summer camp.

I was at a loss here. Mothers of the bride weren’t usually this hostile. I mean, sometimes they were but never toward me, because I devoted my time to keeping their daughters happy.

When I didn’t answer, Brandy pressed on. “Are you enjoying your free vacation?”

Her words were angry, menacing. And a bit hypocritical. As if she herself were not enjoying the same free vacation while simultaneously drinking all of the alcohol contained in the state of Hawaii.

But it was not my place to say anything critical. “I’m having a wonderful time, thank you.”

She compressed her lips into a flat line, as if she’d been itching for a fight and I’d just denied her.

“Rachel is sacrificing to be here with me,” Sadie said and it was easy to see that she wasn’t very good at lying.

“How is she doing that?” Camden asked and I wanted to tell him to be quiet and mind his own business, but right now Brandy and Sadie were pouring all of our business into his lap.

Sadie floundered for a second and I was no help. I had no idea what to say. The cameras were pointed at us and I ducked my head down slightly, willing them to not zero in on my face. Hopefully they remembered that Sadie was the main attraction here.

While I was worrying over how this might show up on video, Sadie’s eyes flashed brightly, like the proverbial light bulb had gone off over her head. “Because it’s her birthday tomorrow. And she came out here to be my maid of honor.”