Gatlinburg Getaway (Destination: Desire) (18 page)

Dalton settled into the chair next to his uncle and Camille slipped in beside him. It was interesting seeing him with his family. The twins had their mother’s peaches-and-cream skin, but they had the same dark-chocolate eyes, high cheekbones, and square jawline as Landry and Dalton.

Camille glanced at Warrick. “How long have you been friends?”

“First day of kindergarten.” He waved at Dalton. “Wakefield was the best at T-ball and I wanted him on my team.”

Opal smiled. “My boy went to college on a partial baseball scholarship.”

That she called him
her boy
said a lot about their relationship, and good things at that. Camille turned to Dalton. “Baseball scholarship? Really?”

He shrugged. “You know I’m on a rec league team now, and I get down to the batting cage sometimes to burn off steam, but I was nowhere near going pro.”

The waitress brought them both water and handed them some menus. “If you two choose quick I can get your food out at about the same time as everyone else’s.”

“Thanks, Ellen.” Dalton didn’t even look at his options. “I’ll have the chicken-fried steak and a baked potato with all the fixings.”

“Me too.” Since lunch had been more rubbery conference chicken, Camille hadn’t eaten much. It wasn’t good and it was boring, which didn’t do much to inspire her appetite. “And a Diet Pepsi, if you have them.”

“Yep.” Ellen jotted the orders down on her notepad and collected their menus. “Coffee for you, Dalton?”

He nodded. “You know it.”

“Got it.” With that, she was off, leaving the table engulfed in a pool of silence.

“So.” Leigh took a sip of her tea. “Are y’all banging yet?”

Dalton pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jesus.”

Oh, please.
As if that was even a racy question. Not amongst the Kirby girls, anyway. Camille’s oldest sister Anne had zero filters and gave no fucks, so questions like that were par for the course any time the girls got together. “We are. Is that a problem?”

Clearly expecting a more offended reaction, Leigh blinked. “Well, no.”

“Okay, then.” Fighting fire with fire, Camille asked, “So, how’s your love life?”

Leigh pulled a face. “Since I’m the only singleton here?”

“Yep.”

She sighed. “Haven’t been on a date with anyone new in over a year.” She quickly added, “None of the guys in town are worth my time.”

“That’s a damn shame.” And it really was. Considering Camille’s sex life had looked even bleaker until a few days before, she could definitely commiserate.

Grinning, Leigh turned to Dalton. “I like her. Unlike that uptight bitch you married.”

Ignoring the comment about his ex, he nodded and laid an arm across the back of Camille’s chair. “Thanks. I like her too.”

Opal’s eyes narrowed as she took in her nephew’s actions. “How long are you in town, Camille?”

There was a pointed question, and Camille tried not to squirm under the older woman’s gaze. It wasn’t as if she was leading Dalton on. They’d both known from the beginning this was short-term. “Just until the end of the week. I’m attending a professional conference here.”

“Oh? What’s your profession?” Landry asked.

“I’m an engineer.”

“Not just an engineer. She owns her own software engineering company.” There was a tinge of pride in Dalton’s voice that made her flush, and she quickly crushed any tender emotions that wanted to take root in her heart.

Shrugging, she demurred, “With two partners—it’s not a one-woman show, thank God.”

“A three-woman show?” Savannah asked.

That was a more complicated question than it seemed at first. “No. Joel is definitely male. Feng hasn’t really decided how to define himself. In the end, he might go for
she
or
they
as a preferred pronoun but, for the moment, he identifies as a gay male cross-dresser. Though I have a feeling he’s not done with his metamorphosis.”

“They for an individual person?” Landry cocked his head to the side.

Shrugging, Camille asked, “Well, if you’re neither he nor she, but both at the same time, what’s your other option? It? I’d pick they in Feng’s place too.”

Leigh raised a challenging brow. “And you don’t have any problems with his non-conformation to gender norms?”

Whoa. Someone’s hot buttons had been stomped on.

“Nope.” Camille crossed her legs and faced the woman head on. “Feng’s sexual orientation and gender identity are none of my concern unless he chooses to discuss them with me. We’re friends as well as business partners, so his private life does come up, but I don’t pry.”

Casting his daughter a glance from the corner of his eye, Landry asked pointedly, “The important question should be: is he/she/they a good friend, engineer, and business partner?”

“Agreed,” Dalton said, frowning at his cousin.

Camille focused on Landry’s question, and she didn’t have to feign her sincerity. “Feng is fantastic, very creative, and an amazing partner. Joel’s rock solid too. They’re both good friends to me, and have been for many years. I’m incredibly lucky to have them. We’ve been a very successful team.”

Leigh settled back in her seat, her brow furrowed, but she let the topic go. Considering the attention the woman had given to Camille’s chest, she had a feeling Leigh’s defensive edge had little to do with Feng and everything to do with her not having dealt with her own orientation issues. Camille would guess that the lack of interest in any men in town had more to do with Leigh’s preferences than with the men. But Leigh’s sexuality was no more Camille’s business than Feng’s was.

“So.” Opal grinned and steered the conversation into far different waters. “I happen to have some naked baby pictures of Dalton in my wallet. Want to see them?”

He groaned. “You carry them around for occasions just like this?”

His aunt brushed nonexistent lint from her sleeve. “It’s good to be prepared for anything.”

“She means it.” Landry leaned forward with a smile. “In that duffle bag she calls a purse, she’s got enough supplies to get us through a zombie apocalypse, a nuclear winter, and the odd red wine stain.”

The red wine comment just made her think of Dalton and what they’d done the other night over a bottle of Syrah. She stomped that memory down as fast as humanly possible and grinned back at his uncle. “Do you also have a bomb shelter in your backyard? For when the apocalypse comes?”

“Don’t encourage her!” Savannah moaned. “She’d build one. Y’all know she would.”

Warrick just laughed. “You guys are my kinda crazy, and that’s all I’m going to contribute to this conversation.”

“Sometimes silence is the best choice.” Dalton nodded sagely. “Keeps you out of trouble.”

“I trained you well, young man.” Landry reached over to ruffle his nephew’s hair.

Snorting, Opal shook her head. “You mock me now, but whose door are you going to come knocking on when the zombies show up?”

“Yours, Mama. No question.” Leigh tried for an expression of guileless adoration. And failed, because her smirk kept breaking free. “Zombies or wine spills. I’m hiding at your place.”

“Me too,” Savannah said solemnly.

“Oh, hush.” Opal swatted at both her daughters, who ducked away.

A chuckle went around the table, and Camille relaxed. It was nice to be with a family who so clearly enjoyed each other’s company. She had that with her sisters, but throw the drama llama mama into the mix and enjoyment wasn’t really on the agenda.

The waitress showed up with their food, and the group dug in. After conference chicken, anything would be flavorful, but Camille almost moaned at the crunchy coating and the juicy steak. It was delicious.

Pursing her lips, Savannah set down her burger and wagged a finger at her twin. “Okay, wait. Dalton and his new girl interrupted our conversation. Let’s not get sidetracked. Leigh’s taking another mysterious vacation this weekend.”

“Nothing mysterious about it.” But a blush raced up her cheeks. “I’m going to Atlanta to hang out with some friends from college. We’re meeting up for a concert.”

“Oh?” Landry seemed skeptical. “Why isn’t Savannah going? You went to the same colleges and majored in the same subjects.”

“Because I’m taking her to Nashville for the weekend.” Warrick shrugged and popped a French fry into his mouth.

Glee shining in her gaze, Savannah rubbed her hands together. “Shopping. All the shopping.”

He tugged on a lock of her hair. “The merchandise genuflects when you walk by.”

“As is proper and right.” She pressed a palm to her heart. “It knows if it pleases me, I will take it home with me.”

“Oh. The dirty jokes that come to mind,” Leigh deadpanned. “So, Warrick, did you please—”

Dalton broke in. “And that’s where that question ends because I really don’t want to know.”

“Prude,” Savannah and Leigh retorted simultaneously, then giggled.

“It’s that weird twin thing.” Warrick shook his head.

“Well, I’ve been saying they’re freaks of nature since they were born.” Dalton cast a pitying glance at his cousins, who looked back with the same expression.

“It’s sad when they just don’t get it.” Savannah tsked.

Leigh hummed in agreement. “Singletons, indeed. Bless their hearts.”

“Oh, Jesus,” Camille muttered.

“What’s that?” asked Opal.

Camille shook her head. “I had someone explain the variety of Southern meanings for that phrase. I’ve just never heard it used by a real Southern belle. It’s different.”

Rather than think she was insane, Opal just nodded as if that was the most logical thing in the world. “It’s all about the tone, dear. You have to learn it at your mother’s knee.”

“I believe you.” She leaned over to whisper in Dalton’s ear. “Southern belles are scary.”

“I told you,” he murmured. “Don’t forget to say please, thank you, and ma’am.”

She didn’t quite manage to smother a chortle. “Should I make you say that later?”

Under the table, he ran his finger along the edge of her shorts. “Yes, ma’am. Please do. Thank you.”

And that was when she lost it and started cracking up. She didn’t even care if his family knew they were saying dirty stuff. Totally worth getting busted.

But the weirdest thought occurred to her just then. She’d never managed to muster the guts to introduce a man to her family. With her semi-psychotic mother and unfiltered, prying sisters, she’d never thought any guy would be able to handle the trial by fire that was the Kirbys. After meeting the Wakefields, she had a feeling Dalton would do just fine.

Didn’t it figure? The one man she’d met who could handle her family’s crazy was the one man she had to leave behind.

* * * * *

The next few days flew by for Dalton. He put in his hours at work, but his evenings were all about Camille. They spent every possible second together. Sometimes he picked her up, sometimes she drove her rental car and they met somewhere. They went mini golfing, which she took as a challenge to her geometry skills. She was nothing if not competitive, and he’d teased her mercilessly about it. Fortunately, she also knew how to laugh at herself.

One afternoon, they’d gone swimming at her hotel pool and then spent the evening hanging out at his house. He’d made her pho, and they’d lazed around for a few hours in the rocking chairs on his porch. They’d managed to discuss everything under the sun this week. Families, jobs, religion, politics, plans for the future. They agreed more often than not. Her relationship with her mom made it easier to talk about his dysfunctional history with his dad. Her deep loyalty to her sisters echoed his to his aunt, uncle, and cousins.

They were both hardworking, and had focused on their careers, occasionally to the detriment of their love lives. He told her about feeling crowded in their optometry office, but not knowing where to go. She asked his opinion about some of the candidates she thought her business partners should meet. Somehow, he thought being included in her business decisions was a more personal form of sharing than some of the illicit things she’d told him. Of course, she’d also mentioned her business partners had encouraged her to share her jetted tub with a sexy stranger. He’d have to send them a thank you note for that suggestion. Hot damn.

Spending all his extra time with Camille meant it wasn’t until Thursday that he finally got around to returning his uncle’s boat. Not that Landry minded if it was parked in Dalton’s driveway rather than his, but his uncle was taking an old college buddy out on the lake this weekend, so he needed it back. Dalton pulled up in front of Landry and Opal’s house and slowly backed the boat into its designated spot.

His uncle came outside just in time to help unhitch the boat from Dalton’s Jeep. Leaning against the side of the boat, his uncle asked, “Did y’all have a good time fishing?”

“Yeah. Apparently, Camille’s oldest sister is big on outdoor activities, so they went camping and fishing a lot as kids.” He smiled as the memories of that afternoon streamed through his mind. “She cleaned what she caught and pan fried it for us afterward. I cook up fish all right, but hers was better.”