AS SHE STOOD in Nina’s driveway, Camile did a quick inventory of vehicles and knew that everyone else had arrived. Her stomach took a nervous dip while she waited for Rhys to walk around the cab of his pickup and join her where she stood waiting for him.
“I’ve been thinking,” she said when he approached. She slipped her hand into his.
“About what?”
She liked how he stayed right where he was, holding her hand and looking at her like he wanted to hear whatever she had to say. He always did that—treated her like she was the most important person in the world. Even when what she had to say was about where she’d like to go hiking or what flavor of ice cream she wanted to order.
“Possibly my dad is not as bad as I’ve made him out to be.” Camile had been on edge about this encounter for days, alternately venting to Rhys about her dad’s strong opinions and expressing her excitement at seeing her parents after such a long separation. Bottom line, she was nervous about how her dad was going to react to her business venture. “Everything I said about my mom is true, though. She is lovely. Genuinely, one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet.”
“So you take after your mom,” Rhys said in a decisive tone.
Before them stood Nina’s lovely old farmhouse, and inside, her family waited along with Anne, Willow, Harper and Kyle, Mia and Jay, and some other friends. The faint sound of Marion barking reverberated through the cool evening air. After spending weeks towing their RV around the United States visiting relatives and national parks, her parents were back in Pacific Cove. Nina had invited everyone out to her place to welcome them home and to celebrate Camile’s thesis triumph. Her sister loved to entertain. She’d been planning this for days, and while Camile appreciated it, it all felt like a bit much. Nina had called and texted enough times now that Camile feared she’d gone overboard where the “celebration” was concerned. Nina and Rhys had even been exchanging texts. Camile’s business partnership with Harper and her relationship with Rhys both felt like achievements more worthy of celebration.
“You are sweet,” she said as they started toward the house. “And that’s true in that I have much more in common with her than I do my dad. My dad is... I don’t think I’ve exaggerated how opinionated he is, but he is a good man. He’s one of the most generous human beings I’ve ever met. He’s just very set in his ways when it comes to certain things.”
Together they scaled the steps of Nina’s wide front porch. Marion barked again but the pitch had changed and Camile knew the dog now recognized that it was her. That made her smile. She’d like to have a dog someday. For now, she was thrilled with the new cats in her life. Rhys and Willow had just adopted two adorable kittens from Lucky Cats, and they were tons of fun.
“Don’t be surprised if he says something about me that you don’t like.”
Rhys frowned at her. “What do you mean? Like what?”
“Like about the dance studio or my ‘useless’ degree.”
“I don’t think he’ll do that.”
“Don’t be too sure,” she said. “Now that I think about it, you guys sort of have that trait in common. He’s honest, too, although his opining is more deliberate. You don’t have to ask to get it.”
“That’s a quality I can respect.”
“I know. It’s just... Don’t be nervous,” she said nervously.
He lifted her hand and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “I’m not.”
The door swung open. “Hey, guys!” Aubrey and Marion greeted them, Aubrey with smiles, Marion with jubilant tail wagging. Aubrey stepped aside and waved them forward.
Rhys gave Camile’s hand an encouraging squeeze and she immediately felt calmer. She glanced up at him. He smiled. Why wasn’t he nervous? What was going on here? How had it happened that he was the one reassuring her? Shouldn’t he be the nervous one? He was meeting her parents.
She didn’t have long to ponder these thoughts as they were inundated with hugs and greetings. Willow and her friend Jenna hurried over to show Camile the photos they’d taken earlier of the kittens. School had started a few weeks prior. There’d been a minor amount of drama for a girl Willow’s age; she’d joined band and already found a bestie in Jenna.
Chatting with Nina, Camile saw Rhys’s mom stroll out of the kitchen.
“Rhys, your parents are here? How wonderful! You didn’t tell me they were coming.” She was getting a little embarrassed. This was definitely excessive for a thesis party. It wasn’t like she’d earned her doctorate degree or even landed some cool job in the psychology field.
Camile looked for her mom and found that she was heading right for her. Across the room, her dad waved. But not at her, she realized as Rhys returned the gesture.
“Why is my dad waving at you like he knows you?”
“Because we’ve met.”
“What? When?”
“Kyle introduced us yesterday” was his specific yet puzzling answer.
“How is that possible? They just got home yesterday. I haven’t even seen them yet.”
“So go greet them,” he encouraged. “They’re anxious to see you. I’ll tell you about it later.”
That was when she noticed the banner hanging across the wall in the dining room. Congratulations, Camile. It was surrounded by big, colorful paper flowers. A matching cake sat in the middle of the table. It was pretty except...the writing was slightly off center. Odd. And completely unlike her perfectionist sister.
“Camile, honey, congratulations!” her mom said, enfolding her in a tight hug.
“Thanks, Mom. It’s so great to have you guys back.”
“We’re happy to be back—especially your father. I don’t think I’m going to be able to get him away from Pacific Cove again in the summer.”
Camile chuckled. “He does love his ocean, doesn’t he? I’m surprised he agreed to this trip in the first place.”
“Yes, I do,” her dad said from over her shoulder. “But I love my girls more. That’s what I was really missing.”
“Hey, Dad.” Camile slipped her arms around him, comforted by the feel of his strong arms and familiar scent. Despite her anxiety, she loved her parents and she knew they loved her.
He loosened his hold but kept his hands on her shoulders. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you.” Camile braced herself for the inquisition.
It didn’t happen. Instead, she spent a few minutes laughing at their travel tales and catching up. Rhys brought her a glass of lemonade.
Her dad said, “I’m so happy for you, honey. I think you’ve found your niche with this dance studio.”
“Me, too,” Camile answered cautiously, waiting for him to qualify the statement.
“I was telling Rhys last night about how your mom and I went to one of those acrobat-type shows while we were in Vegas. You know, with the ropes and trapeze things and gymnastics and dancing?”
“Yeah, I know the ones you mean.” Here it comes, she thought. She almost wished he’d just get it over with.
“Those people are extremely talented.”
“Yes, they are.”
“Like you.”
What?
“The whole time, I kept telling your mom how great you’d be at that.”
“Um, thanks, Dad.” Who was this man and what had he done with her father?
“What could be better than having all three of our girls settled here in Pacific Cove? That’s a father’s dream come true. Especially when our grandchildren get here.”
“Brian, let’s not rush things now,” her mom scolded in a whisper that had Camile wondering if Aubrey had shared her pregnancy challenges. “It’ll happen when it happens.”
Rhys leaned in and said close to her ear, “Camile, can I borrow you for a minute?” The question made her smile. She remembered asking him the same thing that night at the mayor’s fund-raising dinner. The night he’d kissed her, and she’d learned the truth about their date, and everything had changed.
She was about to steal his response when Aubrey’s voice stopped her; there was something about her tone.
“Uh-oh,” her sister said from where she stood in the dining room. “Shoot!” The exclamation was accompanied by an odd sound, like paper ripping. “I knew we should have used tacks,” she said frantically as she scrambled to reach the wall where the banner hung.
But it was too late. The flowers had peeled away on one end and were falling. The crowd quieted as the last one fluttered to the ground. Camile squinted to read the newly revealed message: Congratulations, Camile and Rhys!
“Oh no...” Nina cringed and raised a tense, fisted hand. “Rhys, I’m so sorry.”
Camile looked at him.
“It’s quite all right, Nina. Or, at least, I hope it will be.” From his pocket, he removed what was clearly a ring. A ring! Camile felt her heart flip and then proceed to do its own happy dance right inside her chest.
Rhys, bless him, gave her a little shrug and made the best joke ever: “Leave it to me to make an unintentional public spectacle of your proposal. At least there’s no danger of me calling my fiancée by the wrong name. I love you, Camile. Will you marry me?”
Across the room, Anne busted out a laugh. Nina joined in. Harper, who stood nearby, snickered behind her hand. Willow was grinning.
Camile faked a scowl. “Is this why you’ve already met my parents?”
“Yes, I went over to their house last night so I could meet them first.”
She looked at Nina and pointed at the banner. “So this excessive celebration isn’t actually about my thesis?”
“No. Well, I mean, everyone is excited for you and all but—”
“I’m assuming you’re going to add Rhys’s name to that cake, too? That’s why the bad frosting job?”
“Guilty.” Nina lifted the frosting tube she held in acknowledgment. “Rhys was going to take you outside and ask you. Text me with the yes. Then we were going to do the big reveal when you came back inside.”
Camile looked at Rhys again.
The amusement in his expression and the unmistakable love in his eyes had her melting all over. “I was hoping this would be our engagement dinner.”
“Now that is a reason to celebrate.” Beaming, she stepped into his arms where she whispered, “Yes, Rhys, I will marry you. And you can borrow me forever.”
For more great romances from acclaimed author Carol Ross, visit www.Harlequin.com today!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Rancher to the Rescue by Patricia Forsythe.