Roxy giggles. “Don’t you just love her accent, Justin? It’s like something out of a movie.”
“It sure is. It’s cute.” Justin takes off his blue blazer and throws it over the arm of the sofa. He pushes up the sleeves of his white button-down shirt and sits, grabbing a handful of nuts. He pops them one at a time into his mouth and chews aggressively. I don’t know what it is about this guy, but I just can’t picture him and my cousin together. While Roxy is laid back and living in the moment, he seems like he’s in a rush and distracted. Or maybe he’s just an overworked millionaire trying to keep it all together.
“Thanks for being here. Now I don’t have to listen to Roxy wonder if you’re coming or not. Whew!” He mocks wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. Nervous chuckles and giggles ensue. “So tell me, Adam. How’s the cross-country photographyexpedition been going? Roxy keeps track of all the towns you’ve been visiting. Any bites on your recent work?”
I lean back and feel Keri loop her arm through mine, our glances in sync. “I’ve shot a ton of beautiful places.”
“But I thought you were more of a fashion photographer, not a nature photographer. Roxy told me about yourSports Illustratedswimsuit model days and the celebrities you’ve shot forPeople. How cool was that?”
Keri leans in and whispers, “Sports Illustrated?”
I chuckle. “That was a long, long time ago. It’s been a nice change mixing things up. I’ve seen a ton of great scenery during my travels.” I turn and look at Keri. Her eyes lock with mine, and she offers me a knowing smile. I look over at my cousin and her fiancé, Roxy practically sitting in the man’s lap. They’re holding hands and keep glancing at each other with subtle, lovesick smiles.
“And what about your property? Any offers on it yet?” Roxy asks.
I can feel my face cloud over. “Nope. And before you even ask, I’m not rebuilding. I’m not going back there. Not ever.”
The room turns silent, and Keri tucks her hand into mine. She squeezes my fingers.
Justin clears his throat and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Geez, those property taxes must be killing you. Have you thought about lowering the price?”
I nod. “I’ve done it three times already. It’s damaged property. Wait a good ten to fifteen years for the forest to grow back, and then I’ll probably get a ton of bids.” I exhale a heavy sigh. “But let’s not talk about me anymore. I want to hear all about you two. So tell me, Rox. How did you meet this guy?”
She looks at Justin and grins while twirling a strand of her dark, curly hair around her finger. “You want me to tell the story, or do you want to tell it?”
“I want to hear it from you,” I say before Justin takes over. I’ve always enjoyed my cousin’s storytelling.
“You can tell it,” he says, taking her champagne flute from her hand and lifting it to his mouth, stealing a huge gulp.
Roxy nods excitedly. “My friend Amanda dragged me to a campus event at Stanford Business School. I wasn’t that interested, but she was, so I went. She also promised me margaritas when we were finished.” We all laugh.
“It’s just like you to accept a cocktail bribe,” I tease.
“I know, right? We arrived late and couldn’t find any seats available. We tried sitting in the aisle, but the ushers wouldn’t allow it. We snuck around to the VIP section and sat in the front row, near the exit.”
Justin chimes in. “I ended up sitting next to her. I remember it clearly. I looked to my right, and there was this… beautiful, dark-haired girl sitting there, so we started chatting while waiting for the speaker to be introduced on stage.” He looks his bride-to-be right in the eye and beams as he tells the story. “Once the lecture was over, I followed Roxanne and her friend out of the hall and into the parking lot. I told her I was starving and asked if she’d like to join me for a late-night dinner.”
“I had to ditch Amanda, but she didn’t mind.” Roxy giggles.
“We spent four hours together at the restaurant that night and have been together ever since. And here we are, getting married tomorrow.” He dabs a knuckle under his eye and sniffles.
“Oh, honey. Don’t get all emotional now in front of our guests.” She cups his chin and pulls his face lower, planting a sweet kiss on his cheek.
“Sorry, Babe. I just love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
Keri and I eye each other, stifling smiles. Who is this guy, and what has he done with my cousin?
“How did you and Keri meet?” Roxy asks.
I squeeze Keri’s hand. “We smiled at each other through a windowpane at a café in town. It was love at first sight.”
“Sounds like a meet-cute from a romance novel,” she teases.
Keri chimes in with a giggle. “It kind of feels like I’m living in one too.”
Roxy loops her arm through Justin’s and snuggles closer to him. “Luckiest gals on the planet.”
