That's when Hazel elbows him, pointing in the distance. "My parents have arrived; let's go say hi." Chase goes even whiter than Damon.
I look after Dad and Damon, my stomach squirming tightly. "What does Dad want to talk to him about?"
"Quit the scared face, kid."
"Don't call me kid, James."
"That's right; you're not a kid anymore. Look at you, showing up at my wedding rehearsal with your boyfriend and an agenda to take over the chocolate factory. You once told me you're entitled to life-long cuddling because you're my younger sister. Can I still hold you to that?"
"Yes, but only if you go save Damon. Look, Mom's heading in their direction, too. They'll gang up on him."
"If I go there, she'll corner me."
"What for?"
"Oh, she has an entire list." He runs a hand through his hair, looking more agitated than I've ever seen him. "Have I checked Parker's best man speech, does Serena need any help, are your and Jessica's bridesmaid dresses all right—you name it, it's probably on her list."
"James Cohen." I put my hands on my hips, pulling myself taller. "You're a grown man. You can handle Mom."
"Not when she's overseeing my rehearsal dinner and wedding," he says.
I tilt my head to one side, drilling him with my gaze. "Go."
"Okay, okay."
To my astonishment, James manages to split up the group pretty quickly. He, Mom, and Damon head inside the venue, while Dad walks my way.
"What's the verdict?"
"Verdict? You barely let me talk to him."
"What?" I ask, feigning innocence.
"You think I don't know all the tricks? Should've seen me when I first met your mother's family. I'll say, Damon is doing quite fine," he says. I breathe, relieved, beaming at him. "Any man who makes my daughter feel like she can grab the stars is a man I respect. I don’t like to be wrong, but I’m happy I was concerning him. You two are good for each other. You show each other how to find your strengths.”
"Thanks, Dad."
We both head inside after that. With the weight of the awkward meeting off my shoulders, I can concentrate on the fact that this is my brother's rehearsal dinner. It takes place in the large ballroom of the house where Mom used to host her charity parties. The decorations surpass anything I've seen before; lavish silk garlands and rich bouquets of orchids fill the entire place. My mother put her heart in this. I find Damon talking to Parker in front of the small bar.
"Cousin, look at you." Parker takes my hand and twirls me around twice. My head spins when I come to a halt. Thankfully, Damon slings a firm arm around my waist. "I must say, I never expected you to walk in here wearing a bright red dress. You seemed too shy for that."
"Well" I glance at Damon, grinning, "things change. How is your best man’s speech coming along?"
"It's perfect," Parker says proudly, then takes off with a curt nod to join Jessica. She's talking heatedly with Hazel and Serena, who looks radiant.
"Hey, where's Chase?" I ask. Damon shrugs and we both scour the crowd for him. It's not easy spotting him, but eventually Damon points toward him on the opposite side of the ballroom. Hazel's parents flank Chase, and by the look of it, they’re grilling him. "What do you think, should we go help out?"
"Nah, it's more fun watching. I can't believe so many people showed up to the rehearsal dinner. "
Leaning in to him, I whisper conspiratorially, "I know a quiet place not far away from here where we can escape for an hour or so. You might know it; we snuck up inside it twice. If we're careful, no one will notice we're gone."
"Mmmm, that sounds tempting." He tilts my head up, kissing me gently. "Sneaking around again?"
I flash my most mischievous smile. "Some things don't have to change."
Epilogue: Five years later
Damon