Page 5 of A Little Bit Engaged
Shoring up the proper enthusiasm, she smiled. “My parents will be so excited. I am.”
Despite the burst of jealousy, she was happy. Her sister marrying the perfect guy was a good thing. Brody protected Caitlin, put her first, and made her laugh. Cara would love to have someone like him in her life.
He opened the ring box’s lid. A diamond solitaire gleamed.
She inhaled sharply. The vintage engagement ring was exactly what she would have picked out for herself, though the style seemed a tad old-fashioned for her sister’s modern tastes. Still, Caitlin would love whatever Brody bought her.
“Wow.” Cara’s fingers itched to move closer, but she forced herself not to touch her sister’s gorgeous ring. “Caitlin’s going to love this.”
“It’s not for her.”
Cara’s gaze jerked up to meet Brody’s. “What?”
As he swallowed, his Adam’s apple seemed twice as big as normal. He appeared almost nervous. “It’s for you.”
Her heart slammed against her rib cage. Air rushed from her lungs. Questions exploded in her brain. She opened her mouth, but she couldn’t speak. Her gaze went from the ring to Brody.
“You asked what Caitlin and I need.” His gaze implored Cara. “We—I—need you to marry me.”
CHAPTER TWO
Cara’s openmouthed, you’re-certifiably-insane expression hit Brody like a microphone boom to the head. He scooted away from her until his thigh bumped into the armrest of the love seat.
Stupid. He needed to slow down—to explain. “That didn’t come out right.”
“Which part?”
Her pretty features hardened on her heart-shaped face, a stark contrast from her usual cheery disposition. Brown hair, full and wavy, fell past her shoulders. Strands stuck out, reminding him of a lion’s mane. Forget her adorable tiger pajamas. Her green eyes blazed, wild and angry, as if she might attack. This was so not the Cara he knew.
“The diamond ring or the proposal?” she asked.
“Both.” He took a deep breath and then another. His rapid pulse didn’t slow. His chest squeezed tighter. “Cara—”
“Are you drunk?” She pinned him with a sharp gaze. More jade than the emerald of Caitlin’s. “Because otherwise—”
“I’m sober.” A conscious decision he’d made on the flight to San Francisco. “Although I wouldn’t say no to a beer if you’re offering.”
Annoyed didn’t begin to describe her expression. Not good. He couldn’t remember the last time Cara had gotten this upset with him.
Her mouth slanted. “This isn’t funny. If Caitlin knew…”
“She knows.” The words tumbled out. So much for slowing down. “She’s why I’m here.”
Cara’s eyebrows pulled together in a sympathetic gesture, but annoyance returned in a flash. Her mouth pinched as if she’d eaten something sour. “Not even my sister could get herself into this much trouble.”
More wanted to fly out of his mouth, but he kept his lips pressed together. Cara was the only woman who made him feel unsure of himself, like he was in sixth grade again. He hadn’t always felt this way around her.
Not when they lived next door to each other. Not when they sat next to each other on the school bus. Not when they called each other best friends through high school and when she was in college.
But after she’d graduated, something changed. Maybe because she seemed smarter than she had been when she was in school. Or maybe because she’d gone from the clichéd ugly duckling—too thin and tall with features that didn’t quite fit her face—to a beautiful swan. Caitlin still joked about giving her twin sister a gift certificate to a plastic surgeon when they turned thirty in two years, even though Cara didn’t need it.
“Caitlin did get herself into trouble,” he finally said. “Not on purpose, but she needs our help.”
“You mean she’s dragging us into one of her problems again.”
As he nodded, Cara stared down her nose. The gesture reminded him of her twin, a rare similarity between two vastly different women. Next to his mother and late grandmother, Caitlin and Cara were the most important females in his life.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “What did my sister do this time?”
