Chapter Eight
“I love the decorations,” Jade admired the silver streamers and balloons, running a streamer through her hand. She glanced up at the “Welcome Home” banner and nodded in approval. “You pulled this together at the last minute.”
Shanna shrugged. “Not really. Your brother went into town to pick up the decorations.”
“And balloons are a pain to drive with,” Jordan said, scowling. “They completely cover your back window and bob around all over the place.”
“So, you had the idea and made my brother do all the work?” Jade asked, amused. “Wish I could plan things out like you.”
“I did stuff,” Shanna protested. “I had to go get the cheese platter and veggies and snacks, and I set up the decorations.”
“I didn’t do much,” Jordan admitted. “Shanna, this is really a nice thing you’re doing here.”
“It was actually Cameron’s idea,” Shanna informed them, looking around the swimming pool area, admiring her work. “I think Quinn’s going to like it.”
“Where is Cameron?”
“He went to officially invite Quinn down and get the drinks.”
“Drinks?” Jade perked up.
“Cameron picked some stuff out,” Shanna said with a shrug. “I don’t really drink.”
“That’s right,” Jordan recalled. “Your friend Kelly would always bug you about that.”
Shanna felt a fresh round of pain as her best friend Kelly flashed through her mind. One of her very last moments with her had been at Styx, the club where she’d been killed by a vampire. At the bar, Shanna had angered Kelly by getting a soda instead of something alcoholic. Kelly loved consuming alcohol and didn’t really consider a party a party at all without booze. Shanna just didn’t get that and hated seeing Kelly drunk, acting stupid. It had almost immediately sucked the novelty out of it for Shanna.
“I’m afraid I’m going to stick to Pepsi tonight too,” Shanna smiled.
“Drinking’s overrated anyway,” Rachel said from behind her, in the pool, where she hovered near the edge, one hand reaching out to grab hold of the ledge. “Can’t stand the stuff myself. It changes people.” With that, she kicked off the side of the pool and launched herself across the width of the pool. Kicking occasionally above the water, sending a spray of chlorine in Brett’s direction, to his annoyance.
Shanna noted Amelia in the whirlpool by herself, head back, looking extremely relaxed. “The minute those two get down here, I’m making a beeline for the hot tub.”
Jordan smiled at that and pulled his shirt off, tossing it casually over the back of a nearby lounging chair. Shanna quickly drank in his toned body admirably before averting her eyes. He had the type of lean build that she loved on a guy. Cameron had the same sort of build, but a little skinnier, without abs so defined, but delicious just the same. She looked up at the door, wondering what could be taking him so long. They’d been waiting nearly twenty minutes for him to retrieve Quinn and get the drinks.
Jordan jumped into the pool, and Brett immediately challenged him to a race across the length. Rachel clung to the side, sending Jade and Shanna a knowing look that said “Boys…”
When they were halfway across the pool, Cameron arrived, carrying a tray with several flute glasses filled with bubbly gold liquid, and one containing soda.
“What have you got for us?” Jade asked him as Rachel pulled herself out of the water nearby and wrapped a towel around her waist.
“Champaign, of course,” Cameron said. “This is a celebration.”
“Where’s Quinn?” Shanna looked behind him.
“He’s not coming.”
Shanna blinked. “Not coming?”
“He said he doesn’t feel up to it,” Cameron said dismissively. “Can’t really blame him. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, right? We can drink to his health.”
Scowling, Shanna paced for a moment. “Well, did you tell him it was for him?”
“I did. He doesn’t want to come. Leave it alone.”
Jade sipped on her Champaign. “Yummy. Jordan, you have to try this.”
Jordan grinned, having won the race against Brett. “I think I could drink to my win.”
Brett scowled, but smiled a moment later, pulling himself out after Jordan, the two of them dripping wet and not bothering to towel down before grabbing their glasses.
“Thanks,” Rachel said, taking the Pepsi.
Cameron started. “Oh, that’s for Shanna.”
“I don’t drink either,” Rachel told him. “Remember?”
Cameron frowned. “I’ll go get another,” he muttered, setting down the tray on a nearby table. “Be right back.”
Rachel watched him go as she tasted her soft drink. “Tastes a little sweet. I guess I’m used to Coke.”
“Pepsi’s way better,” Shanna grinned.
“Sorry I stole your drink.”
“No big deal. He should have remembered you don’t drink. I remembered.”
“Is he getting more Champaign too?” Amelia called out from the whirlpool.
Rachel grabbed a glass from the tray Cameron had set down and brought it over.
“So, no guest of honor, huh?” Jordan said. “Kind of weird.”
“Rude,” Jade muttered.
“Maybe he just doesn’t care if he gets along with us,” Brett said.
“He has a lot going on,” Shanna defended him. “He’s probably just feeling overwhelmed. I guess I didn’t really think about that after all that’s happened to him, he may not want to have to force small talk and be the center of attention. I wasn’t really thinking.”
“You were trying to do something nice,” Jordan told her. “Nothing to feel bad about. You’re always doing nice things.”
“Yeah, it makes the rest of us look bad,” Rachel muttered, finishing off her glass.
Cameron returned a moment later with another couple of Pepsis, offering one to Shanna and another to Rachel, who accepted it happily.
“Well, should we make a toast?” Jade asked.
Cameron held up his glass. “To our happy little family that just got a little bigger.”
Shanna drank her Pepsi quickly, watching the others interact happily. At least everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves. And nobody was commenting on Cameron’s scar. They were acting completely normal, to Shanna’s relief. She’d been afraid that Brett would demand details on how he’d “earned” the scar, but so far, he’d been much more tactful than she’d given him credit for. The only thing that Shanna noticed when it came to the others was how a few of them wouldn’t look Cameron in the face when they talked to him, like they didn’t know where to look with the prominent scar there. But if Cameron noticed, he didn’t say anything, and pretty soon, everybody was in the pool or the hot tub, having a good time.
Shanna herself wasn’t completely immune to Cameron’s new appearance. She found herself starting when she looked at him, not expecting it to be there, forgetting for a moment that it was there. But once she saw it, she’d feel sick for him all over again. The pain he must be going through… Yet he seemed to be carrying on like a trooper, smiling through it all, at least since his talk with Shanna.
“Natalia didn’t show either,” Amelia observed ten minutes later, after Shanna had joined her in the whirlpool. “That girl never loosens up. She needs to let her hair down one of these days.”
“I can’t imagine her doing that,” Jade said from a chair just behind the hot tub. She’d explained that her recent injury prevented her from joining them herself, but that would be a temporary issue. She still wore a long-sleeved shirt clipped at the shoulder, hiding her shoulder from view. Through the material of her shirt, however, Shanna could make out gauze. “She’s all business. I would have been shocked if she’d shown up.”
Shanna shrugged. “If she wanted to, she would come. I just…can’t help feeling like I should be doing something else
for Quinn. He shouldn’t have to spend his first day alone in a strange place.”
“But I can see why he’d want to avoid a crowd today,” Amelia said. “Maybe a smaller group would have been easier for him.”
Shanna bit her lip. “Yeah…” She hesitated. “I think I’m going to go talk to him.”
Jade frowned. “Why?”
“Maybe he’ll change his mind. He doesn’t know Cameron, so maybe if I asked, he’d be more inclined to come.”
Amelia looked thoughtful. “I guess it couldn’t hurt. I bet he’s going to want to sit this one out though.”
“I just want him to know that he’s wanted.” Shanna hesitated. “Or do you think I’m being too pushy?”
Jade laughed. “You’re so indecisive. Just go. Knowing that somebody is looking out for him will probably make him feel better, if anything.”
That was all the encouragement Shanna needed. She quickly pulled herself out of the hot tub and hastily dried off, leaving them watching her leave with amusement.
Cameron sauntered over a few minutes later. “Hey, where’d Shanna rush off to?”
Amelia smiled up at him. “Just going to try to persuade Quinn to come down again. She’ll be right back. Want to join us?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Cameron said, forcing a smile into place, eyes on the door.