Free The Trouble with Bree (Spotlight #1.5) by Kristen Strassel Page A

could get her to the party.
    The boys were all over Daisy as soon as she came downstairs. She kissed them, and then stood up and looked at me like she didn’t know where she was. Daisy had trouble with crowds. I led her over to the head table, the place where Ev should have been sitting, and a couple of people approached her immediately. I wanted to scream at them to go away, but Daisy was the guest of honor today, whether she liked it or not.
    “She okay?” Josh mouthed to me from behind her chair. I shook my head, and he sat down as soon as Daisy’s aunt left. We had her surrounded now, so she’d have a chance to catch her breath.
    I fell into his lap with the margarita giggles. “Isn’t he hot?”
    She rolled her eyes, but I finally got her laugh. “Yup.” I turned back to Josh, who I’d never seen blush before. He still looked hot.
    “Your dad’s quite the sports fan.” Josh had heard all about Daisy, but this was the first time he’d actually met her. It was crazy how much everything had changed this summer. “I couldn’t hang. He’s the real deal.”
    “You didn’t tell him you like the Yankees, right?” I asked. Oh my God, please let him have not said that. He didn’t have any visible damage, so I doubted it. “I told you not to. Now you get it.”
    “He didn’t. I can tell.” Daisy laughed again. “If he did, he’d be across the street, eating his tacos alone.”
    Cam had been missing in action, along with Daisy’s mother, and her anxiety was coming back. There was no reason for either of them to be anywhere but here. My eyes widened when I saw Cam turn the corner to the backyard, and he put his finger over his mouth to make sure I didn’t ruin the surprise. Secrets had never been my strong point.
    He leaned down and kissed Daisy, trying to lure her to the front yard. Whatever was out there had him absolutely beaming. I bounced in Josh’s lap, dying to know what was out there. Daisy wasn’t having any of it. “Bree can be my representative.”
    Cam wasn’t giving up that easily, but there was no swaying Daisy. “Tell me what it is!” I insisted. I don’t know how she played it so cool.
    “JR’s here,” he whispered in my ear.
    My jaw dropped. “Daisy, go with him. Trust me.” I actually had to pull her out of her chair, staggering backwards when she stood. “But can I come too? I want to see the look on your face.”
    “Fine.” She gave in. I was practically jumping up and down with excitement as we rounded the corner, and tears filled my eyes when I saw the car seat waiting for Daisy. Cam had covered her eyes, and she had no idea who was waiting for her.
    I lost it when she picked up JR, swaddled in a blanket and a blue knit cap. Cam stood next to me, rubbing my arm and barely holding in his own tears. JR was still so tiny, it still shouldn’t have even been his birthday yet, but he was here with us now. Home.
    “He’s so beautiful,” I said when she brought him over to me. Daisy looked shell-shocked, and I got it. When they put Landon in my arms for the first time, I didn’t know I was ever going to take care of him. It all worked out, but it didn’t stop me from having the same doubts with Lucas.
    I kissed Josh as soon as we came back to the yard. “Now we have something to celebrate,” I murmured. A crowd had gathered around Daisy, JR, and Cam, but we hung back. The advantage of being Daisy’s best friend was I was going to get to see all of them on a regular basis, once everything settled down.
    Josh pulled me in close. “I’m looking forward to getting to know these guys.”
     

Chapter Twelve
    “No more pictures, Mama!” Landon walked out of the frame of my camera.
    “But you’re so handsome!” I followed him for a couple more shots, because his protesting face was adorable. “How else am I supposed to remember this day?”
    “Write it down in a story,” he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
    “I will read it to you every