Page 12 of When Love Comes Home

"This is completely different," Loren says. "Dad sees Adam like a son and as a brother to all of us. It hasn’t even crossed his mind that Adam might be in love."

"In love with who?!" Laila exclaims.

Loren turns to me, her eyes wide. "Did I say that out loud?"

"What?" I whisper, my hand frozen in mid-air, holding a salsa-topped chip. To say that I feel weightless would be an understatement.Adam, my father's favorite.Adam, my eternal enemy.Adam, the thorn in my side... and now, Adam, in love. With me?

"Loren, please!" Laila exclaims, "don't be ridiculous."

"No, wait!” I blurt out. "Loren, why on earth would you say something like that?"

"Oh, come on!" Loren replies. "He sends you birthday cards, Christmas cards, even a sympathy card when Tater died. Dad spends five minutes catching Adam up on mine and Laila's lives, but when he starts talking about you, there are always follow-up questions. I'm not saying this because I'm jealous; it’s just something I’ve noticed."

She falls silent, but I can tell there's more, so I wait.

"And I accidentally picked up the phone one night when they were still talking and overheard their half-hour conversation."

“Wait, you eavesdropped?" Laila asks, her eyes widening in disbelief. A slow grin spreads across her face. "Loren, I didn’t know you had it in you. You actually eavesdropped!"

"It's not something I'm proud of," Loren says. "You should've heard them though. It was so sweet. Honestly, I don't know if Dad knows or is just oblivious, but Adam? Adam is in love."

"I think you're imagining things," Laila says, trying to downplay this bombshell.

I’m flabbergasted. Speechless. Frozen in place. This can't be.

"Adam is like our brother," Laila adds.

"He is like a brother to you and me," Loren clarifies. "But trust me, I know love when I see it. I saw it this morning."

"I thought you said my name never came up," I say quickly, narrowing my eyes at her.

"He didn't have to say it," Loren replies, lifting her eyebrows meaningfully. "He walked around the den, glancing at all your pictures. That look on his face? It said everything."

I get to my feet and begin pacing the room. "I hadn't seen Adam in nearly seven years," I say, my voice tinged with disbelief. "So when exactly did this supposed affection for the girl who's despised him most of her life happen?"

"Loren's mistaken," Laila says, sensing my unease. "She thinks just because she's getting married, she's suddenly an expert on love." She looks at me with a reassuring smile. "Katherine, don’t overthink it. He can’t be in love with someone he doesn’t really know."

"Katherine might not know him," Loren says, "but thanks to Dad, Adam knows everything there is to know about Katherine, down to the number of boyfriends she's had."

"Do you still hate him?" Laila asks, her lips curling into a slight, almost hopeful smile.

"He wanted to move in with me!" I exclaim, throwing my hands up. "He's not exactly earning any points."

"You have to admit, though," Laila murmurs, a guilty smile forming on her lips, "the man is gorgeous."

"Oh, God!" I groan, throwing my head back. "You too!"

"What do you mean, you too?" Laila asks, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Dad's secretary, Sheri," I begin, narrowing my eyes. "She was practically drooling earlier when his name came up."

"Sheri might be onto something," Laila says with a small shrug. "Now that I'm older, I can appreciate just how good-looking he is."

"Forget about Sheri," Loren says, leaning forward and giving me a knowing look. "What doyouthink about him?"

"I don't," I lie, my voice firm. "I don't think of him at all."

"Katherine," Laila says, tilting her head. "This isusyou're talking to."

---