Page 91 of I Think They Love You

Kami clears her throat.

Shit. Was Denz daydreaming about grilled cheeses and velvety lips on his neck while in his sister’s office? He’s truly fucked up.

“I want this as much as you,” he blurts, cheeks hot. “To step in as CEO. Keep our family name where it belongs.” He tugs his collar away from his damp neck. “Sometimes, I’m in over my head. I know. But this isn’t a fantasy for me. It’s a goal.”

Kami’s shoulders straighten. The deep plum shade of her Ted Baker Michahd pencil dress accentuates the ruby undertones in her complexion. Denz recognizes the thoughtful look in her eye.

Of the three of them, Kami’s always been the most driven. Just like Nic’s the brains and he’s the life of the party. It’s never been a competition with his siblings for who can stand out the most. And out of everyone in his life, Denz is certain his sisters want the best for him. They’re never afraid to be unapologetically honest with him.

Kami finishes her muffin before she says, “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yes, dork.” She dusts crumbs into the empty wrapper. “Let’s show everyone whose fucking name belongs on this company.”

Denz’s grin matches the one on Kami’s mouth. His eyes dance around the office. Her latest vision board is pure chaos. Scattered photos connected by red dry erase marker lines. It’s like a murder wall.

“Is that—” Denz’s eyes narrow on something in a far corner. “—BASE jumping?”

“Warner’s idea,” Kami says with a long exhale.

“Jesus.”

“Emilywants to arrive by helicopter. Her ideas are a carbon copy of what her sisters did, but bigger in the worst ways.”

“Remember when Taylor arrived in a carriage like Cinderella?”

“Or Madisen’s musical entrance like Belle fromBeauty and the Beast?”

“That’s why Emily wants snow in March?” Denz snorts. “Going for Elsa fromFrozenvibes?”

“She’s insufferable. I like the challenge, but it’s so much drama for anengagement party.”

“Imagine planning their wedding,” Denz says.

On top of the eight million things on his to-do list, he’s also been keeping tabs on 24 Carter Gold’s competition. If Denz wants to prove he can take the company to the next level, he needs to know what the enemy is doing. Elite Events and Something Blue Enterprises get their biggest social media numbers from weddings. Huge, flashy affairs. That’s how they stay so close to the top.

“Do you think Auntie Eva might be right?” he asks.

“Hmm?”

“You know.” Denz gestures toward the whiteboard. “Getting the company back into weddings. Re-creating the buzz we once had.”

Kami’s nose scrunches. “Are you still on that?”

“It’s not a silly idea.”

“Wedding planning is the worst.”

Denz barks out a laugh. “How would you know?”

By the time Kami finished her degree at Emory, settling into life as a single mom with a newborn and even more expectations, their dad had fully severed ties from wedding planning. They started small again. More intimate connections with their client’s vision for a perfect event rather than what would land them on the cover ofSouthern Bride.

“I saw what it did to Dad and Mom back then,” Kami says matter-of-factly.

They don’t talk about it often. The behind-closed-doors arguments their parents had in Denz’s early teens. All the tension from the company’s rapid popularity. Paparazzi waiting outside restaurants. The juxtaposition between their camera-ready faces for a Christmas spread inSimply Southernmagazine and the long, awkward silences over family dinners.

The topic of their parents’ almost-separation sits in a dark corner of their history. Next to Kami and Matthew, Auntie Eva’s first failed business venture, the way Denz’s grandparents forced Auntie Cheryl to end things with Jordan’s dad for the sake of the “family reputation.” But the ripple effects are always felt.

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