Jake coughs, and my mother’s glare sweeps across the table like wildfire, wiping the amusement off the faces of all her children.

“I tried, Mom,” Levi mutters, ducking his head.

“I’m waiting,” Lilly says.

“It’s adult stuff,” Nic tells her softly.

“Like what you and Daddy do when you send me to Aunt Shay’s?”

Nic and Ethan simultaneously shoot Shay a glare.

She holds up her hands. “I didn’t tell her that.”

Lauren fusses in Ava’s lap, and Jake sweeps the baby into his arms. “Well, baby needs a diaper change, so I’ll see you all later.”

Teagan

When my phone rings, I know it’s my mother before I even look at the screen. Anyone else’s mom might have missed the news, but my mom has been reading the Jackson Harbor Gazette online every morning for the last month—as if obsessively watching the news and weather here might allow her to actually control it during my sister’s wedding next weekend.

She learned about Carter fever from the local paper and has asked me about him before.

How well do I know him? A whole lot better after last night.

Did he really save that puppy? Yes. But please don’t bring it up if you ever meet him.

Is it true that it was all a publicity stunt because he wants his own reality TV show? Absolutely not.

I’m not surprised when I see her name on the screen, but I’m also not ready for this call. While I don’t want to lie to my mother, explaining to her that Carter and I worked together to deceive a roomful of people sounds even less appealing. Something else you should have considered when he called you up on that stage.

I plaster a smile on my face—because she’s got some weird mom voodoo that I swear allows her to determine my facial expression over the phone—and swipe my screen to accept the call. “Hi, Mom!”

“I cannot believe you didn’t tell me you were dating Carter Jackson.”

I cringe. I guess we’re starting with guilt today. Okay then.

“All the times we’ve talked about him, you never thought to mention you two are involved and getting serious?”

“It’s . . . complicated.” I flinch and silently reprimand myself for the evasion. If I was planning to be honest with her, this isn’t the best way to start. But the half lie is already out there, and . . . I’m a coward. What am I supposed to say? Mom, we’re not dating, but we are considering elevating our friendship from casually flirtatious to fuck buddies? My conservative mother would love that. She would cry, fret, and pray for me. My father would offer to cut off Carter’s balls. “I didn’t want you to get your hopes up in case nothing came of it.”

“Consider my feelings, will you? My daughter is in love, and she didn’t even tell me. Never mind the logistical nightmare of you keeping this secret.”