“Oh, brother of mine,” Mary piped up. “You were giggling. And cooing. And melting.”

Zoey and Mike had been laughing and reminiscing at the grill, and if he’d touched her waist, there’s no doubt she could have leaned into it, forgetting where they were.

The seniors at the dining table had been listening with a great deal of amusement. Mike’s grandmother, Maura, nodded toward him.

“And let’s not forget the way you marched into the kitchen and announced you needed to talk. What was that urgent conversation about, I wonder?” She turned to Mary. “You were guarding the door—what did you hear?”

MIKE FROZE. If Mary had been listening, she knew he’d asked Zoey if she was pregnant. Her eyes met his, and this time he clearly read the twinspeak. Relax. I’ve got your back. She smiled at their grandmother.

“Just a lot of lovey-dovey stuff, Nana. New love is so adorable.”

His relief at her little fib evaporated with her last sentence. He and Zoey spoke in unison.

“We’re not in love!”

“Okay,” Finn said with a laugh, holding up his hands to quiet everyone. “Let’s not pick on them too much, friends. We all remember those early days of our relationships.” He pulled Bridget close and kissed her forehead. “They’re probably putting themselves through enough self-inflicted torture without us adding to it.”

“I’d say so, yes.” Mary gave Mike a pointed look. So she had heard the conversation about babies.

“Honestly, everyone, this...” Zoey gestured between Mike and herself. “This truly is brand-new.”

“And burning hot, from the looks of it.” Owen raised his beer bottle in a toast, and Lucy jabbed him with her elbow. “What?” He put his arm around her. “It reminds me of us when we met at Atlantic Beach way back when. We burned hot, too, remember?”

Mary walked over and gave Mike and Zoey quick hugs. “It’s hard to think of you two as new when you’ve known each other for decades.”

Zoey groaned. “Thanks for making me sound ancient.”

“Duh—I’m the same age as you.” Her voice dropped. “For the record, I approve of this. Very much.” She turned around to face her guests. “We’ve had our fun, but let’s remember that Zoey has a very good reason for wanting to keep this quiet, so mum’s the word.” She pointed at the book club group. “That includes you old troublemakers. Leave them alone and no gossip.”

“Watch who you’re calling old,” Rick Thomas answered, winking as he did. “I’m still a working member of society, young lady.”

Smaller conversations began to pop up, and people seemed to lose interest in pushing Mike and Zoey any further. Mike let out a long, slow breath and closed his eyes. They were still a secret—just a more fragile one now. Anyone could screw this up, not just him.