Page 58 of Spies Don’t Fall for Their Best Friend

“Not lightning-proof harnesses.”

“No one knows that for sure.”

“The staff did. That’s why they evacuated us.”

Ledger gestures toward his soaked clothes. “And they evacuated us one person at a time. We were stranded on separate platforms for twenty minutes while rain blew sideways.”

“Because lowering people individually was safer.”

“I could have made the zipline.”

“Yes. You could’ve helped to power the electrical grid.”

Everyone laughs, but Zoe’s eyes find Evelyn. Something passes silently between them. Zoe glances at Ledger, then makes a tiny motion with one hand. Evelyn gives one subtle nod.

I know exactly what that conversation means. Should I do it here?

Yes.

A second later, Ledger catches his mother’s eye. His hand moves toward the inside pocket of his jacket before he gives Evelyn a questioning look. She nods to him, too. Evelyn’s mouth curves with barely contained amusement.

I gasp. They were both planning to propose. I am holding my breath as my gaze keeps shifting between Zoe and Ledger.

Zoe steps toward the center of the room. “I had plans to ask Ledger a question tonight.” Ledger’s eyebrows lift as she grabs the locking carabiner/ring box clipped near the waistband of her leggings.

At the same moment, Ledger reaches inside his jacket. “I also had a question I planned to ask you,” he says. He pulls out a small ring box.

Zoe stares at it. “You were going to propose to me?”

“Wait. You were going to propose to me?”

“You knew he was?” Zoe asks Evelyn.

Ledger also turns toward his mother. “You knew she was?”

Evelyn folds her hands in front of her. “You both spoke to me in confidence.”

“And you didn’t tell me?” Ledger asks.

“That would not have honored the confidence.”

Zoe looks between him and the ring box in his hand, then starts laughing. Ledger joins her, and soon they’re both standing in the middle of the room holding ring boxes, wet and muddy and grinning.

Blake claps his hands together. “Well, let’s get to it.”

Both Zoe and Ledger are opening their mouths to talk when every phone in the house emits a violent emergency buzz, and we all pull ours from our pockets. Except Zoe. She just closes her eyes and says, “No.”

Ledger pulls out his phone and looks at the alert. “You have got to be kidding me.”

I look at my own screen and see a tornado warning for our area that instructs us to seek shelter immediately. The wind outside picks up sharply, driving rain against the windows. Thunder cracks so loudly that Heidi jumps and runs to Blake.

Evelyn changes instantly. The emotional mother disappears beneath the woman who takes charge of every room she enters.

“Everyone downstairs. Now.” No one argues.

The entire family moves with surprising efficiency. Blake carries Heidi. Owen takes the tray of glasses. Charlie and Mackenzie grab desserts while Jace carries plates. Arthur starts toward the basement under his own power but allows Emerson to keep a steadying hand near his elbow.

I grab the cake knife and the engagement cake and nearly lose it when another blast of wind rattles the windows. Miles appears beside me and takes the other side of the tray. “I’ve got you.”