Page 67 of Veiled

I take a steadying breath, paste on my brightest smile, and lift my glass. “Time to make a new friend.”

“Well, hello there!” Her chipper voice carries over the surf.

Aiden rises to his feet, the perfect picture of relaxed charm, before taking my hand and helping me up. “Hi!” he calls back as he wraps his arm around my waist.

“Aren’t you two the cutest couple I’ve ever seen. Let me guess, newlyweds?”

“Guilty,” Aiden says easily, squeezing my side just enough to make it look affectionate. I resist the urge to elbow him.

“What gave us away?” I ask as I look up to Aiden with as much newlywed affection as I can muster.

Tara beams, her glass sloshing slightly as she steps into the light of our fire. “You’ve got that honeymoon glow. It’s unmistakable!”

I laugh softly. “That’s so sweet of you to say! Oh my gosh, speaking of being married, would you look at your ring? That is gorgeous!”

“Oh, thank you!” Tara gushes, holding out her hand so I can admire the ring more closely. I turn it gently in my fingers, nodding enthusiastically. “Stunning, isn’t it, Honey?”

He smiles back down at me, purposely not even glancing at the ring, “Absolutely.”

“You two are too precious! I can get going, I don’t want to interrupt your night.”

“No, not at all! Why don’t you join us? We’d love the company,” I gesture to the chair I had been sitting in, and lean in like I’m about to tell her a secret, “If you wouldn’t mind telling us about the area a bit, I will owe you another glass of wine, too. I’m trying to convince Aiden here that we should relocate to a smaller town, but he thinks it would be too slow.”

I give Aiden a tiny nudge to sit and then settle onto his lap like I belong here as he wraps his arm around my waist.

“You must! Especially since I assume you are going to start trying for kids, if you aren’t already,” she says with an overly exaggerated wink. “This is the perfect area to raise a family.”

Aiden’s hand moves to my stomach, “You’re selling me on it already.” I can’t help but soften with the convincingly enamored look he’s giving me. “We’ve always wanted to have a big family.”

“Eventually,” I add before turning back to Tara.

“But enough about us, what do you like to do around here?” I ask, voice warm and inviting. “Other than soaking in this incredible weather and lying on the beach.”

Tara grins and launches into a cheerful rundown: hidden beaches, the best coffee shops, and a bakery she insists we try first thing in the morning. I sip my wine, nodding along, careful to keep the rhythm of the conversation natural. Aiden is equally engaged, asking a question here and there as though he’s genuinely curious.

“And,” Tara continues, lowering her voice conspiratorially, “if you’re free tomorrow, we’re hosting a little brunch at our place. You absolutely must come! You can meet my husband, Greg; he’ll want to hear all about your honeymoon.”

Excitement rushes through me, but my smile stays steady. “That sounds lovely! What time should we come by, and what can we bring?”

“Late morning, around eleven, and nothing at all! You aren’t supposed to fuss about anything on your honeymoon,” she says, leaning back and glancing at the fire. “You’ll love it! It’ll be casual, a few neighbors and close friends; I think you two will fit right in. You can tell us all about yourselves and how ya’ll got together! We’ll build you a little community of friends and future babysitters before you even move out here. Greg is going to be outside grilling, and we’ll have appetizers and a little mimosa bar!”

I tilt my glass in a mock toast. “It’s a date, then. Consider us officially bribed by your hospitality.”

Aiden gives a low chuckle beside me. “Thanks for inviting us,” he adds, tone easy and confident.

As Tara rises to head back to her house, she glances at us with a smile that’s entirely too bright. “I will see you both tomorrow then! And don’t let him keep you up all night, a girl’s gotta get her beauty rest after all.”

I give a little giggle at her joke, then move to sit back in my chair, but Aiden’s hand tightens, holding me in place.

“What are you doing? She’s gone.” I whisper, but the frustration is clear in my voice.

“I guarantee she will turn around before she even gets to her door and will probably be peeking out to see if we get up to those naughty ideas you proposed we do in the ocean earlier. You chose to sit in my lap, now we have to sell it until we go inside.”

I huff, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserably, “I hate you.”

“I know,” he says, and his tone is teasing enough to make my chest tighten. “Now come snuggle into my chest, Sweetheart, and tell me the ‘little details’ you didn’t get a chance to answer earlier. I have a feeling we’ll be grilled by everyone at brunch tomorrow.”

“My favorite color is teal,” I say as I lean my head onto his chest and look up at the stars.