AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So your daughter could be totally shading you without you knowing it?” He laughed. “I don’t know how you do it.”
“A lot of parenting is just dumb luck,” she admitted. “I spend a lot of time crossing my fingers that I’m not totally screwing her up for life.”
“Hey.” His arm slid around her waist. “You’re a natural at being a mom. I’d be lost.”
“I’m lost all the time, Mike. I don’t really remember my mom, so I have no example to follow. I’m operating blind here.” She leaned her head against his chest before remembering where they were and stepping out of his embrace.
“Well,” he said, “I think you’re amazing. The parenting thing has always been intimidating to me. It’s not the kids, but beingresponsiblefor them. I don’t know if I have that skill set.”
She patted his shoulder. “There’s a lot of on-the-job training, that’s for sure. But you have a good heart and a great sense of fairness. You’d do fine.”
Mike would be a wonderful father. A wonderful stepfather. She just had to figure out how to bring him into Hazel’s life. She had a funny feeling that he was right—waiting wasn’t going to make that any easier. She swallowed hard, looking around the kitchen. “I think we’re done in here.”
When they walked out of the kitchen, the house fell instantly silent. So did the table out on the deck, beyond the open doors. Everyone was staring at them. Her heart sank.
“What happened?”
Mary was standing near Sam’s recliner. She folded her arms and arched one eyebrow high.
“I think it’s time for youtwoto telluswhat’s happening.”
Zoey’s mouth opened, but she couldn’t construct words. Mike seemed to be suffering from the same problem. Vickie’s prim voice filled the silence.
“When I think of me asking you—more than once, I believe—if there was anything between you and Mike and you flat outliedto my face.” There was more amusement in her voice than offense. “My own goddaughter!”
“I’m thinking the same thing, Vickie.” Mary added. “I quizzed my brother and he denied it every time.”
Zoey tried to jump-start her words. “There’s nothing...”Oh, what was the point?“Okay, there issomething, but...” She looked around the rooms, and Mary quickly reassured her.
“Hazel left a few minutes ago and busybody Katie is out on the swings. You can speak freely. Andhonestly, if you try real hard.”
“Okay,fine. Mike and I might be more than friends these days. We’ve added...benefits now. Satisfied?”
Mike straightened, finally regaining his voice. “No offense to my family and friends, but this is nobody’s business but ours. If we decide to sleep together, that’sourproblem... I mean, that’s our decision.”
Did he think sleeping with her was aproblem?She looked over at him, and he quickly mouthedsorrybefore continuing. “Look, it’s only been a few weeks, and...” He looked to her for help.
“And,” she added, “we didn’tlie, we just didn’t share because, like Mike said, it’s really new.” She gave Mary and Vickie a stern look. “And we donotwant Hazel hearing about it fromanyone. With Chris getting married and the new baby, I’m the only stability Hazel has right now.”
Mike slid his arm around her waist. They could finally relax a little in front of their friends. He gave a quick squeeze. “What gave us away?”
A roar of laughter filled the house.Yikes.
Mary wiped her eyes. “Let’s just say if you don’t want Hazel to know, you need to avoid being in the same room around her. If I hadn’t kept her so busy with the kids today, evenshe’dhave no doubt what you two are up to.”
Zoey and Mike looked at each other in confusion. Where had they gone wrong?
“Yup,” Owen laughed. “From the moon eyes you kept making at each other to the little finger brushes you did every time you passed each other. It’s like you two were magnets.” He made a gesture with his hand toward his wife, Lucy, and she obliged by pretending to be pulled toward him against her will.
“Okay, okay.” Mike chuckled. “It wasn’tthatbad.”
“Pal, you had your arm around her at the grill!”
Zoey and Mike stared at each other before she protested. “We didnot!”
A chorus of voices answered. “Yes, you did!”
Bridget coughed, trying to hold in her laughter. “I almost tripped over my own feet when I walked outside and saw you two down at the grill, snuggled close together and giggling. And then Mike’s arm went around your waist for just a second, and your head hit his shoulder, and...well...it was pretty clear it wasn’t the first time it happened.”
