“No need for details!” Dahlia said from her stool. “No one needs to know that.”
“I don’t know. I’d quite like to hear about it.” Iris winked mischievously at Jess.
Jess rolled her eyes before focusing in on me again. “Everyone has been acting weird since we got here. They said you had something to tell us but they won’t tell us what.”
It hadn’t been easy telling everyone about my engagement to Vaughn. I knew some people would think it was way too fast. Dahlia was a little concerned as were Iris and Ira. Emery thought it was wonderful and even Charlie sounded happy for me. My mom and dad were worried, and that was what upset me most. I just wanted them to be happy I was happy.
But Jessica was not a friend I worried about telling. She met and fell in love with Cooper in record time. She’d so get it.
“There’s lots to tell you,” I said as Vaughn stepped up beside me to take my right hand. “But first there’s this.” I lifted my left hand.
My stunning engagement ring winked in the light.
Jessica’s lips parted in shock. And then she grinned. And then, “Oh. My. God!” She threw her arms around us both, making me laugh as Vaughn grumbled in discomfort.
“What?” Coop asked.
Jess let us go and grabbed my hand to turn it to him. “They’re engaged!”
Cooper shook his head, grinning at Vaughn. “You move fast once you pull your head out of your ass, huh?”
On my fiancé’s behalf I flipped Cooper the bird.
The laughter it caused in the bar among the regulars—who were of course watching us like we were an entertainment show, but I was used to it—died down quite abruptly. We all turned toward the door to see what had caused the room to quiet.
My parents.
Stacy and Aaron Hartwell.
Still familiar and well-loved.
And here.
Dad stood like the giant he was at six foot four, still big and broad-shouldered with a slight gut he had gained from a love of Irish lager. His handsome, ruddy face was one that the mere sight of automatically instilled in me a sense of safety and love. But right then I couldn’t work out what was going on in those blue eyes of his as he took in the bar.
As for my mom, she was almost a full foot shorter than my dad, and currently tucked into his side. She looked young for her age, her auburn hair lightened with blond highlights and bouncing around her shoulders in a wavy chin-length cut that probably cost a small fortune. She was immaculate from head to foot, and it was easy to see where my sister Vanessa inherited her fixation about her appearance.
There were no people more different than Stacy and Aaron Hartwell but they loved each other so much. Kind of like Vaughn and me.
“Mom, Dad?”
They caught sight of me and moved toward us, and my eyes drifted to the man coming into the bar behind them.
“Dad?” Vaughn was shocked.
And just like that we were surrounded.
By my mom and dad.
And Liam Tremaine, my future father-in-law.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“All of you?” Vaughn added.
“Coincidence,” Liam said. “You told me you’re engaged. I had to come out and see for myself. I bumped into the Hartwells on the boardwalk.”
“And you?” I said to my parents.