Liam tossed a twenty across the table. “So you knew her before she got here.”
“That’s low man. Pulling out interrogation tactics during poker.” Mitch scowled. “How did you know?”
“Deduction, my dear Campbell. Autumn was admiring Tess’s necklace at the cookout, and Tess mentioned how it was a gift from a recent trip to Scotland. Add to that the fact that since you got home, you’ve looked like you lost your best friend. Yet as soon as she got to town, you lit up like the Fourth of July. Neither of you could stop looking at each other that night. Seriously, don’t either of you commit a crime. You can’t lie worth a damn. You and Tess Peyton are not just roommates.”
It seemed pointless to deny. “Who else knows?”
Judd went brows up. “Far as I know, just the people at this table.”
“Keep it that way. We don’t want the family to know yet.”
“Why is it a big deal for y’all to be involved?” Reuben asked, dealing the next hand. “You’re both single, consenting adults.”
“It’s complicated.” And while it felt good for someone to finally know about them, he wasn’t about to be revealing Tess’s pregnancy to his poker buddies before they told anybody else.
“Is it complicated because it’s a fling with a woman connected to your family or is it complicated because it’s serious?” Liam asked.
Darius laughed. “Since when does Mitch ever do serious?”
Mitch tugged his wallet out of his back pocket and fished out the proof of his intention to lay on the table. “Since now.”
The four of them stared at the diamond ring glittering against the green felt.
“Well, holy shit,” Judd murmured. “I didn’t call that.”
“How long have you known this woman?” Reuben asked.
“Long enough.”
Judd studied him with those detective’s eyes that saw too much. “You sure about this?”
“As sure as I’ve ever been of anything in my life.”
He nodded. “Well all right then. Congratulations.”
“Hang on to that. She hasn’t said yes yet. I’m still trying to work my way around to the best way of asking her.” He’d flubbed it after she’d told him about the baby, so he knew it was essential he get this right.
“Let me get this straight.” Liam abandoned his cards to lean on the table. “You two aren’t telling your family that you’re involved and plan to just spring it on them with a ‘Hey, we’re engaged!’?”
To Mitch’s mind, that seemed way better than leading off with, “Hey, we’re pregnant!”
> “I’ve got a reputation with women. Nobody seems to be able to grasp the idea that I could actually be serious about one, and I’d just as soon start off with that fact crystal clear. So, yeah, right now, that’s the plan.”
“Okay then,” Reuben said, turning the river. “Let’s talk proposal strategy.”
“Hey! Come on inside.” Norah opened the door with a sweeping, warm welcome.
Tess couldn’t quite figure out how she’d ended up here tonight, except that when Norah had asked her for a lesson in how to make agnolotti, she couldn’t think of a reason to say no. And, in truth, aside from Mitch, she’d felt pretty isolated since she got to Wishful. She missed having girlfriends. Not that she was at all sure if she could be girlfriends with Norah, but that was definitely her issue. Her father’s golden girl had been nothing but open and friendly since she arrived.
In the kitchen, she set down the bag of supplies she’d brought and noticed a deep blue leather planner on the counter. “Is that the Chic Sparrow Pemberley?”
Norah’s eyes took on the familiar gleam of a fellow planner addict. “It is! I just got it this year. I needed something new after planning the wedding and thought I’d try a traveler’s notebook. Are you a Chic Sparrow fan?”
“I’ve been lusting after the new Outlander collection. I just love the leather, but I haven’t been able to settle on what size I want.”
They fell into animated discussion of size options and features as Tess unloaded and spread out ingredients, walking Norah through the making of the pasta dough. She found she really liked this woman. Who else had she met recently who had the same favorite Etsy suppliers for custom planner accessories? Norah got it. And that just felt a little weird given her relationship with Tess’s dad.
Wrapping the dough in plastic wrap, Tess popped it into the fridge. “This needs to chill at least thirty minutes, so we’ll get started on the filling. You can stuff it with all kinds of things. My favorite is actually portabella mushrooms with ricotta and herbs, but the chicken and spinach is Dad’s favorite, so that’s what I went with for dinner and for tonight. We’re going to need a six-quart pot and a skillet.”