Zoey maneuvered her way toward Linc, sparkling water in hand. The wind blew her hair, which was loose and tucked behind her ears, causing her wide eyes to appear even bigger. “I should probably sit with you.” She lowered her voice, back to the group. “You know. Keep up appearances.”
Oh, right. They were supposed to be mushy newlyweds.
So much for his determination to keep his distance.
“Sure.” Linc set down his pie and looked around to see which seat she meant. But before he realized there wasn’t one, she plopped on his lap and cracked open her canned drink, as casually as if she were sitting on a lawn chair.
His throat ran dry, his back stiff. Her body warmed his leg, the scent of her shampoo competing with the salty air and the fried apple tarts. Linc swallowed. Where the heck did he put his hands? He picked up his neglected pie with one, and the other, he attempted to rest on the steering wheel. But that just braced his arm against Zoey’s side, his forearm grazing her shoulder, bare in a thin-strapped tank.
If he moved again, it’d be obvious. He’d have to deal.
Again—not that he really minded. He should, though. He really, really should.
“So, how’s family life now that it’s been a week?” Rosalyn shifted positions near Cade, pulling her long legs up on the bench seat beside them.
“Yeah, is everyone bonding?” Elisa tucked her arm through Noah’s flannel-clad one, resting her head on his shoulder.
“It’s a work in progress. Good days and bad.” Zoey shrugged. “Today was good, I think.”
It was, wasn’t it? Getting better by the second, at this rate. And now that he’d finished his tart, Linc’s left hand had nowhere to go except to reach around and rest on Zoey’s knee.
She glanced back at him, a measure of surprise in her eyes, and then understanding dawned. She assumed he was doing that for show, because the other couples were snuggled up.
He tried to convince himself that was why too, but his erratic heart rate wasn’t buying it. Neither was the way he wanted to lean in, inhale her hair, soak in her warmth.
Oh, brother. He should throw himself into the bay, shock this out of his senses. He knew better. Zoey was obviously nothing like Kirsten, but heartbreak was heartbreak.
And he and Zoey had too much to lose.
Owen wiped his hands on a napkin. “Any updates on Amelia’s mother?”
Linc’s hand tightened on Zoey’s knee, and she reached over, covered his knuckles with her own. Supporting him. “Sort of.”
He double-tapped Zoey’s knee, which she accurately took as a cue to explain what happened last week at the apartment. “We’re still in limbo.” Zoey shrugged. “But Amelia seems to be taking it in stride. We haven’t had any issues lately, and we’re all getting along better.”
“I still feel bad about that picture frame.” Rosalyn winced, covering her face with one hand. “I had no idea it would trigger her that way.”
Zoey shook her head. “You couldn’t have known.”
“Yeah, it was a nice gesture.” Linc cleared his throat. “We appreciate it. All of it.”
The boat grew quiet, everyone processing the shock that he’d said that out loud. Well, if anything was going to make him eat a little humble pie, it’d be his daughter.
Though he much preferred the crawfish ones.
“So here’s a question.” Cade leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. The wind tugged at his shirt collar, but his gelled hair didn’t move. “Some of us were debating this at your surprise reception last week—how did you guys meet?”
Uh-oh. Linc stiffened.
“Yeah, I asked because I had no idea.” Rosalyn raised her hand. “Everyone has a different theory.”
“And we’re all wrong.” Noah laughed.
“Yeah, I told them you two just always knew each other.” Elisa grinned. “But that’s probably not right, either.”
Zoey hesitated, twisting sideways to catch his eye. He automatically steadied her with both hands on her arms, her skin soft under his calloused hands. His palms tingled with the contact.
“You want to tell them?” she asked.
