“You’re not hosting a party. But it is a cake.” Hope took a sip of her tea.
“My birthday is in February.”
Hope stretched her leg out and barely missed kicking his shin. “It’s an engagement cake, doofus. For you and Lucy to sample and approve before your engagement party.”
“Right.” The engagement party. He sank down to the couch next to his sister.
“So,” Hope drawled. “You and Lucy, huh?”
Weary but braced, he regarded Hope over the rim of his cup. He knew this time was coming. In fact, he’d been surprised she’d stayed away this long. “Yep.” Best keep things monosyllabic.
“How come we didn’t know about her?”
“You’ve known her for years,” he countered.
“Okay, Mr. Evasive. So how come you never told anyone you were dating someone you were considering getting married to? Kind of important, no?” Hope kicked off one shoe and lifted that foot onto his coffee table.
He allowed it because she was about to give birth to his new niece.
“You have to admit it’s suspicious. Her popping up out of nowhere.”
“She’s been around. Just not where you could stalk her.” It wasn’t a total lie, and also part of the reason they’d kept their impromptu wedding secret all those years ago.
The Morgans and Barones had one very important thing in common. They loved to meddle in their families’ lives. And Hope would have been on him and Lucy like a dog after a bone if she had a single whiff of their wedding. One hundred percent.
“Are you in trouble?”
“What? No!”
“Is she?”
He felt Hope’s intuitive eyes burning into his temple, so he took a long sip of his coffee before turning purposefully to face her.
“Of course not.” Not exactly.
“Joel,” Hope said with a sigh. “I’m not trying to pry.”
“Yes, you are.”
She ignored him. “I like her, I do. Growing up, she was always like a big sister to me, or at least a close cousin. Going out the other night was fun, even though I didn’t make it past 7 p.m.” She rubbed her big belly. “Lucy’s easy to talk to and doesn’t take herself too seriously, but—” She chewed her lip as if contemplating what to say next. “It’s not like you, to be impulsive like this, and I want to make sure everything is above board, you know. Like, you’re not doing something that will come back to haunt you later.”
There was a lot of history between him and Hope. They’d been through a lot. Hope had been through a lot. She’d learned the hard way that if something didn’t add up, it was probably because something wasn’t right.
And in this case, he couldn’t even tell her she was wrong.She was also too smart not to pick up on a lie or embellishment.
So he told her what he knew with absolute certainty. “I will never regret marrying Lucy.”
Hope surveyed him, stripping him down with her sisterly scrutiny. “So, how long have you been dating then?”
Joel set his empty cup on the coffee table next to her foot. “Does it matter?”
“It matters to me.” Hope placed a hand to her heart. “Look, four years ago you dropped everything and came to help when Ivy and I needed you. Then you did it again when I found out about my adoption. You kept our family together, Joel. You kept me together. You’ve always been a tether to everyone, keeping them sane and safe. You don’t ask any questions, you simply arrive and save the day and move on.”
Why was she making it sound like a problem? Of course he would do whatever it took to help the people he loved. He couldn’t imagine any other way.
“But you’ve never truly seemed happy,” Hope went on. “Like deep down, happy. You’ve always been too busy taking care of everyone else. And I want you to be happy, because you deserve it. And if Lucy is that for you, then I’m all in. It’s just…” She lifted a hand, then let it flutter back to her belly. “I want to be sure you’re not dropping everything again to rescue somebody instead of focusing on what could bring you joy. I want to be sure that this is your happy, you know?”
Warmth flooded his heart. This was why he had no trouble loving her from the day she arrived in his life. The reason he stopped locking his door after the first time she couldn’t get in. Hope had one of the biggest hearts he knew, and she only ever wanted what was best for him.
