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Emily laughed and leaned back into Cole, who was standing close enough that she didn’t have to go far. His hand rested at the small of her back, his thumb tracing a slow, absentminded circle like he’d been doing it for years instead of days.

Lily’s gaze shifted. She looked at Cole. Looked at Emily. Looked at the hand.

Her whole face lit up.

“Oh my God,” she said. “Oh my God, finally.”

“It’s recent,” Emily said.

“It’s been twenty years in the making is what it is.” Lily pulled Emily into a hug, then turned and hugged Cole, who accepted it with only a slight startle. “I cannot believe you two finally got it together. I mean, I always knew you would.”

“You did not,” Emily said.

“I absolutely did. Even when you were kids, all that fighting was just—” She waved a hand. “Anyway. I’m so happy for you both.” She looked between them, beaming. “All that drama over some cookies a couple of Girl Scouts stole and look at you now.”

The words landed in the room like a stone into still water.

Emily blinked.

“What?” she said.

Lily was already reaching for a champagne glass from a passing tray. “What?” she said back, distracted.

“What did you just say?”

“About being happy for you?”

“After that. About the cookies.”

Lily paused. The champagne glass was halfway to her mouth. She lowered the glass. “About the Girl Scouts who took the cookies?”

The room had gone quiet around them.

Emily was aware of Cole beside her. She was aware that his hand had gone still against her back. She was aware of Mr. Alders by the fireplace, his champagne glass motionless, his eyes on Lily.

“Lily,” Emily said. Her voice had changed. She could hear it. “What are you talking about?”

Lily looked at Emily. Looked at Cole. Looked around the room at the faces that were all turned toward her.

“You don’t—” Lily set the champagne glass down. “Oh God. You don’t know.”

She pressed her hand to her mouth. “I thought you knew. I thought—after your grandfathers made up, I thought everyone—” She stopped. “Oh no. Oh no, no, no.”

“Lily.” Emily stepped forward. “What do you know about our cookies?”

The room was completely silent now.

Lily looked at Mr. Alders. Something passed between them—a look Emily couldn’t quite read, but Cole could, because she felt him go very still beside her.

“You knew,” Cole said quietly to his grandfather.

Mr. Alders set his glass down on the mantel.

“I knew,” he said.

FORTY-TWO

COLE