Page 131 of Spies Don’t Fall for Their Best Friend

I hold up my left hand. “It can hear you.”

Charlie starts the game, and we immediately hook our arms around each other’s backs and press close enough to work like one person. Before we became kissing best friends, I probably would’ve pretended not to notice how good he smells, how solid his back feels beneath my hand, or how easy it would be to turn my head and kiss him. Now I notice all of it.

I also notice the way his muscles tighten beneath my palm every few seconds, like he’s bracing against something.

We are pretty good at the game! Even though the task is a little more difficult than I thought it would be. We’ve got the diaper changed, the onesie on, and we are just doing up the snaps when Arthur and Elizabeth hold up their fully dressed doll and call out, “Finished!”

All of us freeze, staring at the grandparents with dropped jaws.

Ledger looks down at his and Zoe’s doll, which currently has a onesie covering its head, and then back to Arthur and Elizabeth. “How?”

Grandma Lancaster smooths the doll’s shirt. “You get a lot of experience being the village grandparents.”

“We’ve had lots of practice,” Grandpa Lancaster says, then eyes Ledger’s and Zoe’s doll. “Apparently some of you need more.”

I am laughing along with everyone else when I notice that Miles isn’t. By the look on his face, it’s because he’s trying very hard to control pain right now. I keep my voice low and ask, “Are you okay?”

“It comes and goes. I just need a moment, and I’ll be fine.”

“We should go. Maybe get you to a doctor.”

He shakes his head. “It’s Jace and Mackenzie’s shower.”

“I promise you that they won’t revoke your uncle privileges if we leave early.”

“I’m fine.” He slips his hand into mine, squeezing just a bit tighter than normal. I look down at our hands, and he says, “I’m mostly fine.”

Before I can push more, Charlie calls out, “Okay, last game, everyone! This one is called ‘Don’t Break Mama’s Water.’”

Every adult in the yard reacts differently. Mackenzie’s youngest sister, May, laughs. Evelyn closes her eyes briefly.

Jace says, “I feel like we are tempting fate here.” He holds his arms out, like he’s trying to protect Mackenzie’s belly. “For the record, I would prefer that mama’s water remain unbroken.”

“I don’t know,” Mackenzie says. “I haven’t seen my toes in weeks. Plus, I really want to meet the little girl using my ribs as a jungle gym. I don’t think I’d object to my water breaking today.”

Charlie has us all get into two lines, each of us facing our partners, and gives each partnership a water balloon. One partner is supposed to toss it to the other. If they catch it without the balloon breaking, both take a big step back, and repeat. The last balloon intact wins.

I toss our balloon to Miles, and he catches it easily. “Excellent nurturing instincts.”

He chuckles. “Water-balloon catching is not nurturing.”

“I bet the balloon thinks it is.”

We each take a step back, and Miles tosses the water balloon. I cradle it in my arms as I catch it. We take a step back, and I toss it again. Down the line, Mackenzie’s brother-in-law, Rowan, gets drenched in water as his balloon hits against him just a bit too hard.

Miles tosses the balloon to me a little off because his hand apparently needed to fly to his back, and I barely catch it. “Miles?”

He drops his hand. “I’m fine.”

Someone else down the line breaks their water balloon. I don’t even turn to see who. “You need a new phrase.”

He shakes his head. “Let’s keep going. We’re still in.”

I lift the balloon, but pause a moment. He doesn’t look so good. “Are you sure?”

“Throw.”

“Miles—”