“Whoa, hold up,” Daisy said, holding up a hand, and trying to get control of the conversation. “We’re not…”

“Boning?” Riley supplied. “You totally are. Rumor has it you had office sex.”

Daisy’s face flushed hot. “We did not.”

“You totally did,” Penelope said, coming into the living room and plopping onto the couch between Daisy and Mollie. “Trust it from someone who’s had office sex in the Oxford office, you had that look.”

“There is no look,” Daisy argued futilely.

“There sort of is,” Emma admitted slowly.

“How do you know! I didn’t even see you that day!” Daisy said, amusement warring with exaggeration. She wasn’t a prude but it was a little jarring to have friends and family apparently know quite so much about your sex life.

“Yeah, I don’t think Emma was talking about you,” Julie said in a loud whisper.

Daisy’s eyes went wide as she looked at her sister. “You? And Cassidy—”

“—Are not the topic of conversation here, twin dearest,” Emma interrupted, dabbing a bit of ranch dressing from her lip.

Daisy looked around at the group. “What is the topic of conversation?”

Riley wiggled her eyebrows. “Is Lincoln as good as he looks?”

Daisy couldn’t help but laugh. “Is this why you guys included me? To get the scoop on me and Lincoln?”

“Of course not, we included you because we adore you,” Mollie protested.

“And?” Daisy asked knowingly.

“And we want the scoop on you and Lincoln,” Penelope said with an apologetic grin.

Daisy gave her sister a quick glance, wondering if Emma was upset that Daisy hadn’t confided in her, but Emma looked more worried than offended.

For that matter, it wasn’t just Emma who seemed concerned. The entire vibe in the room had just a touch of concern nestled in among all the girl talk.

“I know you guys are protective of him,” Daisy told them softly. “But I’m not going to hurt him. I know what he’s been through. He matters to me.”

“He matters to us as well, just like you do,” Grace said. “Like it or not, you’re a part of this family, and we look out for one another. We don’t want you to hurt Lincoln, obviously, but neither do we want him to hurt you.”

“I adore Lincoln,” Emma said, meeting Daisy’s gaze steadily. “But I love you. I need to know that you know what you’re getting into. That you understand how this is going to play out.”

The rest of the women nodded in agreement, and Daisy jolted a little in surprise as she realized what was going on here. This wasn’t a Don’t you dare hurt Lincoln talk. This was a Be careful of Lincoln talk.

And though Daisy knew they meant well, she felt a little stab of protectiveness. A need to defend his honor. “You all know, right, that the Lincoln you thought you knew was just a mirage. He was never the womanizing playboy he presented to the world. He’s a good guy.”

“He’s the best guy,” Riley said, nodding in agreement. “But sweetheart, that is one damaged dude. The baggage…I can’t even imagine how much the airlines would charge for that.”

“Riley,” Grace said in a low murmur.

“Oh, come on. Like you’re not all thinking it,” Riley said with refreshing candor. “The guy was engaged, and days before his wedding, the girl gets in a car accident, and the result is heart-splintering. He spends two years taking care of the woman he loves who can’t feed herself much less recognize him or herself, and then she dies.”

“But he’s dealing with it,” Penelope argued, before glancing at Daisy. “Isn’t he?”

“He is,” Daisy said slowly, willing it to be true. “I’m not going to say that he’s not going to be dealing with Katie’s ghost for a long while, but there’s been progress. Costa Rica was good for him, and now…”

“And now he’s with you.”

“He’s not with me. We’re not dating,” Daisy said. “We’re just…I don’t even know.”

“And that’s fine.” Mollie’s voice was soothing as she tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear and leaned forward. “It’s fine to not define it, or apply a label to it. We’ve all been there. And none of our relationships came without skeletons in the closet. I mean, for God’s sake, Jackson was married to my sister.”

Riley raised her hand. “Sam’s my brother’s best friend and made him some bullshit promise never to touch me so we wasted a decade playing cat and mouse.”

Julie snorted. “That’s nothing. I pursued Mitchell for the sake of a story, and he only said yes because of a bet.”

“Jake’s a commitment-phobe,” Grace said.

“My husband only asked me out way back when because my father told him to, and even then he thought he was going out with my more fun twin,” Emma said into her wine.

Daisy threw a carrot at her. Technically, Cassidy had said yes to Emma and Daisy’s father’s request to take his daughter out because he’d thought it was Daisy, but nobody but Emma ever remembered that. And anyway, it didn’t matter. The two of them were like the great love story.

There was a beat of silence, and everyone looked at Penelope, who was nibbling on a pretzel.