Cash stiffened. “Wait. You knew, too?”

“Oh, brother, we all knew,” Jonah said.

“Or guessed,” Brax added. “Except Holt. We kept thinking he’d clue in, but… eh.”

Holt divided a glare among the lot of them. “I think I resent your implication.”

“It was right under your nose, dude,” Jonah added.

Cayla slid an arm around her husband. “I mean… it kinda was, honey. I suspected months ago.”

Because Cash hadn’t moved, Hadley turned to look up at him and burst out laughing at the dumbfounded expression on his face. “I thought you were supposed to be a spy.”

He grimaced. “Evidently I’m rusty. Guess it’s a good thing I retired from the field.”

Jonah offered him a conciliatory beer. “Can’t hide love, man.”

“Then it’s a good thing I don’t have to try anymore.” Cash shot Hadley a look that had her toes curling inside her booties.

There was a chorus of “awwwww.”

“I think there should be a toast to the happy couple.” Brax started passing out drinks from the cooler.

When he held out a long-neck bottle, Hadley angled her head. “Um…”

“No alcohol for the mama to be,” Cayla informed him.

Brax went brows up. “You’re… oh. Oh!”

“Wait, seriously?” Jonah asked.

“Did you seriously not realize that pregnancy test the other day wasn’t Cayla’s?” Mia asked.

“Why should we have known that?” Brax wanted to know.

Laughing, Hadley accepted a Dr. Pepper. As their friends made toasts to their happiness and impending parenthood, she cuddled up against Cash’s side, sliding an arm around his waist. He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her brow. Being a naturally demonstrative person, she appreciated no longer having to squash her inclinations toward PDA. She wondered how scandalized Holt would be if she gave Cash’s very fine butt a squeeze. Amused by the prospect, she slid her hand down from his waist, noticing a lump in his pocket. Curious, she slipped her hand inside, her fingers closing around something hard. Figuring it was another of his tech gadgets, she pulled it out.

“What’s this?”

Cash spun, and Hadley instinctively dodged, childhood memories of keep away fueling her agility to hold the thing out of his reach.

He snagged her around the waist. “No. No. Give that back.”

Giggling, she turned over her hand. The sight of the black velvet ring box had her going stock still, the can of Dr. Pepper falling from her other hand. Cash froze, and no one said a word as she flipped it open. The ring inside flashed fire in the ambient light. The artist in her swooned at the delicate filigreed setting housing the central ruby and surrounding diamonds. The woman hardly dared breathe. Unable to speak, she lifted her gaze to his.

“You weren’t supposed to see that yet.” His brows drew together, obviously trying to gauge her reaction.

Hadley wasn’t sure how to feel. She didn’t believe in getting married because of a child. She’d told him that. When had he even had time to go pick one up? Tipping the box, she read the name of the jeweler embossed on the satin lining of the top and went brows up.

“This is from Nelson Coleman.” They were one of the biggest jewelers in Baltimore.

“Yeah.”

She met his eyes again. “You bought this before we came down here.”

He didn’t flinch. “Yeah. I wanted him to know I was serious, even if you weren’t ready to.”

All the tension bled out at the acknowledgment. He’d bought the ring before he even knew about the baby. That was all she needed to know.