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Not sure whether it was supposed to be a private conversation, Lily took her time pressing the scoop of ice cream firmly onto the cone.
“What do you mean, they know?” Denzel asked in a panic.
“I told them about us,” Mirren said.
“All of them?”
“Yes.”
Disbelief flashed in Denzel’s eyes.
“It’s all right,” Mirren said. “It turns out that Trystan and Noah already suspected. Apparently, we weren’t as sneaky as we thought – they’ve seen you coming and going from the house.”
Denzel groaned.
“They’d mentioned it to Lowen, so he wasn’t surprised either.”
“Oh my gosh,” Denzel muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face.
“They’re fine with it. Jago said he was happy for me.”
“And Kit?” Denzel whispered.
“Kit was surprised.” Her smile slipped then. “He hasn’t said much, but I’m sure he’ll be fine once he gets used to the idea.”
“Sorry,” Lily said, unable to hang back with the ice cream any longer.
Denzel muttered his thanks and she waved him away when he tried to pay.
“I thought you’d be pleased,” Mirren said, apparently not concerned about Lily overhearing the conversation. “You wanted me to tell them.”
“Yes, but they’re all here.” His jaw was tight as he glanced over at the Trenearys, who were chatting loudly. “I feel a little blind-sided.”
“They are a little intimidating,” Lily said, feeling a jolt of sympathy for Denzel.
“My boys?” Mirren said, eyes widening.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Lily said. “I think they’re all lovely, but you have a big family. When they’re all together, they can be a bit…” She glanced over at the crowd of them and felt another burst of sympathy for Denzel. “It can be overwhelming to be around all of them,” she finished.
“Exactly,” Denzel said, then licked at his ice cream when it began to drip down the cone. “Can I just go home?” he asked Mirren sheepishly.
“No.” She took his hand and led him away.
Lily wasn’t sure if she imagined the hush that fell over the shop as the two of them approached the rest of the Trenearys. It was only momentary, and then the chatting recommenced, and there was some shuffling around as they made space for Denzel.
“What was that all about?” Ted asked, appearing beside Lily.
She smiled. “What did it look like?”
“Mirren and Denzel?” he asked, wide-eyed.
“Yep.”
“Wow.” Ted stared across the room for a moment. “Good for them,” he said after a moment, then smiled at a woman walking up to the counter.
Lily’s eyes roamed the ice cream counter. “I’ll grab another tub of cherry ripple from the back,” she told Ted, who’d already taken over with serving the customer.
Away from the bustle of the shop, her mind strayed to Flynn. A wave of exhaustion had her stopping with her hand on the freezer door. She inhaled deeply and gave herself a mental talking to. She just needed to get through the next couple of hours without falling apart. That was all.