Tessa

When Lucy insisted on hosting a “tiny, totally casual” dinner to celebrate Tessa’s big client win, Tessa hadn’t expected a full-blown spread, candles flickering, and Miles manning the grill like it was a national competition.

Tessa laughed as Lucy shoved a glass of wine into her hand and tugged her toward the kitchen.

“You didn’t have to do all this,” Tessa said, heart full and a little overwhelmed.

Lucy just grinned.
“You’re family now. This is what we do.”

From the living room, Tessa caught sight of Graham sitting on the edge of the couch, a beer in hand, Moose sprawled at his feet like a lazy guardian.

He looked up — just for a second — and their eyes locked.

Something passed between them.

Something warm, unspoken, promising.

Tessa swallowed and looked away before she did something crazy, like beam at him like a lunatic.

---

Graham

He couldn’t stop watching her.

Tessa lit up the Bennetts’ house like she belonged there.
Like she had been meant to slot into their circle all along, laughter and soft chaos trailing after her.

Lucy kept hugging her.
Miles kept teasing her.

And Graham… Graham kept wondering how the hell he’d ever thought his life was full before she crashed into it.

“You look like a man who’s fighting a battle,” Miles muttered, clinking his beer against Graham’s and dropping onto the couch beside him.

Graham grunted.
“Not losing, though.”

Miles laughed under his breath.
“Keep telling yourself that.”

Graham rolled his eyes but couldn’t deny it — not when Tessa caught his gaze from across the room and smiled like he was her favorite secret.

Not when his chest tightened at the sight.

Not when every instinct screamed go to her.

---

Tessa

Dinner was loud, messy, and perfect.

By the time they finished dessert — a ridiculously decadent chocolate cake Lucy “just whipped up” (yeah, right) — Tessa’s cheeks hurt from laughing.

Graham stayed close but quiet most of the night.

It wasn’t until Miles and Lucy disappeared into the kitchen to “start clean up” (and maybe leave them alone on purpose) that Graham shifted closer.

“You happy?” he asked, voice low and a little rough.

Tessa nodded, heart flipping.

“More than,” she said honestly.

He looked down at his hands for a beat, like he was thinking hard.

Then — carefully — he reached over and brushed a crumb from the corner of her mouth with his thumb.

Tessa froze, breath catching.

His touch lingered a fraction too long to be casual.

Graham opened his mouth — closed it — opened it again.

“I… Tessa, I—”

But whatever he was about to say got swallowed by the sound of Lucy clattering loudly in the kitchen.

The moment popped like a soap bubble.

Tessa blinked up at him, stunned.

He cleared his throat, looking away.

“Good night,” he muttered gruffly, pushing up from the couch.

Tessa watched him go, heart thudding against her ribs.

What was he going to say?

And why did she feel like everything had almost changed?