"I'm going to say hello to Jeff," she told them, "and ask him why he keeps secrets from me. Play nice in the sandbox, you two."

She found Jeff out on the patio in the middle of a group of people.

"Hey!" He grinned when he saw her. "Glad you made it."

She gave him a one-armed hug and whispered in his ear, "Did you deliberately not tell me someone in particular was coming?"

He lowered his voice and put his mouth close to her ear. "Would you have come if I ...