Cady raised one bushy eyebrow at her. “You sure about that?”

  “Yeah, pretty damn sure.” Eli’s eyes were wide and serious.

  “She’s not.”

  “Where do you get off thinking she’s jealous?”

  Cady knocked her head toward the truck. “You brought her to the sausage supper. I know you live out of town, Eli, but you have to know it was the talk of the town. Still is. Then you brought her to bingo.”

  “I’m showing my guest around town. I’ve done it with lots of guests before.”

  “Lots of guests haven’t been beautiful young single women.”

  “How do you even know she’s single? She might not be.” Eli’s tone rose, but Cady just gave her a pointed look in response. “Fine, she’s single, but still, we are not in a relationship or doing anything. She’s a guest at the B&B, and all I was doing for her was anything I’d do for anyone else.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Positive?”

  “Cady,” Eli’s voice was low with warning. “There is nothing going on.”

  “Bridget seems to think otherwise.”

  If Eli could, she’d slam her forehead against the counter, but she figured Cady wouldn’t like that much. “Put the wood on my tab. I’ll pay it at the start of the month.”

  Turning to leave, Eli stopped at the sound of Cady’s tender tone. “Be careful.”

  “With what, exactly?”

  “Everything.”

  Not replying, Eli turned and walked out the side door and into the parking lot of the lumber yard. Her head spun, but she was more shocked to find Sarah out of the truck and helping the boys move the lumber from the forklift to the bed of her truck. She was laughing and joking with them, too. Eli reached into her truck and grabbed a pair of gloves, tossing them at Sarah before she could hurt herself.

  Sarah didn’t say anything as she slipped them onto her hands. Eli moved in to help, and it wasn’t more than ten minutes before they had everything loaded. She moved around to the cab and jumped in, waiting for Sarah to get the hint and join her. It wasn’t much longer until they were sitting next to each other and Eli was pulling out of the parking lot.

  She had to get out of town, wanted so badly to leave and get home and forget everything about her conversation with Cady, but she couldn’t. It kept repeating in her head. Why would Bridget be jealous of anything? She wasn’t doing anything, and the town just needed to stop talking for one night because she seriously wasn’t ever going to come to town again if they kept up like that. Overwhelmed, Eli focused on the road and turned the radio up to drown out the thoughts in her head.

  Sarah had seen the difference in Eli the moment she’d come back out, but she hadn’t commented on it. She listened to the music on the radio, trying to give Eli the space she needed, but then it happened, and as much as she wanted to leave it alone, she couldn’t.

  The song filtered through the speakers, and the moment the first three notes hit, Sarah knew what song it was. Hers. The current number one hit on radio stations for the last ten weeks. She’d somehow managed to avoid listening to it thus far in the presence of Eli, but there was no stopping it now. What if Eli figured it out? It would change absolutely everything. It would put even more distance between them, and she’d been so sure they’d made some progress in mending fences the night before.

  Sarah ground her molars together, clenched her fingers against her knees before she reached up on impulse and hit the button to turn the radio off. Eli turned to her suddenly and slapped it back on, a touch of anger in her tone when Eli asked, “What’d you do that for?”

  Not sure how to answer, Sarah turned the radio off again. “I don’t like that song.”

  “Seriously?” Eli’s brow furrowed.

  Anxiety and nerves bulldozed their way through her, and when Sarah finally had the courage to look up, there was humor lighting up Eli’s face. Sarah shook her head, hoping she didn’t have to answer the inevitable.

  “What don’t you like about it?”

  “They play it all the time,” Sarah responded, a tinge of whine to her tone.

  Laughing, Eli shook her head as she turned the radio back on. “Yeah, they tend to do that with big hits.”

  Sarah leaned in one more time and turned it off again. “I just don’t like it. Please.”

  “How can you not like your own damn song?”

  She froze. Her heart stumbled. If she had been standing or walking, she was sure she would have fallen flat on her face. Slowly, having to dare herself to do it, Sarah turned with parted lips, wide eyes, and stared at Eli. “What did you say?”

  “How do you not like your own song? You should be proud it’s a number one hit. Like seriously, Sarah, that’s not something everyone can do or will do or has done, and you’ve done it several times at this point.”

  She was speechless. Sarah had no words. Wetting her lips, she tried again, but no words could form. She tried again. “Pull over.”

  “What?”

  “Pull the fucking truck over.”

  Eli didn’t wait as she stepped on the brake and pulled off into the grass, the truck leaning as they were halfway down the ditch. Sarah’s chest rose and fell as she drew in short rapid breaths. When Eli turned the engine off, Sarah asked the only thing she could think of.

  “How long?”

  “How long what? Have I been listening to your music? Since well before just today if that’s what you mean.”

  Sarah shook her head. “How long has it been since you figured out who I was?”

  The grin on Eli’s lips was not comforting, the twinkle in her eye set Sarah’s nerve endings on fire, but every muscle in her body was still taut with fear. Eli unbuckled her seat belt and twisted to face Sarah more fully, lifting her chin with the crook of her finger.

  “Sarah, I have known who you were since the moment I turned around and saw you sitting in Mrs. Hargrave’s kitchen. You’re not exactly someone who blends in.”

  Heat seared through her chest as their eyes locked. If Eli had known the entire time who she was, that changed everything. There hadn’t been any hiding. Eli had treated her just like everyone else, taught her things, took her to do things, made fun of her when she messed up, complimented her. The humor in Eli’s face turned to worry when Sarah said nothing in immediate response. Her feelings were all over the place, and she was struggling to keep up with them.

  “I don’t hate my own song,” she whispered.

  “Then why have me turn it off?”

  Their faces were so close. It was so hard to think with Eli right there, in her space, right next to her, wanting to know everything. Her tongue dashed against her lower lip again, and her toes curled in her boots.

  “Look, Sarah, I like your music. I have for a couple years now. You coming here was a surprise for me as much as this seems to be for you, but I’m not stupid. I know you’re more than just your music. I know you’re more than just Sadie Bade.”

  That was it. That was Sarah’s breaking point. Reaching up, she curled her hand against Eli’s neck, cupping her jaw. She moved her thumb against her skin, then against her lips. Eli’s breath hitched. Sarah’s gaze moved from Eli’s lips to her eyes. This was their moment. It was now or never.

  “I want to kiss you,” Sarah whispered.

  Eli swallowed, her lips parting. The heat of her breath against Sarah’s thumb moved straight down her body, pooling between her legs.

  “Eli.”

  Eli’s tongue moved to Sarah’s thumb, wetting it.

  “Eli, do you want me to kiss you?”

  Eli’s gaze shot straight to Sarah’s face, and Sarah was struck by how handsome and beautiful she was in one tightly compact body. God, she wanted to touch, everything, everywhere. She wanted to explore, to learn every spot that would make Eli sigh, scream, cry out in pleasure. When she reined in her fantasies, she realized Eli still hadn’t answered her.

  Bringing her hand down to Eli’s neck, she leaned forward so they were nearly touching nose to nose. “Eli, do you want me to kiss you?”

  “Y-yes.”

  Sarah grinned. Every last pull of anxiety in her body flung out the window as she shifted in closer. Their lips barely touched, just a brush, but Eli’s gasp of breath encouraged her as did the heat continuing to build between her legs.

  Eli reached down and pushed the button on the seatbelt, freeing Sarah from the confines in an instant. Sarah didn’t wait again. Once she was close enough, she pressed their mouths together, sliding her hand against the back of Eli’s head to hold her close, to try and plaster their bodies against each other.

  With her free hand, she grasped hold of Eli’s back and tugged her impossibly closer. She couldn’t breathe. Everything she had in that moment, her whole world, nothing else mattered. The feel of Eli against her was everything she had hoped and dreamed of.

  Pulling back, Sarah grinned. Her cheeks were hot, her body sparking with so much energy she wasn’t sure she’d ever get it to stop. Her thumb was on Eli’s lips again, but she knew she was smiling. No way could Sarah deny how happy she was.

  “That was nice,” Eli whispered.

  “Yeah.” Sarah pulled her lower lip between her teeth. “It was fucking amazing.”

  Eli snorted. “It was. I think we should do it again.”

  “Thank God.”

  This time Eli moved forward, pressing their mouths together and dashing her tongue out for a taste. Sarah shivered. God, she wanted so much more of everything. Eli’s hands were in her hair, sliding through her tangled locks, pulling when they found knots but then diving right back in and holding her still. Sarah let a gentle moan escape as she parted them, hoping Eli would recognize the invitation for what it was.

  Sarah didn’t want to overstep. She didn’t want to cajole Eli into anything she didn’t want, but when Eli’s tongue slid against hers, she knew she was done for. Her entire being was tuned into Eli.

  “I want to touch you all over,” Sarah murmured.

  Eli whimpered, and it sent a shock of pleasure through Sarah’s chest. Shifting in the seat, Sarah pulled up on one knee and leaned so she towered over Eli, keeping their lips locked together as she moved. Eli tilted back, just like Sarah had hoped she would.

  “Do you want me to touch you?”

  Drawing in a sharp breath, Eli broke the kiss quick enough to answer. “Yes.”

  With their mouths together, Sarah wasn’t sure what she wanted to do first. Eli’s hands moved down her back and onto her ass, pulling her in tighter. With each kiss Sarah placed on Eli’s lips and jaw and down her neck, her mind ran a million miles a second.

  “Tell me what to do,” Sarah whispered, swirling the tip of her tongue just under Eli’s left ear.

  “I don’t know.” Eli worked her hand up the back of Sarah’s shirt, fingering her spine.

  Sarah moved back to Eli’s lips. Her hips rocked into Eli’s as she laid fully on top of her. Eli’s hand guided her head down, holding Sarah to her. They became lost in each other. Every thought Sarah had was of Eli. Every move she made was solely for Eli’s pleasure. She didn’t want to move or to get up. It was perfect. The pounding on the window made her jerk, fear ratcheting up in her chest.

  Eli pushed Sarah off her as she spun around to stare out the driver’s side window. Her heart thumped so hard she was pretty sure it would jump out of her chest and run away. She would have loved to follow it, because looking back into Bridget’s concerned and angry and hurt face was too much.

  Sarah shifted behind her, the seat crunching as she moved, but Eli didn’t dare tear her gaze away from Bridget. It took her far too long to have enough brain power to roll down the window until Bridget could look in and raise a brow. Sarah might not have seen it, but Eli did. The tears in Bridget’s eyes barely held in.

  “I was just checking, since you’re pulled over on the side of the highway, that you were okay.”

  Eli swallowed, her lips parting to respond, but Bridget held her hand up.

  “I can see you are.”

  Bridget stalked off in a huff, and when Eli turned to look out the back window, she saw the cruiser behind her for the first time. Cursing under her breath, she turned to Sarah. “Give me a minute.”

  “Whatever you need.” Sarah gave her a sweet smile and an encouraging nod.

  Eli jumped out of the truck and stormed after Bridget. Wind whipped her braids as she grabbed Bridget’s arm and spun her around so they were facing each other. “What is your problem?”

  Bridget shook her head and stepped back.

  “No, seriously. What is your problem?”

  “I love you.”

  Eli straightened her shoulders. “No, you don’t.”

  “I do. I do, Eli. Don’t tell me what I do and don’t feel.”

  Shaking her head, Eli glanced at the truck and the silhouette of Sarah still sitting in the passenger seat. “No, you don’t love me like that, not anymore. You never did. You loved the thought of me, the secret of me, but you never loved me truly and fully. I gave you everything, Bridget. It’s been two years, and you just suddenly deem now as the time to confess all this? No, this isn’t love. This is jealously, this is you not working through your crap, this is you not following through—yet again—with anything that doesn’t serve your own purpose.”

  Bridget’s lips parted.

  “Don’t speak. I’m tired of living with this tension. We used to be best friends. For years. For life, really. We grew up together. I’m tired of feeling like I can’t go to stuff in town because you’ll be there or because I don’t want to cause a commotion with you or cause you any more hurt, but you know what? It’s got to stop. Two years is enough. We’ve got to learn how to live in this town together. We may never be best friends again, but the very least we can do is be civil and friendly.”

  Eli stared directly into Bridget’s eyes, hoping against hope there was something in Bridget that this would all ring true for. When Bridget shook her head and took another step away, Eli was sure she was lost.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Too late,” Bridget said.

  Eli resisted letting out a snort. This was how it went every time. She would share and inevitably, whatever it was, Bridget would take it to heart. “Then I’m sorry, but I’m not going to hide any longer.”

  “You don’t even know her,” Bridget spat.

  “No, I don’t know her well. But at least she’s willing to get to know me better, at least she’s willing to take a risk. And you know what, Bridget? I want to be with her. I really do. I want to see where it goes.”

  Tears streamed down Bridget’s cheeks. “I don’t want you to be with her.”

  “Or anyone, I assume.” Eli’s voice calmed. She stepped forward, grasping Bridget’s hands. “But here’s the thing, Bridget, I am not with you. I haven’t been with you in two years, and like I said two years ago, I am not going to wait around for you to decide when you want to be with me. I’ve moved on. You need to move on, too, for your own well-being.”

  Silence filled the gap between them, Bridget not making eye contract for quite some time. The mood shifted, and Eli knew she had made her point. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

  Relief washed over Eli. Bridget sniffled, and then she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

  “You’re right.”

  “I know I’m right.”

  “Shut up.” Bridget smirked then she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Eli’s shoulders. “I’m sorry about the other night.”

  “Thank you for apologizing, really.” Eli mimicked Bridget’s stance, hugging her tightly and rubbing a hand over her shoulders to give as much comfort as she could.

  “Eli?”

  “Yeah?” Eli moved away so she could look Bridget in the eye again.

  Bridget brushed her fingers over her cheeks. “I know it’s awkward, but seriously, don’t pull over on the side of the road to have a make out session, especially without your flashers on.”

  Eli did laugh then, embarrassment whipping through her. If only Bridget had known the full story, or if only she wasn’t chiding Eli about stuff they used to do all the time. Nodding, Eli chuckled. “Yeah, I won’t do that again. Promise. Scout’s honor.”

  “Good. Now go on. I’ve got real police work to do.”

  “Sure, you do. Taking down the next high-speed runner?”

  “You know it.” Bridget grinned as she strutted toward her cruiser.

  Eli didn’t wait. They’d see each other again, no doubt, but hopefully the boiling over point was done and they would truly be able to make progress toward being friends once again. She wouldn’t have to lose a lifelong friend because of decisions they had both made.

  When she got back to the truck, she stepped on the gas and the clutch, roaring the engine to life. She paused and watched Bridget pull out onto the highway and turn her cruiser toward town. Eli slapped the radio on and faced Sarah, who gave her a curious look with a single raised eyebrow.

  “Don’t ask.”

  “Wasn’t planning on it, but is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I think it is. For the first time in a long time.”

  “Good.” Sarah’s lip was back between her teeth again.

  Unable to resist, Eli leaned over the middle seat and grabbed Sarah’s face between both her hands and pulled her in for a quick, hard kiss. When she moved away, Sarah tugged her back, making the kiss last longer than she had originally anticipated. Sarah slid away by pressing soft kisses to Eli’s lips and then grinning.

  “So what are we doing now?” Sarah whispered.

  “We’re going to the house.”

  “And?”

  Eli raised an eyebrow, giving Sarah the most serious look she could muster. “You haven’t figured that out yet?”

  “Well, I didn’t want to assume.”

  “Assume away, Sarah.”

  “Good.” Sarah pulled her in, their lips moving against each other, tongues dancing and enticing.

  Eli drew in a sharp breath as Sarah sidled up closer to her. Eli relaxed into the embrace, so glad the final barrier had been broken down. She wasn’t sure how much longer they stayed there, but when Sarah finally relented, Eli knew they had to leave then and there, otherwise they wouldn’t ever get to the house—at least not any time soon.