Andi broke the contact and raised her glass. “Friends?”

  Maggie clinked her glass with Andi’s. “Always.”

  Only a drop of whiskey was left in Andi’s glass as she put it to her lips. Andi cleared her throat of emotion and said, “I need a refill.” She got up from the table and headed across the room.

  As Maggie watched her weave through the tables to the bar, she couldn’t help feeling sad for her. She was in the same boat, only different, in that at least Rita gave Andi some of her time. Lynn wouldn’t give Maggie any of hers. Maybe that was better. Once she got a taste of what her life would be like with Lynn, she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to return to not having her be a part of it.

  * * *

  Andi fumbled for the keys in her pocket and handed them to Maggie. The drive had been interesting. Andi had repeatedly opened the window for fresh air, and Maggie had closed it each time. Maggie’s hair was now windblown beyond belief. She brushed it from her eyes as she tried to key the lock. Once she had the key in, she turned the knob and pushed open the door.

  The sight of Andi’s lips coming at her when she looked up had been unexpected and unwanted. Their lips met softly, but she wasn’t moving Andi out of the friend realm, and that meant all sexual activities and any kind of actions that might lead to sex were off-limits.

  Maggie put her hands on Andi’s chest and urged her back. “Although that was nice, we both know nothing’s going to happen here.”

  Andi chuckled. “You’re so practical.”

  “I am.” She opened the door. “Now get inside before your neighbors start complaining.”

  Andi weaved her way around the living-room furniture to the kitchen. “You want another drink? Wine? Beer?” She took a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet.

  She rushed to her, took the bottle, and slid it back onto the shelf. “No. And you don’t need one either.”

  “No one wants me. I need to drown my sorrows.” Andi retrieved the bottle.

  “Stop that right now.” She swiped the bottle from Andi’s hand and held it out of her reach. “If I wasn’t so screwed up about Lynn, I’d take you up on anything you had to offer. Plenty of women would kill for a chance to be with you. Rita must be crazy.”

  Andi leaned against the counter and raised an eyebrow. “As soon as you leave, I’m going to get that bottle.”

  “Then I guess I’ll stay.” She took Andi’s hand and pulled her forward. “Where’s your bedroom?”

  Andi chuckled. “You’re the first woman who’s ever dragged me to bed.”

  She laughed. “Just stop,” she said with a laugh as she pushed Andi’s jacket from her shoulders. “You looked very dapper tonight.”

  “Did I?” Andi grinned.

  “You did.” She pushed Andi onto the bed and raised her feet to the bottom of it. “Too bad there weren’t any lesbians there to notice.”

  “Yeah. My family doesn’t attract them. Totally straight.” Andi smiled up at her. “It’s a curse.”

  Maggie glanced around the bedroom, looking for any type of extra blanket or throw. “I’m gonna a grab a blanket from the…”

  “Hall closet.”

  The closet had multiple sheet sets and blankets. She reached for one of the blankets and then peeked into the room across the hall, which was furnished with another queen-sized bed.

  “You’re coming back in here, right? I want to talk more,” Andi shouted from the bedroom.

  She sighed. “I’ll be in after I go to the bathroom.”

  “There’s a new toothbrush in the drawer.” Andi’s voice carried loudly through the small two-bedroom apartment.

  She washed her face and then found the toothbrush in the drawer and brushed her teeth. By the time she got back to the bedroom, Andi was asleep. She covered her with the blanket she’d taken from the closet and then slid under the bed covers next to her and felt her chest. Still breathing. That was good. She’d never seen someone drink so much whiskey. Even though there was only a finger’s worth in the highball glass, Andi had downed many of them. Maggie would’ve been drunk by the second glass. Andi was larger than she was and seemed to have a tolerance for alcohol, but she’d probably have a helluva hangover in the morning.

  * * *

  The smell of bacon filled the bedroom. Maggie opened her eyes and saw that Andi was gone. Some watchdog she was. Maggie hadn’t even heard her sneak out. She rolled out of bed, went to the bathroom, peed, washed her hands, brushed her teeth, and checked herself in the reflection. The minimal makeup she’d been wearing last night was now smudged under her eyes. That plus her lack of sleep had created dark circles under them that removing the makeup would minimize only slightly. She wet her hands again and raked her fingers through her hair to fluff the flattened areas created from sleeping on one side, watching Andi, most of the night.

  Once completely satisfied that she wouldn’t scare anyone, Maggie went to the kitchen, stopped at the entrance, and watched Andi, now dressed in dark-blue shorts and a gray T-shirt, cook. The bacon was already done, and she was scrambling eggs. She whisked some kind of seasoning she’d taken from the cabinet into the bowl and then poured the eggs into a pan on the stove before she turned to set the bowl in the sink.

  Maggie grinned. “Good morning, sunshine.”

  “Good morning,” Andi said with a sheepish smile. “Sorry I drank so much last night.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m good. Just need some protein.” She picked up the plate of bacon and held it in front of Maggie.

  She took a piece, bit the end off, and moaned. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had home-cooked bacon?”

  “I made plenty.” Andi took the plate to the table. “Coffee?”

  “I’d love some.” That would be her only saving grace today. She didn’t have to work, but there was cleaning and grocery shopping to do. Once Maggie got home, she wouldn’t want to go out again, but she couldn’t stop at the store dressed the way she was. She’d call Stacy on her way home to see if she could do the shopping. The two of them hadn’t lived together that long, but they’d found a grocery phone app they could share to make sure they didn’t buy too much or too little food for the week.

  Andi handed her a cup of coffee and pointed to the table. “Sit. The eggs will be done in a minute.”

  The table had already been set with plates and silverware and a glass of orange juice by each of the plates. Maggie had to admit the food smelled wonderful when Andi brought it to the table. In addition to the bacon, Andi had cooked eggs, toast, and a couple of small steaks that Maggie hadn’t noticed when she was in the kitchen. Maggie never ate like this at home alone, but since Andi was a paramedic and lived at the fire station during her shifts, it was probably the norm for her.

  The chair screeched as it slid across the linoleum floor when Andi pulled it away from the table. “I’ve got milk if you want it.”

  “Juice is good.” She picked up the glass and took a gulp. “Does your family know about Rita?”

  “Yeah. They’ve met her, but they’re not too keen on her. She acts weird when she comes to family events,” Andi said as she took the seat across from her. “They can see she hasn’t gone all in on the relationship.”

  “Friends and family are pretty perceptive about those things.”

  “I’m not sure how to make that happen.” Andi chuckled. “Aren’t we a pair?”

  Maggie nodded as she chewed the bite she’d just taken and then wiped her mouth. “Right? Forever destined to pine for women we can’t have.”

  “At least I’m in good company.” Andi stared at her plate as she filled her fork and shoveled another bite into her mouth.

  “You’re an awesome cook.” Another reason Andi would be a good catch. Why couldn’t she just move on to someone like Andi? She studied her long lashes and full lips, and caught herself moving her gaze down to her strong arms and imagining the muscled abs underneath her T-shirt. That needed to stop right now, or both of them would end up getting hurt.

  Andi finished her breakfast and looked up from her plate. “You want to shower and change into one of my T-shirts and some shorts? You’ll probably swim in them.”

  “Thanks, but I’m just gonna go home and shower there.” She ate a last forkful of eggs. “These are really good.”

  “Secret spices for special guests.” Andi winked. “You’ll have to stay over again sometime.”

  “I just might do that.” She grinned. Andi was so sweet, she just wished she had someone to come home to. Maggie wasn’t ready to let go of her hopes for Lynn, or she’d definitely take a chance on romance with her.

  Andi insisted on walking Maggie to her car, and just as she opened the door for her, Maggie glanced over Andi’s shoulder and caught a glimpse of Rita’s blacked-out Dodge Charger parked farther down in the lot. She gave Andi a hug and held on for a few minutes until she heard a car start and saw the Charger drive away, Rita staring out the window at them. Maybe Rita cared a little more than she wanted to let on.

  She’d had a great time with Andi at the wedding, even with all the questions she’d had to field from her family about who she was and how they knew each other. They’d finally accepted the fact that they were friends after the umpteenth time both she and Andi had told them. Andi had said not to worry and had reaffirmed throughout the night that she knew where they stood, even though it was fun having Maggie as her date for the night. The whole night and morning had been an absolute pleasure. Rita should wise up and see what was in front of her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lynn rolled over and looked at the large red numbers of the alarm clock on her nightstand. It was almost six, but the sun wasn’t up quite yet. Daylight savings time always wreaked havoc on her sleeping habits, and this morning had been no exception. She’d finally drifted off to sleep around three but had been ridiculously restless. She’d been so focused on Maggie, she hadn’t gotten more than a couple hours of sleep. At the game last night, when she’d seen her drive up and get out of her car, her mind had filled with so many thoughts, and she couldn’t take her eyes off her. The sexy spaghetti-strap dress showed her every curve, and the legs peeking out below the bottom were gorgeous. Lynn hadn’t even seen the ball until it hit her in the chest. Thank God she wore a thick pad for protection, or her girls would be super-sore today.

  The thing that hurt more than the hit was that Maggie knew she’d missed that play because of her. She had to have noticed Lynn’s error. When Maggie had waved and gone back to her car, all she wanted to do was follow her and stop her from going out with Andi. But that would involve telling Maggie how she felt about her, and she still had too many unknowns, too many life choices to make for that.

  Since going back to sleep was out of the question, she got up, went to the kitchen, and rummaged through the cabinet. There she located the ingredients for a pound cake and got started. Baking soothed her when she was stressed, and she’d found herself doing a lot of that lately. Once the cake was in the oven, she showered and threw on some sweatpants and a T-shirt before making a pot of coffee.

  By the time the sun came up, the cake was out of the oven and cooled somewhat. She found herself cutting a couple of slices and wrapping them in foil before she refilled her coffee cup and then did the exact opposite of what she should. She left her apartment and took the elevator down a floor, went to Maggie’s apartment, and knocked on the door. Then she knocked again, only harder this time. No answer. She glanced at her watch. It was after seven, so she’d probably already gone out for her run. Lynn headed to the elevator and went to the lobby to see if she could catch her when she got back. Her life had been turned completely upside-down since Maggie came back to Baltimore, and the constant struggle she was battling within wasn’t getting any better. Who knew a single kiss that had occurred years ago could linger for so long? She had to get her feelings for Maggie under control, and having Maggie’s participation seemed to be the only way to resolve them.

  Many people had come in and out of the lobby since Lynn arrived. Seated close to the elevator in the lobby, not reading the paper, for at least an hour, she was beginning to wonder if Maggie was still upstairs in her apartment and just hadn’t heard the knock. But then Maggie rushed through the front door of the complex, and Lynn’s stomach bottomed out when she glimpsed her. She was still wearing the same dress she’d showed up in at the softball field last night, her shoes swinging in her hand, held only by the straps. She went home with Andi. So many thoughts swarmed her mind. Did they have sex? Probably. Was she going to do it again? Of course she is. Had she lost her only chance with Maggie? Absolutely. Her heart pounded. She hadn’t realized until now how deep her feelings for Maggie went.

  Maggie stopped when she noticed Lynn staring, glanced around the lobby, and then seemed to take a deep breath, straighten her shoulders, and press forward. Sitting here, waiting for Maggie this morning was a bad idea, and seeing her come home from her date only confirmed that Maggie belonged with someone else. Someone her own age.

  She glanced up from the paper she held as Maggie passed and said, “You certainly jumped all in on that one.” Did I really say that? Where was her even-tempered restraint when she needed it? She cursed herself for noticing how good Maggie looked and for becoming uncontrollably jealous.

  Maggie stopped like someone had hit her square in the back with a water balloon, balled her fists like Lynn had seen her do many times before when she was preparing to stand her ground, and turned around. “Isn’t that what you told me to do?” she asked, her eyes narrowed and focused.

  “The dress, the hair…” Lynn looked her up and down. Even fourteen hours later and disheveled, Maggie was still beautiful. “Everything was probably hard for Andi to resist.”

  Maggie’s hand went to her hip. “You told me you didn’t want me, so sue me for looking good for someone else.”

  She wasn’t just looking good. She was looking spectacular. “You’re right. I did say that.” Lynn swallowed and rolled her lips in. “I take it all back.” And she did. Her heart was pleading with her to tell Maggie how she felt, but her head was still hesitating.

  The strappy shoes cut through the air as Maggie swung them over her shoulder. “Because you’re jealous?”

  The vision in front of Lynn had just become even sexier, and her mind scattered. “No. Yes. I don’t know.” She folded the paper in her lap and tossed it onto the table next to her.

  “That’s not an answer I can accept. I need you to know why.” She stared into Lynn’s eyes, obviously waiting for more, but Lynn didn’t say another word. “Listen,” Maggie said and let out a heavy breath. “I’m tired and I need to shower, so can we continue this conversation another time?”

  “No need to continue. It’s not my business.” And it wasn’t, but damn it. She wanted it to be more than she ever had before.

  Her stomach swirled as she watched Maggie walk to the elevator. She ached to follow her, run her hand across the bare skin peeking out from the open spot on the back of her dress. She took in a breath and picked up the paper. She would read the same line she’d read a thousand times already this morning again before she headed up to her own apartment in a few minutes.

  * * *

  Maggie’s shift was halfway over, and she hadn’t seen Lynn at all again today, just as she hadn’t seen her over the past few days after their encounter in the apartment lobby. She didn’t know where she was in the hospital, but it seemed as though she’d been avoiding her since they talked Saturday morning. It had been a bad idea to make Lynn jealous. The only thing letting Lynn think she’d slept with Andi did was let her know Maggie was looking for casual sex with anyone to fill the void, and that was far from the truth.

  She didn’t want Lynn for a quick fuck. She wanted her for a lifetime. She wasn’t sure what had actually happened during their conversation in the lobby. It was clear that Lynn was upset. She’d said things that had made Maggie defensive, and she hadn’t come clean about not sleeping with Andi. She’d only fueled the jealousy Lynn was displaying. She’d gone over their conversation many times in her head since it had happened and knew she’d screwed herself by letting her feelings get the best of her and being irrational. Now she felt bad about the whole situation and didn’t know quite how to fix it, but Lynn had been nowhere to be found to clear it all up.

  She heard Andi’s voice from down the hall and turned to find her accompanying a patient in on a gurney. She waved and then said something to her partner, and he went on with the patient as Andi came Maggie’s way.

  Andi swept her into a hug. “I owe you a huge thank you for the other night.”

  She held on to Andi’s shoulders as she lifted her off the floor and squeezed her. “For what? Hiding the alcohol or pouring you into bed?”

  “Yes. All of that and so much more.” Andi laughed and set her free.

  She tilted her head and leaned against the wall. “So much more?”

  “Rita was in the parking lot that morning. She’d come to see me and got all jealous when she saw you leave. Now she wants to be exclusive.”

  “That’s awesome,” she said with a grin. She’d seen Rita but hadn’t mentioned it to Andi. Maggie was happy that the date had prompted Rita to take action and only wished she’d gotten the same reaction from Lynn. Their conversation that morning had seemed to do just the opposite. Running into Lynn as she crossed the lobby to the elevator was the last thing she’d expected that morning. Had she been waiting for her? No. She couldn’t have known she hadn’t come home the night before. Damn it. She was sure she’d looked horrible from sleeping in her dress and with her makeup smeared. She’d glanced around for another path to the elevator but hadn’t found one, so she’d straightened her shoulders and padded across the floor to accept the consequences.

  “How are things with the nurse? Any movement there?” Andi asked.