When she reached her apartment, she hesitated. She wanted to go right back up to Lynn’s and kiss her again—let whatever would be happen. Instead, she slid her key into the lock and went inside. The last time Maggie had pushed her, Lynn had returned to Beth. No, she’d have to be patient and let Lynn realize how good they’d be together. She just hoped to God she’d do it soon.

  She flopped onto the couch and typed a text to Lynn.

  Thanks for the confidence.

  You’ll always have that from me.

  I’d like to have a whole lot more from you, she typed. Then erased her message and instead typed, Dinner Friday night?

  She watched as the bubbles appeared on the screen, and it seemed to take forever for the message to finally appear.

  Yes. My place @ seven.

  The thrill that ran through her was electric. She quickly typed Good night with a smiley face after it, got up, and danced around the living room. She’d been hoping for a yes and that Lynn hadn’t changed her mind since this morning. Suggesting her place as the location was unexpected and filled with so many opportunities. The possibility of something between them was quickly becoming a reality. She went into the bedroom and put on her running gear. It was still light out. No way would she get to sleep any time soon. Only running could help her wind down from this high.

  * * *

  “Whoa. Sorry.” Maggie clutched the woman she’d barreled over as she came out of the elevator, surprised to see it was Pam. Pam seemed to be just as surprised to see her. Evidently both of them had their minds on something else. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

  “Just thought I’d stop by and see Lynn.” Pam wore yoga pants, a blue tank, and a red hoodie, and Maggie still couldn’t get over what a beautiful blue her eyes were. Whoever had married those would be lost in them forever.

  “Really? Why aren’t you at home cuddling up with Heather?” Maggie aspired to someday have the relationship she’d seen between Pam and Heather.

  Pam hesitated, moving from side to side on her sneaker-clad feet before she answered. “I probably shouldn’t show you this.” She held up her phone to see the text from Lynn that simply said SOS! My place in 15 minutes.

  Maggie panicked. She’d left her only ten minutes ago. “What?” She grabbed the phone from Pam’s hand. “When did she send this?” She spun around and hit the up elevator button.

  The phone chimed, Pam took it back, and shook her head as she read the message.

  “Is that from Lynn?” Maggie reached for the phone, but Pam slid it into the pocket of her jacket before she took Maggie’s arm and moved her away from the elevator, where others could overhear their conversation.

  Once they were in an area free of inquiring ears, Pam sat down on the lobby couch and continued. “Apparently, someone thoroughly kissed her just a little while ago. Do you know anything about that?”

  Maggie’s cheeks warmed at the memory as she took the spot on the couch next to Pam. “Possibly.”

  “Lynn hasn’t told me everything that’s happened between you two, but enough to get that you make her very vulnerable.”

  “Hmm.” Maggie smiled as she thought of the way she’d just left Lynn—definitely vulnerable. “Is that a bad thing?”

  “It scares the hell out of her.”

  “Why? I’d never hurt her.”

  “Not intentionally. You’re twenty-six and she’s thirty-eight.” Pam held her hand up, spacing her thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. “Lil’ gap there.” Her tone made her comment sound like she thought it was a no-brainer.

  “I don’t care how old she is, and she knows that. Why’s she so worried about it?” And she didn’t care, not then and not now. In fact, Lynn’s maturity only solidified the attraction. Maggie was tired of dating women her age, women who never looked at the big picture, who only whined about things that didn’t matter to her.

  “Carrie, for one,” Pam said.

  She sank into the couch. “Yeah. I’m worried about that too, but that’s not about age. It’s about Carrie being a stubborn ass sometimes.”

  “Plus, she’s already raised her family. Don’t you want kids?”

  “I do, but…damn it.” She blew out a breath because she didn’t have a counter for that comment. She loved kids and wanted at least a couple to raise herself. “I’ve never clicked with any woman the way I do with Lynn, and I don’t want to let that go without at least trying to make it work.”

  “I get that, and I’m sure sometimes you feel this will be your only chance at happiness.”

  “Not sometimes. All the time. How do I make her feel that too?”

  “You deal with her concerns. Don’t brush them off, and don’t ignore them. Truly deal with them.”

  “That means I have to tell Carrie.”

  Pam’s hand flew up in the air. “Hold on. You can’t do that without Lynn knowing. That’ll just piss her off and push her farther away. Talk to her about everything—present, future, and past. She needs to trust that everything will work out if she chooses a life with you.”

  If she chooses. Maggie didn’t have any other choice. “Are you working for or against me?”

  “Oh, honey.” Pam took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m totally working for you. I want Lynn to be happy, and I think you can make that happen.” That was a relief. At least Pam saw the relationship as a good thing, even if most others might not. Pam glanced at her watch and stood. “I better get up there before she talks herself into a frenzy.”

  Maggie stood and hugged her. “Thanks for being in my corner.”

  Pam nodded. “Just don’t fuck it up and hurt her, okay? She’s my best friend.”

  “I won’t. I promise.” She waved to Pam as she entered the elevator to go up to Lynn’s apartment. She definitely had to slow things down and concentrate on gaining Lynn’s trust. She checked the heart sensor on her Apple Watch. It was already higher than normal, a wonderful remnant of the kiss she and Lynn had shared. Her run was going to be much longer than she’d intended this evening. She had a lot to think about.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Lynn had almost finished preparing dinner—baked chicken with rice and summer squash. She’d made a small salad for each of them as well and would complete the meal with chocolate-fudge cake. She’d decorated the table with flowers and candles, much too romantic. She picked up the candlesticks and hesitated. That’s what she wanted, right? To let the evening lead them wherever it would? She took in deep breath as a tingle ran through her.

  Yes, she’d thought about what might happen a lot since the earth-shattering kiss she’d shared with Maggie, and that was exactly what she wanted. She set the candlesticks down again before she flattened the linen tablecloth as she set the table with silverware, two place settings adjacent to each other. If she had to look at Maggie directly, they might not make it past the salad, and dessert would end up being much more delicious than cake. Her apartment was spotless. She’d spent most of the morning cleaning and doing laundry. She’d also washed her sheets, just in case something else happened. She’d been telling herself no for so long, she didn’t know if she could hold off any longer.

  When her phone chimed and she saw the text from Maggie, disappointment hit her square in the chest.

  Been paged to surgery. Not going to make dinner. I’m so sorry.

  She slumped down into the dining room chair. Maggie wasn’t coming.

  She typed back I’m sorry too, and left it at that. Anything else might be incredibly hurtful. Everything she’d tried to forget about her relationship with Beth sped into her head: long days and lonely nights, vacations taken alone with Carrie, forgotten birthdays and anniversaries, and eating so many dinners in front of the TV by herself. It was a bad idea to get involved with another doctor, no matter what kind of promises Maggie made.

  The oven timer beeped, so she walked into the kitchen, took the chicken out, and slid it onto the stovetop to cool. Even though it smelled wonderful, she wouldn’t eat the meal she’d prepared. Her appetite had vanished. The cork popped as she pulled it from the bottle of chardonnay she’d had chilling in the refrigerator.

  She’d just finished her first glass of wine when she heard a knock on the door. Maybe Maggie’s surgery had been canceled. Her heart raced as she rushed to the door and pulled it open. When she saw Beth standing in the hallway, she immediately had the urge to close the door again.

  “Oh, hi, Beth,” she said, unable to contain her disappointment.

  Beth seemed to notice her reaction. “I was hoping for at least a smile.”

  “Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting you.”

  “Can I come in?”

  She stepped aside and allowed her to enter. “Sure.”

  “Something smells awfully good in here.”

  “Chicken,” she said softly. “I baked a chicken.”

  When Beth got to the dining room, she stopped and turned. “Looks like you were expecting someone else. Maybe I should go.”

  “I thought Carrie was coming to town this weekend, but her plans have changed,” she said. It was the only thing she could think of that wouldn’t prompt an argument.

  Beth’s brows shot up. “And she waited this long to let you know?”

  She nodded and hoped Beth would let it go.

  “Well, that’s rude. I’ll have to talk to her about disappointing you like that.”

  Since when did Beth worry about anything that happened between her and Carrie? “No. Don’t. I’m sure she has a good reason.”

  Beth walked into the kitchen. “Do you mind if I stay? It’d be a shame to waste all this wonderful food,” she said as she surveyed the chicken. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a home-cooked meal.”

  “Sure. Why not?”

  Beth picked up the bottle of wine and poured herself a glass. “Should I carve the chicken?”

  “You’re the surgeon.” She smiled as she spoke. They’d shared this running joke for years. Even though Lynn was fully capable of carving the meat, and did quite often, on the few occasions Beth made it home for dinner, she insisted on doing the carving. The surgeon in her always came through in everything she did.

  “That I am.” Beth took the knife and fork from the block and used them to move the chicken to the cutting board before she began slicing the breast into perfectly equal quarter-inch slices.

  “Still as precise as you’ve always been.”

  “A benefit of the job I cannot restrain.”

  “Among other things.”

  Beth didn’t respond to her comment as she placed a few slices of chicken on both plates and proceeded to fill the bare spots with rice and squash.

  “Would you mind bringing my wine?” she said as she carried the plates to the dining room and set them in each spot. She glanced around the room, walked to the pass-through counter, picked up the lighter, and went to the candles.

  “Those aren’t necessary.”

  Beth lit them anyway. “Maybe they’ll improve the mood.” She smiled lightly and then pulled Lynn’s chair out for her.

  She took in a breath and let it out. Everything in her was warning her she should tell Beth to leave, but what could it hurt? She’d prepared a nice meal, and Maggie wasn’t here to eat it with her. She really didn’t want to be left alone to wallow in her disappointment. If nothing else, Beth was a good conversationalist as long as they kept it impersonal.

  * * *

  Maggie tried to walk quickly to her apartment building, but it had been a really long day, topped off with an unplanned surgery. Her shift had just ended when Beth had called her back to assist with a minor surgery. She’d been disappointed about missing dinner with Lynn, but also excited about the surgery, since she hadn’t performed one like it before. Beth seemed to be including her in most of the unique cases as they came in, so much so, that when she’d entered the operating room this evening, Dr. Able, a fourth-year surgery resident, had said something indicating that Beth must either have a history with her or see something special in her work. Maggie didn’t know what to think at this point.

  Maggie had been in the locker room when her beeper had gone off. She’d rushed to the surgery unit and found Beth at the desk making notes on the chart. Apparently she’d already done the patient exam.

  “What do we have?” Maggie asked.

  “An appendectomy.” Beth looked over her notes. “Seems pretty routine.” She handed the chart to Maggie. “I have plans tonight, so I’m going to leave this one in Dr. Able’s capable hands, with you assisting.”

  “Oh, wow. Really?” She couldn’t suppress the excitement in her voice. She’d seen only one or two appendectomies and was eager to get another surgery under her belt.

  “I hope you didn’t have plans,” Beth said as she added an additional note to the chart and handed it to Maggie.

  “Nothing that can’t be rescheduled.” A total lie, but medicine was her life right now, and she hoped Lynn would understand. When she’d received the page, she’d texted to apologize about missing dinner, and the response she’d received had been short. I’m sorry too. Maggie had responded with Can I come by after? But Lynn hadn’t replied, which probably meant she was upset. Something she’d have to deal with later.

  “Good, because I might be able to convince Dr. Able to let you take the lead on this one.” Dr. Able was Beth’s go-to surgeon for difficult cases most of the time and was in line to be chief resident next year.

  The surgery had gone well but had taken longer than Maggie had anticipated because the appendix had ruptured and the patient was septic. They had to remove the appendix and clean all the infection from the patient’s abdomen. Dr. Able hadn’t let her do more than assist, which was completely understandable. Still, she ached all over, and her feet were killing her. She wanted to go home and get into a nice hot bath but decided to stop by Lynn’s place first and apologize in person. Hopefully, she understood.

  Maggie knocked on the door and waited. Lynn opened the door, and Maggie immediately said, “I’m really sorry about tonight.”

  “It’s fine.” Lynn’s voice was low and without emotion.

  Maggie rolled her lips in to wet them. It wasn’t fine. “I just came by to apologize before I head home and go to bed. I’m beat.”

  “Okay.” Another short answer.

  Fuck. Lynn hadn’t asked her to come in, so now she knew she was angry. Maggie heard noise coming from the living room and glanced over Lynn’s shoulder. “Who’s here?” She scrunched her forehead.

  “Beth.”

  She shook her head. “What the hell? You had dinner with Beth because I couldn’t make it?” Was she that interchangeable?

  “She just showed up. You weren’t coming, and the food was ready.” Lynn’s tone was firm.

  “And you just let her in. Had a nice romantic dinner with her?” It was a shitty thing to say, but she was hurt and upset and ridiculously jealous. Beth had eaten the dinner meant for her, enjoyed the wine and romantic ambiance meant for her, and now she was enjoying Lynn’s company. All instead of her.

  “Is that what you really think?” Lynn seemed to straighten her stance. “She came by and…well, she pretty much invited herself.”

  She knew exactly what was going on. “For your information, I was almost out the door when Beth assigned the surgery to me.” She must have somehow gotten wind of Maggie’s dinner plans with Lynn and purposely destroyed them.

  Beth came to the door carrying a glass of wine. “Got that surgery wrapped up? Everything go well?” She tilted her head and smiled.

  Maggie wanted to slap the smug, veneer-toothed smile right off her face. “Everything went great.” She took in a breath to calm herself. “Just stopped by to let Lynn know I talked to Carrie on the way home. Now I’m planning to go take a long, hot bath.” That was the lamest reason in the world to stop by, but she couldn’t think of any other excuse.

  “Okay, then. We’ll let you go do that.” Beth put her hand on Lynn’s shoulder, letting Maggie know that she had no intention of leaving soon.

  Lynn moved forward, and Beth’s hand fell from her shoulder. “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?” Lynn said.

  “Yeah, sure. Tomorrow.” She glanced at Beth before she turned and headed toward the elevator. She wasn’t talking to anyone until she got this jealousy under control. She hated herself for what she’d just said to Lynn, and it was all because of Beth.

  On her way to her apartment, she thought about the events that had occurred earlier. Beth had purposely assigned her the surgery and Maggie, thinking she was special, dove right in. Beth had tricked her so she could be alone with Lynn, and she couldn’t do a thing about it. She had to work with her until her surgery rotation was done, which still had a couple of weeks to go, and Beth had all the control.

  * * *

  Maggie held the box of doughnuts in one hand and the tray of coffees in the other as she pushed the doorbell button to Lynn’s apartment. She hoped the peace offering would lessen Lynn’s anger. They’d both said unnecessary things the night before, and Maggie attributed her own remarks to jealousy. On the other hand, she could attribute Lynn’s words only to disappointment. Either way, the situation had clearly hurt both of them. She hoped she could make that up to her.

  The door swung open, and Lynn appeared in the doorway still dressed in her pajamas.

  She held up the box of doughnuts. “Peace offering.”

  Lynn didn’t take the box or the coffee. She didn’t move, just stood there and stared.

  “I was an ass last night. I’m sorry.”

  “You were an ass.” Lynn accepted the doughnuts and went into the kitchen.