“No worries. I had breakfast with Auntie.” She moved aside and motioned to Lynn, who stood behind her.

  Lynn moved forward and gave her a hug. “You’ll have to come up for dinner sometime.”

  “Maybe tonight?” Carrie asked.

  “Oh, no,” Lynn said and backed up. “You two haven’t seen each other in a few weeks and need to catch up.”

  “Come on. It’ll be fun. Just like old times.” Carrie put an arm around both of them.

  Maggie reached across Carrie’s back, grazed her hand across Lynn’s ass, and had to contain her laugh when she jumped. “I’m sure Lynn has something better to do than hang out with us dorks.”

  “As a matter of fact, I do. Not that it’s better, but I have plans with Pam.”

  “What the hell? Doesn’t Pam ever hang out with her wife?”

  “Heather’s working, so Pam and I are going to see a movie she doesn’t want to see.”

  “That’s a weird relationship. I don’t think you should be spending so much time with Pam. Is something going on between you two?” Carrie asked. Maggie apparently hadn’t been the only one that the two of them had fooled.

  “Absolutely not. Pam and Heather are blissfully happy in their marriage.” Lynn nudged Carrie into the apartment. “Speaking of marriage, have you shown that engagement ring to Maggie?” She held Carrie’s hand up in front of Maggie.

  “Oh, my God. This is huge. Why didn’t you call me?” The ring was gorgeous and sparkly, just the kind Carrie loved.

  “I wanted to tell Auntie before anyone else.”

  Now Maggie understood the reason for the unannounced visit. “So when did he propose?”

  “Last weekend. He took me to a bed-and-breakfast, and we spent the whole weekend celebrating.” Carrie grinned. “It was so romantic.”

  “Great news, right?” Lynn said as she spun around and headed to the elevator.

  “Hey, you did that on purpose. This conversation isn’t over,” Carrie shouted after her.

  Lynn’s hand flew up and shook in the air. “Yes, it is.”

  Evidently Lynn had used Pam as an excuse more than once. “What was that all about?” she asked after closing the door.

  “We kind of had a mother-daughter talk, only reversed. She says she’s not seeing anyone, but I don’t believe her.”

  “Why not?”

  “This morning when I went into her bedroom, the bed was a mess, and clothes were strewn everywhere.”

  “Maybe she’s just gotten sloppy.”

  “No. This was rip-off-your-clothes messy.”

  Maggie tried not to smile. Sex between her and Lynn was always passionate, and clothes were an obstacle they took care of quickly. “Ooh, was someone there?”

  “I don’t think so, but I didn’t check the closets.” Carrie chuckled. “Maybe I should have.”

  Fuck. How was she going to derail this situation? “What would you have done if you’d found someone there?” She widened her eyes. “That would’ve been a whole lot of awkward.”

  “Totally, but don’t you think it’s weird that she’s being so secretive?”

  “I guess, but maybe she’s not sure yet. I mean about the relationship or how you’ll react.”

  “I’m fine with her finding someone else, as long as whoever it is makes her happy,” Carrie said firmly, and the huge knot in Maggie’s stomach loosened.

  “You are?” Maybe there was a light at the end of the tunnel after all.

  “Of course. Beth moved on, and I’m okay with that. I just have a feeling she’s interested in Pam, and she’s married. I hope not, but she’s acting weird and way too happy.”

  “Maybe she’s found some young intern to keep her happy.”

  “Or just to fuck.” Carrie shook her head. “That wouldn’t be any better. She’ll just get her heart broken.”

  Pain exploded in Maggie’s chest. That possibility hadn’t occurred to her. Were they just fucking? No. It was much more than that, but Carrie would think otherwise, and finding out the intern was Maggie would make it a million times worse.

  “Well, I hope not on both counts.” She reached for the remote control on the coffee table. “What do you want to watch?” Now she knew the waters were thousands of meters deep, with a deadly undertow. At this point, surviving without extensive preparation would be impossible.

  * * *

  Maggie was close to dozing when her phone vibrated in the front pocket of her hoodie. The text alert said it was from Sunflower, which she’d changed from Lynn soon after they’d started sleeping together to keep their communications hidden from anyone who might see her texts.

  The sunflower had been Lynn’s favorite flower ever since she’d visited Clear Meadow Farm in Hartford County as a child. According to Lynn, the countless rows of sunflowers blanketing the countryside in the fall were spectacular. When she’d described the sight of the massive number of yellow flowers to Maggie, the excitement in her voice and the expression on Lynn’s face showed true happiness and beauty. From then on, no other word could describe the beauty of Lynn in Maggie’s mind.

  How’s your night going?

  I’ve eaten too much junk food and watched too much TV.

  Why don’t you two go out?

  I’m too sleepy. Can I come crawl into bed with you?

  Awkward threesome…no.

  Never mind.

  She’d followed the last text with an eye-roll emoji.

  Maggie hadn’t noticed that Carrie was watching her text until she said, “Who is Sunflower?”

  She dropped the phone to her chest. “Just a friend.”

  Carrie swiped the phone from her and looked at the text. “Looks like more than just a friend to me.”

  She grabbed the phone back, deleted the text, and slid it into her hoodie pocket. Thankfully, she’d thought far enough ahead to delete some of their old texts, at least the ones that were identifiable, before Carrie came to visit. “It’s the woman I told you about before. But this part, the romance, is new.”

  Carrie quirked an eyebrow up. “Why did you delete her text? And why haven’t you told me more about her?”

  “Because friends like you are really nosy.” She tilted her head and grinned. “And I’m not sure it’s going to work out.”

  Carrie drew her brows together. “Why?”

  “She’s got a kid.”

  “What’s the problem with that? You love kids?”

  “A teenage kid.”

  “Oh, gotcha. That could be tricky.” Carrie glanced at the paused TV screen. “Look at you. An older woman, huh?”

  “Kinda, but she was a young mother.”

  “How many years?”

  “I’m not sure, eight or ten.” It was actually twelve, but Maggie tried not to be exact. She didn’t want Carrie counting the difference in years between her and Lynn.

  “Hell. That’s nothing,” Carrie said with a laugh. “I thought with a name like Sunflower, you were talking fifteen or twenty. Were her parents some kind of bohemians?”

  “They’re both artists. Her mom paints and her dad makes pottery.” This lie was getting huge. Soon she’d have to write down the details so she could remember them all.

  “Do they sell anything?”

  “They have a gallery in Taos, New Mexico.”

  Carrie’s eyes widened. “Cool. I’ve always wanted to visit there. We should go sometime.”

  “Yeah. If it works out, we will.”

  Maggie hit the play button on the remote. “Ready to finish this?”

  “I’m in. Popcorn sounds good right now. Do you have some?” Carrie asked.

  “Of course.” She got up and headed into the kitchen, opened the box of popcorn packets, and put one into the microwave before checking her phone, which she’d felt vibrate again. She had five missed messages from Lynn in quick succession, each sounding more urgent than the last.

  Where’d you go?

  Is everything all right?

  You didn’t tell her, did you?

  ?????

  Do I need to come over?

  She quickly typed in a response. Everything’s fine, but we’re going to have to be careful.

  What happened?

  Carrie swiped my phone and read our messages.

  Oh, shit.

  It’s okay, Sunflower. You’re just a bohemian daughter with a teenager of her own. Lol.

  Well, thanks for letting me know. Lol.

  I gotta go. Popping popcorn to stuff myself even more.

  Okay. Have fun.

  Maggie deleted the last few text messages before she turned off her phone and slid it back into her hoodie. She didn’t want Carrie accidentally seeing something she shouldn’t. That would totally make Lynn have doubts about them. After she poured the popcorn from the bag into a big bowl, she grabbed a couple of sodas from the refrigerator and went back into the living room. Even though it pained her not to communicate with Lynn, the rest of the evening would be in the dark, absolutely Sunflower free.

  * * *

  Season two of the show they’d been watching was starting when Carrie paused the TV, sat forward, raised her arms, and stretched. “How about some pizza?”

  Maggie cleared the sleepy fog she’d been in and took out her phone. “Pepperoni and black olives?” Maggie had eaten light on the popcorn because she knew Carrie too well and also what came next. The girl could eat through the side of a mountain made of ice cream and still be hungry. She turned on her phone, and the screen immediately lit up with a missed text from Lynn.

  “Wow. This Sunflower girl is really after you.”

  “Seems that way.” She cleared the message from the screen without reading it, opened her contacts, and searched for restaurants. She had every restaurant that delivered within a ten-block radius dialed into her phone for quick access and nights she was too lazy to cook. She also had a delivery application on her phone for the times she craved something farther away. She loved modern convenience. After she ordered the pizza, and while Carrie went to the bathroom, Maggie read the texts from Lynn.

  I want to come down.

  Hello…Are you there?

  I miss you.

  Maggie’s heart thumped faster at the last message, and she responded. Pizza will be here in 20, bring wine.

  On my way came through next, and suddenly Maggie was full of energy again.

  Carrie flopped onto the couch and picked up the TV remote.

  “Season two might have to wait until later. Lynn called. I told her we’d ordered pizza, and she’s on her way down.”

  “Oh, okay.” Carrie didn’t seem upset, just surprised.

  “Unless you think she’ll want to watch with us.”

  The TV screen flickered as Carrie started clicking through the other show choices. “Nope. She doesn’t like gore. We’ll have to find something much lighter.”

  Hearing a soft knock on the door, Maggie bounced from the couch to let Lynn in. The smile she was met with was incredible, something she would never grow tired of, and she smelled fantastic. She closed the door slightly behind her, took Lynn into her arms, and kissed her. She wanted to push her out into the hall, kiss her long and hard, and do so much more, but that was too risky.

  “You’re making this really difficult.”

  “I know.” Lynn kissed her one last time before pushing past her through the doorway. “I brought wine,” she shouted to Carrie as she went into the living room.

  “Awesome,” Carrie said.

  Maggie took the bottle from her, went into the kitchen, opened it, and poured a glass for each of them. She sat between Carrie and Lynn on the couch and picked up the remote. “So what do we want to watch?”

  They’d just settled on a romantic-comedy movie when the pizza came. Maggie went to the door and tipped the delivery guy. When she took the pizza to the coffee table, Carrie immediately shifted to the middle of the couch where Maggie had been sitting, capturing the space between her and Lynn. It seemed to be a purposeful act, so it was clear Carrie hadn’t let go of the discussion they’d had years ago in college. But even so, Maggie was grateful for the space. Sitting so close to Lynn without being able to touch her would make for a very long night. She would actively have to force herself not to reach for her.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Lynn lay in bed thinking about how much fun it had been to spend the evening with Carrie and Maggie. The thought of waking up to Maggie next to her in bed with Carrie asleep in the spare bedroom was a weird kind of dream she hoped would come true someday, but it was way too soon for that. She fluctuated between giddiness and terror. Telling Carrie wouldn’t be easy. She pushed the thought from her head. Nevertheless, she missed Maggie’s warmth and wished it was her reality right now. She picked up her phone and typed a message to Maggie.

  I’m less than five minutes away. Why aren’t you here?

  Because I’m in bed with your daughter. She’s a great snuggler.

  She gets that from me.

  Last night she said she wants to run with me this morning.

  She’ll be asleep for hours.

  I’ll try to sneak out, but be prepared for a run just in case.

  Lynn rolled out of bed and changed into her running gear. She didn’t want to seem like a slug if Carrie was going to run as well, but when the next text from Maggie said it would just be the two of them, she quickly abandoned her shoes. They could get their exercise this morning in a different way.

  As soon as Lynn heard the first rap on the door, she looked out the peep hole and saw Maggie standing—no, she was more like bouncing—in the hallway in her running gear.

  When she opened the door, Maggie rushed in and kissed her. “We have to stop meeting like this.”

  “Never. I like it.” She kissed her urgently as she tugged at Maggie’s clothes. She slid Maggie’s running pants off, and, trailing her fingers back up her thighs, she pressed her mouth to her center, inhaling her scent through the silk material of her panties. She kissed her way up Maggie until their lips met again. She quivered when Maggie slipped her hand down her pants and slid a finger into her folds. With each stroke the wetness increased between her legs, and she was certain Maggie knew how much she wanted her.

  “These have to come off.” Maggie hooked each side with her fingers, pulling them down, before taking Lynn’s hips and crushing them with hers. Maggie stepped out of her pants and reached to remove her shirt, but Lynn beat her to it, pulling it over her shoulders.

  “Take me to bed,” she uttered.

  Maggie smiled and clasped her hand.

  “Wait.” Lynn gathered their clothes, refusing to get caught like that again.

  Maggie smiled, kissed her again, and led her into the bedroom, where she immediately pushed her onto the bed and attempted to go back to where she’d left off, but Lynn wasn’t giving up control this time. She’d let Maggie take charge many times, but not this morning. Maggie looked up at her in surprise when she flipped their positions.

  The soft sweetness of the inside of Maggie’s thigh filled Lynn’s senses as she bathed it with her tongue and slowly worked her way up to her soft folds. She wanted to savor the taste of her skin, take her time, and bring Maggie to climax slowly and completely, but Maggie was already thrusting against her, clearly wanting more. She prodded the soft, sweet flesh of her opening with her tongue before sliding one finger, then another, inside.

  Maggie lifted into her and said, “Oh my God. Yes. Right there.”

  Liquid gushed into her panties as Maggie writhed beneath her, pressing into her mouth. Wanting only to please, she held Maggie’s hips firmly as she quickened her rhythm and gorged herself on the tangy taste of her. She’d become addicted to Maggie—her taste, her scent, the feel of her skin, everything about her. Maggie tensed, grabbed Lynn’s head, and tugged her hair before she tightened her legs around her and launched into orgasm, Maggie’s stomach bouncing as she swept her finger through her folds again.

  “Stop,” Maggie said with a chuckle.

  “I like watching you bounce.”

  “Come here, so I can kiss you.”

  She crawled up next to her and did just that. The warmth that enveloped Lynn when she saw the happiness in Maggie’s eyes overwhelmed her. Maggie was clearly in love with her, and Lynn felt the same.

  Maggie glanced at her Apple Watch. “As much as it pains me to say this, I need to get back upstairs. I told Carrie I’d be back in thirty minutes. With doughnuts.” She searched for her clothes.

  Lynn picked up her phone, clicked a few buttons, and set it back on the nightstand. “I ordered coffee and a half dozen of Carrie’s favorites. They’ll be here in ten minutes.” She patted the spot next to her. “Now come back to bed and keep me warm.”

  Maggie stopped and tilted her head. “You’re dangerous, you know that?” she said, and slid back under the covers.

  “I do and I like it.” Being with Maggie was the most incredible feeling in the world. For once in her life, she was truly happy.

  The doughnuts and coffee arrived on schedule. Lynn answered the door and tipped the delivery girl a few bucks before she went back into the bedroom, crawled into bed, and nudged Maggie, who had fallen back to sleep. “The doughnuts are here. You should go.”

  Maggie heaved out a breath. “Please don’t make me.” Maggie trailed her finger down Lynn’s neck to the valley between her breasts.

  “But Carrie might be awake by now and looking for you.”

  “Damn it. Can’t you control your daughter better?”

  She laughed loudly. “You know better than that. I can’t control her any more than I can control you.”

  “You have complete control of me.” Maggie looked at her with drowsy eyes, and her stomach dipped. She wanted to forget about Carrie for the next few hours, but that was impossible.

  “Is that so?” she asked before kissing her softly.

  “Uh-huh.”

  She let out a sigh. This situation tempted her, and any other time she’d take full advantage of it. “Then go. We’ll continue this after Carrie leaves for Boston.”

  “On it.” Maggie kissed her long and soft before she got out of bed and put on her clothes.