“You got quiet over here. Everything okay?” Reed held out her hand for Sam’s plate.

  Julia and Kate had their heads together as they chatted, and the kids had run off with Mo and Terri for a game of hide and seek. Lost in thought, Sam hadn’t noticed Reed get up to gather everyone’s plates.

  “I’ll help you with the dishes,” Sam said, standing.

  “I won’t say no.” Reed smiled. “But I might ask you what you were over here brooding about.”

  “Brooding?” Sam got up and picked up the last few dishes that Reed had missed.

  “You don’t like brooding? How about ruminating?

  Sam grinned. “Ruminating’s not any better.”

  “You’re right. I’ve been reading a lot of farming books and I think it’s starting to wear off. Cow anatomy is pretty interesting. I knew they had four stomachs, but there’s a lot more to it.”

  “How does Julia put up with you?” Sam asked, chuckling as she held the screen door open for Reed.

  “I’m really not sure.” Reed headed past her into the kitchen. She set her stack of dishes in the sink and turned on the water. “While we load the dishwasher, you can tell me if you’re brooding about what happened with Terri.”

  “Maybe.” Sam added the dishes she’d collected to the pile in the sink. “I like her. A lot.”

  “I know you like her. And she likes you.”

  From her tone, Sam knew Reed was holding something back. “But?”

  “She’s my best friend. Don’t screw up with her.”

  “I can’t screw up. She won’t even say yes to a date. And I’m not going to tell you how much I want to do other things, but it doesn’t seem right to just mess around. Not this time. I’ve slept with plenty of women—”

  Reed held up her hand. “You can guess how much I don’t want to know about the rest of your sex life. My advice is don’t rush this. She’s been pushed into relationships too many times.”

  They loaded the dishwasher, but Reed didn’t say more after Kate and Julia came into the kitchen. Sam had more questions, mostly about Terri’s past relationships, but she guessed Reed wouldn’t answer her directly. She’d have to ask Terri.

  The after-dinner entertainment included Reed’s kids convincing everyone to lip synch to a pop song and then a round of Telephone played with the addition of stethoscopes. Instead of simply whispering a phrase to your neighbor and waiting for the last person in the circle to make a fool of themselves as they said aloud whatever they’d thought they’d heard, Reed’s kids had added the rule that you had to wear a stethoscope and someone whispered the phrase into the bell.

  The “Stethoscope” version of Telephone was good for several rounds of laughs. It wasn’t until it was Sam’s turn to be last that she got nervous. Terri had started the round, and her eyes were on Sam as Kate whispered into the bell of her stethoscope. When Kate finished, Sam took the stethoscope off. She scratched her head, wondering if what she’d heard was in fact what Terri had said or if one of the kids had jumbled the phrase—possibly on purpose.

  Sam shook her head. “I can’t say that.”

  “You have to say what you heard,” Bryn said. “That’s the rules.”

  “Okay, fine.” Sam could feel the blush on her cheeks, but she cleared her throat and said, “I can never find a good way to kiss her.”

  Terri laughed immediately. “That’s not what I said—I swear.” She was still laughing as she clarified, “I can never find a good pair of scissors!”

  “What?” Mo, who was on the other side of Terri, shook her head. “I swear I heard kiss her.”

  “Scissors. I said scissors.”

  “But why?” Mo was laughing now too. “It’s not like it’s that hard to find a good pair of scissors.”

  “Is anyone surprised that Mo heard something about kissing?” Julia asked, laughing as well.

  “No one.” Kate stood up and went over to the sofa where Mo was sitting and planted a big kiss on Mo’s lips. “No one.”

  Bryn had her eyes covered, avoiding the kiss. “Grown-ups make everything about kissing.”

  “On that note, I think it’s my bedtime.” Mo stood up and caught Kate’s hand. “Want to go home with me and look for a good pair of scissors?”

  “You know I do.”

  Terri’s phone rang and she went upstairs to take the call as the kids begged Mo and Kate to stay longer. After ten minutes, they managed to get out the door promising an overnight stay soon. Sam decided to leave then as well, though she wondered if she should say something to Terri before going.

  She eyed the stairs, debating. The call was probably from someone at the hospital, and there was no guarantee how long she’d be on the phone. Waiting for her would probably be weird and what would she say anyway? Sorry I almost kissed you and the kid saw?

  Finally she decided to leave without saying anything. At the door, Reed handed her a care package with a few of the leftover ribs and grilled veggies, along with a slice of the cheesecake. She thanked Reed and Julia and then stepped outside. The street was quiet compared to the noise of Reed’s kids, and she took her time walking the half-block to her car, too many thoughts kicking round in her head.

  “Gonna leave without saying goodbye?”

  Sam let go of the car door handle. Terri stood on the sidewalk, her arms crossed.

  “I didn’t want to make things weird for you,” Sam said.

  “It might be weirder if you leave without saying anything about trying to kiss me earlier.”

  She had a point. Sam nodded slowly. “I should probably say that I’m sorry I tried to kiss you.”

  “But you’re not sorry.”

  “No.”

  “Then don’t say it.” Terri walked the last few steps to Sam’s car. “You’re still a resident. My resident.”

  “I am. So you can’t kiss me?”

  “I can’t. But you don’t have to be sorry about what you want. I want it too.” Terri looked at the road as a car passed. She waited until the sound of the engine had faded and then said, “In case you’re worried, I’m not mad.”

  “I won’t be your resident for much longer, you know. After that…” Reed’s words repeated in Sam’s head. Don’t rush her.

  “After that, what? You haven’t decided if you’re even staying around.” Terri shook her head when Sam didn’t argue. “Get some sleep, Samuels. You’ve got one more week on my schedule and I’m not going easy on you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Terri spun around before the impulse to kiss Sam won over her self-control. She crossed Reed’s lawn, went up the front steps and then inside without chancing a glance back at Sam’s car. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she exhaled.

  “You didn’t kiss her.” Reed leaned against the stair bannister.

  “You’re almost as bad a spy as your kids.”

  “I wasn’t watching you. But I know that if you’d kissed her, you would have gotten in her car.”

  “Are you saying I’m loose?” Terri arched an eyebrow. “You’re right, but still it’s a little funny coming from you.”

  “I’m not loose anymore.” Reed looked up the stairwell. “Julia’s putting the kids to bed. Wanna stay and talk for a minute?”

  “I should already be driving home.”

  “But you won’t sleep anyway,” Reed said. “Come on.”

  Terri followed Reed into the living room and sank onto the couch. “Why do I feel like I’m about to get a lecture?”

  “No lecture. Promise.”

  Terri eyed the seat where Sam had sat earlier. She wished Sam hadn’t left already. “What happened with Kayla…and Rebecca…I can’t have a repeat of that.”

  “Sam’s not Kayla. And she’s definitely not Rebecca.”

  “You’re right. But she’s a resident.”

  Reed kicked her legs up on the ottoman and leaned back. “This hard rule you have about not dating residents is dumb.”

  “Dumb?”

  “Kayla loved drama. And attention. She also liked you a hell of a lot more than you ever liked her.”

  Terri couldn’t argue. “You know, you could have told me all this five years ago—before I married her.”

  Reed shook her head. “You knew what you were getting into with her. Were you actually surprised when she started sleeping with Rebecca?”

  “We’d agreed to an open relationship.”

  “And to talking about things first. And to not sleeping with anyone from work. She wanted to make you mad. But more than that, she wanted to make a scene.” Reed paused. “You know what pissed her off the most? That you wouldn’t address any of the rumors.”

  “How long have you been waiting to tell me your analysis of my failed marriage?”

  “For a while. But my point is, Sam’s discreet. No one would know. If you two didn’t work out, she wouldn’t say anything to anyone.”

  “She’s not that discreet.” Terri thought of how Megan Gresham had sidled up to Sam in the cafeteria and rubbed her back. It wasn’t an overt PDA like a kiss on the lips, but Sam hadn’t moved away from her either. Anyone in the vicinity would have guessed they had a relationship. Even if it was only a friends-with-benefits thing, the point remained that caresses in the cafeteria weren’t subtle. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’m happy single. I’ve got a full life and good friends. I don’t want a relationship.”

  Reed didn’t say anything in response. She crossed her ankles and stared up at the ceiling fan.

  “What?”

  Reed lifted her shoulders. “Nothing.”

  “Not everyone needs to be in a relationship,” Terri argued.

  “You’ve told me that before. My answer is still that while that may be true, you need to be in a relationship. And you’re lying when you say you’re happy. I know you aren’t. You haven’t been happy for a while.”

  “Why do I have such an annoying friend?” Terri closed her eyes. “Okay, let’s say you’re right. Maybe it’s been a while since I’ve been happy. But I’m also exhausted and adding a relationship to my plate isn’t going to help.”

  “You’ve been working way too much. You need a vacation. You’re still going on that Costa Rica trip, right?”

  “Yes, although after this week, September feels like about ten years from now.” Terri hadn’t forgotten about the week-long eco trip in the jungle, but she’d been too busy to think that far ahead. “Everything’s been so crazy I don’t know how I can take any time off.”

  “The hospital will be fine. The place didn’t collapse when we went to Mexico, right? I mean, not completely anyway.” Reed gave her a wry grin. “And this time it won’t be both of us gone. I’ll be around to keep an eye on everything… I know you don’t like anyone telling you what you need, but you really need a break. You work through every holiday, and it takes someone getting married for you to even do a long weekend.”

  “You’re right.” Terri could admit that she had no life outside of the hospital. While that kept her from feeling like crap about her relationship skills, it wasn’t healthy. As for Costa Rica, she hadn’t managed to do anything more than book the trip. All the things she’d heard about it from everyone who had gone made it sound like the kind of place where planning ahead was important. But she doubted she’d have the luxury of even opening the travel book she’d bought until she was on the plane.

  “I know you can handle the stress of the hospital better than anyone, but I think you’re burning the candle at both ends. There’s gonna be a point when there’s nothing left.”

  “You’re a bundle of positive energy tonight, aren’t you?”

  “I’m honest and direct. Part of my charm. That’s what Julia tells me anyway.

  Have you thought anymore about that private practice job in San Jose?”

  Terri nodded. As much as she didn’t want to admit she couldn’t keep up, she needed a break from the pace that had been building speed all summer. More than once she’d let herself consider leaving the hospital. She’d gotten plenty of offers over the years, but she’d never truly considered it until this past spring. One of her colleagues had joined a group practice that wanted another internist. The perks included a schedule where she’d work three days a week. She might actually take time off and not have the entire place collapse without her.

  “Even if you didn’t take that other job, you could set better boundaries. Go on dates. Take more than a week off…”

  Terri knew it was possible to do all those things. For other people, in other jobs. The problem was she loved parts of her job, but being needed all the time was exhausting. “What would you do about Sam?”

  “If I were you? Well, for starters I would have kissed her when I chased her out to her car tonight instead of letting her drive away.”

  Terri let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m being serious. I need help.”

  “What do you want to do about Sam? Forget the resident thing for a minute because we both know that’s only an excuse. When you close your eyes, what do you want?”

  “I want to kiss her.”

  “See? We’re making progress.”

  Terri pictured the kitchen that afternoon and Sam leaning against the counter. The playful banter had turned to something more so quickly she hadn’t had time to set up her boundaries. But she hadn’t wanted to. She could still remember the sensation of Sam’s hand on hers. Her heart had seemed to stop as she’d waited for the kiss she knew was coming.

  “I don’t know, Reed. I think I’ve failed at this too many times.”

  “So you’re scared of failing again. Too scared to even try. How novel—no one’s ever felt that before.”

  “You’re such a pain in the ass.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know.” Reed grinned. “The thing is, I think you’re also scared because you know Sam could be good for you. She’s sane, which is more than you can say for most people you’ve dated, she’s smart, and she’s got direction in life. What’s more, she’s actually a challenge for you. Besides, she won’t be a resident forever.”

  Sam might be sane and she definitely was a challenge. But the direction thing wasn’t completely true. Terri thought of telling Reed about the inheritance and how Sam didn’t even want to be a doctor. Sam hadn’t made her promise not to say anything, and yet she wasn’t sure she wanted Reed to know.

  “I really wish Bryn hadn’t stopped her from kissing me.” Terri dropped her head back on the couch pillows. “Damn, I wanted that kiss.”

  “You know that’s okay, right?”

  “I’ve never had it this bad for someone. Never. I go to bed thinking about her and wake up still thinking about her.”

  “Do you remember what you told me when I said the same thing about Julia? I almost didn’t drive to her apartment that day—I had all these excuses. Carly still wasn’t feeling that great, Bryn was being difficult, and I told myself that Julia didn’t need my messed-up head. You told me to let her decide.”

  “Actually I think my exact words were ‘get your head out of your ass and go after her,’” Terri said.

  “You may have said that too. And it was good advice.” Reed chuckled. “You know, you could do something crazy like text her. You have her number.”

  “I can’t. If something happens and there’s a trail of texts…”

  Reed set her hand on Terri’s knee. “Try trusting her. I dare you.”

  “Screw you.” Terri laughed. “You can’t dare me on something like this.”

  “Why not?”

  By the time Terri finally got into bed, it was nearly midnight. She set her alarm, wishing she’d actually had a weekend away from work. After leaving Reed’s, she’d gone back to the hospital to check on the case Shellhammer had called her about and in six hours she’d be back in the hospital to start another week.

  As much as she needed to go straight to sleep when her head hit the pillow, that didn’t happen. Instead, she started thinking of Sam as soon as she closed her eyes. After ten minutes, she sat up in bed and switched on the bedside lamp. She reached for her phone.

  It’s possible I’m lying here wishing I’d kissed you tonight.

  Sam’s response was faster than she’d expected: It’s possible that makes me really happy.

  Okay. They were doing this.

  But I can’t be thinking about kissing you.

  Sam: Does that mean I can’t be thinking about taking off your clothes? Or all the other things I’ve been thinking about doing?

  Terri stared at Sam’s text. She was wide awake now. They’d gone too far already for her to say this exchange was innocent.

  I want you to tell me what you’ve been thinking, but that would definitely cross a line.

  Sam: Then I won’t tell you how easy it would be to push up that skirt you were wearing. Or unbutton your blouse.

  There was a break and then Sam added: I also won’t tell you how I want to trace that tattoo on your chest. How I want to trace all your tattoos. And I won’t say how my body wants to feel you under me.

  Terri swallowed. This was definitely too far. She’d opened the door, but Sam had quickly taken over and she was too turned on to ask her to stop. But she definitely needed to.

  Terri: I should tell you to stop but I don’t want to

  Sam: Then don’t tell me. And I won’t tell you how much I want to see you naked.

  Terri stared at the words, her heart racing. She set the phone face down and took a deep breath. What the hell was she doing not stopping her? They had to work together tomorrow. Her phone buzzed with a new text and she immediately flipped it over to read the words.

  Sam: Reed told me to wait for you. Did you know that? But I don’t want to wait. I want to come over tonight. I want you to open the door and take me to your bed. Then I want you to spread your legs. And ask me to fuck you. I want you so much I wouldn’t let you get any sleep. Course I won’t tell you any of that. Because…lines.