Something in the Wine

© by Jae

ISBN epub: 978-3-95533-006-4

ISBN mobi: 978-3-95533-007-1

ISBN pdf: 978-3-95533-008-8

ISBN printed version: 978-3-95533-005-7

Published by Ylva Publishing, legal entity of Ylva Verlag e.Kfr.

Ylva Verlag, e.Kfr.

Am Kirschgarten 2

65830 Kriftel

Germany

www.ylva-verlag.de

First Edition: November 2012

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, and locations are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons or events, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

Credits

Edited by Genni Gunn and Judy Underwood

Cover Design by Krystel Contreras

Table of contents

Acknowledgments

Dedication

Author’s note

Something in the Wine:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

About Jae

Other books by Jae

Coming from Ylva Publishing in spring 2013:

Crossing Bridges

Hot Line

Acknowledgments

A big thank-you to my critique partners:

Melanie—for your endless patience and support during half a dozen read-throughs.

Astrid—for your well-balanced, positive feedback, including a lot of smileys.

RJ—for keeping an eye on the dialogue and internal monologue and making sure it sounds natural.

Thank you to Carol, Laurie, Lee, Nanc, Nicki, Nikki, Peggy, and Sue for lending me a fresh set of eyes.

A special thank-you goes to Erin for her enthusiastic and helpful feedback and to Patty for keeping an eye on overused words.

I also want to thank my friend Marion for test reading.

Thank you to Krystel, graphic designer extraordinaire, for spending a lot of hours creating the wonderful cover. It’s much better than a blue unicorn.

Last but not least, thanks to Genni Gunn, my editor, and Judy Underwood, my copy editor, for their great work.

Dedication

To Melanie—for helping me understand Annie better.

Author’s note

I know I’m not normally known for writing short novels. Well, considering I started writing about Annie and Drew with a short story or a novelette in mind, I think my reputation is still firmly intact. After all, 99,067 words is quite long for a short story. No matter what story length you usually prefer, I hope you enjoy Something in the Wine.

Chapter 1

Elbow-deep in financial reports, Annie nearly bit off the rubber eraser on the end of her pencil when the phone rang.

The ringing sounded overly loud in the otherwise silent office. Everyone else had gone home hours before.

One eye still on her reports, she snatched up the receiver. “Cargill & Jones. Annie Prideaux speaking.”

“Annie, you’ve got to come!” her brother Jake’s breathless voice came through the other end of the line.

She threw down her pencil. “What are you talking about? I’m still at work and can’t—”

“Please,” Jake said. “It’s really urgent. I need you here.”

Annie’s heart started racing. The last time he had sounded so desperate, he’d called her after crashing their father’s car. She shut down the computer and locked her notes in her desk. “What happened?” she asked. “Are you hurt? In trouble? Did you—?”

“Please, just get here as quick as you can.”

“Where are you?”

“At home.”

“I’m on my way.” Annie hung up the phone, grabbed her keys, and rushed out of the door to find her car.

For the first time in her life, she broke the speed limit in her hurry to get to Jake. In front of his house, she brought her car to a screeching halt and jumped out.

The building wasn’t on fire. No ambulance in the driveway either. Instead, a few sports cars and SUVs were parked out front.

Not sure whether that was a good sign or if something even worse awaited her, Annie raced to the front door. Blood rushed in her ears. She rang the doorbell several times in succession, hoping Jake was well enough to open the door since she had left his spare key in her apartment.

When the door swung open, she froze.

Rob stood before her, with two ample-busted women hanging on to his muscular arms. Music and laughter came from inside the house.

“R-Rob?” Annie stared at her brother’s best friend and business partner. “Where’s Jake?”

After letting go of one woman, Rob pointed over his shoulder. “In the living room.” He stepped forward and wrapped one arm around Annie. “Come on in and celebrate with us. There are a lot of guys here who’d love to meet you.”

Celebrate? Annie dug in her heels and shook off Rob’s grip. He tricked me. Again. Her heart hammered against her ribs, this time in anger—anger not just at Jake, but at herself too. I should have known better. The last time he’d tricked her, she had sworn she would never fall for one of her brother’s pranks again. But how was she supposed to know that he would stoop so low as to imply there was an emergency and scare her half to death? She whirled around to stride back to her car.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Rob called.

When he grabbed her arm, only years of self-control prevented Annie from slugging him. “Home.”

“Oh, no, come on, you can’t go home just yet. You’ve got to celebrate with us.” Rob pulled her around and gave her his most charming smile. “It’s not every day I come back from conquering Mount Everest.”

Annie pressed her lips together. Now she remembered that Jake had invited her to the party weeks before. She’d declined, knowing she would stick out among the climbers, jocks, and adrenaline junkies like a mule at the Kentucky Derby. But for Jake, a “no” was never a no—just an invitation to get what he wanted in a more creative way.

“Congratulations,” she said, trying not to take her irritation out on Rob, “but you’ll have to celebrate without me.”

“You know you could really give a man a complex,” Rob said. “Why come over when you don’t even want to have one drink with me?”

Annie suppressed a snort. None of Jake’s friends had ever suffered from lack of confidence. “It’s got nothing to do with you. Jake has ...” She let her voice trail off. If she told him how Jake had lured her to the party, she would humiliate herself even more. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened her eyes again, she gave Rob a nod. “Okay. One drink, but then I go home.”

She regretted her decision the second she stepped into the living room. The screeching of electric guitars and the deafening crash of drums made conversation nearly impossible. But apparently, Jake’s guests weren’t there for the conversation anyway. Most of them were too busy drinking and gyrating to the beat even though it was too fast to really dance to.

The two women on Rob’s arms pulled him toward the improvised dance floor. He followed them, walking backward for a few steps so he faced Annie, and said with a broad grin, “Duty calls. Get yourself a drink and toast my success. Your brother is paying.” He turned around before Annie could answer.

That was typical of Rob and Jake’s other friends. They could charm the socks off a nun, but their attention was fleeting. The women at Jake’s parties weren’t any better either.

Just decoration hanging on the arm of the next best guy. What a waste. Annie shook her head and looked around. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted Jake. He was holding court in a corner of the room, lounging on his black designer couch and impressing a gaggle of women with his stories.

Maybe stories of how he had tricked his stupid sister.

Annie clenched her teeth. Her first impulse was to storm over and give him a piece of her mind, but she didn’t want to cause a scene in front of his friends and employees from the gym. Besides, if she shouted at him, it would let him know how much he had gotten to her, and she didn’t want to give him that satisfaction. She turned away and made her way toward the bar Jake had set up. One drink and she’d be gone.

Empty glasses, crumpled paper napkins, and abandoned plates littered the bar. Apparently, the party had lasted for some time already, and the catering staff struggled to keep up with Jake’s hard-drinking friends.

Automatically, Annie reached for an empty tray and began gathering glasses. She paused. Why are you cleaning up his mess after what he did to you? But at least this way, she would escape the party and avoid a confrontation with Jake. She would have a glass of wine in the kitchen, just because she had promised Rob, and then leave through the backdoor.

* * *

Drew leaned against the wall, a glass of red wine in her hand, and watched the other guests mingling in Jake’s spacious living room.

The bulky coffee table that converted into a pool table had been pushed against the wall, and now a group of guests played some kind of spin-the-bottle game on it. A burly blond man she didn’t know by name decorated his girlfriend’s hair with little cocktail umbrellas. Another guy whipped off his shirt to show off a scar that crisscrossed his chest. Others encouraged their friends with a chorus of shouts and cheers to drink as many shots as they could. No one was paying much attention to the photos of Mount Everest flashing on Jake’s giant flat-screen TV.

Drew shook her head. These people need to grow up. I haven’t acted so brainless since college. Jake and his friends hadn’t changed since then, though, and now she found she had little in common with them anymore. She knew she would keel over if she tried to keep up with their drinking.

Boy, I’m getting old. She smiled ruefully. Come on. Drink up, say hello to Jake, and get out of here. She took a big sip of red wine. Flinching, she spat it out and frowned at the glass. Ugh! What’s this? Wine or vinegar? She shook herself. Buying the cheap stuff again, Jake, my friend? She craned her neck, searching for a member of the catering staff weaving around the party guests. Ah, there.

A woman in black slacks and a white blouse gathered empty and abandoned glasses from the bar.

Drew headed toward her to get rid of the swill masquerading as wine. When the woman turned around with a tray full of glasses, Drew’s steps faltered. She stopped a few yards away. Oh, wow. She’s cute. Still watching the woman, she moved closer.

The server wasn’t the type of stunning beauty Drew was usually attracted to, but something about her captured her attention. Maybe it was the strange mix of strength and vulnerability in the woman’s features and her posture. She moved like a mouse—quietly, but efficiently, as if she didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention.

Even from a few steps away, Drew could tell that the woman was tall, but despite her height, she didn’t appear imposing. Her gaze was too shy for that. A cute nose and the gentle curve of her lips contrasted with a stubborn chin. Golden hair—the color of a fine, mature white wine—brushed against her slender shoulders. The woman took a hand off the tray to sweep an unruly strand behind her ear.

The tray tilted to one side.

Drew set down her glass and jumped forward in full knight-in-shining-armor mode to rescue the tray and the damsel in distress. She reached out just as the woman realized what was happening and straightened the tray.

Unable to stop her forward momentum, Drew collided with the tray, which catapulted one of the half-filled glasses through the air.

Cold liquid hit her in the chest. Reflexively, she caught the now empty glass before it could fall to the floor and shatter.

She froze. So did the woman.

Wide green eyes stared down at her from behind horn-rimmed glasses.

Drew realized that her damsel was at least four or five inches taller than her own five foot six.

“Oh, my God! I’m so sorry!” With trembling fingers, the woman balanced the tray in one hand and picked up a napkin.

For a moment, Drew imagined the woman’s hands on her, dabbing at her drenched shirt, but instead, the woman handed her the napkin. She tried to soak up the worst of the spill but realized her shirt was ruined. Guess I’m more of a knight in wine-stained armor now.

“Are you okay?” the woman asked.

“I’m fine. No harm done.” Drew wiped a drop of red wine off her chin. “Well, almost none.”

A blush crept up the woman’s slender neck and brought color to her cheeks. “I’ll pay for the dry cleaning, of course.”

Drew smiled. How cute. She couldn’t remember ever seeing any of her worldly, confident girlfriends blush, which lent a hint of vulnerability that softened the stranger’s earnest features. “Don’t worry about it.”

Laughter from the people around them made Drew tear her gaze away from the woman.

A few of Jake’s friends pointed out Drew’s stained shirt to one another and seemed to find it hysterically funny.

The woman’s cheeks went from pink to a dark rosé.

The swift surge of protectiveness rising in her chest surprised Drew. She made eye contact with the worst offenders. “What?” She pulled the wet shirt away from her skin and grinned. “Haven’t you ever seen a woman wearing a glass of wine? It’s all the rage, really.”

A few of the guests laughed and finally directed their gazes away from Drew and her damsel.

“Your shirt looks expensive,” the blond woman said. “I could pay for—”

“No, you don’t need to do that. I was the one who hit the tray, so if anyone needs to apologize, it’s me. I saw the glasses sliding to the edge of the tray and thought I could help, but instead I gave you quite a scare, plowing into you like that.” She gasped, only then realizing she hadn’t taken a breath between sentences. “I’m really sorry. Maybe I could invite you for coffee to make up for it.” She had casually asked out many women in her life, but now she found herself rambling.

The woman glanced at her. Drew thought she saw puzzlement in her eyes, which, at this distance, were the color of vine leaves in spring. Then the woman frowned and shook her head. “And risk spilling hot beverages on you too? Better not.”

When the woman moved to walk around her, Drew quickly stepped forward and blocked her way, not ready to give up yet. “That’s a risk worth taking. So how about it? Will you have coffee with me?”

“It’s nice of you to offer, but it’s not necessary. It was just an accident, and I really need to go now.” The woman turned her wrist to glance at her watch, making the tray tilt again.

Ignoring the possibility of further damage to her clothes, Drew grabbed for the tray. Her fingers wrapped around the woman’s, her tanned hands contrasting sharply with the ivory of the woman’s skin.

“Sorry.” Another blush stained the woman’s cheeks. “I’m not usually such a klutz.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Drew relinquished her hold on the tray, but not without letting her index finger linger against the woman’s hand for a moment. “Being a bit clumsy has a certain charm,” she said with a wink.

The woman lifted an eyebrow but didn’t return the flirtatious smile.

Damn, she’s straight. Drew suppressed a sigh.

“I need to go,” the woman said. “Again, I’m sorry. Maybe you can borrow one of Jake’s shirts for the evening.”

She’s on a first-name basis with Jake? For a moment, Drew wondered whether the blonde was one of Jake’s many lovers, but then she shook her head. With her horn-rimmed glasses, stubborn chin, and make-up-free face, this woman wasn’t Jake’s type.

She glanced down at the wet shirt plastered against her full breasts. “I’m afraid Jake and I are not quite the same ... um ... size.”

The woman blushed for the fourth time, and Drew caught her glancing at her chest.

Maybe she’s not so straight after all. Drew grinned and decided to help her cover the awkward silence. “It’s okay. I was just about to go say hello to Jake and then head home anyway.” She nodded toward the tray. “You need any help with that?”

“No, thanks, I can manage.”

“All right.” Drew was running out of reasons to keep talking for a while longer, so she reluctantly stepped out of the way.

Her damsel said good-bye and walked away.

Drew stood watching the gentle sway of her hips. Nice. She pinched the wet shirt between two fingers and pulled it away from her skin. After a final glance at the stranger, she went in search of Jake.

“What the hell happened to you?” Jake asked when she found him. “I go to the bathroom for a minute, and when I come back, you look like a murder victim.”

Drew glanced at her wine-drenched shirt and shrugged. “I met a woman.”

A teasing grin formed on Jake’s lips. “Don’t they normally wait until after dessert to throw their drinks at you?”

“They? One woman, okay? It was just one woman who threw her drink at me, and that was ages ago.”

“And you deserved it. Dude, you were a dog back in the day!”

Not those old war stories again! Okay, she had dated a lot of women in college, but she had left that part of her life behind when she had taken over her family’s vineyard. “That was in college, and you slept with more women in a week than I did during my entire freshman year!”

“Yeah, the good ol’ times.” Jake’s dreamy sigh ruffled the shaggy blond hair falling into his face. “So, what have you been up to? I haven’t seen you since the AIDS fundraiser we did at the gym. And that was what? Two months ago?”

“Three,” Drew said. “I just finished bringing in my first harvest. I’ve been out in the vineyards every day since we started harvesting the grapes for the sparkling wines back in August.” She rubbed her eyes. The past weeks had left her exhausted but also filled with a sense of accomplishment. She hoped her parents would have been proud of her.

“Ah, work, work, work.” Jake wagged his finger at her. “You’re beginning to remind me of my sister.”

When they had gone to college together, Drew had heard stories about Jake’s sister, Annie—or rather about the practical jokes Jake had played on her when they’d been children. She had never met her, though. “Are you ever going to introduce me to your mysterious sister?”

“I would have introduced you years ago, but convincing Annie to come to one of my parties is harder than getting an audience with the pope.”

Good for her. Drew bit back a grin.

“And you,” Jake slapped her shoulder, “never had the time in all these years to meet my folks during spring break.”

Drew hit him back, but her slap bounced off the wiry muscles he had developed as a climber. “Yeah, because I had to help in the vineyard while you, the slacker, partied the whole time.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll introduce you. I saw her talking to Rob earlier, so she has to be around here somewhere.” Jake turned and looked around, then pivoted to face Drew. “But remember: no flirting. She’s straight.”

Drew lifted her hands. “I’m not interested in your baby sister. In fact, I just saw a woman at the buffet. For some reason, she really caught my attention. I think she’s working for the catering service.”

“The brunette with the killer legs?”

“No. This one is a blonde, and if her legs kill you, it’s probably because she’s a bit clumsy.” At the memory of the woman almost dropping the tray of glasses a second time, Drew had to smile.

A frown carved a deep line between Jake’s brows. “I don’t think I hired a blonde.”

“Yes, you did. She knows you by name.”

“The only clumsy blonde I know at this party is ...” Jake paused and laughed. “Is she tall, green-eyed, and serious as a heart attack?”

Drew suppressed the urge to defend her clumsy damsel. “Sounds about right.” Belatedly, she realized she had never found out the woman’s name.

“Ah, that blonde.”

“So you do know her?” Drew asked. “Could you introduce us?”

“Sure, no problem.” A sound almost like a giggle escaped Jake’s mouth.

Someone should tell him that straight men don’t giggle. But for now, Drew was more interested in finding out more about the woman. “Do you know if she’s family?”

The giggles turned into a belly laugh. Jake slapped his thighs, nearly spilling his drink all over himself. “Oh, yeah. She’s family.”

“Really? She is?” When the woman hadn’t flirted back and hadn’t even seemed to notice her interest, she had given up hope. “Are you sure?”

“One hundred percent,” Jake said, still grinning madly.

“And she’s single?”

Jake rolled his eyes. “Has been for ages.”

Drew couldn’t believe her good fortune. “Sounds like you’ve known her for a long time.”

“Yeah, you could say that.” Jake turned. “Wait here. I’ll go get her.”

* * *

Annie carefully weaved around the busy catering staff in the kitchen to avoid spilling wine on anyone else. Once had been embarrassing enough. Make that almost twice. She breathed a sigh of relief when she set down the tray on the kitchen counter. Okay, get out of here before Jake—

“There you are!” Jake’s voice wrecked her escape plan. When she turned, her brother squinted up at her, looking annoyed—as always—that his younger sister had outgrown him. “Great party, isn’t it? I bet you’re glad you came.”

Glad? Annie pierced him with a disbelieving stare. Glad?

“What are you doing in here?” He pointed at the tray. “I hired a catering service to take care of that.”

Annie glared at him. “You called me over for help, so that’s what I’m doing,” she said in the coldest, most controlled tone she was capable of mustering. “If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I’ll—”

“Oh, come on. Don’t sulk. Lighten up. Would you have come over if I said we’re having a party?”

“No,” Annie said, “I—”

“See?” Jake wrapped one arm around her. “You would have missed out on all the fun.”

Annie resisted the urge to shove him away. “Our ideas of fun couldn’t be more different, and you know it. If I’d wanted to come to your stupid party, I would have said yes when you asked me. You scared me half to death with your call, you jerk!”

“It’s not a stupid party,” Jake said.

God. Annie wanted to hit him. Discussions with Jake were like trying to reason with a three-year-old. Even if she got him to apologize, his regret wouldn’t be sincere. At the next best opportunity, he would do the same thing again. This is useless. “Forget it. I have to go.”

“Now? It’s not even nine!”

“I’m meeting with a client early tomorrow morning.” Annie shook off her brother’s arm. Besides, an excellent book awaited her at home, but she wasn’t about to tell Jake that. Her brother already thought her life was boring.

“Oh, come on! All work and no play makes Annie a very dull girl.”

That joke was getting old. “And all play and no work makes Jake a very bankrupt boy,” Annie said. “Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”

Jake waved his hand through the air as if chasing away an irritating fly. He gulped his drink and grinned. “Sasha can open the gym for me. What are employees good for if not for covering for me after a party like this? Come on.” He nudged her. “Stay. Just a little longer. Let me introduce you to a friend of mine.”

One more reason to leave. Jake’s friends tended to be adrenaline junkies who talked about nothing but their sports cars, partying, and their latest free-climbing adventure. Annie drove an electric car, hated parties, and hanging from a rock without a safety net was not her idea of a fun vacation. If she said yes to meeting Jake’s friend, she would be bored within seconds.

“No, thanks.” She tried to push past him.

Jake shoved his arm out, blocking her way. “I’ll let you leave on one condition.”

“Let me?” Annie’s voice rose. “I’m no longer the little girl you can boss around.”

“Me?” Hand on his chest, Jake laughed. “Boss you around? You told me what to do from the moment you learned to talk!”

“Because you needed it.” Even as a child, Jake had constantly gotten himself into trouble. She still remembered the chaos twelve-year-old Jake had produced at their cousin’s christening when he poured ink into the basin with the holy water.

When he made no move to withdraw his arm and let her leave, she sighed. “So what’s the condition?”

“My friend Drew wants a date with you.” His eyes twinkled, and his lips twitched in a way that told Annie he was trying to hide a mischievous grin.

Was this another one of his pranks? But even Jake wouldn’t try to play a second practical joke on her on the same evening, would he? “Drew?” She had heard that name before. Maybe one of his college buddies? Every spring break, Jake had come home and boasted about the pranks he had pulled on his friends, but at one point, she had stopped listening. Or was Drew that weird guy Jake had introduced her to when she had helped him paint his house? “Isn’t that the one with the BDMS fetish?”

“That’s BDSM, sis.” Jake laughed at her blush. “And no, that’s Dave. Drew doesn’t have any fetishes as far as I know.”

“Still,” Annie said, “I told you I’m not going out with another one of your friends.”

“Oh, but Drew is not like any of my other friends.” His lips twitched again. “In fact, you have a lot in common.”

Now that would be a first. She eyed her brother, but he looked completely serious now. “Okay, if it’ll get you off my back, I’ll go out with him sometime.” She waved and hurried past him. With any luck, Jake would have forgotten all about it by tomorrow.

Chapter 2

“You’re a miracle worker, Ms. Prideaux,” Mr. Alvarez said and grinned at Annie from across her desk. “I never thought we would make it through the jungle of my tax chaos in just one afternoon.”

Annie stood and followed her client to the door. “It wasn’t that bad.” In fact, his bookkeeping was awful, but he was a client, so diplomacy was the better part of valor. “Just remember to use the software I showed you. It’ll keep track of all the expenses and earnings for you.”

“Will do.” Mr. Alvarez shook her hand, moving it up and down as if it were a pump handle. “Thank you again.” After one last pump of her hand, he let go and nearly skipped out of her office.

With an amused shake of her head, Annie returned to her desk. It was half past five already, so her workday had officially ended thirty minutes before. Most days, Annie was one of the last accountants to leave the office, but today she wanted to get home at a reasonable time and pamper herself a little. Images of a bubble bath, the newest Tana French novel, and a glass of Merlot danced in her head.

She made a few more notes in Mr. Alvarez’s file, saved and shut the open documents, and was just about to power down her computer when a knock on the open office door made her look up.

Mr. Cargill, one of her bosses, stood in the doorway, a large pile of folders balanced in his thin arms. “Do you have a minute?”

The images of bath, novel, and wine wavered and collapsed. Annie suppressed a sigh. “Sure.”

The office’s fluorescent lights bounced off Mr. Cargill’s bald head as he folded his long, slim frame into the visitor’s chair and set the folders on Annie’s desk. “I’m sure you heard that we were able to win Paul Dettman as a client for our firm.”

Annie nodded. Dettman was one of the biggest landowners in the area, so of course everyone at Cargill & Jones had talked of nothing else for days.

“I need you to take over his account,” Mr. Cargill said.

Me? Annie stared at her boss, caught between elation and panic.

“I know you’re up to the task.”

Annie sucked in a breath and squared her shoulders. She had never worked on an account of that size, but she knew she could handle it. Even if it meant a bigger workload, she was determined to show Mr. Cargill that his trust in her had been justified. “Yes, of course. I won’t disappoint you or the firm.”

“I know you won’t. You always do a good job.” Mr. Cargill leaned forward and gave her arm a grandfatherly pat. “Dettman’s bookkeeper dropped off his files this morning. We need an overview of what we’re dealing with as soon as possible, so you should start reviewing them tonight. Do you think you can stay a few hours longer?”

Annie eyed the stack of files he had placed on her desk. A few hours wouldn’t be enough to work through them all. She inwardly sighed and added sleep to the list of things she wouldn’t get tonight. But now that she had agreed to taking over Mr. Dettman’s account, she wouldn’t back down. “Sure,” she said.

A satisfied smile spread over Mr. Cargill’s face. “Good. I knew I could count on you. Make sure to give me a quick report tomorrow, and if you need any help, ask Sarah or Virgil to lend a hand.”

Annie nodded but already knew she would try to manage on her own.

As soon as her boss had left the office, she reached over and pulled the stack of files to her side of the desk. Sighing, she opened the first folder and began to read.

* * *

“Don’t you ever go home?”

A voice from the door made Annie jump. Her head jerked up. When her vision blurred for a moment, she realized she had skipped dinner.

The figure in the doorway swam back into focus. Her colleague Sarah stared at her with a disapproving frown.

Annie took off her glasses, rubbed her tired eyes, and searched her desk drawer for a chocolate bar. That would have to do for dinner tonight. “You’re still here too.”

Sarah’s red curls bounced when she shook her head. “I left two hours ago and only came back because I forgot my cell phone.” She crossed the room and dropped into the visitor’s chair. Her feet dangled like that of a first grader before she adjusted the chair’s height for her shorter frame. She straightened the hem of her knee-length skirt, leaned forward, and ran a red-painted nail over the files on Annie’s desk. “Don’t tell me the boss gave you Dettman’s account.”

Annie gave up the search for a chocolate bar and put her glasses back on to study her colleague. Did Sarah think she wasn’t up for the job? “Yes, he did.”

“Girl, you really need to learn to say no.”

Annie stiffened. “Why should I?”

“Oh, Annie, the boss didn’t ask you because you’re the best accountant he has.” Sarah lifted her manicured hands. “Don’t get me wrong. You are the best. Everyone knows that, including Mr. Cargill. But he asked you because he knows you’re the only one who will stay late and work her ass off to meet his spur-of-the-moment deadlines.” She blew a red curl out of her eyes and looked at Annie. “If you don’t start standing up for yourself, you’ll end up overworked and lonely.”

Annie fiddled with the edge of a folder. “It’s not that bad.”

“Really? You missed spinning class yesterday,” Sarah said. “And I bet it wasn’t because you were out on a date.”

Of course it wasn’t. Time had gotten away from her while she prepared monthly accounting reports for a client, and by the time she had checked her watch, spinning class had already been halfway over.

The ringing of Annie’s cell phone interrupted the silence.

Phew. Saved by the bell. Annie dug in her messenger bag and lifted the cell phone to her ear.

Sarah waved and pointed at the door. When Annie nodded, Sarah stood and left.

“Yes?” Annie said into her cell phone.

“Hey, how is my favorite sister today?” Jake’s cheerful voice came through the receiver.

Annie frowned. The last time he had greeted her like this, she had to come get him out of jail because he had partied a little too hard and ended up in a fistfight. “Well,” she said, “that depends. Do I have to sell a kidney to pay for your bail?”

Jake’s belly laugh resonated through the phone. “No bail. Your kidney is safe. I’m calling to tell you you’ve got a date.”

“Date?”

“Yep. At the party last Saturday, you promised you would go out with my friend Drew sometime, remember?”

Sarah’s words echoed through her mind: you really need to learn to say no. “I don’t have the time to date right now.”

“Oh, come on. You have to eat sometime, so you might as well do it with Drew.”

Annie hesitated. She had never broken a promise. Once she committed to something, she went through with it, even if she was cursing herself the entire time. And saying no to Jake was even harder than saying no to her boss. She sighed. When Jake used his boyish charm on her, she forgot about the tricks he played on her.

“It’s not like I’m asking you to marry Drew. One date, that’s all.”

Annie blew out a breath. “One date. Then you never bother me about dating one of your friends again.”

“Deal,” Jake said. “So when and where should Drew meet you?”

“How about next year,” Annie mumbled with a glance at her stack of files.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Annie thumbed through her calendar. “How about ...” She turned another page. “... Saturday at seven? No, make that eight.”

“Sounds great. How about Fettuccine’s? That’s your favorite restaurant, right?”

Annie grimaced. No one in her family ever remembered her favorite places. “It’s good, but it’s not my favorite. And the name is Francucci’s.”

“Right. Saturday, eight o’clock, Francucci’s.” A pen scratched over a piece of paper as Jake wrote it down. “I’m sure Drew will be over the moon.”

That makes one of us. “Jake, I need to go back to work now.”

“Work?” Jake echoed. “You’re still at work? Damn, Annie, no wonder you’re single. How are you supposed to meet someone if all you do is sit in the office and work? I’ll arrange—”

“Oh, no, you’re not arranging anything else.” Annie gritted her teeth. Why couldn’t he accept that she was perfectly happy on her own? “One date, that’s our deal. If you don’t stick to it, I’ll tell Mom who put the vinegar into the perfume bottle she gave Aunt Edith for her birthday last year.”

“Um, one date sounds great, sis. Don’t work too late, okay?”

Annie looked at the files. She wasn’t even halfway through. “Don’t worry. I won’t,” she said, even knowing it was a lie. Her brother wouldn’t understand. She finished the call and opened the next folder. “Once more unto the breach.”

* * *

When Drew unlocked the door, the ringing of the phone greeted her. She kicked off her muddy shoes and ran to get to the phone. “Yes?”

“Got a pen and paper?” a male voice asked.

“Jake?”

“No, the Easter bunny.” Jake chuckled. “Now grab something to write with.”

Drew reached for the notepad and pen she kept next to the phone for wine orders and plopped down on the couch. She had been on her feet, supervising the pressing of her Syrah grapes, since five in the morning. “What am I writing down?”

“Francucci’s, this Saturday, eight o’clock.”

After scribbling it down, Drew stared at the page. What was this? A dinner invitation from Jake so soon after his party? “Sorry, pal, but I won’t be able to make it. I’ve got a group coming in for a wine tasting on Saturday.”

“Oh, come on. What’s a wine tasting compared to a date with your clumsy blonde?”

Drew jumped up, suddenly no longer tired. “You got me a date with her?”

“I couldn’t introduce you at the party, because she had to leave, but she was very interested in meeting you.”

“Really?” The blonde hadn’t seemed all that interested in Drew.

“Would I lie to you about something like that?” Jake asked.

“Yeah, you would.” When they had gone to college together, Jake had tricked her more than once. But on the other hand, he had also been a loyal friend. When her parents had died within a few months of each other and she had holed up at home for weeks on end, Jake and her other friends had forced her to go out and rejoin the living. “So, don’t I get a name?”

“Caroline.”

“No last name?”

“Not yet,” Jake said. “She’s shy and asked me not to tell you.”

Warning bells went off in Drew’s mind. The woman had seemed like the quiet, reserved type, but not giving her last name was weird. Something about this semi-blind-date was off, but Drew had nothing to lose. If things didn’t go well, she could make up some kind of emergency at the winery and leave.

“So you’ll meet her Saturday at eight?” Jake asked. “I made dinner reservations under your name.”

Drew’s thoughts raced as she tried to figure out which of her employees could take over the wine tasting. Somehow, she would find a way. She wouldn’t miss out on meeting her damsel. “I’ll be there.”

* * *

Her date hadn’t arrived yet when the hostess led Annie to the table. Of course not. Annie was always the first person to arrive for meetings or dates. Today, she had contemplated taking a page from Jake’s book and showing up late, but she couldn’t change her overly punctual nature any more than she could change her height.

Annie chose the chair with her back to the wall, enabling her to observe the men entering the restaurant.

The hostess handed her a menu and a wine list. “Your waiter will be with you in a minute.”

When the hostess walked away, Annie looked around. The room was filled with cozy tables draped in snow-white tablecloths. Soft Italian music played in the background, and candles flickered in the center of each table. The dim lighting added to the romantic atmosphere. Her gaze lingered on the tables with couples, who seemed engrossed in each other, hardly aware of their surroundings. Annie rubbed her temples. What am I doing here?

The waiter stepped up to her table and introduced himself. “May I start you off with something to drink?”

Annie considered it for a moment and then decided that a glass of wine might help to get her through the evening. “Can you recommend a Merlot from a local winery?”

“The Corbin Merlot is excellent,” the waiter said.

“Then could you bring me a glass of that, please?”

“Of course. I’ll get your wine and give you a minute to look at the menu. The special we have today is Pollo al Forno, chicken breast served on a bed of mushroom risotto.”

“Someone is joining me.” Annie glanced at her watch. Ten to eight. “He should be here any minute now. I’ll wait to order when he gets here.” If he even shows up. Jake’s friends weren’t known for their reliability.

The waiter nodded and leaned forward to light the candle in the middle of the table.

Don’t bother, Annie wanted to tell him. Romance wasn’t on her mind. She already knew the three different ways the evening might end.

Option one: her date would ask her what she did for a living and then yawn excessively or smirk when she told him she was an accountant.

Option two: if this Drew was a businessman, he might try to get free advice from her. Well, that wouldn’t be so bad. At least then Annie would be on familiar ground.

The worst was option three: Drew would be perfectly nice, trying to draw Annie out and engage her in conversation, but Annie would feel no connection at all. She would focus on her food, self-conscious about every word she said, already thinking about how to get out of a second date. At the end of the evening, she would return home frustrated, feeling as if something was wrong with her.

She glanced up as the waiter approached with her glass of wine and another guest in tow. But instead of Jake’s friend Drew, he ushered a woman to the table.

Annie opened her mouth, about to tell the waiter he had made a mistake, when she noticed something familiar about the woman. She had seen that tan face and the short, wind-blown brown curls before, hadn’t she?

When the woman smiled, revealing deep dimples, the realization hit Annie. Oh, God! The woman from the party.

Smiling broadly, the woman took a seat at Annie’s table.

What is she doing? That little incident at the party doesn’t give her the right to act like we’re old friends. But Annie was too polite to tell the woman to get up and leave.

“Hello,” the woman said. “Good to see you again—and under much nicer circumstances.” She tugged at her blouse, this one a pristine white, not stained with wine.

Great. Now I’m going to be forced to make small talk with her. Annie threw a glance toward the entrance.

No sign of her date.

Annie sighed. Let her stay until Drew arrives. At least then she wouldn’t be the only person sitting alone in a restaurant full of couples.

The woman stood, reached across the table, and offered her hand. “I’m Drew Corbin, but I guess Jake already told you that.”

“What?” Annie’s mouth fell open. “You? You’re Drew?” She jerked back the hand she had already extended, nearly toppling over the burning candle. What the heck is going on?

The woman withdrew her hand and sat. “Yes.” She tilted her head. “Something wrong with my name?”

“No. It’s just ...” Annie squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, Drew was still staring at her. Annie scrambled for something to say. “It’s just a rather androgynous name.”

“Yeah.” Drew combed her fingers through her hair, which barely brushed her collar. Her dimples made another appearance as she grinned at Annie. “You’d think my parents already knew their little girl would grow up to be a lesbian, huh?”

Lesbian? Oh my God, Jake set me up on a date with a lesbian! Annie slumped against the back of her chair. How humiliating. Once again, she had fallen for one of Jake’s tricks. She had dressed up, put on her only pair of semi-high heels, and sat in this restaurant full of couples in love, feeling out of place and worrying about what kind of impression she would make on her date—only to find out that it was all a prank. She clenched her teeth. “Just wait until I get my hands on you, you little rat.”

“What’s going on here?” Drew’s bright smile dimmed. “Jake tricked us somehow, didn’t he?”

Annie nodded emphatically. “He told me I couldn’t say no, because his friend Drew bent over backwards to get out of some work obligations to go out on a date with me.”

“I hate to admit it,” Drew rubbed her neck, “but that might not be all that far from the truth. I was really looking forward to meeting you tonight.”

Heat rose up Annie’s neck. “Yes, but Jake let me assume his friend Drew was a man.”

“Oh.” Drew’s shoulders slumped.

The waiter chose that moment to approach the table and address Drew. “Can I get you—?”

“Would you give us a minute, please?” Drew said. As soon as he disappeared, she leaned forward and regarded Annie. “So you’re straight?”

Annie nodded.

“Great. I should have known he would set me up with one of his straight friends,” Drew grumbled.

“Straight sister, actually,” Annie said.

“What?” Drew’s eyes widened. She shook her head as if to clear it. “You’re Annie, Jake’s sister? Jake told me your name is Caroline.”

“It is,” Annie said. “My middle name.” After a moment, she added with a small smile, “Annie Caroline Prideaux. Hello.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Drew slapped her own forehead. “Oh, man. I should have known Jake was up to no good.” She sighed but then straightened, returned Annie’s smile, and reached out her hand. “Pleased to meet you anyway.”

Annie slid her hand into Drew’s and shook it. Drew’s grip was steady and warm. “What now?” Annie asked with a glance at the waiter who lingered nearby. “Do we stay or go?”

“Why don’t we stay? We’re both here, dressed to the nines,” Drew’s appreciative glance slid over Annie’s elegant silk top, but there was nothing leering about her gaze, “and I don’t know about you, but I haven’t eaten all day and I would appreciate the company. Would you mind?”

For a moment, Annie was tempted to just go home, but she felt bad about someone else being the victim of Jake’s practical joke. The least she could do was stay and have dinner with Drew. In a way, it was a relief to have dinner with a woman instead of a date with Jake’s male friend. At least Drew has already seen me at my worst, so I can relax. “No,” Annie said, “I don’t mind.”

Smiling, Drew opened her menu.

The waiter approached again. “Have you decided on something to drink?”

“Just a glass of water for now,” Drew said.

After the waiter walked away, they went back to studying the menus. Silence settled between them.

Annie searched for something to say, but now that she couldn’t rely on her first-date script, she struggled to find a safe topic of conversation. “I think I’ll get the vegetarian lasagna.”

Drew glanced up from her menu. “You’re a vegetarian?”

“Yes,” Annie said but didn’t explain. She had gotten into enough heated debates with her meat-loving family, and she didn’t want to justify herself to a total stranger.

“Can I ask why you made that choice? Is it for ethical reasons, or do you just not like the taste of meat?”

Annie hesitated, not eager to talk about herself, but Drew looked at her with a friendly expression, just curious, not judging. And they had to talk about something after all to make it through this dinner. “When I was fourteen, I saw a documentary about how chickens are raised. I won’t go into detail, or I’ll spoil your dinner. Needless to say it’s beyond cruel.” The memory of those scenes made Annie shudder. “I don’t want to contribute to that.”

Drew nodded. “It couldn’t have been easy to stand by that decision at fourteen.”

The respect in Drew’s voice made Annie relax a little. She shrugged. Drew was right. Her parents had tried several times to smuggle meat onto her plate—putting ground meat on her veggie burger, for example—because they thought she needed meat for a healthy diet. She bit her lip at her family’s continued disrespect of her choices.

“I don’t eat much meat either,” Drew said, “but tonight I have a craving for seafood. Do you mind if I get the shrimp pasta?”

The question surprised Annie. None of her dates had ever been this considerate. “Go ahead. I don’t mind.”

The waiter returned with Drew’s glass of water, and they placed their orders. “Do you want garlic bread with the house salad?” the waiter asked.

Annie and Drew exchanged a quick glance; then Drew grinned. “Sure, why not. I guess there won’t be any good-night kisses on this date.”

The casual comment made Annie frown. She peeked at the waiter to see how he reacted to Drew’s words, but his face was a polite mask. On the one hand, Drew’s joke in front of the waiter embarrassed Annie, but on the other hand, she marveled at how at ease with herself Drew seemed to be. Seems she’s really out and proud. Not afraid of what people might think. I wish I could be more like that.

“Would you care for a glass of wine to go with that, ma’am?” the waiter asked.

Drew pointed at Annie’s glass and then looked into her eyes. “What are you drinking?”

“A Merlot from a local winery. It’s pretty good.”

“Do you want us to get a bottle of it?” Drew asked.

Normally, Annie never drank more than one glass of wine when she was on a date. But this wasn’t a date, and after what Jake had put her through tonight, she deserved a second glass, so she nodded.

The waiter brought the bottle of wine and presented it to Drew, who gave a pleased smile. After he opened the bottle and poured a small taste, she swirled it around in her glass, then sniffed and took a sip. Finally, she looked up and nodded.

The waiter filled her glass and walked away.

Drew clinked her glass to Annie’s. “To your brother.” After a pause, she added, “A first-rate jack-ass.”

Annie had just taken a sip and now nearly spewed wine all over the table. She coughed until she suspected her face was redder than the Merlot.

“I’m sorry,” Drew said. She looked as if she wanted to get up and pat Annie’s back.

“No, you’re right.” Annie took a more cautious sip of wine, soothing her burning throat. “Jake can be a real jerk.” Sometimes, she wondered how she had survived her childhood—or how he had. After all the silly little pranks he pulled on her, she had wanted to kill him more than once.

“Oh, yeah. I nearly throttled him during freshman year.”

“You went to college together?” Annie asked. Drew didn’t seem like Jake’s usual kind of friend.

Drew nodded.

“What did he do?” Annie asked.

“He sent me little love notes,” Drew said.

“But he wasn’t ...?”

“In love with me?” Drew laughed and held her open palms out to her sides, indicating her sturdy frame. “No. I’m not his type. He’s not exactly mine either.” She winked. “I had a major crush on Ruth Calverson, not knowing that she in turn had a crush on Jake and was sending him love letters. So when he pinned those notes to the door of my dorm room, I thought Ruth was smitten with me too, and I finally found the courage to show up at her dormitory with a bunch of roses and ask her out.”

Annie winced.

“Yeah.” Drew nodded. “Needless to say that didn’t turn out so well. Who knew a bunch of roses could hurt so much when someone hits you in the face with them?” She made a pathetically sad face.

The sound of her own laughter surprised Annie. She took a sip of wine. “After a prank like that, you’d think you would stay far away from Jake. Why are you still friends with him and even stayed in touch after college?”

Drew swished the wine in her glass around. “Despite all his faults and his weird sense of humor, Jake isn’t a bad guy. When I told him I’m gay, he was cool with it. Up until then, my lesbianism has been a disappointment to everyone I came out to—my parents, boys who wanted to date me ...”

“And Ruth Calverson,” Annie said with a smile.

Drew returned the grin and nodded. “And Ruth Calverson. But to Jake, it was never a big deal. Once, a homophobic asshole made a derogatory comment about me in a business lecture. The day after that, the guy found his beloved convertible filled with gravel.”

“Jake did that?”

Drew nodded. “No one ever made stupid comments about me again.”

Wow. For the first time in her life, Annie was proud of her brother.

“So,” Drew said after a while, “what pranks did he play on you? He told me some stories, but I admit that after a while, I stopped listening.”

Annie pressed her napkin to her lips. She wasn’t eager to recount the embarrassing stories, but Drew had shared the Ruth Calverson story, so Annie felt obliged to answer. Over the years, Jake had played so many pranks on her that she hardly knew which story to tell Drew. Annie adjusted her cutlery while incidences flashed through her mind like photos in a slideshow. Finally, she settled on one of the less humiliating pranks. “Once, he made me believe that the cat had eaten my bunny.”

“And you believed that?” Drew asked. “Cats don’t eat bunnies.”

“How was I supposed to know? I was five years old.” Warmth penetrated the sleeve of Annie’s silk shirt. When she looked down, she discovered Drew’s hand on her arm, giving her a comforting squeeze. Annie froze. In her everyday life, few people came close enough to touch her, and knowing Drew was a lesbian made Annie even more aware of her touch.

Drew followed her gaze and pulled away her hand. “Sorry. I’m a touchy-feely person.” She cleared her throat. “What else did he do?”

Annie rubbed her fingers over her forearm, where Drew’s hand had rested. She hesitated again.

“Come on,” Drew said. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s not like I haven’t been duped by Jake a few dozen times too.”

Annie sighed. Her mind leafed through the impressive collection of Jake’s pranks and chose one at random. “On my first day at my job, he switched the contents of my shampoo for hair dye.” Annie scrunched up her nose. “I ended up going to work with pink hair.”

Drew nearly spewed wine across the table. She laughed and dabbed her mouth with the napkin. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh at you. That must have been embarrassing, but the mental image of you showing up at work with pink hair ...”

“Pretty funny, yeah.” Annie didn’t smile. “But not if you had to endure Jake’s pranks for thirty years.”

Drew leaned forward. “Didn’t your parents ever interfere when Jake pulled a prank on you?”

“Sometimes,” Annie said. She pressed the tip of her index finger against her fork until the metal dug into her skin. “But usually, they were too busy with their art.”

“Oh, that’s right. I have one of your mother’s paintings in my living room. Her use of colors is amazing. What does your father do?”

The questions about her and her family kept throwing Annie off stride, but she couldn’t find a good reason for not answering without coming across as impolite. “He’s a conductor.”

“Not a train conductor, I take it?”

Annie laughed as she imagined her father’s reaction to being mistaken for a train conductor. “No. He’s with the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra.”

“And you?” Drew asked. “What do you do for a living?”

There it was: the question that always came up sooner or later. People often seemed disappointed by her answer, maybe because they expected the daughter of a musician and an artist to have a creative job too or at least to do something fun and unusual for a living, as Jake did.

The waiter brought their food, allowing Annie to stall for a moment.

When Drew looked at her expectantly instead of focusing on her pasta, Annie said, “I’m a CPA.”

Drew didn’t smirk or yawn. A shrimp still hovered on her fork, forgotten for the moment. “Which firm?”

Annie dug a mushroom out of her lasagna. “It’s a small firm, so you probably haven’t heard of it.”

“Try me.” Drew continued to look at her.

“I’m a senior associate at Cargill & Jones.” Annie chewed the mushroom, expecting Drew to redirect the conversation to a topic she found more interesting.

“Actually, I have heard of them. One of your colleagues manages my business accounts. Your firm does good work. So do you like your job?”

None of her dates had ever asked her that question. If they had, Annie wasn’t sure she would have answered honestly. While being an accountant was her passion, it just wasn’t interesting to other people. But she didn’t feel the need to impress Drew, so she nodded.

“Even during tax season?” Drew asked with a teasing smile.

“Yeah, the hours can get crazy in the spring, but I still like it.”

“I know what you mean. My work hours are crazy in the fall, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”

Amazing. She really seems to understand. Annie’s tense muscles relaxed. “What do you do for a living?” she asked, glad to talk about something other than herself. “You have your own company?”

“I own a winery.” Drew stroked her thumb over the label on their bottle of Merlot. “Actually, this is one of mine.”

“Really?” Annie took another sip, enjoying the fruity taste. “It’s very good.”

Drew reached across the table and nudged Annie’s shoulder. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

When Annie blushed, Drew chuckled. She seemed to delight in making Annie blush, but unlike Jake’s boisterous ribbing, Drew’s teasing was gentle.

“I’m not surprised,” Annie said. “I’ve just never met anyone who owns a winery and makes such excellent wine.”

“And I’ve never had dinner with an excellent accountant.”

Annie pierced her with a skeptical glance. “You can’t know whether I’m any good.”

Slowly, Drew laid down her fork, dabbed her mouth with her napkin, and regarded Annie with her deep brown eyes. “You don’t seem like a woman who would do anything halfway.” When Annie stared at her, not knowing what to do with the compliment, Drew added, “Besides, you said you’re a senior associate. If you weren’t good at your job, I don’t think you would have that position.”

Annie shrugged.

Drew laughed. “I can see that you’re the modest one in the family.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe you’re related to Jake. You couldn’t be more different if you tried. Has it always been that way?”

“Yes.” Annie busied herself cutting the rest of her lasagna into little squares while she thought about how much to tell Drew. Normally, she didn’t tell strangers that much about her life, but she realized that she had already told Drew more than usual. Maybe it was just this strange situation that had caught her off guard. Or maybe it was that after tonight, she would probably never see Drew again, so whatever Drew knew or didn’t know about her didn’t matter. “Jake ... Well, you know how he is. He’s not a bad person, but he thinks having fun and playing pranks on people is all there is to life.”

“Yeah,” Drew said. “I bet he’s having a drink right now, celebrating that he set up his straight sister on a blind date with a lesbian.”

I bet that’s exactly what he’s doing. Annie didn’t look forward to having him call her as soon as she got home. He would gloat about another successful prank until she hung up on him. She clenched her hand around her napkin until her fingers started to hurt. “Just once, I’d really like to get back at him.”

Drew swallowed the last of her pasta.

Blinking, Annie glanced at her own half-full plate. Usually, she was the first to finish her meal because her dinner companions prattled on and on while she contributed just enough to keep the conversation going.

A slow smile spread over Drew’s tan face. “We could, you know?”

“Could what?”

“Get back at Jake.”

Annie leaned forward. God, if we could really do that ... Normally, Annie considered herself above petty things like revenge, but Jake had tormented her with his pranks for too long. “How?”

“Jake is expecting you to be angry at him for setting you up with a woman, right?”

“Yeah.” He thinks his uptight sister will react like Ruth Calverson and hit Drew with the nearest object. Annie took another sip of wine to get rid of the bitter taste Jake’s judgment left behind in her mouth.

“But what if we both enjoyed having dinner with each other?” Drew asked.

I am enjoying it, Annie found to her surprise. But how is that getting back at Jake? “I don’t understand.”

Drew leaned forward. “What if the blind date were such a success that we started dating?”

Annie nearly choked on a bite of lasagna. “But ... but I’m straight!” She ducked her head when she realized how loudly she had spoken.

A grin dimpled Drew’s cheeks. “Well, nobody’s perfect.” She patted Annie’s forearm. “Relax. I’m just kidding. But just think about it. Jake would have a heart attack if he thought he was to blame for his little sister turning gay.”

Annie couldn’t help grinning as she imagined Jake with his mouth gaping open. “Definitely.” After a moment, her smile dimmed. “So we would just pretend, right?”

“Right. I already have a toaster oven.”

“Toaster oven?” What does tricking Jake have to do with kitchen appliances?

Drew chuckled. “It’s a lesbian recruitment joke. If you convert a certain quota of straight women, lesbian headquarters awards you a toaster oven.”

“Oh. And you already earned one?”

“No.” Drew lifted her hand to her mouth and, behind the cover of her palm, whispered, “I bought it. Don’t tell anyone, please. I have a reputation to uphold.”

Annie laughed and relaxed. After finishing the last of her lasagna, she leaned back and regarded Drew across the table. It’s crazy. But if it works ... Just the thought of Jake being on the receiving end of a prank made her grin. It was time that someone gave him a taste of his own medicine. “And you really think it could work? That we can make Jake believe that I ... that we ...?”

“Why wouldn’t it work?”

“I can’t even make a relationship with a man work, so I’m not sure I can pull off convincing Jake that I’m in love with you.” Annie crossed her arms over her chest, feeling as if she had said too much.

Drew shrugged. “That could actually work in our favor. You could tell Jake that your relationships with men failed because of your latent lesbian tendencies.” She waggled her eyebrows.

Someone cleared his throat next to them. “Did you ladies enjoy your dinner?”

When Annie turned her head, she found the waiter looking at her. Oh my God. Her cheeks burned. Did he hear what Drew said about my “latent lesbian tendencies”?

“It was wonderful, thank you,” Drew said without missing a beat.

Again Annie couldn’t help giving Drew an admiring glance. Drew didn’t seem to care what people thought about her. She vowed to follow her example.

“Would you care for dessert?” the waiter asked.

With her stomach still in knots, Annie didn’t think she could eat another bite. “No, thank you.”

“Their cheesecake is to die for. Want to share a piece with me?” Drew asked.

The idea of eating from the same plate seemed strangely intimate. If you really want to make Jake think you’re a couple, you need to get used to such harmless intimacies. Annie straightened her shoulders. “All right. Let’s share a piece of cheesecake and talk about teaching Jake a lesson he’ll never forget.”

* * *

“So,” Drew said, leaning against Annie’s electric car that was just as cute as its owner. “Can I have your number?” She gave Annie a teasing wink, aware that it sounded like some kind of pickup line.

Annie gave her a skeptical look. “Are you flirting with me?”

“Me? Flirting? No, that’s my normal style of communication.” Hand on her heart, Drew added, “I’ll save the flirting for when Jake is watching.” In a more serious tone, she said, “I’ll need your number to talk about our plan.”

After unlocking her car, Annie reached into the glove compartment for a pen, wrote something on a business card, and handed it to Drew.

Annie Prideaux, CPA. Senior Associate. Cargill & Jones. Annie was exactly what she had said she was. Drew could already tell that, unlike her brother, Annie wasn’t one to exaggerate to get attention. She looked at the cell phone and private number Annie had written on the back of the card. Her handwriting was clear and strong. “I assume you want me to call you at home, not at work?”

Nodding, Annie clicked off her pen. “That would be better. Speaking of calling me ... what do I tell Jake when he calls me to enjoy his little joke?”

“What do you tell him when you had a date with a man that went really well?”

“Nothing.”

Drew looked up from the business card. “Nothing?”

Annie stared at her car keys, avoiding eye contact. “Not much to tell anyway.”

“Why not?” Getting personal information out of Annie was like cutting old vines—hard work. “You don’t date?”

“I do. Sometimes. But ...”

“But?” Drew stepped closer. “Annie, I don’t want to be nosy and intrude on your privacy, but if we want to pull off making Jake think we’re a couple, I need to know a bit about your relationships.”

“Not sure you can call them that,” Annie mumbled. “I usually have one date, and that’s it.” Her cheeks reddened at the admission.

“That’s it? Why?”

Annie shrugged. “Usually, either my date is completely bored by the end of the evening, or I am, and neither of us wants a repeat.”

Drew could imagine why. If Annie was as reserved and as hesitant to share information about herself as she had been tonight, her dates would be full of awkward pauses in conversation. But of course if she told Annie that, she would retreat even further. “I know what you mean,” she said instead. “I had a few dates that were more boring than watching grass grow.”

“So what do I tell Jake?” Annie asked again.

“Let’s try to stay as close to the truth as possible. Otherwise, it won’t be long until we get caught.”

Annie’s eyebrows rose. “Sounds as if you’re speaking from experience.”

Drew sighed. “Years of trying to hide my sexual orientation from my very conservative father. When I finally told him, it turned out he suspected all along. I’m not a good liar.”

The skin above Annie’s nose crinkled. “But you still think you can pull off this,” she pointed back and forth between them, “in front of Jake?”

Pretending to be smitten with you? Sure, no problem. Despite Annie’s cautious reserve, Drew still found her cute and interesting. She tapped her own leg to admonish herself. Careful. She’s straight, and you’re doing this to have some fun at Jake’s expense. “Shouldn’t be a problem. We’re not going to do this for years, just until we get some revenge.”

“Any other advice for the phone call with Jake?”

“Don’t try to convince him you have fallen in love with me tonight,” Drew said.

Annie frowned. “I thought that was the plan. To make him believe I fell in love with you?”

“Yeah, but not so fast,” Drew said. “I have a feeling you’re not someone who falls in love at the drop of a hat.”

Annie’s lips compressed into a tight line. “No, I’m not.”

“Hey, nothing wrong with that.” When Annie looked down, Drew realized she was touching Annie’s forearm. She pulled her hand back. “We just need to wait a few weeks until we tell Jake we’re ready to rent a U-Haul and adopt a Golden Retriever together.”

“Cat,” Annie said, a tiny grin lurking at the corner of her mouth. “Jake knows I’m a cat person.”

“Let’s get both. Then when we experience lesbian bed death and split up, you can keep the cat and I’ll keep the dog.”

Annie lifted a brow but didn’t comment on the “lesbian bed death.” After a moment, she reached out to shake Drew’s hand and said, “Deal.”

* * *

Annie stared at her reflection in the mirror above the bathroom sink.

Something soft brushed against her ankles and made her look down.

Amadeus’s green eyes looked back at her.

“I’m da’ing a w’man now,” she told the cat, toothbrush in mouth.

When Amadeus walked away, not interested in her confession, Annie shook her head at herself. She then paused and squeezed her cheeks between her thumb and her other fingers. A strange tension resided in her cheeks, and it took her a moment to figure out that her muscles ached from laughing about the stories Drew had told her during dinner.

Drew had a great sense of humor. She seemed to delight in making Annie laugh or blush. While her teasing and her constant questions caught Annie off guard and sometimes pushed her out of her comfort zone, Annie realized that she had still enjoyed herself tonight. Who would have thought?

The ringing of the phone startled her. She spat a mouthful of toothpaste all over the sink. I bet that’s Jake, calling to gloat about duping us. Jerk. After wiping her mouth, she rushed to the phone and nearly stumbled over Amadeus, who was crouched into a sphinxlike position in the middle of the living room. “Yes?”

“I was starting to think you’d gone home with your date,” Jake’s smug voice greeted her.

Annie gritted her teeth. Stay calm. Remember the plan. “I’ve never gone home with anyone after just one date. You know that.”

When she answered with the calm rebuke instead of angry shouting, Jake was silent for a few seconds. “Let me guess. You didn’t go on your date?”

“Of course I did. I always keep my promises.”

Another pause. “Then Drew didn’t show up?”

“Why would you think that? Of course she showed up,” Annie said, emphasizing the “she.”

“And?”

Annie bit her cheek to keep from laughing. “We had a wonderful evening. I wish all of your friends were like her.”

A rasping noise at the other end of the line sounded as if Jake had trouble breathing. “What?”

“I wish all—”

“I heard what you said. You’re not angry?”

“Angry?” Annie imitated the innocent tone Jake had used whenever he had been caught doing something wrong as a boy. “Why would I be angry?”

Jake hesitated. Her answers clearly threw him. “Um. You did notice that Drew is a woman, right?”

“I’m not blind, Jake.” Despite her short hair, Drew couldn’t be mistaken for a man.

“And I’m sure Drew told you she’s a lesbian, didn’t she?”

“Yes, she did, but if she hadn’t, you would have outed her just now. That’s for her to do, not you.” Sometimes her brother just didn’t think before he opened his big mouth.

“Jesus, sis, one date and you’re already getting protective!” Jake laughed at his own joke. “Drew is out to everyone and their dog, so don’t worry about it.”

Giving away personal information about someone else still wasn’t okay in Annie’s book.

When Annie didn’t answer, Jake asked, “So you really stayed and had dinner with her?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Drew is very nice. She even invited me to a private wine tasting at her winery.” Drew hadn’t, but mentioning plans for further contact would make it more believable when she finally told Jake she was in a relationship with Drew.

“A private wine tasting?” Jake repeated. “Didn’t you tell her you’re straight?”

“Of course I did. She didn’t seem to mind and said something about earning a toaster oven.”

“What?” A banging noise resounded through the line, as if Jake had just dropped the phone.

Annie bit back a laugh. She waited until she heard Jake’s breathing through the phone again. “Maybe it’s some kind of prize winemakers get if they have a certain number of wine tastings per month or something like that,” she said. Jake had always thought she was hopelessly naïve, and now she was taking advantage of that.

“No,” Jake grumbled, “trust me, sis, it has nothing to do with wine tastings. I don’t think you should go.”

“Why? You were the one who set me up on a blind date with Drew, and now you don’t want me to go to a harmless wine tasting? Jake, you’re being ridiculous.”

After a second of silence, Jake said, “It was meant to be a prank, but I’m not sure Drew is getting the joke. Toaster oven, my ass! You’d better be careful.”

Annie laughed. “You’re telling me to be more careful?” Normally, he told her to take a few risks, have fun, and not be so damn reasonable all the time.

Now Jake laughed too, but it sounded halfhearted. “Yeah, hell must be freezing over. Just remember that Drew is a lesbian. Her expectations for this wine tasting might be different than yours. If a lesbian is wining and dining another woman, it’s usually to get her into bed.”

“Nonsense,” Annie said. “Lesbians are still women, and for us, not everything is about sex.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Jake said in a sing-song tone.

Their sudden role reversal felt strange. How often had she warned him about something or someone, just to have him ignore her advice and do the opposite? Now she took a certain satisfaction from ignoring him. “Don’t worry. We talked about it. We both know what we can expect from this acquaintance.” Revenge, Annie silently added.

“Okay, listen, I have to go.”

When Jake ended the call, Annie scratched a speck of half-dried toothpaste from her sleep shirt and headed to the bedroom, Amadeus in tow. “So far, so good,” she told the cat. “Your uncle Jake bought it hook, line, and sinker.”

* * *

“What the hell are you doing with my sister?”

Drew leaned back against the headboard and dangled one hand out of bed to pet Cab, who let out a contented doggie sigh. When Jake stopped shouting, she repeated, “Doing?”

“Don’t play innocent with me. Annie said something about you trying to earn a toaster oven!”

Wow, she said that? Drew’s eyebrows shot up. Seems she has a hidden devious streak.

“Jesus, Drew, Annie doesn’t even know what that means!”

Oh, yes, she does. Drew grinned. Let’s see if I can rile him up even more. “Don’t worry. I have a feeling she’s a quick learner.”

A deep growl echoed through the phone. “If you put your hands anywhere near my—”

“Jake, calm down. I haven’t touched your sister. I just had a good time with her tonight. She’s really nice.”

“Nice?” Jake spat out the word as if it were a curse. “Since when do you want a woman who’s nice?”

“Since I grew up,” Drew said. “Maybe you should try it too.”

Jake snorted. “Oh, yeah, playing around with an unsuspecting straight woman ... very grown up! I’m telling you, if you hurt—”

“Now you’re playing the protective big brother? You should have thought of that before you set your sister up on a fake date with a woman.” Drew clutched the phone more tightly. “If you knew anything about Annie, you’d know that dating isn’t easy for her. What you did was really cruel.”

She hung up on Jake before he could reply, then reached for the card on the bedside table and dialed Annie’s number. “Hi,” she said when Annie answered. “It’s Drew Corbin. I’m just calling to warn you. You better turn off your phone if you want to avoid more calls from Jake. He’s on the warpath, trying to save his innocent little sister from the big bad lesbian.”

Annie chuckled, a sound that made Drew’s skin tingle.

Stop it!

“He already warned me about your devious intentions,” Annie said.

Drew laughed. She’s got a great sense of humor once she lets herself relax.

“I told him you invited me to a private wine tasting,” Annie said. “I know we said it would be best to stick as close to the truth as possible, but—”

“It’s fine.” Drew grinned. “Are you trying to ask me out on a second date, Ms. Prideaux?”

For a moment, only the soft sounds of Annie’s breathing filtered through the line, and Drew imagined Annie blushing, searching for words.

“That could be arranged,” Drew said before Annie could answer. “How about next weekend? I could give you a tour through the vineyards, followed by a private wine tasting.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Annie said, all hints of laughter now gone from her tone. “We just need to pretend to have a second ‘date,’ not actually have one.”

“Like I said, it’s better to stay as close to the truth as possible, so why not do that wine tasting? It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other a little.”

“All right,” Annie said after hesitating for a few seconds.

“How about Saturday at four?”

Paper rustled, then Annie said, “Can we make it five?”

“Sure.”

“Can I bring anything?”

Amazing how different from her brother Annie was. Whenever Jake dropped by, he emptied a bottle of her best wine without ever thinking to contribute anything. “No,” Drew said. “Just yourself. Do you need directions?”

“No, I’ll just punch your address into my GPS.”

Ah. Drew smiled. Of course she has a GPS. I should’ve known. She’s such a geek.

Annie cleared her throat. “So I guess I’ll see you Saturday.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Drew said. “Sweet dreams.”

After Annie answered with a simple “good night,” Drew ended the call and turned off the light. She settled down to sleep with a smile on her lips.

Chapter 3

“Do you have a minute?”

Annie looked up from her progress report to see Jonathan Poynter, her new colleague, lingering in the doorway. She waved him in. “Sure.” She made another note in the report before she focused on her visitor.

He smoothed down his well-groomed blond beard while he walked toward her. When he reached her desk, he stopped and looked around. “Nice office,” he said. “I like the way you arranged the furniture.”

Annie raised one brow. He wasn’t here to compliment her sense of interior design, was he? “What can I do for you?”

“Virgil explained the software the firm uses yesterday, but it’s very different from everything I used before.” He sent her a helpless smile. “Can you show me again how to import the data and create a chart for the client’s expenses?”

One glance at the clock showed her that she had twenty minutes before her next appointment, so she nodded. “Come around this side, and I’ll show you.”

When Jonathan rounded the desk and leaned over her shoulder to see the screen, a wave of his too heavy aftershave hit Annie.

She wrinkled her nose and started to breathe through her mouth. A few clicks of her mouse and she had the software open. She showed Jonathan how to import the client’s data from QuickBooks.

“You’re really good at this,” Jonathan said. “How long have you worked for Cargill & Jones?”

Annie kept her gaze on the screen. “Six years.”

“Are you a local, or—”

“No, I’m not,” Annie said in a tone that didn’t invite further questions. Discussing the details of her private life always made her uncomfortable, especially in a work context. “Make sure you check the imported data for any mistakes. Once you’ve done that, you—”

The ringing of Annie’s phone interrupted her.

She lifted one finger to tell Jonathan to give her a moment and reached for the phone. “Cargill & Jones, Annie Prideaux speaking.”

“Good morning, Ms. Prideaux. This is Bill Moxley. I’m not sure if you remember. I was thinking about investing in a new tractor the last time we spoke.”

“Of course I do, Mr. Moxley. You said it might be better to wait until next year.”

“Yes, but now I’m not so sure.”

Annie suppressed a sigh. Why did her clients change their minds all the time? “Okay,” she said, careful not to let any hint of impatience show, “how can I help you with your decision?”

“I know this is short notice, but I have a good offer. The thing is just that I need to make a decision today. Can you pencil me in to go over the numbers with me?”

Typical. First he waited until the last moment and then he expected her to work miracles. Annie clicked on her appointment book. If she pushed the appointment with Mrs. Baker back a little and shortened her lunch break, it could work. “Can you meet me at half past twelve?”

“Yes, that works out great for me. Thank you so much.”

When Annie put down the phone and looked over her shoulder, Jonathan smiled at her. “You’re really good with the clients too.”

“It’s necessary if you want a career in accounting. You’ll work with people just as much as you’ll work with numbers.” It hadn’t come naturally for Annie, but by now, she was used to dealing with even the most difficult clients.

“No problem for me. I like people.” Jonathan grinned at her.

Annie nodded and turned back to the screen. “Where were we? Ah, yes. You click on this icon,” she used her pen to point out what she meant on the screen, “choose the colors and categories, click here—and voila: the software creates the chart you want.” She enlarged the multi-colored pie chart. “See?”

Jonathan leaned close to take a look at her computer screen. “That’s all I need to do?”

“Yes. It’s easy once you get to know the program.”

“It seemed much more complicated when Virgil explained it. You’re a great teacher.” Jonathan lightly touched her shoulder. “Thank you so much for taking the time to help me.”

Annie interrupted the contact by leaning forward and putting her pen back in the penholder. “You’re welcome.” She still remembered how at sea she had felt when she had first started working as an accountant, so she didn’t mind sharing her knowledge. “If you have any other questions, just come over and ask me.”

“Thanks. I will.” Jonathan straightened from his bent-over position behind Annie’s desk chair and headed to the door.

“Oh, and Jonathan?”

He turned and looked at her with the expectant gaze of a child on Christmas morning. “Jon, please.”

Annie didn’t nod. She had known Jonathan for just three days, so calling him by a nickname felt too familiar. “Remember to back up all your data before you close the software.”

Jonathan’s smile dimmed. “Oh. Yes. Of course. Thanks again.” He squeezed past Sarah, who was just entering Annie’s office, and hurried down the hall.

“What’s going on with Jonathan?” Sarah asked as she plopped down in the visitor’s chair. “He didn’t even say hello to me.”

Annie shrugged and picked up a pen to twirl it through her fingers. “He seemed a bit hyper, but maybe that’s just the stress of starting a new job.”

“Stress? I don’t think so.” A knowing smile spread over Sarah’s face. She twisted a reddish lock of hair around her finger. “Has he asked you out yet?”

Annie blinked. “Who?”

“The pope.” Sarah rolled her eyes. “Jonathan, of course! Don’t tell me you didn’t notice that he’s totally smitten with you?”

“What?” Annie threw her pen down. “Where did you get that crazy idea?”

“I’m not the only one who thinks so,” Sarah said, still twisting her hair around her finger. “Linda said he almost fell over himself to help you make copies of Mr. Dettman’s files yesterday.”

Great. That’s how office rumors get started. Annie rubbed her forehead. “He was just being friendly, and it gave him a chance to learn the copy machine. That’s all.”

“Maybe. But he’s also grinning like an idiot every time he sees you, and I don’t think he’s wearing that extra-splash of aftershave to impress Mr. Cargill.”

“You’re imagining things. He’s just grateful for my help. And maybe he just puts on so much aftershave because he has a body odor problem.”

Sarah freed her finger from her hair and pointed at Annie. “Think what you want, oh clueless one. But if he asks you out before the end of the week, you owe me lunch.”

It wouldn’t happen anyway, so Annie nodded. “Fine. And if he doesn’t ask me out, you pay for lunch.” Maybe that would teach Sarah that not everything was about dating, romance, and relationships.

“Deal. So are you coming to the book club meeting on Saturday?” Sarah asked.

Annie shook her head. “Not this week.”

Sarah’s bright red lips twisted into an expression of dismay. “Oh, come on. You can clean your apartment—or whatever it is you’re doing—another time. You’ve got to come. We’re discussing that Carol O’Connell novel you wanted us to read for months.”

“Yeah, I know.” Part of Annie was tempted to cancel the wine tasting. Maybe this whole idea was just crazy. But then she mentally shook her head. If she gave up, Jake would have the last laugh—as he always did. For once, she wanted to beat him at his own game. “I’ve already got plans.”

“Ooooh!” Sarah leaned forward. “Don’t tell me you’ve got a date!”

Now it was Annie’s turn to roll her eyes. Sarah saw romance everywhere. “No date. A ... a friend invited me to a wine tasting.”

Sarah grinned. “Friend, huh?”

“Yes, friend. Did anyone ever tell you that you’ve got a one-track mind?”

“Oh, yeah.” Sarah stood and sauntered toward the door, where she turned and winked at Annie. “My boyfriend. But, of course, he doesn’t mind.”

Annie folded her arms on her desk, rested her head on top of them, and groaned.

Chapter 4

When her mother opened the door with blue streaks on her forehead, Annie knew she would clean up the attic alone.

“Oh, hi, darling,” her mother said and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Is it ten already? Do you mind waiting? I need to finish the sky before the paint I mixed dries out. I’m working on a seascape for an exhibition in December. Did I tell you about it?”

Annie, used to not getting to answer when her mother started talking about art, followed her into the house. “Yes, you did. I can get started on the attic if you want.”

“No, come and keep me company and catch me up on how you’re doing,” her mother said.

A Chinese vase nearly crashed to the floor when Annie ran into it. What’s going on with her? She couldn’t remember the last time her mother took the time to get caught up on the events in Annie’s life. Eyeing her mother cautiously, Annie followed her to the studio.

Her mother instantly disappeared behind an easel. “So how’s work?”

“A little stressful,” Annie said. “My boss gave me a big account. The client is one of the biggest landowners in the county, so it’s pretty exciting to work on a project of that size.”

“That’s nice, darling,” her mother said without looking up from her painting. “Can you hand me that cloth over there?”

Annie pressed her lips together and handed her the cloth. No “I’m proud of you.” Neither of her parents had ever told her that, nor had they ever told her that they loved her. I don’t know why I expected today to be different.

“After we clean up the attic, can you stay a little longer and help me pack some of the paintings for the exhibition?” her mother asked.

“Sorry,” Annie said. “I can’t.”

“Great,” her mother said. “Then we’ll—” She stopped and stepped out from behind her easel to stare at Annie.

Annie shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I’m sorry. Maybe I can come over and help you tomorrow. I’m invited to a wine tasting tonight, so I have to leave here around two.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” her mother said again and disappeared behind her easel. “So who invited you? Anyone I know?” She sounded distracted, as if most of her attention was not on the conversation anymore.

“No,” Annie said. Her parents didn’t know any of her friends. “It’s someone I just recently met.”

“A new friend?” Her mother stuck her head around the easel and grinned at Annie. “Or are you dating someone new? It’s high time you did, darling. How long has it been since Patrick broke up with you? A year?”

Annie picked up an empty palette and stared at the remains of dried colors. “Three,” she mumbled. “And I was the one who broke up with him. Besides, I’m not dating Drew.” She hesitated, then decided to tell her mother about her plan to trick Jake. “Although Jake tried to set us up. You won’t believe the prank he pulled on me. He—”

“You know how he is. I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it,” her mother said. “Have you seen the tube of magenta?”

Annie’s shoulders slumped. Without saying another word, she went in search of the demanded color. “Here.” She handed over the tube.

“What are you bringing to the wine tasting?” her mother asked while she opened the tube and squeezed paint onto her palette.

“Bringing?” Annie furrowed her brow. Drew had told her not to bring anything, so she had given it no further thought. But maybe her mother was right. Bringing a hostess gift was the polite thing to do. The question was just: what could she bring Drew? A bottle of wine, her usual gift, was out of the question since Drew owned a winery. “I have no idea.”

“You can’t show up empty-handed. Does your new friend like art?”

Annie mentally rolled her eyes. Her mother always thought everyone was—or at least should be—interested in art. In Drew’s case, though, she was right. “I think so. Drew’s even a fan of yours.”

Her mother laid down her brush. Now that they were talking about art, her attention was fully focused on the conversation. “Then why don’t you take one of my prints as a gift? I have one that fits perfectly for a wine tasting.” She went to the little storage room next to her studio and rummaged around for a moment before she reappeared with a framed print.

It was one of her mother’s landscape paintings. Slivers of ice glinted on vines her mother had captured on canvas.

“Isn’t it a little over the top for a hostess gift?” Annie asked. After all, Drew was just a new acquaintance, an ally in her plan to take revenge on Jake, not a friend.

“Nonsense,” her mother said. “If Drew is a fan, go ahead and take the print. Just make sure you wrap it safely and be careful with it.”

“Of course.” She wasn’t that much of a klutz, was she? “Thanks, Mom. I will.” She glanced at her wristwatch. “If you’re done with the sky, we really should get started on the attic.”

Her mother picked up her brush. “Give me five more minutes. Ten max.”

Oh, yeah, sure. Annie couldn’t even count anymore how often she had heard that sentence in her life. She sighed. “I’ll go and get started on the attic. Just come up whenever you’re done.”

Without looking away from her easel, her mother nodded.

When Annie—sweating and dusty—climbed down from the now clean attic four hours later, her mother was still painting.

* * *

“In three hundred feet, turn right on Taylor Road,” the female voice of Annie’s navigation system said.

Annie passed a golf course, turned right as instructed, and continued on an empty two-lane road. Vines grew to either side of her, long rows stretching into the horizon, and she wondered whether any of them belonged to Drew. She slowed down to enjoy the beauty of the area for a while longer.

A large sign announced “Corbin Vineyards and Winery,” and the navigation system led her onto a gravel road that was getting narrower as it climbed up the hills. She steered the car around a bend.

To her left, the afternoon sun reflected off a small lake. An artificial waterfall pattered down on lotus and water lilies. At the edge of the lake, a large farm-style house lay surrounded by vineyards.

Oh, how beautiful. Annie stopped the car and stared for a few moments. Part of her wanted to stay and watch the waterfall create little rainbows where the spray hit the lake, but then she gave herself a mental shove and drove up to the house.

She pulled into a small parking area in front of the house, parked beneath a large oak, and lifted the framed print out of the trunk.

The doors of a glass-enclosed patio were open, but no one was in sight.

Hesitantly, she walked up the three steps. She lingered in the doorway that separated the veranda from the inside of the house. “Hello? Drew?”

“Come on in,” Drew called from a room to the right. “I’m running a bit late.”

As soon as Annie stepped inside, a large dog raced up to her, wagging its tail.

Annie froze. Oh my God! Is this a dog or a pony?

The dog circled her and sniffed every inch of her slacks, taking special interest in her calves, where Amadeus had left a bit of hair. She held the print in front of herself like a shield. “Um, Drew?”

Drew stuck her head around the doorjamb. “Oh. I’m sorry. I forgot I left the door open. He’s supposed to guard the barrel room.” With a dish towel across her shoulder, she strode toward Annie and the dog. “Cab, sit! Now say a proper hello.”

Without hesitation, the dog dropped to his haunches and offered Annie his paw.

“Aw. Hello there.” Annie set down the print and carefully gripped the dog’s paw, then let go and stroked the large head. “What kind of dog is he?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. His mother was a black Labrador. His father might have been an Irish wolfhound, but we’re not sure.”

“And his name is Cab?”

Drew gave a rueful smile. “Short for Cabernet, my father’s favorite wine.”

“You won’t get any teasing comments from me. I named my cat Amadeus, after my father’s favorite composer.” Annie petted the dog one last time, then straightened and handed Drew the framed print.

“A gift? For me?”

“Well,” Annie shrugged, “I couldn’t bring a bottle of wine, so I brought this.”

A cold nose nudged Annie’s hand, and she caressed Cab’s floppy ears while she watched Drew unwrap the gift.

The paper fell away, revealing the print.

Drew stared at the image of frost-hung vines. “Wow. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s a print of one of my mother’s paintings. When she heard that you’re a fan, she thought you might like it.”

“I love it.” Drew cradled the print between both hands. “Thank you. And please tell your mother thanks from me too.” She carried the print into the living room.

The dog trotted after her.

“Come on in,” Drew called over her shoulder, still looking at the print.

Annie followed her and took in the living room.

Oak furniture and a large worn leather couch clashed with a bright red armchair. Dozens of DVDs stood next to leather-bound books, and a large flat-screen TV towered over an old record player. Gold-lettered certificates and black-and-white photos hung side by side with modern art. Above the fireplace, a painting portrayed a sunrise over an old farmhouse.

Annie wasn’t an expert on art by any means—though God knew her mother had tried—but something about the brushwork seemed familiar. When she looked at the initials in one corner of the painting, she realized it was one of her mother’s. It seemed Drew really was a fan and hadn’t just said so to get into Annie’s good graces.

She took another step into the living room and let herself be surrounded by its subtle smells. They, too, were an interesting combination: wood, leather, freshly baked bread, and Drew’s perfume. The living room was a curious mix of masculine and feminine, old and new, traditional and modern.

It made Annie wonder whether Drew shared the large house with her parents.

What will her parents think if they come in and find me here? Will they think I’m her lover?

“Make yourself at home.” Drew gestured to the couch. “I’ll go put the cheese back in the fridge, then I’ll take you on a tour.”

On the way to the couch, Annie let her gaze trail over the black-and-white photos. In the pictures, people were pressing grapes by stomping on them. It seemed the vineyard had been owned by Drew’s family for decades already.

When Drew walked away, Annie sat on the couch.

Cab jumped up after her and laid his head on her thigh.

Annie flinched. His head was big—and so were his teeth. “Are you allowed on the couch?”

But when he looked at her with his brown eyes while his tail thumped against the couch, she couldn’t resist petting him.

Drew returned. She shook her head at the dog. “Cab, off. Don’t bother our guest.”

Cab looked at Annie with mournful eyes and then jumped down from the couch.

“He’s not bothering me,” Annie said.

“I thought you were a cat person?”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t like dogs. I don’t know much about them, but I like them.”

Drew looked at Cab. “Lucky you.”

“He’s very friendly for a guard dog,” Annie said.

“He’s an attention whore.” Drew patted the dog with one hand. “Let’s start the tour while the sun is still up.”

Cab bounded after them as they left the house and strolled up a hill. To their left and right, neat rows of vines trailed up the rolling land. Most of the vines were empty, but a few bunches of purple grapes hid behind the autumn foliage. Leaves crunched under their feet. The setting sun warmed Annie through the cotton of her blouse, and they climbed higher while the sun crept toward the horizon.

Drew touched a golden leaf here and picked a forgotten grape there. Annie watched her connect with the vines in silence. Even though this place was so different from Annie’s world, she didn’t feel out of place wandering the vineyards with Drew. Maybe it was because Drew was in her element here and radiated contentment. Drew’s relaxed mood was contagious.

At the top of the hill, Drew paused.

Annie stopped next to her and peered at the sea of golden vines below. Symmetric rows of vines stretched over rolling hills, reaching to the horizon, only interrupted by groups of scrub oaks. “I’ve lived in the area for six years now, but I never really paid attention to how beautiful it is,” Annie murmured and only then became aware that she had spoken aloud.

Drew looked around like a proud parent. Her gaze caressed the surrounding hills and vines. “You grew up in Fresno, right?”

Annie nodded.

“How did both you and Jake end up living in Paso Robles?”

“My parents own a house on Lake Nacimiento. As kids, we spent every summer at the lake. Jake became obsessed with water skiing and wake boarding, so he moved here after college.”

“Then why did he end up opening a rock-climbing gym instead of renting out water skis to tourists?” Drew asked.

“You know Jake. He’s got a new brilliant business idea, a new passion, and a new girlfriend every month.” Sometimes, Annie couldn’t believe that he was related to her.

“Oh, yeah, I know. So what drew you to the area?” Drew grinned. “It wasn’t the water skiing, was it?”

Annie shook her head. She wasn’t into sports. “One of Jake’s ex-girlfriends worked for Cargill & Jones. When she told me they had a job opening for an accountant, I jumped at the chance.”

“But wouldn’t working for a bigger firm in Fresno offer more career opportunities?” Drew asked.

Annie hesitated. Drew didn’t seem to think anything of asking such personal questions so soon after meeting, but to her, it felt like revealing too much of herself. But Drew was right, of course. If they wanted to convince Jake they were in love with each other, they needed to become more familiar with each other’s lives. She took a deep breath and said, “I’m not in it for the big bucks or to make partner.”

“Then what do you want?”

“Just to do a good job and earn enough money to lead a comfortable life. A small firm appealed more to me than a larger company in a big city.”

“I can understand that,” Drew said. “I focus on quality too instead of trying to make more money by producing larger quantities of wine.” She picked a few grapes. “But if you’re not in it to earn a lot of money or make a career for yourself, why do you work so much?”

Lately, Annie had asked herself the same thing. She ran a hand through her wind-blown hair. “My colleague Sarah thinks it’s because I have a problem saying no.” She surprised herself by answering honestly. “If a client needs an urgent appointment or my boss has some extra work he needs done, I have a hard time turning them away.”

Drew nodded slowly. “When I took over the vineyard, I struggled with the same problem.”

“Really?” Annie raised both brows. As relaxed as Drew always seemed, Annie had assumed that she balanced her work and private life effortlessly, but maybe they had more in common than she had thought.

“I was working almost twenty-four/seven,” Drew said. “A customer wanted to bring twenty more guests to a wine tasting and a neighbor asked for help with the harvest, and I kept saying yes because I wanted to prove myself as helpful and dependable. But I learned very quickly that if I don’t take care of myself and my needs, no one else will.”

“Hmm.” Annie tugged on her earlobe. She knew Drew was right, but being the reliable one had always been her role in life.

“Here.” Drew handed her one of the grapes she had picked. “This is one of our Zins.”

Cab leaned against Annie’s side and nudged with his nose to get at the treat in her hand, nearly making her stumble down the hill. She grabbed for Drew’s arm to keep her balance.

“Cab!” Drew steadied Annie, then withdrew her hands and glared at the dog. “Stop it.” She turned to Annie. “Don’t give him any grapes, no matter how he looks at you with those soulful brown eyes of his. Grapes are poisonous to dogs.”

Wide-eyed, Annie nodded and wiped the bluish grape on her pants before she put it into her mouth. The sweet taste of the ripe fruit exploded on her tongue. She moaned. “This is good.” She lifted her hand to lick a drop of grape juice off her finger. When she looked up, she found Drew’s gaze on her.

Drew cleared her throat. “Just wait until you taste our Zin.” She set them off down the hill.

“Did you always want to be a vintner?” Annie asked. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine Drew in any other profession.

“As a child, yes, but not as I got older. I grew up here, and my father always said I have grape juice running through my veins. But there was a time when I was trying to find my own way, independent of the generations of Corbins before me. I went off to college and got my MBA, not sure what I would do with it once I finally had it—anything but take over the family business. I didn’t want to follow the well-trodden paths.”

If anyone could understand that, it was Annie. After it had become clear that Jake’s interests didn’t lie in music or art but sports and having fun, her parents had set all their hopes on Annie. They had sent her to piano lessons and encouraged her to try her hand at drawing, but Annie had no interest or talent in either. As soon as she was old enough to make her own choices, she escaped into the well-ordered, logical world of numbers.

“I almost went into business with Jake when he opened his rock-climbing gym,” Drew said.

“Really?” Annie stared at her. “I didn’t know you were that close.”

“Well, we’re not best friends, but he’s a fun guy to hang out with. And a rock-climbing gym is as far from a vineyard as you can get without entering a convent.” Drew stopped and turned and whistled at Cab, who was digging in the earth.

Annie let her gaze trail over the vines and then to Drew’s tan face. “Yet here you are.”

“Here I am,” Drew said with a smile. “I tried to fit in with Jake and his partying friends, but I never did. So I came home and stopped running from who I am.”

Drew’s contentment warmed Annie as much as the rays of the setting sun. She’s bonded to this land. It must be incredible to be so sure about who you are and where you belong.

“Hey, why the sad face?” Drew stopped at the bottom of the hill and tilted her head to look at Annie.

Annie forced a smile. “It’s nothing. I’m just glad you’re happy with your life.”

“And you aren’t?”

“Of course I am,” Annie said. “As I told you before, I love my job.”

“But life is more than just work, isn’t it?”

The wind rustled through the leaves behind them.

Annie wrapped her arms around herself.

“I’m sorry,” Drew said. “That was too personal.” She gently touched Annie’s elbow. “Come on. Let’s go to the tasting room.”

Annie gave her a reluctant smile. “You think the wine will loosen my tongue?” She tried not to tense up at the thought.

Laughing, Drew directed her toward a small building next to the house. “We’ll see.”

* * *

Annie looked around the tasting room, taking in the wood floor, the large windows overlooking the lake, and the fireplace opposite the long bar. Small tables that looked like wine barrels were placed at discreet distances from each other, but all of them were empty.

Almost six o’clock on a Saturday evening. Shouldn’t the tasting room be brimming with people? She looked at Drew, who had taken up a position behind the bar. “Are you closed on Saturdays?”

Drew glanced up from the bottle of wine she had just uncorked with efficient movements. “Just today. I promised you a private wine tasting, so having other customers around wouldn’t do, right?” She grinned, her white teeth flashing against her tan face.

Annie gaped at her. She closed the tasting room just for me? When she had told Jake that she would be going to a private wine tasting, she hadn’t expected it to be this private.

“Here.” Drew poured an ounce of white wine into a glass and slid it across the bar.

“What about you?” Annie asked.

“I never drink when I pour. We’ll take a bottle and sit on the patio after you decide which one you like best.”

“I can’t have too much,” Annie said. “I still need to drive home.” Besides, she was a lightweight when it came to alcohol and didn’t want to get drunk in front of Drew.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find a way to get you home safely. Come on, try this one.”

When Drew kept looking at her expectantly, Annie stepped up to the bar and lifted her glass. “I have no clue how to do this properly.” Heat crept up her neck at the admission. She had wanted to do some research on the Internet so she wouldn’t embarrass herself, but then her mother had asked her to drive to Fresno and help her clean the attic, so Annie had run out of time. “I like wine, but I’m not a connoisseur or anything.”

“First, you tilt the glass and look at the wine’s color,” Drew said.

Annie tilted her glass toward herself.

“The other way.” Drew reached across the bar and turned the glass away from Annie. Their fingers brushed against each other; then Drew pulled back. “Do you see the greenish-yellow color? That means it’s a younger wine. White wines tend to get darker with age. Okay, now swirl it around. The swirling releases the aromas of the wine.”

Gently, Annie moved the glass in tiny circles. She had always wondered when she had seen people do that but never wanted to embarrass herself by asking. Again, she realized that Drew often went out of her way to make her comfortable and not make her feel stupid.

“Go ahead and smell it,” Drew said.

Annie bent, held the glass up to her nose, and inhaled. She lifted her brows and looked at Drew. “It smells like freshly mowed grass.” That couldn’t be, could it?

Drew leaned on the bar and grinned like a proud teacher whose student had gotten the answer right. “Yes, it does. Now take a sip and let it roll around your mouth.”

The wine left a sharp taste in Annie’s mouth as she swallowed.

“What do you taste?” Drew asked.

“Uh ... wine?”

Drew laughed. “Close your eyes.”

Annie hesitated.

“Come on.” Drew flashed the charming smile that probably got her whatever she wanted most of the time. “Try it. Close your eyes and take another sip.”

Slowly, Annie lifted the glass to her lips again and closed her eyes. She focused on the layers of flavor as the wine wet her tongue.

“What do you taste?” Drew asked again.

When Annie opened her eyes, she met Drew’s gaze. “It tastes a bit like lime.”

“Very good.” Drew beamed at her as if she had predicted the winning lottery numbers. “Are you ready for the next wine?”

* * *

Half an hour later, they had progressed through three more white wines and four different red wines.

Drew smiled as she watched Annie. With every sample Drew poured, Annie’s cheeks reddened more and her eyes became more glazed. She had repeatedly told Annie that it was perfectly fine if she wanted to spit out the wine after tasting it, but Annie apparently thought it impolite to spit out wine with the vintner watching.

“So,” Drew asked when Annie set down her empty glass, “which one did you like best?”

“The last one,” Annie said without hesitation.

“You’ve got great taste. That was a thirty-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon.”

“Your father’s favorite.”

Drew smiled, pleased that Annie remembered. Dad would have liked her. The thought was bittersweet.

“May I ask where he ...?” Annie looked around as if searching for Drew’s father.

The smile faded. “He died this spring. Probably missed my mother too much. She died last winter.”

Annie squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, the color of her eyes had darkened to a mossy green. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s all right.” Drew picked up the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and two glasses. “Come on. Let’s go get the cheese from the fridge and sit on the patio. You ordered the vegetarian lasagna in the restaurant, so I assume you eat dairy products, just not meat, right?”

Annie stared at her for a moment as if she was surprised that Drew remembered what she had ordered, then she nodded and followed Drew to the kitchen.

* * *

Twilight had settled over the lake. The rows of vines threw long shadows down the hills. A cool breeze ruffled Annie’s hair and Cab’s fur. The dog had settled down across Drew’s feet after licking up crumbs of bread and cheese that fell off the table. The waterfall gurgled on the other side of the lake. Below the stone patio, water splashed whenever fish broke through the surface to see if there were more of the bread crumbs Drew had tossed into the water.

Annie settled back in her chair, a glass of Cabernet in her hand, and enjoyed the peaceful feeling. Her mind was pleasantly buzzed, and her thoughts drifted lazily like the leaves drifting on the lake.

As darkness fell, the temperatures dropped and Annie shivered in her thin blouse.

“Are you cold?” Drew asked. She seemed comfortable, even with her sleeves rolled halfway up her forearms. “Want to go inside?”

“No, it’s nice out here. I’m fine.” Annie realized she had to focus to pronounce her words clearly. I’d better lay off the wine.

After studying Annie for a few moments, Drew shook her head. “I’ll get you a jacket.” She stood and disappeared into the house. A minute later, she returned. As Annie leaned forward to set her glass on a small table, Drew settled a jacket across Annie’s shoulders.

“Thank you.” Annie slid her arms into the jacket sleeves. The jacket was a bit short, and she drew the fabric more tightly around herself. The movements made the world around her spin. She grabbed the armrests of the chair until the spinning stopped. The scent of Drew’s perfume drifted up from the jacket’s collar, mingling with the aroma of the wine.

Drew settled back into her chair and poured the rest of the red wine into her glass. “Want me to open another bottle?”

“Oh God, no, are you trying to get me drunk? I’m already a little tipsy.” In fact, she was more tipsy than she could ever remember being. She took another piece of French bread, hoping it would help to soak up the alcohol.

Drew’s teeth glinted as she smiled. “Don’t worry.” Her voice rumbled through Annie. “I won’t take advantage of it.” She picked up a piece of goat cheese from the tray, leaned back, and chewed while her gaze swept over the small lake and the surrounding hills.

Annie turned to look in the same direction.

The sun had disappeared now; just a stripe of orange remained on the horizon. A light wind blew a layer of clouds eastward and revealed the crescent-shaped moon. The surrounding hills were just dark shapes, but Annie imagined that Drew could still point to each of them and tell her exactly what kind of grapes grew on top.

She turned and regarded Drew across the small table.

Drew was more lying than sitting in her chair, her legs sprawled, her face relaxed. In the light from the tasting room, Annie thought she saw a glow of contentment in Drew’s eyes.

“You have a beautiful home,” Annie said, lowering her voice so she wouldn’t interrupt the peaceful silence. “I can tell how much you love it.”

Drew looked up. “I do.” She picked up her glass and studied Annie while she swished around the wine. “Do you have a place that makes you feel like that?”

Annie fought the urge to squirm under that intense gaze. It took her longer than normal to think about her answer. Her apartment? No. It was cozy, but she was barely home anyway. And her parents’ house had stopped being her home the moment she had moved out. Not even three days later, her father had made her old room into an office. She shook her head. “Not really.”

“Then maybe a person who makes you happy?”

How often had Annie warded off questions like that—from Jake, her parents, her colleagues. Even mere acquaintances felt entitled to ask personal questions and judge her for the answer. She shook her head again, hoping Drew would back off.

Drew didn’t say anything, but the regret—or even pity—in her eyes cut deep.

To Annie, it seemed like a criticism of the way she lived her life, as if she couldn’t possibly be happy with what she had. Heat shot up from the pit of Annie’s stomach, where the red wine warmed her, until she felt words bubble out of her mouth. “Why does everyone keep thinking that I need someone to make me happy? That I can’t be happy with my life just because I’m single? Life isn’t Noah’s ark, where everyone needs to line up in pairs or drown, you know?”

Drew’s eyebrows hiked up, but she said nothing.

“I like my life just fine.”

Cab lifted his head off Drew’s feet and whined.

Annie snapped her mouth shut and sank against the back of her chair. Oh, Jesus, I drank too much. Normally, she had much better control.

“I didn’t mean to imply anything else,” Drew said. “I’m just trying to understand why nobody has snatched up a woman like you.”

A woman as awkward as me? As boring as me? She pressed her feet to the ground as the world started to spin again. As drunk as me?

But the warm look in Drew’s eyes said that she had a more positive description in mind.

Annie’s cheeks burned. “Maybe I don’t want to be snatched up.”

“Really? But you let Jake set you up on a blind date.”

“Just to get him off my back.” Annie tried to button the borrowed jacket, but the buttons refused to cooperate.

Drew said nothing; she just looked at Annie, her gaze skeptical.

Is she right? Did part of her still hope that the next date would be different? That she wouldn’t feel so awkward that she wanted to go home? Annie wasn’t sure anymore. Thinking was becoming harder and harder by the second.

“Is it really that you don’t want a relationship?” Drew asked. “Or have you given up looking for the ideal mate?”

“Ideal mate?” Annie shook her head and then stopped when the sudden movement made her stomach lurch. “I don’t think there’s such a thing for me. Every time I try dating, it turns into a disaster.”

A grin brought out Drew’s dimples. “You mean like your date turning out to be a woman?”

Annie forced down her anger and returned Drew’s smile with one of her own. “More like my date turning out to be a jerk. Or me turning out to be too boring.” She clutched the borrowed jacket more tightly around her middle. Why did she keep telling Drew personal things like that?

“You know what?” Drew twirled the wineglass between strong fingers and looked into the depths of the red wine as if the answer could be found at the bottom of the glass. “I think you’re setting yourself up to fail.”

“Oh?” This is our second date. Annie shook her head to clear it. The second time we meet and already she thinks she’s an expert when it comes to me? Still, she couldn’t help being curious, so she nodded to indicate she would listen.

“Not only are you dating the wrong guys, but you’re also going in with negative assumptions, mostly about yourself,” Drew said.

Annie folded her arms across her chest. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve made up your mind that the date will be a disaster before you even say hello. You think you’re not interesting or engaging enough, and that makes you even more self-conscious, so you clam up and try to make it through the evening on polite conversation instead of relaxing and just being yourself.” Drew put her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “You don’t need to do that, you know? You’re interesting enough just the way you are.”

Silence spread between them as Annie stared at Drew. Thoughts and emotions swirled through her mind. Part of it was anger. After all, Drew had only recently met her, so what made her such an expert, especially since she was single too?

“Now I said too much.” Drew glanced down and rubbed the rim of her glass. “Sorry. I had no right to say that.”

Annie stared at the dark waters below the patio. The wind rippled the surface, just as Drew had disturbed her equilibrium. “I think I better head home now. It’s getting late.” She jumped up.

The ground tilted beneath her, and Annie clutched the edge of the table to keep her balance.

Drew stood and circled the table. “Are you okay?”

Annie blew out a breath and let go of the table. “I’m fine. Just got up too quickly.” Her words sounded slow and slurred in her own ears.

“Why do I get the feeling you’d say that even if I had to carry you out of here?” Drew laid her hand on the small of Annie’s back. “Come on. I’ll drive you home.”

“Are you okay to drive?”

“I should be fine. I didn’t even finish my second glass of wine.”

And I drank the rest of the bottle? No wonder my head is spinning. “Okay,” Annie said. “If it’s not too much of a bother. Your red wine really did me in.”

“No problem.” Drew kept her hand on the small of Annie’s back all the way to the car.

Annie’s legs felt unsteady, and she had to focus not to stumble over her own feet. She breathed a sigh of relief when they reached Drew’s car. “What about my car?”

“If you give me your keys, I’ll have one of my people help me drop it off tomorrow morning.”

With fingers that didn’t want to obey her, Annie reached into her pocket. When she wanted to hand Drew the keys, she dropped them. “Shit.” She dug her teeth into her bottom lip to rein in her loose tongue. Cursing normally wasn’t her style.

Drew caught the keys before they could hit the ground. “Don’t worry. I got them.” She unlocked the passenger side of her SUV and held it open for Annie. “Careful. Don’t hit your head.”

When Annie settled into the passenger seat, Drew closed the door and walked around the car to get in on the driver’s side.

Annie reached for the seat belt and fumbled with the fastener.

“Let me.” Drew’s fingers covered Annie’s, and moments later, the seat belt clicked shut.

God, this is so embarrassing. Annie rubbed her head, trying to clear it.

“Relax,” Drew said. “It’s fine.”

Annie stared at her, wondering if she had said her thoughts out loud.

Smiling, Drew started the car. “You better give me directions to your place before you nod off.”

“I won’t.” She had never been one to fall asleep in the presence of a person she barely knew.

“Okay,” Drew said. “But give me directions anyway, just in case.”

Forming words was becoming difficult, so Annie didn’t argue.

* * *

“Annie? Annie?”

Who was calling her name at such an ungodly hour? Annie grunted but didn’t open her eyes. Just five more minutes, then I’ll get up.

“Annie, hey, wake up. We’re here.” A warm hand settled on her shoulder.

Here? Where? Annie opened one eye—and sat up so fast that the world blurred before her eyes. When she could make out shapes again, she realized she was in Drew’s car, which was parked in front of her apartment building. “Oh.” She rubbed her eyes behind her glasses and stared out the window. Her brain seemed to work in slow motion.

Drew stayed silent next to her, letting Annie get her bearings.

Finally, Annie pulled herself together and turned toward Drew. “Do you want ...?” She trailed off when she realized she had forgotten what she had wanted to ask. There was also something she wanted to tell Drew, something to do with how to get back at Jake, but now she couldn’t remember what it was. Her head felt as fuzzy as a herd of sheep.

“Do I want what?” Drew asked.

“Coffee.” Annie pointed at her apartment building.

“You’re asking me in for a cup of coffee?” Drew formed quotation marks with her fingers. “Why, Ms. Prideaux, and here I thought you were an innocent straight girl!”

“What?” Annie’s brain had trouble catching up. “Oh, no, no, it’s just ... I just meant ...”

“Relax. I’m just kidding.” Drew patted her arm. “I don’t need coffee, but I’ll escort you inside.”

Annie tried to get herself together. “I can make it on my own.”

“I know you can, but I’m here, so you don’t need to.” Drew got out of the car and crossed to Annie’s side. She opened the door for Annie, helped her out, and wrapped her arm around Annie’s hip while she escorted her to the front door.

When Annie fumbled with the keys, Drew wordlessly took them from her and opened the front door, then let her step inside first. She followed her upstairs to her apartment on the second floor.

As the lights flared on, Annie squeezed her eyes shut and peeked through her lashes. “Don’t look around,” she said. “I didn’t tidy up.”

Drew looked around. “Are you kidding? My house never looks this orderly.”

Annie wanted to answer; she wanted to be a good hostess and offer Drew coffee, but she was so tired that she could hardly stay on her feet. “Excuse me. Need to lie down.” She stumbled through the living room, nearly crashing into the door frame before she made it to the bedroom, where she dropped face-first onto the bed.

* * *

Drew stood in the doorway and looked at the sleeping woman. “Looks like my damsel in distress turned into sleeping beauty.”

At the sound of Drew’s voice, Annie mumbled something that sounded like, “Make yourself at home.”

Drew laughed. Polite to a fault, even when she’s smashed. After pausing in the doorway, she entered the bedroom and walked past the large birch desk that stood against one wall. Files were neatly stacked on one side of the desk, while the other seemed to be reserved for software and a few CDs. Shelves with books covered each of the white walls. A quick glance revealed that they were mostly crime novels and tomes of non-fiction. Drew stepped up to the queen-sized bed and touched Annie’s shoulder. “Come on, Annie, you can’t sleep like this. You’ll wake up in the middle of the night, feeling like a half-cooked lobster. At least take off the jacket.”

When Annie didn’t react, Drew sighed and wrestled one of Annie’s arms out of the jacket, then knelt on the bed and leaned over Annie to free her other arm. After a moment of hesitation, she untied Annie’s shoelaces and slid the shoes off her feet. Drew’s mouth quirked into a half-smile. When I fantasized about undressing you, this wasn’t what I had in mind.

A feeling of being watched made her look away from Annie. When she glanced down, she looked into the green eyes of a tabby.

The cat stared back.

“Hey there,” Drew said, making her voice soft. “You must be Amadeus.”

As if answering, the cat let out a bawling meow.

Drew winced. “Ouch. Her father must have been ecstatic to have a tone-deaf cat named after his favorite composer.”

The cat turned and walked out of the room. In the hallway, he paused and made the unmelodious sound again.

Was he trying to tell her something? She followed him through the small apartment and into the kitchen, where he stood bawling up at one of the cupboards.

“Poor boy. You’re hungry, huh?” Drew paused in the middle of the kitchen, not wanting to invade Annie’s privacy by going through her cupboards.

Amadeus let out a piercing cry.

“Ssh, you’ll wake Annie.”

The cat meowed again.

“Okay, okay.” Drew opened the cupboard. Inside, everything was as neat and tidy as the rest of the apartment. An open box of kibble stood next to two unopened ones. She put two handfuls into his bowl, not sure how much to give a cat, then put the box away.

She had no idea where Annie kept the aspirin and didn’t want to root through her cabinets, but she filled a glass with water and placed it on the bedside table so Annie could easily reach it.

No doubt Annie was in for one hell of a morning. Drew just hoped she wouldn’t regret coming to the wine tasting.

Chapter 5

A vibration next to her head woke Annie. Earthquake! She shot upright and then sank back, clutching her head. “Oh, God.”

Something rough and wet trailed across her forehead.

It took her a moment to figure out that the vibration hadn’t been caused by an earthquake but by Amadeus’s jumping on the bed. Now he apparently thought she needed a bath—cat-style.

“Not helping, Amadeus.” Annie sat up again, this time more slowly. Pain pulsed through her temples but then ebbed away when she stopped moving and leaned back against the headboard.

She looked around the bedroom, trying to remember the details of how she had gotten there. She remembered getting into Drew’s car; the rest was a bit fuzzy. Her shoes sat next to the bed, and Drew’s jacket was missing, but otherwise, she was fully dressed. A glass of water waited for her on the bedside table. Had Drew put it there?

Annie reached for the glass with the greed of a person dying of thirst. She gulped down the water, getting rid of the horrible taste in her mouth. With her head still hammering, she lay back in bed and tried to piece together the events of last night.

Oh God. She covered her eyes with her hands. Had she really shouted at Drew and gone off on her like a manic woman about life not being Noah’s ark? Part of last night’s anger returned. Why hadn’t Drew stopped asking so many personal questions? Yeah, and why didn’t you stop answering them? She couldn’t help feeling that she had said too much, revealed too much. That damned wine. She vowed to never drink a drop of alcohol again. At least not around Drew and her constant questions.

The doorbell rang, making Annie clutch her head. The sudden movement increased the pain. Barefoot, she trudged to the door and glanced through the peephole.

As if last night’s humiliation hadn’t been enough, Drew’s brown eyes, not bloodshot at all, looked back at her. Oh, great. Of course she looks like the picture of sobriety, while I probably look like something Amadeus dragged in.

Was she ready to face Drew after embarrassing herself like a teenager who had never had alcohol before? She wanted to go back to bed and hide, but letting Drew stand in front of the door like an unwelcome visitor was not the way to thank her for getting her home.

When Annie opened the door, Drew held up a pot. “I brought breakfast.”

“Oh, God.” The thought of food made Annie’s stomach revolt.

“It’s just vegetable soup,” Drew said. “Completely vegetarian. I had a feeling that you wouldn’t feel up to having eggs and—”

Annie pressed one hand to her stomach while she tried to cover Drew’s mouth with the other—then withdrew quickly.

Drew laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop talking about food. Go take a shower, and I’ll heat up the soup.”

A shower sounded heavenly, but Annie didn’t want Drew rooting around in her apartment while she was taking a shower. “No, thanks, I can do it.” She took the pot from Drew and nearly dropped it at its unexpected weight.

“Careful.” Drew grabbed the pot. “Come on. Get washed up. I promise I won’t steal your silverware while you’re in the bathroom.”

Reluctantly, Annie let go of the pot and rushed to the bathroom for the quickest shower in the history of humankind.

* * *

When Annie stepped out of the bathroom, feeling halfway human again, the smells of vegetable soup and chamomile tea drifted through the apartment.

Hesitantly, she entered the kitchen.

“Hey,” Drew said. “Are you feeling any better?”

“I’m fine.” Annie’s gaze wandered over a bowl of soup, a cup of tea, and a plate with crackers Drew had placed on the breakfast bar. Obviously, Drew felt quite at home in her kitchen. Annie furrowed her brow. She knew Drew meant well, but she was still irritated at this casual invasion. After living alone all of her adult life, she was used to fending for herself. “You didn’t need to do all that.” Since she had moved out of her parents’ home when she was eighteen, no one had ever cooked for her, not even soup. Certainly no one had ever seen Annie so vulnerable and out of control.

“I know. But I feel bad about letting you drink so much last night.”

“Letting me?” Annie squinted at her. What was that supposed to mean?

Drew rubbed her neck. “Not that you need my permission or anything. But I should have warned you about how potent our Cabernet is, especially after you tried all the other wines. If you’re not much of a drinker, it can hit you hard.”

Now you tell me. Annie rubbed her temples.

“Sit and eat. You’ll feel better once you get something in your stomach.”

Drew pulled back the chair for her, and Annie sat. There was no polite way of saying no after Drew had gone to all that trouble to bring her food. She nibbled on a cracker and then tried a spoonful of soup. “This is good.” Another spoonful landed in her mouth. “Did you make this?”

“Yes. It’s my mother’s recipe. She made this soup for me whenever I was sick. It always made me feel special and cared for.”

With the spoon halfway to her mouth, Annie stopped and stared at Drew. Was Drew saying she wanted her to feel special and cared for too? She shook her head at herself. They were barely more than acquaintances. Drew was just feeling guilty because it had been her wine that had gotten Annie drunk. “Thanks for the soup,” Annie finally said.

A tiny smile appeared on Drew’s lips. “You’re very welcome. Oh, by the way, we parked your car across the street. Two of my seasonal helpers drove over with me and dropped it off.”

“Thank you. Please tell them thanks too.” Annie couldn’t remember when she had last needed to say thank you so often in a row. She wasn’t sure she liked owing Drew so many favors.

Amadeus sauntered into the kitchen and shifted his weight on his hindquarters as if preparing to jump on the kitchen counter.

“Don’t you dare, Mister!” Annie glared and waved the spoon at him. Then her gaze softened. “Oh, God. Poor Amadeus! I forgot to feed him when I got home last night. He’s probably starved.”

When Annie pushed back the chair to stand, Drew stopped her with a touch to her shoulder. “You finish your soup. I can feed him if you want.”

Making me breakfast, feeding my cat ... what next? Drew’s casual intrusion into her well-ordered life left Annie uncomfortable. “No. That’s not necessary. I can do it.” She jumped up.

White spots danced before her eyes. The kitchen floor seemed to shift beneath her feet.

Drew grabbed her arm and kept her upright. “Whoa. Annie, please, sit down and let me feed the cat. It’s not a sin to let someone help you once in a while.”

Holding on to the kitchen counter, Annie slid back onto the chair. “All right. There’s a box of kibble in the—”

“I know,” Drew said. Without hesitation, she opened the correct kitchen cupboard and reached for the box. With Amadeus weaving around her legs, she picked up the empty bowl and filled it. “Amadeus already told me last night.”

“Oh?” As her vision cleared, Annie sank against the back of the chair, took a sip of tea, and allowed herself to relax a little. Even hungover and irritated, she couldn’t help liking Drew’s sense of humor. “What else did he tell you?”

Drew scratched the cat behind one ear, set the bowl on the floor, and straightened. She leaned against the kitchen counter and flashed her dimples at Annie. “He said he’s glad that you decided to convert to lesbianism because he wants to be the only man in your life.”

Annie nearly choked on her tea. When she could breathe normally again, she rasped, “About that ...”

“Your conversion?” Drew grinned.

“Our plan to teach Jake a lesson,” Annie said and gave her the same stern glance that had stopped Amadeus from jumping on the counter. “I had an idea last night, but I forgot to tell you.”

The twinkle now gone from her brown eyes, Drew regarded her with interest. “So what is it?”

“I was thinking about the best moment to tell Jake that we’re dating. I’ll probably never manage to play a prank on Jake again, so I want to do this right and choose the moment that has maximum impact.”

Drew nodded. “So what’s your idea?”

Annie set down her mug and folded her hands in her lap. “I want to take you home for Thanksgiving and introduce you as my girlfriend.”

* * *

Now it was Drew’s turn to cough and gasp for breath. “Wow, that’s ... Jake will choke on his turkey, that’s for sure.” The thought made her grin, but then she remembered that Jake wouldn’t be the only one choking. She imagined herself sitting through dinner with Annie’s parents staring daggers at her for turning their daughter gay. I had better watch her father doesn’t turn that carving knife on me!

“Unless, of course, you have other plans for Thanksgiving,” Annie said in response to Drew’s silence.

“No, it’s not that.” Drew was quiet for a moment. “Now that my parents are gone, I won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving anyway.” A few friends had invited her over to their houses, but she had declined. She wasn’t in the mood for a big celebration.

Annie looked up from her soup. Her tired green eyes were full of compassion. “I’m sorry. If you’d rather not spend your first Thanksgiving without your parents with me and—”

“No,” Drew said. “I’d like to spend Thanksgiving with you. It’ll be good for me not to sit at home and brood. But what about your parents? They’ll be there too, right?”

Annie finished her soup and nodded.

“But, sweetheart, isn’t it a bit too soon in our relationship to meet the in-laws already?”

“You!” Annie threatened her with the spoon.

Grinning, Drew dove for cover behind the kitchen counter. Then she sobered and looked at Annie across the counter. “Seriously, I don’t want this to turn into a big family drama for you. Don’t you think your parents will panic when you bring home a woman?”

Instead of becoming flustered, as Drew had expected, Annie just shrugged. “If it doesn’t have to do with art or music, it won’t register on my parents’ radar.”

That’s so sad. Drew shook her head and sent a silent prayer upward, thanking her parents for taking an interest in everything that had to do with her. Despite Annie’s indifferent expression, Drew heard the almost imperceptible quiver in her voice.

“Besides,” Annie said, “half of their friends are gay men.”

“Yeah, but having their daughter come out—even if it turns out to be a joke—might be a whole other story. Finding out their daughter is gay is not something most parents will take lightly, so you shouldn’t either.”

Annie set down her spoon and searched Drew’s face. “Has it been that bad for you? I mean, if it’s not too personal to ask, how did your parents react when you came out to them? You mentioned that your father was very conservative.”

“He wasn’t a raging homophobe,” Drew said. She didn’t want anyone, especially not Annie, to think badly of her parents. “But my parents had me when they were already in their forties, so I was an only child and they had big dreams for me. My father thought I would grow up, marry another wine grower, and we would have half a dozen children, who would one day take over the vineyards and the winery that my grandfather started.” She sighed. “I knew by the time I was sixteen that it was never going to happen.”

“But you didn’t tell him that.”

“Not for many years. I was afraid he wouldn’t love me anymore if I shattered his dream.” Drew wiped a few drops of tea off the counter and then looked up at Annie. “I told my mother but begged her not to tell my father.”

Annie’s long fingers played with a half-eaten cracker. “How did she take it?”

“She kept hoping I was just going through a phase. She thought being gay would make my life difficult.” Drew remembered the concern in her mother’s eyes every time she looked at her.

“My mother would probably give me a painting of nude women for my next birthday and tell me where to hang it so that it would have the most advantageous lighting, but that would be the extent of our discussion,” Annie mumbled as if talking to herself.

In her youth, Drew would have wished for such a casual reaction from her parents. But the way Annie kept biting her lip told her that a lack of reaction could also mean a lack of caring. She resisted the urge to cover Annie’s hand with her own and give her a comforting squeeze. “You should let them in on the joke before you take me home for Thanksgiving.”

“Okay,” Annie said. “I’m still convinced it won’t make much of a difference, but if you think it’s best, I will.”

Drew grinned. “I bet you never thought you would need advice on coming out.” She glanced at her watch and then bit back a curse when she saw that it was already after eleven. “I’d better go. There’s a lot of work waiting for me in the fermenting barn.”

Annie slid from the chair, her movements now much steadier, and accompanied Drew to the door. “You’re working on a Sunday? You’re a worse workaholic than I am.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

A smile softened Annie’s earnest features. “It was. Just don’t overdo it.”

Drew stopped the teasing remark—worried about me already?—at the tip of her tongue. She had a feeling Annie rarely expressed her concern for others openly, so she didn’t want to make fun of it. “I won’t,” she said with an appreciative nod. After opening the door, she turned and regarded Annie. “Take it easy today too, okay?”

“I will. My head’s not up for doing any paperwork anyway.” Annie took a step closer. She cleared her throat and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Thank you for taking such good care of me last night and today. You didn’t need to go to all this trouble to—”

“No trouble,” Drew said. “It was my pleasure.”

One skeptical eyebrow arched up Annie’s forehead, but then she finally nodded.

Drew gave herself a mental shove. Stop wasting your time with a straight woman. You’ve got work to do. Despite her admonishment, spending time with Annie didn’t feel like a waste of anything. She nodded at Annie. “Bye, then.”

“Bye.”

Whistling, Drew walked to her car. When she put on the seat belt, she glanced up to Annie’s apartment on the second floor, then shook her head at herself. “Back to work.” She started the car and pulled away from the curb.

Chapter 6

“So,” Sarah closed the novel, “which book should we discuss next time?”

A lively discussion broke out in Sarah’s living room, with Annie suggesting some of the mystery novels on her to-be-read pile.

“How about Breathing Room by Susan Elizabeth Phillips?” Mia asked.

“Or one of Jennifer Crusie’s novels.” Tamara leaned forward on the couch, her dark eyes glowing with enthusiasm. “Her books are great.”

Annie groaned at the usual suggestions. “Oh, come on. Not another romance novel. There are other books, you know?”

Sarah poked her shoulder. “You mean other than accounting books.”

“Very funny.” Annie was glad for the reddish lighting of Sarah’s lava lamps since they hid her blush. “At least I’m not the one who got caught reading a romance novel at work.”

The other women laughed.

“What do you want to read?” Sarah asked.

“How about one of Sandra Scoppettone’s?” Annie said. She had tried for ages to get the others in the book club to read one of Scoppettone’s novels. “Her plots are captivating, and her novels have some of the best dialogue I’ve ever read.”

“They’re also out of print and very hard to find,” Sarah said. She leaned back in her orange armchair and swung one of her slippers back and forth on her foot. “Hmm. How about Tana French? You said she’s good, right?”

Annie nodded. “She is. Maybe Faithful Place? I heard it’s her best, and I haven’t read it yet.”

Mia and Tamara shrugged and scribbled it down.

“All right.” Annie rose from another of the hideous armchairs. “I need to go. I’m driving to Fresno later and I promised my neighbor that I would look in on her before I go. She broke her ankle last week, but she’s too stubborn to stay in the hospital.”

The three other women exchanged panicked glances.

“Oh, no, you can’t go just yet.” Sarah pressed her down into the armchair. “Don’t let her leave, girls.” She rushed toward the kitchen while Mia and Tamara hovered over Annie as if they wanted to bodily keep her in the chair.

Annie frowned. “What’s going on?”

Sarah came back into the living room, carrying a cake covered in burning candles. They started singing Happy Birthday, making up for their lack of vocal talent with pure volume. With a smile that was almost brighter than the candles, Sarah stopped in front of Annie. “Surprise! You didn’t think we would let you leave without cake and presents, did you?”

Tamara slid a heavy box that was wrapped in dotted paper onto Annie’s lap.

“Uh. No,” Annie said, but it wasn’t true. When no one had congratulated her, she had thought the other book club members had forgotten about her birthday. She had been disappointed but had quickly gotten over it. After all, Tamara and Mia were more Sarah’s friends than hers, and Sarah was a busy woman.

Sarah pushed the cake toward her, nearly singeing Annie’s hair in her enthusiasm. “Blow them out and make a wish.”

Annie stared at the candles. What should she wish for? Health? Money? Love? She was almost never sick, didn’t lack for money, and had stopped believing that love was for her. Okay, then I wish that Jake will fall for our trick and believe that something he did drove me into the arms of a woman. With determination, she took a deep breath and blew out all the candles.

“Open your present,” Sarah said while she pulled out the candles and cut generous pieces of cake for everyone. “It’s from all of us.”

Annie slid one finger beneath the tape, removed the wrapping paper, and folded it.

“Sarah wanted to hire a stripper, but we convinced her that you would appreciate this present more,” Mia said.

“Thank you.” Whatever the present was, Annie was sure she would like it better than a half-naked man gyrating on her lap while her friends watched. She lifted the lid and looked at the objects in the box—five of Sandra Scoppettone’s mystery novels. “Oh, wow. How did you get them?” What Sarah had said earlier was true. The books were out of print and hard to find, at least at a reasonable price.

Sarah chuckled. “My female charms took care of that.”

“More like your credit card,” Tamara said.

“Thank you very much.” Annie gave each of the women a short hug. “I don’t want to appear ungrateful, but I really have to go.”

“Take some cake,” Sarah said.

Annie’s parents had invited her to a restaurant, and she didn’t want to spoil her appetite, but Mrs. Perez, her neighbor, would appreciate a piece of cake. She waited until Sarah had packed her some cake, then hurried to the door. She hadn’t even made it to her car when her cell phone rang. One glance at the caller ID made her smile. How nice of her mother to call her to wish her a happy birthday even though they would see each other later. “Hi, Mom.”

“I’m sorry, darling,” her mother said, “but would you mind meeting us an hour later? Your father got called in to conduct a matinee because his colleague called in sick. We already called the restaurant and changed the reservation.”

Annie unlocked her car, slid into the driver’s seat, and closed her eyes. Great. And I ran out on my friends without even trying the cake. She tried not to let her disappointment show. “Sure, Mom. No problem.”

“Great. I knew you’d understand.”

Yeah. Annie the Understanding. That’s me. When her mother ended the call, she sat for a minute, staring at the bushes in front of Sarah’s house, then gave herself a mental kick and started the car.

* * *

“Oh, great,” Drew said with a glance at her phone’s caller ID. “Jake.” Was he calling to tell her again to stay away from his sister? She picked up the phone and steeled herself. “Hi, Jake.”

“I need a birthday present,” Jake said. A radio played in the background and a car’s engine hummed, indicating that he was on the road.

Drew looked at her phone, frowning, then shook her head and moved the phone back to her ear. “I’m doing wonderfully. Thank you so much for asking, dear friend. And by the way, need I remind you again that talking on the phone without hands-free equipment while you’re driving is illegal in the great state of California?” Knowing Jake, he wasn’t using hands-free equipment.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jake said. “No time for pleasantries or long lectures. It’s really urgent.”

“So which of your many girlfriends are you trying to impress?” Drew asked.

“Huh? Why would you think this is about a girlfriend?”

Drew rolled her eyes. “It’s not because I’m a mind reader. Usually when you call to ask for something, it’s about a woman.”

“But this time, it’s not.” He paused and then laughed. “Yeah, well, I suppose it is.”

Drew reached for the calendar she kept next to the phone to see if any of their common acquaintances’ birthday was coming up. Nothing. “Want to clue me in? Whose birthday is it?”

“Annie’s.”

“Oh.” Drew clicked on a pen to write it down in the calendar. “When is it?”

“Today.”

The pen dropped on top of the calendar. His sister’s birthday is today, and he’s only starting to search for a present now? She shook her head. Maybe being an only child wasn’t so bad after all. She picked up the pen and circled today’s date, October 26, in the calendar. “So why aren’t you out shopping for a present? Why are you calling me?”

Loud honking made Drew flinch away from the phone. “You’re blocking the road, idiot!” Jake shouted. “There are people here who want to get somewhere before sunset!” Then he lowered his voice and grumbled, “Damn tractor.”

Drew rubbed her ear. “Jesus, Jake, can you give me a warning next time before you start shouting in my ear?”

“Sorry,” Jake said. “About Annie’s present ... I thought I could give her a good bottle of wine or maybe one of the wine gift sets you sometimes put together for your customers.”

“Hmm.” Drew scratched her head. “I’m not sure if a bottle of wine is the best present for Annie right now.”

For a moment, only drum beats from Jake’s car radio filtered through the line. “Why not?”

“Well, after the wine tasting last weekend ...” The memory of a buzzed Annie put a smile on Drew’s face.

“You didn’t get her drunk, did you? Drew, I’m warning you. If you—”

“Chill out, and give the big-brother act a rest. I never have to ply women with wine. You know that. They all come into my arms quite willingly.” She paused to give Jake’s imagination ample time to picture Annie in her arms.

Jake barked out a laugh that didn’t sound totally convincing. “Not Annie.”

“If you are so convinced about that, why are you getting so defensive?”

“I’m not—”

“Yeah, yeah.” Drew grinned. It seemed he was beginning to have some doubts. “So, back to the topic at hand. Do you really think wine is a great idea for your sister’s birthday?”

“You’re a vintner. What’s wrong with wine as a present?”

“Nothing—if you’re giving it to a colleague or an acquaintance you barely know. But for your sister ... isn’t it a little impersonal?”

The tick-tick-tick of Jake’s turn signal echoed through the line. “Impersonal? I don’t think so. Annie likes wine.”

“If you insist. What kind should I put in the gift set? Red? White?”

Jake turned down the volume on his car radio. “Um. White?” It sounded like a question, not an answer. “Ah, you pick whatever you think is best.”

“Okay.” She would put together a nice gift basket with two of her best bottles of Cabernet, a few snacks, a bubble bath, and other things that would help Annie relax after a long day at work. “When do you need it?”

A car honked in front of the house. At the same time, Drew heard the sound through the phone. “Right now,” Jake said. “I just pulled in your driveway.”

Drew tapped the phone against her forehead. “You’re something else, my friend. One of these days, you’ll pay the price for doing important things at the last minute.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault. My parents were supposed to remind me to buy a birthday present, but they forgot.”

Drew sighed. Annie’s parents were just as bad as Jake. Poor Annie. Then and there, Drew decided that she would get Annie something nice for her birthday. Something Annie would like, not just the next best thing that was convenient to get. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

* * *

After one last glance to make sure the flowers still looked good, Drew rang Annie’s doorbell and looked at her watch.

Already half past five.

Driving to San Luis Obispo to get Annie’s birthday present had taken up more time than she had expected. By now, Annie was probably out, celebrating her birthday.

To Drew’s surprise, the door opened immediately.

Annie stood in front of her, dressed in a burgundy blouse and elegant pants that emphasized her long legs.

Drew had to swallow before she could speak. “Uh, hello, Annie. Happy birthday.” She held out the bouquet of apricot-colored roses.

“Oh. Thank you.” Annie took the flowers and stared at Drew as if she didn’t know what to do with her or the flowers. “How do you know it’s my birthday today?”

“Uh.” Drew didn’t want to lie to her, but she also didn’t want to tell her about Jake’s last-minute birthday present. “Jake mentioned it when I last talked to him.”

At the mention of Jake, a shadow flickered across Annie’s face, but she said nothing. For a few seconds, they stood facing each other in the doorway, then Annie said, “I have to leave in half an hour, but would you like to come in for a minute?”

“If I’m not disturbing you and your guests.”

“No. I’m alone, so come on in.”

Alone? Drew followed Annie into the house. Wasn’t Jake here to give Annie the wine? And where were her parents and friends? Would Annie meet them for dinner?

“Please have a seat while I find a vase for these,” Annie said, indicating the roses.

When Drew stepped into the living room, the cat was sitting on the coffee table, inspecting the gift basket with the Cabernet, which Annie or Jake had placed there. “You better get down before Annie catches you,” Drew said and set him on the floor.

“Did you say something?” Annie called from the kitchen.

“Uh, no, just talking to Amadeus.” She scratched him behind one ear and whispered, “I’ve got your back, buddy.” She took a seat on the couch and allowed Amadeus to sniff her pant legs that probably smelled like dog. While she waited, she looked around the living room. A pile of paperback novels rested on top of neatly folded wrapping paper. A card stuck out from the book on top.

“Can I get you something to drink while I’m in the kitchen?” Annie called.

“Just water. Thanks.”

After a minute, Annie entered the living room, carrying a glass of water and the bouquet, which she had placed in a glass pitcher. “The only vase I owned fell victim to Amadeus.” She shook her head at the cat. “What did I tell you about jumping on the coffee table, hmm?”

The cat strode away with an expression of total innocence on his striped face.

Drew bit her lip to keep from laughing.

Annie put the gift basket on the floor to make room on the table for the improvised vase and Drew’s glass of water. “Jake dropped this off a few minutes ago.” She sounded casual, but the downward tilt of her lips gave away her hurt feelings.

Dropped it off? What was so important that he couldn’t stay to celebrate her birthday with his only sister? But Drew didn’t want to ask and hurt Annie even more.

After positioning the flowers the way she wanted them, Annie sat in an easy chair on the other side of the table, pulled one of the bottles from the basket, and read the label. “Ah. It’s one of yours. That’s how he knew my fondness for Cabernet.”

“Yeah,” Drew said. “He insisted on giving you wine for your birthday, so I made sure it was one you liked. That’s when he mentioned that today is your birthday. I hope you don’t mind my coming over unannounced.”

“No, that’s okay. And thanks again for the flowers.” Her words and tone were polite, but her stiff posture told Drew that Annie was uncomfortable with either the visit or getting flowers—or both.

“I thought it couldn’t hurt for Jake to see me giving you roses,” Drew said, hoping her explanation would help put Annie more at ease. “Apricot-colored roses.”

Annie tilted her head. “Does this color have a special meaning?”

Drew grinned. “Passion.”

“Oh.” Annie stared at the flowers as if they were an exotic animal about to attack.

The expression on her face made Drew laugh. “Don’t worry. They don’t bite.” She winked at Annie. “And neither do I. We’re doing this to get back at Jake. Otherwise, my intentions are totally honorable. Scout’s honor.” She held up her first three fingers.

Annie shook her head and lifted her own hand, the thumb holding down the little finger to show Drew the correct sign. “You never were a girl scout, were you?”

“Oops.” Drew chuckled. “You caught me. Oh, I have something else for you.” She pulled an envelope from her pocket and handed it to Annie.

“You didn’t have to get me anything. We barely know each other.”

“I’m hoping to change that.” When Drew realized how that sounded, she added, “If we want to convince Jake that we’re a couple, don’t you think we should become more familiar with each other?”

“Probably.” Annie used one of her long, elegant fingers to open the envelope. She read the card and looked at the gift certificate. “Wow. Thank you. I didn’t know there was a vegetarian restaurant in San Luis Obispo.”

“It only opened a few months ago. I haven’t tried it out yet, but I checked with friends who live in SLO, and they say the food and the service are great.”

Annie looked shell-shocked. “You called your friends and drove to SLO just to get a gift certificate for me?”

“Sure.” Was that so extraordinary in Annie’s world? With a brother like Jake, it probably is. “I thought it would be nice for you to be able to choose from the whole menu for a change.”

“I look forward to it,” Annie said. She trailed her finger over the gift certificate before she put it back in the envelope.

Silence filled the room for a moment.

“So, how old are you today?” Drew asked.

Annie looked at her over the rim of her glasses. A tiny smile played around the edges of her mouth. “You have relationships with women, yet you never learned that you shouldn’t ask a lady for her age?”

At the unexpected joke, Drew nearly inhaled a sip of water. She loved the rare moments when Annie teased her right back. “Sorry,” she said and smiled. “Must be why I’m still single.”

Instead of looking insulted to be asked her age, Annie returned the smile. “I’m thirty.”

The big three-oh and yet no one was here to celebrate with Annie? Or was Annie going out to meet her friends and family? “So if you don’t mind me asking, what are your plans for today?”

“I’ll drive up to Fresno to celebrate with my parents,” Annie said as if it was the most natural thing in the world that she would go to her parents instead of the other way around. “We’ll have dinner in a French restaurant.”

“You like the French cuisine?”

Annie shrugged. “I prefer Italian or Chinese, but Chez Suzanne is my parents’ favorite restaurant.”

Is she serious? Drew shook her head. My God, don’t her parents know anything about her, not even what kind of food she likes? Maybe it was no wonder that Jake refused to grow up and take life seriously. All the practical jokes were his way to get some attention because he surely wasn’t getting it from his parents either.

“What?” Annie asked when Drew kept shaking her head.

“If you would rather go to an Italian or Chinese restaurant, why don’t you tell your parents?”

“It’s not that important.”

“Why wouldn’t what you want be important?” Drew made eye contact until Annie looked away. It wasn’t just about the restaurant. She got the feeling that Annie’s family always ignored her needs—maybe because Annie rarely let them know what she wanted. Drew stopped herself from saying that. You’re here to wish her a happy birthday, not to hand out lectures.

A small line appeared on Annie’s forehead. She leaned back against the couch. “It’s just not worth the fuss. If I want Italian food, I go by myself. I don’t rely on others to get what I want.”

“That’s just it. You should be able to rely on your family.” Drew trailed both hands through her hair and forced herself to calm down. She reminded herself that not everyone was blessed with the type of family she’d had. “Okay. Let’s make a deal. If you get a craving for Italian food, you call me and we’ll have dinner together.”

Annie stared at her, then interrupted their eye contact by glancing at the envelope.

“We could talk about our plan to trick Jake over dinner,” Drew added after a few seconds of silence.

Annie looked up from the envelope with the gift certificate. “If you don’t mind eating vegetarian food, we could try out the vegetarian restaurant together.”

“I don’t mind at all,” Drew said, enchanted by the cautious but hopeful expression in Annie’s eyes. “Just give me a call when you want to go. If there’s nothing urgent going on in the winery, I’m the master of my own schedule and can go with you even at short notice.” She emptied her water glass and stood. “Okay, I should go now and let you get ready for your drive to Fresno. Have a wonderful birthday—and order the most expensive thing on the menu since your parents are paying.”

Annie’s laughter followed her to the door and all the way home.

Chapter 7

Drew had just wrapped up two bottles of Merlot for the last customer, put the glasses into the dishwasher, and was about to close up the tasting room for the day, when the door opened again.

Seems carving the Halloween decorations will have to wait. She put on a friendly smile and turned around.

The large frame of her friend Becky filled the doorway.

Drew’s smile grew. She willingly let herself be engulfed in a bear hug that lifted her off her feet. She gave Becky a gentle slap on the shoulder. “Have you finally given up that awful brew and decided to try my wine?”

“Oh, no.” Becky lifted her broad hands. “Keep your wine. I’ll keep drinking beer, thank you very much.”

Grinning about their old joke, Drew went to get the beer that she kept in the fridge just for Becky. She turned the sign on the door to display “closed” from the outside, got herself a glass of Merlot, and took a seat next to Becky at the bar. “Where’s Sam?”

The mere mention of her wife’s name put a smile on Becky’s face.

Seeing her friends so happy warmed Drew’s heart, but at the same time, it made her long for the same kind of happiness.

“Still at work,” Becky said. “She’s got a PTA meeting. I’m picking her up in half an hour. Since I was in the neighborhood, I thought I’d look in on you and see how you’re doing.”

Drew had heard that excuse often in the last year. “My vineyard is outside of town, surrounded just by other vineyards, so how come you and Sam and Lynn are in the neighborhood so often?”

“Maybe we like the fresh air out here,” Becky said.

“Fresh air. Sure. That’s why you’re sitting in a tasting room when you don’t even like wine.” Drew shook her head.

“Well, maybe it’s not just the fresh air.” Becky made eye contact and held it. “We worry about you.”

Drew touched Becky’s shoulder. “I’m fine,” she said. Then, when she realized how much she sounded like Annie, she added, “Really. You don’t have to worry about me, okay? I’m keeping busy with work.”

Becky leaned down to be at eye level with Drew. “Work’s not everything. You need to get out more. What happened with that blonde you met for dinner? You seemed pretty excited that she agreed to go out with you. So how did it go? Will you see her again?”

Only then did Drew realize she hadn’t talked to any of her friends since that first dinner with Annie. She had spent more time with Annie than with her other friends recently. “I’ve seen her several times already.”

“Really?” Becky beamed at her. “That’s great. It’s high time that you started dating again.”

Drew waved her aside. “It’s not like that.”

“So she’s not your type after all?” Becky asked.

No, that wasn’t it. Annie was more reserved than the women Drew had dated in the past, but that made her only more special to Drew. “I’m not hers,” Drew said. “She’s straight.”

Becky groaned. “Oh, man. That college buddy set you up with a straight woman?”

“Worse. She’s his sister.”

Becky nearly spewed beer all over the table. “What?”

Drew nodded. “Yeah. But don’t worry, we’ll teach him a lesson he’ll never forget.”

“Good.” Becky patted her shoulder. “Don’t let that asshole stop you from going out and meeting people. You’re coming to Lynn’s Halloween party tomorrow, right?”

Drew swirled around the wine in her glass. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Oh, come on.” Becky set down her beer bottle with a resounding thump. “Why not? You never missed a party in the past.”

“Yeah, but that’s the past. Nowadays, I’m not much of a party girl. I’m ready to settle down.”

A gentle smile spread over Becky’s broad face. “That’s great. Sam and I want that for you. But how are you supposed to meet someone to settle down with if you don’t go out and meet women?”

Drew quirked an eyebrow. “And you think Lynn’s party is a good place to do that? Don’t you remember what happened last year?”

“That was last year. She’s over you by now. She won’t make a scene if you flirt with another woman.”

Drew wasn’t so sure. Sometimes, she saw the pain and the longing in Lynn’s eyes, and it made her feel too guilty to relax around Lynn.

“Her restaurant is one of your best customers, so you can’t avoid her forever,” Becky said. “Besides, didn’t you read the handbook? As a lesbian, you’re obligated to stay friends with all your exes.”

“I stayed friends with Sam,” Drew said, knowing what reaction that would get her.

Becky huffed. “You never dated Sam.”

“Sure I did. She was practically my first love.”

Scowling, Becky picked up Drew’s glass and sniffed. “Something in that wine is making you delusional. You were in kindergarten!”

“Okay, okay.” Drew stopped grinning. “Lynn’s a great woman, and I want to stay friends with her.” She remembered all the good times they had shared when they had first become lovers—taking dance classes, hosting Lynn’s famous costume parties, cooking together and ending up making love on the kitchen floor. “But every time I’m friendly toward her, I’m afraid I’m sending mixed signals.”

“Then bring a date to the party,” Becky said. “You haven’t been with anyone else since the two of you broke up a year ago, so of course Lynn thinks you’re not over her.”

Hmm. Drew had never thought about it that way, but maybe Becky was right. Was there anyone she could ask to go to the party with her without leading her on? Annie. Maybe I could ask her. She needs to get out more and have some fun, and we could use more time together to get more comfortable with each other. “Maybe you’re right.”

“So you’ll come?”

Drew hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll come.”

“Great.” Becky finished her beer and got up. “Time to pick up Sam.” She pulled Drew into another hug.

“Say hi to my first love for me, will you?”

Becky smacked her on the back of the head and let go before Drew could retaliate. “I will. See you tomorrow at Lynn’s.”

* * *

Annie closed her book without putting in a bookmark and scowled at the cover. Is it just me, or is this book more boring than watching grass grow? She remembered that Drew had used the same phrase to describe some of her dates with women. I wonder what she’s doing on a Friday night. She’s probably out, having fun.

The thought filled her with a sudden longing.

She dropped the book on the coffee table, jumped up, and prowled the living room, searching for something to do. What’s up with you? Normally, Annie was content staying home. She had learned early on in her life to entertain herself, but tonight, a strange restlessness filled her.

For a few moments, she considered driving to the office and working for an hour or two, but then she shook her head. Working all the time wasn’t the answer. The pile of unfolded laundry didn’t look inviting either.

She reached for the phone and stared at its display. Should she call someone? Maybe someone from the book club? But Sarah had mentioned plans with her boyfriend, and Tamara and Mia had children and couldn’t just meet her for coffee or dinner at the spur of a moment. Jake?

She tapped the phone against her forehead. Are you crazy? He and his friends will drag you to a bar, where you’ll stare into your virgin piña colada all night and wish you were home, folding laundry.

The thought made her pause. Was that one of the negative assumptions about herself that Drew had mentioned?

Drew. She glanced at the gift certificate for the vegetarian restaurant that was still lying on her coffee table. Maybe if Drew wasn’t out after all, they could check out the restaurant and talk about their revenge plan tonight. She scrolled through the contact list on her phone until she got to Drew’s name. Her finger lingered over the call button. After hesitating for a full minute, she pressed the button.

* * *

When the phone rang, Drew nearly dropped the pumpkin she carried. She steadied it against her hip and reached for the phone with her free hand. One glance at the display made her lips stretch into a broad grin. She lifted the phone to her ear. “Hey, Annie.”

In the four days since Annie’s birthday, Drew had called Annie twice, just to talk for a few minutes, but Annie had never called her before. Drew held her breath while she waited for what Annie would say.

“Hi,” Annie said. “How are you?”

“I’m doing great. We brought in the late-harvest grapes, and now I can finally relax a bit. How are you doing?”

“I’m good,” Annie said, then paused.

As always, she seemed reluctant to return Drew’s recounting of her work day. Someone had probably made her believe that she would bore people if she talked about her job.

“How is training the new accountant going?” Drew asked. “Jonathan, right?”

“Oh, he’s doing great.” Annie’s voice became more animated. “He’s quick to understand things.” She hesitated.

“But?” Drew prompted.

After a moment of silence, Annie said, “He asked me out yesterday.”

Drew found herself frowning. You’re not jealous of Jonathan, the accountant, are you? Annie and you are friends at best, remember? “And you accepted?”

“No. I told him dating a colleague is a bad idea.”

“Good,” Drew said before she could stop herself. God! She mentally slapped her forehead and added, “I mean you’re supposed to be my girlfriend, and if Jake finds out you’re dating Jonathan, he won’t fall for our trick.” She decided to change the topic before she got herself into even more trouble. “So, what are you doing tonight?”

Annie was quiet for a moment. “Nothing special.”

Is she calling to see if we can get together and do something? Drew waited, but Annie didn’t ask. Finally, Drew broke the silence. “Want to come over and help me carve jack-o’-lanterns for the tasting room? We can talk some more about how to trick Jake.”

“Does it involve your hangover-inducing red wine?” Annie asked.

Drew laughed. “It better not. We’re handling carving knives.” She set down the pumpkin and switched the phone to the other ear. “So, do you want to come over and help?”

“If you’re sure that I’m not bothering—”

“Annie, stop,” Drew said, her voice firm. This needed to be said once and for all. “If you were bothering me, I wouldn’t have invited you over—or even answered the phone for that matter. I like spending time with you, okay?”

For a moment, only Annie’s soft breathing filtered through the line. “Okay,” she said. “I’m on my way. Can I bring anything?”

“You wouldn’t happen to have an ice-cream scoop, would you?”

“Sure. You want me to bring some ice cream too?”

Drew laughed. “Don’t tempt me. No, the scoop isn’t for ice cream. It’s for hollowing out the pumpkins.”

“Oh.”

Didn’t she ever make a jack-o’-lantern with her parents when she was a kid? Drew suppressed a sigh. “Drive carefully,” she said, then ended the call and went to get another pumpkin.

* * *

Annie patted her pumpkin, hesitant to cut into the smooth, shiny surface. “So how do we do this?”

She watched as Drew drove the knife into the pumpkin and cut a circle around the stem. It looked easy enough, but Annie still hesitated with her knife lingering above her own pumpkin. What if she cut the wrong way?

“Just imagine this was Jake,” Drew said.

Annie laughed. “I love my brother, but some days, I’m not so sure we would need to scoop out anything if this were his head.” Carefully, she cut into the pumpkin.

“Point the knife inward at an angle,” Drew said. “It’ll keep the lid from falling in.” She leaned closer to direct Annie’s hand. Her warmth covered Annie’s back.

Strangely, the physical closeness didn’t make Annie want to move away, as she usually did when someone got too close. She set the lid on the newspaper-covered table. “And now?”

“Now we scoop out the pulp. Damn, I forgot to get a bowl. Oh, wait.” A shower of gold-wrapped candy rained down on the table as Drew turned over a bowl. Drew unwrapped one of the chocolates, put it in her mouth, and hummed. “I bought these in case some trick-or-treaters find the way out here, but feel free to eat a few.”

They worked side by side, hollowing out their pumpkins and scraping them clean with an ice-cream scoop. From time to time, they unwrapped pieces of candy with pumpkin-smeared fingers.

Finally, Drew handed Annie a damp rag. “Now we draw scary faces on the pumpkins.”

Annie cleaned her hands and then slid them over the pumpkin as if that would give her some kind of vision. However, no image of the perfect jack-o’-lantern face appeared before her mind’s eye. Clearly, she hadn’t inherited even an ounce of her mother’s artistic talent. She hesitated with the black marker lingering above the pumpkin. “I don’t want to ruin it.” She glanced up and realized that Drew was looking at her.

“You won’t.” Drew gave her an encouraging smile. “It’s a dry-erase marker. If you don’t like what you draw, you can just erase it and start over. See?” She sketched large eyes, a triangular nose, and a mouth full of teeth on her pumpkin and then wiped off the lines of one eye. “Besides, there are half a dozen more pumpkins in the back room.”

Annie drew two tiny circles for nostrils and then placed larger circles for the eyes two inches above. She leaned back to study her creation. One eye wasn’t symmetrical, so she rubbed off the line and corrected it.

“It doesn’t need to be perfect,” Drew said. She stepped behind Annie and looked over her shoulder. “This isn’t a technical drawing or anything like that. Relax and have some fun with it.”

Annie squinted back over her shoulder. At Drew’s encouraging nod, she turned to face the pumpkin again. With slightly unsteady hands, she added an eerily grinning mouth that zigzagged its way across the pumpkin.

“Looks good,” Drew said.

Pleased, Annie reached for the knife and started cutting out one eye.

On the way back to her pumpkin, Drew reached for another piece of candy and then slapped her own hand. “Take those evil things away from me, will you? I need to lose a few pounds, not gain them.”

Lose weight? Annie turned her head to glance at Drew. Her gaze slid up strong thighs, across full breasts, and up to wide shoulders. While Drew wasn’t model-thin, Annie thought her figure was just fine the way it—

A sharp pain interrupted her thoughts. “Ouch!” She wrenched her gaze away from Drew and looked down.

Blood dripped onto the pumpkin.

“Oh, Jesus!” Drew hurried over, took the knife away from Annie, and cradled Annie’s hand in her own.

Annie’s knees went weak. Don’t be such a baby. You never had a problem seeing blood.

“Let’s rinse off the blood,” Drew said. “I want to see how bad it is.” With one arm around Annie’s shoulder, she pulled her toward the sink.

Annie had to sidestep not to stumble over Drew’s feet. “Um, Drew, this would be easier if you let go of me.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

When Drew let go, goose bumps formed on Annie’s forearms. She missed the comforting warmth. Jesus, I’m going crazy. Why would I need comfort? I just nicked my finger. It’s not a lethal wound.

Drew turned on the water, and Annie stuck her finger beneath the faucet.

A stinging pain flared through her hand, then lessened as the cold water numbed her finger.

Gently, Drew wrapped a clean dish towel around Annie’s hand and lifted it to peer at the cut from close range. Her thumb rubbed circles against the back of Annie’s hand.

Annie cleared her throat and ignored Drew’s distracting touch. “So what’s the verdict, Doctor? Will I live?”

“Probably,” Drew said. She hurried out of the kitchen and reappeared with a Band-Aid, which she carefully applied to Annie’s finger. “You were lucky. The cut isn’t very deep. But maybe we should have you paint a pumpkin instead. My parents always had me do that when I was a child and they didn’t want me to handle sharp tools.”

Annie frowned. She didn’t want Drew to treat her like a child. “I am a bit of a klutz, but I’m not that bad, am I?”

“Of course not.” Drew smiled.

Is she making fun of me? Annie wasn’t sure, but if Drew was teasing her, it was much gentler than the merciless ribbing Annie was used to, so Annie couldn’t be angry with her. “I’m not. I was just distracted for a moment.”

Drew wiped off the pumpkin and gave her a clean knife. “Be careful, please.” She wasn’t smiling this time. Her serious brown eyes looked deeply into Annie’s.

Annie nodded. No more looking elsewhere while she handled the knife. She glanced at the Band-Aid to make sure the bleeding had stopped before she reached for the knife again.

Twenty minutes later, they placed tea lights inside their first pumpkins.

“Want to do the honors?” Drew asked and held out a candlelighter.

After wrapping her fingers, including the bandaged one, around the lighter, Annie held the flame to the wicks and lit the tea lights.

“There.” Drew replaced the lids and turned off the light.

They stood side by side, admiring the glowing jack-o’-lanterns.

Even Annie had to admit that they looked good. Maybe there was an ounce of artistic talent hidden in her after all.

Drew bumped her with a hip. “Wanna do another one? Or is your finger hurting?”

The throbbing in her fingertip had lessened to a dull pain that flared up only when she put too much pressure on it. “It’s fine. It just won’t be so much fun Monday morning.”

“Ah.” Drew made a sympathetic face. “You mean because you’ll have to work on a computer?”

“No, because of all the questions I’ll get when I come in with a Band-Aid. Some of my colleagues have being nosy down to an art form.”

Drew patted her arm. “Just tell them it’s a wound received on the honorable battlefield of Halloween preparations. Speaking of Halloween ...” She fiddled with the ice-cream scoop, then stopped and looked into Annie’s eyes. “A friend of mine is having a Halloween party tomorrow, and I hate to go alone. If you don’t have any other plans, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come with me.”

The question caught Annie off guard. She had practically invited herself over and intruded on Drew’s evening of pumpkin carving, and still Drew wanted to spend more time with her?

“We wouldn’t have to stay very long,” Drew said when Annie remained silent. “I swear I won’t keep you up past your bedtime.”

“It’s not that. I just ...” Annie fiddled with a loose edge on the Band-Aid. “I’m not much for parties.”

“How about we just go for an hour, and if you don’t like it, we’ll leave. But generally, Lynn’s parties are great.” With a grin, Drew added, “And you could tell Jake about meeting all my friends to make it more believable that we’re dating.”

Annie narrowed her eyes at Drew but couldn’t help smiling. “You’re fighting dirty.”

“Yep.” Drew grinned unrepentantly. “So what do you say?”

“Would we pretend to be a couple in front of your friends?” The thought made Annie’s stomach flutter. She still wasn’t sure she could pull off pretending to be in love with Drew.

Drew studied her for several seconds. “We don’t need to. Not if it makes you uncomfortable. Jake doesn’t know most of my friends, so he isn’t going to be there anyhow. Let’s just go as friends and have fun, okay?”

“All right.” Staying at a party for an hour or so wouldn’t hurt.

“Great,” Drew said. “Oh, and by the way, it’s a costume party.”

Ugh. Costumes. Annie had no idea what to wear. The only costume she owned wasn’t exactly fit for a Halloween party, or was it? “What are you going to be?”

“Oh, no.” Drew shook her head. “I’m not telling you. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

Chapter 8

Drew smoothed her hands over her sash while she waited for Annie to open the door. She glanced down at her white shirt to make sure that just the right amount of cleavage was showing. Hey, stop it. This is not a date. Annie won’t even notice your—

The door swung open, interrupting her admonishments.

She and Annie stared at each other, taking in the other’s costume.

Oh, be still my heart. Drew sighed. A woman in uniform.

Her gaze traveled up polished black leather boots, black pants, and a wine-red uniform shirt that ended in black shoulders, contrasting nicely with Annie’s golden-blond hair. A Star Trek insignia was pinned just above Annie’s left breast. Only the horn-rimmed glasses perched on Annie’s nose didn’t fit the futuristic look. “You’re a Trekkie?”

Annie blushed and shrugged. “Guess I’m a total nerd, huh?”

She’s too cute. “Hey, no shame in that. I liked Star Trek too, but I was more into Babylon 5.”

The tense set of Annie’s shoulders relaxed. “Really?”

“Sure.” Drew grinned. “A tough Russian woman and a beautiful blond telepath, what’s not to like? But didn’t anyone ever tell you that wearing a red uniform is bad karma? Whenever I watched an episode, one of the guys in red died before the first commercial break.”

“That was the original series, not The Next Generation.”

“Ah, right. So you’re what?” Drew counted the number of golden pips on the right side of Annie’s collar. “A commander?”

Annie straightened. “A captain.”

“Then I’ve got to say that you fill out that uniform better than good old Captain Picard.”

The tight uniform showed off Annie’s gentle curves and emphasized her slender waist and long legs.

Annie’s face took on the color of her uniform top. “You look very ... um ... dashing too.”

Grinning, Drew pretended to twirl her painted-on mustache. “Thank you.” She hooked her arm through Annie’s. “Come on. Let’s go.”

* * *

Annie settled into the passenger seat, nearly crushing Drew’s pirate hat beneath her. At the last moment, she paused and pulled it out from under her. With the hat on her lap, she gazed over at Drew. Now that Drew was distracted by starting the car, Annie could look at her without being observed.

High boots covered Drew’s legs up to the knees. The grip of an antique pistol stuck out of the crimson sash tied at her hips. A broad belt with a brass buckle was strapped diagonally over a billowy white shirt that accented Drew’s tan and showed off a hint of cleavage. Annie directed her gaze upward. A red bandana covered Drew’s hair. From her left ear, one large golden earring dangled almost to her shoulder. Captain Sparrow makeup emphasized her long eyelashes, and she had drawn a mass of black dots on her chin and upper lip with something like an eyeliner pencil to give herself a fake goatee.

At a red light, Drew glanced over and caught her looking.

Annie quickly thought of something to say. “No saber?”

Drew’s fake goatee moved as she smiled. “You think I’m going to need it to drive away a bunch of admirers if they want to get fresh with you?”

“What? No!”

Drew grinned. “It’s in the trunk with my eye patch. Wearing a saber or an eye patch while driving a car is a bit impractical.”

“Too bad no one invented a transporter yet,” Annie said. “Then we wouldn’t need cars anymore.”

“As long as no one puts me out of a job by inventing a replicator and fake wine.” Drew turned left at the next corner and glanced over at Annie for a moment. “How’s your finger?”

Annie wrapped her hand around the finger in question. “Fine. It was just a little nick—no pirate’s hook needed.” She had to admit that Drew’s concern felt good.

“Not that you wouldn’t look good in a pirate’s costume, but I like you better with all your limbs attached.”

“Yeah, me too.” Annie didn’t react to the comment about her looking good in a pirate’s costume. Drew was the ultimate flirt and probably complimented every woman she met without it meaning anything.

Drew stopped the car in front of a house at the edge of town. After they got out of the car, Drew opened the trunk, attached the saber to her sash, and put on the eye patch. With her one remaining eye, she winked at Annie. “Should we have a safe word?”

Annie stared at her. Safe word?

“Don’t look at me like that.” Drew chuckled. “You could use it to signal me when you’ve had enough of the party and want to leave.”

“Oh. How about ‘Beam me up, Scotty’?”

Laughter exploded from Drew. “Deal.”

Side by side, they walked to the house, and Drew rested her hand on the small of Annie’s back for a moment. Even with Drew wearing higher boots, Annie was still taller. When she walked next to men, Annie always slouched a little, knowing most men were uncomfortable with taller woman. Drew didn’t seem to care, so Annie walked with her head held high.

A skull with eerily glowing eyes greeted them at the front door.

“My friend Lynn likes to go all out for her parties,” Drew said as she rang the doorbell.

The door opened to reveal a brown-haired woman wearing only lingerie and a set of bunny ears. “Hey, you made it!” Her ample breasts nearly spilled over her corset as she hugged Drew.

Annie watched with raised eyebrows. That’s Drew’s friend?

Drew pulled back. “What are you supposed to be?”

“Can’t you see?” The woman pointed at her costume—or lack thereof—and shook her head to wiggle her bunny ears. “I’m a Playboy bunny.”

Two other women appeared behind the brunette with the bunny ears.

Annie’s eyes widened as she took in the amount of bare skin the first one displayed. The large woman was wrapped in nearly see-through gauze that left her belly bare. A giant fake diamond twinkled in her belly button. Were all of Drew’s friends so casual about showing off their bodies?

“What happened to you?” Drew asked, pointing at the woman’s costume.

“She lost a bet,” the woman’s smaller companion, who was dressed up as a harem’s guard, answered.

“Annie,” Drew laid a hand on Annie’s back again and guided her forward, “these crazy people are my friends—Lynn,” she pointed at the Playboy bunny, “Becky,” now she indicated the harem lady, “and her wife, Sam. Girls, this is Annie Prideaux.”

“Oh, I see!” Becky grinned. “You kidnapped yourself a busty wench to go with the pirate costume.” She thumped Drew on the back.

Annie eyed the door. Um ... beam me up, Scotty?

“Nope.” Drew rubbed Annie’s back as if to calm her. “No kidnapping this particular wench and taking her to the captain’s stateroom. We’re just friends.”

“Whatever you say,” Becky said.

“No, really,” Annie said. “I’m straight.” Then she bit her tongue. Why am I so defensive? Maybe she wasn’t as indifferent toward people thinking she was gay as she had imagined when she had agreed to Drew’s revenge plan.

Lynn shrugged. “So was I before I met Drew.”

Annie stared first at Lynn and then at Drew. She couldn’t reconcile the wild woman Becky, Lynn, and Jake had known with the kind, considerate Drew she was getting to know. So Lynn and Drew were together.

“Christ, Lynn,” Drew muttered. “Are you at least going to let us in, or are you going to completely humiliate me out here?”

“No. I can do that inside. Come on in.” Lynn and the other women stepped aside and let them enter.

Something brushed over Annie’s head, and when she glanced up, she saw a giant plastic spider hanging from the ceiling. The tinny groans of a glow-in-the-dark skeleton were nearly drowned out by the laughter of about two dozen people mingling in the large living room. The only light came from flickering jack-o’-lanterns and gothic candlesticks. Bats fluttered around in a lone lampshade in the corner.

A thin woman with a cowboy hat rushed over. “Do you have any napkins? Someone spilled beer all over the buffet table.”

Lynn sighed. “Excuse me for a minute.” After two steps, she turned, pointed at Drew, and said, “Don’t go anywhere. You owe me a dance.”

Drew raised her brows. “I do?”

“I’m the hostess, so I get to dance with whoever I want.” Lynn hurried away.

Annie and Drew exchanged a quick glance.

“Sorry,” Drew said. “Lynn can be a bit ...” She waved her hand as if trying to capture the right word.

“I thought you hadn’t earned a toaster oven.” Annie bit her lip. That wasn’t what she had meant to say. She had no reason to care about Drew’s kitchen appliances or her romantic past.

Sam and Becky laughed.

Was that a pink glow entering Drew’s cheeks? In the dim light, Annie wasn’t sure. She wanted to take back her words. When she had blurted out the toaster oven comment, she hadn’t meant to embarrass Drew.

“No, I—”

“Our friend wasn’t always very picky with her choice in sex partners,” Becky said.

Her wife slapped Becky’s bare belly. “Be nice.”

“Sorry,” Becky said. She wrapped one arm around Drew and glanced at Annie. “I’m just kidding.”

“I wish you were, but sadly, you’re right,” Drew muttered. She looked so embarrassed that Annie searched for something comforting to say.

She leaned over so that just Drew would hear her. “Hey, at least that should make it easier for Jake to believe that you’ve gotten involved with me.”

With a serious expression, Drew turned to face her. “Don’t put yourself down like that. If you and I got involved for real, it would have nothing to do with me not being picky.”

Now Annie was glad for the dim light. She rubbed her hot cheeks. I’ve got to get this blushing thing under control, or I’ll die of a heat stroke around her. She’s just a natural flirt and says things like this at the drop of a hat.

But Drew’s serious expression conveyed something else.

Annie stared at her but didn’t find the right words to answer.

“Come on.” Drew lightly gripped her elbow. “Let’s get something to drink and a few snacks. See you later, girls.” She strode off, the saber dangling against her thigh as she weaved around party guests.

Dry ice created clouds of fog, and Annie walked faster, not wanting to be separated from Drew among all those strangers. When someone jostled her, nearly parting her from Drew, she wrapped her hand around Drew’s sash and held on.

Drew threw a quick glance over her shoulder and smiled.

In front of the buffet table, they stopped and stared at the food.

Mozzarella eyeballs with olive pupils stared back at them. Garnished carrots, breadsticks, and sausages with painted nails looked like severed fingers.

“That gives new meaning to the word ‘finger food,’” Drew said.

The blood-red liquid in the punch bowl caught Annie’s attention. “Um ... there’s a severed hand floating in the punch bowl.”

“That’s Lynn’s Zombie Punch.”

“Zombie Punch?”

“Yes. If you drink it, you’ll feel like a zombie tomorrow morning.”

Annie scrunched up her nose. “No, thanks. Been there, done that. But at least your wine was worth it.”

“I’ll see if I can get us something drinkable. Be right back.”

Before Annie could answer, Drew stepped into the dry-ice fog.

“Q’apla,” someone said behind her.

When Annie turned, a woman in full Klingon battle dress stood in front of her, a skull-shaped cup with the Zombie Punch in her hand.

“Didn’ shink I’d shee anosher Trekkie here,” the woman said through her fake Klingon teeth.

“Hello,” Annie said, politely trying not to stare at the amount of cleavage the breastplate displayed.

“I’m Linda, f’om the housh of Martinsh.”

“Captain Annie Prideaux.” Annie took Linda’s gloved hand in a traditional warrior grasp.

“Wanna share a plate of gagh?”

Annie stared at the gravestone-shaped plate with Jell-O worms Linda held out to her. Was she flirting, or was she just being friendly to a fellow Star Trek fan? “Uh, no, thank you. My friend will be back any second now with something for us to eat and drink.”

“Shuit yourshelf.” Tossing back her fake Klingon mane, Linda sauntered away.

“Jesus, her breasts with those pointy metal parts looked scary,” someone else said.

A woman wearing a colorful peasant skirt, a headscarf, and half a dozen amulets and charms grinned at Annie. Bracelets clinked as she reached out a hand, while the other held on to a crystal ball. “Hi, I’m Sue.”

Annie opened her mouth to introduce herself.

“Oh, no, don’t tell me.” Sue rubbed her crystal ball, then pressed two fingers against her temple and closed her eyes as if it helped her focus. “Your name is Annie.”

She eavesdropped on my conversation with the Klingon. Annie nodded.

“Nice to meet you, Annie. Do you want me to read your palm?” Without waiting for a reply, Sue grasped Annie’s hand and traced the lifeline with her index finger, caressing more than merely following the lines.

Annie’s hand itched. She wanted to pull it away but was too polite to do so.

A fake blood-red fingernail trailed along the lines in Annie’s palm. “Oh, what do I see here?” She bent closer, and for a moment, Annie thought she would kiss her hand. But then Sue said, her voice a seductive purr, “You’ll meet a woman. A very attractive woman.”

Drew sidled up to Annie. She put down the two glasses she was carrying and wrapped one arm around Annie, then pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her cheek as if she had done it a thousand times before.

Annie hung limply in her embrace, too surprised to resist.

“Maybe you should get a new crystal ball,” Drew said to Sue. “She’s already met a woman.” She rested her free hand on the grip of her saber as if she was prepared to challenge Sue to a duel should she refuse to back off.

Scowling, Sue looked back and forth between them.

Annie wrapped her arm around Drew’s waist and held on until Sue marched off, muttering something about having to check the time setting of her crystal ball.

“Phew.” Drew gave Annie’s shoulder a squeeze, then let go and handed her one of the glasses.

When Annie took a sip, she realized it was grape juice, not wine. She nodded appreciatively. “I thought we weren’t going to pretend to be a couple?”

Drew scratched her chin. “I didn’t plan to, but when I saw that gypsy chatting you up, I thought I should come to your defense.”

Did Drew think she was some kind of wallflower who needed to be rescued? “I’ve got a weapon too, you know?” Annie patted the phaser attached to her waist.

“I know.” Drew looked at her with a you-caught-me smile. “I guess this costume brings out the macho in me.”

Sipping her juice, Annie looked around. On an improvised dance floor, two cowgirls were slow-dancing with each other. “So, is this a gay Halloween party?”

Drew laughed. “You mean gay as in ‘cheerful’?”

“I mean gay as in women wanting to share a plate of gagh or read my palm.”

“Maybe I should have warned you about your costume.”

“My costume?” Annie glanced down at herself. “What’s wrong with my costume?”

Drew’s gaze trailed up Annie’s body and then snapped back to her eyes. “Oh, absolutely nothing. It’s just that women in uniform are chick magnets.”

“You mean women find me attractive, just because I’m wearing a uniform?”

“Not just because of that, but yeah.” Drew nodded and took a long sip of her juice.

Annie shook her head. Lesbians are strange.

“Does it bother you?” Drew regarded her with a concerned gaze. “We can leave if you feel uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m just not used to all the attention. The few times I’ve been to parties, I stood around, holding on to a lukewarm glass of champagne all night while no one bothered talking to me.” She snapped her mouth shut, surprised at how much she kept telling Drew about herself. And this time, she couldn’t even blame the wine.

“You’ve gone to the wrong parties, then.” The warm touch of Drew’s hand returned to Annie’s back. “Come on, there’s a table over there with food that doesn’t look like body parts.” After three steps, she slid to a halt. “Oh, no.”

“What?”

Drew pointed at something to Annie’s left.

When Annie turned, she saw Lynn and another woman place an inflatable children’s swimming pool in the middle of the living room. Some of the guests carried buckets with water, which they emptied into the pool.

“Lynn’s annual bobbing-for-apples contest. I won last year, so she’ll insist on me competing.” Drew sent Annie an entreating gaze. “Beam me up, Scotty.”

“If you want, we can leave.”

“Are you sure you’re ready to give up all your admirers?”

Annie nudged her with an elbow. “I’m sure I’ll manage without them.”

“Ah, there you are!” Lynn latched on to Drew’s arm. “Come on, you have to defend your title!”

The sudden urge to draw her phaser and defend Drew gripped Annie. Maybe my costume brings out the macho in me too.

As Drew was dragged away, she sent a glance over her shoulder and said, “Too late, Scotty.”

Annie followed them to the bright pink swimming pool.

Apples bobbed up and down in the water. Four women and one man knelt in front of the pool.

“Would you hold this for a second?” Drew handed Annie her saber.

Lynn pushed Drew down between two of the women, and someone tossed her a pair of handcuffs, which she snapped shut around Drew’s wrists, shackling them behind her back.

“Is that really necessary?” Annie asked, still watching Drew. “If she or one of the others falls in ...”

“Oh, don’t worry.” Lynn pointed at the guests standing directly behind the contestants, hovering with their hands just above the kneeling people’s shoulders. “They will keep an eye on them. And I’ll keep an especially close eye on Drew.” She winked at Annie.

It seemed Drew’s relationship with Lynn wasn’t all in the past.

“Ready?” Lynn asked, looking at the six contestants.

They leaned forward with their hands cuffed behind their backs and bent over the swimming pool.

“Go!” Lynn shouted and clapped her hands.

Chaos broke out.

Water splashed. A few drops hit Annie in the face.

All around her, women screamed and whistled, each rooting for a friend or girlfriend.

Jesus. Annie took a step back.

A few of the contestants tried to snag an apple without getting their faces wet, but Drew dove in with her whole head. She caught an apple between her teeth, but when she tried to lift it out of the water, the apple slipped out of her grasp.

“Jen!” someone shouted next to Annie’s ear. “Come on, you can beat her!”

Annie nearly whacked her with the saber. “Drew!” she shouted in encouragement.

Drew came up, a green apple clenched between her teeth.

A loud cheer erupted from Annie’s mouth, and she pressed her hand against her lips.

The other contestants battled for second place.

Hands still bound, Drew stumbled to her feet and spat out the apple. Her bandana dripped with water.

Someone handed Annie a towel, and she stepped up to Drew without hesitation. “Come here. You’re a mess.” She pulled up Drew’s eye patch, untied the soaked bandana, and rubbed the towel over Drew’s hair, which fell into her face in wet curls.

Drew bent her head and held still.

“You’re really competitive. Did anyone ever tell you that?” Annie shook her head. “I don’t think you’re supposed to dive in with your entire head.”

“It’s the best technique,” Drew mumbled from beneath the towel. “You need to push the apple against the bottom of the pool to get a good grip on it.”

“Did you at least win some great prize?”

The towel swung back and forth as Drew shook her head. “Nope. No great prize. Tradition says that the first one to snag an apple will be the first to marry.” She snorted. “Big chance. Oh, and I get a victory kiss from our esteemed hostess.”

A picture of Lynn’s nearly bare breasts pressing against Drew as Lynn kissed her flashed through Annie’s mind, and she frowned.

Drew didn’t seem upset at the thought of Lynn kissing her. Was there still something going on between them?

“Something wrong?” Drew asked from beneath the towel.

“No, everything’s fine.” Annie gave Drew’s head one last good rub and then hung the towel around Drew’s shoulders.

Drew shook her hands, making the handcuffs rattle. “Where’s Lynn with the damn key?”

No matter how much Annie craned her neck, she couldn’t find Lynn in the crowd around the swimming pool. When she turned back toward Drew, she laughed out loud. Her eyeliner had run together, making her look more like Zorro, and her painted-on goatee was dripping down her chin. “Come with me, Blackbeard. We need to clean you up.” She grasped her upper arm with both hands and guided her through the crowd in the direction of the bathroom she has seen earlier. It felt good to take over and be the one to help Drew for a change.

The bathroom door was closed and locked. The sound of a flushing toilet came from the other side of the door.

A muscle twitched in Drew’s face. “Shit. My eyes are starting to burn.”

Annie rubbed her arm. “I’ll take care of it in a minute.”

The door opened, and a woman stepped out. A hatchet seemed to be buried in her head, and fake blood was running down her face. As she stepped past them, her gaze fell on Drew’s cuffed hands. “Ooh, kinky. Have fun.”

Cheeks burning, Annie held open the bathroom door for Drew. “She thought ...?”

“Yep.” Drew grinned broadly. “She probably thinks the Federation has some very pleasurable torture methods when they capture space pirates.”

Someone had replaced the lightbulb in the bathroom with a red one, so at least the lighting hid Annie’s blush. “Going to a party with you really is an adventure.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Drew searched Annie’s face, all hints of laughter now gone.

Annie felt her expression softening. “No.” With Drew by her side, the adventure didn’t feel as overwhelming. She tugged Drew over to the sink and wet the end of the towel hanging around Drew’s shoulders. “Close your eyes,” she said and smiled when she remembered that Drew had told her the same thing at the wine tasting.

Drew closed her eyes without hesitation.

Very gently, Annie wiped away the smeared eyeliner, careful to avoid putting too much pressure on Drew’s eyes in the process. With the dry end of the towel, she dried off the upper part of Drew’s face and then started removing the beard.

She laid one hand along Drew’s jaw to rub at a stubborn spot just below Drew’s full lower lip. “All done.” She stepped back. “You’re a clean-shaven pirate now.”

“Thank you.” When Drew opened her eyes, their gazes met. Drew’s eyes looked darker in the reddish light.

“You’re welcome,” Annie murmured.

The door opened behind them.

“Hey, why are you hiding out in here?” Lynn’s voice echoed through the bathroom. “It’s time to award the big prize.” She grinned and pulled Drew away from Annie.

Drew sighed. She turned her back with her cuffed hands toward Lynn. “Unlock these things, will you?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” The fluffy ears on top of Lynn’s head flopped to one side as she tilted her head. “Maybe I like you better this way.”

Jesus. Annie narrowed her eyes at the annoying woman. Why can’t she leave Drew alone? Or is Drew still interested in her too? She wasn’t sure, but something about that thought bothered her. From what she had seen of Lynn so far, they just didn’t seem to fit together.

“Lynn.” The handcuffs rattled. “Unlock them. Now.”

“Okay, okay.”

After Lynn unlocked and removed the handcuffs, Drew rubbed her wrists. Reddish lines had been carved into her skin where the metal dug into it.

Annie glared at Lynn. “You call that keeping a close eye on her?”

Lynn reached for one of Drew’s wrists and rubbed it. There was an easy familiarity in her touch that spoke of their shared history. “Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t know they were that tight.” She turned to look at Annie. “You’re awfully protective of her. Are you sure you’re straight?”

“What, a straight woman can’t worry about a friend?” Friend, Annie repeated to herself. When had Drew become a friend? It had been a long time since Annie had made one of those, but she admitted that Drew had gone from being simply her partner in crime to becoming a friend.

“Of course,” Lynn said, “but—”

“Leave her alone, Lynn,” Drew said as she stepped between them. “Just because you switched teams doesn’t mean the whole world is gay.”

“Okay, okay. Guess my gaydar isn’t in full working order today. Must be the Zombie Punch.”

Gaydar? Annie furrowed her brow but decided not to ask.

Lynn opened the bathroom door, and they followed her out.

When Drew stopped abruptly, Annie ran into her. She clutched two handfuls of Drew’s shirt to regain her balance.

“Shit!” Drew hissed. “What’s he doing here?”

Annie peered around Drew.

Rob, Jake’s best friend and business partner, was holding court in front of the buffet table, regaling half a dozen guests with one of his stories.

“Oh, Christ.” Annie pulled back her head and ducked to hide behind Drew. “I thought Jake didn’t know most of your friends?”

“Well, apparently, someone knows Rob. What do we do now?”

“Want us to beam out of here?”

Lynn gripped the wide sleeve of Drew’s shirt and tugged to get her attention. “What’s going on, guys?”

Annie glanced at Drew and then at Lynn’s fingers wrapped around Drew’s sleeve.

“I thought you liked Rob?” Lynn let go of Drew’s sleeve and glanced toward the buffet table. “He’s a really nice guy. Becky and I started taking rock-climbing lessons with him and his partner last month.”

“I like him just fine,” Drew said, “but ... it’s complicated.”

“Ah.” Lynn crossed her arms over her scantily clad chest. “Now I understand. I thought Annie’s last name sounded familiar. She’s Jake Prideaux’s sister, right?” Annie nodded, but Lynn ignored her. She was staring at Drew instead. “Rob is a blabbermouth, and you don’t want him to tell Jake that you’re fucking his sister.”

“Christ, Lynn! Stop it!” Drew’s voice grew louder. “I’m not f—”

“Drew!”

A nudge from Annie made Drew lower her voice. “I’m not sleeping with Annie,” she whispered. “We just want to make Jake believe that there’s something going on between us.”

“Why would you want to do—”

“Oh, no!” Now Annie was the one to tug on Drew’s sleeve. “I think Rob has seen us! What do we do?”

Rob had stopped in the middle of his story and was staring at them.

“Relax,” Drew said. “This is our chance. Like Lynn said, Rob is a blabbermouth. If we can convince him that there’s something going on between us, he’ll run to Jake and tell him what he saw. That should be a nice preparation for Thanksgiving.”

She’s right. Still, Annie wasn’t sure she could pull it off. They’d had no time to practice or to talk about what to do and what not to do. “But I’m completely unprepared. What if I freeze and ... Oh, great, now Rob is coming over!”

Rob strode away from the buffet table and would be with them in a few seconds.

Drew grasped Annie’s hand and rubbed it. “Do you trust me?”

For a long moment, their gazes connected. Annie nodded, her throat too tight to speak.

“Just follow my lead,” Drew said out of the corner of her mouth.

Annie took a calming breath. “Okay.”

“Hey, would you look at that!” Rob stopped in front of them. “If it isn’t Annie Prideaux, out and about on a Saturday night!”

Drew slid one arm around Annie’s waist and turned toward Rob with a smile. “Hey, Rob.”

Rob blinked. Even in the dim light, Annie could see that his eyes were glassy, probably an effect of the nearly empty cup of Zombie Punch in his hand. “Oh, hey, Drew. Jake told me that he introduced the two of you.”

His snickering made Annie clench her teeth as she imagined Jake and Rob laughing about her blind-date with a lesbian.

“But I didn’t know you still hang out with each other,” Rob said and turned toward Drew. “How did you manage to drag Ms. Annie to a party? She hates parties.”

“Guess it depends on the company,” Drew said and pulled Annie closer.

Lynn snorted.

Sweat broke out along Annie’s spine. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lynn smirk at her. The guests who had been in Rob’s group of fans were looking over at them too. Oh, God. This was a bad idea. I’m not ready for this.

“Sorry, Rob, I need to steal Drew for a moment. She won first prize in the bobbing-for-apples contest,” Lynn said and again took hold of Drew’s sleeve.

This time, Annie was glad about it.

When Lynn dragged Drew to the middle of the room, Annie followed, not wanting to be left alone with Rob and the questions he might ask.

“Can I have everyone’s attention, please?” Lynn shouted over the din of the party. “It’s time to award the prize to the victor. Drew here was the first one to snag an apple. We all know she’s got a talented mouth.”

The guests whistled and hooted.

Annie rubbed her cheek while Drew just rolled her eyes. Why am I the one blushing?

“So she won one kiss from the second-best kisser in the room. Which would be ...” Lynn paused dramatically and then patted her nearly bare chest. “Me.”

More hoots and whistles.

Annie bit her lip. Who’s the best? She remembered Lynn’s comment about Drew’s talented mouth and swallowed.

Rob clapped, spilling the rest of his Zombie Punch in the process.

“Unless ...” Lynn turned and looked at Annie with a smirk. “Unless you want to do the honors.”

What? Me? Annie’s mouth went dry. No, I ... I can’t kiss her.

“Scared?” Lynn asked in a low voice. “Hmm, maybe you are straight after all.”

Annie met Lynn’s challenging gaze. This is our chance, she mentally repeated Drew’s words. Rob is well on his way to being drunk. He won’t notice subtle glances and little touches. We need to do something big.

“Want me to kiss her?” Rob asked. He roared with laughter. “I could do it.”

“No, thanks,” Lynn said. “We want it to be a reward for Drew, not a punishment.”

Someone nudged Annie from behind, and she took a stumbling step toward Drew.

Drew stared at her. Her lips moved in an almost inaudible, “Annie.”

Lips that Annie would kiss if she went through with this. She couldn’t look away.

It’s just a kiss. The thought did nothing to slow down her heartbeat or her breathing. Just a kiss. You’ve kissed some of your dates without feeling anything for them. You can do this. Just one simple kiss.

She took another step closer. Her gaze darted from Drew’s lips to her eyes. The double-time beat of her heart hammered in her ears. When a wave of dizziness swept over her, she steadied herself with her hands against Drew’s shoulders.

Even through the fabric of her pirate shirt, Drew’s skin felt hot.

Drew stood stock-still. “You don’t need to—”

Annie didn’t let her finish. If she did, she knew she would lose her courage. Quickly, she leaned forward and bent her head.

For a moment, all she saw was Drew’s startled expression; then Annie’s eyelids fluttered shut as their lips met.

A tingle raced through Annie’s lips and down the rest of her body.

“Slip her some tongue!” someone called behind Annie, but neither of them tried to deepen the kiss.

Drew’s warm lips moved gently against hers, then retreated.

Annie stumbled back and pressed her hand to her lips. Her breath came in quick bursts. I did it. I kissed her. And it felt ... Oh, God.

“Hey, you okay?” Drew whispered next to her.

“Yeah.” Come on. Snap out of it. It was just a kiss.

Drew looked at her, her brown eyes darkened to almost black. “Want to get out of here?”

Annie nodded and glanced at Rob, who looked just as shell-shocked as she felt. With any luck, he would think they were hurrying off to do more than just kiss.

Chapter 9

Drew opened the passenger door for Annie and went to the back of the car to put the saber and eye patch in the trunk, glad to have a moment alone before she got into the car with Annie. Her lips still tingled, and all she wanted was to kiss Annie again.

Cut it out! You’re just friends, remember? Get yourself together.

She wasn’t about to destroy her fragile friendship with Annie by giving in to her attraction.

After taking a deep breath, she climbed into the driver’s seat, started the car, and pretended to need her full attention for driving.

The silence between them was awkward.

Drew peeked over at Annie, who stared out of the side window. Passing streetlamps bathed her face in a succession of lights and shadows. Between glances at the road, Drew admired the gentle curve of her cheek and the shape of her li—

Stop thinking like that! Her lips are none of your business.

She wrenched her gaze away and turned on the radio to fill the silence between them.

A female singer sang about kissing a girl.

Jesus Christ! Can’t I get a break here?

Drew turned off the radio.

Tick-tick-tick. The rhythmic sound of the turn signal filled the car as Drew made a right turn. She glanced over at the passenger seat again, just as Annie peeked at her.

Their gazes met and then veered away like billiard balls bouncing off each other.

This is ridiculous.

Determined to clear the air between them, Drew turned back toward Annie. “I think we should—”

“I’m sorry if I—”

They spoke simultaneously and then looked at each other as their words trailed off.

The headlights of another car made Drew redirect her attention toward the road. “Want to come over to my place so we can talk? I don’t want things to be awkward between us just because ...”

Annie fingered the golden rank insignia on her uniform collar. “All right,” she said after a moment. “We need to decide what to say when Jake calls anyway.”

Jake. Drew groaned. Of course. That’s why she kissed you in the first place, idiot.

When Drew parked the car in front of the house, Annie got out before Drew could walk around and open the car door for her.

Drew sighed and followed Annie to the front door.

Cab bounded up to them from somewhere behind the fermentation barn. He circled Drew, then Annie, sniffing and whining excitedly, as if she were a long-lost buddy. When Annie returned his enthusiastic greeting by rubbing his shaggy head, Cab jumped up and planted his front paws on Annie’s chest.

“Cab, off!” Drew grabbed his collar and dragged him away from Annie, but the damage was already done.

Muddy paw prints covered the black pants and the red uniform top.

“Shit, Annie, I’m sorry.”

Annie rubbed at the mud stains with her fingers, managing to smear them even more. “It’s not that bad. I’m sure it’ll all come out in the wash.”

“Come on in and let me soak it for you before the stains set,” Drew said. “I’ll give you a pair of sweats.”

“Do you have something that will fit me?” Annie asked. A small smile darted across her face. “No offense, but you’re not exactly my height.”

“Hey, are you calling me vertically challenged?” Drew narrowed her eyes at Annie, glad to be able to lighten the mood and introduce some playfulness into the evening again.

Annie shrugged. “If the size-six shoe fits.”

“I’m not a size six, Bigfoot,” Drew said. Secretly, she was pleased that Annie felt relaxed enough with her to joke and tease. She led Annie through the house. When she stopped in front of the guest room and turned toward Annie, she had to grin. “You somehow managed to get mud on your chin.”

“Here?” Annie rubbed at the wrong side of her chin. Now a second mud stain covered her face.

“Um, no.” Drew’s fingers were itching to reach out and rub the mud off Annie’s face, but she resisted. “If you want, you can get washed up. The guest room has its own bath. I’m going to clean up Cab, soak your uniform, and change out of this costume too, so take your time. I’ll leave a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt in front of the door.”

Maybe a moment alone would help them both overcome the awkwardness.

* * *

When Drew returned to the living room, she found Annie on the couch with Cab next to her, his head and now clean front paws resting on her lap. The dog sighed contentedly as Annie ran her long fingers through his shaggy fur.

Lucky dog.

“Is he okay up here?” Annie asked.

“Sure. As long as he’s not bothering you.”

“Oh, no. He’s great.”

With Cab occupying the couch next to Annie, at least Drew didn’t have to decide where to sit. She settled in the armchair on the other side of the coffee table and glanced over at Annie. Despite the tension between them, Drew had to smile at how adorable Annie looked in her sweats. The pant legs stopped halfway down Annie’s calves, revealing smooth pale skin. Her hair fell into her face and partially hid her expression.

Silence settled between them, interrupted only by Cab’s contented groans.

“I’m sorry for ambushing you like that,” Annie said without preamble, her gaze still fixed on Cab.

Drew looked up from the hypnotic circles Annie’s fingers combed through Cab’s fur. “Ambushing?”

“Yeah. I mean ... just because you’re a lesbian doesn’t mean you want to be kissed by just any woman, right?”

“Right,” Drew said halfheartedly. But she wanted to be kissed by Annie, and that was part of the problem. What the hell is going on with you? She had been around attractive straight women before, some of them more classically beautiful than Annie, but she had always put them firmly in the “unavailable” category. She was not a fifteen-year-old boy, ruled by hormones, so why did her heartbeat pick up every time she remembered kissing Annie?

“I know I should have talked to you about it first, but there was no time, and Lynn ...”

“Hey, calm down,” Drew said when Annie’s face took on an unhealthy color. “I know you had to improvise, and I’m fine with it. It’s not like it was horrible for me or anything. Was it really that bad for you?” She tried to sound casual and not make a big deal out of it, but she held her breath while she waited for the answer.

Annie rubbed her lips with her knuckles while she thought about her answer, making Drew swallow. “Oh, no, it wasn’t horrible. No. It was—”

Loud pounding on the front door interrupted her.

Cab raced to the door and barked.

Not now. Drew threw an annoyed glance at the door, but the hammering continued. “Cab! Come here!” When the dog came running, she told him “stay” before she strode to the door. She wanted to get rid of the unwelcome visitor and return to the conversation as quickly as possible.

But instead of a customer or a neighbor from one of the surrounding vineyards, Jake towered over her. “I don’t know what kind of fucking game you think you’re playing with my sister, but it’s going to stop. Right now!”

“Jake, I—”

“No!” He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “She’s not just some chick you can have some fun with for a few nights. Goddammit, she’s my sister! If you hurt her, I swear I’ll—”

“Let go of her right now!” Annie’s icy voice made both of them freeze.

Hands still on Drew’s shoulders, now more holding on than shaking, Jake stared at his sister as she marched toward them. “Annie? What are you doing here?” His eyes widened even more when he took in the too-short sweats. “What’s going on? Tell me Rob was just drunk. You weren’t kissing Drew. If anything, she kissed you, right?”

“No, she ... I ...” Annie inhaled deeply, pulled Drew away from Jake, and wrapped one arm around her waist.

Drew sucked in a breath as Annie’s hand came to rest against her hip.

“No,” Annie repeated, her voice louder and steadier this time. She lifted her chin and stared at her brother. “I was the one who kissed her.”

Jake’s gaze flicked back and forth between them. “No,” he whispered. He shook his head as if that would help him get rid of the images in his head. “I don’t believe—”

Annie’s arms trembled as she pulled Drew even closer. Her gaze was fixed on Drew’s lips, making them tingle, and then Annie dipped her head.

Heat shot through Drew. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She’s gonna kiss me again. Drew held still, barely breathing as Annie’s face came closer.

And closer.

Hot breath brushed over Drew’s lips, making her shiver.

At the last moment, Annie turned her head and kissed Drew on the cheek. Then the warmth of her arm around Drew’s hip retreated.

No, don’t go!

The dense haze of anticipation lifted. Drew blinked up at Annie. Her gaze darted back and forth between Annie’s lips and her eyes.

When she looked up, Jake was staring at them through narrowed eyes. Slowly, the frown disappeared from his face and the skin around his eyes crinkled with laugh lines. He clutched the door frame as he shook with laughter. “Oh, that was good.” He waved his index finger at them and nodded repeatedly. “You almost had me. Very funny. You almost convinced me,” he gave Drew a slap to the shoulder, “but, Annie, you can’t act to save your life. Never could. How much did you pay Rob to help you out with your little hoax?”

“What? No, it’s not a hoax,” Annie said. “Drew and I ... we really ...”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’re a horny new couple who can hardly wait to tear each other’s clothes off.” Jake laughed at his sister’s blush. “Nice try. I hate to tell you this at your age, sis, but that awkward peck you just gave her, that’s how you kiss your grandmother, not your lover. You couldn’t French-kiss a woman if your life depended on it.”

Annie’s face turned red, but this time, Drew could tell that it wasn’t a blush of embarrassment. “Oh, yeah? How about this?” Annie turned toward Drew and grabbed her by the shoulders.

As Drew was wrenched against Annie’s body, she caught a glimpse of Jake. He turned and waved as if to say, “Don’t bother. I’ve already seen you kiss her and I don’t believe it for a moment.”

Then Drew’s vision grew hazy and she forgot about Jake as Annie laid a breathtaking kiss on her.

Drew moaned when Annie’s tongue slid against her own. Her whole body tingled. She tried to hold back and keep some control, but Annie’s passionate attack threatened to overwhelm her senses.

When Annie let go of her, Drew leaned against the nearest wall and stared at Annie, who looked just as shell-shocked as Drew felt. Drew’s gaze zeroed in on Annie’s open, wet lips. She could still taste Annie and feel her breasts press against her chest. Oh, Jesus. She gasped for breath. What a kiss. If that doesn’t convince Jake, I don’t know what will.

But when she glanced at the doorway, Jake was gone.

“Damn.” Drew glanced at Annie, who touched her lips with trembling fingers, her face a bright pink. Great. That’s it. Now she would never see Annie again.

Annie stared back and forth between the closed door and Drew, her eyes wide and unfocused. “Did he see ...?”

Drew sighed. “I don’t think so. I think he walked out right after the ‘kiss your grandmother’ comment.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I take it our Thanksgiving plans are off?”

“What?” Annie lifted her head and looked at her as if she needed a few seconds to understand what Drew had said. “I don’t know. Do you want out?”

“No, but ...” Hadn’t Annie realized what had just happened? “Jake smelled a rat. He didn’t believe our little act.”

“Yet,” Annie said. “He doesn’t believe us yet, but maybe he would have if he had seen the kiss. I don’t want to give up. For once in my life, I’ll be the one who gets the last laugh, not Jake.” Her green eyes sparked with determination. “We just need to try harder to convince him.”

Try harder. Heat rushed through Drew’s veins when her overactive imagination showed her glimpses of practice sessions in which she taught Annie to be more convincing. Well, in the kissing department, she’s already pretty convincing. She rubbed her overheated face and let a breath escape.

“You okay?” Annie brushed her hand along Drew’s forearm.

Drew’s arm started to tingle. “I’m fine.”

“Are you still in?”

Despite her attraction to Annie—or maybe because of it, Drew wasn’t so sure anymore—she wanted to help Annie make Jake sweat. “I’m in.”

Chapter 10

Annie stared at the clothes in her wardrobe. “Just pick something and be done with it.”

Amadeus jumped on the bed, hesitated when he found it covered in clothes before he trampled over a blouse and rolled into a purring feline ball on top of Annie’s favorite pair of pants.

“Hey! Get down.” Annie tugged on the pants, but Amadeus didn’t budge. “All right. The gray pants it is, then. Thanks so much for helping me decide what to wear.”

She hadn’t seen Drew since the night of the Halloween party a week before, but Drew had called her and asked if she wanted to go check out the new Mexican restaurant. While Annie wasn’t partial to Mexican food, she had said yes anyway.

At least in the restaurant, there would be people around. Maybe that would help them feel more comfortable with each other. Annie hadn’t noticed how much she had started to relax around Drew until her ease disappeared after their kiss.

Kisses, she reminded herself and groaned. She rubbed her lips, which started an instant replay of kissing Drew.

The kiss had begun as an act of anger and raw determination. But when she felt Drew’s unexpected softness and her warmth, something had come to life inside of her.

Nonsense. You’re just confused.

Annie sat on the bed and scratched Amadeus behind one ear. Had she ruined everything?

She certainly hadn’t done a very good job convincing Jake that she and Drew were a couple. But she had more to consider than just taking revenge on her brother. Now there was her friendship with Drew too. Drew was a person with feelings, not just a means to get one over on Jake.

God, why did I kiss her like that? I shouldn’t have done that.

On the other hand, kissing Drew to convince Jake they were a couple had been part of their plan. The problem wasn’t that she had kissed Drew but that she hadn’t been able to kiss her in front of Jake.

Drew had seemed fine with the kiss. With both of them. If Jake’s warnings were any indication, Drew had kissed many women—much more attractive women—without giving it another thought. For her, it didn’t change anything about their tentative friendship. She was still committed to their plan to take revenge on Jake.

So if Drew is fine with it, why am I making such a fuss about it? Isn’t that exactly what Jake expects of me? Boring old Annie, too prudish and straitlaced to ever kiss a woman.

Now it was up to her to convince him otherwise.

But can I do it? She clenched her hands into fists and tapped them against her thighs. Of course I can. I’ll make Jake believe I’m the gayest woman in California, if it’s the last thing I do.

When Annie stood and pulled down her sweatpants to get changed, the phone rang.

She stumbled over the sweatpants around her ankles, kicked them off with a curse, and hastened to pick up the phone. “Yes?”

“Annie? I’m sorry, but I have to cancel tonight.”

Drew’s husky voice sent shivers through Annie, and she needed a second to realize what Drew had said. “Oh. Okay.” It seemed Drew had something better to do on a Saturday night than hanging out with her.

For several seconds, there was only silence; then a racking cough rattled the phone.

“Drew? Are you sick?”

“Yeah. I’ve got,” more coughing interrupted Drew, “the cold from hell.”

A slight clicking resonated through the phone, and Annie realized that it was Drew’s chattering teeth. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope you’re drinking enough and staying in bed.”

“Not going anywhere,” Drew rasped. “Just wanted to let you know. I’m sorry I have to cancel.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just get better soon, okay?”

“Thanks.”

Since Drew was clearly not up for further conversation, Annie ended the call and stared at the phone. That cough sounded nasty. Did Drew have enough cough medicine and something soothing for her throat? Was she running a fever? Was someone at home with her, looking after her, bringing her tea, and making her eat a little?

Annie doubted it. Drew had no family anymore, and if she was anything like Annie, she hadn’t called a friend to take care of her.

Someone should be there for her.

Without giving herself time to reconsider, Annie grabbed the pair of pants from the bed and dressed, then went in search of her cookbook. Making vegetable soup couldn’t be that difficult, could it?

* * *

Annie rang the doorbell for the third time. Cab was barking somewhere inside, but otherwise, nothing seemed to move in the house. What if she’s in there, passed out? Annie tried the door, but it was locked. Just when she considered calling the fire department and having them break down the door, it opened.

Drew, dressed in just a sweat-dampened T-shirt that ended mid-thigh, clung to the door frame as if she couldn’t hold herself up otherwise. Unruly curls fell into her blotchy face. She stared at Annie through glassy eyes. “Annie,” she rasped. “What are you doing here?”

“Returning the favor and bringing you soup.”

Cab bounded up to her and sniffed her, his tail wagging.

She carried the pot of soup inside. “Do you want me to heat it up for you?”

Drew shook her head. “Not hungry. Put it in the fridge.”

When Annie opened the fridge, she didn’t have to search for a place to put the soup. Except for a bottle of ketchup, a few containers of yogurt, and a salad that looked a little wilted, the fridge was empty. She placed the pot inside, closed the fridge, and turned back to Drew, who stood watching her passively. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

Drew stared at her but said nothing as if she were too weak to protest. She turned and trudged up the stairs. Cab followed behind her.

Annie quickly caught up and supported Drew by wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Don’t get too close or you’ll catch whatever bug I have.” Drew tried to fend her off.

“I’ll be fine,” Annie said. “You probably caught a cold when you dove into that swimming pool with your whole head. See, that’s what being so competitive got you.” Her mouth snapped shut when she remembered what else Drew’s competitiveness had gotten her. She shoved the thoughts away before the mental slideshow of their kisses could start in her head again.

Drew gave up her struggles. Together, they navigated the stairs until they reached Drew’s bedroom at the end of the hallway.

Stuffy air engulfed Annie as soon as she entered.

A queen-size bed with creased sheets and crumpled covers dominated the room. Half a dozen used tissues were strewn in a circle around the trash basket in the corner as if they had bounced off the rim.

“Not how I envisioned you seeing my bedroom for the first time,” Drew mumbled. When Annie glanced at her over the top of her glasses, Drew gave her a tired smile. “Just kidding.”

Annie escorted Drew to the bed and looked around. Instead of soothing beverages or medicine, a roll of toilet paper sat on the bedside table.

“Ran out of tissues,” Drew said, shuffling her feet.

And no one came over to bring her some more. An unexpected protectiveness swept through Annie. “Why don’t you go take a shower while I reheat the soup and clean up in here?”

“You don’t need to do that,” Drew said.

“Save your voice and go.” Annie gave her a nudge and then watched with concern as Drew wobbled toward the bathroom. Images of Drew falling in the shower and hitting her head flashed through her mind. “Will you be okay alone in there?”

Drew grabbed on to the door frame and turned to face Annie. Dimples formed in her flushed cheeks. “If I say no, will you come in with me?”

Instead of being annoyed about the flirting, Annie couldn’t help smiling. “Are you on any medication, or is your fever causing these hallucinations?”

Drew laughed. The sound quickly turned into coughing. She bent over and gasped for breath.

Annie took a step toward her. She didn’t like seeing Drew suffer. “Maybe I should take you to a doctor.”

After straightening, Drew lifted a hand. “No doctor. It’s just a simple cold. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Annie said after a moment’s hesitation. “But if it gets any worse than this, I’m taking you to the ER.”

Drew nodded and stepped into the bathroom.

Clothing rustled behind the closed door. Annie waited until the water started in the shower. Reassured when she heard no sounds of a fall or cries for help, she picked up the crumpled tissues and threw them into the trash can. She opened the window, letting in fresh air, before she walked back to the bed. One touch showed her that the sheets were soaked with sweat, so she stripped them off. When she straightened with her arms full of damp bedding, she realized she didn’t know where Drew kept sheets and pillowcases. She heaped the pile of laundry onto the floor and knocked on the bathroom door. “Drew?” She opened the door just an inch, careful not to peek in Drew’s direction. “Where do you keep fresh sheets?”

The water was shut off in the shower. “In the linen closet in the hallway. But you don’t need to—”

“I know. I don’t mind, really.” Annie didn’t. She found that she liked taking care of Drew. When she heard the shower door slide back, she quickly closed the bathroom door and went to get fresh bedding from the linen closet.

When she stepped into the hallway, Cab jumped up from his place next to the bedroom door and ran after her with a faded yellow tennis ball in his mouth. He dropped the ball in front of Annie’s feet and looked at her.

“Sorry, Cab, maybe later. First, I need to take care of your mom.” Annie pulled a fresh set of sheets from the closet and returned to the bedroom. While she made the bed, she let her gaze trail around the room.

A large bookcase filled the wall to her right. Annie tilted her head to read the titles on the book spines. Wines of Europe stood next to Moby Dick and a few Babylon 5 paperbacks. One shelf held books with titles such as None So Blind, Backwards to Oregon, and Tropical Storm.

Are those lesbian romances?

She was tempted to find out, but Drew would be out soon. While she straightened the sheets, she looked at the gold and silver trophies on the bookcase’s top shelf.

The engraving told her that Drew had won first and second places in archery competitions five years in a row. Not this year, though. Is that because her parents died?

She sat on the edge of the bed and put a fresh pillow case on the pillow. Her glance fell on the photo on the bedside table. A couple was strolling through a vineyard, a little girl with long, curly hair riding on the man’s strong shoulders. A broad grin dimpled the girl’s cheeks and revealed a gap where one tooth was missing.

Annie smiled back at the girl, who seemed so happy with her parents.

The bathroom door swished open, letting a cloud of steam escape into the bedroom.

When Annie glanced up, Drew leaned in the doorway, clad in just a large towel that was wrapped around her upper body. Annie gaped at the damp skin of Drew’s muscular shoulders and then took in her bare thighs.

“I forgot to take a fresh T-shirt with me into the bathroom,” Drew said. The towel parted when she bent over a drawer.

Annie wrenched her gaze away. “I’ll ... uh ... I think I’ll get a few groceries for you.”

Drew straightened and turned, then swayed.

“Careful!” Annie hurried over and wrapped one arm around Drew to steady her.

“Just turned too quickly and got a bit woozy,” Drew murmured against Annie’s shoulder.

A fresh ocean-breeze scent drifted up from Drew’s skin, and Annie became aware of Drew’s warmth pressed against her side, separated by just a towel. “I think you’re running a fever. You’re really hot.”

“Oooh, thank you. I’m glad you think so.” One dimple made a momentary appearance as Drew grinned at her.

“You’re impossible. You know what I mean.” Annie guided Drew to the bed and pressed her down on it. “Sit before you fall down. Where are your sleep shirts?”

Drew pointed to one of the drawers. “And ... um ... can you get me a pair of clean underwear too? They’re in the bottom drawer.”

Her cheeks now probably as red as Drew’s, Annie got the two items of clothing from the drawers and handed them over without glancing at the black panties. “I’ll get the groceries now.”

“Annie?” Drew called after her.

Already at the door, Annie turned.

“Thank you,” Drew said. “There’s a set of keys on the table in the hall. Take them. Then you can let yourself in.”

Annie nodded. Fetching Drew’s underwear and having my own set of keys. You’d think I really was her girlfriend.

* * *

Normally, Annie bought only the bare necessities when she went grocery shopping. But this time, as she unpacked the paper bags, she realized she had gone overboard.

Three different kinds of teas, half a dozen bottles of Gatorade, cough medicine, nose spray, a package of Tylenol, three boxes of tissues, and fresh fruit covered the counter while the soup heated on the stove.

She placed a bowl of soup, sage tea, and the medicine on a tray. Cab shadowed her as she tiptoed upstairs with the tray and opened the bedroom door.

Drew lay in bed with her eyes closed and the covers pulled up to her chin. Her usually tan face had gone pale.

Cab squeezed past Annie and ran up to the bed. Before Annie could stop him, he nosed one of Drew’s hands and whined.

“Hmm?” Drew opened one eye, then the other and looked around for a moment. “Oh.”

When Drew sat up, Annie noticed with relief that Drew had managed to put on her sleep shirt.

Drew cleared her throat. “You’re back already?”

Annie had been gone for an hour and a half. She’s really out of it. “Do you feel up to a bowl of vegetable soup? Or maybe just some tea?” She helped Drew sit up and placed the tray across her lap.

Wrinkling her nose, Drew stared at the tea, but then she lifted it to her lips and blew on it before she took a sip. Her face brightened. “Yum. You put honey in it.” She sipped her tea for a while, then reached for the cough syrup. Her fingers trembled, and she wrestled with the childproof cap of the medicine bottle.

“Let me.” Annie sat on the edge of the bed and took the bottle from Drew. When she had it open, she took the spoon from the tray and poured out a spoonful of cough syrup. Instead of handing it to Drew, she held the spoon to Drew’s lips.

Like an obedient child, Drew opened her mouth, swallowed the syrup, and then shook herself. “Ugh. No honey in that.”

Annie suppressed a smile. She’s cute when she’s sick. After hesitating for a moment, Annie handed over the spoon. Feeding Drew the soup might be too much.

Finally, when the bowl was empty, Drew wordlessly took the Tylenol Annie handed her and swallowed it. She leaned back against the headboard and closed her eyes. “Can I ask one last favor before you go?”

“Go?” Annie shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere as long as you’re this sick.”

Drew opened her eyes. They were still glassy. “You don’t need to stay. I’m not that sick.”

“Oh, no?” Annie pressed her palm against Drew’s forehead. “You’re burning up.”

For a few moments, Drew leaned into Annie’s touch before she turned her head away and sighed.

“What favor did you want to ask?” Annie asked.

“Cab,” Drew said. “Would you take him on a short walk around the lake? He hasn’t been outside since this morning. We had another wine tasting today, and I didn’t want him to bother the guests, so I kept him inside.”

“You did a wine tasting while you’re this sick?” Annie shook her head.

“No. Heather, one of my employees, was pouring. So, will you walk Cab?”

“Sure. If you think he’ll go with me.”

Drew closed her eyes. With a tired smile, she mumbled, “He will. He’s a sucker for pretty blondes. Just pick up his leash from the hall table, and he’ll follow you to the end of the world.”

“I’m not planning on walking that far.” She wanted to be back at Drew’s side as quickly as possible.

When Drew didn’t answer, Annie realized that Drew had fallen asleep sitting up. She lifted the tray off Drew’s lap and wrapped an arm around Drew’s shoulders to urge her to slide down. “Come on, Drew. You need to lie down. You can’t sleep sitting up.”

Without opening her eyes, Drew let her body be guided down.

Annie stood looking at her for a few moments, taking in the dark shadows beneath her eyes. It was disconcerting to see the strong, vibrant Drew so weak and helpless. She tugged the covers higher around Drew and tiptoed out of the bedroom.

Downstairs, she called her neighbor to tell her she wouldn’t be home tonight, so she should feed Amadeus. Satisfied that her cat would be taken care of, she took Cab’s leash from the hall table.

Cab was at the front door before Annie reached it. He danced around, barely standing still long enough for her to clip the leash to his collar. When Annie opened the door, he pulled her out into the darkness.

* * *

The lights in the large barn next to the main house switched off just as Annie and Cab completed their walk around the lake. Two men stepped out of the barn and crossed the yard.

Annie froze. Who are they? It was nearly ten by now, so they weren’t visitors who had just finished a wine tasting.

Cab wagged his tail and licked the older man’s hands, obviously familiar with him and his companion.

Annie let her breath escape. They probably work here.

The older man tipped the bill of his baseball cap. “Evening, ma’am. Martin Salerno. I work for Drew.”

Drew, Annie mentally repeated. Not Ms. Corbin. Obviously, Drew was on friendly terms with her employees. She nodded at the two men. “Annie Prideaux. I’m a friend of Drew’s.” She had never been one to make friends easily, but calling Drew her friend felt right.

“How is she?” Martin asked.

“She’s sick as a ... um ... dog.” Annie glanced at Cab.

“That’s what I thought. She didn’t look good this morning.” Martin took off his baseball cap and raked stained fingers through his gray hair. “Take good care of her, please.”

“I will,” Annie said and watched the men walk away. They hadn’t questioned her presence or the fact that she was walking Cab. Do they think I’m Drew’s girlfriend? Maybe she brings women home all the time.

The thought made her frown, and she got rid of it with a shake of her head. You’re just pretending to be her girlfriend, so stop acting like a jealous lover!

When she returned to the house and peeked into Drew’s bedroom, the bed was empty. She opened the door more fully.

Drew shuffled through the room as if rocks weighted down her feet.

Annie rushed over and gripped Drew’s elbow to steady her. “What are you doing up? If you need anything, just let me know and I’ll take care of it.”

“Then can you please empty my bladder for me?”

“Oh.” Annie let go of Drew’s elbow so she could continue on her way to the bathroom. “Sorry,” she said with a rueful smile, “you’re on your own with that.”

A few minutes later, Drew returned from the bathroom. When she walked around Annie to crawl back into bed, Annie realized that Drew had her T-shirt on backward. She hadn’t noticed it before.

“What?” Drew asked. “Why are you staring at me?” She rubbed her red nose as if afraid that pieces of tissue might be clinging to it.

Annie smiled. “You have your T-shirt on backward.”

Drew glanced down at herself and ran her hand over her chest. “Oh.” She slipped her arms out of the sleeves so she could turn the T-shirt without taking it off.

Seeing Drew struggle, Annie reached over and tugged on the fabric to help.

Finally, the T-shirt’s front was facing forward, displaying in rainbow colors: “the other team.”

Was it little things like this that made Annie constantly aware that Drew was gay? Or was it all in her head? Annie wasn’t sure. She watched Drew settle into bed, her eyelids already drooping. “Do you have a T-shirt I could wear? I didn’t plan on a sleepover.”

“You don’t need to stay,” Drew said again.

Annie folded her arms and looked down at Drew. “I’m staying, so don’t waste your energy protesting.”

“Okay, okay. There should be a T-shirt that will fit you in the top drawer.” Drew lifted one hand from beneath the covers and pointed.

Annie pulled out the drawer and took the T-shirt on top. Her eyebrows rose as she read the words on the front. “Sorry I missed church. I was busy practicing witchcraft and becoming a lesbian.” She glanced at Drew, who watched her with a tired smile. “Do you have a whole dresser full of T-shirts like these?”

“I have a few, but I just wear them around the house. Lynn gives me one or two for every birthday.”

Lynn. Annie wondered how long Drew had known her. How long had they been together? And was their relationship completely over? She couldn’t bring herself to ask.

“Do you want another T-shirt?” Drew asked when Annie said nothing.

“This one is fine. Maybe I should wear it on Thanksgiving.”

Drew laughed, then coughed. “I have two guest rooms. One is right next door, and the bigger one is next to the stairs. Take your pick.”

“I’ll be next door.” This way, she would be nearby in case Drew woke up and called out during the night. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to wake me up, okay?”

Drew nodded. Her eyes fell shut.

“Good night, Drew.”

Deep breathing was her only answer.

Annie tiptoed across the room and switched off the lights. At the door, she stopped and glanced back at Drew. She couldn’t make out Drew’s face in the almost darkness, but Drew slept without moving, completely defenseless. The intimacy of the situation struck Annie like a punch to the chest, robbing her of breath. After one more glance at Drew, she stepped out of the bedroom, leaving the door ajar.

* * *

Annie woke and stared into the darkness. The alarm clock was on the wrong side of the bed. I’m at Drew’s. Another glance at the alarm clock showed that it was just after three. What had awakened her in the middle of the night? Had Drew called for her?

She felt wide-awake now and knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep before she checked on Drew. Sighing, she threw back the covers and walked to the door, then opened it and peered across the hallway.

A sliver of light fell through the bedroom door that Annie had left open slightly.

Not taking the time to get dressed, Annie crossed the hallway and listened.

Bed springs creaked. Drew sneezed and blew her nose.

Annie hesitated. When she glanced down, she realized that she wasn’t fully dressed. With one hand already raised to push open the door, she tugged on the T-shirt with the other hand. On Drew, the shirt probably ended mid-thigh, but it reached just below Annie’s hips. Get over yourself. She’s sick. And she wouldn’t ogle you, even if she were up to it. That constant flirting is just her type of humor.

Shaking her head at herself, Annie opened the door farther and peeked inside. “Drew?” she whispered. “Everything okay?”

“I’m sick,” Drew said, her voice nasal and childlike. In the light of the lamp on the bedside table, sweat gleamed on her forehead. Her cheeks were flushed.

Damn. I thought the medicine and some sleep would help. If anything, Drew looked worse than she had a few hours before. Even though Annie told herself that it was just a cold and Drew would be fine, she couldn’t help worrying.

She stepped into the bedroom and closed the door to deter Cab from rushing in and disturbing Drew’s rest. A few crumpled tissues were strewn around the bed, and on her way over to Drew, Annie picked them up and threw them onto the heap of tissues already in the trash.

For a few moments, she stood looking at Drew. She hadn’t taken care of a sick person in years and never someone who was basically still a stranger. It felt weird to be in Drew’s bedroom in the middle of the night. Oh, come on. Drew has already seen your bedroom. Hazily, she remembered Drew putting her to bed after she had drunk too much. She gave herself a mental push and perched on the edge of the bed, leaving a respectable distance between her and Drew.

Drew watched her with drooping eyes.

Hesitantly, Annie lifted her hand and laid it on Drew’s forehead, then touched her cheek. The heat radiating from Drew’s skin worried her. “God, Drew, you’re burning up! Do you have a thermometer?”

“Hmm?” Drew sniffled and glanced at her through watery eyes.

“A thermometer,” Annie said. “Do you have one?”

Drew blew her nose. “Yes,” she mumbled from behind the tissue.

If Drew hadn’t been so sick, it would have been amusing. “Good. Where is it?”

“Hmm?”

“Your thermometer—where is it?”

Drew blinked as if she needed time to process Annie’s question. “Bathroom,” she said after a few seconds.

Annie got up and straightened the covers, making sure Drew stayed warm. She stepped around the bed and entered the bathroom.

When the light flickered on, Annie took in the white tiles and a bathtub that looked large enough for two. Instantly, an image of Drew in the tub with Lynn swept through Annie’s mind. She shook her head to chase away the mental picture and glared at herself in the mirror above the sink. Stop thinking about it. What Drew does or doesn’t do with Lynn is none of your business.

She slid open the mirrored front of the white bathroom cabinet. While she rooted through bottles of medicine, she felt like a snoop. Going through Drew’s bathroom cabinet seemed like a very private thing. She pushed a box of tampons to the left and peeked past a tube of hand lotion. Between a pair of nail clippers and a toothbrush still in its plastic packaging, she finally found the thermometer.

Annie ran it under water. As an afterthought, she took a washcloth from an open shelf next to the bathtub and wet it. Maybe a cool compress would help make Drew more comfortable.

When she returned to the bedroom, she half expected Drew to be asleep, but instead, Drew’s eyes were open and watched Annie as she settled down on the edge of the bed. Drew looked up at her with the trusting gaze of a sick person waiting for the miracle healer.

Annie squared her shoulders. She trusts you. Now help her. “We need to take your temperature.”

Drew licked cracked lips and continued to look at Annie through glassy eyes. Instead of taking the thermometer from Annie, she opened her mouth.

There were places that would give her a more accurate reading of Drew’s body temperature, but Annie didn’t want to even think about it. This would have to do. Annie turned on the thermometer, placed it beneath Drew’s tongue, and nudged her chin to get Drew to close her mouth. When the thermometer was safely in place, she put the cool compress on Drew’s forehead.

“Feels nice,” Drew mumbled around the thermometer.

For a moment, Annie thought Drew meant the washcloth on her forehead, but then she realized that she was combing her fingers through the damp curls on Drew’s temple. She stilled her fingers, stared at them, and withdrew her hand. Since when am I the touchy-feely type?

The thermometer beeped.

Annie slid it out of Drew’s mouth and glanced at the display. “103.8.” She frowned. “Jesus, Drew, that’s really high.” She needed to do something to bring Drew’s fever down.

Once she had read a book in which a character had been put into a tub full of cold water to cool down. She couldn’t safely maneuver Drew in and out of a tub, though, and undressing Drew was way out of her comfort zone.

One glance at the alarm clock showed that it had been at least six hours since Drew had taken the last dose of pain relievers. “Let’s try more Tylenol. If that doesn’t bring your fever down, I’m taking you to a doctor.” Annie opened the package of Tylenol and slid the water glass within easier reach. “Can you sit up a bit?”

When Drew struggled to lift her upper body, Annie slid one arm around her shoulders.

Instead of sitting up, Drew wrapped her arms around Annie too and nestled close. Her breath fanned over Annie’s collarbone, making Annie shiver. Through the thin cotton of the borrowed T-shirt, Drew’s face pressed against her breasts. Annie’s temperature skyrocketed until her cheeks felt warmer than Drew’s. “Um, Drew ...” Annie’s breathing picked up while she felt Drew’s slow down.

Drew snuggled closer. Her eyes fluttered shut, her lashes brushing Annie’s collarbone like the wings of a butterfly. Drew murmured, “Feels so good.”

Part of Annie agreed. Drew’s warm, pliant body against hers did feel good. But a bigger part didn’t want to think about why Drew’s embrace felt so surprisingly good even though Annie had never been one for snuggling. She needed some distance, so she sought refuge in the role of a nurse going about her duties with detached professionalism. “Don’t fall asleep like this,” she said. “We need to get some Tylenol and water into you. Can you sit up?”

For a few seconds, Drew didn’t move, making Annie fear she had fallen asleep snuggled in their embrace. Then Drew dropped her arms from around Annie and groaned as she let her head fall onto the pillow.

Annie shivered, missing Drew’s warmth.

What’s going on with me? She stared at Drew and tried to make sense of her confusing feelings. Maybe I do have some maternal instincts after all, and that’s why I want to hold her close and comfort her.

But the sensations she felt when Drew had wrapped her arms around her hadn’t been maternal at all.

Drew groaned again.

Annie returned her attention to her patient. Now is not the time to deal with this. You need to bring her fever down, so get on with it.

With Drew helping as much as she could, Annie managed to get her propped up against the headboard.

Annie handed her the Tylenol and, steadying her with one hand, held the glass to her lips until Drew had swallowed the pills.

Drew sat with her head lolling back against the headboard. Her eyes were closed as if just sitting up and swallowing had exhausted her. A drop of water clung to her bottom lip, and Annie dabbed at Drew’s mouth with a tissue. She fought the urge to run her fingers through Drew’s hair again.

The thought shocked her. Where was this sudden need to touch Drew coming from? She took a deep breath. “Want to lie back down?”

With her eyes still closed, Drew nodded.

After helping Drew slide down and settle back against the pillow, Annie tugged the covers around her. “I’ll take your temperature again in an hour to see if the Tylenol helped.”

Drew didn’t answer.

When Annie glanced down, she realized that Drew had fallen asleep.

Annie blew out a breath and pulled an armchair next to the bed so she could watch over Drew while she slept.

After half an hour, Drew’s flushed face started to blur before Annie’s burning eyes. Her jaw muscles strained as she struggled to suppress a yawn. She rubbed her face to chase away the tiredness, propped her head on one hand, and continued to watch Drew.

When Annie’s head fell forward, she got up, lifted the now warm washcloth from Drew’s forehead, and rinsed it with cold water in the bathroom. While standing in front of the sink, she took a moment to splash water on her face and neck to refresh herself.

Drew mumbled something unintelligible in her sleep but didn’t wake when Annie replaced the cool washcloth.

Annie yawned again. She would take Drew’s temperature again in thirty minutes. Maybe reading for a while would help keep her awake. She hesitated in front of Drew’s bookshelf and then pulled out what looked like a murder mystery, her preferred genre. But tonight, she wasn’t in the mood for blood and gore. Seeing Drew suffer was bad enough, so she put the mystery novel back.

She trailed her fingers over the book spines and glanced over her shoulder to make sure Drew was still sleeping peacefully. Her hand lingered above one of the books on the romance shelf before she randomly picked one. The cover showed the silhouettes of two women walking hand in hand along a beach.

Since when are you interested in reading romances? And lesbian romances at that.

A throaty moan from the bed interrupted her thoughts.

Annie jerked and quickly put the book back on the shelf. She hurried to the bed, where she found Drew tossing and turning, struggling to free herself from the covers.

“Ssssh. Lie still.” Annie rested her hand on Drew’s, which lay on top of the blanket, and stroked the back of Drew’s hand with her thumb. Her other hand brushed a strand of hair out of Drew’s face. “Everything’s fine.”

Drew’s eyes flickered open. She looked at Annie, closed her eyes again, and fell into a more peaceful sleep.

Annie stood frozen next to the bed, her hand still on Drew’s. With her free hand, she dragged the armchair even closer to the bed and settled back down. Her thumb brushed over the soft skin of Drew’s hand, soothing her patient—and herself. She blinked and fought against letting the rhythmic stroking lull her to sleep. From time to time, she glanced at the alarm clock.

When the time came to check Drew’s temperature, Annie stood above her with the thermometer in hand. She reached out to wake Drew—and then decided against it.

No. Sleep would be the best medicine. Lightly, she touched her hand to Drew’s forehead, trying to gauge her temperature without waking her.

With her eyes closed, Drew turned her head and pressed her cheek against Annie’s palm.

Good. Annie blew out a breath. She’s still warm, but I think the fever went down a bit. She settled back into the chair and, after a moment, laid her hand on Drew’s again. In a little while, she would change the compress. If Drew woke, she would try to get her to drink more water or some soup. But now, just for a moment, she would rest her tired eyes.

Chapter 11

Drew woke slowly, rising toward wakefulness like a diver surfacing from the bottom of the sea. With her eyes closed, she lay still and took stock of her body. Her head felt heavy, but at least the piercing pressure behind her forehead had receded. Breathing was easier too; it no longer felt as if she were trying to swallow shards of glass. She had stopped sweating and then feeling as if she were freezing to death. Her hands and feet were warm—especially the hand that was curled around someone else’s.

Huh?

She blinked open sleep-encrusted eyes and stared at the unexpected sight before her.

Curled up in an armchair next to the bed was Annie. Her head was tilted to one side, and the blond hair hid half of her face. Her horn-rimmed glasses had slid down a little and sat crookedly on her nose. One of Annie’s arms was wrapped around her drawn-up knees; the other arm rested along the bed. Her right hand lay on top of Drew’s left hand, the thumb safely tucked against Drew’s palm.

The soft touch felt good against her coarse winemaker’s hand, and she realized that no one had held her hand for quite some time.

I miss this. If Drew had to, she could make do without sex for a long time, but just having her hand held by Annie made her long for those little loving touches in her life again. She missed the brush of a hand over her forearm, the grazing of fingertips against each other, or a light kiss to her neck. She stared at Annie, taking in her sleep-softened features, and suppressed a sigh. I wish she was as open to a relationship with a woman as she wants Jake to believe. She shook her head, relieved when that didn’t start the hammering pain again. Be grateful for what you have. She’s turning out to be a really good friend.

Drew had a lot of friends, and while most of them would have willingly played nurse if she had called them, having Annie take care of her felt special. When she had first met Annie just four weeks before, she wouldn’t have believed that the stand-offish Annie would drop everything and rush over to make vegetable soup and apply cooling compresses.

Annie sighed in her sleep. Her fingers tightened around Drew’s.

Seems she’s not so stand-offish anymore. With a smile, Drew rubbed her fingertips over Annie’s thumb.

“Hmm?” Annie opened her eyes and sat up. She groaned, rotated her head, and reached up with her left hand to massage her neck. Only then did she seem to realize that her right hand was otherwise occupied. She glanced back and forth between their joined hands and Drew’s face. Hastily, she let go, straightened her glasses, and combed the fingers of both hands through her hair. “Um ... good morning. How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Drew said, relieved to find her voice sounding stronger, even if it was still a bit raspy. She pulled herself up to lean against the headboard. “Thank you for staying with me all night. You didn’t have to, you know?”

“You had a very high fever, nearly 104.”

“Really?” Drew remembered Annie putting the thermometer into her mouth. Annie had also spoon-fed her cough syrup, wiped her mouth, and fetched her underwear—acts that seemed too intimate considering they were still new friends. Was Annie now, in the light of the day, feeling as embarrassed as Drew did? She wanted to impress Annie and be her knight in shining armor, not a helpless patient who needed to be spoon-fed.

“You don’t remember?” Annie’s brow furrowed.

“Last night is a bit fuzzy,” Drew said. “I think I fell asleep.”

When Annie stood and stretched, her T-shirt slid up and revealed white panties and a strip of bare skin on her stomach.

Drew struggled not to stare.

Annie laid her hand on Drew’s forehead and nodded. “Good. The fever is gone.”

Her tender attentions were a surprise—a very welcome surprise. They touched something deep inside of Drew, but she had a feeling if she voiced her gratitude, she would end up embarrassing herself and making Annie self-conscious about it. Instead, Drew sought refuge in her usual gentle teasing. “You didn’t take advantage of my weakened state, did you?”

A blush made Annie’s cheeks glow.

As if it were a scene from a favorite dream, Drew remembered snuggling up to Annie, pressing her flushed cheek to the soothing coolness of Annie’s neck and chest. Heat that had nothing to do with a fever rose in Drew’s cheeks, but she ignored it. “Oooh, you did?” She slapped the covers with her fist. “Damn, and I missed it!”

Annie stared at her with her arms folded as if she needed the barrier between them.

Shit. That was too much.

But when Drew opened her mouth to apologize for her comment, Annie relaxed her arms and shook her index finger at Drew. “I can see that you are fully recovered and back to your old self.”

“Thanks to my wonderful private nurse,” Drew said, fluttering her lashes at Annie. She kept her tone light and teasing, but she meant every word.

Annie looked at her for a few more moments and then nodded as if acknowledging Drew’s veiled thank-you. “I’ll take Cab for a walk. Then I’ll come back and make you breakfast.”

Drew sank back against her pillow and watched Annie go. One day, she’ll make a wonderful wife for someone. Too bad it can’t be me.

* * *

Annie let herself into the house and unleashed Cab.

Upstairs, everything was quiet, but in the kitchen, a cupboard door slammed shut.

Annie frowned. Drew should be in bed. What is she doing up? She dropped the leash onto the hall table and rushed toward the kitchen.

Drew stood in front of the fridge and studied its contents. The hair on the back of her neck was still damp from a shower or a bath, and she was wrapped in a bathrobe.

When Cab sauntered into the kitchen, his nose to the floor, checking for dropped morsels, Drew turned. For a moment, she looked like a burglar caught in the middle of a break-in, but then she smiled at Annie.

If she thinks those sexy dimples will get her out of trouble, she’s sadly mistaken. Annie froze. Sexy? God, you definitely need more sleep. You’re just pretending to find Drew attractive, remember?

Drew took a step toward her. Her movements were slow, not yet full of her normal vigor, but her cheeks had a more normal color and her eyes had lost their feverish haze.

Annie’s gaze was drawn down to the bare skin displayed by the collar of Drew’s bathrobe. Is she wearing anything beneath that thick terrycloth? Annie flushed and mentally shook her head. Of course she wasn’t interested in Drew’s underwear ... or lack thereof. She was just worried about Drew not staying warm enough.

“Hey,” Drew said, “back from your walk already? Did Cab behave himself?”

“He was on his best behavior. I wish I could say the same about his owner.”

“Me?” Drew pointed at her chest with the box of eggs she held in her hand. “What did I do?”

Annie stepped into the kitchen. “You should stay in bed.” Another step brought her within touching distance. Part of her wanted to reach out, touch Drew to reconnect and make sure she was all right, but she took the carton of eggs from Drew instead.

“Damn, I must be good.” Drew wiggled her eyebrows. “My new girlfriend doesn’t want to let me out of bed.”

Heat shot through Annie’s cheeks, but it felt different from before. Drew’s playful innuendo wasn’t really what was making her blush; it was the memory of how Drew’s lips closed around the spoon when Annie fed her medicine, of holding Drew’s flushed body close and entwining their fingers when Drew started tossing and turning—things a girlfriend might do. It had felt good to do those things for Drew, but now that she had time to think, she was starting to wonder if helping Drew when she was sick had changed their friendship—and in what way.

Here and now, in the middle of the kitchen, Drew seemed to be back to her old confident and witty self, no longer the sick and helpless woman from last night. Or maybe she just used her bravado to hide that she didn’t feel entirely comfortable with the vulnerability she had revealed last night.

But it was too late. Annie’s perception of Drew had changed irrevocably. While she still admired Drew’s strength and her wit, she had now seen a softer, needier side of her. Strangely, it made her like Drew even more.

She wasn’t so sure whether that was a good thing. Taking care of Drew while she was sick had added an emotional undertone of trust and comfort to their friendship that hadn’t been there before. Somehow it felt overwhelming. Too much, too soon.

When she felt Drew looking at her as if waiting for some kind of reaction to her comment, Annie raised one eyebrow. Maybe the Spock-like mimic would help her focus and control the confusing feelings that swirled through her. “Your new girlfriend,” she formed quotation marks with her fingers, “wants you to stay in bed for a very good, very non-erotic reason. You were really sick last night.”

“I’m fine now,” Drew said. She stuck out her lower lip like a pouting child.

Annie raised her eyebrow higher.

“Really. It’s always that way for me. One day, I run a fever and look like I’m on my deathbed. The next day, I’m fine.” Drew shrugged. “Guess the fever burns away the germs.”

Considering Drew looked much better today, she was probably right, but Annie couldn’t help worrying. “Still, you shouldn’t risk a setback.” She put the eggs on the counter and led Drew to the door.

When Drew glanced down, Annie realized she had wrapped her fingers around Drew’s arm. Somewhere between last night and this morning, touching Drew had become automatic. Cut it out. She’s doing better now. Annie let go of Drew. “Come on. Why don’t you go back to bed? I’ll make you some scrambled eggs with toast and bring up a tray once it’s ready.”

“Breakfast in bed.” Drew smiled dreamily and winked at Annie. “You know, I really like being your girlfriend.”

Annie crossed her arms and then consciously relaxed them. Why do you react like this to her teasing? She doesn’t mean anything by it. Probably does it with every woman she meets, gay or straight. The thought caused her stomach to tighten with an emotion that felt strangely like jealousy. Okay, now you’re really starting to lose it. Get her back to bed and out of your head. She gave Drew a mock glare. “Go before I decide to burn your toast.”

Laughing, Drew lifted her hands and walked backward. “I’m going, I’m going.”

* * *

Annie sat on the chair next to the bed and watched Drew devour her breakfast.

Drew ate as if she hadn’t eaten in weeks. She chomped down half a piece of toast in one bite and washed it down with tea.

“Slow down, or you’ll get sick,” Annie said.

“I am sick,” Drew mumbled through a mouthful of toast. “And this is too delicious to eat it slowly.”

Annie narrowed her eyes. “It’s just toast.”

“Maybe.” Drew smiled. “But it always tastes better when someone else makes it.” She wiped a few crumbs off her hands, leaned back in bed, and regarded Annie with a warm gaze. “Thank you for making me breakfast. And for taking care of me last night.”

Annie nodded. She didn’t know how to respond to Drew’s gratefulness, so she gazed around the bedroom in search of a conversation topic. Again, the archery trophies caught her attention. “Are those yours?” She pointed at the trophies.

“Yeah.”

The sadness in her tone made Annie look toward Drew. Instead of forming a proud smile, Drew’s lips were compressed into a grim line.

Annie tilted her head and studied Drew but hesitated to ask.

“I used to be quite good at it.” Drew’s gaze seemed to see through Annie and into a time long gone.

“And now?” Annie asked. She made her voice gentle. This seemed to be a painful topic for Drew.

“Now ...” Drew sighed. “I only touched a bow once since last winter.”

Last winter—that’s when her mother died. Annie wanted to reach out and squeeze Drew’s hand but held back, not sure if Drew wanted to be comforted by her.

A sad half-smile settled on Drew’s lips. “My mother was the one who got me into archery.” She lowered her head and rubbed her eyes. “After she died, I just couldn’t ...”

Annie couldn’t hold back any longer. She leaned forward and rubbed Drew’s shoulder. “You don’t have to talk about it if you—”

“No, it’s okay.” Drew reached up and squeezed the hand resting on her shoulder, pressing it more tightly against herself.

Drew’s hand was warm, as was the skin of her shoulder, noticeable even through her shirt. Annie felt the muscles beneath her fingers flex.

“I tried to get back into archery this summer,” Drew said after a few moments of silence. She dug her teeth into her bottom lip and shook her head. “It was a disaster. I couldn’t even hit the target. It was as if I had forgotten everything my mother ever taught me. I felt like ...” She blew out a trembling breath, and her grip on Annie’s hand tightened. “Like another piece of my mother was lost forever.”

The raw emotion in her voice and the pain in her eyes cut Annie to the core. Her eyes burned. She stared at Drew. How open she is with her emotions. I could never do that. She rubbed her thumb over Drew’s shoulder, back and forth in a soothing rhythm, while she searched for something to say. “But maybe you ... maybe it’s not lost forever. I’m sure it’ll all come back to you once you’ve had some time to grieve.”

The muscles beneath Annie’s hand felt like knotted ropes. Drew stared at the wall. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“Hey.” Annie rubbed Drew’s shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. “What is it that you always tell me about negative assumptions?”

Drew grinned and turned her head to look at Annie. Finally, the tension in her muscles receded and her eyes cleared. She patted Annie’s hand. “You’ve been hanging out with me for too long.”

Annie smiled back and shook her head. Too long? Not possible. The thought made Annie lift her eyebrows at herself. In the past, she had never felt the need to be around one person for too long, but she liked hanging out with Drew. Not knowing how to say that without embarrassing them both, she got up and lifted the tray off Drew’s lap. “I’ll do the dishes. You should try to take a nap.”

Drew groaned. “I’m not tired.”

The childlike expression on her face made Annie bite back a grin. “Then at least close your eyes and rest for a while.” When she walked to the door and looked over her shoulder, Drew was already breathing in the deep, even rhythm of sleep. “No,” Annie whispered and smiled, “not tired at all.” She balanced the tray between her arm and chest, closed the door behind her, and tiptoed down the stairs.

* * *

When they returned from their second walk around the lake, Annie fed Cab, then cleaned and refilled his water bowl. “There you go, boy.” She set the bowl on the floor and watched Cab lap up water as fast as he could.

Drew might be thirsty too, so Annie made a cup of peppermint tea and went upstairs to check on her. She opened the bedroom door and tiptoed toward the bed. Drew was on her side, rolled up like a sleeping child, with her back to Annie.

The ringing of her cell phone nearly made Annie drop the teacup. Biting back a startled yelp, she set down the mug while she reached for the phone with the other hand. “Yes?”

“Do you have any plans for tonight?”

“I’m fine. Thanks for asking, Jake.”

“Why are you whispering?” her brother asked.

Annie tiptoed to the door. “Because Drew is sleeping and I don’t want to wake her up. We’ve been up half of the night.” Silence from the other end of the line made her reconsider what she had just said. She was about to explain when she stopped herself. If Jake thought she had spent the night with Drew, it would only help their plan.

“You’re trying to trick me,” Jake said after a while, but he didn’t sound totally convinced. “You’re not at Drew’s.”

As if she had heard her name, Drew sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. Yawning, she looked at Annie. “Who’s that?”

“My brother.”

Drew patted the bed next to her and waved Annie over.

When Annie settled on the edge of the bed, Drew repeatedly pressed her mouth to her own forearm, producing loud kissing sounds.

Annie stared at her, then realized what Drew was trying to do. After giving Drew a conspiratorial grin, she gasped as if Drew had just nipped at her earlobe and let out a long moan.

“Uh, Annie ...”

“Oh, sorry, Jake, I forgot you for a moment,” Annie said. “So why did you—Drew, stop it! You can’t do that while I’m on the phone with my brother.”

Drew pressed a hand against her mouth to muffle the sound of her laughter.

Annie grinned at her and spoke into the receiver, “Why did you call?”

“To ... to ... Shit, Annie, what the hell is going on?”

“Going on?” Annie repeated in her best I-don’t-have-the-slightest-idea-what-you-are-talking-about tone.

“With you and Drew. You’re not really ...?”

Annie nudged Drew’s blanket-covered knee. Yes! We’re finally getting to him! “We’re not what?”

“Forget it.” Jake growled. “I called to ask you if you have anything planned for tonight. I have this friend who would love to go out with you, but he’s only in town for tonight and—”

“Out of the question. We agreed that you would never set me up with one of your friends again, remember?”

“Yeah, but Leon is totally different from my other friends. He’s a banker, and you’ve got so much in common. I promise you’ll like him.”

Annie rolled her eyes. He had said the same thing when he had set her up with Drew. “You know me. I never date two people at the same time.”

“Two people?” Jake paused. “Oh, come on. You’re not seriously dating Drew.”

“Why not?” Annie asked. “You were the one who set us up.”

“But you’re not—”

“Good-bye, Jake. Have a nice Sunday too.” Annie ended the call before Jake could say anything else.

Drew threw her arms around her in an enthusiastic hug. “That was great!”

For a moment, Annie stiffened in the unexpected embrace, then relaxed and smiled. “Yes. Jake is finally getting a taste of his own medicine.”

“Oh, yeah. If we keep it up, he’ll really think twice before he ever plays a prank on either of us again.” Drew let go of Annie and sat back in bed.

Annie smiled and got up. “You go back to sleep. I’ll keep Cab company for a while longer.”

* * *

Drew’s jaw popped as she yawned. She glanced at the alarm clock and realized she had been lying in bed for most of the past forty-eight hours. No matter what Annie said, she didn’t want to stay in bed for one second longer, so she shoved back the covers and got up.

Her knees trembled and her muscles felt weak as she trudged down the stairs, but the stuffiness in her head had receded.

The kitchen was spotless—the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher and the rest of the food back in the fridge—and Annie was nowhere to be seen.

A wave of disappointment swept through Drew. Had Annie left while Drew was upstairs for a nap? Oh, come on, don’t be such a baby. You think she wants to hang out and play nurse all weekend?

A sound from the living room attracted her attention, and she shuffled across the hallway.

Cab was stretched out on the carpet, belly up. Annie, now dressed in slacks and a long-sleeved shirt, knelt above him, and Cab’s paws jerked in pleasure as she rubbed his belly.

A smile stretched Drew’s chapped lips. She propped one shoulder against the doorjamb and watched them.

After a while, Annie looked up and noticed Drew. She stood immediately, making Cab jump up too. He ran to Drew and circled her, licking her hands and whining as if he hadn’t seen her in weeks.

“Drew! What are you doing down here? I really need to handcuff you to the bed.”

“Handcuffs?” Drew tried not to imagine the scene. She smirked at Annie. “Does your brother know you’re into bondage?”

Cheeks flaming, Annie couldn’t meet her gaze. “Is everything a sexual innuendo for you?”

Drew sobered. “No,” she said. “Not everything.” Maybe it was time to express her feelings—at least some of them—instead of hiding behind teasing comments. She walked over with Cab at her heels and looked at Annie. “Thank you for taking such good care of me last night and today. I didn’t want to admit it, but I felt lousy. It’s the first time I’ve been sick since my parents ...” She swallowed and glanced away. “Since I’ve been alone in the house.”

Despite needing help, she wouldn’t have called any of her friends because she couldn’t imagine anyone taking such good care of her as her mother had. Annie had, though. And instead of painfully reminding her of the loving attention she had lost, Annie’s care had felt healing.

Annie touched Drew’s arm and then pulled away. “I’m sorry. You and your parents, you were really close, weren’t you?”

Drew nodded. While her father hadn’t always been good at expressing his love with words, Drew had always felt it.

“I can’t imagine what it must feel like to lose one’s parents,” Annie said, her voice low and soft.

Or to have parents like that in the first place. Drew gently nudged her. “Want to stay for lunch and keep me and Cab company for a little while longer? If I have to stay in bed for one moment longer, I’ll go crazy.”

“Sure.” Annie’s answer came without hesitation, and that amazed Drew. She had gotten the impression that Annie preferred keeping to herself.

“Great.” Despite her wobbly muscles, Drew felt like skipping all the way to the kitchen. “Then I’ll go and see what I can rustle up, and you—”

“No,” Annie said. “You go sit on the couch, and I’ll make lunch. That is, if you don’t mind me going through your fridge again.”

Drew hesitated. When her parents had been alive, she had rarely brought a woman home, and now it took some getting used to having a woman take care of her in her own house. The stubborn tilt of Annie’s chin made her give in—and if she was honest with herself, she liked the way Annie took care of her. “I don’t mind. Mi casa es su casa. Or rather: my fridge is your fridge.” Drew grinned to herself. When the time comes to pretend we’re a couple, we shouldn’t have any problems. Annie knows my underwear drawer, the contents of my bathroom cabinets, and now my fridge.

While Drew sat on the couch, Annie walked toward the kitchen. After a moment’s hesitation, Cab trotted after her.

“Traitor,” Drew mumbled but couldn’t really blame him. She turned on the TV and skipped through the channels.

A group of actors parading around in familiar uniforms caught her attention. She watched Captain Picard tug on his uniform shirt with the four golden pips on the collar. “Sorry, old man, you can tug all you want, but you’ll never look as good as—”

“Soup okay?” Annie called from the kitchen.

“Sure,” Drew called back. “Or we can order pizza.” She didn’t care as long as Annie stayed. Maybe it was selfish to keep Annie away from whatever she had to do at home, but she didn’t feel like being alone right now.

Annie appeared in the doorway. “I’ll heat up some soup. The pharmacist said pizza is not a good idea.”

Drew leaned her head against the back of the couch and gave her a puzzled grin. “You talked to the pharmacist about pizza?”

“No.” A light pink colored Annie’s cheeks. “When I bought the Tylenol, I asked about what kind of food to serve a person with a cold. He said to avoid milk products, and if I’m not mistaken, the cheese on a pizza is a milk product.” She hurried back toward the kitchen.

How cute. She’s really going out of her way to take good care of me. A warm feeling spread through Drew’s chest.

Moments later, Cab sauntered into the living room.

“Not interested in soup, boy?”

Cab gave a low woof, jumped on the couch, and settled his large head on Drew’s thigh. When he stretched out, he took up the remaining space on the couch. Once Annie returned, she would have to sit in the easy chair. My dog, the chaperone. Maybe it was for the best. After the intimacy that being sick had created between them, Drew’s defenses were down. The knight in wine-stained armor has lost her shield. Some distance was in order.

A few minutes later, Annie came in and set a bowl of tomato soup and a piece of unbuttered toast in front of Drew before she retreated to the easy chair with her own bowl.

“Thank you,” Drew said.

“You’re welcome. I fed Cab when we came back from the walk earlier.”

“Thanks for that too.”

For a moment, only phaser fire from the TV show interrupted the silence.

“Look what I found.” Drew pointed at the television with the end of her spoon. “Star Trek reruns, and it’s even your favorite, The Next Generation.”

“We don’t need to watch it,” Annie said.

“It’s fine. I told you I like Star Trek.” Stop being so afraid I’ll judge you or think you’re boring.

When they finished their soup, the episode ended and a voice announced that another one was about to be aired.

“Want to watch the next one and have popcorn for dessert?” Drew asked.

Annie looked over at her. “You really want to watch Star Trek with me?”

“Why not? I happen to think that Seven of Nine is hot, so I don’t mind watching her.”

“Sorry,” Annie said after blinking twice at Drew’s frank words, “but Seven of Nine is in Voyager, not The Next Generation. No hot Borg in this one.”

Drew shrugged. “I’ll make do.”

“Okay. If you’re sure.” Annie waited until Drew nodded before she stood. “I’ll get the popcorn if you tell me where you keep it.”

“No, this time, let me go. You’ll spoil me for other women if you keep pampering me like this.” Not waiting to see if Annie was blushing or not, Drew gathered their bowls and carried them to the kitchen. While she waited for the popcorn kernels to pop, she was very aware of Annie’s presence in the living room. Somehow, the house felt different with Annie there.

Better.

She rolled her eyes at herself. Stop thinking like that. She’s a friend—a straight friend, not a girlfriend who’s here to stay. She distracted herself by trying to smell the popcorn, but her stuffed-up nose refused to cooperate.

With two sodas and a giant bowl full of popcorn, she returned to the living room; then she glanced across the coffee table at Annie. Oh. I should have gotten two bowls. “Want to come over here so we can share the popcorn?” She nudged the dog who was trying to stick his muzzle into the bowl. “Cab, off.”

With an almost human-sounding sigh, Cab jumped from the couch.

Annie rose and rounded the coffee table. When she sat, Cab immediately trotted over and placed his head on her thigh.

Drew grinned. Seems he’s in love. She tried to ignore the voice in her head whispering that she might not be so far behind. Nonsense. Just because she found Annie attractive and interesting didn’t mean she was in love with her.

With the bowl of popcorn between them, they leaned back. Drew chewed a handful of popcorn, hardly able to taste a thing, and swallowed through a throat that still felt sore. Ouch. Maybe having popcorn wasn’t such a brilliant idea. She sipped her soda and watched Annie watch her favorite TV show.

When the bearded commander wandered along the ship’s corridors with the Enterprise’s beautiful counselor, Annie made a face.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re jealous because you had a crush on ...” Drew stopped herself before she said Deanna Troi. She’s straight, remember? “On ... what’s the name of the bearded guy? Stryker?”

“Riker,” Annie said. “And no, I never had a crush on him. I don’t watch Star Trek for the romance, but if anything, I liked Deanna with Worf.”

“Worf. That’s the Klingon, right? Yeah, they have that beauty-and-the-beast thing going.”

Annie seemed to consider it for a moment. “It’s not that. But sometimes, the most unexpected pairings work best.”

Drew nudged her with an elbow. “Kind of like us.”

Annie choked on her popcorn. She bent over and gasped for breath.

“Hey.” Drew rubbed Annie’s back. She stopped when she realized how intimate the touch was. “You okay?”

“Fine,” Annie rasped. “A piece of popcorn nearly went down the wrong pipe. That’s all.” She gave Drew a sidelong glance. “Watching Star Trek with you is dangerous.”

Drew grinned. “Maybe I should come with a red-shirt warning.”

Annie’s laughter filled the room, making Drew’s chest expand with pride at being the cause of Annie’s merriment. “Maybe you should.”

For the remainder of the episode, both of them were silent. Once, their hands brushed against each other when they reached into the popcorn bowl at the same time.

Tingles shot up Drew’s arm.

Annie pulled her hand back. Had she felt it too? Her expression was hard to read.

Wishful thinking, dumbass.

When the episode ended and the theme song accompanied the closing credits, Annie cleared her throat. Twice. “Drew?”

Something in Annie’s voice made Drew hold her breath. She peeked at Annie out of the corner of her eye. “Yes?”

Annie brushed a tiny piece of popcorn off her lips. She glanced from the TV to Drew, then back. “Drew, I want you to know ...”

Drew’s heartbeat picked up until she thought the couch was vibrating beneath her. She turned to face Annie and then settled back when their knees touched.

“I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you.”

“Advantage?” Whatever Drew had expected Annie to say, this wasn’t it. “Annie, I was just kidding before.”

“I know. That’s not what I mean. What I want to say is ... you’re not just some random lesbian I’m using to get back at my bratty brother.” Annie’s green eyes glowed with intensity. “I ... we ...”

Drew decided to help her out of her misery. “We’re friends. Or at least starting to become friends.”

Annie nodded and exhaled. “Yes.”

“And as your friend, I’m fine with whatever you want to do. Getting even with Jake was my idea, remember?”

“Yes, but I’m the one who didn’t want to stop even after ... after Halloween.”

Had Annie changed her mind? Drew studied her, took in the nervous movements of her long fingers. “And now you want to stop? If you want to call off our revenge plan so you can just relax around me ...”

“I am relaxed around you,” Annie said as she gazed at her hands.

Drew wasn’t so sure that was true—at least it hadn’t been true in the beginning. Annie rarely, if ever, seemed to drop her guard around other people. But now that she was taking care of Drew, she seemed less reserved. “Then our plans for Thanksgiving are still on?”

“They’re still on—if you’re okay with it.”

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?” Drew asked.

For long moments, Annie stared into the nearly empty bowl and then picked up a piece of popcorn and studied it from all sides. “Kissing a friend ... kissing me and touching me in a way that makes Jake believe we’re a couple ...” She closed her fingers around the piece of popcorn and looked up. “It might be awkward. I mean, you don’t normally go around and kiss women you’re not attracted to.”

Lack of attraction is not the problem here. But she couldn’t tell Annie that. “No, I don’t,” Drew said and left it at that. She studied Annie’s nervous expression. “Are you really worried about it being awkward for me, or is this more about it being awkward for you?”

Annie sighed. “Both.”

“Hey, relax. You kissed me, and it wasn’t that bad, was it? I mean ... kissing a woman is not that different from kissing a guy.” Okay, that was a lie.

Annie didn’t look convinced either. She cocked one eyebrow and gnawed on her lip until she finally asked, “Have you ever kissed a man?”

“He was more of a boy than a man, but yes, I kissed a guy once.”

“And?”

Drew shrugged. “Nothing to write home about. Too much tongue and not enough emotion.”

“Hmm.” Annie finally put the piece of popcorn in her mouth and chewed it slowly.

“Just kiss me in front of Jake like you kissed me after the Halloween party. It was,” Drew swallowed, “very convincing.” At the memory of their kiss, her face flushed, and she could only hope Annie would attribute it to the residues of her fever.

Annie’s gaze flickered up to meet Drew’s. “It was?”

Drew nodded.

“Not too much tongue or not enough emotion?” Annie blurted it out, then blushed.

“Nope. It was a very nice kiss.”

Annie nibbled on her lip. “Nice? Isn’t that what people usually say to spare someone’s feelings when it was really awful?”

“No. No, really.” Drew hesitated. She hadn’t wanted to make Annie uncomfortable by letting her know how affected she had been by the kiss. But now it seemed she had made Annie doubt herself with her lame compliment. “If I hadn’t thought Jake was watching, it would have been downright hot.” I better not dwell on how hot it was. She got up and walked to the shelf that held her DVD collection. “Do you want to watch a movie?”

“Why not.” Annie sounded relieved, just as glad to drop the topic as Drew was.

Drew tilted her head to the side and read the titles on the DVD boxes. Movies like Better Than Chocolate, Imagine Me and You, and I Can’t Think Straight dominated the top shelf. But lesbian movies probably didn’t hold much interest for Annie as a straight woman. Drew let her gaze wander over the bottom shelf. “Do you like The X-Files?”

“I do.”

“Me too,” Drew said.

“Let me guess.” An amused smile settled on Annie’s lips. “You happen to think Scully is really hot.”

“Actually ...” Drew pulled the X-Files movie from the shelf and carried it to the DVD player. After she took the disk from its case, she turned her head and grinned at Annie. “I always had a crush on Frohike.” She fluttered her lashes and managed not to cringe at the thought of the bespectacled older man with the greasy hair.

“You!” Annie threw a piece of popcorn at her.

It bounced off her shoulder, and Drew caught the treat and ate it. “What? Don’t tell me his male charms don’t do anything for you.”

“No, thank you. I’m a nerd, but I’m not that much of a nerd.”

Laughing, Drew settled down onto the couch. A quick glance showed that the bowl now held just a few unpopped kernels, so she set it onto the coffee table and slid closer to Annie. “So, who would be more your type? Mulder?”

“No.”

“Doggett?”

Another shake of Annie’s head. She licked butter and salt off her fingers.

Drew’s blood pressure went up a notch. She forced herself to look away and handed Annie a tissue. “Let me guess. You don’t watch X-Files for the romance,” she echoed Annie’s words about Star Trek. She grabbed the remote control from the coffee table and started the movie.

“I’m not someone who gets all moony-eyed about some actor.”

“No,” Drew said. “I guess you aren’t.” She had a feeling Annie didn’t get moony-eyed about anyone, and she wasn’t sure whether she should pity Annie or envy her.

Annie turned her head and looked at her. The opening credits threw flickering shadows over her face, contributing to her vulnerable look. “Do you think that’s strange?”

“It’s perfectly fine.” Drew stopped herself before she could pat Annie’s knee. “Do you think it’s strange that I’m about to drool over Scully?”

The movie’s opening scene began before Annie answered. “No. I’m fine with it.” She cracked a smile. “As long as you’re not dripping on me.”

Drew laughed. “I’ll wipe my mouth.”

* * *

Annie had seen the movie half a dozen times. When Mulder and Scully hugged, then moved closer, about to kiss, Annie knew the bee would sting Scully before their lips touched. Still, she held her breath as the sexual tension between the characters rose.

When the bee attacked, she looked away from the flat-screen TV and turned her head to see Drew’s reaction to the almost kiss.

But Drew wasn’t watching the movie. Her eyes were closed, her head rested against the back of the couch, and her chest rose and fell with deep, even breaths. In the flickering light of the TV screen, Drew’s face was still pale and shadows lurked beneath her eyes.

A wave of protectiveness swept over Annie, surprising her with its intensity. She took the comforter from the end of the couch and spread it over Drew.

Drew stirred but didn’t wake. After a moment, she snuggled more deeply into the comforter.

Annie’s gaze flickered back and forth between Drew and the door. Should I tiptoe out and leave?

But she didn’t want Drew to wake up in the dark living room, all alone and disoriented.

She’ll probably wake up when the next action scene comes on, then I can see her off to bed and say a proper good-bye.

Drew’s head slid off the couch and came to rest on Annie’s shoulder. Her breath warmed Annie’s arm even through the material of her shirt. Goose bumps traveled along Annie’s arm and over the rest of her body.

Annie sat frozen to the spot, not sure how to escape—or if she wanted to. Having Drew resting against her in such a trustful way felt good, but at the same time, a voice in her head shouted at her to put some distance between them. Slowly, she craned her head and watched Drew sleep. She lifted her hand, about to finger one of the soft curls that fell onto Drew’s face, but then pulled back and let her hand drop to the couch.

Are you crazy? Where is this need to touch her coming from?

Her breathing had picked up, and she struggled to control it so she wouldn’t disturb Drew’s sleep.

The movie played on, with no one watching. Annie sat motionless, looked at Drew, and tried to figure out what was going on. She felt protective of Drew and strangely honored that Drew was so comfortable with her that she had fallen asleep. That’s not all, though, is it?

In college, she had stayed up all night with her roommate and held her hair while Claudia threw up half a dozen margaritas. But being there for Claudia had felt nothing like this ... this tenderness inside of her.

Yeah, but with Claudia, it was self-inflicted. She drank like a fish while poor Drew has the mother of all colds. Yes, she thought, that must be it.

Her analytical mind screamed that wasn’t it at all, but Annie focused on the screen. The scene in which the car bomb exploded was just a few minutes away, then Drew would wake up and Annie would go. She needed some time alone to get her head back on straight.

* * *

The first thing Annie realized when she woke up was that she was no longer sitting up. She was stretched out on her back along the length of the couch. Her neck screamed at her and her glasses pressed against her nose, but the rest of her felt relaxed and comfortable. Something warm and soft covered most of her body.

When she opened her eyes, her relaxed muscles stiffened.

She wasn’t alone on the couch. In the dim light coming from the TV screen, she could make out Drew’s shape resting half on top of her. Their legs were entwined, and their hips pressed together beneath the comforter they shared. Drew’s head rested against Annie’s breasts. To her horror, Annie found that one of her hands had slipped beneath Drew’s T-shirt and was now lying against the bare skin of her back, while her other hand cradled Drew’s head against her breasts.

Oh, Jesus, how did this happen?

Inch by inch, careful so she wouldn’t wake Drew, Annie pulled her hand out from beneath Drew’s shirt.

Drew mumbled something that sounded like a protest. Her lips moved over Annie’s T-shirt-covered breast.

Fire flared along Annie’s skin. She squirmed, trying to crawl out from under Drew, but that only managed to press Drew’s pajama-clad thigh against her crotch.

Her heart stuttered, then hammered a panicked beat against Annie’s ribs. Her clit pounded too, and that made Annie scramble up from beneath the comforter in blind panic.

“Wha...?” Only a quick grab for the coffee table prevented Drew from falling to the floor. She sat up, rubbed her face, and stared at Annie through half-lidded eyes. “Annie? What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Th-the movie is over and we ... we fell asleep and now it’s nearly morning, so I need to go home and change or I’ll be late for work.” Annie realized she was babbling, but she couldn’t stop herself.

“Late for work?” Drew blinked, got up from the couch, and looked at the DVD player. “But ... but ... it’s not even three o’clock. Dawn is hours away. Why don’t you just stay here and try to get some more sleep?”

Sleep? Annie paced the length of the living room. Her pulse was racing. No, there wasn’t any more sleep in the cards for her. Oh, God, what’s going on?

“Annie.” Drew stepped in front of her and reached out a hand but pulled back when Annie flinched. “Please, calm down and tell me what’s wrong.”

Easy for you to say. You’re used to reacting like that to another woman. But did her body’s reactions really mean anything? Wasn’t it just a reflex, a totally physical reaction to stimuli—any stimuli, no matter whether it was coming from a man or a woman? Maybe it’s just been too long since I had sex. She tried to remember how long it had been. Three years? Four? Anyone would have reacted like that under those circumstances. Right?

“Come on.” Drew turned on the light. “Let’s sit down. Please tell me what’s going on.”

Annie didn’t want to talk about it; she didn’t even want to think about it, but she followed Drew back to the couch.

Keeping a respectful distance, Drew sat at the other end of the couch. “Did I do anything to scare you?”

“No, of course not.” Annie sat on the end of the couch farthest away from Drew, pulled up her knees, and hugged them to her chest.

“What is it, then? And don’t tell me it’s nothing.”

“It’s just that I woke up and you were ... we were ...” Annie pressed the knuckles of her fisted hand against her mouth. She couldn’t tell Drew; she just couldn’t.

Drew cocked her head. “We were doing what?”

“We weren’t doing anything,” Annie said quickly. Too quickly. She sighed. “We were just sleeping very close together.”

“Ah. And that made you uncomfortable.”

Probably not the way Drew thought, but Annie didn’t want to admit that, so she nodded.

“Annie ...” Drew slid to the middle of the couch and made eye contact. “I admit that I find you attractive.”

Familiar heat shot up Annie’s neck, but this time, she was more flattered than embarrassed. The thought that Drew liked the way she looked was strangely pleasing.

“But we’re friends,” Drew said, “and I would never touch you in an inappropriate way. You’re safe with me.”

Yeah, but the real question is whether you’re safe around me. Annie’s right palm burned as if she had touched fire ants instead of Drew’s bare back. She had never cuddled up to someone in her sleep before, so why had she done it with Drew?

Drew reached out slowly, giving Annie ample time to retreat, and nudged her knee with the back of her hand. “At least now, if Jake asks, we can honestly say we slept together.”

Grateful for Drew’s attempt to lighten the mood, Annie managed a small smile. “Will you be okay on your own now? I really should go home. I called my neighbor earlier to make sure she fed Amadeus, but I’m probably still in the doghouse for being gone all weekend.”

“Oh, damn, I totally forgot about your cat. I’m sorry I kept you for so long.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry.” Annie realized that despite Drew being sick and despite the shock of waking up with Drew half on top of her, she had enjoyed the weekend. “One can of tuna and I’ll be allowed back into the apartment.”

Drew laughed. “Oh, so that’s the way it is. Amadeus owns the apartment.”

“The apartment and its inhabitant.” Annie found her shoes and put them on. Not looking back at the couch they had shared, she walked to the door.

Drew followed.

They stood in front of the door and faced each other in silence.

Despite her urge to flee, a part of Annie didn’t want to go. “Promise you’ll take good care of yourself.”

“If you do the same, I’ll take it easy tomorrow,” Drew said.

“Not just tomorrow. You should take a few days off and—” The words trailed off when she saw the grin on Drew’s lips. “Sorry. I have no right to tell you what to do. You survived just fine before I came along.”

“Yes, but it’s still nice to have someone worry about me.” Drew took a step closer. Then another. “Thank you, Annie.” Slowly, she leaned up on her tiptoes.

Oh, God! What is she doing? Her heart thundered, but Annie stood rooted to the spot.

Drew’s warm lips brushed over Annie’s cheek before Drew retreated. “Good night. Please drive carefully.”

“Good night,” Annie whispered through a dry throat. She opened the door, letting the November air cool her cheeks, and fled to her car.

Chapter 12

Drew took her keys from the hall table and headed toward the door with Cab at her heels. “No, Cab. You stay.” At the last second, she remembered Annie’s instruction to take good care of herself and snatched a jacket from the hook next to the door. She slipped outside, leaving behind a whining Cab.

She climbed down the stairs to the barrel cellar beneath the fermentation barn. Even through her stuffed-up nose, she could detect the heady fragrance of wine and oak. Drew walked between the rows of French oak barrels. From time to time, she put her ear to one of the sixty-gallon barrels. The crackle and pop of the fermenting wine reminded her of the popcorn Annie and she had eaten last night.

Everything reminds you of Annie lately. Pathetic. A crush on a straight woman. Haven’t you read the handbook? No straight women, dammit.

The heavy doors opened and closed behind her, and Martin walked over. “Morning, boss. I thought you were still out sick.”

“I’m doing better, but I’ll go back inside in a minute and do paperwork for the rest of the day.”

“It seems your girlfriend took good care of you,” Martin said.

Drew turned and glanced at him over the top of a barrel. “Girlfriend?”

“Enrico and I saw her when she was walking Cab.”

Great. My friends think there’s something between us, Martin thinks she’s my girlfriend, and my goddamn hormones dance a rumba every time she’s near. Only Jake stubbornly refuses to believe it. “What makes you think she’s my girlfriend?” Had Annie told him that to practice convincing people that they were a couple?

Martin shrugged. “Not hard to figure out. I’ve known you for all your life, but you rarely, if ever, have a woman stay overnight, not even now that your parents are ...” He cleared his throat. “Guess she must be special.”

“She is, but she’s just a friend.” Drew turned away with a sigh and continued down the row of barrels.

“That’s how all good relationships start,” Martin said as he followed her through the barrel cellar. “Your parents knew each other for two years before they started dating.”

“Martin.” Drew gave her voice a warning note. After working for her family for over thirty years, Martin was much more than an employee. As far as Drew was concerned, he had earned the right to ask personal questions, but she didn’t need him to give her crazy ideas. Annie was straight, so she couldn’t afford to let herself hope for more than friendship.

He took off his baseball cap and ran his fingers through his graying hair. “All right. I’ll shut up. Do you want us to test the acid levels of the reds today?”

Drew calculated quickly. “No, let’s wait until tomorrow. I’ll come over and help.” After she said good-bye to Martin, she crossed the yard and returned to the house.

In the living room, the comforter was lying on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, where it had fallen when Annie had jumped up from the couch last night.

She was really freaking out. God, I hope I wasn’t groping her in my sleep.

She picked up the comforter and folded it, groaning when she realized that the fresh floral scent of Annie’s perfume clung to the fabric.

The house was too quiet as she made herself a sandwich and went to the office. She stared at the paperwork for ordering bacteria cultures but couldn’t bring herself to focus enough to fill it out.

The ringing of the phone made her jump. Maybe it’s Annie to see how I’m doing. She snatched up the receiver without taking the time to glance at the caller ID. “Hello?”

“Whatever you’re doing, it has stopped being funny a long time ago.”

Ah, Jake. Drew grinned. After the kissing sounds she had made while he was on the phone with Annie, she had expected a call from him. “Oh, you mean like the practical jokes you pull on other people?”

“Dammit, Drew.” Jake’s usually easygoing voice sounded like a growl now. “My jokes are at least funny and clever, but what you and Annie are doing is just messed up.” His harsh breathing filtered through the line, then, after a few seconds of silence, he continued more calmly, “No one is gonna believe you anyway, so why don’t you finally—”

A beep indicated that Drew had another incoming call. “I’m sorry. I got a call on the other line. Bye, Jake.” Grinning, she ended the call and switched to the other line, again hoping that it would be Annie.

“Hey, stranger.”

It was Lynn, not Annie.

Drew chided herself for being disappointed. “Oh, hi, Lynn.”

“We haven’t seen each other since Halloween, and that’s all I get? I’ve had more enthusiastic greetings from my mailman,” Lynn said. “What’s up?”

Get yourself together and stop moping around! “I’m sorry. I am glad to hear from you, it’s just ... I’ve been sick with a cold all weekend, and I’m not totally back to normal.”

“Why didn’t you call?” Lynn asked, her tone hurt. “I would have come over and taken care of you. Last time you were sick, you had a high fever. You didn’t have to suffer through it alone.”

Drew scratched the back of her neck. “Um ... I didn’t.”

“Didn’t get a high fever?”

“No. Didn’t suffer through it alone.”

“Oh,” Lynn said. The sound of a deep breath filtered through the line. “Annie?”

Damn, how did she guess that so quickly? Even though Drew knew what Lynn would think, she couldn’t deny it. She sighed. “Yeah.”

“I thought she’s straight?” An accusing undertone vibrated in Lynn’s voice.

Drew leaned back in her office chair, let her head fall back, and rubbed weary eyes. “She is. It’s not what you’re thinking.”

“Oh, no, of course not. I have dozens of straight women volunteering to stay with me every time I’m sick.”

God, I can’t deal with this today. “Knock it off, Lynn. We really are just friends.”

Lynn was silent for a few moments. When she spoke again, her tone had softened. “But you’d like it to be more, wouldn’t you?”

“I ...” Drew leaned forward again so she could put her elbows on the desk. She clutched the phone to her ear and cradled her head in her free hand. “Yeah.” There, she had finally said it. “I’m just starting to get to know her, but there’s something about her ...”

“Have you told her that?”

“Are you crazy?” Some harmless teasing and joking was as far as Drew was willing to go. “I told you she’s straight.”

“So was I when I first met you.”

Great. Not that old argument again. Drew didn’t believe one person could turn another person gay even though that was what Annie and she were trying to make Jake believe. “That’s different. Annie’s different. She’s not like any other woman I’ve ever met.”

“God, you’re head over heels.”

What? That’s bullshit. Drew glared at the phone. Isn’t it? “No, I’m not. It’s just a harmless crush that will pass, so cut it out, okay?”

“Whatever. So, I was calling to see if you want to go dancing with Becky, Sam, Erica, and me on Saturday.”

Drew frowned. “Dancing? I don’t know.”

“Come on. It’s been ages since we’ve gone out. It’ll get your mind off things, and maybe you’ll hook up with a woman—a lesbian woman.”

The dig at Annie rankled Drew. Truth be told, she would rather spend an evening watching X-Files with Annie than go out dancing with a group of lesbians. But maybe Lynn was right. Perhaps she was so hung up on Annie because she had been single for too long. Yes, that’s probably all it is. Hooking up with someone could be just what I need to get Annie off my mind. Her muscles tightened at the thought. Oh, come on. You did it before. But that had been years before, and now one-night stands didn’t hold much appeal. At least go out with your friends, dance with some good-looking women, and keep your options open.

“All right,” she said. “But I can’t join you before ten. I’m meeting with a couple who wants to serve our wines at their wedding.”

“Okay, then we’ll see you at ten o’clock in front of The Fig Leaf. If you’re not there, we’re coming after you,” Lynn said, lowering her voice to a threatening register.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll be there.” Drew hung up and glanced at the price lists for bacteria cultures and acid test kits. Phone still in hand, she flipped through her phone book. Right below the number for the supplier, the name of a local florist’s store caught her attention.

She hesitated. You wanted to get Annie off your mind, remember?

But that was easier said than done.

Ah, screw it. She pushed back the order forms and dialed the second number.

* * *

Annie glared at her computer screen. No matter what she did, the numbers weren’t adding up. Was she missing something? She rubbed her burning eyes. Just two hours of sleep weren’t helping. When she had arrived home from Drew’s at half past three, she had gone to bed immediately, hoping to escape into the soothing realm of sleep and stop the merry-go-round in her head for a couple of hours.

But her dream hadn’t been the soothing kind.

In the dream, she had been back on the couch with Drew; only this time, they were both awake. Drew leaned over her on her elbows and lifted one hand to swipe a strand of hair out of Annie’s face. Then her hand lingered, caressing Annie’s cheek. Drew’s lips came closer.

Instead of jumping up off the couch, dream-Annie wrapped her arms around Drew and pulled her down.

Just as their lips were about to meet, a bee stung Annie—and she had awakened gasping for breath.

It’s just the movie. She opened her desk drawer and started searching for eye drops. It’s not like you want to kiss Drew. She shook her head. Of course not. You just recreated the movie scene in your dream, with you taking over Scully’s part. That’s all.

But why had her subconscious mind cast Drew in the role of Mulder?

A knock on her office door nearly made Annie jam her fingers in the drawer. She looked up.

Her colleague Sarah stood in the doorway, a crystal vase filled with a giant bunch of yellow roses in her arms and an even larger smile on her face.

“These were just delivered for you,” Sarah said.

“For me?” Annie sent Sarah a doubtful gaze. Other than Drew giving her roses for her birthday, it had been years since she had received flowers and never at the office. Who was sending her roses when it wasn’t her birthday and she wasn’t dating anyone? Maybe a grateful client?

Sarah stepped into the office and handed over the vase.

“Thank you,” Annie said. She wanted Sarah to leave so she could read the card that was stuck between the stems.

But Sarah didn’t take the hint. “There’s a card,” she said, stating the obvious. She stayed in front of the desk, clearly unwilling to leave before Annie read the card and offered some kind of explanation.

Annie set the vase on her desk and opened the little card. Thank you for the TLC, the card read. You make a great girlfriend. Drew. Beneath the name, a large smiley face stared back at Annie.

Receiving roses from Drew added to the emotional chaos inside of Annie, but she still couldn’t help smiling at the sweet gesture.

“And?” Sarah asked.

Annie’s cheeks flamed beneath Sarah’s curious glance. “Just a thank-you,” she mumbled.

“I didn’t know you were seeing someone,” Sarah said. Her gaze rested on the roses and then moved up to make eye contact. “You should bring him to the office’s Christmas party next month.”

Annie fingered the long stems. Oh, Christ. “It’s not what you think. There’s no ‘him.’ The roses are from ... from a friend. A woman.”

Sarah studied her for long moments before she grinned and said, “Then bring her.”

A thorn pierced Annie’s index finger when she tightened her grip on the stems. Ouch! She sucked on her finger.

“Don’t look so shocked.” Grinning, Sarah leaned over the desk. “It’s not like I didn’t already suspect.”

The finger slid from Annie’s mouth. Slack-jawed, she stared at Sarah. “Suspect what?” She can’t possibly think that I’m ... I’m gay?

“A woman your age, who never talks about relationships—or anything concerning her private life, really—and never brings anyone to office parties ...” Sarah shrugged. “I thought maybe you were trying to keep your private life private because you’re—”

“Because I’m a private person,” Annie interrupted before Sarah could say it out loud. Her jaw muscles stiffened as she clenched her teeth. “Just because I haven’t been in a relationship in a while and don’t send memos to people in the office when I’m dating someone doesn’t make me gay.” Annie realized she was nearly shouting at Sarah and snapped her mouth shut.

Sarah lifted her hands and took a step back from the desk. “Jesus, Annie, don’t take my head off just because I assumed—”

“You assumed wrong,” Annie said. Her stomach churned, and she pressed a trembling hand against it. Who does Sarah think she is? Just because I get roses from a woman doesn’t make me gay, dammit! Neither does kissing Drew. God. The floor beneath her seemed to tilt. Annie curled her hands around the edge of the desk and held on for dear life. She couldn’t remember a time in her life when she had ever been bombarded with so many emotions. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea. I should’ve walked out of that restaurant the minute I realized what Jake had done.

“All right, I get it. You’re not gay.” Sarah snorted. “In fact, you’re borderline homophobic.”

The accusation hit Annie like a punch in the solar plexus. “What?” She shook her head. “I’m not homophobic.”

“Could have fooled me,” Sarah said. “In the six years I’ve known you, you never raised your voice at anyone, not even when that trainee accidentally deleted one of your files. But a moment ago, you were shouting at me just because I made a harmless assumption.”

Harmless assumption? Somehow, it didn’t seem harmless to Annie. She remembered Drew joking about good-night kisses in front of the waiter in the restaurant. Drew seemed so at ease with her sexual orientation. But it hasn’t always been that way for her. Now Annie understood why Drew had been so hesitant to come out to her parents. People look at you differently once they know.

She massaged her temples. Well, isn’t that what you wanted? For Jake to see you in a different light, not just as boring Annie? But the closer Thanksgiving came, the less it seemed like a funny trick to play on Jake.

Annie’s gaze went to the open door. She wanted this conversation to be over before someone could overhear it. After a few deep breaths, she stood from behind her desk. “Sarah, I ...” She held out her hands. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted at you.”

Sarah took a tiny step toward her. “Then why did you?”

“Because ... because ...” Annie bit the inside of her cheek. “Because I hate it when people judge me, especially people who barely know a thing about me.”

“Judge you?” Sarah repeated. “Annie, no one is judging you. And we’ve been working together for six years and went to the same book club and the same gym for almost as long. If I barely know a thing about you, it’s because you never allowed me to really get to know you.”

Annie dragged trembling fingers through her hair. As much as she wanted to pretend otherwise, she knew Sarah was right. She tended to keep people at arm’s length—or at least she had in the past. With Drew, it was different. But that doesn’t make me gay, does it?

“This isn’t the Middle Ages,” Sarah said. “Being gay won’t get you burned at the stake.”

“I know that.” Annie fought to keep her voice from shaking. “I’m not homophobic.”

Sarah glanced at her over the top of her stylish glasses.

“Really,” Annie said. “One of my friends is a lesbian.”

Thinking about Drew made her pause. What would Drew think if she heard what I said? How would she feel if she saw me go ballistic on Sarah because she thought I’m gay? She pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. Drew would be hurt. That thought made her anger deflate like a pierced balloon. Her knees felt weak, so she leaned against her desk. “The roses ...” She cleared her throat. “They’re from her, and I guess I didn’t want you to think ...”

“That the two of you are more than friends,” Sarah finished the sentence when Annie trailed off.

Annie nodded.

“Would it have been so bad if I had thought that she’s your girlfriend?”

Would it be? Still leaning against her desk for support, Annie tried to imagine how it might be to take Drew to the Christmas party and introduce her as her girlfriend. She shivered as she pictured curious glances crawling over her, but then she felt the soothing grip of Drew’s fingers around her own. When someone’s obnoxious boyfriend made a drunken comment about Annie turning into a dyke, Drew would grin and say, “I’m a vintner. Must be something in the wine.” She would show her dimples and a disarming smile and lift the bottle she had brought. “Anyone want more of my Cabernet?” Now Annie’s colleagues were laughing with them, not at them.

Annie imagined Drew talking about wine with Mr. Cargill and entertaining the junior associates with stories about trying out for her college’s archery team. But throughout the evening, Drew’s gaze would return to her and she would give Annie a smile that was meant just for her.

“No,” Annie said. If she took away the label of being gay and what it might mean to other people and thought about it just as being Drew’s girlfriend, it wasn’t quite as scary. “I guess it wouldn’t be so bad. Drew is a wonderful woman.” She makes me laugh, and she also takes me seriously and listens without ever looking bored. “No one in her right mind would think it’s a bad thing to be mistaken for Drew’s girlfriend.”

Sarah rubbed her index finger across her upper lip in a gesture that Annie had seen a thousand times in meetings.

She’s holding something back. Annie wasn’t sure she wanted to know what it was. A sigh of relief escaped her when Sarah walked toward the door.

But when Sarah reached it, she stopped and turned. “Then maybe you should think about why you’re reacting so strongly. If your friend Drew is so wonderful, maybe your reaction isn’t about Drew and her sexual orientation.” Sarah stepped out into the hallway. Over her shoulder, she added, “Maybe it’s about yours.”

Annie collapsed into her chair, which spun freely, just like her mind.

* * *

“I wish I could be you,” Annie said to Amadeus, who was wedged between her knee and the back of the couch, purring contentedly. “Cats have it easy. No messed-up family, no complicated revenge plans, no chaotic love life.”

She stopped herself. Love life? Where’s that coming from? She shook her head and focused on her laptop.

The calendar on the screen glared at her with big numbers. Just two more weeks until Thanksgiving, and with every passing hour, her nervousness grew. Her fingers moved in shaky little circles over the laptop’s touch pad, making the mouse arrow stagger across the screen.

How am I ever going to pull this off? I’ve never been so unprepared for anything in my life. Her doubts grew. Would it be better to call off this whole plan?

Then her stubbornness asserted itself. No! Giving up once things got tough was something that Jake might do. Annie had always stuck it out, no matter what. I can do this. It’s worth it. Just once, Jake deserves to know what it feels like to be tricked.

But was tricking Jake into believing she was in a relationship with Drew really what was making her so antsy? If she was honest with herself, she knew that more was going on deep inside of her. Sarah’s words still echoed through her mind on auto-repeat. Maybe your reaction isn’t about Drew and her sexual orientation. It’s about yours.

She shoved the thought away. One problem at a time. Calm down. Think. What do you normally do when you get nervous? The answer was easy. Since her private life was almost nonexistent, the only thing that usually made her nervous was a client with a large, complicated account. Those situations she handled by digging in, researching whatever she didn’t know, and asking colleagues for advice.

So what’s the problem? Just do the same now, and everything will work out. She breathed deeply and tried to calm her thoughts, which were going a thousand miles a minute. Okay. Ask someone for advice. The only lesbian she knew was Drew. So ask her. You’re in this together. She’ll know how to handle Thanksgiving.

The thought that she and Drew would deal with the problem together took some of the weight off her shoulders. Okay. What else? Research. I can do some research.

Feeling better already now that she was doing something, she opened her browser and stared at the search engine. Her fingers lingered over the keyboard. She gnawed on her lip, trying to come up with the right search words. How to convince my brother that I’m gay?

But she couldn’t imagine that anyone else on the Internet had blogged about a problem like that.

Start with something easy. Her fingers felt stiff when she typed in “lesbian relationships” and pressed enter.

Thirty-five million hits. She sucked in a breath and then scanned the first page of hits—links to online dating sites, safe-sex tips, and video clips that she didn’t dare to click on. She clicked on a few links, read a bit of information here and scanned another page there. Finally, she opened a magazine article about women leaving men for other women. Her head started to buzz as she read about sexual fluidity and being attracted to the person, not the gender. She rubbed damp palms over her sweatpants. Was it really that easy?

The ringing of the phone made her jump. She closed the laptop and then scolded herself. It wasn’t as if the caller could see what she was reading. She grabbed the phone from the coffee table and glanced at the caller ID.

Oh, God. Mom or Dad. Go figure.

They called her irregularly but had unerringly found the one moment when their call was most awkward.

“Hello, Dad.” Her father’s orchestra didn’t have recitals or practices on Mondays, so Annie took a guess that it might be him.

“Hello, darling.” Her father’s baritone vibrated through the phone. “We’ve been trying to reach you all weekend, but every time we called, your answering machine picked up. You weren’t working, were you?”

“No.” She rubbed her forehead, wishing he wouldn’t start every phone call with the same admonishment. The constant criticism of her life was getting old—and this time, it wasn’t even based on the truth. She flashed back on her weekend with Drew and the T-shirt Drew had given her. “I was busy practicing witchcraft.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Annie said.

Her father sighed. “I hope you’re not staring at numbers twenty-four seven. When was the last time you went to a concert or just relaxed?”

His lecturing tone made Annie tap her fingers against the phone. Why did she constantly have to justify herself? “I wasn’t working, Dad. I was ... I was with Drew.”

There was a momentary pause, as if her father was surprised that she had some kind of contact with another human being. “Oh, good, good,” he said but didn’t ask who Drew was. It was always like that with her parents. They gave unsolicited advice but rarely asked questions to find out more about her life.

Over the years, Annie had learned not to care too much, but it was still like a thorn stuck in her side, hurting whenever someone touched it.

“Your mother wants me to make sure you’re coming over on Thanksgiving. She’ll cook a big dinner.”

“Mom is cooking?” It wasn’t that her mother couldn’t cook; she just preferred to spend her time in her studio, not in the kitchen. During Annie’s childhood, they had rarely shared meals at the table. Annie had learned to fend for herself and make do with a sandwich.

Her father laughed. “I’m sure she’ll tear herself away from her easel for this special occasion.”

Annie’s heart leaped into her throat. This was her chance! “Do you mind if I bring someone home with me this year?” Her thoughts raced as she tried to come up with the right words to explain the situation and ask her parents to play along.

But before she could explain, her father said, “That’s fine. The more, the merrier.” Again, he didn’t ask any questions. “Jake said he’d be here too.”

“He called?” Had he said anything about her and Drew?

“No, he’s here right now. He drove up to have dinner with your mother and me.”

He’s short on cash and maxed out his credit cards, so he wants to borrow some money, Annie translated.

“Do you want to talk to your brother?”

“No, that’s fine,” Annie said. She wasn’t ready to talk to him. “Just tell him Drew and I will see him on Thanksgiving.” If Jake told her parents Drew was a woman, that would just serve her father right for not really listening and not asking about Drew. Maybe that would teach her parents to pay more attention to her life.

Who am I kidding? Annie sighed. More likely, her father would forget Drew’s name before they ended the call. “Will we have dinner at the lake house?” At least that way, she and Drew could retreat and make it back home quickly if things went wrong.

“No,” her father said. “I’m conducting a matinee at two o’clock, so it would work out better if you could come to Fresno. Your mother will call again to give you the exact time.”

He was already humming a melody, and she could tell that his attention was elsewhere. They made small talk for a few more minutes before ending the call.

Annie bumped the phone lightly against her forehead and stared at the laptop but couldn’t bring herself to open it and continue reading. The topic of lesbian relationships with its thirty-five million links seemed too daunting.

She put the laptop on the coffee table, slid down on the couch, and wrapped herself around Amadeus’s warm little body. “Why is life so complicated?” she whispered into his fur.

Amadeus didn’t answer.

* * *

Annie woke with a start. She lay staring at the backrest of the couch until Amadeus’s blaring meow from the kitchen catapulted her into action. The microwave’s clock read nine p.m. as she wandered into the kitchen and fed the cat.

I wonder what Drew is doing. She leaned against the counter and watched Amadeus gobble down his dinner. Was Drew already in bed, sweating through another fever? The thought of Drew suffering alone made her frown.

No, she sent me flowers. She’s doing better. She pictured Drew on the couch, watching a movie.

Instantly, a replay of waking up in Drew’s arms on that very couch started in her mind. Despite the shock coursing through her system at finding herself wrapped around Drew, the contact had felt strangely good. Too good. She remembered the heat flashing through her belly. Caught off guard by the direction of her thoughts, she poured herself a glass of wine from a bottle she had opened a few days earlier and took a big gulp.

The taste of the red wine reminded her of Drew. God! Why can’t I get her out of my head? She poured the rest of the wine into the sink, took a bottle of water from the fridge, and pressed the cold plastic against her overheated face. Get yourself together. You’re imagining things. If you were attracted to women, you would have noticed a long time ago. People don’t suddenly turn gay. Not at thirty.

But the article on the Web said that yes, some people did exactly that.

She shook her head. Not me. Relationships were never important to me and certainly not relationships with women. Drew is just a friend.

A friend who had sent her flowers to say thank you.

And you should thank her too. At least call her to let her know you got the flowers. It’s the polite thing to do. And if Annie was honest with herself, she wanted to call Drew and find out how she was doing.

She returned to the living room and reached for the phone. She frowned when she realized she already knew Drew’s number by heart, despite having called her only once or twice.

“Hi, Annie,” Drew said after two rings. Her voice was still raspy, sending shivers through Annie.

“Hello, Drew.” There had been so much she had wanted to say, but now Annie found herself tongue-tied. The sweet fragrance of the flowers on the coffee table reminded her of one thing she needed to say. “Thank you for the roses.”

Drew cleared her throat. “You don’t own a vase. I hope that’s not because you don’t like flowers.”

Annie wasn’t sure. On the one hand, she tended to think that buying flowers was a waste of money. The flowers would wither and die after a few days, so the money might be better spent on something more lasting. On the other hand, she liked the feeling of being appreciated that came with getting flowers from Drew. “I do,” she finally said.

“Good,” Drew said. “I made sure to order yellow ones since Jake probably won’t see them this time.”

Yellow roses. Friendship. Drew clearly respected the boundaries of their relationship. How ironic. Drew has no problem being just friends while my body seems to be going through a second bout of puberty. Not that her body had reacted strongly to anyone during puberty. She decided to change the subject. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” Drew said. She sounded as if she was smiling.

“No more fever?”

“Nope. Some trouble focusing on paperwork, but otherwise, I’m back to normal.”

Trouble focusing. Oh, yeah, I know that feeling. And I can’t even blame a cold. Annie squared her tense shoulders. “Listen, I talked to my father tonight. My parents confirmed our plans for Thanksgiving and said bringing you is fine.”

“How did they react to our plan to trick Jake?” Drew sounded worried.

“Well ...” Annie scratched at the label of her water bottle with one fingernail. “To be honest, I haven’t told them about it.”

Drew was silent for a moment. “You haven’t told them? But, Annie, why not?”

“Jake was with them, and I didn’t want them to give us away,” Annie said. “I’ll tell them later.”

“I don’t want to cause trouble between you and your parents,” Drew said.

“There won’t be any trouble. My parents couldn’t care less about who I’m dating or not dating.” Annie pressed her lips together. “My father didn’t even ask who you were when I mentioned you.”

“Oh, Annie.” The way Drew said her name was like a tender caress. “I’m so sorry they don’t show more interest in you. You deserve better than that. Want me to kick their asses on Thanksgiving?”

The thought made Annie laugh, chasing away her bitterness. “My father is six foot four.”

“Don’t worry. I’m fairly athletic. I can kick that high,” Drew said.

The memory of Drew’s athletic body pressed against hers flashed through Annie again. Stop that adolescent nonsense. “We’ll see.” The huskiness of her voice surprised Annie. She took a mouthful of water. Then another. “Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Do you want to get together over the weekend and discuss the details of our plan?”

“Sure,” Drew said without hesitation.

Pleasure at Drew’s instant agreement swirled through Annie, but she didn’t want to examine the source of that emotion too closely. It took some effort to rein in her smile, though. “How about Saturday? Maybe we could have dinner.”

“Uh, I’m sorry. Saturday isn’t good for me. Lynn is dragging me out to go dancing with her and some friends.”

Oh. Somehow, Drew’s answer put Annie off her stride. She struggled to regain her composure. What did you expect? Of course she has plans on Saturday. She’s an attractive woman. Women are probably lining up to dance with her. And Lynn will be the first in line.

When the silence between them dragged on, Drew said, “Maybe we could meet on Sunday.”

Annie gave herself a mental kick. “Sure. Would four o’clock work for you?”

“Why don’t we make it three? We’ll have more time then. I’ll come pick you up, and we’ll have an early dinner.”

“Okay,” Annie said.

A few more seconds of silence ticked by. “Until Sunday, then.”

“Yes,” Annie said. “Until Sunday.” She ended the call, sank onto the couch, and stared at the roses on the coffee table. They’re yellow, she told herself. So what do you care who she goes dancing with? “I don’t,” she said into the silence of her living room. “Why would I care?” She wandered into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. The ritual of boiling water was one she had done a thousand times before, and she used the familiar sequence of movements to calm her rattled nerves.

The phone rang just as she poured hot water into a mug.

She chased away the thought that it might be Drew again, hurried into the living room, and picked up the phone. “Yes?”

“Hello, Annie. This is Jonathan. Jonathan Poynter. I hope you don’t mind that I got your home number from the office.”

Annie didn’t like it, but now that he already had her number, it was too late to protest. “It’s okay,” she said. “What can I do for you? Do you need some more help with the software?”

“Oh, no. No. I’m not calling because of work.” He cleared his throat. “I know I asked you out before and you said no, but I got tickets for a jazz band that is playing in San Luis Obispo this Saturday and I thought maybe you’d like to go.”

Annie stared at the blank TV screen. Say yes. She liked jazz, and going out on a Saturday night was the normal thing to do.

“We could just go as friends,” Jonathan added when she hesitated.

“All right,” Annie heard herself say.

“Yeah?” Jonathan’s voice squeaked like that of an adolescent boy. “That’s great. We could go to dinner afterward.”

“Okay.” For once, she would take Drew’s advice and enjoy the night out without negative assumptions about how it would go. We’ve got work in common, and we both like jazz, so maybe it’ll be a nice evening.

“Then I’ll pick you up at seven,” Jonathan said.

Annie agreed and ended the call. She walked back to the kitchen, leaned against the counter, and cradled her mug between cold hands. Deeply in thought, she bent her head and took the first sip. Ugh. What’s this? She stared into the mug and realized she had forgotten to put tea in it.

Chapter 13

When Drew finally found a parking space one block from The Fig Leaf, she got out of her car and hurried toward the nightclub. A quick glance at her watch showed that it was half past ten. She was thirty minutes late.

Her cell phone chirped. She took a look. Lynn again. Great. During the forty-minute drive to the nightclub, she had already gotten two text messages from Lynn and one from Erica, asking her where she was and informing her that they were waiting inside. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. On my way.” She waited in line for a few minutes, paid the cover charge, and took a deep breath before she entered The Fig Leaf.

Loud music and flashing lights engulfed her. Drew gritted her teeth against the noise and made her way through the crowd waiting their turn in front of the long bar. Someone bumped into her and spilled a sticky drink all over Drew’s hands.

Drew groaned as she tried to shake off the liquid. Having Annie spill wine on her had been much nicer. Stop thinking about Annie!

She continued to weave through the crowd. After a long day in the winery, she wasn’t in the mood to have her feet trampled on a tiny dance floor, but she hadn’t seen her friends since Halloween, so at least catching up with them would be nice.

“Hey, Drew!” someone shouted from the left.

When Drew turned, she discovered that her friends had commandeered one of the small, round tables along one wall.

“Finally!” Lynn said when Drew walked up to them. She hugged Drew, pressing a bit too close and holding on a few seconds too long.

Drew returned the hug for a moment, then pulled back and eyed the almost empty drink on the table in front of Lynn’s chair. Oh, great. Another evening of trying to let Lynn down gently. She turned to greet the rest of her friends. “Sorry for being late. The couple just couldn’t agree on which wines to serve at their wedding.”

“If they can’t even agree on that, the marriage is doomed,” Becky said. She leaned back in her chair and pulled Sam onto her lap.

Sam half-turned and gently hit her wife’s muscular shoulder. “Gosh, you’re such a romantic. Remind me why I married you?”

“Yeah, you should have married me instead of the big unromantic ox over there,” Drew said, her voice raised. The shouting was already getting on her nerves, and she wished they had gotten a table that wasn’t so close to the dance floor.

Sam grinned. “I offered, but you didn’t give me the time of day.”

Drew rolled her eyes. “I was five years old, and you were just after my lunch box when you proposed.”

“Now who’s the big unromantic ox?” Becky nudged her wife, pulled her around, and kissed her.

Even though Drew averted her gaze to respect her friends’ privacy, images of Annie kissing her flashed through her mind. She frowned and tried to distract herself by scanning the crowd for familiar faces. A few of the women on the dance floor were attractive, but tonight, none of them captured her interest.

Finally, Sam and Becky came up for air and Sam turned back around. “How are things going at the winery?”

“Great, thanks.”

“Do you want me to get you a drink?” Erica shouted from the other side of the table and made a drinking motion to make herself understood.

The crowd in front of the bar tempted Drew to say yes, but she didn’t want to lead Erica on. Sam’s cousin had been interested in her for quite some time, and while she liked Erica, she wasn’t interested in her romantically. Her failed relationship with Lynn had taught her that dating a friend, hoping your feelings might grow into love wasn’t a good idea.

“She can have mine,” Lynn said before Drew could answer. She slid her almost empty glass in front of Drew.

Drew sighed. “No, thanks. I’ll get my own.” She turned and joined the crowd in front of the bar.

“Everything okay?” Lynn had followed her and pressed close even though the music was not as loud in this part of the club. She rubbed Drew’s arm and gave her a concerned gaze.

“I’m fine. Just a bit stressed.” Drew returned the gentle touch to Lynn’s shoulder. Lynn was a good friend, but Drew had to be careful not to let her think there could be more between them again.

A slender blond woman walked up to Drew. The black lights surrounding the bar made her shirt and her teeth glow as she smiled at Drew. “Hi. I’m Malinda. Would you dance with me?”

Drew hesitated. She was here to see her friends, not to dance with strangers.

The blonde looked from Drew to Lynn. “Oh. Are you two ...?”

“What? No. Just friends,” Drew said.

Lynn pressed her lips together and looked away.

Shit. Drew closed her eyes for a moment. She reached over and patted Lynn’s shoulder.

Her teeth glowed eerily as the blond woman grinned. “Good. Then let’s dance. I’ll buy you a drink afterwards.” Stray lights from the dance floor bounced off her hair, making it glitter like gold.

“Sorry, but—”

“Go,” Lynn said and gave her a shove. Shadows of hurt lurked in her eyes, but she put on a determined expression. “Just because you don’t want to be with me doesn’t mean you have to turn into a nun. God, you used to be so much fun. And now? Girl, you’re getting old.”

“Am not,” Drew grumbled. Her feet hurt from being on them all day, but she didn’t want to prove Lynn right, so she nodded at the blonde. “Okay. Lead the way.”

The club’s modest dance floor was crowded. Bright lights flashed from the ceiling. The beat of the music thumped through Drew’s bones as she moved to the rhythm.

Her dance partner—Melissa? Melinda?—shouted in Drew’s ear and used the opportunity to press her body more tightly against Drew’s. “So what’s the story between you and your friend?” She pointed over at the bar, where she had met Lynn.

“Long story,” Drew said. She wasn’t about to break Lynn’s confidence by talking about their relationship with a complete stranger. Lynn deserved better than that.

The woman danced closer. “I’ve got time.”

Drew shook her head. “Let’s just dance.”

“I can do that.” The blonde moved her hips in a sensuous rhythm and swayed back and forth against Drew. “You’re quite the dancer!” Their breasts rubbed against each other. The blonde’s hand slid down her back and her thigh brushed against Drew’s crotch.

Drew’s body reacted with a low burn of arousal, but her mind was elsewhere. “Thanks. You’re not so bad either.”

After a while, the DJ put on a song that Drew found too fast to really dance to. “Let’s take a break,” she shouted at the blonde.

They weaved their way toward the bar.

Drew glanced at her watch. It felt as if she had been here for hours, but it was barely after eleven. This time last week, you were with Annie. The thought was ridiculous, of course. This time last week, you were laid up with the cold from hell, shivering and sweating through a high fever.

Her companion had obviously seen her glance at her watch. She gave her a conspiratorial grin. “Want to get out of here? I’m sure we can find something to do for the rest of the night.”

The offer was tempting. The blonde was attractive and not looking for anything more than one night of fun. Her body, overheated from dancing, tingled in reaction to the blonde’s unmistakable gaze. Just say yes. Blow off some steam before you see Annie tomorrow. But thinking about Annie made her libido spin in a different direction. Going home with the blonde seemed like cheating on Annie. Cheating? Now you’re going crazy. Annie was straight and couldn’t care less if she went home with some blonde. She wouldn’t even know. But I’d know, and it would feel totally wrong. Drew took a step back. “Maybe another time.”

“You sure?” The blonde closed the space Drew had created between them and trailed her index finger down Drew’s chest, stopping just above her bra.

The suave gesture of seduction, so unlike Annie’s blushing naivety, made up Drew’s mind. She stepped back, severing the contact between their bodies. “Yes. I’m sorry. I’m not up for anything more than dancing tonight.”

“Suit yourself.” The blonde turned on her heel, strutted away, and disappeared into the crowd on the dance floor.

Drew watched her retreating back and rested her elbows on the bar. She needed a drink. A big one.

When the bartender walked over to her end of the bar, she ordered a beer, though. She had to drive home later and didn’t want to be hungover when she met up with Annie the next day.

“Strike out with Malinda?” Lynn leaned against the bar next to Drew.

Explaining would be too complicated, so Drew just shrugged. “Something like that.”

“Maybe you should ask Erica to dance. You know she’s had the hots for you for ages.”

Drew groaned. “I’m not interested in Erica.”

“You’re not interested in any woman these days, are you? Well, except for one.” Lynn downed a shot of tequila without even flinching and set the empty glass on the bar. Her tone dripped with bitterness. “I don’t understand why you’re so hung up on Annie.”

“I’m not hung up on her,” Drew grumbled. “It’s just that this ...” She pointed at the dance floor and the women hanging along the bar, checking each other out. “Picking up women at a club for a one-night stand or a short fling ... it’s not what I want any longer.”

Lynn waved at the bartender to refill her glass. As soon as she held the full shot glass in her hand, she emptied it again. “What do you want, then? The U-Haul, the white picket fence, and 2.5 Golden Retrievers?”

Drew looked into Lynn’s tequila-clouded eyes. “One dog would be enough, but otherwise ... yes.”

“Not every woman here wants just a one-night stand, you know?” Lynn’s voice was low and intimate, and the longing in her eyes revealed which woman she was thinking of.

Drew sighed. Over the past year, they’d had this conversation a few times, whenever Lynn drank too much. Drew’s answer was always the same. “I thought we agreed we’re better off as friends.”

“Agreed?” Lynn circled the rim of her tequila glass with one finger. Her gaze followed the movement. “No. You’re the one who made that decision.”

“It wasn’t working, Lynn. You know that. We’re too different.”

“And you and Annie aren’t?” Lynn looked up from her glass. Hurt and reproach mingled in her gaze.

“We’re very different.” But with Annie, the differences provided a nice balance instead of creating problems between them. Well, except for one difference: Drew was gay and Annie was straight. She took a swig of beer. “This isn’t about Annie.”

Lynn set the glass on the bar with a loud clank. “No?” She whirled around to face Drew and stumbled on her high heels.

“No.” Drew gripped her elbow. “Come on. I’m taking you home.”

Lynn leaned against her. “I thought you weren’t into taking women from the club home anymore?”

“I’ll make an exception for you.”

They walked toward the exit and waved at their friends, who were still sitting at one of the tables. Behind Lynn’s back, Drew pointed at Lynn and then held up her car keys to indicate that she would drive Lynn home. “We’re leaving, girls,” she shouted.

Sam and Becky nodded and waved back while Erica just looked at them with big, disappointed eyes.

When they stepped outside, the cool air hit them. Lynn stopped and glanced at Drew, looking more sober. “You’re too good for Annie. What do you see in a wallflower like her anyway?”

Drew glared at Lynn. Drunk or not drunk, no one was allowed to talk about Annie that way. “One more word and you’re walking home.”

“Okay, okay. Jesus. I’ve never seen you so protective of anyone.” Lynn pulled away from Drew and stumbled to the car. “I don’t want to go home,” she said over her shoulder. “Tequila makes me hungry and horny, and since you won’t fulfill one of my needs, you should at least take me to a restaurant.”

“You’re drunk. I’m not taking you to a restaurant.”

Lynn’s lips formed a pout. “I’m not drunk. Just a bit buzzed. And the food will help with that.”

“Okay, okay.”

Lynn seemed more sober as she followed Drew to the car.

While she unlocked the car, Drew thought about the way Annie had kissed her after the Halloween party, when they had thought Jake was watching. “Wallflower, my ass,” she murmured. She opened the passenger side door and closed it after Lynn got in. “You’ve got no idea, my friend.”

* * *

“The band was great,” Jonathan said for the second time.

Annie nodded. The music had been wonderful, and the food was just as good. See? This is nice. That strange attraction to Drew was just a fluke.

After Jonathan ate the last piece of his filet mignon, he laid down his cutlery and pressed the napkin to his lips.

Annie had finished her eggplant casserole ten minutes before. Focusing on her food had kept her from having to contribute more than a short answer here and there to keep the conversation going. She remembered how surprised she had been when her plate had still been half-full by the time Drew had finished her pasta dish during that first dinner together.

“Before I moved to Paso Robles, I started to learn how to play the saxophone,” Jonathan said. “The band’s sax player made it look easy, but believe me, it’s not. Do you play any instrument?”

“I played the piano when I was a child.” She crumpled her napkin as she remembered sitting on the hard piano bench for hours, repeating the same melody again and again under her father’s watchful eyes.

“Piano is a great instrument. So versatile. Why did you stop playing?”

Annie twirled her fork through the sauce on her plate. She didn’t feel like sharing her family history tonight. Oh, come on. You shared a lot of personal information with Drew. Why can’t you do it with Jonathan? “I had absolutely no talent for it,” she said. “And my father ...” She took a large sip of her water, but it couldn’t dislodge the lump of emotions in her throat. “He finally allowed me to stop.”

“That’s a shame,” Jonathan said.

Annie’s fingers tensed around her fork. Instantly, she felt judged, as if Jonathan didn’t approve of her giving up the piano lessons. You’re overreacting. That’s what Drew was trying to tell you—stop making negative assumptions. She tried to relax and enjoy the evening, but she realized that she was constantly on her guard.

Jonathan didn’t seem to notice. Using his hands to demonstrate, he told her everything he knew about playing the saxophone.

Be polite. Listen, Annie told herself, but her attention strayed.

Movement to her right made her look toward the restaurant’s entrance.

Two new guests had arrived and were talking to the hostess.

When the hostess moved to guide them to their table, Annie’s caught a glance at a curvy brunette. She squinted and stared. Was that Lynn?

Without the bunny ears, it was hard to tell, but the person next to Lynn was unmistakable.

Drew. Annie swallowed. What is she doing here? Didn’t she say she would go dancing with a few friends?

Drew placed one hand in the small of Lynn’s back and guided her past the tables near the entrance.

The memory of Drew guiding her like this shot through Annie.

She held her breath as the hostess led them toward the table next to Annie’s, but then the hostess turned left and seated them at another table. Drew didn’t look left or right, her attention focused on her companion.

Apparently, an evening out with friends had turned into a date.

Annie watched Lynn laughing about something Drew said and remembered how often Drew had made her laugh. When Lynn reached for the wine list, Drew shook her head and took it from her. Their fingers brushed.

“... dessert?”

Jonathan’s voice made Annie’s attention snap back to the table. “Um ...” She tried to guess what he had just asked her. “No, thank you.”

“All right. Then should we get the check and head back?”

Annie nodded. The faster they got out of here, the better. Oh, come on. You’re not jealous of Lynn, are you? No, of course she wasn’t. Even straight women could have a crush on another woman. That didn’t mean she wanted to be in a lesbian relationship. She just didn’t think that Lynn was the right woman for Drew.

Jonathan lifted his hand to signal the waiter.

When the waiter brought the bill, Jonathan insisted on paying for both of them. Annie hesitated but then gave in and thanked him.

Would Lynn and Drew each pay their own way, or would Lynn treat Drew in an attempt to get back together?

Annie rolled her eyes at herself. It doesn’t matter. Stop wasting your time thinking about Drew and Lynn and focus on your own date.

When Jonathan stood, Annie realized they would have to walk past Drew’s table to leave the restaurant. Sighing, she let Jonathan guide her toward the exit.

* * *

Lynn plucked a breadstick from the basket in the middle of the table and gobbled it down, leaving crumbs all over her shirt.

“Slow down, or you’ll choke,” Drew said as she watched Lynn reaching for another breadstick.

“I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” Lynn mumbled around a mouthful of breadstick. “The restaurant was too busy.”

So Lynn’s unhealthy eating habits hadn’t changed since they had separated. “You know, you shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach.”

Lynn’s chewing slowed. She glanced up and, still looking at Drew, took a sip of water. “Is this part of your standard lecture, or do you really care about my well-being?”

“Of course I care,” Drew said. “Just because we—” The sight of a blond woman who looked like Annie walking past their table stopped Drew mid-sentence. “Annie? Is that you?”

Annie stopped and turned—and so did the man walking next to her. He was handsome in that bearded-Brad-Pitt kind of way, and Drew instantly noticed how close he stood to Annie.

“Hello, Drew,” Annie said. She nodded in Lynn’s direction. “Lynn.” After a few seconds, she seemed to remember her companion. “Jonathan, this is Drew Corbin, a friend of mine, and Lynn ...”

“Lynn Seabrook,” Lynn said and shook Jonathan’s hand.

“And this is my colleague, Jonathan Poynter.”

So that’s Jonathan the accountant? With his tan and his slender body, he looked more like an athlete. Drew had to admit that he and Annie made a good-looking couple. “You look great, Annie,” Drew said before she could stop herself.

Black slacks emphasized every inch of Annie’s long legs, and the ivory satin-and-lace blouse was less conservative than Annie’s usual style of dress. Pearl stud earrings gleamed on her earlobes. Seems she went all out for her date or whatever else this is. It took some effort to unclench her teeth. What did you expect? She’s straight, so why wouldn’t she go out with a man?

A faint blush rose up Annie’s neck. “Thank you. I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.”

“Me neither. Lynn wanted to get something to eat before we head home.”

Annie raked her teeth across her bottom lip.

“Anything you can recommend on the menu?” Lynn asked.

Jonathan’s blond beard parted as he smiled. “The filet mignon is great. Really juicy if you order it medium-rare.”

Drew met Annie’s gaze. He’s raving about his rare steak. Does he even know Annie’s a vegetarian?

Annie shrugged almost indiscernibly, and they shared a secret smile. “Have a nice evening,” Annie said.

“You two too,” Drew answered. “See you tomorrow.”

As soon as Annie and Jonathan walked away, Lynn turned toward Drew. “See you tomorrow?” She frowned. “Drew, she’s got a boyfriend. Why do you keep meeting her?”

He’s not her boyfriend, Drew wanted to say. Instead, she folded her arms and said, “Can’t I be just friends with a straight woman?”

Lynn’s piercing gaze seemed to reach into the deepest recesses of her heart and mind. “You tell me.”

“Of course I can,” Drew said and repeated it to herself for the rest of the evening.

Chapter 14

By quarter to three, Annie was standing by the window, watching the street. The minutes ticked by slowly as she smoothed nonexistent wrinkles from her elegant slacks. She looked down at herself, opened the top button on her blouse, and then closed it again.

She glanced at the street in front of the apartment.

Mrs. Perez’s grandson sat on the bottom stair of their little blue house, smoking a cigarette so his grandmother wouldn’t catch him. A pick-up truck drove past the stop sign without even slowing down. Otherwise, the street was empty.

Still no sign of Drew.

The hand of the clock above the mantel sprang to one minute after three.

Every other time they had met, Drew had been early.

Where is she? Her imagination showed Drew leaving the restaurant with Lynn and then going home with her. Annie swallowed and shook her head to get rid of the mental image. Maybe Drew had just overslept.

The ringing of the phone made her jump. Drew! She rushed to the phone and snatched up the receiver without looking at the caller ID. “Yes?”

“This is Aaron Cargill.”

Great. Her boss. Not Drew.

“I’m sorry to call you at home on a Sunday,” Mr. Cargill said, “but there’s a problem with the software and we thought ... Well, maybe if you aren’t busy, you could come in and help us fix it?”

Now? Annie glanced out the window. Drew will be here any minute!

“I’m sure it won’t take more than an hour,” her boss said when she stayed silent. “I’ll pay for the overtime, of course.”

Annie glanced back and forth between the phone and the window. Proving herself as competent and reliable was important to her. But saying yes to her boss would mean not getting to spend time with Drew. She paused when she realized how important spending time with Drew had become. How did that happen?

“Annie?” Mr. Cargill asked. “Are you still there?”

“Yes,” Annie said. Her thoughts were racing while she tried to come up with a compromise that would make everyone happy. But this time, there was no compromise. It was either her boss’s needs or her own. She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Mr. Cargill, but I can’t come in. I’m on my way out the door for an important appointment.”

Silence answered at the other end of the line, showing her how surprised Mr. Cargill was by her answer.

And he wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

“Oh.” Mr. Cargill sighed. “Well, I guess the problem will still be here on Monday.”

“I’ll take care of it first thing tomorrow morning,” Annie said. She finished the call and stared at the phone in her hand. Wow. I said no to my boss. She shook her head and grinned at herself. Sarah would be proud. And Drew.

The doorbell rang.

Drew! Finally. Annie set down the phone and hurried to the door to buzz Drew in. After a few seconds, she heard footfalls on the stairs and peeked through the peephole. Her heartbeat accelerated at the sight of Drew walking toward the door, dressed in a gray button-down shirt and faded jeans that clung to her strong thighs.

The knock on the door made Annie jump even though she was expecting it. She ran her palms down her pant legs again and opened the door.

“Hey, Annie.” A warm smile brought out the dimples in Drew’s cheeks.

Annie smiled back but didn’t know what to do with her hands.

Drew solved that problem by giving her a hug.

Tiny shocks raced up and down Annie’s body. She allowed herself to melt against Drew for a moment before she pulled back. “Let’s go,” she croaked.

“You didn’t catch a cold too, did you?” Drew directed a worried gaze at her. “You sound a bit hoarse.”

“No, I just ... um ... no. I’m fine.” Under the pretense of getting her purse, Annie turned away to hide her burning cheeks.

But instead of waiting at the door, Drew followed Annie inside. “You need to change before we go.”

“Change?” Annie stared down at herself and bit her lip. You look like an accountant. Then she straightened her shoulders. What do you care if she likes the way you dress?

“Oh, sorry, I forgot to explain. I had a great idea on where to go for dinner. It’s not a restaurant, so I had to do some last-minute preparations. That’s why I’m a bit late.”

So it hadn’t been Lynn who had made Drew late. The tension receded from Annie’s shoulders, and she inwardly growled at herself for caring where Drew had spent the night. “Where are we going?”

Drew shook her head. “I’m not telling you. It’ll be a surprise.” Her dark eyes glittered like those of a child with an exciting secret. “Just dress warmly. Jeans, a sweater, and a jacket. And sensible shoes because we need to walk some distance.”

As Annie walked toward her bedroom to change, a thought shot through her mind, A woman in sensible shoes. Didn’t one of the websites say that’s another term for lesbian?

* * *

“Where are you taking me?” Annie asked for the third time.

Drew smiled and threw a quick glance at her puzzled passenger before she focused on the road again. “Don’t be so impatient.” She reached over and nudged Annie’s knee. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I do,” Annie said without any hesitation.

Her tone said it wasn’t just an empty reassurance. She really trusts me. The realization made Drew feel better than she had when she won an archery competition. She suspected that Annie’s trust was a prize that was harder to achieve than half a dozen bull’s-eyes in a row.

They rode the rest of the way talking about Drew’s work in the vineyard and about the novel Annie was reading.

Finally, after an hour, Drew turned into a small parking lot. “We’re here.” She got out and circled the car to open Annie’s door for her. Doing little things like this for Annie felt good even though Drew scolded herself for treating Annie like a date.

“Here? But that’s ...” Annie got out of the car and paused. Her chest lifted and fell as she breathed in the salty air. “We’re at the beach.”

“Yes.” Drew lifted a large basket and two blankets from the trunk. “I thought we could have a picnic.”

One of Annie’s brows rose. “A picnic? In November?”

Drew suppressed a smile. Clearly, Annie wasn’t the adventurous type. “Anyone can have a picnic in July, and this is California after all. We won’t freeze to death.” She settled the handle of the basket in the crook of her arm and lightly touched the small of Annie’s back to guide her.

Side by side, they strolled along the wooden boardwalk that ran the length of the cliff above the beach. An elderly couple sat on one of the benches, and a woman had taken an easel down to the beach, but otherwise, they were alone. Seabirds flew daring maneuvers around them.

If we’re lucky, we’ll also see ... Ah, there they are.

Two ground squirrels skittered over the planks. Instead of running away, they approached Drew and Annie. One of the squirrels lifted up on its hind legs as if to see what the humans had brought.

Drew reached into the covered basket and pulled out a handful of peanuts. She handed half of them to Annie. “Ever fed a squirrel?”

Annie shook her head but willingly took the peanuts. “Wow, you came prepared. How did you know there’d be squirrels at the beach?”

“I’ve seen them here before,” Drew said. “They’ve gotten used to people and can get quite pushy. Last time I was here, they nearly stole my granola bar, so I thought I’d bring some nuts with me, just in case.”

They sat on a bench and dropped peanuts at their feet.

A third squirrel scampered over and chased off the other two.

“Hey!” Annie waved her index finger at the squirrel. “Don’t be such a bully.”

But, of course, the squirrel didn’t listen. It gobbled up the treats until its cheeks bulged.

When all the peanuts were gone, the squirrel ran down the boardwalk, its bushy tail fluttering in the wind.

Drew watched Annie take it all in. A sense of awe made Annie’s usually controlled face glow. Drew smiled, glad she hadn’t just taken her to a restaurant. Moonstone Beach was one of her favorite places, and she was happy she could share it with Annie. “Come on.” She stood and led the way to the stairs. The wind picked up as they descended to the ocean.

Instead of sand, tiny, colorful pebbles covered the beach. They strolled along the shore, stepping over driftwood or stopping to pick up shells every once in a while. Waves crashed against rocks jutting into the ocean, and in the distance, seals soaked up the last rays of sunshine.

God, this is ridiculously romantic. A few times, Drew barely resisted the urge to take Annie’s hand. Maybe bringing her here wasn’t such a good idea after all.

One glance at Annie made her change her mind. With her golden hair blowing in the wind and her cheeks reddened by the breeze, Annie looked more carefree than she ever had. She walked with her head held high, not slouching as she often did.

Next to a large piece of driftwood, Drew set down the basket and unfolded one of the blankets for them to sit on. When Annie sat cross-legged next to her, Drew settled the second blanket over their laps. “Is this okay?” She nodded down at the shared blanket.

“Of course,” Annie said, but her gaze wandered to something behind Drew.

Drew turned and followed her gaze.

A bit farther down the beach, a woman made use of the gorgeous fall weather to paint a seascape. The woman glanced at them and then looked back at her easel.

“That’s not your mother, is it?” Drew asked.

Annie jerked around. “What?”

“The woman with the easel ... she’s not your mother, is she?”

“No,” Annie said. “My mother lives in Fresno and doesn’t come here to paint. I don’t know the woman.”

What is it, then? Is she uncomfortable with someone seeing us share a blanket? But Annie said nothing, so Drew decided to let it go. She needed to trust Annie to tell her when something made her uncomfortable.

Drew unpacked the basket. Their improvised dinner consisted of cheese, grapes, French bread, and chocolates. When she had remembered that Annie was a vegetarian, she had left her favorite spicy salami at home. She uncorked a bottle of her best Cabernet Sauvignon and poured Annie a glass, then filled her own. “It’s not a four-course meal,” Drew said, “but it’s the best I could do at such short notice.”

“Oh, please, don’t apologize. This is the best dinner I’ve had in ...” Annie shrugged. “Probably forever. I’ve never had a picnic on the beach.”

Drew lifted her glass. “Then here’s to picnics on the beach. May there be many more of them in your future.” One second after she had said it, Drew scolded herself. That’s practically telling her you want to spend more time with her in the future. But Drew knew giving in to that wish wasn’t healthy. After Thanksgiving, you need to keep your distance, at least until you get rid of that damn crush and can just be her friend, without daydreaming about more.

Annie touched her glass to Drew’s. “And in yours.”

When they took the first sip, their gazes met over the rims of the glasses.

For a moment, Drew thought she read the same longing in Annie’s eyes, but then Annie’s gaze veered away toward the point where the ocean met the sky. Just wishful thinking.

* * *

Annie swept a few bread crumbs from the blanket.

Drew lay stretched out next to her, her arms folded behind her head.

The sound of the waves crashing against rocks created a soothing rhythm. The sun was slowly creeping toward the horizon, but the blanket provided enough warmth.

The woman farther down the beach packed up her paints and easel and left.

Finally. Annie leaned back on her elbows. At last she could enjoy Drew’s company without worrying about how it seemed to others. It bothered her that she cared about what a perfect stranger thought, but she couldn’t help herself.

Again, like a catchy song that she couldn’t get out of her mind, Sarah’s words echoed through her. Maybe your reaction isn’t about Drew and her sexual orientation. It’s about yours. “Drew?”

“Hmm?” Drew opened her eyes and looked at her, her gaze warm and open.

Annie swallowed but finally found the courage to ask, “How did you know you’re gay?”

Drew sat up so that she was face to face with Annie. A soft smile played around her lips. “How did you know you’re straight?”

The question caught Annie off guard. “I ... I just ...” She stopped and frowned. She had assumed that she was straight just like everyone else and never questioned that assumption before. But now I do. The lump in her throat prevented her from saying anything else.

“As a child, I felt different from all the other girls,” Drew said when Annie stayed silent, “but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was that made me so different.”

Annie gave her a sympathetic nod. She had felt like an outsider during childhood too.

“Then my friends started being interested in boys while I just couldn’t see what was so fascinating about them.” Drew grinned. “Well, besides climbing trees and playing soccer with them.”

“But not being interested in boys doesn’t automatically make you gay, does it?” Annie said. “I was a late bloomer too. In school, I got teased because I just wasn’t interested in all the things other girls liked—boys, fashion, cheerleading ...” That had been one of the most painful times in her life. No one had defended her when the other kids teased her, not even her big brother. Jake seemed to think the teasing was all in good fun. Annie took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. It was about as much fun as having a root canal.

Drew reached over and squeezed Annie’s knee as if she could read her thoughts. “Kids can be cruel. And no, not being boy-crazy as a teenager doesn’t necessarily mean you’re gay. But when I met my first girlfriend—boom! The connection, the butterflies, the burning passion, everything that I was supposed to feel for a boy ... all of it was suddenly there—with a girl.”

Annie put her glasses back on and stared at the horizon, where the ocean met the sky. Had she ever felt a deep connection or burning passion for anyone? No. She had convinced herself that she was in love with her ex-boyfriend, but now—

“Any particular reason you’re asking me this?” Drew asked.

Annie glanced at her, then returned her gaze to the horizon. On the one hand, she wanted to tell Drew about the new feelings she was experiencing. Maybe Drew would be able to help her clear up some of the confusion. But on the other hand, Drew was the person who made Annie question her sexual orientation, so how could she give her objective advice? Besides, she was involved with Lynn—or close to getting back with her. No, she couldn’t tell Drew. “No reason,” Annie said. “I guess I was just curious.”

“So how about you?”

“Me?” Annie’s heartbeat sped up. What was Drew asking? Did she suspect that Annie was confused about her sexual orientation?

“Yeah. You practically know my life story, but you never talk about your past relationships.”

Not much to tell, Annie thought but stopped herself before she could say it. Come on. This is Drew. She never judged you. Sucking in a soothing lungful of salty air, Annie turned toward Drew. “What do you want to know?”

Drew crossed her legs Indian-style, put her elbows on her thighs, and leaned forward. “Tell me about your last relationship.”

“His name was Patrick,” Annie said. While she didn’t like talking about him, she figured it couldn’t hurt to tell Drew. She trusted Drew. And besides, Jake would become suspicious if Drew didn’t know a thing about her relationship history. “He’s an auditor. We met through work.”

“Love at first sight?”

“God, no.” Annie smiled. “At work, I tend to be so focused on the job that it took me three weeks to figure out he was flirting with me.”

Drew chuckled. “That’s cute.”

“No, just clueless.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Drew reached over and nudged Annie’s knee. “So what happened when you did figure it out?”

“He asked me out and I finally said yes.” Annie had been twenty-five back then. All the other women her age had already been in several relationships and her family kept commenting on her lack of love life, so dating a nice guy like Patrick had seemed like the right thing to do.

“Finally?” Drew asked. A smile crinkled the edges of her eyes. “How often did he have to ask until you said yes?”

Annie shrugged. “Three or four times.”

“Wow.” Drew whistled through her teeth. “Persistent guy. I have to give him that. So how long were you together?”

“A little more than two years.” Two birthdays, two Valentine’s Days, and two Christmases of which now only painful memories and jewelry she never wore remained.

Drew studied her for a few moments. “Were you happy with him?”

Why was it that no one else had ever asked her that question? She shrugged. “I suppose. Everyone always said what a nice couple we made.”

“Did you think so too?”

“We were a good fit. We’re both really independent and need a lot of time to ourselves.” Annie clamped her teeth around her bottom lip. “At least that’s what I thought.” She couldn’t stop the bitterness from creeping into her tone.

“What happened?” Drew asked.

“He cheated on me during the last year of our relationship. When I caught him, he said it was because I wasn’t emotionally involved enough in the relationship.”

The picnic basket nearly toppled over when Drew kicked out her legs. Her brown eyes blazed with anger. “What an asshole! First he cheats on you and then he has the audacity to blame you? Jesus!”

Annie blinked. Drew seemed almost more upset than she had been. “He wasn’t totally wrong, you know?”

“Yes, he was!” Drew grabbed a handful of pebbles and threw it toward the ocean. “If he wasn’t happy with the relationship, he should have talked to you, not gone and had an affair.”

Annie stared at her. Drew was right, of course, but she hadn’t expected her to be so passionate about it.

Drew rotated her head until the bones in her neck popped. She gave Annie an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to go off on you like that. I just can’t stand the thought of someone hurting you. I admit I don’t have the best track record with relationships, but I never, ever cheated on anyone. I’m sorry it happened to you. You don’t deserve that.”

“Don’t worry.” Annie emptied the last of the Cabernet with one big gulp. “I survived.”

“I wish you’d stop doing that.”

Annie frowned. “Doing what?”

“Pretending that nothing can hurt you emotionally.”

Annie pulled her knees up to her chest and folded her arms around her legs. “I don’t do that.”

“Yes, you do.” Drew looked deeply into Annie’s eyes. “You pretend not to care when your parents pick the restaurant on your birthday or your boyfriend is cheating on you, and you pretend that Jake’s stupid tricks are merely annoying you instead of hurting your feelings.”

“His tricks don’t—”

“Annie,” Drew touched one of the arms that were wrapped around Annie’s knees, “be honest with yourself. Of course it hurts you when Jake is playing tricks on you and never takes you seriously. If it didn’t hurt you, why would you be so intent on taking revenge?”

Annie snapped her mouth shut, which she had already opened for a denial. God, she’s right.

Drew reached for her hand.

Annie’s first impulse was to pull back. Her defenses were down, so the touch felt too intimate. But when Drew just held on lightly, Annie left her fingers in Drew’s gentle grasp.

“Next time someone breaks your heart, don’t pretend that it’s just a scratch. Don’t let anyone get away with hurting you.” Drew squeezed Annie’s hand, looked into her eyes, and added more quietly, “Okay?”

Shaken, Annie nodded. “Okay.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

Drew let go of her hand.

Annie swallowed, no longer sure what to say. Usually, Drew was so laid-back and easygoing that the sudden intensity had startled Annie.

“So what about before Patrick?” Drew asked after a while.

Annie shook her head.

“No other long-term relationships?”

“No.”

“Really? Don’t tell me you’re the one-night-stand type.”

“I’m not.” Annie hesitated, then decided to be honest with Drew. “Patrick was my first and only relationship.”

A seagull let out a piercing cry.

“Wow,” Drew murmured and shook her head back and forth. “That’s just ... wow.”

Annie studied the horizon, aware of how unusual having had just one relationship was at her age. She searched for an explanation, then realized that Drew wasn’t waiting for one. The look in Drew’s eyes was accepting, not judging. Annie relaxed her tense shoulders.

“What a jerk,” Drew said. “To be your first and only lover and then ...” She shook her head. “Patrick didn’t deserve you.”

They sat side by side, just listening to the sounds of the waves and the seagulls for a few minutes.

Finally, Drew got up and walked closer to the ocean. “Wait here. There’s something I want to show you.” She climbed over several large rocks, then stopped and bent to pick up something.

Shells?

A wave hit the rocks, and a spray of water rained down on Drew.

“Be careful!” Annie called. She leaned forward and watched Drew on the slippery rocks. “You’ll fall in!”

“Don’t worry. I’m careful.” Without looking up from the ground, Drew continued down the beach. Sometimes, she picked up an object and looked at it before throwing it into the ocean.

After a while, Drew returned and settled back down on the blanket. She held out her hand. “Ever seen one of these?” She held out a milky-white stone. The pebble shimmered in the sunlight, looking almost like a clear opal.

Annie took the stone from Drew’s hand. Her fingers grazed Drew’s palm, making her breath catch. “I don’t think so.” She rubbed her thumb over the stone. Its surface had been smoothed by the ocean until no rough edges remained. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s a moonstone,” Drew said. “The ancient Romans thought they were created by frozen moonbeams. And the Greeks wore it as a talisman. They believed moonstones could help you find true love.”

“Oh.” Annie stared at the stone in her hand. The swirling white patterns in the stone looked as chaotic as her emotions.

Drew searched her face. She looked embarrassed. “Pretty lame, huh?”

Annie just shrugged. Something told her that she would hurt Drew’s feelings if she said yes. Drew had sent her flowers, read romance novels, and prepared a picnic on the beach—she seemed like the romantic type. Normally, Annie looked down on sentimental people. She didn’t believe in superstitions, romantic legends, and love stories. Her world was ruled by facts and figures. “Not lame, no,” she said. “But even if the stone held magic, I doubt it could help me. Maybe Patrick was right. I’m a lost cause when it comes to love.”

“Hey! No negative comments about yourself.” Drew slapped the thigh that Annie had pinched just moments before. Then she rubbed the affected body part, making Annie’s leg—and places higher up her body—tingle.

This is not happening. Annie clenched her teeth. Her insides trembled. It’s just this place and the wine that affect me like this. Not a woman. Not Drew. A picnic during sunset on a beautiful beach would put anyone in a romantic mood, right? It didn’t mean anything. But the voice inside of her that said otherwise was becoming louder.

“You’ve got to start treating yourself better. Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Drew said, her voice a soft, intimate murmur. “You’re not a lost cause. When the time is right, you’ll be in a happy, loving relationship.”

In the past, Annie never cared. Whether she ever started a relationship again hadn’t mattered. But now, sitting on a blanket with Drew, watching the setting sun dipping the ocean in bronze and copper, she longed to have someone with whom she could share special moments like this.

A man, preferably.

But try as she might, she couldn’t imagine anyone else sitting in Drew’s place.

For the first time, she had to face the fact that those feelings might not go away. She stared at the moonstone, tempted to throw it away. But then she paused. When Drew wasn’t looking, she slipped the stone into her pocket, scolding herself for the sudden sentimentality.

Drew’s knee brushed against her ankle beneath the blanket, directing her attention away from the moonstone. Despite the hard ground, Drew stretched out on her back. The setting sun threw a soft glow over the planes of her face. She blinked, and each time, her eyes remained closed for a millisecond longer.

“You look tired,” Annie said before she could stop herself. She bit her lip.

Drew forced her eyes open and sat up. Her clothes were rumpled, which looked surprisingly attractive, and the wind swept a strand of hair into her face.

When Annie caught herself almost reaching out to comb the unruly curl back into place, she stuffed her hands into her pockets. She encountered the smooth contours of the moonstone. Quickly, she pulled out her right hand and rested it beneath her thigh instead.

“Sorry,” Drew said. Her nostrils quivered as she fought to suppress a yawn. “I swear it’s not the company. Lynn kept me up way past my bedtime last night.”

Annie dug her teeth deeper into her lip. She didn’t want to imagine Drew with Lynn, but she didn’t comment. Even though at times, the lines began to blur for Annie, Drew wasn’t her girlfriend and didn’t owe her an explanation. “What about your past relationships?” she asked after a while.

Drew folded her legs beneath her and faced Annie with an open expression. “Well, you’ve met Lynn.”

Is that really in the past? Annie wondered.

“And before that ...” Drew took a fistful of pebbles and let them slip through her fingers one by one. “I searched for all the wrong things in all the wrong places.”

“What do you mean?”

Drew turned her head and looked at the waves crashing against the black rocks. “When my mother lost her battle with cancer, my father just stopped living. He was the picture of health before, but within three months, he was gone too. Heart attack, the doctors said.” She turned back to Annie. Shadows of pain flickered in her eyes. “More like a broken heart, if you ask me. He just didn’t have the will to go on without my mother. That’s what I want too.” Drew paused. “I mean ... not a love that makes me want to stop living, but ...”

“I know what you mean,” Annie said. “A love that will bond you to someone in life and beyond.” Annie had never had that either, and she never thought she wanted it. But now she wasn’t so sure. She touched the moonstone that was hidden in her pocket as if that could make Drew’s wish come true. Don’t be a fool. It’s just a silly stone. She snatched her hand away. “And you’ve never found it?”

“I never searched for it,” Drew said. “I thought I just wanted to have some fun and fantastic sex. It wasn’t until my parents died that I understood what I’m really looking for. The sex was just a way to get emotional closeness ... or the illusion of closeness.”

The frank words sent a shock through Annie, but at the same time, she admired Drew’s candor. “But doesn’t being with me ... I mean ... pretending to be my girlfriend get in the way of finding someone to love?” Would prospective lovers like Lynn become jealous even if they explained their revenge plan?

Drew’s eyes darkened, but Annie couldn’t identify the emotion that had caused the change of color. “Don’t worry about it,” Drew said. “I’m sure finding the love of my life can wait two more weeks. Our ...” She paused and swallowed. “... little charade won’t last forever.”

No, Annie pressed her lips together, it won’t. The thought left her with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, she would be glad to leave all the pretenses behind and straighten out her confused feelings. On the other hand, the thought of no longer having a good reason to see Drew made her sad.

She rolled her eyes at herself. You were just fine without her before Jake set you up on that blind date. “About that ... Thanksgiving is coming up in less than two weeks, and we still haven’t talked about how we will pull it off.”

Drew took her time answering, making Annie fidget. “You’re cold,” Drew said, obviously misinterpreting the cause of Annie’s trembling. “Let’s head back. We can talk on the way to the car.”

Wordlessly, they worked together to pack up the remains of the picnic and fold the blankets.

Annie tried to hide the trembling of her hands, but the glasses clunked together as she put them back into the basket.

“You okay?” Drew asked.

Annie nodded, then turned her back under the pretense of wrapping up the remainder of the chocolate. The thought of talking about their Thanksgiving plan made her nervous.

The hazy gray of twilight mixed with the orange glow of sunset when they climbed the stairs to the boardwalk.

“About Thanksgiving,” Drew said. “You know Jake better than I do, so I’ll follow your lead.”

While Annie appreciated Drew’s willingness to give her full control, it wasn’t very helpful in this situation. “I don’t know what to do,” Annie said. The admission made her feel as if she had revealed too much of herself. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Do?” Drew cocked her head. “You’re making this more complicated than it is, Annie. I told you before. Just treat me how you would act toward a man you care for. It’s really not that different.”

But somehow, it was very different for Annie. Being around Patrick had been pleasant but had never caused the rollercoaster of emotions that she was going through now. “I did some research, but it confused me even more.”

“Research? On what?”

Annie rubbed her earlobe. “Lesbianism.”

Both of Drew’s eyebrows shot up. She stopped in the middle of the boardwalk. “What did you do? Watch lesbian porn?”

Annie sucked in a sharp breath. “No,” she said so fast that she almost started to stammer. “Of course not.” She didn’t mention that she had been tempted to click on one of those links. Despite the dropping temperatures, her cheeks burned.

“Then what was so confusing?”

“Nothing.” Everything. “I’m just not sure what we should and shouldn’t be doing to make Jake believe we’re a couple. When I kissed you ...” Annie squeezed her eyes shut when the mental images flashed through her mind. “It wasn’t enough to convince him. Not that first kiss, anyway.”

Drew rubbed her eyes.

Is she thinking about the second kiss too? Annie wondered. Or was it just one more meaningless kiss to her because it wasn’t coming from the woman who holds her heart?

“Listen, Annie.” Drew took her hand away from her eyes and looked at Annie. “I know I offered to just drop the whole plan before and you said you wanted to go through with it, but I can tell that this is stressing you out and it’s just not worth it.”

Part of Annie wanted to say yes, let’s forget the whole thing, and that scared her even more. She had never given up on anything once she had committed to it. Doing so now would only prove that she was running away because she was afraid of her own feelings.

Oh, you mean you’re not? Annie grimaced and then squared her shoulders. “No,” she said. “No backing out now. I can do this. If you help me.”

“Whatever you want.” Drew looked deeply into her eyes and nodded. “It’s your choice.”

They started walking down the boardwalk again.

Annie exhaled a shaky breath. “Then I choose to stick to the plan. Or rather come up with a plan. Any suggestions?”

“Maybe we need to start with simple things,” Drew said. “When you took your boyfriend home to meet your parents—”

“I’ve never done that.” Annie pretended to be fascinated by the ocean below them, too embarrassed to look Drew in the eyes and see her reaction. She knew people found it strange that at thirty, she had only been in one relationship and had never taken her boyfriend home to meet her family.

Drew’s step faltered for a moment. “But if you did, I assume you wouldn’t French-kiss him in front of your parents, right?”

“No,” Annie said. “That’s not my style.”

“Then maybe we shouldn’t do that either. If you act out of character, Jake will smell a rat. We could start with little things and then take it from there, depending on Jake’s reactions.”

“Little things?” Annie repeated. Half a dozen images flashed through her mind—Drew nibbling her neck, sucking her earlobe, or—

Stop it! Christ!

Drew shrugged. “For starters, I could wrap my arm around you when we’re standing or sitting next to each other.” She stopped walking and set down the basket. When Annie halted next to her, she wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close. “Are you comfortable with that?”

Annie’s throat was bone-dry. She swallowed and nodded.

“You might want to wrap your arms around me too,” Drew said.

After a moment’s hesitation, Annie slid her arms around Drew. Slowly, she exhaled and relaxed against Drew. The contours of their bodies fit together surprisingly well. Instead of feeling like an intrusion into her private space, Drew’s arms around her felt like a protective layer sheltering her from the cool ocean breeze.

Drew let her arms drop from around Annie.

Annie pulled her arms back too and shivered in the wind.

“I could also touch your arm when we’re talking,” Drew said. She demonstrated a fleeting brush of her fingers over Annie’s forearm, making goose bumps break out along Annie’s arm. “Or I might hold your hand. Would you be comfortable with that?” Drew reached out her hand and offered it, palm up, to Annie.

Her fingers and palm were stained with what looked like printer’s ink or engine oil.

Drew’s gaze followed Annie’s. “Oh.” Drew curled her fingers into a fist. “Sorry, I forgot. Not very attractive, I know, but I don’t want you to think I have dirty hands. That’s just what the hands of a winemaker look like in fall. The tannins from the grape skins practically carve themselves into my skin.” She glanced at her hands with an uncharacteristic frown. “I usually scrub them with lemon juice, but today, I just didn’t have the time after I got the picnic idea.”

Annie reached over and stroked along Drew’s hand to ease open her fingers. She didn’t want Drew to feel bad about any part of her job. Drew’s skin felt rough, but her fingers wrapped warmly and safely around Annie’s own. “I’m sure your mother didn’t mind when your father’s hands looked like this.”

“No,” Drew said, her voice sounding hoarse. “She didn’t. She held my father’s hand whenever she could, even after almost forty years of marriage.” Instead of letting go, Drew continued to hold her hand as she picked up the basket and they continued walking toward the car.

Like a teenager proving her mettle in a test of courage, Annie didn’t want to be the first to let go. Did holding Patrick’s hand ever make me aware of every inch of skin that was touching his? She doubted it. Her ex-boyfriend had never affected her like this. Barely stopping herself from stroking her thumb across Drew’s hand, she tried to focus on the conversation. “What else can we do to convince Jake?”

“Well,” Drew said, a glint in her eyes, “I could give you a hickey.”

Heat curled in Annie’s belly. “What?” She withdrew her hand and pressed her fingers to her neck. The thought of Drew sucking on the tender skin of her neck made goose bumps erupt all over her body.

Drew laughed. “Relax. I’m just kidding. Remember that we’re doing this to have some fun at Jake’s expense.”

Annie swallowed. Thank God. She wasn’t sure she could handle getting a hickey from Drew. Still, a tiny part of her wondered what it might have felt like to have Drew’s lips wander down her neck and—

Cut it out!

She filled her lungs with air and then exhaled quickly when she breathed in Drew’s scent—fresh air, sandalwood soap, and a hint of chocolate. God, she had never met a person who was so distracting. Focus, focus, focus! “Why can’t I be the one to give you a hickey?” she asked, trying for a cool, bantering tone.

Drew grinned and met Annie’s challenging gaze. “Have you ever given anyone a hickey?”

Blood rushed to Annie’s cheeks. “No,” she said. If she compared her sexual experience with Drew’s, she felt like a clueless virgin. Not that she would ever admit it to Drew.

“I have and Jake knows it,” Drew said. “He used to tease me in college about my dates looking like a Rottweiler mauled them.”

Annie fingered her neck. “Then I definitely think I should be the one to give you a hickey. Looking like a Rottweiler victim is not a very appealing thought.”

They reached the car. Drew locked the basket in the trunk and opened the passenger door for Annie before she got in on her side. “Hmm.” Drew rubbed her chin as if she was really thinking about it. “How do I know your technique is any better than mine?” Her eyes glinted in the fading light.

This time, Annie squared her shoulders and willed herself not to blush when she said, “Want to sample my technique?”

Drew dropped the key that she was about to put into the ignition. She bent, hitting her head on the steering wheel as she fished for the key beneath her seat. When she straightened, it wasn’t just the sunset that made her cheeks glow. “Are you flirting with me?”

Am I? Annie had never been one to flirt—not with men and certainly not with women. Despite the attraction she felt, she wasn’t ready to act on it. If she let that genie out of the bottle, she couldn’t put it back. She’d lose control. Keeping her feelings to herself was safer. “No,” she said, “of course not.”

“Too bad.” Drew winked at her and started the car.

Chapter 15

Annie watched the blonde on the TV screen knock over a table. Coffee cups crashed at the feet of her cheating female lover.

Jesus Christ! Is that really what a relationship between two women is like? Twice the estrogen means twice the drama? She shook her head at herself. Oh, come on. Be fair. If you had been deeply in love with Patrick, you would have been this upset about his cheating too.

The phone rang, making Annie jump. Stop being so paranoid. It’s not the heterosexual mafia calling to make sure you’re staying away from lesbian TV shows. Even Sarah and her other straight colleagues had watched this particular show when it had first aired, so there was no reason to be embarrassed. She paused the DVD that was the latest part of her private research and glanced at the caller ID.

She smiled when she saw the name on the display. See? Not the heterosexual mafia. She picked up the phone. “Hi, Drew.”

“What are you wearing?”

Drew’s husky voice sent a shiver through Annie. She had to clear her voice twice before she could speak. “Excuse me?” she stammered.

“For Thanksgiving,” Drew said, now in a more normal tone. “I’m wondering about the dress code at your parents’ house.”

“Oh.” Annie fell against the backrest of the couch.

“What?” Drew laughed. “You thought I was trying to have phone sex?”

Of course, Annie hadn’t really thought that, but watching the lesbian TV show with its scenes of physical intimacy between women hadn’t left her unaffected. Not that she would ever admit that to Drew. She still had a hard time admitting it to herself. “No.” She frowned, annoyed at how squeaky her voice sounded. “Of course not.”

“Don’t blush.”

Annie rubbed her burning cheeks. How does she know? “I’m not blushing.”

“No, of course not,” Drew repeated Annie’s words.

Annie could imagine the grin on Drew’s face.

“So,” Drew said, “is there a dress code?”

She’s worried about what to wear? There’s a hundred things about Thanksgiving that worry me more. “Not really,” Annie said, “but my father usually dresses pretty formal. He’ll get back from his matinee performance just before we have dinner, so he’ll be in a vest and tie.”

Drew sighed. “That formal, huh?”

“Yes, but you can wear whatever you want,” Annie said. She smoothed her hands over her sweatpants, wondering what she would wear. Should she show up at her parents’ home in her usual slacks and blouse? Or dress differently to reflect her newfound lesbian status? Oh, great, now I’m nervous about what to wear too. “Jake will probably show up wearing jeans, so you don’t need to dress up.”

“Oh, yes, I do. Rule number one of conquering someone’s heart: get her family on your side, even if it means dressing up to impress the parents.”

She’s got some kind of unwritten rulebook? Annie wondered how many hearts Drew had conquered. It doesn’t matter. Yours won’t be one of them. She paused and stared at the TV, again surprised at the thoughts she kept having. “But you’re not really trying to conquer my heart,” she said as matter-of-factly as she could.

Drew was silent for a moment. “Still, you can’t go wrong with rule number one. If I’m not trying to get your parents’ approval, Jake will become suspicious.”

Okay, that’s a sound argument. “All right. If you insist, you can dress up.” Annie tried to imagine what Drew would be wearing to impress her parents, but the only mental picture that came to mind was the faded jeans and gray button-down shirt Drew had worn at the beach. It amazed her that she could still remember what Drew had worn, even after five days. Normally, Annie didn’t pay attention to things like that.

“Yeah, but there’s a little problem,” Drew said. “I’m a vintner, not a conductor or an artist. My idea of dressing up is cargo pants and a polo shirt, and the one silk shirt I owned was ruined when a beautiful woman poured wine over it at a party.”

Annie rubbed her earlobe, which was glowing with the heat of embarrassment. But if she was honest with herself, she had to admit that she also felt pleased at hearing Drew call her “beautiful.”

“Can you meet me at the mall tomorrow and help me buy something to wear?” Drew asked.

Suddenly, Drew’s plan didn’t seem like such a sound argument anymore. “Umm. Shopping? For clothes?” Annie wrinkled her nose. “Is that really necessary? Unless it’s for books or computers, I don’t like shopping.”

Drew laughed. “Are you sure you’re not a lesbian?”

“W-why?” The question made something deep inside of Annie quiver, maybe because she had asked herself the same question recently.

“Because most lesbians I know would rather have their toenails pulled out with a rusty pair of pliers than go shopping for clothes.”

Ah. Annie pressed her free hand to her forehead and rubbed as if she could wipe away her reaction to Drew’s question. “There are plenty of straight women who hate shopping too.”

“Apparently,” Drew said. “So, will you come with me? Please, please, please?”

“How can I resist that kind of pathetic pleading?” In fact, Annie didn’t need much convincing to agree to spend time with Drew. Normally, she needed a lot of time to herself, but strangely, the point where Drew’s company became too much hadn’t happened yet.

“You think that’s pathetic?” Drew chuckled. “You should see my wide-eyed puss-in-boots impression.”

“You’re a Shrek fan?” Grinning, Annie looked at the three Shrek DVDs on her shelf.

“But of course.” Drew imitated Antonio Banderas’s Spanish accent.

Annie smiled. She likes Star Trek and animated movies. She’s perfect for me. She paused and tapped her knee. Well, she would be if she were a man. Men were safe. But Drew was throwing her life and her emotions into chaos.

“Why the big sigh?” Drew asked.

Sigh? Oh. Annie pressed her knuckles to her lips. She hadn’t realized she had been sighing. Her mind raced as she sought for a plausible explanation. “I’m just not looking forward to going shopping.”

“I can go on my own if you—”

“No,” Annie said as fast as she could. Spending time with Drew was worth braving the mall. “I’ll go with you. I could also use a new outfit or two, so we can suffer through the shopping torture together. Tomorrow, two o’clock?”

She had planned to go into the office for a while, even though the next day was Saturday, but shopping with Drew had priority. It was just a few more days until Thanksgiving, so this was the last chance to talk about their plan.

“It’s a date,” Drew said.

No, it’s not, Annie wanted to say, more to remind herself than because she thought Drew could misinterpret the situation. She rolled her eyes at herself. Relax. It’s just a figure of speech.

“Annie?” Drew sounded as if she had already repeated the name several times.

God. Annie tapped her forehead with her fist. Get yourself together. “Yes?”

“Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” Oh, yeah. My brain feels like it’s about to explode, and I’m suddenly attracted to a woman, but everything’s just peachy.

Drew hesitated for a few moments.

Annie’s breath caught. Does she know me that well already that she can tell I’m lying? The thought was scary and comforting at the same time.

“Okay,” Drew said. “I’ll pick you up on my way to the mall.”

“All right. Good night.”

“Good night. Sleep well.”

Annie knew she wouldn’t. She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since spending half the night on Drew’s couch—in her arms. “You too.”

She ended the call and stared at the TV, where the blond actress had been frozen in the middle of running away. Annie sighed. Running away. Doesn’t work, does it? She pressed the off button on the remote control and watched the image fade to black.

* * *

Drew laid the phone on the coffee table and stared at Cab, who occupied the other end of the couch. “What’s going on with Annie?”

Cab lifted his head.

“Whatever it is, I think she’s really going through a tough time.” Drew reached across the couch and scratched Cab’s head until he settled back down. She wasn’t sure if it was just Thanksgiving, although that clearly was a part of what made Annie so worried. Oh, like you aren’t worried? Calling her in a panic, begging her to go shopping with you ... Nope, you’re the picture of cool, calm, and collected.

At least Drew knew what made her so nervous. She wanted to support Annie in her endeavor to finally get the upper hand with Jake, but at the same time, she was worried about crossing the line and giving in to her growing crush on Annie. If that happened, Annie would probably run away screaming, never to be heard from again.

Is that what’s making Annie so jumpy? Does she suspect something? She tried to pinpoint when Annie’s behavior had changed. I think it was after I got sick and we fell asleep on the couch. After that, Annie had seemed distracted whenever they met, as if there was a lot going on beneath that controlled surface.

Hard to tell with her, though. Annie just wasn’t a person who shared her thoughts and feelings easily. When they went shopping, Drew would have to try harder to find out what was going on with Annie. Whatever it was, she wanted to help—and if she was the cause of Annie’s nervousness, she needed to change her behavior.

Oh, yeah. That should be easy. Just tear open your chest and rip your heart out and voilà, your feelings for Annie won’t be a problem anymore. Sighing, she let her head drop against the backrest of the couch. Piece of cake.

* * *

Annie hadn’t even tried on anything yet, but the hustle and bustle in the busy department store was already getting on her nerves. She shared a commiserating smile with the young man on the bench across from hers. His wife or girlfriend was in the fitting room next to Drew’s. From time to time, his companion called out to him to bring her a dress or a top in a different size or color, and he rushed off to do her bidding.

At least shopping with Drew was more fun than that. No matter whether a pair of pants or a top fit her, nothing seemed to put her in a bad mood.

The door opened, and Drew stepped out of the fitting room. She twirled playfully, showing off her outfit. Then she stopped in front of Annie. “What do you think?”

Annie let her gaze trail up a pair of elegant dark gray slacks that hugged shapely hips and over a white blouse that contrasted nicely with Drew’s tan. The blouse’s fastenings crisscrossed on the front, emphasizing her full breasts. Wow. Annie swallowed against a dry mouth. “Uh ... nice.”

“Really?” Drew tugged on her pant legs. “Are you sure I can wear something like this with my fat thighs?” She said it matter-of-factly, not like a person who felt insecure about herself.

“Fat thighs?” Annie echoed. Her gaze drifted down Drew’s body and took in her legs. Drew’s thighs weren’t the toothpick-thin legs of a model, true, but Annie liked Drew’s sturdier build. The thought made her blush, and she jerked her gaze away from Drew. “You don’t have fat thighs.”

“Oh, no?” Drew slapped her hands against her thighs. “What do you call this?”

“They’re ...” Strong and beautiful. Annie bit her tongue. “... solid?”

“Which is the politically correct term for fat.”

“No, it’s not. I like the way you look.” The last sentence slipped out without Annie’s permission. Her cheeks flamed.

Drew blinked. A broad grin spread over her face. “You do?”

“Yes. I mean ... those pants look good on you.”

A male voice interrupted the awkward silence. “She’s right. The pants look pretty good from over here too.”

When Annie turned, she realized the young man on the bench had overheard their conversation. Great. Can this get any more embarrassing? But when she looked at the man, embarrassment turned to anger.

He was still looking at Drew. His gaze lingered on her breasts. “The top too,” he added with a grin.

Annie took a step forward, blocking Drew from his line of sight. She wanted to deck him and tell him to keep his comments—and his eyes—to himself. Not that he was wrong. The clingy blouse looked good on Drew, but she didn’t like the way the man was ogling Drew, as if she were a piece of meat. “Thanks for sharing your opinion,” she said in a tone that was anything but grateful. She gave him her sternest gaze. “But this is a private conversation.”

The man lifted his brows, leaned back on the bench, and looked back and forth between Annie and Drew. Finally, he grinned. “Ah.”

What’s that supposed to mean? Annie folded her arms.

He lifted his hands, palms out, in a “hands off” gesture.

Oh, no, he thinks Drew and I ...? She shook her head. Why do people keep thinking that?

When Annie continued to glare at him, the man stood, mumbled something about getting another skirt for his wife, and hurried away.

“What was that?” Drew asked, a curious smile curling her lips.

“Just some impolite jerk,” Annie muttered.

Drew waved her hand in the air. “Ah, he was harmless.” She smiled, and the dimples made her outfit appear even more breathtaking. “But thanks for defending my honor.”

“I wasn’t—”

Drew’s hand on her arm made her fall silent. “Every once in a while, it feels good to be the damsel who gets rescued by a brave knight.”

Annie met Drew’s brown eyes. The intensity of Drew’s gaze made something inside her melt. Shaken by the emotions that Drew evoked in her, she nodded once and then turned away. “I think I’ll try on something too.”

* * *

Drew settled down on a bench, glad to get off her feet while she waited for Annie to try on the clothes she had taken into the fitting room.

The young man who had commented on her pants and top walked by and grinned at her.

She grinned back. Unlike Annie, who had seemed embarrassed, she was flattered that he had obviously thought she and Annie were a couple.

But Annie was ready to take the guy’s head off even before he thought we’re a couple. Wonder what set her off? Had the man just pushed one of Annie’s buttons?

The fitting room door opened.

Drew looked up. Annie stepped half out of the fitting room, lifted her arms, and craned her neck to view her reflection in the full-length mirror. “What do you think?”

The cream-colored slacks and pin-striped blouse looked good on Annie—good, but fairly conservative. Drew would have bet that Annie had a dozen similar combinations in her wardrobe already. “It looks good, but why don’t you try on something different?”

Annie’s eyebrows inched toward her hairline. “Something different?”

“Yes,” Drew said. “We want Jake to think that you’re in love. Just imagine it for a moment. If you were in love with me, wouldn’t you try to dress in a way that I might find appealing?”

Annie chewed on her lip. Her gaze flickered up to Drew’s eyes. “So you don’t like the slacks and blouse.”

“I like them. Really.” Drew had never thought she would find conservative business suits sexy, but she did when Annie was wearing them. She also longed to see Annie—figuratively and literally—let her hair down and wear something that brought out her softer, more feminine side. “But this is kind of what you wear every day. If you want to send the message that you’re wearing something sexy for your new lover, then we need something else.”

“Like what?” Annie asked, her expression skeptical, as if she already suspected she wouldn’t like the answer.

“How about a dress? I’ve seen a few that would look great on you.” That was an understatement. Just imagining Annie in that burgundy dress in the front of the store made Drew’s heartbeat pick up.

Annie grimaced. “I don’t wear dresses.”

“Why not? You’ve got the figure for it.” Drew tried to make it sound like an objective compliment, given without a lot of emotion.

“I don’t know.” Annie shrugged. “They’re just not my style. I’d probably look like a scarecrow.”

“Scarecrow?” Drew echoed. Damn, what happened to give her that kind of self-image? She looked deeply into Annie’s eyes to let her know how sincere she was. “Annie, you couldn’t look like a scarecrow if you tried. Anyone with eyes in their head can see how ...” She stopped herself just in time before she told Annie how attractive she found her. “With your long legs, I bet you’d look great in a dress. Why don’t you try one on?”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on. Just try it. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to buy it.”

Annie sighed. “All right. If you find me a nice one, I’ll try it. But just one.” She held up her index finger.

Okay. Just one. Make it count. Drew took two steps toward the front of the store; then she stopped and turned. “What size do you wear?”

“No idea,” Annie said. “Last time I wore a dress, I was ten years old. Maybe try a size eight.”

Drew searched until she found the burgundy dress in that size. She carried it back to the fitting room.

The door was closed, and she heard Annie unzip her slacks. The thought of Annie undressing behind the slatted door and the slacks slipping down a pair of slender legs made Drew suck in a breath.

“Drew?” Annie called through the door. “Are you there? Did you find one?”

“Um ... yeah.” Drew’s voice was raspy.

When the door opened an inch, she passed the dress through the tiny gap and into Annie’s waiting hands.

Annie let the door swing closed.

Drew turned her back toward the fitting room. Oh, yeah. Like that’s going to stop you from imagining what’s going on behind that door.

For a few seconds, all she heard was the rustling of fabric. Then Annie mumbled, “That’s why I don’t wear dresses.”

“Everything okay?” Drew called.

“Everything’s fine,” Annie answered. “Just this damn ... God, who invented this zipper?” She grunted as if she were wrestling with a grizzly.

“Um ...” Drew hesitated, but the sounds of the struggle with the zipper continued. Come on. You’re her friend. You can do this. “Do you need some help?”

The muttering and grunting stopped.

Shit. Now she thinks I want to ogle her.

Clothing rustled as if Annie was trying one more time to wrestle the stubborn zipper into submission. Then silence fell, and Annie finally said, “If you wouldn’t mind.”

Taking a deep breath, Drew straightened and opened the fitting room’s door.

Annie stood with her back toward Drew. Her hands held the front of the dress pressed against her chest.

Their gazes met in the mirror.

Drew paused, half in, half outside of the fitting room.

Annie cleared her throat. “D-do you like it?”

“Huh?”

“The dress?”

With Annie holding on to the front of the dress, Drew couldn’t see much of it, but the sight of Annie’s bare arms and shoulders took her breath away. “It looks spectacular.” Her chest felt tight as she stepped closer.

“I don’t know. I think I’ll get a pair of slacks instead.” Annie swept her critical gaze along her reflection in the mirror. “I don’t like how I look in dresses.”

“Nonsense,” Drew said, trying to sound casual. “You look great.” She struggled not to breathe too fast, afraid that Annie could hear. Her hands were steady as she lifted them to the small of Annie’s back, but on the inside, she was trembling. Oh, come on. Don’t act like you’ve never seen a half-dressed woman. Or a naked one, for that matter.

She trailed her gaze up Annie’s bare back, from the point where the dress rested just above her hips, over vulnerable-looking shoulder blades, to the elegant curve of her neck. The burgundy color made the smooth, pale skin glow like the moonstone she had shown Annie on the beach.

God, she’s beautiful. And she’s not wearing a bra.

With fingers that felt too big for the dainty task, Drew reached for the zipper. Her fingertips grazed Annie’s skin.

A visible trail of goose bumps spread over Annie’s back, making Drew shiver in response.

“Cold?” Drew asked. She barely recognized her own voice.

Annie shook her head. The mirror showed a flush creeping up her neck.

To Drew, it made Annie look even lovelier. Focus. Zip her up and get out of here before you do something stupid. She lowered her gaze to the zipper.

A bit of fabric had gotten caught in the zipper, and Drew tugged it free. She felt Annie stop breathing and go still beneath her hands. Slowly, Drew pulled the zipper up until she encountered the golden-blond hair falling to just below Annie’s shoulders. “Can you lift your hair?”

Letting go of the dress with one hand, Annie reached back and swept her hair to the side.

The movement made the fine muscles of her back vibrate against Drew’s fingers.

Drew struggled against the urge to move forward and press her lips to Annie’s bare neck. When she wrenched her gaze away from the pale skin, their gazes connected in the mirror.

Heat rushed through her.

Was she just imagining the mix of hunger and fear in Annie’s darkened eyes?

“Drew ...” Annie’s tone sounded pleading, but Drew wasn’t sure for what.

Warm flesh twitched beneath Drew’s hands, and she realized she had laid both of her hands on Annie’s back, fingers spread as if to connect with as much of Annie as she could. She wrenched her hands away. When she lifted her gaze back up, Annie’s face had lost the unguarded expression. Whatever she had felt was now hidden behind a mask of control.

“Sorry.” Drew pulled up the zipper the rest of the way and stepped back as far as the tiny fitting room allowed. “The zipper should work now. Think you can manage alone?”

Annie nodded. Even though the zipper was closed and held up the dress, she was still clutching the front.

“I’ll wait outside.” Not waiting for a reply, Drew stumbled from the fitting room and sank onto a bench.

* * *

Oh God, oh God, oh God. What was that? Annie stared into the mirror without seeing the dress. Her skin burned as she remembered the heat in Drew’s gaze. She could still feel where Drew’s hands had rested against her back.

Shakily, she dropped onto the narrow bench in the fitting room. Take a deep breath. She sucked air into her lungs as if she were suffocating. Nothing happened. No big deal. Okay, so you’re attracted to Drew. Just ignore it. Maybe it’ll go away once we stop pretending for Jake.

But the excuse had grown empty. Except for the time when Jake had been watching and at the Halloween party, she wasn’t playing a role when she was with Drew. Quite the opposite. She couldn’t remember when she had last shown another person so much of herself without fear of being judged. Probably never.

What does that mean? Is this connection ... these feelings ... are they for real?

Too much was going through her mind to be sure of the answer.

She leaned against the mirrored wall of the fitting room and shivered as the cold seeped into her back. Despite the cramped space, she didn’t want to open the door and face Drew—or maybe it was her own feelings she didn’t want to face.

Sarah’s words echoed through her mind again. Maybe your reaction isn’t about Drew and her sexual orientation. It’s about yours.

Annie stood and jerked down the zipper, nearly getting it caught on a piece of fabric again. Stop. If she damaged the zipper, she would have to call Drew for help. Heat shot through her at the thought of feeling Drew’s hands on her back again.

Annie struggled out of the dress. When she picked up her pants, something slipped out of her pocket and dropped onto the carpet. The milky-white moonstone twinkled in the glaring lights of the fitting room, looking as out of place as Annie felt.

For a moment, Annie considered leaving it behind, but then she again saw the carefree smile on Drew’s face when she had shown her the moonstone. She bent and touched the stone. It was still warm from her body heat. Sighing, she put it back into her pocket.

Chapter 16

The folder held tightly in her hand, Drew crossed Cargill & Jones’s parking lot. Her heartbeat picked up when she saw Annie’s car parked right in front of the entrance. You’re not here to see Annie, she reminded herself.

But maybe she could combine business with pleasure and see if Annie had time to go for lunch. They needed to talk about what had happened between them in the fitting room. When Annie had come out of the fitting room, dress in hand, she had mumbled something about not liking the fit of the dress. Soon after finding a pair of slacks, she had hurriedly said good-bye, saying that she needed to get some work done.

Drew hadn’t been able to think of anything else all weekend. At times, she had convinced herself that it was all just in her imagination, that she was just projecting her own feelings onto Annie. But there were moments when she was almost sure she had seen her longing reflected in Annie’s eyes when their gazes had met in the mirror.

She wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

When she entered the building, Mr. Hargrave, her accountant, stood in the hallway, talking to someone.

Drew craned her neck to see whether that someone was Annie.

A woman’s red hair peeked out from behind Mr. Hargrave.

Not Annie. Drew slowed her steps.

Mr. Hargrave turned and frowned. “Ms. Corbin. Do we have an appointment?”

“No, I just thought I’d drop off the receipts you asked for.” Drew held out the folder.

“Oh. Thank you.” He took the folder, glanced inside, and nodded. “You didn’t need to drop it off in person.”

Drew shrugged and admitted to herself that it had just been a convenient excuse to see Annie. “I was in the neighborhood anyway.” She hesitated and glanced at the petite redhead next to Mr. Hargrave. Was she a colleague or a client? Not that it mattered. She turned back toward her accountant. “You wouldn’t happen to know if Annie Prideaux is with a client right now?”

“Annie Prideaux?” Hargrave’s eyebrows crept toward his thinning hairline. He probably wondered whether she was trying to replace him as her accountant.

Drew didn’t care. She wasn’t in the mood to soothe her accountant’s ruffled feathers, so she just nodded.

“I have no idea,” Mr. Hargrave answered.

“I think she went to lunch with Jonathan,” the redhead said.

Jonathan. The name was like salt in an open wound for Drew. Maybe she had just imagined Annie’s reaction. If Annie was interested in anyone at all, it was Jonathan, not her. She unclenched her teeth, said “thank you,” and trudged back to her car.

* * *

“You barely touched your lunch,” Jonathan said as they made their way back to the office.

“I wasn’t very hungry.” Annie hadn’t eaten much in days. Her stomach felt like a churning sea of emotions. She couldn’t eat, she couldn’t sleep, she could barely hear herself think over the never-ending questions running through her mind. Even when they had talked about an account that Jonathan needed help with over lunch, her thoughts had repeatedly strayed from the topic at hand and returned to that moment in the fitting room.

“Wasn’t that your friend?” Jonathan asked. “The one from the restaurant?”

Drew? Annie looked up sharply. “Where?”

Jonathan paused in the middle of the firm’s parking lot. “In that car.” He pointed over his shoulder.

When Annie turned, the car was already gone.

Had it really been Drew? And if yes, what had she been doing here? Had Drew wanted to talk to her? What am I supposed to say if she asks me what’s going on with me? Annie rubbed her forehead. Calm down. She was probably just in the neighborhood and wanted to talk about Thanksgiving.

“Annie?”

When Annie looked up, she realized Jonathan was holding the door open for her. “Oh. Thanks.” With one final glance back to the parking lot, she stepped past Jonathan.

* * *

Drew stood stock-still in the middle of her bedroom and looked at the bow that rested next to the quiver on her bed. In the past, taking out her bow and focusing just on hitting the target had always helped her to forget about her troubles. But since her mother’s death, just looking at the bow had hurt. Now she looked at the worn grip of her bow and the feathered arrows and felt a tingle of anticipation.

Okay, let’s try this. Maybe it would help her forget about Annie and their moment in the fitting room for a while. She attached the quiver to her belt and picked up the bow.

When she left the house, Martin was crossing the yard. He walked over, his gaze fixed on the bow in her hands. “Going out for some target practice?” he asked as if it were an everyday occurrence.

Drew nodded. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah.”

Their gazes met and held.

The lines on Martin’s tan face deepened as he smiled. He clapped her shoulder with his work-roughened hand. “That girl, Annie, she’s really good for you. Your mother would have liked her.”

Drew swallowed. What wouldn’t she give to be able to introduce Annie to her parents and have her experience a warm family interaction. “I think so too. But she’s a woman, not a girl. And she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Didn’t say she was.” He winked at her. “Not yet.” Martin patted her shoulder again, then pulled his baseball cap more deeply over his face, and walked away, whistling.

Drew fondly shook her head and watched him go. When he had disappeared around the corner, she headed toward the field behind the barn.

* * *

What am I doing here? Annie sat in front of Drew’s house, her car’s engine idling. Instead of getting out and knocking on the door, she stayed in the car and drummed a staccato beat on the steering wheel with her fingers.

It was the day before Thanksgiving, so this was her last chance to talk to Drew.

There’s nothing to talk about.

But Annie knew that was a lie. There was a lot to talk about, but Annie wasn’t ready. Still, she couldn’t stay away. She had paced her apartment, always returning to the phone. But even though the phone would have afforded her a safe distance, she knew doing this by phone wasn’t right, so she had driven over to talk to Drew. But what was she supposed to say? I can’t stop thinking about you?

She imagined Drew staring at her. “Annie,” Drew would say, “you’re a wonderful woman, but I don’t think of you that way.”

God, that would be embarrassing. Annie had never risked humiliation like that. But would Drew really say that? The look in her eyes when their gazes met in the fitting room mirror made Annie think otherwise. What will you do if she thinks about you “that way” too? Could you have a relationship with a woman—with all the repercussions?

Annie pinched her nose. She was making herself crazy with all the what-ifs. Part of her wanted her safe, uneventful life back—the one she’d had before meeting Drew. The other part felt alive, really alive, for the first time in her life.

And that scared her even more. Before, her emotions had been safe and controllable. She had always thought of herself as a reserved person, not very passionate, romantic, or sexual. Now all the assumptions she had made about herself were no longer true. With Drew, she had lost all control of her body and her emotions.

She shook her head. Just keep your mouth shut. No one will ever need to know. Now get out of here before Drew sees you. She put the car in reverse and prepared to back out of the driveway.

A knock on the car window next to her made Annie jump. She whirled around.

One of Drew’s employees stood next to the car, and after a second, Annie remembered his name: Martin Salerno. He waved at her and gestured for her to roll down the window.

Annie did.

“If you’re looking for Drew, she’s behind that barn over there.” He pointed to one of the buildings.

“Thank you,” Annie said and forced a smile. Inwardly, she grimaced. Damn. Now she couldn’t just leave. He would probably tell Drew she had been here, and then Drew would wonder why she had driven all the way to the vineyard and left without talking to her.

Sighing, she turned off the car and sat in the deafening silence. Seconds ticked by. Finally, she touched the moonstone in her pocket, an annoying habit she had developed in the last week, and got out of the car.

She had expected to find Drew elbow-deep in vines, grapes, or some other work-related activity. But when she rounded the corner, Drew stood with a bow at the edge of a field, a quiver full of arrows strapped to her hip.

Annie paused to watch her undetected.

With fluent, unhurried movements, Drew nocked one arrow, raised the bow, and drew back the string. Her face was relaxed and focused at the same time. Nothing seemed to exist for her but the target on the other side of the field.

Annie couldn’t take her gaze off Drew.

When the fingers of Drew’s right hand grazed her cheek, she released the string.

The arrow streaked across the field.

With a thud, it hit the golden center of the target.

“Wow.” Joy rushed through Annie. She knew that hitting the target meant more to Drew than just being good at a sport. Drew had been scared that she had forever lost the skills her mother had taught her.

At the sound of Annie’s voice, Drew lowered her arm with the bow and turned. Her lips curled into a welcoming smile. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Annie didn’t know what else to say. She struggled to find the right words—or any words at all. “Um ... Martin told me where to find you.” Her gaze flickered away from Drew and to the target. “You’re hitting the target. You’ve got it back, everything your mother taught you.”

“Yeah.” Drew exhaled and grinned. She radiated happiness. “This time when I touched the bow, it felt like coming home. Guess I just needed some time, like you said.”

“I’m really happy for you.” Despite her resolve not to touch Drew, Annie squeezed Drew’s forearm. Her fingers wrapped around the leather bracer.

After a moment, Drew put her free hand on top of Annie’s.

They stood there, not speaking, just communicating by touch, until finally, Drew was the one to shift and break the contact between them. “Want to try?” She glanced down and lifted the bow.

“What? Me?” Annie shook her head and stepped back. “Oh, no, that’s not a good idea. I’m such a klutz. I’d probably end up shooting someone.”

Drew closed the distance between them. “What did I tell you? No negative assumptions about yourself. Just try it once. Can’t be any worse than my first attempt.”

“What happened?” Annie asked. She couldn’t imagine calm, confident Drew fumbling around with the bow and arrow.

“Somehow, the arrow fell at my feet. My mother tried so hard not to laugh that she looked like she had a facial tic.” Drew chuckled.

Annie smiled back. “How old were you?”

“Ten,” Drew said. “Come on. Try it.”

A slow breath escaped Annie. Can’t hurt, right? She straightened. “What do I do?”

“First, you put on the arm guard,” Drew said. “It’ll protect your arm from the bowstring.” She removed the leather bracer from her forearm.

Annie’s breath caught when Drew slipped the piece of leather, still warm from Drew’s body heat, around her left arm and fastened it. Tingles shot up her arm and raced down the rest of her body.

Drew cleared her throat. “Then you put on the tab.” She fastened another piece of protection to Annie’s right hand by looping it around her middle finger.

The feel of Drew’s tannin-stained fingers sliding around hers made Annie shiver. Her head spun.

“Now position yourself at a right angle from the target with your feet shoulder-width apart.”

Annie turned her left shoulder toward the target. “Like this?”

“Move your foot a bit more to the right.”

After moving her foot another inch to the side, Annie glanced over her shoulder at Drew.

“No, the other one. Like this.” Drew put her foot between Annie’s and pressed against her right instep. This position brought her flush against Annie’s back.

Annie stood frozen to the spot.

“Your foot,” Drew said from just inches behind her. Her voice sounded husky. “Move your right foot.”

Shaking herself out of her haze, Annie slid her foot to the right.

Drew’s left arm wrapped around her body and pressed the bow into her hand.

Oh, God. She expects me to handle a weapon now? Her whole body felt like a quivering mass of jelly. She almost dropped the bow when Drew’s other arm came around her body too. Caught between wanting to put some distance between them and wanting to lean into Drew’s embrace, she stood without moving.

“Now you nock the arrow.” Still helping Annie to hold on to the bow, Drew guided Annie’s fingers to attach the groove on the back of the arrow to the bowstring.

Were Drew’s fingers shaking too? Annie couldn’t tell. Her own fingers were trembling too much.

“Put your index finger above the arrow,” a swallowing sound interrupted Drew, “and your middle and ring finger below.” She waited until Annie followed her instruction. “How does that feel?”

Feel? A hundred feelings were rushing through her, none of them related to holding the bow and arrow. She couldn’t feel anything but Drew’s breasts pressed against her back, Drew’s arms wrapped around her, and warm breath tickling her neck. “O-okay.”

“Really?” Drew whispered. “You’re shaking. You’re not afraid to shoot, are you?”

“No.” Shooting didn’t scare her.

“Look at me.”

Annie squeezed her eyes shut. I can’t.

“Annie, look at me.” Drew’s hand let go of Annie’s. With two fingers, Drew guided Annie’s head around to face her.

Dark eyes probed into Annie’s, and the heady scent of sandalwood, soap, and Drew made goose bumps erupt all over Annie’s body. Two of Drew’s fingers still rested against her chin, and now they curled and stroked gently.

Annie’s knees weakened. She turned and leaned toward Drew, who pulled her closer.

Tunnel vision set in. Her world consisted of just Drew’s eyes. Her lips. Lips that were coming closer to hers, like two magnets being pulled together.

Heat enveloped her as Drew slid both arms around her and leaned up on her tiptoes.

The bow clattered to the ground.

The noise pulled Annie from her haze. She jerked back. Oh, God. What just happened? She stumbled back and stared at the bow that lay in the grass, unable to look Drew in the eyes.

“Annie ...” Her name sounded like a prayer on Drew’s lips. “Annie, please, we need to talk.”

But Annie backed away. “I’m not ... I can’t. Not now.” She fumbled with the arm and finger guards until she managed to take them off and handed them to Drew without looking at her. She quickly increased the distance between them. “I’ll pick you up at two tomorrow to drive to my parents.”

Drew ran after her, the quiver dangling against her thigh. “Is that a good idea? There’s so much going on.” She pointed back and forth between them. Then she seemed to realize that she was still clutching the arrow and stuffed it into the quiver. “Is tricking Jake really what’s important right now?”

Was it? So much was changing. She was changing. Annie hated change. Even though she knew it was crazy, she wanted to remain the steadfast Annie who stuck to her plans at least in this one thing. Or maybe you just want the convenient excuse that you’re just pretending to have feelings for Drew.

“Please,” Annie said. “I promise we will talk. But not now. I can’t handle this right now. It’s too much.” In her usually well-ordered life, she had never felt this much.

Drew looked into her eyes and nodded. “Whatever you want.”

Annie sucked much-needed air into her lungs. “Thank you,” she whispered. What she was asking of Drew wasn’t easy; she knew that. Drew looked as confused as Annie felt, and Annie wanted to bridge the space between them and soothingly rub her back. But for now, she had a hard enough time dealing with her own feelings. She turned and hurried away. Her thoughts raced even faster. Jesus Christ, what was I thinking? I almost kissed her!

But maybe that was the problem. She hadn’t been thinking. For a brief moment, she had just been feeling, letting herself experience without any thought of what it might mean.

When she reached the corner of the barn, she looked over her shoulder.

Drew still stood in the middle of the field, the quiver hanging forgotten at her side and a forlorn expression on her face.

Annie’s heart clenched. God, she looks so sad and confused. She hesitated but fought the impulse to rush back and comfort Drew. If she went back to Drew now, things would get even more confusing. She fled around the barn and to the small parking area.

“Find her?”

The voice behind her made Annie jerk and whirl around.

Martin, Drew’s employee, crossed the yard.

“Pardon me?”

Martin stopped next to her, two buckets in his hands. “Drew. Did you find her?”

“Yes, thanks,” Annie said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I found her.” But I think I lost my mind. She dug her nails into her palms until it hurt. Or my heart.

“Good,” Martin said. “She really needs someone.”

Before Annie could think of something to say, he walked away.

Annie leaned against the car and stared after him. Finally, she unlocked the car, dropped into the driver’s seat, and rested her head against the steering wheel. Oh, God. What am I going to do?

Chapter 17

Annie kept her gaze on the road, not even peering at Drew for the first twenty minutes of their two-hour trip to Fresno.

Instead of being relaxing, the silence made Drew even tenser. She looked at Annie, hoping to catch her gaze. What’s going through her mind?

With her controlled expression and wearing the elegant slacks and blouse she had bought during their shopping trip, Annie looked like the picture of confidence.

Drew took in Annie’s white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel before she studied her face. Annie blinked more often than usual as if she was trying to process something. It’s a mask. She’s not really calm and collected. And how could she be, after what happened yesterday. Was this starting to become more than a practical joke for Annie too? And if she had feelings for Drew, was she ready to act on them? Drew let her hands drop into her lap and studied Annie again. She didn’t know what to think anymore. Should she try to get Annie to talk about their almost-kiss?

No. She had promised to give Annie time, and Annie was already as taut as a bowstring. Thinking about a bowstring reminded her of their archery lesson and started an instant replay of their near-kiss again. When the silence went on for too long, she couldn’t stand it anymore and cleared her throat.

Annie glanced at her and then back at the road.

“Are you nervous?” Drew asked.

Another quick glance from Annie. She opened her mouth, and Drew could tell the customary “I’m fine” was already on the tip of her tongue, but then Annie swallowed and nodded.

“Don’t be,” Drew said. “Nothing will happen that you don’t want.” She wasn’t talking just about the Thanksgiving dinner, and she hoped Annie understood that.

Annie’s gaze flickered to her. She nodded once and refocused on traffic. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened even more.

Silence filled the car, leaving Drew to wonder once again what was going through Annie’s mind. Was Annie still thinking about that near-kiss the day before? Drew hadn’t been able to think of anything else since then. Or was Annie worried about being affectionate with Drew in front of her family?

“You did tell your parents about our plan to trick Jake, right?”

Annie scratched her nail over the steering wheel. “I—”

A car honked behind them.

“Jerk,” Drew muttered without turning around.

Annie looked in the rearview mirror and stiffened. “It’s Jake.”

Drew turned.

Behind them, much too close for Drew’s comfort, Jake waved from the driver’s seat of his black Corvette. When his gaze fell on Drew sitting next to Annie, he stared for a moment and then grinned.

“I know that smirk,” Annie mumbled. “I bet he’s not buying our charade, and he can’t wait to watch me make a fool out of myself.”

Drew clenched her fists until her nails bit into her palm. She wouldn’t allow him to humiliate Annie. “Then he’ll be sorely disappointed, because the only one looking like a fool today will be him. We’ll make sure of that.” She lifted a hand to brush back a strand of hair that had fallen into Annie’s face but stopped herself before she could do so. When she remembered that Jake was watching, she finished her movement and tucked the strand of hair behind Annie’s ear.

A moment later, Annie touched the same lock as if to unconsciously retrace the path of Drew’s fingertips. The gesture had an unexpected sensuality.

Drew wrenched her gaze away from Annie’s hand and forced her attention back to the conversation. “We can do this. We’ll find a way to convince him. Now relax and smile.” She forced a smile of her own. “You’re a woman in love, remember?”

Annie glanced from the rearview mirror to Drew. “Yes.” She paused to swallow. “I know.”

Honk-honk! The powerful engine roared; then Jake’s Corvette overtook them and disappeared in the distance.

Instead of trying to follow at his pace, Annie kept to the speed limit. The closer they got to her parents’ house, the more Annie slowed down. She didn’t seem to be in a hurry to face whatever awaited them at their destination.

Her shoulders were tenser than Drew had seen them since their first meeting in the restaurant. As the weeks had passed and their tentative friendship grew, Annie had become more relaxed around Drew. Now the wariness was back in Annie’s eyes, and her body language had lost its openness.

Drew massaged her temples.

Every minute ticked by painfully slow. Drew blew out a breath when they pulled up to a white two-story house an hour later.

Annie turned off the engine and got out of the car.

Drew grabbed the bottle of wine she had brought and followed Annie along a gravel path through a landscaped yard full of sculptures and bushes. Annie walked slowly, giving Drew ample time to admire the well-cared-for lawn and the miniature stone fountain.

Annie didn’t seem to notice her beautiful surroundings. She stared at something to the left.

When Drew followed her gaze, she realized Jake’s car was parked crosswise in front of a two-car garage.

They reached the stained-glass door, paused, and looked at each other.

Neither said a word.

At first, all Drew saw was the nervous flickering in Annie’s eyes, but then she looked deeper. Another emotion glowed in the depths of those green irises. The way she looks at me, is that—?

Annie lowered her head, interrupting their intense eye contact.

Don’t do this to yourself, Drew Corbin. She would only end up getting hurt if she let herself believe that Annie had deeper feelings for her. Drew looked away too. Her gaze fell onto the dog hairs on her pant legs. With her free hand, she brushed them away.

As if following a silent signal, they turned back toward the Prideauxs’ front door.

Drew’s heart pounded in her ears, and every muscle in her body stiffened as she was reminded of being introduced to her first girlfriend’s parents. Ugh. What a disaster that was. That dinner had been the tensest hour of her life. She had sweated over mashed potatoes while the father glared at her, the mother sniffled, and the little brother tried to quiz her about their love life.

But today would be different. Annie said she’d let her parents in on the joke, so they won’t put you through the advanced version of the Spanish Inquisition for turning their daughter gay.

She tapped her knuckles against her thigh. Don’t be such a coward. You can do this. For Annie. Help her finally get one over on Jake.

But Annie didn’t look so determined. Her fist lingered in front of the door as if she was about to be electrocuted when she knocked.

“You really want to go through with this?” Drew whispered. “We could still—”

“Stop asking that,” Annie hissed.

Drew took a step back and lifted her free hand. “Don’t take my head off. I just don’t want you to put unnecessary pressure on yourself.” Annie was like a champagne bottle someone had shaken.

Annie breathed deeply. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. I just ...”

“It’s okay.” Being the target of Annie’s anger was unexpectedly painful, though. “I’m pretty nervous too.”

After gnawing on her bottom lip for a few seconds, Annie nodded, blew out a breath, and straightened. “Then here we go.” She lifted her hand to knock on the door.

At the last moment, Drew thought of something. “Umm ...” She waited until Annie looked at her. “Maybe we should hold hands when we walk inside?”

A deer-caught-in-headlights look appeared on Annie’s face. Her gaze flickered between Drew’s eyes and her hand. “Of course.” She held out her hand.

Giving her an encouraging smile, Drew linked their fingers. Annie’s hand was cold and clammy. Drew longed to rub her thumb along Annie’s index finger to soothe her, but under the circumstances, it might have added to Annie’s stress, so she stopped herself.

Annie stood looking at their linked hands for a few moments.

The door swung open before Annie could knock.

Drew straightened and put on her most charming smile, wanting to give a good first impression. What are you doing? This is just for Jake’s sake. You’re not meeting the in-laws! Still, she wanted the day to go well for Annie, and that meant getting along with her parents.

Instead of Annie’s parents, Jake stood in the doorway, a big grin on his face. “Hey, sis. Come on in.”

Annie peered over Jake’s shoulder. “Is Dad still at his concert?”

“Yes, and Mom’s in the kitchen, wrestling with the turkey.” When Drew passed, Jake patted her on the shoulder. “Nice of Annie to bring you. I’m sorry I didn’t think of that. You shouldn’t have to spend Thanksgiving on your own.” He followed them down the hall. “Hey, how about you spending New Year’s Eve with me, Rob, and the rest of the gang? We’re planning this big party at the gym.”

Don’t be nice now, Jake. As long as he was his usual inconsiderate self, it was easy to help Annie take revenge. But now that he was acting like a supportive friend, Drew started to feel bad about tricking him.

“We’ll hire a band,” Jake said, “and—”

“Forget it,” Annie said and tightened her grip on Drew’s hand. “She’s spending New Year’s Eve with me. I didn’t bring her out of pity. I told you Drew’s not just a friend. She’s my—”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jake waved her away. “Want me to take that?” He nodded at the bottle of wine in Drew’s hand.

Drew looked at Annie. She would let her take the lead.

“No,” Annie said. “We’ll take it to the kitchen. I want to introduce Drew to Mom anyway.”

When brother and sister fell silent, Drew let her gaze sweep through the hallway and the adjoining living room. The interior of the house was a strange mix of styles. A heavy bookcase of dark wood towered over an orange-and-purple couch, and a piano stood behind a coffee table whose legs looked like a glass sculpture.

Annie pulled her toward the kitchen by their linked hands.

Drew tried to stay relaxed, but the closer they got to the kitchen and Mrs. Prideaux, the tenser she became. Her stomach roiled despite the delicious smells wafting through the house. She pressed closer to Annie and whispered, “So far, it’s not going so well. Jake’s not listening to what you’re saying. Maybe your parents can help us convince him.”

“Um ... yeah.” Annie paused in the doorway. “About that ... I—”

“Hi, darling.” A slender woman rounded the kitchen counter and headed toward them. She ran one hand through her short blond hair, but the unruly strands withstood any attempt to smooth them.

“Hi, Mom,” Annie said. She let go of Drew’s hand to hug her mother.

Drew instantly missed the contact. She stayed back and watched.

The embrace between mother and daughter seemed friendly, but it wasn’t anywhere near the bear hug Drew would have received from her mother after not seeing her for weeks or even months. Drew blew out a shaky breath. God, what she would have given for one of those hugs right now.

“How was the drive up?” Annie’s mother asked while she placed a bowl of green beans on the counter.

“Fine.” Annie turned. “Mom, this is Drew. Drew, this is my mother, Claire Prideaux.”

Fine blond eyebrows shot up. “You? You are Drew? But you’re not ... I mean you’re ...” Annie’s mother gestured at Drew.

Oh, shit. Drew froze with her hand held out in front of her. Her gaze flickered to Annie, who stared at the floor. You didn’t tell your parents? Great. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Spanish Inquisition, here we come.

But instead of unpacking the torture instruments, Annie’s mother shrugged. “Guess your father must have misunderstood.” She chuckled and nudged Annie’s shoulder. “He thought Drew was your new boyfriend.”

Drew and Annie exchanged a quick glance.

“Uh, Mom.” Annie shuffled over the tiles on the kitchen floor. “I need to tell you something.”

“Later, darling,” Mrs. Prideaux said.

Drew mentally shook her head. Her mother had always taken the time to listen whenever she wanted to tell her something.

Mrs. Prideaux left Annie standing there and walked over to Drew. “Let me say hello to your friend first.”

When Annie’s mother shook her hand, Drew was surprised at the firmness of her grip. Drew pumped her hand mechanically, still not over her shock. Why hadn’t Annie told her parents? Finally, her manners kicked in. “Happy Thanksgiving, Mrs. Prideaux. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m a big fan of yours. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Please,” Mrs. Prideaux said with a carefree grin that reminded Drew of Jake. “Call me Claire.” After waiting for Drew to nod, she continued, “If you have the time, I could take you over to the studio later and you could look at my newest paintings and sculptures.”

“Mom,” Annie tried again.

Her mother gave her an absentminded nod and turned toward the oven. “Does this look like it’s done?”

Jesus, does she always ignore Annie like this?

Annie stepped closer to peer at the turkey. “Looks about done. Better use the meat thermometer to make sure, though.” She clutched the edge of the kitchen counter. “Mom, you know how Jake is forever playing practical jokes on me?”

“Sure.” Claire smiled. The aroma of sage and thyme drifted up when she opened the oven door. She stuck the meat thermometer into the turkey’s thigh. “Tell Drew the story about how he replaced the first tooth you lost with a pebble and put a note of complaint from the tooth fairy under your pillow.”

A car door slammed shut in front of the house.

Annie jumped. “Mom,” she said. “Please listen. There’s something I should have told you much earlier, but I ...” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I need to explain something before we eat.”

“Is the turkey done?” Jake called from the doorway. “Dad’s home.”

Claire held up the meat thermometer like a trophy. “It’s done.”

“Great.” Jake rubbed his hands. “I’m starving.” He ambled over and reached for one of the corn bread muffins that rested in a basket on the kitchen counter.

His mother pulled the basket away before he could grab a muffin. “Wait. Your sister wanted to tell us something before we eat.”

Both Prideauxs rested expectant gazes on Annie. Jake raised one eyebrow.

Damn. Drew clenched her jaw. This is not going good.

Annie threw Drew a desperate glance. “Um ... I’ll tell you later, when Dad is here too.” She slapped Jake’s hand when he again tried to reach for a muffin. “Go make yourself useful and carry this to the dining room.” After loading her brother down with bowls and dishes, Annie gave him a push and sent him off. Clearly, she was used to being the adult in the family.

As soon as Jake left the kitchen, Drew nudged Annie. Now. She nodded in Claire’s direction. Tell her now.

“Mom,” Annie stepped closer to her mother, “whatever Drew and I do ...”

“Gosh, this turkey is really heavy!” Claire struggled to lift the turkey out of the oven.

Jesus, no wonder Annie is so stuck on structure and stability if she grew up in a chaos like this. Drew shook her head.

Sighing, Annie stepped closer to help her mother.

A cloud of steam rose, and Annie stumbled back when the steam fogged up her glasses.

Drew gripped her elbow to steady her, aware of Claire’s presence. As soon as Annie had found her balance, Drew let go of her.

Before Annie could explain their revenge plan, Jake reappeared in the kitchen and grabbed two more bowls of steaming food. “Come on.” He nudged Drew with his shoulder. “You can make yourself useful too.”

Drew reached for a bowl of mashed potatoes and the sweet potato casserole and followed Jake out of the kitchen. Maybe she could distract him long enough for Annie to talk to her mother and explain everything.

“I know what you are doing,” Jake said as soon as they stepped out of the kitchen. “This is Annie’s attempt at revenge for getting set up with you, right?” He shook his head. “You missed your chance. Why don’t you just stop trying so hard to play the starry-eyed lovers when we both know Annie won’t be able to pull it off? Let’s drop the bullshit. You’re still welcome to stay, and we can all have a nice Thanksgiving. Truce?” He stuck the basket of bread beneath his arm and held out his free hand for Drew to shake.

His gaze was open and his smile was friendly.

This was the Jake that Drew had befriended in college—sometimes too thoughtless with his devil-may-care attitude, but never in a mean way. Shaking his hand and ending this charade was tempting. It had already gone on for too long, and she had a feeling that none of them would be laughing in the end. If she wasn’t careful, she would lose her friendship with both Jake and Annie.

Yeah, and your sanity.

But it wasn’t her decision alone to call off the practical joke at this point. She had promised herself to follow Annie’s lead, so that was what she would do. If Annie wanted to beat her brother at his own game, she would help her, no matter what she had to do to achieve it.

“It might have started out as revenge, but Annie and I ...” She stared at the mashed potatoes. “We spent a lot of time together in the past weeks, and before I knew it, I was head over heels in love with your sister.” She held Jake’s gaze as he stared at her.

Jake’s eyes narrowed. The grin disappeared from his face.

He’s starting to believe it! Drew cheered internally and then sobered. Yeah, because it’s the truth. Congrats. You’re in love with a straight woman.

Before Drew could recover from that thought, the front door opened.

A tall man entered. His steps sounded firm and confident on the tiles. He dropped his keys on an oak side table and then crossed the hall. “Jake,” he called. “Your car is blocking the driveway. Can you—?” He paused when he saw Drew, who was still standing in the middle of the hallway, clutching the bowl of mashed potatoes and the sweet potato casserole.

Unlike his wife’s wild locks, Mr. Prideaux’s thick gray hair lay in perfect order, combed straight back from his strong face with a Kirk Douglas cleft in his chin. Where Claire exuded a good-natured whirlwind energy that resembled Jake’s, Mr. Prideaux oozed calm charisma. His greenish-gray eyes didn’t reveal any surprise when he glanced at Drew.

“Hey, Dad.” Jake walked over and patted his father’s back in a manly hug, nearly dropping the basket of bread in the process. He gestured toward Drew. “This is Annie’s guest, Drew Corbin. We went to college together. Drew, this is my dad, Alan Prideaux.”

Drew shook herself out of her frozen state. She lifted the two bowls to show Jake’s father why she couldn’t shake his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Mr. Prideaux opened his bow tie and let it dangle around his neck. He looked from Jake to Drew and then to the kitchen. Lines appeared on his tan forehead. “I thought Annie wanted to bring home someone special.”

“Drew is special to me,” Annie said as she stepped out of the kitchen with another bowl of food. She wrapped her free hand around Drew’s upper arm.

Even though the words and the gesture were meant for Jake, not really for her, Drew’s heart swelled. Then she realized that Claire’s surprised expression as she left the kitchen probably meant that Annie still hadn’t clued her in.

“Of course she is,” Mr. Prideaux said. He gave Drew a nod. “You’re the first friend Annie has brought home since she finished high school.”

The first friend since high school? Suddenly, Drew felt like an intruder who had no right to be here. Bringing home a friend after such a long time should have been a wonderful, relaxed day for Annie, but instead it was a day of constant tension.

“Can we eat now?” Jake drummed his fingers on the bread basket he carried. “The food is getting cold.” Without waiting for an answer, he turned and strode away.

Chapter 18

Still feeling shell-shocked, Drew found herself sitting next to Annie at the large oval table in the dining room, surrounded by gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.

Alan Prideaux carved the turkey and tilted his head at Annie. “Thigh or breast?”

Annie nearly choked on a sip of water. Red-faced, she started coughing. “Dad, I’m a vegetarian. You know that.”

“But it’s not red meat,” Alan said. “Why don’t you try a little? Thigh or breast?”

Jake grinned at Annie from the other side of the table. “She tried to convince me that she has recently developed an interest in breasts, right, sis?”

Now it was Drew’s turn to nearly choke on her water. She glared at Jake. For that comment, you deserve to be tricked, my friend.

“Breast, then,” Alan said. Not waiting for an answer, he put a large piece of white meat on Annie’s plate.

What are they doing? Drew shook her head. She’s a vegetarian, for heaven’s sake!

Then Alan moved on to her. “Thigh or breast?”

“I’ll take Annie’s breast.” Heat shot up her neck as she realized what she had just said. “I mean ...” She peeked over at Annie and found her just as red-faced. “She doesn’t eat meat.” As casual as someone who had taken food from her lover’s plate a thousand times before, Drew leaned over and pierced the turkey breast on Annie’s plate with her fork.

Their shoulders brushed, and Drew caught a whiff of Annie’s perfume. Her eyes closed for a moment, and she hummed with pleasure.

“Smells nice, doesn’t it?” Claire said.

Drew’s eyes shot open. Christ. Stop daydreaming in front of her parents! “Um ... yes. It smells fantastic.” Thank God Annie’s mother thought she was talking about the turkey. At least I hope she does. She tried not to give herself away by looking like a deer caught in headlights and shoved a piece of turkey into her mouth.

The stuffed bird smelled and tasted good too—of thyme, sage, apple, and cranberries. Memories of her last Thanksgiving rose. Her mother had already been sick, but she had dragged herself out of bed and prepared their turkey as she had since Drew could remember.

“Hey,” Annie said close to her ear. She rubbed Drew’s back. “You okay?”

Drew blinked, embarrassed to be caught daydreaming again. She looked up and met Annie’s compassionate gaze. “Yeah.”

“You miss your parents, don’t you?” The soft touch at Drew’s back didn’t retreat.

How does she know? Was she that easy to read, or did Annie know her that well already? Drew sighed and nodded.

Annie rubbed her back again, making Drew lean into the soothing touch.

Out of the corner of her eye, Drew saw Jake watch them with a wrinkle on his forehead.

For a moment, Drew wondered if Annie had noticed him watching and was acting for Jake’s sake but then decided that Annie probably wasn’t even aware she was stroking Drew’s back. She really cares about how I feel. The thought made happiness flow through her like warm honey.

When Annie took her hand away, Drew shivered.

Silence ruled while they ate, interrupted only by polite requests to pass the mashed potatoes or Mrs. Prideaux’s retelling of her latest art exhibition. No one asked Annie how she was doing or where she had met Drew.

“Try some of the wine, Dad,” Annie said. “Drew brought it. She has her own vineyard and makes the best wine in California.”

Again, the compliment was probably meant to convince Jake that Annie was smitten, but Drew still felt her stomach warm with pleasure.

Alan lifted the bottle and studied the label. “1981.” He glanced at Drew. “A good year?”

“The best,” Drew said with a decisive nod.

Annie looked up and met Drew’s gaze. “That’s my birth year.”

“I know.” Drew smiled at Annie. “Like I said: the best year.”

A hint of red dusted Annie’s cheeks, but she didn’t lower her gaze. She looked into Drew’s eyes as if searching for something.

Drew sat caught in that gaze, afraid to even blink and interrupt their connection. Something’s happening between us, isn’t it? That almost-kiss yesterday wasn’t just a fluke.

A cough made her look up.

Jake held out his glass. “Can I have some of that wine, please?”

“Sure.” Drew took the bottle from Annie’s father and filled Jake’s glass to the brim. Maybe if we get some alcohol into him, we’ll have an easier time convincing him that we’re a couple. She sighed. Yeah. Convincing him. That’s what this is all about.

* * *

The crown of whipped cream on Annie’s piece of pumpkin pie looked inviting, but instead of eating, she twirled her fork through the white substance.

Thanksgiving dinner was drawing to an end, and she still hadn’t accomplished her goal. She glanced over at Jake.

He leaned his head on his hand and pretended to listen to their father’s recounting of this afternoon’s concert. As soon as the pie was gone, he would help carry the dishes to the kitchen. Then he would leave to catch the football game since their parents didn’t own a TV.

This was her last chance.

Annie took a deep breath. She slid her right hand into her pocket, where the now familiar moonstone rested, and laid her left hand on top of Drew’s on the table.

Drew jumped, but no one else reacted.

Maybe Jake didn’t see. I need to make it more obvious.

Tenderly, Annie stroked her thumb along the back of Drew’s hand. For a moment, she became distracted by the fine lines crisscrossing Drew’s knuckles. The tendons beneath her fingertips flexed. When Annie looked up, their gazes connected.

Drew stared at her through wide eyes.

Is this making her uncomfortable? Drew looked so vulnerable that Annie wanted to lift her hand to her lips and press a reassuring kiss to her knuckles.

The thought caught her by surprise. She jerked her gaze away from Drew’s. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jake watching them.

He made a face and then returned his attention to their father.

It’s no use. Annie’s shoulders slumped. You could French-kiss Drew and ... Her gaze veered to Drew’s lips, and heat rushed to Annie’s face. She rubbed her knuckles across her own cheek and shook her head. Even then, he wouldn’t believe it.

Her mother reached for a second piece of pumpkin pie. “Annie,” she said while she piled whipped cream on the pie, “wasn’t there something you wanted to tell us? We’re all together now.”

“What? Oh, no, I—” But then Annie paused. She had tried showing physical affection for Drew. She had held her hand and leaned close every chance she got. Nothing had convinced Jake. Maybe she needed a new strategy. “Yes,” she said. “I’ve got something to tell you.”

Drew’s hand tensed beneath hers. “Annie,” Drew said. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not in front of your parents.”

But Annie wasn’t worried about her parents. They probably wouldn’t react to the big news anyway. They never did. All that interested them was art and music. But was it fair to put Drew in this situation?

“Why would you say that?” Her mother frowned at Drew. “Annie knows she can tell us anything.”

Annie suppressed a snort. Oh, yes, I can tell them anything. But getting them to listen is another thing.

Drew turned her hand and squeezed Annie’s fingers. “It’s your decision.”

Okay, here we go. Annie clenched her right hand around the moonstone and said the first words that came to mind. “I’m in love with Drew.”

Her mother’s fork clattered onto the plate. Spatters of whipped cream hit the tablecloth.

Annie pulled her hand out of her pocket and gripped Drew’s fingers with both hands.

Drew tightened her hold on Annie’s hands too. Now they were clinging to each other like two people holding on to a lifeline.

Deep lines furrowed her father’s brow. He leaned forward and, without saying anything, opened and closed his mouth like a carp out of water.

Even her mother, who normally took everything in stride, stared at her. “Did you just say ...?”

Part of Annie wanted to back down and admit it was all a joke, but despite the shocked expressions on her parents’ faces, she raised her head and nodded.

Her mother looked at Drew as if she needed the visual reminder of who Drew was. “But ... but you’ve never fallen in love with a woman before.”

“I’ve never fallen in love with anyone before,” Annie said. The words were true. Was she really just acting? Annie wasn’t sure anymore.

“Then why now?” her mother asked. “Why with,” she threw an apologetic glance at Drew, “her?”

Annie searched for a convincing argument, but her head came up empty. There were so many things she liked about Drew, but none of them really were the reason. It had just happened. Just happened? She let go of Drew’s hands and pressed her fingertips to her temples as if she could squeeze the thought out of her head.

“Annie, are you serious? You and ...” Her father opened the top button on his starched shirt as if it had become a noose around his neck. He glanced at Drew and then back at Annie. “You’re ...?”

A lump formed in Annie’s throat. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t look at her father. Oh, God. What am I doing? This is not a game. Drew means too much to me to use her like this. She searched Drew’s gaze. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

Drew captured both of Annie’s hands in her own again and gave them a squeeze. “Mr. Prideaux ... Alan—”

“Oh, Annie,” Annie’s mother interrupted Drew’s attempt to explain. With a quick glance to Drew, she said, “When you were younger, I remember talking with Richard—Jake’s godfather, who is gay—about what it would be like if one of our children turned out to be gay.” She looked at Annie and shook her head. “I never thought it might be you.”

“What?” Jake smacked both palms onto the table and jumped up. “What’s that supposed to mean? You didn’t think I might be ... Mom, that’s ridiculous! I’m not gay—and neither is Annie! She’s no more in love with Drew than she’s a Wiccan witch!”

“Sit down, Jake.” Their father’s baritone rumbled through the dining room.

Jake remained where he was, towering over the table. “Oh, come on, Dad! Can’t you see it? This is all a charade. They’re not a couple. They’re just doing this to get back at me.”

“Jake,” their mother said. The usual light tone was gone from her voice. “How could you think something like that about your sister? She would never pretend to be in love with a woman just to get back at you for something you did.” She regarded Annie with a tender gaze. “Your sister is in love. That should make you happy,” she turned back to Jake, her expression growing serious, “not suspicious.”

Oh, God. Why does she have to defend me now of all times? What little Annie had eaten of the Thanksgiving dinner sat like lead in her stomach. She hung her head, unable to face her mother.

“I know this must be a shock to you,” her mother said to Jake. “It’s a shock to all of us. But it doesn’t give you the right to pass judgment on your sister or to belittle her relationship.” She reached across the table, about to pat Annie’s hand, and then withdrew when she found Drew’s hands covering Annie’s. Her brow furrowed, and she stared at their entwined fingers for a few moments before she swallowed and looked back at Annie’s face. “No matter what choices you make in life, we love you, Annie. Your ... Drew will always be as welcome as Jake’s girlfriends.”

What? Did she really just say that? Annie slumped against the back of her chair and stared at her mother, then at her father, who nodded. Her thoughts swirled at a high speed, like a tornado that was about to rip apart her world. In the thirty years of her life, she had never heard words like those from her parents.

Now that they had finally told her they loved her, it was all based on a lie.

Is it really?

Annie shoved the thought away, wanting to focus on one issue for now. She pulled her hands from Drew’s and curled them into fists. Tears burned in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “Why now?” she choked out.

Her mother stared at her and then sent her father a helpless glance. “Umm ... what do you mean?”

“Why did this,” with her chin, Annie described a circle that included Drew, Jake, and her, “have to happen for you to finally tell me that you love me?”

“What are you talking about?” Her mother ran her hands through her disheveled hair as if that would help her understand.

“You don’t even realize that you never told me that you love me, do you?” Annie wasn’t sure whether her parents’ lack of awareness made things better or worse.

“That’s not true, Annie,” her mother said. “I’m sure we told you that when you were a child.”

Annie pressed her lips together and shook her head. “No, Mom, you didn’t. Not even once.”

At his wife’s imploring gaze, her father jumped into the conversation. “You’re exaggerating. Just because we don’t always tell you doesn’t mean we don’t love you. Sometimes actions speak louder than words.”

Leaning forward, Annie stared at her father. “Which actions, Dad?”

“What?”

“Which actions were supposed to make me feel loved?”

Her father fingered the cleft in his chin. “Annie ...”

“Tell me.” She looked from one parent to the other. “Did you show me your love by standing back when the other kids at school made my life a living hell or when Jake played stupid tricks on me?”

“Oh, come on,” Jake said. “It’s not like they had to protect you from me. It was harmless.”

Annie ignored Jake’s interruption and just kept talking. Now that she had started, a lot of suppressed emotions bubbled up and couldn’t be held back any longer. “Or by giving me paintings and concert tickets for every birthday and every Christmas, even though that’s your interest, not mine? Do you even have any clue what I’m interested in?”

Her parents looked at each other like two contestants in a quiz show who had just been asked the one-million-dollar question without any joker left.

“Books,” her mother said.

While her father added, “Work.”

“Then why don’t you ever ask what I’m reading or how work is going?”

Her father frowned. “I ask you all the time.”

“No, Dad, you don’t. Not really. Even when you do ask, you never seem very interested in the answer. You’re my parents, and you don’t know anything about my life. I tried to pretend not to care, but I do.” Annie exhaled sharply and rubbed her breastbone. “It ... it hurts.”

They stared back as if they had never seen her before.

“Wow,” Jake said into the sudden silence. He reached across the table and nudged Drew’s shoulder. “What did you do to my sist—”

“For once in your life, shut up!” Annie said without bothering to lower her voice.

Jake blinked and then opened his mouth again.

Annie jerked around to glare at him. “I swear to God, if you make one more stupid comment about me ...”

“Whoa!” Jake leaned away and held up both palms. “Calm down. No reason to get so emotional.”

“No reason? I’ve got plenty of reasons!” Annie wanted to get up and pummel her brother until he stopped belittling her. “You don’t even realize what you did to me, do you? You started an emotional landslide by setting me up with Drew!”

“But ... but it was just a joke!” He gestured helplessly, nearly toppling over his half-full wineglass.

Annie smashed her hand onto the table. “My life is not a joke, Jake! When will you finally grow up and realize that not everything is just fun and games?”

“That’s not what I—”

“You can’t just go through life and have fun at everyone else’s expense. Your actions have consequences.” She dug her fingernails into the table cloth. “If you continue to play with my emotions, I swear I’ll ... I’ll ...” She stopped and shook her head. Tears trailed down her cheeks. One drop fell, and she watched it being absorbed into the table cloth.

Oh, God. Her chair scraped over the floor as she pushed it back, jumped up, and fled to the kitchen.

Shocked silence stayed behind.

Chapter 19

Drew blew out the breath she had been holding the entire time Annie was telling her family off.

The Prideauxs glanced at each other. No one said a word. They all looked as if a bomb had just gone off in their faces.

Isn’t anyone going to get up to see if Annie is okay? Drew frowned. But maybe Annie wouldn’t want to face her family. Now that she had time to think, Annie probably felt embarrassed. She was used to keeping things to herself and didn’t normally react with emotional outbursts.

Well, this one was long overdue. Drew was proud of Annie for speaking her mind.

“Are we really that bad as parents?” Annie’s mother looked at Jake.

“Well,” Jake said, “I wouldn’t say bad, but ...” He shrugged. “You’re not the overly involved type, that’s for sure.”

Mr. Prideaux sank against the backrest of his chair.

After a few more seconds of silence, Drew got up.

The Prideauxs’ stares zeroed in on her.

“I’ll go see if Annie is okay,” Drew said.

Annie’s mother hesitated. “Maybe I should go.”

“If you want.” Drew paused, torn between hoping Annie would bond with her mother and wanting to protect Annie from her parents.

“But maybe Annie needs a minute before she’s ready to talk to us.” Annie’s mother didn’t get up. She sat looking at Drew for several seconds, her expression almost pleading.

Taking the easy way out again. Drew sighed. I think they do love Annie, but they have no clue how to show her. Now the question is: is this the right moment to show her that I love her?

* * *

Annie buried her head in her hands. Her legs trembled, so she leaned against the kitchen counter. Get yourself together. She inhaled and exhaled and tried to shut out everything but her breathing.

A soft touch to her shoulder made her jump.

“Hey,” Drew murmured. “It’s just me. Are you okay?”

Annie wiped her eyes before she turned toward Drew. Her eyes burned, and she had to clear her throat before she could speak. “I’m sorry for creating such a drama.”

“Don’t be sorry. I think this needed to be said a long time ago.”

“I know, but I shouldn’t have dragged you into it. You deserve better on the first Thanksgiving without your parents.”

Drew rubbed Annie’s back. “Don’t worry about me. I’m more worried about you.”

The compassion in Drew’s gaze and the tenderness in her voice made new tears form in Annie’s eyes. God, how embarrassing. Now you’re crying in front of Drew on top of everything else. She tried to get her emotions under control, but her head was pounding too much.

“Come here.” Drew put one arm around her and pulled her close.

For a few moments, Annie wanted to struggle and pull away. I can handle this on my own. She always had.

But was that really what she wanted? She had just told off her parents for not supporting her, and now she was about to reject Drew’s help. Drew was offering support without asking for anything in return or implying that Annie was weak.

Annie closed her eyes. This close, she could smell Drew’s sandalwood soap. She breathed in the comforting scent and relaxed.

Being comforted by Drew wasn’t embarrassing. It’s not humiliation. It’s love.

The thought hit her in the chest and took her breath away. She let herself fall against the warmth of Drew’s body and wrapped both arms around Drew, clinging to her. Tears leaked out of her eyes, and she was helpless to stop them. She felt like an old piece of clothing that was coming apart at the seams.

Drew pulled Annie’s head against her shoulder as if wanting to hide the sight of her tears from the world.

In the dining room, chairs scraped over the tiles.

Annie didn’t look up from her hiding place against Drew’s shoulder. Oh, please, don’t let them come in here. She couldn’t face her family or answer their questions right now, partly because she didn’t have the answers yet.

“Hey,” Drew said into the silence. Her breath brushed over Annie’s neck, making goose bumps break out all over her scalp. “You okay?”

“No,” Annie mumbled against the warmth of Drew’s shirt. “Nothing is okay anymore.” Now the tears fell in earnest. Annie squeezed her eyes shut to hold them back, but it was as if a dam had broken and she was trying to stop tons of water with her bare hands. Finally, she gave up and pressed her face against Drew’s shoulder while she cried. “They ... they never told me they loved me. Never.” She hiccupped and fought to get some control back. “How can I now tell ... tell them that you and I ... that it’s all a lie?”

Drew smoothed her palm over Annie’s hair. She paused. Her fingers, which played with a strand of hair, trembled. “Is it?” Drew whispered, her voice breaking.

What? Annie lifted her head off Drew’s shoulder and looked at her. Does that mean ...? Does she feel the same? Is this real for both of us? Her heart pounded in a rapid rhythm.

Their gazes met and held. Drew’s eyes, glittering with emotions, repeated the question.

In search of an answer, Annie’s mind flashed back over the last few weeks. She remembered Drew’s sincere interest during the first meeting in the restaurant. Her smile and the way she listened to her. Drew’s trusting gaze when Annie had taken care of her when she was sick.

That wasn’t a lie.

Neither were her own reactions to Drew. She had never felt so at ease, so in tune with anyone in her life. Now that her world was tilting on its axis, she found a safe haven hiding against Drew’s shoulder. You could have that in a close friendship too. She thought about it for a moment and then mentally shook her head. Be honest with yourself. Her emotional and physical reactions to Drew weren’t that of a friend. When we kissed on Halloween and when she touched my back in the fitting room. And, Jesus, when I woke up wrapped around Drew on the couch ...

Drew evoked feelings in her that no one else ever had. And it was more than just physical attraction.

She disentangled one of her hands from their embrace and slid it into her pocket. The moonstone was warm against her fingertips. Drew’s words from the beach echoed through her mind. The Greeks wore it as a talisman. They believed moonstones could help you find true love. She peeked at Drew and then looked down to where her hand disappeared into her pocket. True love.

“Annie?”

Annie licked her dry lips. Slowly, she lifted her gaze. Drew’s darkened eyes pulled her in. Her breathing hitched and then quickened. Trembling, she slid her fingers over Drew’s wrists and up her arms to steady herself against her shoulders. Hot breath fanned over her lips. Her eyes fluttered shut—then flew open again when someone cleared his throat right next to them.

Drew’s warmth retreated, leaving a feeling of emptiness inside of Annie.

Jake stood on the other side of the kitchen counter. He regarded them without his characteristic grin, just studying them without saying a word.

Silence from Jake was scary. Normally, he was talking and laughing nonstop. If he was silent, he was usually hatching his newest practical joke.

Annie stared back and tried not to look like someone who had just cried her eyes out. Making herself vulnerable in front of Drew was one thing; revealing her deepest emotions in front of Jake was another.

Out of Jake’s line of sight, Drew laid her hand on the small of Annie’s back, and Annie felt herself stand up straighter. Together, they faced Jake’s intense gaze.

“Tell me the truth. Is this,” Jake pointed from Annie to Drew, “for real?”

“Not now, Jake,” Drew said, a warning growl in her voice.

When Jake turned toward Drew, Annie knew she had a choice to make. She could answer truthfully, no matter the consequences, or she could avoid Jake’s question for a while longer, keep silent, and let Drew deal with Jake.

It was tempting. She didn’t feel ready to talk about her feelings, but she knew she needed to stand up for herself.

She released a shuddery breath, pulled her hand from her pocket, and placed it on Drew’s back, returning the protective touch. “Yes,” she said. Her voice shook. “Yes, it is for real.” God help me, it really is.

The fingers on Annie’s back flexed. Drew searched Annie’s eyes, her gaze full of hope.

As an answer to Drew’s silent question, Annie nodded. She wiped her eyes and tried to smile. She had hid behind their charade and struggled with her emotions for days, even weeks, but now that she had said it and really meant it, she felt as she had at the beach: at peace with herself and the world.

“What the hell?” Jake mumbled. “My sister’s a lesbian?”

Drew jerked around and glared at him. “Would you shut up? That’s for Annie to figure out, not for you to say.”

“Whoa, hold your horses!” Jake stepped forward until the kitchen counter stopped him. He lifted both hands. “I’m not some homophobic asshole. You know that, Drew. I admit that I didn’t always take Annie as seriously as I should have, but I just want what’s best for her.”

What’s best for me? Like he would know! Heat crept up Annie’s chest. And why is he talking to Drew, not to me? In the past, Annie had always kept her anger and disappointment to herself, but that would end. Now. With Drew’s hand resting on the small of her back, she squared her shoulders and stared Jake down. “Then stop talking about me like I’m not standing right here.”

Jake blinked. Finally, he nodded. “If Drew and you ...” He stopped and shook his head, looking at them slack-jawed. “Damn, the thought still blows my mind, but I guess I’ll get used to it.” He leaned forward, reached across the counter, and patted Annie’s shoulder. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

Annie didn’t know what to say to that unusual show of brotherly support. Everything was changing right now, and she couldn’t keep up.

“Neither do I,” Drew said softly. The tenderness in her eyes was almost too much for Annie to take. No one had ever looked at her like this, and even though Annie decided it was a good thing, she felt as if she was about to blow an emotional fuse.

It’s too much. I need to get out of here.

She looked at the door and sent Drew a pleading glance.

Drew nodded.

But before they could take even one step, her parents entered the kitchen.

Annie tensed. Right now, she had enough on her plate with her own feelings and Drew’s. She couldn’t take on her parents’ questions too. But with her parents blocking the door, escape was impossible.

Drew slid her hand along Annie’s arm until she gripped her fingers.

Thankful for the silent support, Annie squeezed back.

“Are you okay?” her mother asked.

“I’m fine,” Annie said. Then she realized she was falling back into old patterns. How could she expect her parents to give her what she needed if she hid her feelings from them? She tightened her hold on Drew’s hand. “Well, not totally fine. I’ve been rethinking my life lately.”

“Rethinking your life?” her mother repeated. “But what’s wrong with your life? You’ve always seemed so happy.”

“I was happy ... am happy. Or at least content. But not with everything in my life. I made negative assumptions about myself and just accepted that it would never change, no matter what I did, so I just stopped trying.”

Her mother frowned. “Negative assumptions? I don’t understand.”

“I thought that I would never be interesting enough to be loved and to hold anyone’s attention—not yours and not a lover’s,” Annie said, her voice getting lower and lower with every word. She felt like a knight who had taken off his armor and now stood there in front of everyone, without any protection.

“Oh, Annie.” Her mother rushed over and clutched Annie’s shoulders. “Why would you think that? Of course you’re interesting and lovable.”

But her mother’s words were just that: words. They couldn’t heal a lifetime of being ignored. Only the future would show if her parents would be able to prove it with their actions. “Let’s talk about this later, Mom.” She freed herself of her mother’s grip on her shoulders. “I think we all need some time to calm down and process everything first.”

Her parents exchanged a glance and nodded.

Annie hurried past them to the door, her death grip on Drew’s hand still tethering them to each other.

When they reached the door, Jake’s voice caught up with them. “Drew?”

Drew turned, her expression cautious.

“If you—”

“Save your breath,” Drew said. “I know what you’re about to say. If I hurt Annie in any way, you’ll hang me head-down from one of your rock-climbing walls, dip me in honey, and let a horde of Mexican killer ants crawl over me.”

“Hmm.” Jake stroked his nonexistent beard. “I was about to say that you and Annie are still welcome to celebrate New Year’s Eve with me if you want, but I like your idea better.” He fixed Drew with a piercing stare. “If you hurt my sister, I’ll sic something worse than killer ants on you.”

Oh, suddenly he’s playing the protective big brother? Annie bristled. “Leave her alone, Jake. This is between Drew and me.”

Jake shrugged. “I know. But you’ve got no idea what you’re getting into.”

“No,” Annie said, and for the first time in her life, that kind of uncertainty didn’t scare her—at least not enough to stop her from taking a risk. She strode toward the door, pulling Drew after her. Over her shoulder, she said, “I don’t have a clue. But I’m looking forward to finding out.”

Chapter 20

“Stop,” Drew said as soon as they had rounded the corner and were out of view of the Prideauxs’ house. “Stop the car. Please.” She felt as if she were about to explode from all the emotions swirling through her. A two-hour ride next to a silent Annie would kill her. They needed to get this out in the open. Now. “We need to talk.”

“Okay,” Annie said, sounding as if she had just agreed to her own execution. Her hands shook as she flicked on the turn signal.

Drew wanted to reach over and give her arm a comforting squeeze, but she suspected it would make Annie even more nervous. So she forced her hands to be still and instead searched for something to say.

Annie pulled into a large parking lot. The car’s headlights skipped over the entrance of a park.

Before Drew found the right words, Annie opened the door and got out of the car.

Drew followed. She kept a respectful distance as they wandered past groves of cedars, palms, redwoods, and oak trees. Darkness had fallen, but the moon and streetlamps provided enough light. A family was packing up the remnants of a picnic near a barbecue pit, and up ahead, a man walked his dog, but other than that, it seemed as if they were alone in the large park.

They strolled across a rolling lawn until they stopped at the curved shore of a lily pond. Lights reflected off the water. Tall trees stretched their canopies across the pond and gave Drew the feeling of being shut off from the rest of the world, with just the moonlight shining down on them.

A wooden bridge linked the pond to another one. Annie stepped onto the bridge and stopped in the middle. She stood with her hands stuffed into her coat pockets. Her head was turned away from Drew as she stared into the dark water. The wind picked up, rippling the water and throwing blond strands into Annie’s face.

Say something, Drew mentally urged Annie. But of course, Drew didn’t say it out loud, knowing she shouldn’t rush Annie. Still she longed for a reassuring word.

Annie moved her head to watch a pair of ducks paddling on the water. “As a child, I used to come here when I wanted to be alone.” She spoke quietly, still watching the ducks.

Drew studied Annie. Does she want to be alone now? Was she distancing herself from Drew? And if Drew let her, would Annie eventually be back and open up or would Drew lose her forever? Despite her fear, Drew decided to give Annie a way out. “Do you ...” She paused to clear her throat. “Do you want to be alone now?”

Slowly, Annie turned toward Drew. The moonlight threw flickering shadows across her face. “No,” she said. “I don’t want to be alone. I’m just not sure if I can ...” She paused to gnaw on the inside of her cheek.

“We don’t need to do or talk about anything you’re not comfortable with,” Drew said. She longed to find out what was going on in Annie’s head. Not knowing was killing her, but maybe the onslaught of emotions she heard in Annie’s voice was too much for Annie right now. “We can just stay here and watch the ducks for a while, if that’s what you want.” She dug her nails into her palms. Oh, please, don’t say yes.

Annie turned toward the pond.

After a moment, Drew stepped next to her. Side by side, they leaned against the bridge’s wooden railing. They stood so close that Drew could feel Annie’s warmth. With a flutter in her belly, she peeked up and tried to make eye contact, but Annie was looking at the pond. Drew followed her gaze.

The two ducks paddled closer, probably to see if there was any bread for them. The male stayed farther back while the female was more daring, coming close to the bridge.

Drew hoped that it was the same with humans and that Annie would find the courage to talk about what was going on with her.

“This feels so surreal,” Annie murmured.

“What?” Drew tried to keep her voice soft and calm, despite her tension.

“Everything looks the same as it did when I was a child.” Annie swept her arm across the pond and the rest of the park. Her voice was so low that Drew had to strain to hear her over the wind and the quacking of the ducks. She leaned closer until their arms brushed. “How can that be when I feel so ... so different?” At the last word, Annie’s voice became louder, more desperate.

“You’re going through a lot of changes right now,” Drew said, making her tone as soothing as she could. It wasn’t easy since she was bursting with emotion. “Telling Jake off and calling your parents on the carpet for their self-centeredness ... that took a lot of courage. I was holding my breath the whole time, totally in awe of this new Annie.” She paused and then added, “Don’t misunderstand me. It’s not that I don’t lo—” Drew stopped herself midword and bit her lip. “—like the old Annie. I do. It’s just that it’s wonderful to see you grow and stand up for yourself and—”

“Drew?”

Drew exhaled. “Yes?”

A hint of a smile ghosted over Annie’s face. “You’re babbling.”

Drew’s jaw snapped shut. Good going. You’re supposed to help her calm down, not babble like a nervous idiot. “Sorry.”

“No. Don’t be sorry. It’s good to know I’m not the only one.”

Her heart beat a nervous staccato against Drew’s ribs. “The only one who ...?”

“The only one who’s nervous. The only one who ...” Annie pulled one hand from her coat pocket and slid it into the pocket of her pants. Then she breathed in sharply. “Drew, I ...” She blew out a breath. “I still have this.”

A touch of Annie’s hand compelled Drew to open her fingers. Something smooth slid into her hand. When she looked down, faint light glinted on the milky white surface of a moonstone. Is this the one I gave her on the beach? She squinted down at it. The swirling patterns looked familiar. Drew rubbed her cold fingers over the stone that was warm from Annie’s body heat. “You kept it?” she whispered. She didn’t dare believe that it meant what she wanted it to mean.

Annie stared at the wooden bridge beneath her feet and nodded. “Normally, I’m not into sentimental trinkets like this.”

“I know.” Drew hadn’t seen any objects of sentimental value in Annie’s apartment. “I thought you left it on the beach.”

“I wanted to.” Annie looked back up. Her gaze met Drew’s before it veered away again. “But something made me put it in my pocket.”

“Something?” Drew’s voice vibrated with tension and hope.

With one finger, Annie touched the moonstone on Drew’s open palm as if drawing strength from it. “I think I might have ...” She looked from the stone to Drew’s face. “I have feelings for you.”

The words made Drew’s heart stutter and then start to beat double-time. Oh, God, yes! She wanted to shout out her joy, but she cautioned herself, afraid to let herself believe, just to be disappointed. Maybe she’s just reacting to the stress of tricking Jake. “Feelings?”

“Romantic feelings,” Annie whispered.

Drew swallowed. “Are you sure this isn’t just a side effect of trying to make Jake believe we’re a couple?”

“Side effect?” A line appeared between Annie’s brows. She stared at Drew with a not-very-pleased glint in her eyes. “I might not be very experienced when it comes to love and relationships, but I’m not a child. I know my own feelings.”

Drew flinched. Ouch. “No, you ... That’s not what I’m saying,” she hastened to say. “I’m not belittling your feelings the way Jake and your parents do.” After a quick, soothing touch to Annie’s arm, she retreated. “This isn’t about the experiences you have or don’t have. But sometimes it’s easy to get confused. I went through the same thing. It was hard to figure out if I’m just interested in you because I have trouble separating reality from the role of pretending to be your girlfriend.”

“So?” Annie searched Drew’s face. “Did you figure it out?”

This time, it was Drew who had trouble holding Annie’s gaze. Come on. Tell her. Trust her. “Yes,” she said and felt her breath catch. “For me, it’s more than getting lost in our charade. There’s something about you that fascinated me from the first moment I saw you.” In her mind’s eye, she saw Annie nearly dropping a tray full of glasses. She shook off the smile the memory put on her face. “But I’m a lesbian. Being attracted to women is normal for me. But you ...”

“I don’t know what I am or what this,” Annie pointed back and forth between them, “is. Your side-effect theory ... I clung to it for a while. I tried to convince myself that it would all go away once we didn’t have to pretend for Jake’s sake anymore.”

Drew stopped breathing. “And?”

Annie’s lips curled into a half-smile. “No such luck.” She patted her chest. “I don’t think this will go away anytime soon.” She lowered her voice to a whisper and added, “If ever.”

Weak-kneed, Drew sucked in a lungful of air. “Does that mean…?”

“Mean?”

The confused, helpless look in Annie’s eyes made Drew want to take back the question and avoid anything that put pressure on Annie, but she was risking her heart and needed answers—even if she was afraid of them. It was better to be hurt now than to invest her whole heart and have it broken later. She curled her hand around the moonstone. “I have to be honest here, Annie. I’m not up for being a straight girl’s experiment.” Back in college, she hadn’t minded, but with Annie, it would rip out her heart.

“Experiment?” Annie shook her head. “I’m not the experimenting type. You know that. I would never confess my feelings for you if I wasn’t serious.”

“You might be serious about it now,” Drew said and sighed, “but will you still feel the same when strangers stare at you just for holding my hand? Will you still feel that way if you meet an attractive man who treats you well ... or a woman?” After all, most women didn’t stay with their first female lover. The more Drew thought about it, the more insecure she became.

Annie hung her head, looked at the dark waters, and mumbled, “You don’t have to be polite. This isn’t really about me changing my mind, is it? This is about you changing yours.”

Drew tugged her around so she could see her face in the moonlight. “What do you mean? Why would I change my mind?”

A twig splashed into the water when Annie kicked at it. “You could have women that are so much more interesting than I. Lynn, for example.”

“Hey.” Drew tapped Annie’s cold nose. “What did I tell you about negative assumptions about yourself? I’m not interested in Lynn.”

“Really?”

“Yes. My relationship with Lynn was over a long time ago and we’ll never get back together, no matter how much Lynn wants to pretend otherwise.” Drew caressed Annie’s cheek with the back of her index finger. “I’m much more interested in you than I ever was in Lynn. That’s why I’m so worried that other lesbians will find you interesting too.”

In the moonlight, Annie’s face looked ghostly pale. “I don’t know what I’ll feel in the future, Drew.” The corners of her mouth twitched, forming a self-deprecating smile. “I barely know what I’m feeling right now. I’m not pretending that this isn’t hard for me or that I’m not confused and insecure. I haven’t been interested in anyone in a long time—and now it’s happening with a woman. That’s a shock. A big shock.” She closed her eyes. Her shoulders heaved as she breathed in and out. Then she opened her eyes again. “I know it won’t always be easy, but I’m serious about wanting to try.”

The words made Drew giddy. Even as she had slowly fallen in love with Annie over the last few weeks, she had never allowed herself to think they might have a future together, and now she didn’t trust her luck. The doubts and fears within Drew refused to settle down. “That’s just it, Annie. There is no trying. We’re no longer pretending. There are real people involved, real emotions.”

“I know.” Annie lowered her gaze and added in a whisper, “I feel them.”

For a moment, Annie’s shy confession robbed Drew of speech. She knew Annie usually didn’t talk about her feelings so freely. Waves of joy rushed through her. She wanted to wrap her arms around Annie and twirl her around until they were both dizzy, then kiss her until they became dizzy again. But she couldn’t give in to her feelings without making sure she wouldn’t get hurt—or worse, hurt Annie. “What if you find out that being with a woman ... being with me isn’t what you want?” What if she allowed herself to fall head-over-heels in love with Annie, only to have Annie break it off? What if? Inwardly, Drew rolled her eyes at herself. Girl, you’ve been a goner for weeks.

“I can’t give you any guarantees.”

At first, Annie’s sober response made Drew flinch. That sure wasn’t the promise of a happily-ever-after a prospective lover wanted to hear. But then she had to smile. Annie’s down-to-earth attitude was part of what she loved about her.

“Do you remember what you kept telling me from the first day we met?” Annie asked.

Drew’s thoughts raced. During the last eight weeks, she had told Annie so many things. Her head was spinning, so she clung to the first funny comment that came to mind. “That I already own a toaster oven?” She sent Annie a rakish grin. “You know, I wouldn’t mind earning another one.”

“No.” Annie’s lips twitched with a half-grin of her own. She gently pinched Drew’s upper arm, nearly making her drop the moonstone. “You told me that I shouldn’t enter relationships with negative assumptions. Now I’m trying to take your advice. If I let myself focus on all the things that could go wrong ...” She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again. “I would make myself crazy. For once, I think maybe I should just hope for the best instead of being afraid of messing things up. No more letting myself be ruled by negative assumptions.”

Drew smiled. “Beating me with my own words, hmm? Is that what I have to look forward to?”

Annie lifted her chin and looked directly into Drew’s eyes. “If you’re willing to take a chance.”

Despite her doubts, Drew didn’t hesitate. “Of course I am,” she said softly. She handed back the moonstone.

When their fingers touched, a spark of electricity raced up Drew’s arm. Her body tingled.

Maybe Annie felt the spark between them too, because she paused with her fingers touching Drew’s. Instead of taking the moonstone from her, she entwined their fingers. The moonstone that was trapped between their palms seemed to pulse in the rhythm of their heartbeats.

“Magic,” Drew whispered.

Looking deeply into her eyes, Annie nodded.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

With their hands still linking them to each other, they moved closer until Drew felt Annie’s body heat. A strand of Annie’s hair brushed Drew’s cheek, and Drew reached up with her free hand to comb it back. Her fingertips slid over Annie’s temple, stroking the soft skin there.

Annie tilted her head and leaned into the touch.

Slowly, giving Annie ample time to stop her, Drew slid her hand down, along Annie’s cheek, then back to her neck, where she drew tiny circles with her fingertips.

A shuddery breath escaped Annie and fanned hotly over Drew’s forehead.

Goose bumps broke out all over Drew’s body.

With only inches separating them, Annie leaned down and paused. Her gaze sought Drew’s and then darted down to her lips.

Drew lifted her head and, closing the gap between them, touched Annie’s lips with her own.

So soft.

Her body struggled against it, but Drew forced herself to move back an inch after one single peck. She opened her mouth to ask Annie if she was okay.

Before she could ask, Annie leaned down and kissed her again.

Heat shot through Drew. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she pressed closer.

Annie’s lips started to move against Drew’s.

Drew moaned into the kiss. When Annie’s free hand slid down her back, Drew flicked out her tongue and teased the corner of Annie’s mouth.

With a gasp, Annie parted her lips.

Drew’s knees weakened. She had never felt anything as erotic as the feeling of their tongues sliding against each other.

The ducks’ excited quack-quack interrupted the moment.

Breathing heavily, Annie pulled back.

Drew’s eyes had trouble focusing, but after a moment, she realized they had dropped the moonstone. It had landed on the edge of the bridge, and the female duck was inching closer, apparently thinking the white stone was a piece of bread.

“Shoo!” Annie waved her hands. “This one’s mine.”

When Annie bent to pick up the moonstone before the duck could reach it, Drew drank in her slender form. “Am I?” she whispered.

Annie straightened.

They made eye contact.

Then Annie smiled. “Yes,” she said, sounding more confident than Drew had expected.

While the duck huffed out one last quack and paddled away, they stood grinning at each other. After a few moments, they reached for the other’s hand, and with the moonstone safely held between their clasped palms, walked back to the car.

Chapter 21

Half a dozen people were clogging the gallery’s entrance when Annie arrived. She squeezed past a bearded man and a woman in a salmon-colored minidress. Someone from the gallery’s staff approached her to take her coat, but Annie shook her head. She didn’t want to wait around later for someone to hand her the coat once it was time to leave, so she slipped out of her coat, folded it, and carried it over her arm.

She declined a glass of champagne and craned her neck, looking for her mother. Finally, she discovered her in front of one of her paintings, where she was explaining some details to a visitor.

Annie walked over and waited for her mother to look up.

“Darling! How nice that you could make it.” Despite Annie’s protests, her mother pressed a glass of champagne into her hands.

Annie placed it on the tray of a nearby waitress. “The art opening looks like a big success.”

“Yes, it is. I’ve sold two paintings already.” Her mother beamed. She took a step back and studied Annie. “You’re wearing a dress?”

For a moment, Annie debated letting her mother think it was in honor of the art opening, but then she said, “I’ve got a date later tonight.”

Her mother led her through the gallery and stopped in front of a painting. She glanced at Annie, then back at her colleague’s creation. “A date with ...?” She trailed off and let Annie complete the sentence. It had been a week since Thanksgiving. Even though they had spoken on the phone twice, this was the first time her mother had asked about Annie’s new relationship in any way.

Annie inhaled deeply before she let the breath escape. “With Drew, yes.” In fact, it was their first official date, and just thinking about it made butterflies the size of sparrows take flight in Annie’s belly. “I’m not dating anyone else. Drew says hi, by the way. She’s sorry she can’t make it. She wanted to come with me, but she needs to cover the tasting room until seven.”

Silence settled between them as they wandered from painting to painting, looking at each of them for a minute or two.

“Does she make you happy?” her mother asked after a while.

The question caught Annie by surprise. She stared at her mother. As far as she could remember, her mother had never asked her a question like that. For a moment, Annie thought about just giving the shortest possible answer. In the past, her parents had always been satisfied with that because their interest in Annie’s life ran only skin-deep—at least it always seemed so. But if she wanted to give her parents a chance to participate in her life more fully, she had to open up and show them the kind of communication she wanted. “I’ve never relied on anyone for my happiness.” She strolled to the next painting and thought about her words. “But I think I’m finally learning to. Drew shows me every day that I can trust her to be there for me, no matter what.”

Her mother nodded and followed her. For a few moments, silence settled between them, then her mother asked, “What do you think of that one?”

Annie suppressed a sigh. It seemed her mother’s attempt to connect and really talk to each other was over already. She turned her head to look at the painting her mother was indicating. On the canvas, fog swirled through a dark pine forest. “It’s kind of depressing.” The painting didn’t fit her mood at all. Depressed was the last thing Annie was feeling. Excited to see Drew later, nervous about their first official date, yes, but not depressed. She shrugged. “But I’m not an expert. Art is your passion, Mom, not mine.”

They turned a corner to the next artworks.

Annie stumbled to a stop and stared at a painting of a beach.

The setting sun seemed to float on the ocean, dipping it in orange. Waves sprayed rocks that jutted into the water and rained down on a group of sunbathing seals. Their fur gleamed like bronze.

In the painting’s foreground, a couple knelt on a blanket that covered the tiny pebbles. The glowing light of the sunset surrounded them like a halo and made their features unrecognizable, their shapes revealed that both were women. The smaller, stockier one had one arm stretched out, offering something in her hand. The other woman’s fingertips were about to touch whatever rested on her companion’s palm.

This is us, Drew and me! Annie shook her dazed head. God, what are the chances? Her gaze darted to the painting’s title: Heart’s Offering. She swallowed. Could it really be? She stepped even closer.

The pebbles instead of sand, the build of the two women, the blanket in front of a piece of driftwood ... the painting’s details fit too well for it to show any other couple.

That day on the beach, Drew had given Annie the moonstone, not her heart. Still, the artist had apparently sensed some sort of romantic connection between them.

If Annie was honest with herself, she had sensed it too, but she had blamed it on the setting, on their plan to trick Jake, on anything but her growing feelings.

Not anymore.

She turned to her mother. “Heart’s Offering. Who painted it?”

Her mother stepped closer and glanced at the initials in the corner of the painting. “That’s one of Bridget’s. She’s around here somewhere.”

Annie scanned the crowd of artists and visitors wandering the gallery. “Can you point her out to me? I want to buy her painting.”

“I thought you don’t care about art,” her mother said.

“I care about this painting.”

“If you like the seascape, I can give you one of mine that—”

“No, Mom,” Annie said before her mother could go into a detailed description of her own painting. “I don’t want just any seascape painting. This one is special.” She couldn’t keep her gaze off the seascape. The artist had captured the magic of that moment so well. She reached into her coat pocket to touch the moonstone.

It wasn’t there.

Her mouth went dry. She searched her other pocket.

Nothing.

With trembling fingers, she rifled through her purse. A lump formed in her throat.

The moonstone was gone.

Oh, God, no. Had she lost it when she had taken off the coat?

“Special?” Her mother interrupted her panicked thoughts. She still studied the painting through narrowed eyes. “What’s so special about Bridget’s painting that you would prefer it over one of mine?”

Christ, now her artist’s ego is hurt. Why did her mother have to make everything about herself? Annie lifted her hand, interrupting her mother’s lecture about the quality of the brushwork and color choice. “It’s not about artistic value. This is personal.” She looked at the painting again and fought the urge to run her finger over the smaller figure. “I think it’s a painting of Drew and me.”

A chuckle escaped her mother. “And here I always thought you didn’t have any imagination.”

Ouch. She should have known that her mother wouldn’t change completely overnight. “No, Mom, really. When we were at the beach three weeks ago, there was a woman with an easel.” She pointed at the painting. “That’s us.”

Her mother took her glasses from her purse and put them on. She bent and looked at the painting again. “Are you sure?”

Annie nodded. She remembered every detail of that day at the beach vividly.

“But I thought you haven’t been ... you know ...” Her mother gestured wildly and finally left it up to Annie to fill in the blanks. “... for long?”

Haven’t been in love? Haven’t been a couple? Haven’t been sleeping with Drew? She hadn’t yet, but that was none of her mother’s business. “We just admitted our feelings to each other on Thanksgiving, but they’ve been there for quite some time,” Annie said. “Now can you please get Bridget for me? I have to leave in twenty minutes, or I’ll be late for my date.”

Her mother sighed. “I’ll get her.”

* * *

Dating had never been comfortable for Annie, but now as the hostess led her to the table, she felt like throwing up. The clinking of cutlery against plates and the low hum of conversations sounded overly loud. She felt the gazes of the other restaurant guests like pinpricks on her skin, but when she glanced at the diners, no one was looking her way.

Then she caught sight of Drew, who was already seated at the table.

Drew glanced up.

Their gazes met.

For a moment, the noises in the restaurant receded and everything seemed to move in slow motion.

With a bright smile, Drew stood and approached her.

A pair of dark gray slacks clung to her rounded hips and muscular thighs. A baby-blue blouse, its sleeves rolled up, contrasted nicely with her tan. Annie’s gaze was drawn to the bit of smooth skin that the two open buttons on Drew’s blouse revealed. She swallowed.

Drew looked as if she had dressed with care; yet with her rolled up sleeves and open buttons, she still seemed entirely comfortable in her own skin.

In contrast, Annie felt like a child playing at being grown-up in her burgundy dress.

“Hi,” Drew said. Her raspy voice sent shivers down Annie’s spine. “You look beautiful.”

Annie smoothed her hands down the sides of her dress, very aware that the hostess was still within earshot. “Thank you. I went back and got the dress.”

“I’m glad you did. It looks wonderful on you.” Drew took another step closer and reached for her.

Annie’s heart leaped. Will she kiss me in front of all the other customers?

But instead, Drew hugged her.

Annie put her arms around Drew’s back, at the same time relieved and disappointed that Drew hadn’t kissed her. She mentally shook her head and chided herself for her foolish thoughts.

Drew held on longer than the polite two seconds that Annie was used to. Instead of just touching her shoulders, Drew pressed her whole torso against Annie’s in a full-body hug.

Conscious of the people surrounding them, Annie struggled not to pull away before Drew ended the hug. After a moment, she just relaxed and enjoyed the warm, solid feel of Drew’s body against hers. It felt new and exciting, yet at the same time soothingly familiar.

Finally, Drew let go and Annie stumbled to her chair on wobbly legs.

“Are you okay?” Drew asked, leaning forward to look at her with a concerned gaze.

“I’m fine. How was work? Was the tasting room busy today?”

“We got a lot of folks looking for the right wine for Christmas,” Drew said. “And how was the art opening?”

Annie thought of the painting in her trunk. She wanted to tell Drew then and there what she had found, but she bit her tongue. The painting would make a nice Christmas present for Drew. “It was more interesting than I thought.”

“I’m really sorry I missed it.” Drew grinned. “I need to find another way to earn brownie points with your mother.”

“You earned brownie points with me by being here extra-early even though I know you had a busy day,” Annie said.

“I didn’t want to make you wait like the last time.”

The last time. So much had changed since the last time they’d had dinner here two months before. They had gone from hesitant allies in a plot against Jake to being friends and now potential lovers so fast that Annie’s head was spinning.

The ordering of the food and wine rushed by in a nervous daze.

Calm down and just enjoy the evening. But that was easier said than done. She reached for her pocket to touch the moonstone, a gesture she found calming, and then remembered that her dress didn’t have any pockets—and that the moonstone was gone. She tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth.

“What is it?” Drew asked. The candle in the middle of the table threw flickering shadows over her face as she leaned forward and regarded Annie closely. “What’s wrong?”

Annie felt like a woman who had lost her lover’s fifty-thousand-dollar diamond ring. “Drew, I ... There’s something I’ve got to tell you.”

Drew blanched beneath her tan. She sank against the back of her chair. “You changed your mind.”

“What?” Annie stared at her.

“About me. About us.”

“Oh. You thought ...? No, no, no. That’s not what this is all about.” Annie leaned forward and touched Drew’s hand that was clamped around her wineglass. It was strangely encouraging to see that she wasn’t the only one feeling insecure when it came to their relationship. “No negative assumptions, remember?”

“Yeah.” Drew loosened her death grip on the wineglass. “I remember.” A tiny smile brought out her dimples.

Instantly, Annie wanted to make her smile again, but instead, she had to give her some bad news. She inhaled and held the breath for as long as she could before she blurted out, “I think I lost the moonstone.”

“Oh.”

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know how it happened. I swear I—”

“Annie, stop.” Drew reached across the table and touched Annie’s cheek. “On the way to the restaurant, I stopped to pick up your Christmas present.”

What did that have to do with anything? Was Drew trying to cheer her up? Annie tilted her head and waited for Drew to continue.

“I think you should have it now, though,” Drew said. She fumbled for something in her pocket. Her eyes shone, and a flush covered her cheeks.

Annie had to smile. She’s so cute. Her smile froze when Drew pushed a jewelry box across the table. Annie’s heartbeat thundered through her ears, and she wasn’t sure whether she was scared that it might be a ring or afraid that it wasn’t. It’s too soon, isn’t it? With trembling fingers, she took the little box and opened it.

Before her lay a silver necklace. A milky-white stone pendant gleamed against the dark velvet of the jewelry box.

Phew. Annie exhaled sharply. Not a ring.

She squinted and looked more closely. “Isn’t that a moonstone?” She looked at Drew.

Drew grinned and nodded. “Not just any moonstone. That’s yours. Ours. I took it from your coat pocket when you weren’t paying attention. I’m sorry I made you think you might have lost it. I didn’t think you would notice it was gone this soon.”

Annie rubbed her thumb over its shining surface and exhaled slowly. The thought of having lost the moonstone had plagued her all evening.

“I hope it’s okay that I had the jeweler cut and polish it,” Drew said. “I know you don’t like sentimental trinkets like this, but ...” She shrugged and trailed off, looking at Annie with a hopeful expression.

Three months ago, Annie would have thought it a childish superstition and a waste of money to put a simple stone from a beach on a necklace. Now the moonstone represented hope, love, and a more positive way of thinking. “Of course it’s okay.” She smiled at Drew. “I love it. I’m finding I like sentimental these days.” She took the necklace from the box and looked at the dangling pendant for a moment before she lifted it to her neck.

“Let me do it,” Drew said. She got up and rounded the table. Her fingers brushed feather-light against Annie’s skin as she closed the necklace’s catch, making goose bumps trail down Annie’s body. “There.” With one gentle finger, Drew touched the moonstone resting on Annie’s chest.

Even though Drew wasn’t touching her directly, Annie felt heat flow through her. She coughed against the sudden lump of emotion in her throat. “I’ve got something for you too.” She had wanted to give Drew the painting for Christmas, but now she could hardly wait to see Drew’s face when she saw it. “It’s in the trunk of my car, though, so it’ll have to wait until later.”

“Some things are worth waiting for,” Drew said and smiled.

Annie didn’t know what to say to that. Her mouth was too dry to speak. Suddenly everything they said and did seemed to be filled with so much emotion that she barely knew how to handle it. When the waiter set down the broccoli pasta dish in front of Annie, she picked at her food and searched for something to say. Whenever they had dinner together before, the conversation between them had flowed, but now Annie was left speechless.

The feeling that the other people in the restaurant were watching them didn’t help. In the past, she had enjoyed the anonymity in public places like this. On all of her other dates, she had been just one of many diners, not standing out from the masses at all. No one had paid her any special attention, and that was how Annie preferred it. Now the feeling that all the other people knew something very private about her, just by looking at her and Drew, made her skin crawl.

“Let’s get these to go and head to my place,” Drew said.

Annie looked up, startled. “Go to your place? Why?”

“Because you’re not comfortable here.”

“No, I—”

“Annie,” Drew reached across the table and took her hand, “please don’t do that with me. Don’t pretend to be fine when you’re not.”

Annie stared at Drew’s hand on top of hers. The touch was soothing yet at the same time uncomfortable. She inhaled deeply and forced herself not to pull away. Drew deserved to know. She would understand. At least Annie hoped so. “This,” she nodded down at their hands, “is hard for me.”

When Drew started to pull back her hand, Annie trapped it against hers with her left hand. “It’s fine. I just need to get over my paranoia. I’m sure most people here don’t notice or don’t mind that we’re two women holding hands.” Maybe if she told herself that a few more times, she would start to believe it.

A sad smile flitted across Drew’s face. “I won’t lie to you. Most people really don’t care, but there are a few homophobic jerks, even here in California. We might get some stares when we’re holding hands. If it would make you more comfortable, we could cut out the affectionate touches in public.” Drew looked at her, clearly ready to accept whatever Annie decided.

Annie studied their hands before she let her gaze stray through the restaurant. A man at one of the other tables was staring at them from behind the cover of his menu. The muscles in Annie’s hand jerked as she suppressed the reflex to withdraw her fingers from Drew’s. Yes, it would be easier to avoid all overly affectionate touches while in public. If she just sat here, enjoying dinner and pleasant conversation with Drew, no one would think they were anything but friends.

But she knew it was the coward’s way out and wouldn’t be fair to either her or Drew. If she wanted their relationship to work, she needed to stand up for herself and not let her life be dictated by the expectations of strangers.

“No,” she said. “That’s not what I want. Just give me some time to get used to it, okay?”

“Okay,” Drew said with an understanding smile. She squeezed Annie’s hand and started to pull back when someone stopped next to their table.

Annie looked up, expecting to see the waiter.

Instead, Drew’s friend Lynn stood in front of them. “Hi, Drew. I thought that was you.” She bent to kiss Drew’s cheek.

The kiss lasted a bit too long for Annie’s taste. She found herself glaring at Lynn’s hand on Drew’s shoulder. The possessiveness of that gesture made her want to rip off Lynn’s hand.

When Lynn straightened, her gaze fell on Annie’s and Drew’s still joined hands. She glanced around the restaurant before she grinned at Annie and bent to whisper, “Still trying to trick your brother?”

Drew and Annie exchanged a glance, then Drew gave her a nod, leaving it up to Annie to decide on what to tell Lynn.

Annie hesitated. Pretending not to care about what strangers might think was one thing, but facing Drew’s friends was another. She gave herself a mental kick. “No,” she said, forcing herself to meet Lynn’s gaze. “This doesn’t have anything to do with tricking Jake. Drew and I ... we’re ... together.”

“Woohoo!” Lynn slapped Drew’s shoulder. “So you finally earned that toaster oven?”

At Lynn’s loud cheering, the people at the neighboring tables looked over at them. One of the waiters stopped in the middle of pouring wine and stared too.

Lynn grinned at Annie as if she were just one in a long row of Drew’s conquests.

Annie couldn’t stand that grin any longer. She let go of Drew’s hand and pushed away her plate. Instead of jumping up as she wanted to, she mumbled, “Excuse me,” got up with as much dignity as possible—which wasn’t much under the circumstances—and fled to the ladies’ room. Maybe if she hid out there for long enough, Lynn would just disappear.

* * *

Drew threw down her napkin. She wanted to throw it into Lynn’s face but restrained herself. Making even more of a spectacle wouldn’t help. “Great.” She stared at the door of the ladies’ room that had just closed behind Annie, then pivoted to glare at Lynn. “You’re as diplomatic as a sledgehammer.”

“Me?” Lynn dropped into Annie’s chair. “What did I do?”

Drew ground her teeth. “That toaster oven comment wasn’t funny.”

“Oh, come on. People said the same thing when I first slept with you.”

“That’s different.” Drew rose to go after Annie and make sure she was okay.

Lynn refolded the napkin Annie had dumped on the table. “Why?”

Drew put both hands on the table and leaned forward to tower over Lynn. “Because we didn’t ...” She stopped herself from telling Lynn she hadn’t slept with Annie yet. In the past, telling her friends about her sex life hadn’t been a big deal, but with Annie, it felt like a private, almost sacred thing that she didn’t want to share with anyone else. “Because comments like that make Annie feel like she’s a notch on my bed post. Just one of many. And she’s not.”

Lynn stared at her. Her fingers tightened around the napkin. “And I was?”

“No.” Drew stopped herself from reaching across the table to cover Lynn’s hand with her own. She didn’t want to send mixed messages. “Please don’t think that. It just wasn’t working between us. I’m sorry. I know you hoped we’d get back together.”

With her free hand, Lynn scratched at a tiny sauce stain on the tablecloth. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”

“I’m not blaming you for that. But you being a bitch to Annie ... that’s got to stop. Right now.”

Lynn snatched her hand away from under Drew’s. “I’m not—”

“Yes, you are.” Drew glanced toward the ladies’ room again. “From the moment you met Annie, you’ve been teasing and needling her.” She leaned down to make sure Lynn caught each and every one of her words. “You’re my friend, but if you don’t cut out this kind of behavior, you’ll make me choose between Annie and you. And believe me, you won’t like my choice.”

For a moment, even the clinking of glasses and the conversation of other guests seemed to stop.

Drew bit her lip. She felt bad about hurting Lynn, but it needed to be said. She had left too many things between them unresolved after their breakup the year before.

A bitter snort from Lynn interrupted the silence between them. She folded her arms across her chest. “Why didn’t you ever fight for our relationship like this?”

Drew squeezed her eyes shut. Not that again. She didn’t have the patience to deal with this now. She wanted to go after Annie. “Jesus, Lynn, why don’t you finally get over it? We were together for all of three months, and we fought like cats and dogs for half of that time.”

“Bullshit. So there was a lot of passion in the relationship, but we never—”

“Just look at us now.” Drew pointed at their confrontational stances. “Even if you manage to scare Annie off and by some miracle we get back together, do you really think this is the basis for a happy relationship?”

Lynn stared at her and leaned heavily against the back of the chair. Her arms dropped to her sides. The anger disappeared from her expression like a snuffed-out candle, leaving behind a trembling lower lip and a resigned gaze.

Drew didn’t wait around for Lynn’s answer. She whirled around and hurried after Annie.

* * *

Annie gripped the sink with both hands and stared into the mirror. “Nicely done, Annie Prideaux.” She shook her head at her reflection. “You ran out on Drew at the first sign of trouble. Now she’ll think you’re not ready for a relationship with her.”

And maybe she wasn’t. There was so much she still didn’t know about lesbian relationships. Facing the curious stares of people when they were behaving like a couple in public was just one of her concerns. She also didn’t have a clue about what to do with Drew in private. Would they kiss again tonight? Or would Drew expect more than just kisses?

Annie wasn’t sure she was ready for that. I need to do more research. She had found some lesbian stories online that seemed pretty ... educating. Heat swept up her neck.

The door of the ladies’ room swung open, interrupting Annie’s thoughts.

She looked up and met Drew’s concerned gaze in the mirror.

For a moment, they stayed like that, just looking at each other in the mirror, as they had in the fitting room. Then Drew stepped into the room and let the door fall shut behind her. “You okay?”

Annie nodded and turned. “Lynn just ...” She broke off and shook her head.

“I know. Lynn can be an ass.” Drew took another step and pulled Annie into her arms.

The bathroom sex scenes from the lesbian television show she had watched as part of her research flashed through Annie’s mind. Heat exploded in her belly as her body pressed against Drew’s.

But instead of kissing her, Drew just hugged her.

Annie let her cheek sink against Drew’s head and forced her rebellious body to calm down. Jesus. You’d think I was a horny teenager. She felt out of control, a little scared, and entirely wonderful all at the same time.

Drew reached up and cupped the back of Annie’s head, the gesture comforting and tender instead of arousing.

Annie nestled closer and marveled at how well they fit against each other. When Drew held her like this, all her doubts and insecurities melted away.

“Whatever Lynn implied, you’re much more to me than a quick way to earn a toaster oven, okay?” Drew whispered against Annie’s neck.

The hot breath bathing her skin made Annie shiver. “I know.” She pressed even closer, trying to forget about Lynn and the rest of the world for a few moments.

Drew wrapped her arms more tightly around her. As tender as the wings of a butterfly, she brushed a kiss against Annie’s neck.

The door opened again.

Embarrassed, Annie pulled back a little but kept one arm around Drew.

An elderly woman gave them a fleeting glance before she moved past them into one of the stalls.

“So,” Drew said, “want to get the food to go?”

Annie squared her shoulders. “No. Let’s go back to the table and continue our date.”

Smiling, Drew reached for her hand and opened the door.

When they got back to the table, Lynn was gone.

* * *

After they left the restaurant, Drew walked Annie to her car.

Annie held her breath while she unlocked the trunk and lifted out Heart’s Offering. Would Drew recognize them immediately too?

“Another painting?” Drew asked.

“Not just any painting,” Annie repeated Drew’s words from earlier. She removed the protective material from around the painting and held it up for Drew to see.

For several moments, Drew just stood and stared. “Oh, wow.” She touched the face of the taller figure in the painting. “You got your mother to paint this for us?” She smiled and tapped Annie’s nose with her index finger. “And you say you’re not romantic.”

“I’m not. I mean ... maybe I am.” Annie’s cheeks warmed. “But my mother didn’t paint this.”

“No?”

“No.”

Drew stared at the painting. “Don’t tell me the woman at the beach that day ...?”

Annie nodded.

“How did you find her?” Drew still studied the painting.

“Coincidence. She had a few paintings in the art opening today, including this one.”

“Incredible,” Drew said and looked up.

Their gazes met.

“Magic,” Annie whispered.

They stood in silence for a few moments, just looking into each other’s eyes. Then Annie handed over the painting and unlocked the door on the driver’s side. When she turned, her gaze fell on Drew’s lips. She wanted a good-night kiss but didn’t know how to ask for it. With Patrick, she had never needed to ask—and had never wanted to.

The painting safely held beneath one arm, Drew pointed to her car on the other side of the parking lot. “Want to come home with me and have coffee?”

Coffee. Even Annie knew what that meant. She swallowed and hesitated.

“I have tea too,” Drew said.

Her charming smile nearly made Annie give in, but nervousness held her back. She looked into Drew’s eyes, then let her gaze drop to the ground. “I’m not sure I’m ready.” She peeked up to watch Drew’s reaction.

“To have coffee?” Drew frowned. One second later, her eyes widened. “Christ, Annie. You thought ...?” She laughed and pulled Annie into a one-armed embrace. “When I asked you to come home with me for coffee, I meant coffee, nothing else. I just want to spend a little more time with you.”

“Oh.” Annie’s cheeks and earlobes were burning. “I didn’t mean to imply that you ...”

Drew stroked one of her hot cheeks. “Don’t get me wrong. I want you.” The smoldering heat in Drew’s dark eyes confirmed her words before it was replaced with tenderness. “But more than that I want you to feel comfortable. I can imagine that the thought of having sex with a woman seems pretty ... intimidating to you.”

Annie’s ears heated again. Here she was, in the middle of a parking lot, discussing lesbian sex. Who would have thought? “It’s not that I’m not attracted to you.” She was. During dinner, she had wondered how it would feel to press her lips against the skin left bare by the two open buttons on Drew’s blouse. In the safety of her own bed, she wondered how other places on Drew’s body might feel. But the thought of acting on these feelings was as scary as it was exciting. “It’s just that I need some time to adjust to this new me.”

“I know. We’ll take things slow, okay?”

Annie nodded.

“So,” Drew trailed her hand along Annie’s forearm, making her whole body tingle, “how about that coffee?”

“Tea,” Annie said. “Otherwise I won’t be able to sleep tonight.” Not that she would get much sleep anyway. Too many thoughts and questions running through her head would keep her awake, but that was fine with her. She had a lot of research to do.

* * *

Annie tried to fend off Cab’s sloppy greeting with one hand while she wrestled out of the high-heeled shoes that matched her burgundy dress.

“You make yourself comfortable in the living room,” Drew said. “I’ll make us some tea.” She whistled for Cab to follow her.

A new mix of scents greeted Annie when she entered the living room. Vanilla and pine now mingled with the smells of leather and wood. Red plastic apples, straw stars, and blue Christmas tree balls hung in the branches of a pine.

“Hey, you put up a tree,” she called through the half-open door.

“Yes,” Drew called back.

The sounds of water heating in a teakettle came from the kitchen.

Drew entered the living room, stopped next to Annie, and touched a golden angel that had clearly been made by the clumsy hands of a child, probably Drew. “I wasn’t sure I would get a tree this year. First, there’s Cab. Christmas trees and big dogs don’t get along well. And then there’s ...” Her voice trailed off. She looked at the mantle, where a picture of her parents stood.

Annie didn’t know what to say. Words couldn’t take away Drew’s pain. She slid one arm around Drew and pulled her closer. “I’m glad you decided to get one.”

“Me too.” Drew turned away from the photo and looked at Annie. “I thought maybe we could ... I mean, if you’re not celebrating Christmas with your parents, you could come over and we could spend Christmas together.”

Normally, Annie spent Christmas in Fresno, but the thought of being with Drew was much more appealing. “I’d like that. There’s just one problem.”

“Which is?” Drew looked determined to solve any problem single-handedly.

“We already exchanged the gifts we had planned for Christmas.” Annie grinned at her.

“Oh, you!” Drew swung back her hand to slap Annie’s ass.

Annie sidestepped and grabbed her arm before she could complete the maneuver.

Drew tugged to get free, but Annie refused to let go.

Within seconds, they were wrestling each other like two boisterous children. Annie was taller, but Drew was unexpectedly strong.

In her pantyhose, Annie slipped on the parquet and stumbled.

“Careful!” Drew gripped her shoulders but couldn’t stop Annie’s backward momentum.

Annie landed on the couch, with Drew on top of her.

Breathing heavily, they stared at each other from just inches away. The laughter and the playfulness were suddenly gone. Annie lay completely still. Her heaving chest pressed against Drew’s, making her even more breathless.

Drew bent her head until Annie felt her breath against her lips. She said something, but Annie couldn’t hear her over the rushing of blood in her ears.

“Um ...” She wrenched her gaze away from Drew’s lips. “Can you repeat that?”

“I said maybe you could just give me kisses for Christmas. You won’t even have to wrap them.”

“And what would you give me?” Annie asked, fighting to get out the words.

“How about a hickey?” Drew asked. “You heard of my famous Rottweiler technique.” She leaned down and playfully nibbled Annie’s throat. Teeth rasped over Annie’s sensitive skin.

Shivers raced up and down Annie’s body. She tilted her chin up to experience more of the tantalizing touches.

Drew lavished gentle kisses on the spots she had nibbled. Her smooth tongue flicked over the hollow of Annie’s throat.

Annie gasped.

Drew pulled back and looked down at her. “Is that okay?”

Still breathless, Annie just nodded.

Drew looked at her for a few seconds longer, then leaned down and kissed her. She took her time, first nibbling on Annie’s lips, then teasing the corners of her mouth before she slid her tongue against Annie’s in a tender caress.

Annie’s body temperature skyrocketed. She wrapped her arms around Drew and pulled her closer.

Her dress slid up, and one of Drew’s thighs pressed between her legs.

Annie pulled back with another gasp. Her head spinning, she gazed up at Drew.

Drew’s pupils were so wide that her irises were just thin rings of brown. She rolled off Annie and lay next to her on the couch. “Sorry,” she said. “That was a bit much.”

“No, it’s okay.” Annie pulled down the hem of her dress. “I’m just not used to feeling like my blood is boiling and everything is spinning out of control.”

Drew grinned and stroked Annie’s cheek. “My little control freak.”

Annie gave her a rueful smile and struggled to get up.

“No.” Drew pulled her back. “Let’s just lie here for a little while. No more making out. I promise. Just a little cuddling.”

Cuddling was even more out of the realm of Annie’s experiences than passionate kisses. Neither she nor Patrick had been big on cuddling. Still, if that was what Drew wanted, she would try. Slowly, she let herself sink into Drew’s arms and lay there without moving, taking stock of the way their bodies fit together.

Her feet dangled off the couch, and her knee probably cut off the circulation in Drew’s thigh. Could Drew even breathe with her weight resting on top of her? She tried to move back a little, but Drew held her close, so she sank back against Drew’s body. How strange it was to lie with her head on someone else’s shoulder, in a position that made her feel like the one being protected instead of being the protector. She couldn’t remember ever lying like this before.

“Relax,” Drew whispered. “You’re as tense as a rock.”

The words rumbled through Annie. She exhaled and let the tension drain from her muscles. For a few moments, she closed her eyes and focused on the steady beat of Drew’s heart beneath her ear.

Drew smoothed her fingertips up and down the small of Annie’s back, then started a soothing circular movement.

Just when Annie was starting to get used to lying in Drew’s arms, her ear began to hurt and her neck screamed at her. It wasn’t just the physical discomfort, though, that made her lift her head off Drew’s shoulder. She needed some time to process all the emotions she’d been through tonight. “I think I should go.”

“You’re not running away from me, are you?” Drew’s words were laced with humor, but her eyes didn’t smile.

“No, of course not,” Annie said. She paused when she realized she was falling back into old patterns that she didn’t want to repeat with Drew. “Maybe I am. But I promise I won’t run far. I just need some time to process all of this.” She pointed from her to Drew.

“All right.”

Annie sat up and then, following an impulse, bent to kiss the soft skin of Drew’s upper chest. “Good night.”

Drew trailed her hand over Annie’s cheek, then down her shoulder and arm until she grasped her hand and lifted it to her lips for a reverent kiss. “Good night and thank you for my Christmas present.”

“Which one?” Annie stood and smiled down at Drew. “The painting or the kisses?”

Drew laughed. “Both.”

Chapter 22

A log in the fireplace shifted, and the fire crackled.

Annie opened one eye.

“Just the fire,” Drew murmured. Her voice rumbled through Annie, since she was lying half on top of Drew, half on top of the comfortable leather couch. Drew combed her fingers through Annie’s hair and traced patterns on Annie’s forehead and cheek with her fingertips.

The gentle touches made Annie close her eyes and snuggle her head more tightly against Drew’s shoulder.

Two weeks before, it had felt strange to have Drew hold her, but now Annie enjoyed lying in Drew’s arms. It was a place where she could let her guard down and be herself.

She buried her nose against Drew’s neck and breathed in the scent of her skin. Mmmhm. In an attempt to feel even more of Drew, she pressed her lips to Drew’s throat.

Drew stretched beneath her, giving Annie more room to maneuver. Her moan made Annie tingle all over.

Annie touched her lips to the soft spot below Drew’s ear and trailed the tip of her nose down to Drew’s chin, where she placed a kiss. With a contented sigh, she laid her cheek back on Drew’s shoulder.

“Who knew you’d turn out to be such a cuddle hound,” Drew said. Her breath tickled the top of Annie’s head.

Certainly not me. Annie tipped her head back and tried to make out Drew’s expression. “Is that okay?”

“Okay?” Drew swooped down and captured Annie’s lips in a deep kiss. “It’s,” she panted against Annie’s lips, “more,” a quick kiss, “than okay.”

Drew’s kisses were more than okay too. Annie wasn’t sure whether Drew was a better kisser or if her feelings just ran deeper than they ever had with Patrick. Maybe it was both.

Just when Annie leaned down to get another kiss, the doorbell rang.

Annie jumped. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Jesus.

Cab, who had dozed next to the couch, raced to the door, barking.

With a groan, Drew climbed out from under Annie. She pecked her on the lips and smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Stay put. I’ll get rid of whoever that is and be right back.”

Annie sat up and listened as Drew opened the door.

“Oh, so at least you’re not dead,” a woman said. “What’s your excuse, then?”

That voice sounded familiar. Annie tilted her head. Was that one of Drew’s friends she had met at the Halloween party?

Cab’s excited whining indicated that he knew the visitor well.

“Excuse?” Drew sounded as dazed as Annie felt.

“We haven’t seen hide nor hair of you in at least three weeks,” another woman said. This one’s voice was gentler and not as deep.

Three weeks? Annie felt her cheeks warm. That’s how long we’ve been together.

“I know, I know,” Drew said. “I was pretty busy with work and everything.”

“Drew, we worry about you,” said the gentler-sounding woman.

The voices moved toward the living room.

Annie smoothed wrinkles out of her clothes, wiped her mouth, and tried to look as if she hadn’t just been kissed breathless.

“We won’t let you retreat from us like you did when—” The large woman who had worn a harem lady’s costume at the Halloween party stepped into the living room and stopped abruptly.

Her smaller wife slammed against her muscular back. “Ouch, Becky, you can’t just stop in the middle of—oh!” She stared at Annie, turned, and slapped Drew’s shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell us you have company?”

“I would have, but I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.” Rubbing her shoulder, Drew rounded the coffee table. She sat next to Annie and wrapped one arm around her. “Girls, you remember Annie?”

“Sure,” Becky said. “Hello, Annie. Nice to see you again.”

“Um, yes. Nice to see you too.” Annie struggled not to blush under the women’s curious gazes. She realized she wasn’t wearing shoes, and her shirt had more wrinkles than Methuselah’s face. She peeked over at Drew.

Her clothes were just as rumpled, and her lips looked as if they had been thoroughly kissed.

Oh God, how embarrassing.

The smaller woman giggled and exchanged a long glance with her wife. “It seems we shouldn’t have worried.”

“No,” Drew said. She brushed the back of her fingers over Annie’s cheek. “No need to worry. I’ve never been better.”

For a second, Annie forgot about the two visitors as she looked into Drew’s eyes.

Someone cleared her throat.

“You could have told us, you know?” Becky said. “We would have been happy for you. We are happy for you.”

“I know,” Drew said. “It’s just that it’s all still pretty new for us, especially for Annie.”

“All right. We’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.” Becky tugged on her wife’s hand.

“Yes.” The smaller woman chuckled and tugged back. “We’re going.”

Becky walked toward the couch and hugged Drew. “Don’t be a stranger. Call us, and we’ll all have dinner together.” Then she pulled back and looked at Annie. Her gaze was soft. After a moment, she leaned down again and hugged Annie too.

Annie stiffened, not used to being hugged, then wrapped her arms around the woman’s broad shoulders and gave her an awkward hug.

“Take good care of her,” Becky whispered.

Annie nodded and drew back, only to be pulled into another hug by Becky’s wife. Dazed, she watched as Drew led them to the door.

“I’m sorry,” Drew said as she returned to the couch. “I didn’t want them to find out this way, but I wasn’t sure if you’re ready to have everyone know about us.”

Annie sank back onto the couch and again cuddled up to Drew. “It’s okay,” she mumbled against Drew’s shoulder. No wonder Drew had hesitated to tell her friends. After that disaster when Lynn had found out, Annie hadn’t been eager to face the rest of the world. Coward. It can’t go on like this forever. Drew will run out of patience with you. She tightened her hold on Drew.

“Hey.” Drew rubbed her shoulder. “Why are you so tense? I hope it was okay that Becky and Sam found out about us.”

Annie consciously settled her shoulders into a more relaxed stance. “It’s fine. They seem like really good friends.”

“They are.” Drew looked her in the eyes. “What is it, then? You would tell me if you weren’t comfortable with this, right?” She trailed her hand down Annie’s back.

Annie rested her hand against Drew’s side. For a moment, she allowed herself to enjoy the warmth and the softness and the hint of firmness beneath. “It’s not that. I promise.” Drew had made sure she was comfortable with the progress of their physical relationship. With Drew, kissing hadn’t instantly led to sex. She gave Annie the freedom to explore, go at her own pace, and enjoy the moment.

“Then what’s making you so tense?” Drew asked. “Everything okay at work?”

“Work’s fine.”

“Did your parents say anything to upset you when you talked to them earlier?”

“No.” Annie looked at her mother’s print of vines in winter that hung next to the Moonstone Beach painting on the wall. She smiled when she remembered how nervous she had been the first time she had set foot in Drew’s house. “Nothing like that. I think they’re trying to be more considerate of my feelings lately. When they invited me over for Christmas dinner, they even asked me to bring you.”

“Christmas dinner at the in-laws’ ...” Drew pretended to shiver in horror. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for that. “

Annie pinched her side. “Maybe you need some convincing.”

“Convincing?” Drew’s eyes glittered.

“Mm-hm.” Annie leaned down and kissed Drew. For a few moments, she forgot about her playful teasing before she remembered and pulled back. “Are you ready now?”

“Oh, yeah.” Drew purred. “I’m ready.”

Annie pinched her again.

“Ouch.” Chuckling, Drew pulled her closer. “All right. It’s not work or your parents. Then what is it? Come on, beautiful.” With her fingernails, she outlined circles on the small of Annie’s back. “Don’t try to tell me it’s nothing.”

Annie swallowed hard. She had promised herself that she would work on overcoming her tendencies to pretend that everything was fine and she could handle any problem on her own. “It’s about the Christmas party.”

“Too short notice? Sarah couldn’t pencil in one more guest?”

Annie sighed.

Drew slid her hand beneath Annie’s shirt and caressed the skin of her back, distracting Annie for a moment. She bit her lip to stop herself from moaning and forced herself to focus on the conversation. “No, that’s not it.”

“Then what is it?” Drew asked, sounding concerned. “Don’t worry about how your colleagues will take it. I’ll ply them with my best wine, so no one will dare make any homophobic comments.”

“Drew, I ...” Annie buried her head against Drew’s shoulder. “I haven’t asked Sarah yet.”

The crackling and popping of the fire sounded loud in the sudden silence.

Annie squeezed her eyes shut. God, now I’ve hurt her. Why is it so hard for me to ask Sarah? I should be over it by now.

“Don’t worry about it.” Drew’s warm hand stroked up and down Annie’s back. “We’ve been spending every evening together lately. One evening apart won’t kill us. No big deal.”

“Yes,” Annie murmured into Drew’s shoulder, “it is.” Drew sounded sincere, but to Annie, it wasn’t about spending one evening apart. To her, it was a test to prove that she was worthy of Drew’s love—a test that she had failed every day for three weeks. She had wanted to talk to Sarah since Thanksgiving. Every morning, she went to the office, determined to ask the question, and every night, she headed home, angry with herself for postponing the conversation yet again.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, okay? If you’re not ready this year, there’s always next Christmas. I won’t take it personally.”

“How can you not?”

Drew combed her fingers through the hair on Annie’s temple. “Everything you’re going through, I’ve been through it too. Coming out at twenty wasn’t easy, so I can only imagine how hard it is for you. Be patient with yourself.”

A weight lifted off Annie’s shoulders. She raised herself up on one elbow and looked down at Drew. “Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?”

“Hmm.” Drew directed her gaze to the ceiling and combed her fingers through Annie’s hair again. “Not since I let you win at that fish-eating computer game you like so much.”

“Let me win?” Annie sputtered. “My score was twice—” She stopped when she realized what Drew was trying to do. She reached down and poked Drew in the side. “Stop distracting me.”

“I thought you liked my distractions.” With a single finger, Drew traced a teasing line up Annie’s neck.

Heat shot through Annie at the thought of how Drew had distracted her from paperwork last weekend. Thank God it was winter, so no one had questioned her wearing a turtleneck to work on Monday. She settled her hot cheek back against Drew’s shoulder and whispered, “I do.”

“Good.” Drew pressed a kiss to Annie’s forehead. “About the party ... I mean it, Annie. I know this isn’t easy for you. Taking me to the Christmas party would mean coming out to your colleagues, to your bosses, probably even to the cleaning ladies. If you prefer telling them one by one, I would understand. Cab and I,” she dangled her hand over the edge of the couch and pointed at the dog bed, “would be fine at home while you go to the party. Really.”

Instead of taking the pressure off, Drew’s generous offer did the opposite. Drew deserved better than to sit at home while everyone else brought their significant other to the party. Okay. Annie clenched her hand around the moonstone that she wore on a chain around her neck. Tomorrow I’ll ask Sarah if it’s the last thing I do.

* * *

Annie closed her car door with more force than necessary, stabbed at the button on her key to lock the car, and marched across the parking lot toward the office building like a soldier about to advance into enemy territory. She swung open the entrance door, mentally repeating the well-rehearsed lines she had practiced every morning on the way to work.

She would knock on Sarah’s door, take a moment to put on her most casual expression, and then she would just ask if she could bring Drew. No big deal.

But as she crossed the lobby and walked toward Sarah’s office, her hands started to shake. She made a detour to the kitchen to fortify herself with a cup of coffee first.

One step into the kitchen, she collided with the object of her mission. She caught herself against the wall with one hand while she helped balance Sarah with the other. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”

“Uff. Don’t worry. No fatalities,” Sarah said.

“What are you doing, standing right in front of the kitchen door?”

“Just trying to put some finishing touches on the decorations for tomorrow.” As this year’s appointed organizer of the office Christmas party, Sarah took her duties much more seriously than Virgil had the year before. The office looked more like Santa’s living room than an accounting business. Sarah leaned up on her tiptoes and tried to fix a sprig of greenery above the door but was too short to reach. “Um ... could you ...?”

Annie took over the task and pinned the branch above the doorway.

“Great.” Sarah smiled up at Annie. “Since you helped me, I’ll let you get away without kissing me.”

“Uh ... what?”

Sarah pointed to the sprig above the door. “Mistletoe.” A large grin spread over her face. “Tradition usually says two people who are beneath it have to kiss.”

Images of the increasingly heated kisses she had shared with Drew flashed through Annie’s mind. Blood rushed to her face.

“Okay, okay, don’t have a stroke. I was just kidding.” Sarah lifted both hands as if Annie were about to shoot her. “And before you start shouting at me again, I’m not implying you’re gay.”

Annie squirmed. She still didn’t like the label, but being with Drew made her gay, didn’t it? “Sarah ...” It was now or never. She sucked in a breath and opened her mouth.

One of their colleagues, Virgil, walked by on his way to the copier. He frowned when he saw the mistletoe. “You’d better take that down, Sarah. That’s a sexual harassment complaint just waiting to happen.”

“It’s just for the party,” Sarah said. “I’ll take it down afterwards.” She directed her attention back at Annie.

Annie paused until Virgil walked away.

“You were saying?” Sarah asked.

The well-rehearsed lines were gone. Annie inhaled deeply and closed her hand around the moonstone pendant. “I know it’s short notice, and I know I said I wouldn’t be bringing anyone to the party, and you might not be able to make last-minute changes, but ...” She sucked a breath into oxygen-starved lungs. “I’d like to bring Drew to the Christmas party.”

There. It was out.

Annie steadied herself with one hand against a wall.

“Drew ... the friend who sent you roses, right?”

Of course Sarah would remember that. Annie nodded. “She owns a vineyard, so she could even bring the wine for the party if you haven’t bought it yet.”

“Sure, bring her.” Sarah gave a casual shrug. “The more, the merrier, and no one said you need to bring your significant other. I guess bringing a friend is okay too, especially one that has good wine.”

Friend. Sarah was giving her an easy way out. She could bring Drew to the party without having to come out to her bosses and colleagues.

No. She shook her head at herself. This isn’t about being gay. It’s about standing up for yourself. And for Drew. Finally letting go of the moonstone, Annie squared her shoulders. “She’s more than a friend. She’s my ... my girlfriend. My partner.”

Sarah froze. She stared at Annie for so long that Annie started to squirm.

The noises from the copier stopped.

Uh-oh. Annie realized she had spoken rather loudly.

With a horde of butterflies in her stomach, she turned and discovered that Virgil was staring at her too.

Sarah rushed over and engulfed Annie in a warm hug.

Annie stood stiffly. Slowly, she raised her arms and put her hands on Sarah’s back.

“Wonderful,” Sarah said. “Congratulations.”

Annie pulled back to stare at her. No teasing? No “I told you so”? No questions invading my privacy? Just congratulations?

After a moment, Sarah let go of Annie and studied her. “I take it that’s a rather recent development?”

Not used to discussing her private life—or having one—Annie just nodded.

“Do you want me to keep it quiet for now?” Sarah asked.

With one glance at Virgil, Annie shook her head. No use. Knowing Virgil and his big mouth, it will be all over the office before lunch anyway.

“Great,” Sarah said. “Then I look forward to meeting Drew at the party tomorrow.”

And so does the rest of the office. Annie tried to smile but failed miserably.

* * *

“This wasn’t here the last time I met with my tax consultant,” Drew said, pointing to a potted palm tree in the lobby.

A lump formed in Annie’s throat. She had never asked before, but now she needed to know. “Who’s your consultant?”

“Mr. Hargrave.”

Great. Annie rubbed her forehead. Virgil.

Drew stopped and turned toward her. “Will dating one of the firm’s clients cause any problems for you?”

“I don’t think so,” Annie said. At least she hoped it wouldn’t be an issue as long as she wasn’t working on Drew’s account. “But please whatever you do,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “stay away from the mistletoe.”

“Mistletoe?”

Annie pointed upward, to the sprig that dangled over the entrance to the kitchen, where a few of her colleagues were jostling each other to get to the punch bowl.

“Ah.” Drew grinned and shifted the box of wine she was carrying. “Of course. Although the thought of shocking your nerdy colleagues with a hot lesbian kiss is tempting.”

“Oh, you!” Annie pinched Drew’s side but couldn’t help smiling. “Do you want to see my office?” That would give them a minute before they had to face her colleagues, who were mingling in the kitchen, the conference room, and the lobby where a buffet had been set up.

“Sure. Lead the way.”

Annie firmly closed the door behind them and watched Drew look around her office. It was weird to have Drew in her work place. “Nothing spectacular,” Annie said, “but it’s functional.”

Drew trailed her finger over the large computer screen and smiled as she picked up a spaceship-shaped penholder from the desk. “It’s great.” She straightened. “Ready?”

After a deep breath, Annie nodded. “Let’s bring the wine to the kitchen first.” She touched the moonstone pendant around her neck as if it were a good luck charm and led Drew out of her office.

Drew gestured for Annie to go first and then followed her into the kitchen so they wouldn’t be under the mistletoe at the same time.

Virgil looked up from the punch bowl and nudged his wife, who in turn nudged Mrs. Cargill.

Within seconds, everyone in the room was staring at them while pretending to admire the Christmas decorations, ladle the punch into their glasses, or be completely focused on their conversations.

Great. Annie exchanged a glance with Drew, who seemed entirely unaffected.

“Everyone is staring at us,” Annie whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

“Let them,” Drew said in the same manner. She put down the box of wine and winked at Annie. “At least they’ve got good taste.”

After straightening her shoulders, Annie reached over and took Drew’s hand.

For a moment, Drew’s hand lay frozen within hers; then Drew squeezed her fingers. A bright smile boosted Annie’s confidence and made it easier to greet everyone in the kitchen and then walk to the conference room, where the rest of her colleagues were sitting.

“Hi, Annie.” Jonathan got up from his chair. “I see you’re here alone. Do you want to sit with me?”

Annie’s shoulders tensed. Is he blind? She was still holding on to Drew’s hand, but apparently, not bringing a male companion counted as being alone in Jonathan’s book. “No, thank you.”

Before she could say more, Sarah waved from the other end of the long table, almost knocking the food from her boyfriend Gary’s plate.

“Hey! Careful!” Gary pulled his plate out of the way, but Sarah didn’t look in his direction.

She eyed Drew with interest. “And you must be Drew. Why don’t you two sit with us?”

Annie held back a sigh. Sarah would try to wheedle information about their relationship out of Drew. Well, at least we’ll have an ally sitting with us.

“We’ll get some food first before all the good stuff is gone.” At least that would give them a short reprieve from her colleague’s inquisition. With a nod toward the lobby, she tugged on Drew’s sleeve.

They walked over to the buffet.

Annie handed Drew a plate and took one for herself. She put a mushroom tartlet and a little of the baked feta on her plate. Her mouth watered when she saw the next dish. “Ooh, you have to try these.”

“French fries?”

“Sweet potato fries. We had them at last year’s party too. They’re delicious.” Annie turned and put a generous helping of the fries on Drew’s plate.

Drew sent her a smile. “Thanks, beautiful.” She picked up one of the sweet potato fries and held it out for Annie to eat.

“Um ...” Annie hesitated, aware that her colleagues might be watching her.

“Oh.” Drew looked left and right as if only now remembering where they were. She started to pull her hand back. “Sorry. I know you want to keep a low profile and—”

Quickly, Annie leaned forward and snatched the fry out of Drew’s hand with her teeth.

Drew stared at her.

Annie stared back, surprised at herself. Then she grinned and shrugged.

On the other side of the buffet table, a man cleared his throat.

When Annie looked up, the grin fell off her face.

“Annie.” Virgil nodded at her. His gaze wandered from Annie to the food she had put on Drew’s plate, then up to Drew’s face. A frown carved a deep line between his bushy brows. “Hello, Ms. Corbin. I didn’t know the bosses had invited clients to the party.”

Annie tightened her grip on her plate until she thought the porcelain would shatter. “They didn’t.” She tried to speak clearly even though she still had the sweet potato fry in her mouth. “Drew is here with me.”

“With you?” Virgil’s eyes widened. “Oh. So you’re really ... um ...”

Here we go. Annie squared her shoulders and stood up straight next to Drew.

“A vegetarian?” Drew said, putting one hand on Annie’s back. “Oh, yes, she has been for years.”

Annie nearly choked on her fry. She started coughing and wheezing until her lungs burned.

“Excuse us, please. Annie needs a glass of water.” Without waiting for a reply, Drew led Annie away from a staring Virgil.

* * *

Two heaping plates of food and two glasses of Drew’s wine later, Annie started to relax.

Drew was entertaining people at their end of the table with a hilarious story about her first grape harvest. She had talked more with some of Annie’s colleagues than Annie had in the six years she had worked with them.

She’s comfortable with people, no matter where she is. In the past, Annie would have been envious, but now she was mainly proud of Drew and how well she got along with others. She reached over and squeezed Drew’s hand under the cover of the table.

Drew looked up from her conversation, smiled, and squeezed back.

Automatically, Annie’s gaze slid down the row of chairs. She froze when she saw Virgil talking to Mr. Cargill.

Virgil pointed to their end of the table and kept gesturing until Mr. Cargill looked over at Annie and Drew too.

Quickly, Annie let go of Drew’s hand.

“What is it?” Drew whispered.

Annie bit her lip. “I think Virgil Hargrave is trying to make trouble for us.”

“Who is he talking to?”

“That’s Mr. Cargill, one of my bosses.” Annie grimaced. “The more conservative one.”

Drew looked at the two men. “Oh, shit, I think he’s coming over.”

The sweet potato fries sat like lead in Annie’s stomach. Every muscle in her body stiffened as she turned to face her approaching boss.

“Do you want me to—?”

“No,” Annie said. “Let me talk to him.” She couldn’t let Drew fight her battles. If she wanted their relationship to have a chance, she needed to learn to stand up for herself and for Drew—even if her knees were shaking.

“Annie.” Mr. Cargill nodded at Annie, then at Drew. “Ms. ...”

“Corbin,” Drew said.

“Ah. You’re Ben Corbin’s daughter, right?”

Drew nodded.

“We met once when you came into the office with your father, but you probably don’t remember me. It was quite a few years ago. Nice to meet you again, Ms. Corbin.” His voice had that polite tone that Annie had heard a thousand times whenever he talked to clients. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “May I talk to you for a moment, Annie?”

Annie exchanged a glance with Drew, trying to find strength in their connection.

Drew looked ready to protest, so Annie forced a smile and nodded. “Of course.”

“Let’s go to the kitchen, where it’s quieter,” Mr. Cargill said.

Annie followed her boss to the punch bowl, where she watched him ladle punch and alcohol-soaked fruit into a glass. With every second, her tension grew. She cleared her throat.

Mr. Cargill looked up. He held out the ladle to her. “Would you like some punch?”

“No, thank you.” She needed to keep a clear head for this conversation.

He replaced the ladle and then looked over his shoulder. “I thought I should tell you without the other associates overhearing.”

A lump formed in Annie’s throat. What was it he couldn’t tell her in front of everyone? Was he about to reprimand her for bringing Drew—a client and a female client at that—to the party? If any of her colleagues were gay, none of them had ever brought his or her partner to an office function.

“Don’t be surprised if you get a little something extra in this month’s paycheck,” Mr. Cargill said.

Annie stared at him.

“Don’t look so surprised.” Mr. Cargill chuckled. “You earned it. You did a really good job on Mr. Dettman’s account.”

That’s it? That’s all he wanted to say? Annie nearly collapsed as the tension drained from her frame. “Oh, thank you. Thank you so much.” She turned around and wanted to hurry back to Drew.

“Oh, Annie.” Mr. Cargill’s voice made her turn around. “About that friend of yours, Ms. Corbin ...”

Every inch of her braced for an attack, Annie forced herself to look him in the eyes. “She’s my girlfriend,” she said around the lump in her throat.

“I know. Virgil told me.” His gaze ventured to something behind Annie, probably at Virgil who was gloating, happy about the reprimand Annie was about to receive. “For our next party ...”

“Yes?” Annie asked even though she already knew what he was about to say. He would ask her not to bring Drew to an office party again. She gritted her teeth.

Mr. Cargill directed his gaze at Annie. “Do you think she would be interested in supplying the wine on a regular basis? My wife loves the Merlot she brought.”

Supplying the wine? That’s all he wants? Annie stared at her boss. “Uh. Sure. I’ll ask her.”

“Good.” After a fatherly pat on Annie’s shoulder, he walked away.

Annie stood staring at his retreating back. Drew is right. I’ve really got to stop making negative assumptions. Shell-shocked, she stumbled toward the door. She needed a moment to pull herself together and finally convince herself to stop behaving as if lightning would strike her just because she had brought her girlfriend to the office party.

“Annie!” Drew rushed over before Annie could leave the kitchen. She gripped Annie’s shoulders as if she needed to keep her upright. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Annie smiled. “I’m great, actually.”

Instead of letting go, Drew pulled her closer. “What did he want? He didn’t corner you because you brought me, did he?”

“No. Everyone loves you. And your wine.”

“Everyone?” Drew drawled. “Including you?” She smiled, but the look in her eyes gave the question a deeper meaning.

Annie paused. Love? It’s much too soon to talk about love. If things don’t work out ... She shook her head and stopped herself. No negative assumptions, remember? Her feelings already ran much deeper than they ever had for Patrick or any other person in her life. She breathed in through her nose and then blew out the breath before she looked into Drew’s eyes. “Well,” she said, a tiny smile curling the corner of her mouth, “you know I love your Cabernet.”

For a moment, Drew just stood and stared at her. Then she grinned. “Just the Cabernet?” Her tone was teasing, but her eyes searched for the true meaning of Annie’s words.

Come on. Annie gave herself a mental kick. Trust your gut feeling. Trust Drew. “No,” she said, “not just the Cabernet.”

“You’re not talking about your fondness for my Merlot, are you?”

Annie shook her head. “I’m talking about my fondness for you.”

A large grin broke out on Drew’s face; then something above them seemed to catch her attention. “Uh-oh.”

“What?”

Drew pointed upward.

Frowning, Annie looked up.

Oh.

Mistletoe dangled from the door frame—and they stood directly beneath it.

Annie’s gaze went from the sprig to Drew’s lips and veered to the buffet, where two of her colleagues stood.

Drew shifted her weight, about to move away from her position under the mistletoe.

Maybe it was the moonstone magic; maybe it was the two glasses of wine, but Annie didn’t care about what her colleagues would think anymore. She grabbed Drew by the lapel of her blazer, pulled her closer, and brushed her lips against Drew’s.

“Wow,” Drew said. She touched her lips. “What’s gotten into you?”

Annie smiled and shrugged. “Must be something in the wine.”

Laughter burst from Drew. She leaned over and kissed Annie’s cheek. “Then let’s hope that, like the wine, whatever it is will get even better with time.”

Not turning to see if her colleagues were watching, Annie reached for Drew’s hand and entwined their fingers.

Hand in hand, they walked back to the table.

About Jae

Jae grew up amidst the vineyards of southern Germany. She spent her childhood with her nose buried in a book, earning her the nickname “professor.” The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven. For the last six years, she has been writing mostly in English.

She works as a psychologist and likes to spend her time reading, playing board games with friends, spending time with her nieces and nephew, and watching way too many crime shows.

Connect with Jae online

Jae loves hearing from readers!

E-mail her at jae_s1978@yahoo.de

Visit her blog: jaefiction.wordpress.com

Visit her website: jae-fiction.com

Follow her on Twitter @jaefiction

Other books by Jae

Manhattan Moon

Length: Novella

Nothing in Shelby Carson’s life is ordinary. Not only is she an attending psychiatrist in a hectic ER, but she’s also a Wrasa, a shape-shifter who leads a secret existence.

To make things even more complicated, she has feelings for Nyla Rozakis, a human nurse.

Even though the Wrasa forbid relationships with humans, Shelby is determined to pursue Nyla. Things seem pretty hopeless for them, but on Halloween, during a full moon, anything can happen...

Coming from Ylva Publishing in spring 2013

Crossing Bridges by Emma Weimann

As a Guardian, Tallulah has devoted her life to protecting her hometown, Edinburgh, and its inhabitants, both living and dead, against ill-natured and dangerous supernatural beings.

When Erin, a human tourist, visits Edinburgh, she makes Tallulah more nervous than the poltergeist on Greyfriars Kirkyard—and not only because Erin seems to be the sidekick of a dark witch who has her own agenda.

While Tallulah works to thwart the dark witch’s sinister plan for Edinburgh, she can’t help wondering about the mysterious Erin. Is she friend or foe?

Hot Line by Alison Grey

Two women from different worlds.

Linda, a successful psychologist, uses her work to distance herself from her own loneliness.

Christina works for a sex hotline to make ends meet.

Their worlds collide when Linda calls Christina’s sex line. Christina quickly realizes Linda is not her usual customer. Instead of wanting phone sex, Linda makes an unexpected proposition. Does Christina dare accept the offer that will change both their lives?

www.ylva-publishing.com

Table of Contents

Legal Notice

Table of contents

Acknowledgments

Dedication

Author's note

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

About Jae

Other books by Jae

Coming from Ylva Publishing in spring 2013 - Crossing Bridges

Coming from Ylva Publishing in spring 2013 - Hot Line

Table of Contents

Legal Notice

Table of contents

Acknowledgments

Dedication

Author's note

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

About Jae

Other books by Jae

Coming from Ylva Publishing in spring 2013 - Crossing Bridges

Coming from Ylva Publishing in spring 2013 - Hot Line