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  She had really stepped in it this time. Whatever it was. How would she climb out of a hole she was still digging? She didn’t know how, but she had a feeling she was about to find out. Briley knew Kat wouldn’t let this go, and in a way, she didn’t want her to. Maybe a push was exactly what she needed.

  Chapter Two

  After flinging the curtain back in place, Briley ran to the couch, flopped down on it, and had just opened the book she swiped from the coffee table when the front door opened and Kat walked in. There was no way she would ever admit to Kat that she had divided her time for the last hour between pacing the living room floor and looking out the window. Briley peeked at her from over the top of the book.

  The blank look stayed plastered to Kat’s face, even as she shut the front door, walked to the couch, picked up Briley’s feet, sat down, then laid them in her lap. She grabbed the remote from where it lay beside Briley and turned the television on before resting her arm on the back of the couch.

  Briley pretended to read, but the words blurred together. Her eyes widened in surprise when she realized the book was upside down. If she flipped it, would Kat notice? Probably. She noticed everything. Since Kat seemed content to stay quiet, Briley decided to bite the bullet. “Did you have a good time?” Briley lowered the book to gauge Kat’s reaction.

  Kat kept her eyes on the TV. “I did. Have you enjoyed reading your book?” After a beat. “Upside down.”

  Briley flung the offending book on the floor. “She invited you in?”

  “Since you were watching us, you would know this.”

  Busted. “I hope she served you refreshments.”

  “She was a perfect hostess.”

  As Briley knew she would be. When nothing else was forthcoming, Briley sat up, swung her feet to the floor, and snatched the remote from Kat’s hands. “That’s it?”

  “Yes.” Kat turned slowly toward her.

  Briley moved closer to her and sweetly smiled. “Oh, come on. What did you talk about? Did she mention me?”

  “She did mention you.”

  “Well, what did she say?” Briley wiggled to get comfortable on the couch.

  “Look.” Kat took Briley’s hand and sighed. “I wasn’t sure if your crush was for real or not and I hope you don’t get mad at me, but…”

  Briley jerked her hand back and covered her mouth. “You told her I had a crush on her? How could you, Kat. Really?” Why didn’t the earth open and swallow her whole?

  “No.” Kat ran her hand through her hair. “I didn’t tell her you had a crush on her. Please understand. She was charming.”

  Oh, God. What did she do? “Go on.”

  “I asked her out,” she said, in a rush.

  Briley smacked her on the arm. “You what?”

  “I asked her out. You were right. She is attractive, and I can see why you are gone on her. Besides that, she’s funny, and sweet. I like her and I wasn’t going to pass this opportunity up. You snooze, you lose.” She stood, tapped Briley on the tip of her nose, and skipped out of the living room and down the hall to her room.

  Briley dropped her head in her hands. She couldn’t believe this. How could Kat ask her out after finding out Briley liked her? She knew she had no reason to be jealous, but this sucked. On the other hand, what did she think would happen? Shit. Kat asking her out wouldn’t be at the top of her list and the list wasn’t even that long.

  Why was she getting worked up? Briley, jumped up, shook her hands out, and bounced on her feet. It was only a crush. She’d had plenty of those in her thirty-four years. She walked to the window and looked out it, watching Leah getting in her Escalade and back out of her driveway. This called for drastic measures.

  Three hours later and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kat walk into the kitchen, stop, then lean back against the wall. “Briley, what are you doing?” Kat eyed the table and the counter that was covered in cookies, turnovers, and several different types of pastries.

  “It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Briley smiled and turned from the stove. “I had the urge to bake.” She spread her arms wide. When she noticed the extent of her impromptu baking marathon, her smile faltered. “I guess I got a bit carried away.”

  “Are you all right?” Kat picked up a chocolate chip cookie and took a bite of it.

  “Of course. You know I love to bake. This way I’ll have lots of treats to hand out.” With the side of her hand, she wiped the hair out of her eyes, leaving a smidge of flour in its wake.

  “Bri, you’re not mad at me, are you?”

  Briley forced a laugh and quickly turned her back to her sister. “Of course not. What would I have to be jealous about?”

  “I didn’t say jealous. I said mad.”

  “Same difference.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Whatever.” She picked the dough up and flung it back on the counter. “I’m not mad.”

  “You seem a bit…”

  Briley whirled around. “I’m not mad. Do what you want. Have dinner with Leah. I don’t care. Get married. Have babies,” she muttered. She knew she was being a bitch, but she and Kat had never been interested in the same woman before. Even when they both came out in their teens, the type of woman that drew each of them had always been opposites. All this was a new experience and she didn’t like it. Not one iota. The dread swirling in the pit of her stomach only added to her overall turmoil to dampen her mood.

  “Okay.” Kat lifted her hands up in defeat.

  Briley ignored her, wrapped the dough up, and put it in the fridge to rest. She walked past her sister and picked up the caramel sauce.

  “Apple turnovers with caramel sauce. That will be good for us to take to Leah’s for dinner tonight.”

  Once she poured the caramel over the top of the pastries, set the pot in the sink, and wiped her hands, she turned to Kat. “Say what?”

  “Leah. Dinner. We’ll have something to take for dessert now.” Kat pointed to the pastries.

  Briley narrowed her eyes and gripped the edge of the counter top. “I think I missed something. You mean you’ll have something to take to dinner?”

  Kat grinned like the Cheshire Cat, which gave Briley a really bad feeling. “No. Leah invited both of us over for dinner tonight.” She picked up a glazed donut hole and popped it in her mouth.

  “You said you asked her out!” Briley accused.

  “I lied.” She shrugged. “I wanted to see how worked up you would get and by the number of baked goods, I would say you were worked up thinking about us dating.” She chuckled and poured a glass of milk.

  Damn Kat and her meddling ways. “What the…Kat, and you called me an asshole.”

  “This will give you a chance to turn around your asshole standing. Dinner is in an hour. You need to shower and change.” Kat pointed to her head and face. “You have flour on your face and in your hair.”

  Briley planted her hands on her hips but the insult died on her lips. Kat was right; she did need to change. After everything that had happened between her and Leah, could all it really take was her sister to narrow the divide? It seemed too good to be true. Briley gnawed at her bottom lip. “Why did she invite me?”

  Kat hesitated with the donut hole halfway to her mouth. “Contrary to what you might think, she doesn’t hate you. In fact, she said she’s been enjoying your competitions. She did add she doesn’t know why you dislike her.” Kat eyed her over her glass of milk. “I didn’t tell her that you had a ginormous crush on her or who she reminds you of.” Briley looked appalled. “Come on, you didn’t think I wouldn’t notice.”

  “Whatever. She really said all of that?” Maybe the time had arrived to try and work this out. She was an adult. She could do this.

  “Yes, Briley. If only you would give her a chance. I know you’ve had some bad luck in the relationship department, but maybe it’s time to put your heart on the line.”

  “That’s hard to do.” Her last relationship ended two years ago, and she hadn’t had the hea
rt to start something serious again. Not after the way that one ended. Briley didn’t know if she could do it again.

  Kat eyed the clock. “You need to get ready.”

  “Yes.” After her shower, she searched through her closet for fifteen minutes, then had to talk herself down from a panic attack. This wasn’t a date. It was dinner with her neighbor and her sister, but she still wanted to make a good impression.

  She settled on a pair of plaid Bermuda shorts, and a cream colored, V-neck sleeveless top, with a yellow cardigan. Simple, but practical. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. She’d been such an asshole to her neighbor, but since her sister was involved, she knew there was no getting out of this. She arranged her hair up with a clip, then slipped on a pair of sandals. She walked down the hall to the kitchen, pulled a basket from her stash in the pantry, and loaded it with treats.

  “Ready?” Kat asked when she stepped into the kitchen. She looked Briley up and down. “You look nice.”

  “Thanks. Are you sure this is a good idea?” The basket in her arms felt like it was filled with lead.

  Kat patted her arm. “What are you afraid of? If the evening falls apart, just come home and continue ignoring her like you have been, and if all goes well, maybe you’ve made a new friend or something more.”

  “It’s the something more that scares me.” She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

  “Let’s go.”

  Like a prisoner being dragged to the gallows, Briley followed behind Kat. The walk to Leah’s house felt like the longest of her life. She paused at the steps and admired the flowers that lined the path and surrounded the porch. Leah really did have a knack for growing them. She should ask her for pointers.

  When the door opened, Briley turned slowly and watched as Leah stepped out dressed in a pair of black tailored trousers, a short sleeve pink polo, and a pair of black Wonder Woman socks. Briley’s heart skipped a beat. Could this woman be any more perfect?

  “It’s a beautiful evening.” Leah leaned against the railing and looked from one to the other.

  All Briley could do was gape, as all words had fled. Leah looked tiny up close. Why did Leah have to look effortlessly amazing? Even if Briley could regain the use of speech, she knew what ever came out of her mouth would be utter gibberish. How, after only a few words from Leah, could she get tongue-tied? “I…” Panic seized her chest and Kat rescued her.

  “It is.” Kat climbed the steps.

  Briley didn’t know where the bout of courage had come from, but she shot up the steps, and thrust the basket into Leah’s arms. “Look.” She reached up and fiddled with her glasses. Kat nodded at her encouragingly. “I am sorry, I’ve been such an asshole to you. I think, maybe, I’ve let my competitive nature get the best of me and I have never given you a chance. It’s not like me at all.” She then pinched at her cardigan. “Please accept this basket with my apologies.”

  “Apology accepted.” Leah looked down at the contents of the basket before raising her head and arching her brow, a small teasing smile appearing. “Everything looks and smells wonderful.”

  “Ladies, I hate to do this, but I’m not going to be able to stay for dinner. I hope you both enjoy your evening,” Kat said.

  Briley jerked her head around and grabbed onto Kat’s arm. Kat pried off the death grip, and scampered down the stairs, Briley right behind her. Kat whirled around and stopped Briley with a hand to her chest.

  “You didn’t mention that at my house.” Briley swiped the hand away and leaned in close to whisper in Kat’s ear. “Don’t do this to me. She made dinner for both of us.” She stiffened when she caught the mischief in her sister’s eyes. Then it dawned on her. Kat had set her up.

  “Have a good time. Both of you.” Kat patted Briley on the hand then lowered her voice. “You can thank me later.” She winked.

  As Kat walked down the pathway, Briley’s eyes stayed glued to her until she entered through the back door of her house. Briley took a deep breath. I can do this. I want to do this. After a count of ten, she turned around, walked back up the steps, and plastered a smile on her face. “So?”

  “Dinner should be ready now.” Leah walked to the door and held it open for her. Her smile should have helped to put Briley at ease, but it had the complete opposite effect on her.

  Leah didn’t seem fazed by Kat’s declaration at all. Briley’s steps faltered when it dawned on her that Leah was also in on it. They had both played her. Surely, that was a good sign. “Dinner?”

  “Yes, dinner.”

  With a quick look from Leah’s house to her house, Briley finally made up her mind. This was her chance and she wasn’t going to throw it away. “After you.”

  Chapter Three

  As she stepped into the living room, Briley couldn’t help but admire the rustic chic layout. It was warm and welcoming, with photos of Leah and her family scattered throughout, and not at all what she expected. A large couch sat in front of the fireplace and two chairs were adjacent to the couch with a large area rug between them. She nodded in approval and followed Leah toward the kitchen.

  Briley’s heart almost stopped when her eyes greedily took in the straight out of a magazine space. The cream-colored shaker style cabinets, combined with the gray granite countertops, and warm wood accents had a calming effect on her. As she stepped onto the dark gray slate flooring and her eyes latched onto the range, her heart started racing and she had to keep herself from swooning on the spot. The kitchen was nicer than any of the houses her company had flipped.

  She held back a whimper and pointed at the counter. “Is that a forty-eight-inch dual fuel Wolf range with four burners, infrared char broiler, and infrared griddle?” She had to stop herself from salivating all over the kitchen. On some nights, she dreamed about this stove. She was almost afraid to approach it since she knew how much one of them cost.

  With each word out of Briley’s mouth, Leah’s eyes widened. “Yes, it is. I take it you like it.” She chuckled when Briley nodded. “Well.” She wiped her hands on a dishtowel. “I’ve always wanted someone to look at me the way you’re looking at my stove.”

  A gasp fell from Briley’s lips when she took a step forward. “This isn’t just a stove. It’s a work of art.”

  “It is. Evan enjoys using it as much as I do.”

  “It is beautiful.” She reached toward it, but pulled her hand back at the last second.

  Leah laughed and pointed to the small table tucked into the corner of the kitchen. “Have a seat; I’ll dish up our dinner before you start drooling over my fridge.”

  Briley eyed the Sub-Zero 48 fridge with glass door and nodded her approval. The cost of the appliances was extreme and only a serious home chef would shell out the cash for them. Leah must be quite the cook and Briley couldn’t wait to try her food. She shifted her eyes from the fridge to Leah as she worked at the counter. Briley didn’t want to be a sleaze, but she’d never been this close to her before and she tried but lost the battle not to stare at Leah’s perfect ass.

  A delicate cough had her jerking her head up and she met the amused green eyes of Leah, who stared over her left shoulder with arched brows. Briley flushed, and held her gaze. “Wine?”

  “Sure.” Briley wasn’t much of a drinker, but having a nip of liquid courage couldn’t hurt. Good grief, the evening was just starting and she already felt like she’d run a marathon. “Thank you,” she said when Leah handed her the glass of wine. “Are you sure you don’t need any help?”

  “I’ve got it, but thank you.”

  Once seated, Briley sniffed the air and her stomach grumbled when Leah placed a large bowl on the table, then went back to the counter for another one. It didn’t take a genius to figure out they were having chicken and dumplings and mashed potatoes. Comfort food. The chicken and dumplings were the best she’d ever had and she moaned with the first bite.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Leah said.

  “They’re amazing. Best I’ve ever ha
d.”

  They were halfway through their meal when Leah asked her first question. “So, Briley, how’s the flipping business?”

  Briley swallowed the mouthful of dumplings she’d taken, then sipped her wine. It didn’t surprise her that Leah knew what she did for a living. Mrs. Hanlin and Kat would have told her. Her nerves had settled over the course of the meal, and she took a few seconds to gather her thoughts. “Good. We just finished a house a couple of weeks ago. It sold quickly. Brandon has an eye out for another one.”

  Leah nodded. “Is flipping houses like what you watch on TV?”

  “Yes and no. It’s somewhat more in-depth, and a lot harder, but the profit is there if you do it right, but if you do it wrong, the loss can be extravagant.” She and Brandon had learned that the hard way on their second flip. The loss taught them a valuable lesson and one they would never forget.

  “As with any job.” With a twist of her hand, Leah swirled the wine in her glass. “Do you enjoy your job?”

  Briley felt glad Leah decided to start with small talk. This she could handle. Being this close to Leah wasn’t as scary as she expected it to be. “I love it. It gives me the freedom to do other things I enjoy and the opportunity to save for the future.” She tapped her finger on the tabletop. Turnabout was fair game. “I heard you’re a writer. What do you write?”

  “I’m freelance.” Leah leaned back in her chair.

  “Really? What have you written?” She’d always wanted to write a book, but knew she didn’t have the patience for it.

  Leah relaxed back into her chair. “It was always my dream to write for all the big magazines and newspapers and for the most part all of them have come true. The New Yorker, Time, Vogue, and National Geographic, plus countless others. It’s hard work, but fulfilling. I wouldn’t trade my time spent traveling and writing for anything. I’m working on a book right now about my experiences. I wasn’t sold on the idea, but my agent convinced me to give it a shot. Of course, the traveling slowed down when Evan was born.”

  “He’s a good kid.”