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“You expect me to walk after kissing me like that?”

“You’ll get used to it.” Cat chuckled.

Elena let Cat pull her up to her full height and she looked down at Cat. “I’ll never get used to that. I’ll always want more.”

“I have plenty of kisses for you, El,” Cat said as she began to lead them off the dock and up the steps.

“Wasn’t that beautiful?” Tara said from her chair on the patio.

“So much so I didn’t want to come back up,” Cat said, squeezing Elena’s hand.

“I know what you mean,” Lauren said. “Sometimes we sit down there until it’s dark.”

“Let’s go inside. I’m getting hungry,” Tara said, getting up and opening the back door.

“You can tell us about your kids and Ruby,” Elena said.

“I’m not sure you want to get me started on her. I’m a smitten grandmother, that’s for sure.”

“We’d love to hear about them,” Cat assured her.

They went inside and had a casual dinner around the table at the end of the kitchen.

“My daughter, Emily, is a chef and with a few lessons from her, Tara now fancies herself a budding culinary artist,” Lauren said.

Tara chuckled. “You seem to like every creation so far.”

“You know I do,” Lauren said, kissing her on the cheek and setting a large salad on the table. “Plus, I don’t have to cook.”

“One of Cat’s favorite meals is creating sandwiches,” Elena said. “I will add that she’s quite good at it.”

“It all began because some places make them so thick you can’t get your mouth around them,” Cat said.

“Oh, I hate that,” Lauren agreed.

“This is a casserole Emily and I have been working on as a main dish,” Tara explained, setting the dish on the table. “It’s kind of like throwing everything in and hoping it tastes good.”

“You and Emily are working on, huh,” Lauren said with an amused grin as she served Cat and Elena each a big helping.

Tara shrugged. “You never know. It could become restaurant worthy.”

Elena chuckled. She loved the playful barbs Tara and Lauren tossed at one another, always delivered with a loving smile.

“I hope this is the first meal between new friends and many will follow,” Tara said, raising her glass when everyone had been served.

“We’ll have you over for sandwiches,” Cat said, touching her glass to the others.

“Can’t wait,” Lauren said.

Elena gave Cat a quick glance, loving how Cat had said we. The idea that had been patiently building in the back of her head became a little more urgent. She hoped Hattie would agree to sell the house and soon.

Once they’d said their goodbyes to Tara and Lauren and promised to have them over for sandwiches soon, Elena drove them back to town.

Cat reached for Elena’s hand and pulled it into her lap. She didn’t want to let Elena go or the night to end. Telling Elena she was the woman in the dream had opened her heart and all she could feel was love. It was as if the love in her heart that had grown every day since Elena walked into the bookstore could finally be free. She could feel it all and she wanted Elena to feel it too.

“When we get back to town, I don’t want you to take me home,” Cat said.

“Okay. Where do you want to go?”