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“Eight?”

“Yeah.” Savannah rolled her eyes, and they walked back toward the kitchen. “Forrest is really pushing the limits of his time with her, but I don’t want to be the big bad anymore. I’m getting tired of fighting.”

“Do you think he’ll ever calm down and just let Brinley make the decision?”

“No.” Savannah wrung her hands together. “Oh! I did want to tell you something funny that happened the other day when I was visiting Conrad.”

Kyla furrowed her brow. “Something funny at the cemetery.”

“Yeah. I promise. Also, you know me, I’m always stepping in it, it seems.” Savannah automatically moved to the cupboard and grabbed the plates to set the table. “You know how I told you about that grave that’s next to Conrad’s? The one that never had any flowers so I was bringing the poor guy there who died flowers?”

“Yeah.” Kyla pulled out the silverware and started on that while Savannah set the plates around the table.

“Well, what I didn’t tell you is that I finally searched who he was, and well… it’s not a pleasant story. I stopped bringing him flowers, felt guilty, so I started bringing flowers to his wife, whom he killed before killing himself.”

“Oh my God!” Kyla glanced toward the living room, where the kid’s television show still played loudly.

“I know, right?” Savannah straightened her back. “But that’s not the worst part.”

“What did you do now?” Kyla crossed her arms as they headed back into the kitchen, but instead of grabbing the paper towels, she leaned against the counter. “Because if you’re leading me through the story like this, then it must be good.”

“Her daughter was there, and then I mucked up explaining everything, because I was so thrown off by the interruption and surprise. I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be there. I never do when I go.” Savannah bit her lip, her cheeks heating at the memory. “But she was perfect in her long coat, and kitten heels, and dark brown hair swooped over her shoulder, and her makeup perfectly done—”

“Savannah…” Kyla interrupted. “You just described her like she came right out of a romance novel.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yeah, you did.” Kyla laughed lightly, and that sorrowful look from before was gone. Kyla mimicked a southern drawl as she said, “Swooped hair, kitten heels, all made up perfectly like she was out of a dream.”

“I donotsound that bad.”

“You sounded absolutely smitten with a woman you met at a cemetery because you were bringing her murdered mother flowers out of nothing other than pure guilt.” Kyla laughed loudly, the sound pinging around the kitchen in a lilt that Savannah never wanted to end.

“You know me and guilt…” Savannah’s voice wobbled. “Anyway, I tried to invite Fallon to get coffee to explain why I was there because she seemed pretty mad, but that was a no-go.”

“Yeah, pretty sure I’d tell you to fuck off, too.” Kyla giggled as she grabbed the handle on the oven door and checked on the food. “You don’t have some weird crush on this woman now, do you? Because I doubt you’re ever going to see her again. In fact, I would recommend not seeing her again. You don’t want to come off as a creep.”

Savannah’s blood ran cold. She definitely wasn’t going to bring up the fact that she’d seen Fallon again at the lawyer’s office, that she was very likely to see Fallon again each and every time she showed up for an appointment, or the fact that they’dgone out last night and actually ended up having a pretty damn good and deep conversation.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” Savannah commented. “I don’t need to fumble through any more relationships, do I?”

“Relationships? Are you thinking about dating her?”

“No.” Savannah shook her head wildly. “I haven’t dated a woman since college, and quite frankly, after Forrest, I don’t want another relationship. Ever.”

Kyla frowned. She dropped her gaze to Savannah’s feet and then looked back up into her eyes. “I really wish you wouldn’t give up on relationships because of one shitty guy who has no qualms about being a douche canoe to the mother of his child.”

“I’m not sure Forrest understands anything but that.” Savannah wrinkled her nose. “But no, to say it again, I’m not interested in relationships, long term or short term, dating, or even flings. And I have no doubt that Fallon is also not interested in any of that, especially with me.”

“Sure. So you’ll just ogle her from afar, dream steamy dreams, and get your rocks off that way?”

“If that’s what it takes.” Savannah’s cheeks burned. Could Kyla see that? Because the dream she’d had last night was all of that times two, and it had been the first time in close to a decade that she’d woken up to her body finishing an orgasm without her even having to touch herself. She could definitely do with a few more of those dreams.

“I want to know what that look means.”

“It means nothing.” Savannah’s cheeks burned even more, which she’d thought at one point was impossible. Kyla would know exactly what she was thinking, and perhaps not the details, but definitely the content of the dreams she’d had.

“Sure it doesn’t.” Kyla checked her watch, all the nerves and unease settling back into her. “I’m not ready for this conversation.”