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“Barely, cupcake, barely,” Ryan said. “Everyone got home in one piece and there were only three fights that I had to tag-team mediate with Layne’s help.”

“Hey, no blood or dismemberment? That’s a huge win. I feel like we should celebrate,” I said. “Did you want to go to your place for dinner, or come to mine?”

“How about we have dinner with your parents and then stay the night at my place? And then tomorrow we can switch,” she said.

I gave her another kiss, nuzzling her face with mine. “I really like that idea.”

So did my parents, who quickly stopped giving us privacy and folded Ryan right into our family TV watching. I told her that we could go upstairs and watch shows in bed, but she said she didn’t mind at all. Ryan and Mom had formed a friendship and every time we stayed at my place, Ryan and Mom got up in the morning and went for a run. Mama and I made breakfast, and we all ate together before going off to work. On nights when it was just me and Ryan, we most often cooked on the grill and ate outside if the weather was nice. If it rained, we would lay on the couch together and watch TV or she would read to me. We’d have sex and I got to try even more of the items in Ryan’s toy box and found quite a few new things that I’d never thought of trying. She even placed an order for a few things to replace the ones that she had in storage.

The days went by with more fun dates and fancy dinners and champagne and book club and even more parties and dinners and days spent at the beach.

Our time together felt like a bubble that could burst anytime, and I didn’t want to pop it by asking how long things were going to last, so I didn’t. I kept my mouth shut, and it wasn’t easy.

Chapter Fifteen

One Saturday in mid-August we had decided since it was raining all weekend that we would spend it reading together so we went to Mainely Books to grab a stack of books. I used to do this same thing alone, but it was way better doing it with Ryan. Sometimes she’d bake while I read, so when I took a break there were delicious treats waiting for me. And sometimes, Ryan would let me eat them off her abs.

“What do you think?” I said, handing her one of the books I picked out. It was the third in a contemporary romance series that was actually set in Maine. I was a complete sucker for a college student/teacher romance too.

Ryan read the back and nodded, putting it in her basket before pulling another book off the shelf.

“Oh, this sounds good too.” I scanned the blurb on the back.

“Yes, give me an age gap with a doctor all day every day,” I said. “Plus, the author was actually a surgeon before she started writing romance and she even formed her own publishing company. Totally badass.”

“Agreed,” Ryan said. “Definitely need that.”

“How are your arms?” I asked her. The basket was pretty full.

“My arms can take it,” she said, flexing for me.

“Okay, we need to get you home right now,” I said, shoving her toward the register. There was a line, but I didn’t mind.

There was a new face when we got to the front of the line. “Hey, Mia, are you working here now?”

“Just a few hours on Saturday,” she said as Ryan set the basket on the counter. “Renting a new apartment and paying for it on your own can get expensive, apparently.”

“I swear, I still have this panic on the first day of the month and it takes me a while to remember that I don’t have to currently pay rent,” I said.

“Tell me about it,” Mia said with a laugh. She finished scanning our books and Ryan paid as I shoved the books first in my bag and then Ryan’s.

Ryan went outside first and held the umbrella up so I could step under it.

“You’re so thoughtful,” I said, taking the hand that wasn’t holding the umbrella.

“You’re welcome,” she said. “It’s easy to be thoughtful with you.”

Ryan even opened my door for me and made sure no rain got on me as I got in.

“You seriously don’t have to baby me that much. I’m not going to melt if I get rained on,” I said, checking the books and making sure that none of them got wet.

“I don’t baby you, I just…” she trailed off and then turned on the car.

“You just what?” I said, pulling out one of the books.

“Nothing,” she said, backing out of the parking space.

“Have you talked to her yet?” Mama asked the following Monday morning as we made breakfast. Mom and Ryan were on their run, as usual.