Page 31

“Don’t sell yourself short.” A pause. “And I mean that in the larger sense, too, Brynn. Don’t.”

Brynn frowned as they turned into their neighborhood. “What do you mean, the larger sense?”

“I guess I meant with your ex. You’ve not said too much about her, but the little bits you’ve dropped make me think that she didn’t treat you as nicely as she should have, and you’re still paying for it now. I see that much. It’s a shame.”

“Oh.” Brynn nodded. “I won’t lie. She chose someone else over me. After cheating. Then tried to come back. Then chose the other woman again. Until she didn’t.”

Aster sighed. “I was afraid it was something like that.” The idea infuriated her. What an idiot that ex-girlfriend was. Didn’t she know what she had? “You deserve someone better than that, and I need you to know it. You deserve the world.”

Brynn rolled her lips in. “Wow.”

“What?”

She shook her head. “I think on a fundamental level, I do know that. Hell, I say it to myself every day. But hearing it from someone else who articulates the idea with such…sincerity. Well, it resonates. Maybe one day.”

“Good. It’s true.” She took her time with this next part. “You should know that you’re more important to me than anyone ever has been.”

She saw Brynn adjust her grip on the steering wheel, affected.“Don’t you make me mist up. I’m not going to cry. I’m not. I’m already dreading you not being twelve big steps from my driveway.” She looked over at Aster. “I feel the same. Okay?” But the tears pooled in her eyes anyway, sending a lump to Aster’s throat. “I’m keeping you.”

They drove on for a bit of silence, approaching Baker Street.

“Don’t go back to her, okay?” It was bold of Aster to make such a request, but it felt like there was nothing to lose at this point. She didn’t know how closely they would stay in touch once she left, and the next time she’d be back to Homer’s Bluff, Brynn would be back in Chicago. This was it. So she wasn’t holding back.

“I don’t plan on it. I don’t take her calls.”

“Keep that up. And if you need someone to call in her place, you can call me. We can read books on the phone.”

Brynn pulled into her driveway. “Thank you for that.” Her voice was soft like the satin of a glove. She’d miss that voice soon. “Shall we go in?”

“Yeah,” Aster said, hopping out into the quiet night. In fact, she couldn’t remember another night being as quiet. No movement on the street. No crickets to underscore them. Just the stars keeping watch as an evening chill moved across her skin. She walked alongside Brynn as they covered the short distance to Aster’s door. She opened it and turned back. “Come in?”

“If you want.” Aster led them inside, and they both smiled as tiny footsteps raced toward them in a furious pitter-patter. “There’s the best little guy. Hi, Dill!” She scooped up the clumsy puppy and kissed the side of his face as he wiggled gleefully in celebration of his person’s homecoming. When Aster set him back down again, he did that thing where he ran in place until he found traction on the kitchen floor. He grabbed his stuffed carrot and, after dancing around Aster’s feet for her official greeting, raced to the back door.

“I’ll let him out. He’s gonna toss that carrot around for half an hour before ever asking to come back in.”

“Sign of a smart dog when they invent games for themselves.”

“He’s amazing. So cute, but also already learning everything I try to teach him.”

“You look really happy together. I love watching you with him.”

Aster nodded, her heart full. “It was a really good thing thathappened to me, running into him.” She met Brynn’s gaze. “A lot of good has happened lately.” She took a moment. Brynn let her. “I’m happy we met.”

“Aster.” The word on Brynn’s lips gave her goose bumps. The way Brynn whispered it brought on more.

“What do we do?” Aster asked. It was an all-encompassing question.

Brynn’s answer was upon her. As if she simply had to, Brynn was moving toward Aster with a look in her eyes Aster had never seen before. The world slowed down until it was just the two of them in her kitchen, face-to-face, sharing air in maybe the most intense moment of her life. Brynn took Aster’s face in her hands, her gaze on Aster’s lips and her lips alone, transfixed and not in any hurry. She closed the small distance, angled her head, and pressed her mouth to Aster’s, whose eyes slammed shut at the onslaught of heat and everything good in this world. Her hands went to Brynn’s waist automatically, and she pulled her closer, but it would never be enough. Their mouths began to move together slowly, as if memorizing, savoring, keeping. She deepened the kiss and pushed her tongue into Brynn’s mouth just as her back met the wall. Every nerve ending in Aster’s body shot to life like a symphony approaching a crescendo. She’d never felt so much when kissing another person before, but this was not just any woman.

“God, your mouth is amazing,” Brynn said, pulling back. “How is this so damn good? Why couldn’t you fall short of my expectations just for once?” She traced Aster’s bottom lip with her fingertip, as Aster found air. Just in time, too, because Brynn came back for more, thank God. This time, she kissed Aster with welcome authority. The air around them scorched her skin, and she reveled in unfamiliar lust. They weren’t frantic or hurried, but they were thorough and good at it. Very good. Too good. God. Her center ached.

Brynn went back down on her heels and took her fantastic lips with her. “Is it bad that we did that?”

“No,” Aster answered honestly. “I really, really liked it.”

“Me, too.”

A pause.