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“I really love doing ultrasounds. Austin is so good at it, too. Mama says she’s the best.”

All Sadie’s excitement for Ellie dissipated with one pronoun.

“Austin is a girl?”

“Well, yeah,” Ellie nervously laughed.

Sadie tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She wasn’tjealousof Austin; she just must have missed the memo that Austin wasn’t a dude. And Ellie had been withherfor the past two days. Which meant they were probably getting closer and becoming friends.

And it was clear Ellie already looked up to Austin who was obviously older than them. Did she like Austin? Sadie didn’t know if she wanted to know the answer. As she parked the car outside the bar, Sadie turned to Ellie, who looked obviously confused.

“Is that a problem?”

“What?”

“That Austin is a girl.”

“Why would it be a problem?”

“Because you’re acting like it is.”

Sadie scoffed. “I’m not jealous.”

“I never said you were.” The slightest smirk played on Ellie’s lips.

Dammit. She knows me too well.

Sadie leaned her head back against the headrest. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Ellie placed a hand on Sadie’s upper thigh. Thanks to the shorts she had on, her hand mostly made contact with bare skin. Which only sent Sadie’s mind into overdrive.

She and Ellie had been on the on-ramp to sex a few times recently, but they hadn’t done anything yet. That did little to keep Sadie’s mind off of it, especially as Ellie’s fingers slid under the hem of her shorts. There was no way they’d risk anything now; not in a car in front of Isla’s bar in broad daylight. But that didn’t stop Sadie from thinking ofwhensomething more finally happened between them.

“Hey,” Ellie moved her hand from Sadie’s thigh to her shoulder and squeezed, “you know I love you, right?”

“Yeah. And I love you, too.”

Leaning in again, Sadie kissed her. She loved the way Ellie’s arm stayed casually around her neck as they kissed. Kissing Ellie was sweet and soft, but filled with more passion than Sadie could process.

But a tap on the window behind Sadie sent them separating like mice when the lights were turned on.

“Mom,” Ellie gasped as Sadie rolled down to the window. She smiled sweetly at Isla.

“Hi, Isla.”

“Hello, Sadie.” Isla bent down to see Ellie through the window. “Hi, Ellie.”

“Hi, Mom.” If Ellie was annoyed, she didn’t seem like it. Sadie didn’t know what she’d do if her parents caught them kissing like that. “We were just coming in to eat lunch.”

“I got you a table reserved. Mama called and said you were on your way.”

“Yup,” Ellie laughed, and for the first time Sadie could hear a bit of nervousness in her laugh. “Me and Sadie are here. Ready for lunch. Me and Sadie.”

“Mhmm.” Isla’s brown eyes narrowed at Ellie. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a credit card, handing it across Sadie to Ellie. “Here. Lunch is on me as long as you stop making out outside my restaurant. That’s usually only reserved for me and your mama.”

“Oh, I know,” Ellie laughed as she unbuckled her seat belt. Sadie watched as she got out of the car and walked around to hug Isla.

As Sadie stepped out of the car, she locked it before tucking the key and her phone into the tiny pockets in her shorts. She said goodbye to Isla, who was heading home for the day, as she and Ellie headed inside.