Page 117 of The Ampersand Effect

Grier looked at Tobin, so grateful this woman had survived her accident. She was awed by every detail of Tobin’s traumatic past.

Tobin had persevered through so much—and she was so much more beautiful because of her scars, not just in spite of them.

A small smirk tugged at Grier’s lips as she remembered something she’d read about cherry blossoms. It felt like the perfect, slightly cheeky addition to Tobin’s story.

“Why are you smiling?” Tobin asked, lifting Grier’s hand to run her lips along her knuckles.

“Because I’ve read that, in certain cultures, cherry blossoms also represent the beauty and sensuality of women—and are even a symbol of fertility.”

Tobin’s eyes sparkled, and Grier felt relief wash over her to see Tobin’s temperament calm after sharing such a protected piece of herself. “It seems you chose wisely.”

Tobin tugged her closer, kissing her tenderly. Grier’s stomach interrupted before the kiss could escalate, rumbling loudly between them. She giggled at the interruption, and Tobin laughed softly, beginning to gently extricate herself from their entanglement.

Tobin offered her hand. “C’mon, Cinderella. Let’s feed you.” Grier allowed Tobin to help her up. They dressed slowly,

stealing intemerate kisses as they replaced articles of clothing, and then wandered downstairs.

Grier saw Harrow through the window overlooking the deck, laptop balanced on her legs, AirPods in her ears. She had obviously come outside to offer them some privacy, and Grier hoped whatever she was listening to had also helped. She’d never been one to withhold her vocalizations during sex, and she was certain these walls were thinner than they appeared.

“How does a grilled cheese and roasted veggie sandwich sound?” Tobin asked, rummaging through the fridge and pulling out a variety of veggies and cheeses. “I’ve got fresh bread, too.”

Grier’s stomach growled in answer to the mention of food. “Honestly, that sounds amazing. But you’ve yet to make me something I didn’t want to eat,” she replied with a smirk. “Can I help?”

“Sure! You are my Cinderella, after all.” Tobin’s broad smile made Grier’s stomach flip—the warmth of her affection making her forget the emptiness in her belly—sating her with an altogether different kind of fullness.Hers.

“Will you butter the bread for me, please?”

“Whatever you’re making, triple it,” Harrow called as she walked inside, multiple writing utensils jutting at odd angles from her topknot. Her glasses dangled precariously from the collar of her shirt. “I’m famished,” she added, dropping into a stool at the countertop.

Tobin tsked from her spot at the cutting board. “You think you can just make demands of me?” Her face stayed stoic, but her eyes shimmered with mischief.

“Yes,” Harrow shot back, her grin sharp and playful. “Because your sudden…” she smirked, eyes gleaming with the kind of tease only a sibling could deliver, “change in activities has directly impacted my food resources.”

Grier couldn’t stop the boisterous laugh that bubbled from her chest. She’d interacted with Harrow a few times over the past weeks, and they’d settled into a comfortable, early friendship. She understood the closeness the sisters shared, and she felt a kindred affection for anyone Tobin trusted—knowing it was a rare and tenuous gift.

Since their first meeting—the night Harrow had brought Tobin over for treatment, the night Grier couldn’t stop herself from kissing Tobin, the night that changed everything—she and Harrow had settled into a rhythm. Their interactions were easy, familiar, and, Grier hoped, a foundation for mutual trust.

The sisters glanced at her in tandem: Tobin cocking a single sexy eyebrow, Harrow grinning widely.

“I can’t say I’m exactly sorry if I’ve distracted Tobin from some of her sisterly duties,” Grier said, glancing between them. “But I’d be happy to remind her to feed us both.”

Harrow looked at her sister. “I’ve already told you this, so consider it more for Grier’s benefit than yours—” she paused, flicking a brief approving glance toward Grier before fixing her eyes squarely on Tobin, “—but I’ve liked her from the beginning. You should keep her around.”

She looked back to Grier, winked, then swiped a slice of mushroom from Tobin’s cutting block and popped it in her mouth, grinning as she successfully goaded her sister.

“Keep it up and I’ll be keeping her and tossing you out,” Tobin chided.

Grier refrained from interjecting, overwhelmed by the flip in her stomach at the thought of Tobin keeping her. She couldn’t let her mind spiral from indirect declarations. She had to staunch her hope. They weren’t there yet. They’d barely started dating, and hadn’t even discussed exclusivity—let alone anything beyond that. Plus, the fertility appointment loomed next week, a pressing topic that neither had revisited since their non-date.

She busied herself slicing and buttering the bread, keeping her hands moving while the sisters bantered around her. Tobin brushed her hip lightly as she passed behind her to grab something from the fridge, and Grier startled—not at the touch, but at the easy comfort they’d settled into, working with and around each other.

It could be so easy…

Harrow interrupted her thoughts. “So, have you asked her yet?”

Both sets of eyes landed on Grier. She paused mid-butter, too curious to pretend she didn’t know they were talking about her.

Tobin cleared her throat uncomfortably, then spoke through gritted teeth—half exasperated, half playful. “I haven’t had the opportunity yet. But, since you’re bringing it up now…”