by MJ Duncan
“George, come,” Maeve said.
Joss shook her head at the concerned look Maeve was giving her as George padded back to the side of the bed and laid down on the floor. Between being up and about for the last however long she had been in the bathroom and George, her shoulder was throbbing and she hoped that bracing her injured arm with some extra pillows would help. “Sorry. I didn’t think it’d take me so long to brush my teeth and stuff.”
“That’s not at all what I’m worried about right now,” Maeve said, frowning as she watched Joss slowly round the foot of the bed. “Are you okay? Did she hurt you?”
“Of course she didn’t,” Joss said, groaning as she angled herself onto the bed. “I’m fine,” she muttered through clenched teeth as she scooted toward the head of the bed so she could sit up against the headboard.
“Let me get a pillow behind you,” Maeve said as she shoved a large, square pillow behind Joss’ back. “How’s that?”
Joss nodded and carefully wedged the pillow she had slept on the night before between her bad arm and her side. “Good.” She took a deep breath and nodded again. “I’m good.”
Maeve did not look at all convinced, but she just set a small plate with the bagel she had promised on Joss’ lap. “Okay. Here you go, then.”
Joss’ stomach growled at the sight of the food, and she smiled a more genuine smile as she picked up one of the halves. “You are an angel, Maeve Dylan. Thank you.”
“Of course I am.” Maeve winked and picked up the television remote that had made its way from her nightstand to the comforter between them. “Any requests?”
“I honestly don’t have any idea what’s on TV this time of day,” Joss said. “Whatever you want is fine.”
As it turned out, there was pretty much nothing worth watching—even the movie channels Maeve subscribed to were useless—and Joss smiled as Maeve made a small noise of annoyance as she turned the set to Food Network and tossed the remote back onto the bed.
“Bobby Flay, it is, I guess,” Maeve said.
Joss laughed. “You love Bobby Flay.”
Maeve grinned. “Do not.”
“You know his ex-wife is like, ten thousand times hotter, right?”
“Says you.”
Joss chuckled and lifted her peanut butter bagel at the screen. “I’m sure I’m not the only one with that opinion. But this is fine, Anne Burrell is on this one.” She had never heard of the spunky chef before she had started hanging out with Maeve, but if she was going to have to watch cooking shows, at least the female chef with the wild bleached-blond hair made it entertaining.
“Should I be worried?” Maeve teased, nudging Joss’ leg beneath the covers.
“No.” Joss smiled and turned her head to look at Maeve. “I’m perfectly happy with the way my life is right now, just as it is. I’ve got you and George, and—” Her phone buzzed on the nightstand beside her. She dropped her bagel onto her plate and set it on the bed between her and Maeve before as she carefully turned to grab it. The only people who ever called her were Scott and Maeve, and she immediately became worried that something was wrong at the store. “Heitz?”
“I’m just checking in,” Scott said quickly. “How are you feeling?”
“Everything’s okay?”
“Everything’s fine, Joss. I was just worried because I totally expected you to call and check in by now. Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Joss said, blowing out a soft breath as she leaned back against her pillow. “I just woke up a few minutes ago. I’d figured I’d call you when I finished eating breakfast.”
“Well, now I’ve saved you the trouble. What’s your plan for the day?”
“Right now we’re watching Food Network,” Joss reported. She smirked at Maeve and added, “Maeve has a thing for Bobby Flay.”
“Hey!” Maeve protested with a laugh.
“I guess he’s kinda cute, if you’re into dorky-looking Irish dudes,” Scott agreed without missing a beat.
Joss laughed. “Exactly. You’re sure everything’s okay there? I can come down…”
“Everything’s fine. Enjoy your cooking shows, relax, and I’ll see you tomorrow. And if you’re not up to it, just lemme know and I’ll do the whole day again. It’s not a big deal.”
“I’ll be fine,” Joss assured her. “But thanks.”
“My pleasure. Now, gimme to your girl, Perrault.”
Joss rolled her eyes and handed the phone to Maeve. “Sir Textsalot wants to talk to you.”
“Lucky me.” Maeve smiled as she took the phone. “Yes?”
Joss rolled her eyes and picked up her bagel as she listened to Maeve’s half of the conversation, which was mostly a lot of uh-huhs and I wills.
Maeve laughed and nudged Joss’ leg with her foot again. “I will make sure she rests. Thanks for taking care of things there. … She’s lucky to have us both.”
Joss nodded. “I absolutely am,” she agreed loudly.
Maeve winked at Joss. “Will do,” she told Scott. “Talk to you later.” She disconnected the call and tossed Joss’ phone onto the bed next to the remote. “He’s a good guy.”
“Has been ever since I met him back in high school,” Joss said. “And I know I’m lucky to have you.”
“Yes, you are.” Maeve smiled and leaned over just far enough to drop a sweet kiss to Joss’ lips. “As am I. My life here has been much more enjoyable ever since I met you.”
Joss grinned and pecked Maeve’s lips again. “George is the best matchmaker ever.”
“Yes, she is,” Maeve agreed, as she pulled back to lean against her own pillow. She glanced over the side of the bed at George, who was doing her best chainsaw impersonation, and shook her head. Her left hand found its way onto Joss’ thigh, and she hummed under her breath as she stretched her legs out in front of her.
It was not her typical Monday at all, Joss thought as she looked down at Maeve’s hand on her leg, but there were certainly worse ways to waste a day. “So, the plan for the day is to stay here and watch TV?”
Maeve nodded. “Yup. Unless you have something you need to do.”
“All I have is a pile of laundry sitting at home waiting for me.” Joss sighed as she envisioned how much that particular chore was going to suck.
“We’ll go down to your place after lunch and I’ll help you get that done,” Maeve said.
“You don’t have to do my laundry,” Joss protested, shaking her head. “I’ll figure it out.”
“Jocelyn why-don’t-I-know-your-middle-name Perrault,” Maeve grumbled, “knock it off and accept the fact that I’m going to help you.”
“It’s Marie,” Joss supplied. “And okay. Thank you.”
“Good.” Maeve grinned and nodded. “Now shut up and eat your bagel. You’re distracting me from Mr. Flay.”
Joss laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”
Thirty
“You know,” Scott said as he slid the last box of new stock on the register counter closer to himself, “it’s kinda nuts how fast your shoulder healed.”
“Right?” Joss lifted her left arm to ninety degrees and moved it in a small circle. In the last two weeks, she had gone from not being able to use her arm at all, to being completely sling-free and able to do stupid, everyday things like wash her hair without suffering crippling levels of pain. The doctor said at her recheck the day before that she had about another week to go before the fracture was completely healed, but he had signed off on her chart, telling her that he did not need to see her back again unless she felt something was wrong.
“Can’t wait until you can help with this stuff again, though,” Scott grunted as he picked up the box of books.
Joss made a show of making herself comfortable on her stool at the register. “Yeah, me neither. Sitting here watching you do all the heavy lifting has been brutal.”
Scott stuck his tongue out at her as the bell above the shop’s door jingled. “Maybe I’ll break my shoulder or something and make you do all this on your own
.”
“I swear, you two are worse than me and my brothers,” Maeve declared. “Are you sure you aren’t related?”
“Nah, I’m much better looking,” Scott quipped, winking at Maeve as he turned toward the stacks with his box. “I’m just gonna go shelves these.”
“Yeah, you do that!” Joss called after him. She chuckled under her breath and turned to Maeve, who, by this time, had rounded the end of the counter and was standing right beside her. She smirked as she dragged her eyes over Maeve’s long, tanned legs, enjoying the high cut of her olive green hiking shorts and the body-hugging fit of her white tank, and hiked a playful brow when their eyes met. “So, dare I ask, what brings a beautiful woman like yourself into our fine establishment this afternoon?”
Maeve shook her head and smiled as she leaned down to press a quick, chaste kiss to Joss’ lips. “You’re ridiculous. I was thinking that since it’s Scott’s night to close, that you might let me take you out to dinner?”
“I’d like that.”
“Good.” Maeve’s smile softened, and she ran a gentle hand along the side of Joss’ face. “Me too.”
Joss turned her head to press a lingering kiss to Maeve’s palm, and sighed when the bell above the door jingled and Maeve pulled away. She turned to the young family entering the shop and smiled. “Welcome to Atramentum. Is there anything I can help you find?”
“Kids section?”
Joss pointed. “Right back there.”
“Great. Thanks.”
The family moved en masse toward the indicated area of the store, and Joss ran a hand through her hair as she looked back up at Maeve. “So, Ms. Dylan, is there anything special you’d like me to wear to dinner tonight?”
“You don't need to dress up.” Maeve shook her head. “I was just thinking we’d go to DiAmico’s.”
Joss’ mouth watered at the thought of steaming bread sticks and rich tomato sauce. “Works for me. We should probably make a reservation though. Town’s been busy this week.”
“Already done,” Maeve confirmed. “They only had one opening at seven forty-five, though, so call me if you end up getting out of here late and I’ll just meet you there.”
Joss shook her head. “I should be okay. You want me to come up to your place after I’ve changed?”
“I can pick you up.”
“Yeah, except it’s easier on George if we stay at your place,” Joss pointed out.
Maeve laughed. “Oh really? I believe I only offered to take you to dinner. What kind of girl do you think I am?”
“The kind who likes cuddling in bed and making out during the commercials of her favorite cooking shows.” Joss grinned and tickled the back of Maeve’s knee. It had taken a few days to get back to that point, but she had several fond memories from the past two weeks of laying flat on Maeve’s bed, surrounded by a curtain of silk as Maeve’s tongue did toe-curling things to her own. “Doc says I can do anything that doesn’t hurt,” she repeated her orthopedist’s instructions with a suggestive wink. “But if you’re not interested…”
Maeve rolled her eyes and took a step back, out of Joss’ reach. “Fine. Meet me at my place and we’ll go from there.”
“It was the cooking show thing that won you over, huh?”
“Bet your cute ass it was,” Maeve sassed as she sidled back around the edge of the counter. “We’ll need to leave no later than seven thirty to make the reservation.”
“Got it.”
“Got what?” Scott asked.
Joss grinned. “A date. She’s taking me to DiAmico’s.”
“Ugh. Lucky,” Scott whined. “Bring me some lasagna?”
Maeve smiled and arched a playful brow at Scott. “Will a slice of lasagna guarantee Joss an early exit from work this evening?”
Scott nodded. “Absolutely.”
Joss laughed. “Wow, way to play it cool, man.”
“Whatever. I’ve got dried out chicken and rice to reheat for dinner. Promise me a fat slice of oozy-gooey-delicious lasagna and you can leave now for all I care.”
The bell above the door jingled again, spilling a handful of customers into the store, and Joss shook her head.
“That’s very tempting…” Joss checked her watch. It was still only a quarter to five. “But I’ll hang around for a bit longer to help with the pre-dinner rush.”
“Hey guys. Let us know if you need any help finding something,” Joss greeted the group.
“You don’t want her now?” Scott asked Maeve as the small crowd filtered past. “You could grab an early-bird dinner and get me my lasagna sooner?”
Maeve shook her head. “Unfortunately, I have a call with my agent at five thirty so he can try and talk me into going to some convention in Cincinnati in October. So I’m just going to ignore your implied insinuation that I’m old and need to have dinner before the sun goes down and leave you to deal with her on your own for a bit longer.”
“Gee, thanks,” Scott grumbled. “I mean, damn, woman. What’d I ever do to you?”
Joss crossed her arms over her chest and pretended to be offended by the slant their conversation had taken. In truth, however, she thought it was great that Scott and Maeve were getting along so well. Even if their budding friendship meant that she was on the receiving end of their tag-team teasing. “You two sure know how to make a girl feel good.”
“Well, I don’t want to brag, but….” Maeve smiled sweetly and blew her a kiss. “You did tell me that very same thing several times last night.”
Scott barked a laugh and held up a hand for a high five. “Nice.”
“Thank you,” Maeve chuckled as she slapped her hand against his.
Joss shook her head and did her best to try to hide her smile. “Yeah, well, see if I ever tell you that again.”
“Ooh.” Scott elbowed Maeve in the ribs. “I do believe she just threw down a challenge.”
“You wish,” Joss retorted.
“I believe you’re right,” Maeve said to Scott, though her gaze was locked squarely on Joss.
Joss swallowed hard and had to force herself to not look away as she watched a perfectly sculpted brow lift behind black frames in playful challenge or silent confirmation or…fuck if she knew. Judging by the way her heart was fluttering in her throat, though, she definitely liked it. “I…”
Maeve laughed—the sound low and rough, with more than a hint of a promise woven through those husky waves—and winked. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Yeah.” Joss nodded.
“And I’ll be sending you some lasagna soon,” Maeve promised Scott.
“And you are the my new favorite person in the whole wide world,” Scott told her with a grin.
Joss rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t you have books to stock or customers to help or something?”
“I do,” Scott agreed. “Later, Maeve.”
Maeve waved goodbye as Scott sauntered down a nearby aisle, and shook her head as she looked back at Joss. “I’ll see you soon?”
“Of course,” Joss promised. “I’ll try and get out of here around a quarter till, which’ll give me plenty of time to change and get to your house before we have to go.”
Maeve looked around them and smiled as she leaned across the counter to steal one last, quick kiss. “I can’t wait.”
Thirty-One
DiAmico’s was even busier than Joss had thought it would be, but even the loud din of chinking silverware and competing conversations did nothing to distract her from the woman sitting across from her. Maeve’s hair was radiant in the dimly lit restaurant, a golden halo of waves that cascaded regally around her bare shoulders. She had changed from her shorts and tank into a cute summery dress that billowed enticingly around her legs when she walked. Joss felt a little underdressed next to her since she was just wearing the same jeans she had worn to work and a long sleeve, pale blue linen shirt, but thankfully—judging from the way Maeve’s hand had stroked up and down her thigh throughout dinner—she did not seem to mind.
/>
“Here you go,” their waitress said as she dropped a leather billfold with their check on their table en route to tending to another of her tables.
Joss reached for the bill, but Maeve snatched it out of her grasp before she could even register what was happening.
“Nice try,” Maeve said, shaking her head at Joss. “But this was my idea. I’m paying.”
Joss laughed and held up her hands in defeat. “Sorry. But, really though, you can’t blame me for trying. I mean, you went above and beyond the expected girlfriend responsibilities over the last few weeks. I kinda owe you a night out, ya know?”
Maeve’s playfully stern expression shifted, her eyes positively melting as her smile softened into that gentle, awed look that sent Joss’ stomach fluttering. “Girlfriend?” she asked as she slipped her credit card into the billfold and laid it over the edge of their table.
It might have taken her an unforgivably long time to learn how to read Maeve, but Joss knew exactly what that tone and that look meant. “Well, yeah.” She smiled. “I mean, unless you don’t—”
“I do.”
“Okay, then,” Joss said, unable to keep her smile in check. “Good.”
Maeve huffed a small laugh and shook her head. “Why do I feel like I’m back in high school right now?”
“God, I wish I was this aware of myself in high school,” Joss said. “It would have made my life so much less confusing.”
“Right?”
Joss nodded and glanced at their server, who had just grabbed the check as she passed their booth with a tray of dirty dishes. “Anyway, you never said how the call with your agent went.”
“It was fine.” Maeve shrugged and picked up her nearly empty glass of wine. “I get to go spend the first weekend of October in Cincinnati. There’s a panel they want me to sit on, and it’ll be a good way to hype Storm.” She eyed Joss over the rim of her glass. “You want to come with?”
