“Terms?” Sarah’s eyes widened. “Okay, what are the terms?”

“I love you.”

Sarah smiled, taking it in. “I think I can live with that one.”

“And you have to believe that I don’t fall in love with just anybody. In fact, I have very high standards and always have.” She picked up Sarah’s hand and threaded their fingers. “I happen to think that you are the most wonderfully smart, funny, and beautiful woman I have ever encountered. And I need you to accept that about yourself.”

It was Sarah’s eyes that filled then and her voice was meek. “I can do that. I can try and do that.”

They held each other’s gaze, the electricity between them already in full force. Emory’s voice was quiet and a small smile tentatively took shape on her face. “So we’re agreed?”

“We are.”

“One last thing.”

“All right.”

Emory took a breath and tilted her head sideways. “Can you say it again?”

Sarah smiled. “Emory, I love you. I don’t know why I thought it would be hard to say, because it’s not. I love who we are when we’re together and I love who I think we’re capable of becoming.”

“God, I love you too.” Emory squeezed Sarah’s hand. “And I’m so glad I thought to get the damn cheeseburgers.” They both laughed and there was only one thing left to do. Her eyes dropped languidly to Sarah’s lips as she moved in ever so slightly. “We should probably shake on it or something.”

Sarah leaned in and hovered just shy of Emory’s mouth, her voice a near whisper. “Or something. But once we do this, it’s binding. No going back. Got it?”

“Only forward.” As their lips met, Emory felt her world right itself and she sank into the kiss. What they were embarking upon was scary. But she couldn’t let that take precedence anymore. This, right here in her arms, was what mattered. The last few days had shown her that. Connection to another person, in a life where nothing was guaranteed, was more precious than anything. The details all seemed so much smaller in comparison.

As they stood there in the parking lot, the early afternoon continued all around them. Pedestrians bustled, and cars whizzed past, the midday rush hour in full effect. But Emory barely noticed. She was too busy dreamily kissing the woman she loved.

It was a moment. It was the moment.

Chapter Seventeen

It was the first week of December and as tradition dictated, Sarah had spent the entire Saturday baking cookies with the kids at her parents’ house. Carmen had helped and in good news, her boys had been less than destructive, only starting two food fights this year. Needless to say, it had been a day.

The kids had long since retreated to the backyard for marshmallow roasting with their Uncle Danny, a part of the cookie baking tradition Grace always looked forward to. A Johnny Mathis Christmas carol drifted in from the living room. Sarah looked around the kitchen at their masterful work and offered Carmen an exhausted high five. “I’d say we conquered cookieland.”

“Cookieland had no hope.” Next to them on the counter sat a stack of coconut macaroons, next to a platter of peanut butter reindeer, alongside colorfully decorated sugar cookies in the shapes of bells, stars, and remarkably accurate cutouts of Santa Claus himself. “Prisoners of war,” Carmen mused. “I think we’ve earned a hot toddy.”

“Sounds good. I’ll make them,” her mother called out as she walked into the kitchen.

“Not for me. Emory will be here any second. How do I look?” She’d changed from her jeans into black pants and a form-fitting red sweater for their date. It was the first chance they’d gotten to spend time on their own together since Grace’s release and she’d been counting the hours.

“Smokin’ hot, Sar.”

“That’s all I can ask for.” She grinned, switching gears. “Everything all right outside, Mama?”

“The kids are having a ball out there. Danny’s taught them his super slow roasting method and they’re transfixed.”

“How’s Grace?”

“Very energetic. I think her strength is back in full force.”

“Clearly,” Sarah said as Grace sped into the room and came to a stop in front of her.

“Can I have ice cream later?” Grace asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“If you’re grandparents say it’s okay. But do me a favor and take it easy. Maybe don’t run everywhere you go. Let’s give that new pacemaker a chance to settle in.”

“The doctor said it’s fine to run now.”

Sarah sighed. “That he did.” She kissed the top of Grace’s head and watched her speed back into the yard to join her cousins. “She just seems so much lighter, carefree. It’s nice. The cardiologist says that with the new pacemaker, she shouldn’t see the inside of a hospital room until she delivers her first child.”

Her mother placed her hand on Sarah’s shoulder as she passed. “And now that Grace is back on track, it’s your turn.”

As if on cue, the doorbell rang and Sarah broke out into a smile. “I think that’s my date.”


*


The beach house was dark and quiet when they entered, but the moonlight reflecting off the water just yards away illuminated much of the room. Dinner with an adult had been just what the doctor ordered, and the fact that it was with Emory was delicious icing on the cake. Throughout dinner, Sarah had enjoyed the conversation, the laughs, the flirting, but she couldn’t help letting her mind drift to the promise of things to come. It didn’t help that Emory was looking both gorgeous and sophisticated in the pale blue dress she’d worn to dinner. Her favorite combination.

Now that they were alone, Sarah led the way in and wordlessly moved to the glass, staring out at the endless ocean. She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head ever so slightly. “The water seems so calm tonight.”

Emory settled in behind her and gently kissed one shoulder. “It’s chilly out, but we could walk down to the beach, if you want.”

Sarah turned. “I don’t think so. I like it right here.” She studied Emory’s face, taking it in. “What are you feeling right now?”

Emory smiled. “You have no idea.”

“Trust me, I do.” She ran a finger gently across Emory’s bottom lip and moved in, unable to resist her another moment. She brushed her mouth with a featherlight kiss and ran her hands gently up Emory’s arms, the most tender of caresses. “You were there for me. When life couldn’t get any worse, when I was at my lowest and didn’t know where to turn, you were there and you got me through it somehow. I didn’t know what I needed, but you knew.”

“I didn’t do anything that you haven’t done for me. How is she today? Grace.”

“Feisty, just like always. Only she can stay feisty longer now, so we’re all in trouble.”

Emory laughed. “I can’t wait to see her.”

“Tomorrow. Tonight, I get you all to myself.”

Emory felt a shiver move through her body. She took Sarah’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Can I get you anything? Are you thirsty?”

Sarah shook her head slowly, her eyes never moving from Emory’s, communicating so much. Emory nodded wordlessly and they walked together up the stairs, hand in hand.

Once inside her bedroom, Emory moved to Sarah and pulled her close, her gaze unguarded, focused. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

Sarah reached out and brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. “We have all night, you know.”

Emory kissed her gently. “Best sentence ever.”

The kiss that began delicately, transformed rather quickly to a mechanism of need. Sarah moved her hands to Emory’s waist and up. As they grazed the outsides of her breasts, Emory hissed in a breath and increased the pressure of the kiss until the meeting of lips and tongues vibrated through her entire body.

As Sarah pulled off her sweater, Emory stepped back. “I got it.” She moved behind Sarah, pulling the zipper of her slacks slowly downward. Emory assisted the lightweight fabric to the floor, bringing her to her knees and refocusing her attention. She closed her eyes and placed a solitary kiss on the small of Sarah’s back, then moved her attention ever so slowly upward to her shoulders, the back of her neck, and around. Sarah’s eyes were closed, her lips parted slightly at the sensation in a breathtaking display that caused Emory only a minor pause to take in the image before needing to taste that mouth once again.

As their lips met, it was Sarah who took control at this point, kissing Emory hungrily and backing her up until the back of her knees bumped the bed. She slid the straps of Emory’s dress down her shoulders, and it fell effortlessly to the floor. She stopped and looked at her, really looked at her, as her heart filled with something so familiar, yet so exciting that she felt a shiver move through her.

She pushed Emory softly onto her back and took her time pulling off the rest of her clothing piece by piece. She willed herself to move slowly, to let the moonlight shift over Emory’s skin as she revealed more of it. She descended to Emory’s breast first, kissing it, taking time to linger, savor the taste, the moment, the sensation that was so all consuming. She moved to the other breast then, licking, tracing lazy circles with her tongue. As Sarah raised her head, her eyes slid to Emory’s and the yearning she saw there sent a staggering shot of arousal through her. “Em,” she whispered reverently in response, kissing up her neck, her chin, her forehead before finally settling back on her lips for another sensuous go-round. She settled herself more firmly on top this time, “Em, look at me.” Emory threaded her fingers through Sarah’s hair, pulling her face back just enough to lock onto her eyes. “I love you. So desperately, I do.”