After downing the rest of her drink with one swift tilt of her wrist, Derian had growled, “I think I’ve done my duty here tonight.” She’d kissed Henrietta once again and disappeared into the crowd. Henrietta had looked after her with a faint smile and shake of her head before firmly pulling Emily off to the next group of people she wanted her to meet.

How young she’d been then, and how fiercely Henrietta had championed her. Emily struggled with the sadness welling inside. The doctors had said Henrietta would be well again, and that was what she must cling to. Despite everything, she hadn’t given up on hope.

“I thought you might have left,” Derian said from the doorway.

Emily started, feeling heat rise to her face. How did Derian sense so much, when others thought they knew her but rarely did? “Oh. How is she?”

“Sleeping. Probably conserving her strength to start ordering everyone around the next time she wakes up.”

“I would never say I agree with you, but…” Emily laughed. “I thought about leaving, only I might be too tired to move.”

Derian wanted to ask her what she’d been thinking about a moment before. She’d had the strangest expression on her face, half dreamlike, with a little smile that was sad in a way. But she didn’t know Emily well enough to ask something quite that personal, and that constraint irritated her. She must be tired too. She’d never once in her life asked a woman what she’d been thinking. Had she never really cared enough to know? Aud had been the only one she’d cared about, and they’d always talked so much she’d never had to ask. The pain of their separation hit her out of nowhere, and she shrugged off the past. The past was history, the future merely chance. All that mattered was now, and she’d been determined to live it to the max since she’d walked out on what was left of her family. “Well, I’m sorry you’re exhausted, but very glad you’re still here. I owe you dinner, remember?”

Emily shook her head. “You definitely do not. And you’ve got to be even more exhausted than me. I’ve only been sitting here all day.”

“Right. Sitting vigil when no one else did.” Derian held out a hand. “I owe you for that. I owe you for more than that too. You took care of all the paperwork, didn’t you?”

Emily stood, avoiding Derian’s hand. She couldn’t keep touching her. It wasn’t appropriate, and besides that, it was upsetting. She wasn’t used to all the feelings Derian kindled without the least bit of effort and, undoubtedly, unintentionally. “No, Vonnie helped. I don’t deserve all the credit.”

Derian nodded. “I’ll call her and thank her too. But first, food.”

“You’re very stubborn, aren’t you?” The words were out before she could pull them back. She was usually so much more cautious when she first met someone, and here she was saying everything that came into her head. “I didn’t mean—”

Derian laughed. “That’s a mild way of putting it. Most people might phrase it differently. But yes, once I set my mind on something, I’m kind of hard to dissuade. What’s your favorite food?”

“Cookies,” Emily said instantly.

Derian laughed again, a deep sound that rumbled in her chest and seemed to enclose Emily like a warm cloak wrapped around her shoulders. The image struck her as belonging to someone else. When had she ever been so frivolous? All the same, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Besides dessert,” Derian said.

“Who said it was dessert?” Emily said.

“All right, I’ll admit to an occasional meal of ice cream myself, but not tonight. What would you like?”

“Almost anything—you choose.”

Derian looked down at herself. “I could use a shower and a change of clothes. Would it be asking too much for you to stop by my apartment with me for a quick pit stop? I promise, it won’t be more than fifteen minutes, and that will give me a chance to call and get reservations. I’ll have you seated at a table in less than forty-five minutes.”

“You can do that in New York City?”

“Trust me.” Derian grinned and Emily suspected that grin took her a long way in the world—part charm, part devil, part sex.

And now she had the perfect opportunity to beg off dinner. She could simply say she was too tired to wait, and too disheveled herself. But she wasn’t, really. She’d often gone all day at work and then out to an event in the same clothes, and she really had only been sitting most of the day. Derian wouldn’t know that, though. Faced with the perfect opportunity to escape, she had to admit she didn’t want to. She wanted to go to dinner with Derian Winfield. She wanted to hear her laugh again. She wanted to do something different, something out of her ordinary routine, and wasn’t that odd. She could think about all of that later. “I don’t mind a little wait at all. And you don’t have to rush.”

“I won’t be rushing. I’m used to quick changes.” Derian picked up Emily’s coat from where she had laid it on the chair beside her and held it out for her. “Anyone you need to call? Change plans or anything?”

“No,” Emily said casually as she let Derian help her on with her coat, something she couldn’t ever remember anyone doing before. The gesture was unexpected and unexpectedly delightful. “They’ll call us, right? If there’s any…problem?”

Derian rested her hands for an instant on Emily’s shoulders after the coat settled onto them. “They have my number. But it’s going to be all right. It has to be, right?”

Emily leaned against her for the briefest of seconds. They shared the same affection for Henrietta, and Derian had to be even more worried. “Of course. Henrietta is probably even more stubborn than you.”

“You’re absolutely right.” Derian slipped her hand down to Emily’s elbow, leading her out into the hall. She liked the contact, the intimacy of that passing touch. “I’m sure I inherited all my bad traits from her.”

“I actually think it might be catching—the stubbornness, at least. I’ve gotten a lot more persistent myself, since coming to work with her.”

Derian reached out to press the button to the elevator, but the doors opened and she halted abruptly. “Aud!”

A willowy blonde with a stylish Tumi bag slung over one shoulder launched herself into Derian’s arms. “Dere. I can’t believe you got here first.”

Emily hastily stepped back, but not before she registered the unbridled excitement in the blonde’s eyes as she kissed Derian soundly on the lips.

“Why didn’t you call me when you got in!” Aud scolded, one precisely etched brow arched in exasperation.

Derian slid an arm around the blonde’s waist, her expression lighter than Emily had seen since she’d arrived at the hospital. “I tried. Did you check your voice mail?”

“Actually, no. I just got off a plane an hour ago and headed straight over here. I wasn’t in the mood for business messages. Sorry.”

“You never were very good at that anyhow. For a lawyer, you’re really hard to get a hold of.”

“Self-protection.” The blonde glanced at Emily and held out her hand. “Sorry for being so rude. I’m Audrey Ames.”

“Emily May, one of Henrietta’s agents.” She drew back farther. “I should probably go—”

“Aud, Emily is a friend,” Derian said, tightening her grip on Emily’s elbow so she didn’t bolt the next time the elevator opened. “Henrietta is stable, and we were about to sneak out for some dinner.”

“That’s great news,” Aud said. “Do they know what happened?”

“Looks like her heart. She might need surgery, but the verdict is open there,” Derian said.

“Oh. I tried to reach your father, but he wasn’t returning my calls.”

“Not surprising. He’s been here, but I think he just came by for a sit rep.” Derian’s expression darkened. “You know how that is.”

Audrey sighed, her expression sympathetic. “Derian, you’re going to have to make peace someday.”

“I don’t know why,” Derian said lightly, although her tone held no humor.

“Your head’s as hard as ever, I see.” Audrey sighed. “I’m going to peek in on HW before I touch base with the family.”

“Right. Have at it. We’ll catch up tomorrow?”

Audrey leaned close and kissed Derian’s cheek. “Absolutely. You’ll be at the apartment?”

Derian nodded.

Aud sketched a wave and strode away.

“If you’d rather wait for her,” Emily said, “I completely understand.”

Derian regarded her quizzically. “You seem to think I’m going to let you break this date with me, but it’s not going to happen. We’re going to dinner.”

Emily’s lips parted. “I don’t believe we mentioned anything about a date.”

“All right, I stand corrected.” Derian grinned. “But we’re still having dinner.”

“As long as we understand each other.”

“For the moment, we’re in agreement.” Derian held the elevator door open for her. “Dinner. No date.”

Chapter Six

The dark sky surprised Emily when they stepped outside the front entrance of the hospital. She’d known, rationally, she’d lost the day to anxiety and memories and, most recently, a curiosity she couldn’t shake about the woman beside her, but the black, cloudless night was still unexpected. She glanced at her watch to orient herself—almost seven p.m.—and started toward the line of cabs by the corner. Derian caught her arm, and she slowed.

“Hold on.” Derian glanced at her phone. “Our ride will be here in nineteen seconds.”

Emily laughed. “Uber?”

Derian grinned. “I never like standing in the road waving my arm and hoping a cab will take pity on me.”

“No, I can’t see you wanting to wait on anyone’s pleasure.” Emily stumbled. And hadn’t that come out in just the worst possible way? “And please disregard that comment right now.”

“I will, since it’s totally inaccurate.” Laughing, Derian slid her hand under Emily’s elbow as a black Town Car slid to the curb. “Here we go.”