“I did too.” He leaned closer. “You’re not nearly as uptight as I thought you’d be.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle. “And you’re not nearly as annoying as I thought you’d be.”

“A good start then.”

“Hmm.”

And then he was kissing her. The taste of coffee and chocolate mixed with Glen was edible. Unlike when he’d kissed her in the kitchen, this time he didn’t back away when she traced his lips with her tongue. He accepted her invitation and explored. Even at the late hour, or maybe because of it, her body tingled to life and moved to get closer. She hadn’t been kissed in a long time and enjoyed every second, every minute as he drew away and came back for more. She clawed into his shirt with one hand and felt the one holding her purse inch down his hips before Glen ended their make-out session on the porch.

They were smiling into each other’s eyes. “You should probably go before I invite you inside.”

“I probably should.” Only he didn’t walk away.

“Glen?”

“Hmm?” His hands tightened around her waist.

“Thank you, for tonight.”

He pushed himself away and kissed her forehead. “It was my pleasure.”

“Good night.”

He took his cue and stood back while she opened her door. “Sleep well, Mary.”

She closed the door behind her, leaned against it, and hugged herself with a completely adolescent smile.

Chapter Eleven

Mary’s phone buzzed next to her bed. One glance at the screen had her rolling over and texting back.

Yes, Dakota. I’m alone.

She tossed the phone down and rolled over.

She’d no sooner fallen back asleep than Dakota’s voice rang from downstairs. “I’m making coffee!”

Mary groaned. “I hate you,” she yelled.

“Hate me later. I’m a gimp, remember? And what the hell is all this plastic down here?”

She forced herself upright in bed. The first thing she saw was Glen’s jacket, which he’d failed to take off her shoulders before he drove away. She crawled toward it and brought it up to her nose. Everything twisted inside.

Mary pushed into a bathrobe and padded barefoot downstairs.

Dakota stood on crutches as she removed coffee cups from Mary’s cupboard.

“What are you doing?”

Dakota turned and stared . . . she waited a few seconds and said, “You didn’t get laid.”

“Oh my God, Dakota.” Mary expected nothing less from her friend.

“Why?”

“It was our first date.”

“A long-awaited first date. And you haven’t had sex since Jesus was a lad.”

Mary moved to take the cups out of Dakota’s hands. “Sometimes I hate that you know everything about my sex life.”

“No, you don’t.”

No, she didn’t. “We didn’t have sex because . . .” Why didn’t we have sex? “Glen . . .” How was she going to put this.

“Glen didn’t want to?” Dakota’s voice rose two octaves.

“Oh, no . . . he wanted to. We both . . .” Mary pointed to the kitchen table. “Sit. You’re making me nervous.”

She poured them coffee, mixed in cream and sugar for the both of them, and sat down. “He took me to San Francisco.”

Dakota gave a full tooth grin. “I got your text.”

“We flew from the airport into the city on a helicopter.”

“Eeek!”

“I know. Seriously great moves. Oh, but wait . . . he kissed me before we left.”

“What? Before you left here?”

“Yeah.” Mary gave Dakota a play-by-play, they both squealed when she described things like how he gave her his jacket, ordered for her when she refused . . . and how he refused to come in because he didn’t want Mary to think he’d spent all those first date efforts to get some horizontal naked time.

“Oh, man. I didn’t realize Glen could be so romantic.”

“Me either. We didn’t even argue. We always argue.”

“You two bicker like an old married couple. It’s hysterical.”

“We do, don’t we?”

Dakota reached over and patted her hand. “This could be the start of something good.”

Monica’s words tossed around in her head. “I’m going to enjoy it, even if it’s not a start. No regrets.”

“Good.” Dakota sipped her coffee. “So when will you see him again?”

“I don’t know; we didn’t talk about it.”

“It’s not like he can meet you for lunch.”

“He would be a complete distraction if he lived here.”

“Distractions are good.”

They turned the conversation over to Dakota and Leo, and by the time they were finishing their coffee Mary’s phone was ringing.

The girlie squeal thing would end eventually . . . but she enjoyed it now. “Hi, Glen.”

“You sound wide awake.”

And he sounded delicious. “That’s because Dakota hobbled over here at the crack of dawn.”

Dakota swished at her with both her hands.

“Good thing I didn’t stay over then.”

“Oh, she texted first to make sure I was alone.”

Glen’s laughter filled the line. “Glad you ladies have a protocol.”