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toward her office, Linda turned and asked, “Oh, by the way, how was Phelan’s party?”
    “Let’s see,” Jamie said, pondering her wording. “It was filled with presumably innocent criminals and their not-so-presumably intelligent silicone-breasted floozies. Food was horrid, and Phelan got drunk.”
    “Oh dear, he didn’t cause a scene, did he?”
    “Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Jamie replied. As soon as the words left her mouth, Jamie’s thoughts returned to a woman who had spent the better part of the last four days taking up residence in Jamie’s dreams. A woman with brown eyes and hair the color of espresso, who, when she smiled, displayed the most adorable dimples Jamie had ever seen.
    A woman who Jamie did want to handle in ways that made her blush, but unfortunately, she was also a woman who probably never wanted to talk to Jamie again.
    Diana had left Phelan’s house without so much as a glance in Jamie’s direction, and a few minutes later, Jamie followed suit. Driving home, she replayed the events of the evening in her mind, and acting as her own judge and jury, Jamie found herself guilty of utter stupidity. She acted without thinking.
    She kissed a woman she had only known for a few minutes. She royally fucked up.
    Guilty as charged.
    Rubbing her neck to relieve the tension that was building, Jamie let out a sigh. All she wanted to do was go back in time and start again. She wanted to return to the friendly banter. She wanted the ease of casual without the weight of something more…but most of all, she wanted Diana Clarke.
    “Jamie!”
    Startled from her thoughts, Jamie looked up. “I’m sorry, Linda, what was that?”
    “I asked if you needed anything else.” Linda said, cocking her head to the side. “Are you okay?”
    “What? Yes, I’m fine. Why?”
    “You just seem a bit…um…distracted.”
    “Sorry. Just a few long days, that’s all.”
    Glancing at the clock on the wall, Linda said, “Okay, well if you don’t need me for anything, I’ll go get those contracts sorted.”
    Standing at the door, Linda waited for a response, but when none was given, she simply shrugged her shoulders, walked out the door and quietly closed it behind her.

    ~~~

    “I can’t thank you enough for coming up.”
    “What do you mean?” Diana asked as her aunt came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. “I wouldn’t have missed Joanie’s baby shower for the world. It’s been planned for weeks.”
    Sitting next to her niece, Brenda Clarke handed Diana one of the cups. “I know, but you’ll be here for Christmas, and what with your situation, I wasn’t sure that you could afford to make the trip twice.”
    Puzzled, Diana stared back at her aunt. “What in the world are you talking about? Flights from New York to Burlington are cheap enough.”
    “I just thought, since you don’t have a job...”
    Realizing what her aunt was worried about, Diana rolled her eyes. “Brenda, exactly how many piggy banks did I have as a child?”
    “What?”
    Laughing, Diana reached out and touched her aunt’s knee. “I’m fine. I have plenty in savings to see me through. Honest.”
    Studying her niece, the woman asked, “Are you sure?”
    “Yes!” Diana exclaimed with a laugh. “Trust me, I’m fine.”
    “Well then, what’s been on your mind for these past two days? You’ve been preoccupied since you got here?”
    “Have I?” Diana asked, taking a quick sip of tea.
    “Oh, sweetheart, you know you have. You sit by the window most of the afternoon pretending to read, but instead, you spend the entire time staring off into space. You remind me of your father when he—” Brenda’s mouth snapped shut as a memory came rushing back, and looking at her niece, Brenda’s smile grew wide. Sitting up straight, she stated, “You’re in love!”
    Nearly dropping her cup of tea, Diana blurted, “Excuse me!”
    “I said, you’re in love.”
    “I am not!”
    “Yes, you are.”
    “Oh, you’re