Page 41 of A Heart of Little Faith
“Good.” He expelled a pent-up, hurricane-force breath. “About that kiss—”
She crossed her fingers. “I really liked it.”
“I did, too.” His voice was low and tickled her insides with its intimacy.
Her cheeks warmed and she couldn’t stop the smile from stretching her cheeks. “Good.”
He cleared his throat. “Hey, aren’t you going to Samantha’s for brunch?”
“Yeah, but not until later. Are you going?” She twirled her hair in her fingers and licked her lips. She’d swear she could still taste him, and it made her want more.
“No, I’ve got a basketball game at the center. Too bad Claire’s not home or I’d suggest you guys watch.”
“Yeah, Claire wants to go. When’s your next one? Maybe we can go then.”Hmm, I wonder what we can do at a basketball game?She forced her mind out of the gutter and into the present.
“We play on Tuesday afternoon at four-fifteen.”
Lily rubbed the grit from her eyes as she padded into the kitchen. The cold tile floor curled her toes. “Let me check my calendar.” She turned on the coffee machine as she reached for her calendar. “We’re free, and I have an easy week at work, so I can probably leave a little early. When does the game end?”
“It should be over by six-thirty or so.”
Lily poured her coffee and then opened the fridge to find some juice. She stood like a pelican—one leg straight, the other bent—as she scratched her ankle with her other foot and reached for the orange juice. “Want to come over for dinner afterward?”
“I usually take the kids for pizza afterwards. Why don’t you and Claire join us?”
****
“So, you and my brother—dish!” exclaimed Samantha as she flopped next to Lily with her cup of coffee.
“What do you mean?” Lily molded her face into a detached pose, but her blush betrayed her. Samantha gaped at her and she relented. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything.” Samantha passed the plate of bagels to her and reached for the cream cheese. Lily selected a sesame bagel, sliced it in half and slathered cream cheese as she described the baseball game.
“The two of you held hands?” Samantha shrieked as she dropped her bagel on the plate.
“Not exactly.” Lily started to explain, but Samantha interrupted.
“Honey, there was physical contact between your hand and his, and it didn’t involve him pushing you out of the way. That to me is holding hands. When’s the wedding?”
“Sam!” By now, Lily’s face was in flames and her friend laughed.
“Seriously, things sound good between you two, really good.” Samantha smiled. “I’m glad.”
“There’s more.”
Samantha leaned away, mouth open, her bagel suspended in midair.
“We kissed. For real this time.” Hearing it out loud, rather than just thinking about it, filled her with joy.
Samantha screeched. “And you waited until now to tell me?”
Happy for the first time in a long time, Lily cackled. “I need a little fun. Besides, you interrupted me.”
Samantha threw her napkin at her. “I wantallthe details.” Lily obliged. When she finished, Samantha rose from her chair and hugged her. “Wow, my friend the nun and my brother the priest. It couldn’t be more perfect.”
“Samantha, come on!”
“No, I’m serious. The two of you have protested about dating, and found more ways to avoid it, than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s about time you found each other.”