Page 10 of Lakeside Longing

And when that hand fell away from her hair, lingering on her cheek, Quinn imagined her eyes fluttering open, and she met the most alluring brown eyes flecked with gold. Quinn reached up to brush her dark hair behind her ear, the copper highlights catching in the afternoon sun.

It was so vivid, so real, that it took her a moment to realize who she’d just imagined kissing.

Quinn’s eyes snapped open, and she found herself gripping the arms of the chair, her palms damp with sweat. She exhaled slowly, trying to calm her racing pulse.

Why had she been thinking about kissing Rebecca??

Quinn leaned her head back against the wood, her hand on her forehead. This was almost as bad as feeling something during that onscreen kiss. She couldn’t be thinking about kissing her mother’s best friend.

“What the fuck?” Quinn muttered to herself as she stared up at the trees.

Desperation. That’s all it was. She was so desperate to know what it would be like to kiss another woman that she’d just imagined herself with the only lesbian in town she knew.

That had to be it. She wasn’t actually attracted to her mother’s best friend.

Because that would be a complete disaster.

6

Rebecca strolled through the local market like she did most Saturdays, the late-morning sun warming her face. The air hummed with the chatter of shoppers and the scent of sweet pastries. As she approached the vegetable stand, she reached for a pepper, and a flash of blonde hair caught her eye. A navy Yankees cap, pulled low, shielded the face, but the figure was unmistakable. She was wearing a white tank top with a navy plaid flannel shirt over it and jeans.

Rebecca glanced over, watching her hand the woman behind the stall a few bills, telling her to keep the change before slinging her now full tote bag over her shoulder and heading for the parking lot.

Rebecca left the pepper, picking up her pace to catch up to her.

“Quinn Fallon? Is thatTHEQuinn Fallon?” Rebecca called out once they were far enough away from the market, her voice teasing.

Quinn turned. “Rebecca,” she said with a sigh, when she recognized her.

Rebecca smiled. “Driving a ten-year-old Ford? It couldn’t be.”

Quinn’s grin widened, a playful glint in her eyes. “Keep your voice down,” she said, glancing around nervously. “I had Reagan find me the most inconspicuous car she could, and this is what she came up with.”

“I’m joking,” Rebecca said as she watched Quinn unlock the black car and put her tote bag on the floor on the passenger’s side. “That’s clever though. I was wondering what you were going to do for the next year. How you were going to manage everyday things like this.”

Quinn closed the door and leaned against it. “My mother told you I was staying?”

“Yeah. It’s not a secret, is it?” Rebecca asked, remembering how desperate Sarah was to find out what was going on with her daughter.

“No,” Quinn said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Not at all.”

“Well, I was bound to find out sooner rather than later. We’re not quite neighbors, but close enough. I’m number nineteen.”

“I had no idea.”

“I only bought it two years ago. I didn’t want to stay renting indefinitely.” Rebecca knew what Sarah was talking about though. There was something off with Quinn. She seemed on edge almost. “It’s a quiet road. I can see why you picked it.”

Quinn nodded, her eyes rarely staying on Rebecca for more than a few seconds.

It dawned on her then that maybe Quinn didn’t like being out here in the open, with people coming and going from their cars. “Sorry,” Rebecca said. “I’m sure you want to get back and cook something with all those fresh veg.”

“No. Well, I am hungry, but I’m just not sure how this is going to go yet,” she said throwing a glance over her shoulder back towards the market. “I’m not used to this. In L.A. I generally have things planned out and either a driver or security.It’s strange just being here. Wandering around. With no back up.”

Rebecca slid her phone out of the pocket of her jeans and offered it to Quinn. “You should have my number.”

Quinn didn’t say anything as she took the phone and added her number. She finally met her eyes properly as she handed Rebecca her phone. “I hope Chloe doesn’t get jealous,” she said with a smirk.

Rebecca laughed as she tapped on Quinn’s name to call her. “Now you have mine. But no, Chloe’s not going to get jealous, because she’s not going to know. I ended things… Before they could get too serious.”