“That’s easy for you to say,” Lindsey said with a huff. “It always happens for you.”
“It does not.” Quinn got up to make more tea. She held up the kettle, and Lindsey nodded.
“Yes, please. Do you have any of that tea left I got you from New York? The Japanese one?”
“I do.” Quinn searched for the pack Lindsey had bought her on her latest shopping trip. “Speaking of New York, do you think there’s a possibility Riley might be bisexual or gay?” she asked, hoping she sounded casual.
“Okay, interesting change of subject.” Lindsey eyed her suspiciously. “No chance. I know I teased you with her, but I was only joking. She screams straight. Why?” She frowned. “Was she flirting with you when you went over to apologize?”
“No, not at all.” Quinn held up a hand when Lindsey continued to stare at her. “I promise, she didn’t.” Already regretting bringing it up, she sighed. “I just got this really subtle vibe from her, that’s all. I invited her over for dinner,” she added, aware she might as well tell her that, as Lindsey would find out one way or another.
“Here? And you’re hoping to get lucky?” Lindsey burst into laughter. “Riley hardly strikes me as someone who’d be impressed by this.” She spread her arms, gesturing to the crammed space.
“I’m not hoping to get lucky.” Quinn gave her a warning look. “I was just asking you a simple question because I think she might be hiding something.”
“Dream on. She’s straight, but I’m not claiming she isn’t hiding anything. Who tells the whole truth nowadays?” Lindsey waved her phone in front of Quinn and grinned. “I certainly don’t.” She leaned in and put an arm around Quinn. “But all joking aside, it’s blatantly obvious that you like her, so don’t get your hopes up.”
“I felt something,” Quinn admitted. “She’s sweet and intelligent and beautiful, and she showed this adorable sense of enthusiasm when I taught her how to fix a door handle.”
“Well, you are pretty hot with a hammer in your hands,” Lindsey said. “So you went up there to say you were sorry and ended up fixing her door?”
“Yes.”
“And then you got a ‘vibe’ as you just called it?” Lindsey fell silent as she pondered over that. “Although it seems unlikely that she’s into women, you’ve proven to me over and over that your vibe generally has roots…” She grinned mischievously. “So, dinner in your lair, huh? Are you going to make a pass at her?”
“No.” Quinn fixed her eyes back on the screen, where Riley’s profile had been only minutes ago, and she shook her head. “Of course not. I may find her attractive, but she doesn’t have to know that.”
21
RILEY
“Welcome.” Quinn took Riley’s coat and hung it over the back of a chair. “Please, sit down. Would you like a glass of white wine?”
“Thank you, that would be lovely.” Riley looked around the narrowboat and took in its charming interior and the intricate woodwork. It was fascinating to see how Quinn lived; Riley had speculated whether the barge in the picture on Quinn’s dating profile was her home. It was interesting and quirky, and even though it was small, it had lots of character and felt like a warm hug. She’d happily trade homes for a while so she wouldn’t have to lay awake at night, tensing at every strange sound. “This is stunning. Is it yours?”
“Yep. All mine. My brother keeps telling me I need to get something bigger, but I like it. It’s not great for entertaining, though. The table doesn’t allow for more than two. I use the roof in summer when I have people over, but it’s still a bit too chilly to sit outside at night.”
“That must be amazing, with this view.” Riley glanced out of the window and kept her gaze fixed on the river. Aster House lay on the opposite bank, and it looked pretty impressive from here. She worked out which window was the one to her bedroom and that Quinn would have been able to see that her light was on every night. Riley was afraid to look at her after the reaction she’d had to her pictures last night, and she’d thought about her all day.
“Yeah.” Quinn handed her a glass of wine, and realizing she couldn’t avoid the inevitable any longer, Riley finally looked up at her. “I love being near the water,” Quinn continued. “I think it’s the reason I never left Mystic.” She frowned as she studied Riley. “Are you okay?”
“Uh-huh.” Riley swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.” She tugged at the collar of her blouse; she felt hot and her mind was spinning as she searched for something to fill the silence. “What are you cooking?”
“Spaghetti vongole.” Quinn put a bowl of olives and a small plate of tomato bruschetta on the table and joined her.
“Yum. Your sister-in-law’s recipe?”
“Yes. I make it at least once a week. So, what have you been up to since I last saw you?”
“A lot of scraping, sanding, and painting.” Riley’s breath caught when Quinn’s foot brushed hers by accident. “The living room looks okay now, but I need stuff to fill up the vast space, so I might take a day off and go shopping.” Her eyes met Quinn’s, and she felt herself blush. “What about you? Did you finish the job?”
“Yes. Right on time. I have a few days off before we start on the next one, which is in Groton. I’ll honk the horn when I drive past Aster House in the morning. Give you a wake-up call.”
Riley chuckled and took a sip of her wine. She felt self-conscious, even though she had no reason to. “I’m an early riser. You’re welcome to stop by for a morning coffee anytime.”
“Thank you. I might take you up on that.” A small smile played around Quinn’s lips as she stared at her with those piercing, dark eyes. “Talking about our week, I also went back on my dating app. I tend to do that between jobs because then I have more time to meet women.” She added, “Just for a bit of casual fun.”
“Oh?” Riley hated the way her nervous, high-pitched voice went up another notch. “And? How did that go? I imagine it’s hard meeting women in a small town.” Her hands were clammy, and her heart was pounding. Had Quinn seen her profile?
