Tess looked at her. “You’re the one with the recent ominous events. I think it should be me walking you out.”
“You’d do that?” Bree asked.
“Just a presiding judge helping keep her new judge safe.” Tess paused before she added, “Maybe the two of us can keep each other out of harm’s way. I’d appreciate it if we could walk out together. Bernard is off tonight, so he won’t be walking me out.”
In spite of their familiarity, or maybe because of it, Bree felt the space between them. A mood. An awkwardness. An invisible buffer that had them both trying to figure out what was appropriate, what they could say to each other, how they could say it. This current interaction between the two of them was a product of restraint, both of them trying to backtrack from the connection that seemed to exist so easily between them. It was so much harder to pretend that it didn’t exist.
They each collected their belongings from their respective chambers, Bree going nowhere near the interior of Tess’s space where that spontaneous kiss had occurred—she waited in the hallway. Then they wished Marnie a good evening before they took the staircase down and headed out the front door to a mostly empty parking lot.
Tess’s red Mercedes was parked two spots away from Bree’s Mazda. “You start your car first and make sure there are no issues, and then you can follow me out of the lot,” Tess suggested.
Bree nodded, and a minute later, as Tess turned right at the street, Bree stopped at the edge of the lot before her planned turn in the opposite direction. She gave a short honk and heard a short honk in response as she watched Tess’s taillights disappear into the distance.Good night, Tess. Be safe.
Chapter Seventeen
Tess had been to Flo’s house many times over the years. Fred was a grill master when it came to his barbecue, and Tess was looking forward to the comradery and the meal. It had been a long week with a full caseload, and now a long weekend so far. She certainly hadn’t been accomplishing anything useful at home this Sunday afternoon while she’d tried to avoid thinking about Bree.
The front door swung open and Flo offered Tess a big hug. “Get yourself in here so we can get this party started.”
“You don’t need me to launch a party.” Tess handed Flo the pink box she was carrying. “I brought a chocolate cake from Bun Run Bakery.”
“That must be why I invited you. My favorite.”
“I should have just had the cake delivered,” Tess replied. “You, the cake, and a fork would have probably had a pretty decent afternoon.”
“You found me out.” Flo laughed. “But I invited a few others, so I’m stuck with a party now. Tell me, what can I get you to drink?”
“I’ll start with a sparkling water—I’ve got to drive myself home and not end up in front of a colleague facing a DUI.” Tess knew that consuming alcohol wouldn’t help her mood. She missed Bree.
“Or dancing buck naked in my front yard flower beds—that wild and naughty you’ve always refused to pursue.”
Tess raised her eyebrows. “I’m not a good dancer.”
“I know your mother had you enrolled in dance lessons—undoubtedly not in the nude.” Flo handed her a glass of sparkling water. “Go out and say hello to the cook. I’ve got things to finish in here, and I can’t keep an ear on the door from the patio.”
Just as Tess was heading out to see Fred, she heard the doorbell ring. Not her favorite thing, the effort to be polite and make small talk with Flo’s other guests, but it would probably be better for her outlook on life than sitting home reading legal briefs or even a good novel. She needed to get Bree off her mind.
Chatter and laughter floated out from the kitchen. Flo tended to collect people, a skill Tess didn’t possess. She was so much less gregarious than Flo.
Tess had just waved at Fred when she heard what she thought was a familiar voice. Gabby? What was she doing here? Then it made sense—Gabby’s mom, Rachelle, was Fred’s cousin.
“Tess, is that you?” Gabby waved. “I didn’t know that you’d be here. Not until I saw that little red car out front, and then I only suspected it was yours. Not too many of those around town.”
Tess was about ready to interrupt her and ask what school play she might be practicing for when another voice floated out through the door and slammed Tess in the chest.
Her traitorous heart did a full cheerleading routine to rival Bree’s parking lot one. Then she looked over to the open doorway and into the eyes of everything she’d convinced herself that she was trying to avoid this afternoon. Not just thoughts of Bree, but so much worse. There was the very woman in the flesh. In tight ass-hugging slacks and a white button-down shirt with just enough cleavage revealed to remind Tess of the two perfect breasts that created that view.
Just the sight of Bree elevated her mood. Aversion to rejection had been part of who she was for her entire life, but herfeelings for Bree were growing, encounter by encounter. She was so far from the solitary person she’d been before Tahoe with that gaping hole in her life, just waiting to be filled. And just seeing that Bree was here…her heart was doing cartwheels.
“Judge Fairchild, how nice to run into you today. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Bree’s eyes were warm with the unexpected turn of events, and Tess suspected that hers reflected the same.
“I didn’t receive a copy of the guest list either,” Tess replied. “But I’m glad you were on it.” Her entire afternoon had just shifted. She needed to just relax and appreciate this unplanned encounter.
“And would you have come if you had?” Bree asked.
Tess didn’t hear anything but sincerity in Bree’s tone, so she gave the question some serious thought.
Her emotions churned. Yes, she’d undoubtedly have come if she’d known Bree would be here because the bottom line was that Bree was good for her, and she thought she was good for Bree. If they could only make it past their issues.
