by Ann McMan
“I didn’t want to appear too anxious. You see, I really do like chili.” She paused. “A lot. It’s hard for me to relax when I know I’m going to be having it—especially when I haven’t had it for days and days. The anticipation can be maddening. I have to keep my emotions under tight regulation.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Chili and I have a complex and storied relationship.”
“You’re such a nut job.”
“Yes, I am.”
“So you don’t mind if Tom comes over with me to watch the game?”
“Of course not. We can watch it on the big set in the front parlor. I’ll make a fire. That’s if you think he wants to come over. Maybe he’d rather not spend the evening in the company of someone he doesn’t really know.”
Syd laughed. “Oh, trust me, that’s not a problem. He thinks he knows you already.”
“Great. Then let’s say I come and get you in about . . . twenty minutes?”
“We’ll be ready.”
She hung up and faced her brother. “Well, wise guy, it looks like you’re going to get your wish. Maddie is on her way over here to pick us both up. We’re going to watch the game at her house.”
Tom’s blond eyebrow crept up closer to his hairline. “Really?” He rubbed the palm of his hand back and forth across his chin and cheeks. “Do I need to shave first?”
“To watch a basketball game and eat a bowl of chili? I hardly think so.”
“No offense, but I was thinking about sampling something a tad hotter than your chili.”
Syd sighed. “Believe me when I tell you this. You’ve got a snowball’s chance in hell of Maddie becoming your Miss Right.”
He gestured toward the snow falling outside. “And a great day for that analogy. Besides, I’m not looking for Miss Right. I’m looking for Miss Right Now.”
She rolled her eyes. “Perv.”
“Prude.”
“Get your jacket and help me carry this pot downstairs. We’ll wait for her in the library.”
“Cool. I wanted to see the sights while I was here. Now that the most remarkable landmark is on its way, we can kill time exploring the other one until she gets here.”
Syd picked up her keys. “Whatever.”
SYD AND TOM met Maddie in the parking lot. Maddie left the engine running on her dark green Cherokee, hopped out, and crossed the lot to meet them as they approached. She was wearing jeans and a brown leather aviator jacket. Her long dark hair was loose and dotted with fluffy bits of snow.
Tom stood slack-jawed, holding the big, covered pot of chili, as he got his first real look at her. Even though he’d seen about a dozen photos of her, nothing quite prepared him for the reality of meeting her face-to-face. Holy shit, he thought. She’s fucking gorgeous.
He watched her stride right up to his sister and envelop her in a full-body hug, before she turned to him with a magazine-cover smile. She still had an arm draped loosely around Syd’s shoulders.
“You have to be Tom,” she said in that sexy, alto voice. “I’m glad to meet you.” She studied him with the most incredible blue eyes he’d ever seen. “I think I’d be able to pick you out of a police lineup.” She looked back and forth between Tom and Syd. “You two could almost be twins.”
He had to force himself to stop gaping at her and say something. Open his mouth. Make intelligible sounds. It really wasn’t that hard. God.
“Yeah. Nice to meet you, too.” Wow, that was really impressive. He tried again. “I hope you don’t mind having me crash your reunion dinner?”
She released Syd and smiled at him again. “Not at all. I’m actually a closet college basketball fan, so I’m happy to have a good excuse to watch the game.” She winked at him, and he felt an unmistakable twinge of arousal as he stared back at her. Jesus.
Syd looked at her. “You are?”
She nodded. “Sure. But when you go to a lame-ass basketball school like Stanford, you don’t talk about it much.”
Syd chuckled. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard the words Stanford and lame-ass used in the same sentence.”
Maddie shrugged. “Let’s get going and head on out to my place. We can have a much livelier debate about this once we’re safely inside and out of this weather. Tom, do you need a hand with that?”
He was still staring at her stupidly. “Uh—no. No, it’s fine. Lead on.”
He caught Syd’s eye as they started trudging across the snow-covered parking lot toward the Jeep. She was looking at him with an odd mixture of amusement and suspicion. See? Her glance seemed to say. I told you she was out of your league. But there was something else, too. Syd’s demeanor toward the tall woman seemed . . . proprietary. Even possessive.
No. That couldn’t be right. She just didn’t want him to make an ass out of himself with her new BFF. But that hug. What was that all about? They sure looked . . . glad . . . to see each other. If he hadn’t been watching Maddie with his sister, it would’ve been almost hot.
He looked Maddie up and down as she pulled open the two side passenger doors of her Jeep. Her jacket was unzipped and he caught a glimpse of the long body it concealed when she bent over to move something off the rear floorboard. Shit. There’s no way. Not her. He looked at Syd. Not her, either. Fuck. Who even knows anymore? As he climbed into the backseat of the Jeep, he met those hypnotic blue eyes again. And who cares?
MADDIE LED THEM up the porch steps to the kitchen entrance of her house and stood, shaking the snow out of her long hair. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, barking a command at Pete, who had heard them approaching from the barn. “Sit! Stay.”
She ushered Tom and Syd inside. “Let me take your coats. Tom, you can set that right over there on the stove.” She gestured across the room toward the massive Wolf range.
Syd unwound her scarf and handed it with her coat to Maddie. She knelt and held her hands out to Pete, who was still seated, but squirming with excitement. “Hey, handsome. Come and see me.” The big dog waddled over to her and laid his head in her lap, his tail making a staccato beat on the tile floor. Syd kissed the top of his head. “I missed you. Yes, I did,” she cooed as she scratched behind his yellow ears.
Maddie watched them both with affection. “I think he missed you, too. I haven’t seen him this animated since Thanksgiving.”
Tom walked back across the room and handed his jacket to Maddie. “This place is incredible. Have you lived here long?”
“In fact, this was my father’s home, but I did sort of grow up here. I’ve been living here full-time for about two years now.” She took his jacket and hung it next to Syd’s on a peg near the back door, and was struck again by his strong resemblance to his sister. He was a handsome man—taller than Syd, but with the same sandy blond hair and green eyes. She guessed that he was pretty popular with the ladies back at Tech. She turned to him.
“So, Tom . . . Syd tells me that you’re in veterinary school?”
“Yeah. But not to be a vet—I’m more interested in the lab side of things. I’m working on my MS in Biomed/Vet Services.”
She nodded. “So you want to do research?”
“Yeah. In truth, I don’t think I could cut it as a practicing veterinarian. I don’t really have the stamina for that.”
She laughed. “I know what you mean. It’s a lot harder than med school.”
Syd looked up. “Oh, come on.”
Maddie nodded. “I’m not kidding. We only had to learn one system—veterinarians have to learn dozens.” She shook her head. “That was entirely too daunting for me.” She looked thoughtful. “Not that there haven’t been times when I’ve treated patients in the ER who seriously pushed the envelope on what constituted a fair definition of human.”
Tom laughed. “I know what you mean. I was an undergrad at Drexel.”
“Oh, really? I participated in a couple of job fairs there for premed students when I was working in Philadelphia.”
“I know,” Tom replied.
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Syd stood up quickly. “Why don’t we get this chili heating up and go make that fire you promised?”
“Sure,” Maddie said, somewhat surprised. “Come on, Tom. You can help me carry some wood in from the front porch.” She turned and led the way down the wide center hall, with Pete following close behind.
THE GAME WAS nearing the end of the second period, and the Hokies were clinging to a narrow lead over the Blue Devils. Duke was suffering from an uncharacteristic number of turnovers and missed free throws, and the Virginia Tech team was cashing in on every mistake. Tom was clearly beside himself, but Maddie had seen the Blue Devils rebound too many times in the final minutes of a game to be so confident that the Hokies had put this one away. She picked up her chili bowl and decided to head back to the kitchen for another helping. In her view, this game was plainly headed for overtime.
“Anybody else ready for more?”
Tom was oblivious, but Syd stood up and joined her. “I’ll go with you.” She looked down at her brother, whose gaze was fixed on the big, flat screen TV. Duke’s best free throw shooter was approaching the foul line. She picked up his bowl, too. “He’s in la-la land. I’ll bring him some more.”
They walked back toward the kitchen. It was the first time they had been alone since Syd got back from Maryland. Maddie didn’t want to waste the chance to enjoy a few minutes of solitude with her. She set her bowl down on the center island and turned to Syd. She could hear Tom cursing in the background.
“So. Hello.”
Syd put down the two bowls and gave her a quiet smile. “Hi.”
They faced each other in silence for a moment, before Maddie held out both arms in invitation. “Come here, you.”
Syd stepped forward without hesitation, and they hugged warmly.
“I missed you,” Maddie murmured against the top of her head.
“Me, too,” Syd said, smiling against her shoulder. “Who knew a week could be so long?”
“Was it really that rough?” Maddie backed up and held her at arm’s length.
“Not rough. Just long. Too long. I wanted to be here.” She met Maddie’s eyes.
“Here?” Maddie felt her pulse begin to race.
Syd laughed. “Here. Jericho.” She stepped back and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “But here with you is pretty nice, too. Thanks for having us over. I know this probably isn’t quite the reunion you had planned.”
You can say that again, she thought. “It’s fine. I get to see you, and eat my weight in this truly fabulous chili. What more could a girl ask?”
Syd looked for a moment like she might have a response, but she was distracted again by groans and curses from the front parlor. She rolled her eyes. “How much longer is this torture likely to last?”
“Do you mean the basketball game? Or my scintillating repartee?”
Syd seemed to deliberate. “Do I have to make a snap decision?”
“Smartass. And here I was trying to be all charming for your brother.”
“Oh, trust me. You don’t have to try to impress him. He was sold on your charms about two seconds after meeting you.”
Maddie tried to hide her smile. “Really? Hmmmm.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and gloat. Your conquest of the Murphy men is proceeding apace.”
Maddie leaned back against the granite countertop and crossed her arms. “And what about the rest of the Murphy clan?”
Syd lifted her chin. “What about them?”
“How likely are they to fall before my full-frontal charm offensive?”
“Well, I don’t know.” Syd’s gaze was hypnotic. “How important is it for you to find out?”
“It could be very important,” Maddie said, quietly.
“Oh, yeah?” Syd’s voice was a near whisper.
“Uh huh.” Maddie dropped her arms and began to take a step toward her just as Tom entered the room.
“Hey, who took off with my chili bowl?” He stood in the doorway with a surprised look on his face. “Um—did I interrupt something?”
Syd turned toward the stove. “Of course not. Are you ready for another bowl?”
Maddie walked to the Subzero and opened its big glass door. “Want another beer, Tom?” she asked, ducking her head inside to hide it. Her heart was about to hammer through her chest wall, and she was trying desperately not to blush.
“Sure,” he said. “The game’s gone into overtime. Duke hit four consecutive free throws. Bastards.”
Maddie laughed as she stood upright and handed him a cold bottle of Stella Artois. “Told you.”
“Yeah, well, it ain’t over yet.” He took the beer and walked to Syd. “Damn,” he said, as he looked out the kitchen window. “That’s some storm raging out there.”
Not just out there, Maddie thought. “Yeah. We need to keep an eye on it, or you two really will be stuck here until the spring thaw.” Syd looked up from ladling the chili to meet her eyes. Maddie felt momentarily woozy. What the hell was happening here? What had she almost done? Jesus. “What a shame that would be.”
Syd smiled at her without speaking and picked up another bowl.
Tom tilted his head toward the front room. “I’m not going anyplace until this game is over.” He picked up his bowl. “You two coming?”
Maddie sighed as she picked up her own bowl. “Right behind you.”
IT WAS AFTER eight, and the snow was finally tapering off. Syd was agitated beyond measure by her behavior with Maddie in the kitchen. She had been unable to concentrate on anything else since they had rejoined her brother in the parlor.
If Tom hadn’t walked in on them when he did, what would have happened? And even worse, what did she want to have happen? Her brain was on overload. Why did she continue to behave the way she did around Maddie—like she was some kind of hormone-addled teenager who was incapable of rational thought? God, she even made her brother look mature. She’d never acted this way before—not around other lovers, and certainly never around another woman. None of it made sense to her.
Maddie sat several inches away from her on the small loveseat. They had been consigned to sit next to each other when Tom commandeered the only other chair in the room. Syd hugged the armrest as tightly as possible, trying to avoid any accidental contact with Maddie, who appeared oblivious to this as she quietly watched the end of the game.
Syd discreetly stole a glance at her. Maddie had an arm propped up on the back of the sofa, and her head was resting on a curled hand. Syd allowed her gaze to travel down her shapely, long torso and along the length of her outstretched legs—crossed on the ottoman in front of them. God. She’s so beautiful. She lifted her gaze and realized that Maddie was now looking at her.
When she met those blue eyes, something surged through her body like an electric shock. What was it? Panic? Fear? Desire? They stared at each other unblinking as the sports commentator droned on in the background. Jesus. Syd’s heart was about to pound out of her chest. She was certain that Tom would hear it over the din of the TV. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. She was consumed with wanting to touch her—wanting to kiss her.
For a split second, she thought that Maddie felt the same way. She saw something flicker in her blue eyes. They seemed to get darker, smokier. She lifted her head from her hand and moved her arm to rest along the back of the sofa behind Syd’s shoulders. Almost involuntarily, Syd leaned slightly toward her—heedless of her brother sitting several feet away. Maddie slid her hand behind Syd’s neck and pulled her forward, both of them gasping when their bodies finally came together. The broadcast of the basketball game thrummed on. Another foul. Another free throw. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. Syd was lost. Her confusion had dissipated. All that remained was a haze of yearning.
She raised her hands to Maddie’s face—her beautiful face with its classic features. She stroked the wide planes of her cheeks and ran her thumbs across her full lips. Then she kissed her. They dissolved into one another and sank down into t
he cushions as the capacity crowd in Cassell Coliseum exploded in cheers. A ninety-percent free throw shooter had missed another shot. Duke had missed again . . . and Maddie was on top of her, kissing her back.
Somewhere in hell, a snowball got a second chance.
Maddie was kissing her. She was suffused with heat. Her brain was spiraling out of control. But something was wrong. A noise was distracting her. Beeping and grating. It grew louder.
Her eyes fluttered open. It was dark. She was disoriented. The beeping continued. Recognition dawned. A snowplow. It was a snowplow on the street below her window. God. She was in her apartment. She was in her bed. Alone. She tugged her pillow out from beneath her head and held it tightly against her face. The beeping continued—a maddening, monotonous, unbroken stream. It was like a heartbeat. Beneath the blankets, she started to shake. Oh, Jesus. I am so fucked.
SYD WALKED BACK to the small oak study table near her office, carrying two mugs of coffee. She’d asked Michael to meet her at the library because she was going to be there all day, getting caught up on processing and shelving returns that had piled up during her week in Maryland. Tom had left shortly after breakfast that morning—once Syd got confirmation from Curtis Freemantle that county road crews had worked through the night plowing the roads between Jericho and Jefferson.
She was exhausted and on edge. It had been impossible for her to go back to sleep the night before. Details from her dream had meshed so seamlessly with actual events from the evening at Maddie’s that she was confused about what was real and what was imagined.
The dream. She didn’t understand any of it, but she understood all of it. It was a terrifying jumble of known and unknown—things she thought she recognized tumbled together with new and unknown ingredients, creating a mixture that was exciting and strange. It was like her first experience of Indian cuisine—meats and vegetables she’d eaten her entire life were redefined. They exploded in new colors and exotic flavors, paired with spices and sauces in unlikely combinations that shocked her palate and put all of her senses on high alert.