Face Off

by P. J. Trebelhorn

  “Is this a private party, or can anyone join?”

  Maddie glanced up and saw Kelly standing next to her. Kelly smiled and winked at her, which gave Maddie the distinct impression she was a player. No doubt the kind who had a different woman in every city her team played in. Maybe more than one. Probably a different one each time they stopped in any city. Maddie looked at Savannah for a moment and wondered if she was the same way.

  “It’s nice to see you again, Madison Scott,” Kelly said, pulling up a chair without waiting for an answer to her question.

  “You too.” Maddie nodded. Maybe she could have a little fun at Kelly’s expense. “It’s Carrie, right?”

  Savannah snickered as she looked away, and Maddie almost felt guilty for teasing Kelly when she appeared honestly hurt she didn’t remember her name.

  “Kelly,” she said before kicking Savannah in the leg.

  “Ouch,” Savannah said as she rubbed her leg and glared at Kelly.

  “Serves you right,” Kelly said.

  “Not many women forget her name,” Savannah explained to Maddie. “So she’s a little sensitive when one does.”

  “Piss off,” Kelly told Savannah. When Savannah didn’t move, Kelly looked at her. “Seriously, Van, piss off. Go get me a beer or something.”

  Maddie wanted to offer to go get it herself, because she had a feeling she knew what was coming. As attractive as Kelly was, she wasn’t interested. It was Savannah who got her juices flowing, and she really didn’t want her to leave her alone with Kelly. She sighed and forced a smile when Savannah got to her feet.

  “You call her Van?” Maddie asked as she watched Savannah walk back toward the house. She realized she was staring when Kelly didn’t answer and she turned her head to find Kelly watching her watching Savannah. She didn’t look amused, but rather she seemed irritated.

  “Yeah, we’ve known each other forever,” Kelly finally said when Maddie focused her attention squarely on her. “We grew up together. Hell, we even went to college together. And now we play on the same team together.”

  “That must be nice.” Maddie took a drink of her beer and forced herself to keep her eyes on Kelly. “I’ve never had a best friend like that. Everyone scattered after high school and lost touch. Not that I would want to see any of them again.”

  “That’s too bad,” Kelly said. “I don’t know what I would have done without Van in our younger years. Maybe after you’ve known her for twenty-five years you can call her Van too. Of course you and I will be old and gray, and no doubt playing with our grandchildren by then.”

  “Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?” Maddie asked, barely stopping herself from spewing her beer all over Kelly. She wiped her mouth and shook her head.

  “Just confident.” Kelly lifted one shoulder and relaxed in her chair with a smug smile. “With good reason, I might add.”

  “I’m sure.” Maddie glanced over Kelly’s shoulder and saw Savannah approaching with a finger across her lips to indicate she shouldn’t let on what was about to happen. She noticed a chunk of ice in Savannah’s hand and refocused on Kelly while somehow managing not to smile. “You certainly exude confidence.”

  “Have dinner with me some time.” Kelly finished speaking and leaned forward just as Savannah reached her and dropped the ice down the back of the jersey she was still wearing from the carnival earlier. She shot out of the chair and started dancing around to get rid of it. Maddie was laughing not only because of the funky dance Kelly was doing, but because Savannah was literally rolling on the ground laughing at her. “You’re a fucking asshole, Wells!”

  After finally getting the ice to fall out the back of her jersey, Kelly began walking toward Savannah with a menacing look that scared Maddie. She wouldn’t really hurt her best friend, would she? She got to her feet with the intention of helping Savannah, but a stern voice from the porch stopped Kelly in her tracks.

  “Kelly Rawlins!” Faith yelled loudly. “There are children present! Come here right now!”

  Maddie wouldn’t have thought anyone could intimidate Kelly, but she looked like a frightened child as she glared one more time at Savannah before making her way to the porch.

  “That was awesome,” Savannah said as she finally made her way back to her seat.

  “It was pretty funny,” Maddie said. She watched as Faith was obviously doing a decent job of chastising Kelly if the slump of her shoulders was any indication. “What’s up with that?”

  “Faith can swear like a sailor with the best of them, but not when there are kids around,” Savannah said. “It’s a thing with her, and Kelly is well aware of it. If I’d said what she did, I’d be the one up there getting an earful, trust me.”

  Chapter Seven

  “You really are an ass, Wells,” Kelly said to her a couple of hours later. It was the first time she’d spoken to her since getting in trouble with Faith, and it was also the first time Savannah found herself alone, as Maddie had gone inside to use the bathroom.

  “You’re right, I am,” Savannah said with a nod. She couldn’t help but chuckle as she remembered the dance Kelly did though. “What the hell was that, some kind of tribal dance?”

  “It was my own special ‘holy hell that’s fucking cold’ dance.” Kelly laughed too, but she shook her head. “Why did you do it?”

  “It started out as a joke, but as I got closer I’d actually decided not to do it.”

  “But you did. Why?”

  “Because you were hitting on my neighbor,” Savannah said. She looked at Kelly but was confused by what she was feeling. Honestly, she shouldn’t be feeling anything for Maddie, but it didn’t change the fact she was. Maybe it was just lust and she should sleep with her to get it out of her system. No, Maddie wasn’t the type for a one-night stand. She wasn’t sure how she knew it, but she did. “No sleeping with a neighbor, remember?”

  “I’m telling you, that was not a part of the original rules.” Kelly shook her head as Savannah’s brother, Noah, joined them.

  “Rules for what?” he asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

  “Dating,” Kelly answered before finishing her beer.

  Noah looked at Savannah, one eyebrow raised in question. She knew he was well aware of the fact neither of them dated anyone. Savannah shook her head at him, hoping he’d get the message she didn’t want to talk about it. At least not now, but she would no doubt explain it to him later when Kelly wasn’t around. Savannah told Noah pretty much everything, and he did the same.

  “I am so glad I’m not dating anymore,” he said. “I don’t do well with rules.”

  “Neither do I,” Kelly said. She got up and walked away without another word.

  “So, your new neighbor,” Noah said when they were alone. He wiggled his eyebrows, causing her to laugh. “Hot damn.”

  “Does your wife know you objectify other women?”

  “Of course she does. As long as I don’t objectify her, she’s perfectly fine with it.” He laced his fingers together and put them behind his head as he watched her. “Please tell me you’re hitting that, sis.”

  “You are such a dog,” she said, kicking him softly in the leg.

  “Then you’re not.” He actually seemed to be disappointed and Savannah just shook her head. “You should, you know. How convenient for you having her right next door.”

  “It’s because she’s right next door I won’t,” Savannah told him. She sighed. “If she lived somewhere else, I would have already.”

  “So you admit she’s hot.”

  “I have a pulse, don’t I?” She took a drink of her beer to cover the fact she might be blushing at the thoughts running through her mind. There was no doubt Maddie Scott was hot. And Savannah was increasingly worried she might end up breaking her own rules.

  * * *

  When Maddie opened the bathroom door, she was surprised to find Kelly standing on the other side, a grin on her face. She had the distinct feeling it was no accident Kelly was waiti
ng there for her.

  “Excuse me,” she said, trying to slip past her. She was relieved when Kelly let her go, but after a couple of steps, she felt a hand on her arm.

  “Madison, wait,” she said. “Can we talk for a minute? You never gave me an answer when I asked you out to dinner.”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Maddie shook her head and took a small step back. She didn’t want to give Kelly the impression she was interested in her.

  “Why not? It’s just dinner, not a marriage proposal,” Kelly said with a chuckle.

  “Look, I’m flattered, but I just broke up with my girlfriend, and I’m really not interested in dating right now.” Maddie figured there was no reason to tell her it had been a few months since the breakup, and she was definitely over her ex. Actually, she was over her not long after finding out she’d been cheating. “You understand, right?”

  “Sure,” Kelly said with a nod, but Maddie could tell she wasn’t used to being turned down. “Let me know if you ever change your mind. I could show you a really good time.”

  Kelly winked at her, and Maddie really didn’t know what to say. So instead of saying anything, she turned and headed toward the patio door. As soon as she stepped outside, she found herself being sucked into a conversation with Lisa and Faith. Or maybe an argument was a more apt descriptor.

  “Lisa, you need to stop,” Faith was saying, but Lisa just waved a hand in her wife’s direction and turned her attention to Maddie. “Oh, for crying out loud.”

  “Madison, dear, can I speak with you for a moment?” Lisa asked as she took her by the elbow and led her to the end of the picnic tables, away from everyone else who was there. Once they were settled, Lisa smiled at her and reached across the table to pat her hand. “Tell me, Madison, are you dating anyone?”

  “Not at the moment, no,” she answered. She had a suspicion she knew what was coming, but she decided to listen to what Lisa had to say. Maddie glanced out to the yard where Savannah and Noah seemed to be in deep conversation.

  “Are you interested in men, women, or both?”

  “Women,” Maddie answered with a chuckle. “Definitely women.”

  “I just needed to make sure, so I had to ask,” Lisa said.

  “What is this about?” Maddie decided to play dumb and not let Lisa know Savannah had already warned her about Lisa’s matchmaking ambitions.

  “Savannah.” Lisa leaned across the table and spoke in a conspiratorial tone. “She needs someone to take care of her, but she’ll never admit it. If you would ask her on a date, I’ll be in your debt.”

  “Can she not find her own dates?” Maddie managed to ask with a straight face. “Is there something wrong with her?”

  “What? No, of course not,” Lisa said, looking appalled at the mere suggestion. “She spends too much time with Kelly at a bar in Allentown, and I know she’s never going to find a good woman in a place like that.”

  “I’ll think about it, okay?” Maddie said. “I’m not sure it would be a good idea to date my next-door neighbor. What if it didn’t work out? That could be really awkward.”

  “What’s going on?” Savannah asked as she joined them. She looked at Lisa with a disapproving glare.

  “Nothing, sweetie,” Lisa said, appearing as innocent as could be. Maddie struggled not to laugh out loud. “We were just talking.”

  “Sure you were,” Savannah said sarcastically. She turned her attention to Maddie then. “The fireworks are about to start. Join me?”

  Maddie nodded and they both stood to head back out to the yard. Maddie stopped at the coolers before they stepped off the deck.

  “Another beer?” she asked.

  “I’m switching to water,” Savannah said with a shake of her head. “I drove here on my motorcycle and don’t want to keep drinking.”

  Maddie nodded and grabbed a couple of bottles of water for them. She was pretty sure Savannah had only had a couple of beers in the past four hours and was impressed she didn’t want to drive while impaired. As she was following Savannah out to their seats, Maddie was struck with what she thought was a brilliant idea.

  “What was she really talking to you about?” Savannah asked when they were settled.

  “She wants me to ask you out.” Maddie set her bottle on the ground next to her chair and glanced at Savannah, who appeared to be getting angry.

  “I’m going to kill her.”

  “Just relax,” Maddie said, reaching out and placing her hand on Savannah’s forearm. “I have an idea. We can talk about it later.”

  Chapter Eight

  Savannah offered to give Maddie a ride home since she’d come to the house with her sister. It had seemed logical when she suggested it, but riding the ten miles home with Maddie behind her on the bike was some kind of sweet torture. She’d found it hard to breathe with Maddie’s arms around her waist, and her breasts pressed against her back.

  She sat on the bike for a few moments after shutting the engine off, but Maddie made no move to dismount. Savannah closed her eyes and took a deep breath before placing her hand over both of Maddie’s, still resting on her stomach.

  “You need to get off first,” Savannah said, cringing at her words. It seemed she was destined to speak in double entendres while she was around Maddie. A shiver ran through her at Maddie’s throaty chuckle close to her ear.

  “If you insist,” Maddie said as she let go of her.

  Once they were both standing next to the bike, Savannah placed her helmet on a shelf in the garage along with the one she’d borrowed from Lisa for Maddie to wear, and then stood there awkwardly, wondering if she should invite Maddie inside. She wanted to, but there was a part of her that thought it would be a bad idea.

  “Do you want to come in?” she finally asked when it became apparent Maddie wasn’t going to leave on her own. “You made a cryptic comment about some idea in regards to Lisa’s matchmaking. Maybe you should tell me about it.”

  Maddie smiled and followed her inside where they were assaulted by Leo’s demands for dinner. Maddie picked him up and cuddled him as she followed Savannah to the kitchen. Her cat was getting more action than she was. Lucky little bastard.

  Once Leo was fed and finally happy, Savannah grabbed them both a beer and motioned for Maddie to follow her to the living room. They settled in on opposite ends of the couch and Savannah looked at her, eager to hear her idea as long as it involved Lisa stopping trying to set her up on dates she had no interest in. That thought gave her an idea. She wasn’t sure Maddie would agree to it, but it was worth a shot.

  “Listen, this might sound a little crazy, but would you be willing to pretend you and I are dating?” Savannah realized how off the wall it sounded when she actually said the words out loud. “I’m sorry, forget I suggested it. So what’s your idea?”

  “Well, to be honest, it’s what you just proposed.” Maddie seemed a little nervous, which Savannah thought was sexy as hell. She ran her fingers through her hair, and Savannah wondered what it would feel like to do it herself. Was Maddie’s hair as soft as it looked? “I was going to say maybe we should pretend to be dating. I mean, if she thinks we’re really seeing each other, then she’ll back off, right? It’s probably a horrible idea. You can tell me it’s a horrible idea.”

  “It’s not a great idea,” Savannah said, rethinking the entire thing. But she quickly changed her mind when she saw the disappointment in Maddie’s eyes. She never wanted to see anything there but happiness. She shook her head and moved closer to Maddie so she could take her hand. “But since I brought it up first it’s not a horrible idea. It could actually work, but are you sure you’d want to do that for me?”

  “A little full of yourself, aren’t you?” They both laughed softly as Maddie looked down at their hands and squeezed Savannah’s gently. “But to answer your question, yes, I would do that for you.”

  “What happens if you find a woman you really want to date?”

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen,”
Maddie said quietly as she shook her head. Savannah’s pulse took off when Maddie’s gaze dropped to her lips before snapping back to her eyes. Maddie chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, and Savannah had to stifle a groan at the sight. “But if it does, then I guess we’d have to put a fake end to our fake relationship.”

  This could actually turn out to be a brilliant idea. Not only would Lisa back off, but she’d get to spend more time with this beautiful woman who seemed to have a knack for throwing her off kilter. And an added benefit was the fact Kelly would be forced to stop flirting with Maddie.

  “We could give it a try, if you really want to,” she finally said with a nod. “We’d probably have to spend a lot of time together.”

  “I don’t think it would be too much of a hardship, do you?” Maddie winked and smiled, obviously no longer nervous.

  “Not at all,” Savannah answered as her stomach seemed to flutter. What the hell? It was probably time to end the evening, or she might end up doing something she’d no doubt regret. She pulled her hand away and moved back to her end of the couch. “Maybe we can get together in the next couple of days and hammer out some details.”

  “Sure,” Maddie said. She seemed to pick up on Savannah’s mood and got to her feet. “It’s getting late, and I should probably be getting home.”

  Savannah followed her to the door but ran right into her when Maddie abruptly stopped and turned to face her. She instinctively placed her hands on Maddie’s hips to keep her from falling, and found herself captured by Maddie’s green eyes.

  “I’d say I’m sorry, but it would be a lie,” Maddie whispered. “I didn’t know you’d be so close behind me.”

  “I’m sorry for tailgating,” Savannah quipped, but it was a lie for her too. Anything that would land Maddie in her arms wasn’t something to apologize for. Plus, following so close was the only way to keep her eyes from wandering down to Maddie’s ass and legs.

  “You know, it’s a bit difficult to leave while you’re holding me like this.”