Page 73 of Spilling the Tea

“We already have, Chance.”

“Friends don’t normally kiss,” he said, staring at her.

She felt an influx of feelings from the way he looked at her. “I think today we discovered we have a unique friendship.”

He lifted a brow. “What’s unique about it?”

“At a vulnerable point in our lives, we beat the odds regarding our physical health and well-being. When faced with a challenge, we don’t give up easily.”

He didn’t say anything as if he was giving a lot of thought to what she’d said. Still holding her hand, they walked over to the horses.

***

“It’s about time you called me back, Zoe.”

After taking a shower and slipping into her nightgown, Zoey sat on the edge of her bed, using the remote to find something interesting on the television. Chance had driven her back to town and walked her to her hotel room. After placing a quick peck on her forehead, he’d left.

“I’m surprised you hadn’t blown up my phone since I hadn’t returned your call before now.”

“I didn’t have to worry since Chance assured me you were in good hands and wouldn’t be alone.”

Zoey’s hand went still on the remote. “You spoke to Chance?”

“I sure did. I called, and tall, hot, and handsome answered your phone while you were sleeping. Didn’t he tell you?”

“No, he didn’t mention it.”

“Well, no biggie. He has such a nice-sounding voice. I can only assume he was the one knocking on your hotel room door.”

“Yes, it was him.”

“Had you called him?”

“I had earlier, to cancel dinner plans. He had invited me to his place for dinner today.”

“What! You didn’t tell me anything about that, Zoe.”

Knowing she would not be watching television as planned, Zoey placed the remote aside and eased back on the bed. “I had planned to. It was after midnight when I got home from my date with Corbin, and this morning, I got that call from Sharon.”

“So, tell me everything now.”

She started with the dinner she and Corbin had shared and ended with her and Chance riding horses to that cabin by the lake. Surprisingly, Lucky didn’t ask questions every midsentence. She listened to the point where, for a while, Zoey thought her silence was eerie. When she finished, Zoey asked, “Well, Lucky, you don’t have anything to say?”

“Why do I feel you’re leaving a few things out, Zoe?”

Probably because she wasn’t ready to share anything about the kiss she and Chance had shared yet. A kiss that still had parts of her body feeling hot. Nor was she prepared to tell Lucky how it felt being held in his arms while they danced.

“I don’t know why you have such a feeling, Lucky.”

“Probably because I know you. I won’t bug you about anything now since you’ve been through enough for one day. However, you know what I think?”

“No, Lucky. What do you think?”

“I think tall, hot, and handsome has grown on you, and you’ve grown on him. You may be engaging in your first fling after all.”

An hour after her call with Lucky had ended, Zoey was in bed staring at the ceiling. Unlike what Lucky assumed, she wouldn’t be engaging in a fling with Chance, the only man she’d ever been tempted to have one with. He was only into meaningless sex—one-night stands and one and done, something she was not.

She was about to grab the remote to resume searching for something to watch on television when her cell phone rang. She picked it up and recognized the caller’s name. “Ms. Felicia Laverne, this is a pleasant surprise. How are you?”

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