Turn Darkly by Heather McVea Read Free Book Online

other groups.
    The corners of the waitress’ mouth turned down slightly as she caught the shift in Regan’s tone. “Anywhere is fine.”
    Regan smiled politely as she and Lily made their way to one of the tables near the back of the restaurant.
    “She seemed nice.” Lily commented without looking up from the menu.
    “You know what they say about small town hospitality.”
    Shaking her head, Lily looked over the top of her menu. “No, what?”
    Regan chuckled. “I don’t actually know, but I’m sure that wasn’t it.”
    The waitress came to their table with two waters and an exaggerated smile. “Have y’all decided or do you need more time?”
    “I’m ready, are you?” Lily looked expectantly at Regan.
    “Sure. Ah, let me have the ham and egg croissant sandwich, please.”
    Lily ordered the same, and a French press for her and Regan to share.
    “She was flirting with you.” Lily took a drink of her water.
    “Are you asking me or telling me?” Regan wasn’t sure where the conversation was headed, but it felt like it might be leaning toward perilous.
    Sitting back in her chair, Lily glanced at the waitress who was refilling drinks at an adjacent table. “She’s pretty.”
    “Yes.” Regan wasn’t sure what else to say. The reality was she had just assumed, based on relatively limited interaction with Lily, that she was gay, but she didn’t actually know , and wasn’t sure how to broach the subject.
    “Have you been with many women?” Lily’s frank question caused Regan to nearly spit her water out.
    Wiping at her chin with a paper napkin, Regan was struggling to make eye contact with the woman across from her. Again, this was not a conversation she had imagined happening today. “Many can be a relative term.” Chicken shit response, Andrews.
    “Wow.” Lily’s eyes widened.
    “What?” Regan felt her stomach tighten.
    “That was the worst answer ever.” Lily’s serious expression lightened, and a mischievous grin found its way to her lips.
    Regan felt the breath enter her lungs again. “I’ve dated three women seriously since I was nineteen, lived with one of them during my master’s work. Two one night stands, and a handful of first dates that never became seconds.” Taking a big gulp of water, Regan forced herself to look directly at Lily. “And you?”
    Without hesitation the beautiful dark haired woman smiled. “Nothing serious. Few dates, and a couple flings.”
    “Well, there you go.” Regan wasn’t sure what else to say, and didn’t want the conversation to devolve into a reminiscence of ex-girlfriends.
    Lily looked intently at Regan, her eyes moving from the woman’s mouth to her light brown eyes. “Yeah, there you go.”
    Both women smiled knowingly at each other as the waitress returned to their table. “Your coffee.”
***
    “This is your house?” Regan was standing in the middle of a large courtyard, complete with a stone fountain, and a variety of indigenous flowers and plants.
    “It’s the guest house. Trent lives in the main house.” Lily walked across the courtyard, through a large white stucco arch into the house. “Do you want something to drink?”
    Regan followed the other woman, amazed at how beautiful the home was. Traditional Southwest décor ran throughout the two bedroom house, the floor was terracotta tile, and the ceilings were lined with exposed cedar beams.
    Lily opened a large stainless steel refrigerator that sat along the far wall of the kitchen. The room opened into the larger living area, and its counters were rose granite accented with light ash cabinets.
    “I have water, beer, wine -” She looked back at a stunned Regan. “What is it?”
    Regan didn’t want to offend Lily, but this house was the last thing she expected, given the woman’s unassuming appearance. “I wasn’t -”
    Lily closed the refrigerator. “My parents owned most of the land around Howell, and most of Howell for that matter. When they died, Trent sold a good