The car resolutely refused to start, sounding angrier with each attempt.
“Okay, let’s head for the main road, then,” Tess said. “Remind me why I didn’t wear flats with a suit?”
“Because you were toying with gender roles as well as my libido?” Susannah liked this easy morning-after teasing. It could have been awkward. Instead she held out her hand for Tess to take, and they fell into a gentle rhythm with as they walked.
Tess had relaxed her slicked-back hair, her regular ponytail back in place.
“The low heels aren’t as bad as these, at least,” Susannah added.
Tess took an appreciative look at Susannah’s black leather high heels, seeming just as impressed as last night. “I can offer you a piggyback.”
“After a night on that improvised bed? No chance. I’m not being held responsible for sending you to the osteopath.”
“Sure about that?” Tess tugged Susannah close enough to kiss again. “Because I seem to remember you liked it when I really put my back into it last night. You’re more than worth a bit of morning-after stiffness.”
“Okay, Casanova,” Susannah said. “Although I confess I’m looking forward to what you were promising about that strap-on.”
Tess just about choked.
Susannah smirked. “Come on, it’s not so far now. We can see where we’re going.”
They only had to wait fifteen minutes before they came across Dave and flagged him down. Susannah was glad to see a friendly face. The last thing she wanted was awkward silence with a complete stranger.
“Hello, hello.” Dave brought his truck to a stop right by them. “Did I miss an all-night rave?”
“Dawidek, you’re not funny.” Susannah gestured for Tess to get in first. Luckily these huge sturdy farm trucks fit three in the front seat, because every inch of the back and the flatbed was crammed with crates and sacks of produce. “But are we going to make you late for a market day?”
“No, I’m always early. I’ll take you back to ours, and Finn will take you the rest of the way.”
Susannah clambered in after Tess and leaned back against the seat with a sigh. Despite her early morning bravado, she was aching all over, particularly in places that hadn’t seen such a vigorous workout lately. It was going to make gym time for the rest of the week even tougher than normal.
“Thanks for this,” Tess said once they were in motion. “Let’s see when we get signal again. Margo should have kept Waffles overnight when I didn’t come back for him.”
“Did you, uh,” Susannah started to ask, giving Dave a warning glance as she turned to address Tess. He looked away with a grin. “Did you mention you might be out overnight?”
There was that blush again. “Yeah, well. I didn’t rule it out, at least.”
Susannah nudged Tess with her elbow, and they shared a sly, secret smile. It chased away the headache that had settled in behind her eyebrows. She rested her hand on Tess’s thigh, an experiment of sorts, and when nobody reacted, Susannah felt the last of her stress lift from her shoulders.
Dave dropped them at the farmhouse gate and departed with a quick handbrake turn and a cheery wave. They’d clearly made him late, but he was too polite to say so.
Susannah made a mental note to send a bottle of something nice home with Finn for him.
“Before we interrupt Finn’s morning,” Tess said, letting go of Susannah’s hand, “I just want you to know there’s no pressure on this, not from me. I know we basically went public last night, but I also know what a big deal that was for you. I know it’s early days, so I understand if you’re waiting to see how it goes.”
“Hayleith has a way of finding things out whether you want them to or not.”
“Even so. I don’t want to be the cause of any more stress. That said, I will always be extremely proud to have you on my arm, whether it’s some charity ball or just picking up a croissant from Joan.”
Susannah considered that for a moment, looking at the cute farmhouse in front of them. She hadn’t been around here since Jimmy passed away, always too busy for excursions when Finn was already right there at Midsummer.
She saw now that the reason had been something else, an avoidance of happy couples in their adorable, normal-sized homes. Today that didn’t seem all that bad. “Oh no, you won’t get rid of me that easily, Tess. This thing between us is going somewhere good. Right now, though, we’re only going as far as knocking on that door so Finn can take me home for a shower and work. On the way, we can drop you off so you can complete your walk of shame down Main Street, if that’s out and proud enough for you?”
“Suze, I’m not—”
“I know, I know.” Susannah kissed Tess as sweetly as she could, lingering for the sensation of those soft lips against her own. “But I am. Proud, I mean. I liked being out with you last night, so we should probably do that again. With better sleeping arrangements.”
They were interrupted by the front door opening. Finn stood there, toothbrush in hand. “Are you two ever coming in? Or do you need a bit longer to come up with a cover story for how Dave found you all rumpled in a field?”
“No cover story,” Susannah said, leading Tess indoors. “Car broke down, lots of rain, sheltered in a bothy overnight. That about covers it.”
“You forgot the part where you clearly had lots of sex,” Finn replied before disappearing back in the direction of the bathroom, so Susannah didn’t get to register even mock offence. “Help yourselves to coffee—there’s a pot by the cooker!”
Tess almost shoulder-charged Susannah out of the way to get there first.
“What happened to chivalry?” Susannah asked, trying very hard not to pout.
“Look, I’m pouring two,” Tess said in her defence. “But that’s pure instinct. Nobody gets between me and a reliable source of
