“Ruby, your dad’s here!” she called down the hall as she reached the door.
“Oh my god, he’s early!”
“You hear that?” she said as she wrenched the door open. “You’ve officially shocked your—”
She blinked into the rain at the person standing on her porch under a pink umbrella with ruffles around the edges. A person who was mostly definitely not Josh.
“I’ve shocked my what?” Delilah said.
“Um. No one. I thought you were Josh.”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
“No!” Claire yelled it loud enough that Delilah startled a little. She forced herself to calm down, play it cool. “Sorry. No, I’m not disappointed. Just surprised.”
Delilah nodded, and then they stared at each other for a few seconds, during which Claire became acutely aware that she was in a pair of dirty sweatpants, a tank top with an old mustard stain in the area of her left boob, and her hair looked like a wasp’s nest. She had on some makeup, but with an evening of self-indulgent brooding and drinking boxed wine ahead of her, she hadn’t bothered to freshen up after getting home from the bookstore.
“So, can I come in?” Delilah asked. “I took some photos today that I’d love to show Ruby.”
Claire’s stomach fluttered, but she backed up. “Yeah, sorry, come in. Though Ruby’s about to head out with—”
“Well, hello, ladies.” Josh jogged up the front walk in tight jeans, a plain gray T-shirt dappled with rainwater clinging to his chest and arms. “Lovely evening, isn’t it?”
“Hey,” Claire said. “Ruby’s almost ready.”
“Cool. Hey, Delilah.”
“Hey.”
“Nice umbrella.”
Delilah glanced up, as though she forgot what the thing looked like. “It’s the only one the Kaleidoscope Inn had to loan me.”
“How very Strawberry Shortcake of them,” Josh said. “What are you two up to tonight?”
“Nothing,” Claire said.
“Nothing at all,” Delilah said.
Josh frowned, his eyes flitting between the two of them. Claire could almost hear his mind whirring, and she just wanted him out of here. Luckily, Ruby came bounding down the hall at the exact right moment, kissing Claire on the cheek and saying hello to Delilah before launching herself into Josh’s arms. Then they were gone in a flurry of Ruby’s green rain coat and duffel bag and Josh’s promise to have her back tomorrow morning by ten.
Claire watched as her daughter got into the back seat of Josh’s truck and buckled up. She left the door open even after they’d pulled away and driven out of sight.
“Sorry,” she said. “Ruby’s staying with her dad tonight.”
“So I gathered,” Delilah said.
“Do you . . . I mean . . . Would you . . .”
She couldn’t get the words out though. She wanted Delilah to stay, but she didn’t want the other woman to think Claire just wanted her to stay for sex. Then again, they’d already established that they were just screwing, so surely, Claire could just ask her to stay without fear. Delilah was the one who’d shown up on her doorstep, for god’s sake.
Still, Claire couldn’t help but want something more right now. Dinner. A movie. Maybe just splitting a bottle of wine out on her covered porch, listening to the rain and talking.
But that was ridiculous.
That was . . . impossible.
“Do I want to what?” Delilah asked, taking a step closer.
Claire shook her head. “Never mind. I just—”
But then Delilah closed her umbrella and set it outside on the stoop and stepped inside. She pushed Claire’s front door closed before crowding into her space, hands on Claire’s hips and her mouth bumping up against Claire’s bottom lip as she spoke.
“I missed you,” she said.
Claire couldn’t breathe. Didn’t dare. “You did?”
Delilah nodded and then she kissed her—once, twice, soft and sweet that in no way indicated she was expecting to fall into bed immediately. In fact, this kiss, well, it felt like Delilah expected . . . something more.
Chapter Twenty-Six
DELILAH KISSED CLAIRE, then buried her face in the other woman’s neck while wrapping her arms around her waist. She inhaled her meadowy scent, the slightest tang of sweat just underneath, and felt her own heart slow down for the first time in two days.
She’d tried.
She’d tried really hard to stay away from Claire ever since Iris dropped her off at the Kaleidoscope Inn on Saturday afternoon. No texts. No calls. And definitely no goddamn impromptu stops by her house. She knew she needed a break from all the feelings this woman stirred up inside her. She’d spent the time taking photographs around town, going through her online portfolio for the Whitney show, hanging out at Stella’s last night until close to midnight, but Bright Falls wasn’t the easiest town for her to be alone in. It was quiet and still, and while there was a certain charm in the introspection it inspired, Delilah had never been very good at soul-searching.