When they reached Reagan’s car, Jill faced her. “I think that went well. Don’t you?” She swallowed as she waited for her answer. She thought everything went okay, but Reagan knew her friends. What if they gave her secret signals to say I’m a bad choice?

Reagan gave her a wide smile. “It went great. I told you that you all would get along.”

Jill let out a breath and relaxed. “Want to come over?”

“I wish I could, but I should really get home. I do have an early morning tomorrow. You know how I love those.”

Jill chuckled. “They’re your favorite.” She took a deep breath and continued, “Are you mad at me?”

Reagan looked at her quizzically. “No. Why would you think that?”

“I was late.”

Reagan gave her a soft smile and nodded to her car. “Let’s get in. It’s too cold to talk outside.”

When Reagan unlocked the doors with her key fob, Jill slid into the passenger seat. She started to say something but Reagan stopped her before she could get a word out.

“I’m not mad at you. Not at all,” she said, taking Jill’s hand. “I’ll fully admit that I was a little disappointed that you were late, but things like that happen. I know how important your job is. I get that. I’m sure there will be nights where I might be late to a date because of work. If you thought I was mad, I didn’t mean to come across that way. I think I just let my nerves get the best of me.” Reagan leaned against the headrest and smiled at Jill. “But my friends like you. How does that feel?”

“Pretty great, actually,” she whispered. “I know I don’t always make the best first impression.” She grinned and winked at Reagan, who chuckled. “But they seem like good people and I look forward getting to know them better.”

“Good. Do you know what you should do now?”

Jill narrowed her eyes and asked, “What?”

“Kiss me.”

Jill laughed, leaning over the center console. She held Reagan’s face in her hand and brushed her thumb over her bottom lip. “As you wish.” Jill brushed her lips lightly against Reagan’s, savoring the contact. As she pressed closer, she let the warmth of the kiss envelop her and calm the anxiety that had plagued her the entire night. The stress of being late and of meeting her friends didn’t matter anymore. Only Reagan mattered, and she relished that.

She pulled back and leaned her forehead against Reagan’s. “I should let you get home.” Sitting back in her seat, she adjusted her coat and pulled her keys out of her pocket. “Call me when you get to Michigan.”

“You’ll be the first to know.”