Cassidy was dressed in khaki shorts and a navy tank top, sandals instead of flip-flops. She looked so fresh and clean and…and cute that Laura had a hard time taking her eyes off her. She finally stepped back, holding the door opened.

“Come in.”

“You’re wearing my favorite shorts,” she said with a smile before looking over at her mother. “Hello, Maggie. I hope you don’t mind me sharing dinner with you.”

“Not at all, Cassidy.” Her mother patted the seat beside her. “Here, sit. We’ll make Laura Sue wait on us. I already have a cocktail, which she made way too strong for me.”

Cassidy glanced at her, a smile on her face. “Laura Sue? I like it.”

Laura shook her head. “My mother is the only one who is allowed to call me that. So don’t get any ideas.” She motioned to the make-do bar on the counter. “A drink? Wine?”

“Whatever you’re having is fine.”

She nodded. “Easy on the Coke then?”

Cassidy nodded, then turned her attention to her mother. “How’s the water therapy going?”

“I’m enjoying it immensely. Thank you for letting us use your pool.”

“Of course. It’s no problem.”

“I used to be so afraid of the water,” her mother continued. “I like it now. Well, after I got over the fear of Laura drowning me.”

Cassidy laughed. “Yeah. She tried to drown me today too. Maybe we shouldn’t turn our backs on her.”

“I’ll say.”

Laura was smiling as she placed a drink in front of Cassidy. “I did not try to drown either of you, although I did come close with you,” she teased, pointing at Cassidy.

“But it was the prospect of a steak tomorrow that held you back, huh?”

Laura met her gaze, a smile still playing on her lips. “It was the prospect of something, yes.”

Oh, the look in Cassidy’s eyes made her stomach roll, and Laura mentally chastised herself for flirting with her. Wasn’t it hard enough being around her without adding to it?

“You can have whatever you want, you know.”

The front doorbell saved her. She pulled her eyes away from Cassidy, hurrying out of the kitchen. She could swear she heard her mother’s quiet laughter as she fled.

When she returned with the pizza, she paused outside of the kitchen, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. She heard her name and more laughter, and God, she’d kill her mother if she was telling Cassidy anything inappropriate! Like tales of binoculars and the like.

She cleared her throat when she walked in, her gaze—her glare—going to her mother, not Cassidy. Her mother smiled sweetly at her, and Laura pinched her arm as she walked by, causing her mother to burst out in laughter.

“What did you do that for?”

“As if you don’t know,” she murmured.