Quickly, Kate plucked the chain from the stake and crossed the garden, a heady mix of excitement and relief charged in her chest. She fell to her knees beside Tilly in the veggie patch.

Focused, Tilly scanned the ground. “I know we’ve been out here forever. I know that. I know it’s silly to be looking in the dark when it’ll be so much easier in the light of day but I just won’t sleep wondering.” Her gaze remained rooted to the soil. “You can go back inside and eat. I don’t mind.”

As Tilly moved to crawl forward, Kate reached out, let the chain dangle before her eyes.

Tilly’s breath caught. Pushing herself to her knees, she launched her body into Kate’s arms. “Thank you, Kate,” she gasped. “Thank you so much. I’ll have to get the chain fixed.”

Tilly clutched at her back, her face buried in Kate’s neck. Her skin was hot against Kate’s, her freshly washed hair still damp. She breathed a sob of relief against Kate’s bare skin and Kate shivered at the sensation as Tilly’s hand cupped the back of her neck. Tilly’s heartbeat fired against her chest, and Kate was grateful for the chain clutched safely in her fist, that her hands locked at the small of Tilly’s back couldn’t smooth over hips pressed firmly against her own.

Her short nails digging into her palms, Kate pulled back. She opened her hand and Tilly took the chain, her fingernails scratching against Kate’s dirt-caked skin in a ticklish pinch that shot heat straight between Kate’s legs.

Tilly clipped the chain around her neck, her eyes slipping closed in relief. She breathed a little sigh as she held the pendant to her skin. Kate’s mind whirled as desire tightened in the pit of her stomach. It was impossible to focus on anything but the need to press her lips to Tilly’s, to run her hands over every inch of her body and never stop. But you have to stop. You have to stop this right now, she told herself. She is your friend. Your straight, engaged friend. Your straight friend engaged to a vicar…

Kate scooted backward on her knees and flicked off the torch.

“Oh my goodness,” Tilly laughed, letting Kate pull her to her feet. Her eyes dropped to Kate’s dirt-caked knees, then her own. “Look at us!” she said, swatting the soil from her shins, her elbows. “We’re filthy! We’re going to have to shower all over again!”

Kate chuckled. “I call first shower after dinner.”

“I may have to join you—we’ll have wasted that much hot water!”

Kate swallowed harshly. That image wasn’t doing much to alleviate the problem.

Seemingly oblivious to what she’d said, Tilly looked up from turning off her iPhone torch. “I’m so sorry that it took so long. You must be starving.”

“Yeah,” Kate said, laughing breathily as she bent to retrieve their slippers from behind the garden gate. “Starving.”

Chapter Six

It was during fifth period on the following Wednesday when Tilly stopped in the doorway of the music room, her face flushed and a book tucked beneath her arm.