She gripped the edges of the sink harder, still staring at her reflection. After all, what difference did it make how hot Maddie was? Ryann had been acting like an idiot. She might see this woman a few more times between now and the wedding, and then what? It wasn’t as if it would go farther than this week. Maddie would never come to New York, and she wasn’t likely to see Stuart more than once or twice a year. So, yes, they would probably run into each other when she visited sometime in the future, but thinking of that made all the flirting potentially more embarrassing. Imagine if they slept together and then had to pretend, over the next however long, that it didn’t happen every time they saw each other? Mortifying.

No, she needed to stop now. No more flirting, no more leaning in to meet her lips, no more casual touches. They were simply acquaintances helping their friends get married. Nothing else. She could be cordial, but at the slightest hint of a flirtation, she needed to change the topic. And she had to put her foot down about the whole pretending thing, too. All of it had to stop and stop now.

She took a deep breath and studied her reflection, collecting herself. She reapplied some of her makeup and swished her mouth out with cold water, proud of herself for making the right choice.

Outside of the bathroom, the bakery seemed even hotter than before, and it took her a couple of minutes to wind her way back to the front of the building. She could hear merriment, and when she rounded the final corner, Maddie’s head was thrown back, laughing, and Joan was wiping at her eyes, face red. They spotted her at the same time, still chuckling, and she blushed. Had they been talking about her?

“Have a seat, and I’ll pour you some coffee,” Joan said. “Didn’t want it to get cold.”

She hesitated. Which chair should she sit in? But she decided, as she moved forward, that sitting down next to Joan would be stranger than taking her previous seat next to Maddie. Maddie watched her the whole way, still smiling. Joan pointed at the cream and sugar on the table, and she shook her head, taking a long sip of the hot, bitter brew, smiling at Joan in thanks.

Maddie’s humor had died a little, and, seeing her notice, she looked away, her cheeks slightly red.

What the hell was that? Ryann wondered.

“Okay—round two,” Joan said, pushing another plate of cake in front of them.