Gina frowned. “I do not.”
“Rick.”
The smiled popped out before Gina could stop it, and Nat laughed.
“Shut up and eat your yogurt,” Gina said.
“I’ve never seen you this happy. Trying to make sure you don’t screw it up.”
“Oh, that’s a nice thing to say.”
Nat shrugged. “Hey. I’ve been your friend a long time. I know how you operate.”
“Which is?”
“You think so far ahead you loop back around and get in your own way before you have the chance to be truly happy. But this time seems different. I’ve never seen you the way you’ve been since meeting Rick. I like it. I like him. I don’t want you to give up on it before you’ve really had a chance with him.”
Gina stirred her yogurt into oblivion. The same thoughts had been churning in her mind for weeks. She did get in her own way. She did push men away, especially if they got past a few of her defenses and started getting too close. And Rick hadn’t only gotten past a few defenses. He was slowly obliterating them all. The sneaky little bastard. It terrified her. But she couldn’t bring herself to drive him away, either.
She sighed. “I don’t know what’s going on with us, or where it’s going. I’m trying not to think about that too much.”
“Good. You always overthink things.”
“Yeah, well. Trying to take things one day at a time. See how things go.”
“Good idea.”
“We are generally too busy when we get together to think much, anyway,” Gina said, breaking into a huge grin at Nat’s shocked and delighted face.
“That is absolutely fan-freaking-tastic.”
“I hope it doesn’t blow up in my face.”
“Oh, come on!” Nat said, throwing a napkin at her. “You couldn’t sit and be happy for a whole five minutes, could you?”
Gina laughed. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Crazy woman.”
Gina gathered up her things so they could head home. Nat didn’t let up even after they’d reached Gina’s apartment and collapsed on the couch. She seemed determined to get a few more details out of Gina, but before she could ask more questions there was a knock at the door and Gina turned toward it with a smile.
“I think that’s my cue to go,” Nat said.
Gina swatted playfully at her and Nat laughed, then hurried over to answer the door.
“Rick, hi! I’m Nat, Gina’s best friend, business partner, sister she never had. I know we sorta kinda met a few weeks ago, but we haven’t really gotten a chance to know each other. We definitely should. We’ll all have to get together for dinner sometime. It’s great to meet you again. You two have fun!”
She was past him and down the hall before either one of them could get a word in edgewise.
Rick came into the apartment laughing. But before he said anything he wrapped his arms around Gina’s waist and hauled her against him for a kiss. He lifted her up, kissing her until she was breathless and dizzy and couldn’t remember her own name, let alone anything else.
He finally put her back on her feet with a last gentle kiss on the tip of her nose.
“Hi,” he said, giving her a smile that said he knew exactly how he affected her and loved every second of it.
“If that’s how you say hi after being away from me for a whole day, you’ll have to go away more often.”
“Or I could stay with you all the time and say hi 24-7.”
“Hmm,” she said, standing on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck. “That plan has definite possibilities. But I’m afraid I’ll have to see an example of what that might entail.”
“Oh? Well, I think I can arrange that.”
He captured her mouth again, this time lifting her so her legs wrapped around his waist, and started walking her in the direction of the bedroom. Before he reached the door his cell phone went off, playing the Cops theme song.
Gina, her lips still pressed to his, giggled. “Ignore it.”
The song kept playing and Rick put her down with a regretful sigh. “I can’t. It’s work.”
“I thought you were off tonight.”
“I’m supposed to be. Hello?” he said into the phone.
He listened for a moment, his frown deepening. Gina sighed and flopped down on the couch. Whatever he was hearing wasn’t good news.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll be there in twenty.” He hung up the phone and looked over at her.
“One of the other officers is out sick. They need me to fill in.”
“No chance of telling them you’re sick, too?”
He pulled her to her feet. “Aside from that being a lie, it would leave the department short, and that’s no good for anyone.”