Kindling for the Heart

by Karen Legasy

  “Good job, sis.” Anna hugged Jo. “The place looks great and everyone seems engaged.”

  “Thanks. Sam, if you’re getting bored you could probably leave with Mom and Anna. I can pick you up afterward at Mom’s.”

  “For sure,” Anna said. “I have my car. I’m dropping Mom off at home after this. I’m sure she’d love the company.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Sam said. “I’m really enjoying this. I’ve always loved people watching. The dynamics in the room are quite interesting.”

  “In what way?” Jo’s head tilted toward her.

  “Just look at everyone,” Sam said, waving the water bottle around as she spoke. “They’re all so engaged, whether it’s with the displays or in conversation.”

  “Sam’s right,” Anna said. “Even Mom. Look at her over there by one of your maps. The way she’s talking and pointing at it, you’d think this was her show.”

  “That’s what I find so impressive about all this,” Sam said. “Everyone seems to be having their say, whether they’re dressed in business suits or wearing snow pants and flannel shirts.”

  “That’s how these open houses are supposed to work,” Jo said. “We want to hear from all stakeholders.”

  “Of course you do,” Sam said, “but open houses for public consultation can be challenging to pull off. Kudos to you for doing such a good job here.”

  “Thanks, but putting this together had a lot more players than just me. We’re a good team.”

  “And you’re a good leader.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that.” Jo shuffled a few papers.

  “Well, I do, because it’s been obvious since this show got on the road.” Sam crossed her arms. “You’re clearly the leader this afternoon and in high demand for your opinion.”

  “I’m just the hired help. Look, I should get back. Let me know if you change your mind about leaving.”

  “I won’t.” Sam flashed a smile and winked at Jo before turning away.

  “See what I mean?” Anna said.

  “About what?” Sam followed her to the computer displaying Jo’s electronic presentation.

  “It’s like I didn’t even exist back there once the two of you got talking. There was enough eye twinkling and sparkling to put on a fireworks display.”

  The open house ended at four, but people stayed around chatting until almost five. Sam sat patiently in a corner while Jo ushered the last of the stragglers out of the room. Cleanup would be done on Monday morning, so Jo locked the doors to the community center and they headed home for the night.

  “I’m exhausted,” Jo said as she sat in the passenger seat of her truck. “I’m so glad it’s over.”

  “You should feel really good about this afternoon.” Sam pulled out of the parking lot, grinning at Jo relaxing against the headrest. “I ordered us a pizza for dinner.”

  “Sounds great. Thanks. I think I’ll have a hot bath after supper to help unwind.”

  “That sounds like a good plan. I bought some bubble bath the other day.” Sam had picked it out in hopes Jo would enjoy it in her deep bathtub. “I think you deserve a little treat tonight.”

  Jo closed her eyes. “Thanks.”

  The vegetarian pizza wolfed down and Mollie content on the living room rug, Sam handed Jo the bottle of pink bubble bath. “I hope you like the smell of strawberries.”

  Jo opened the lid and put the bottle to her nose, the mixture almost sweet enough to taste. “Mmmm. It smells nice.”

  “Let me know when you’re covered in bubbles and I’ll bring you a glass of red wine.”

  “Thanks.” Jo kept her gaze glued to the bottle, her hands trembling as she read the label. “Strawberry and kiwi fragrance. Sounds nice. I can take my glass of wine now, so you don’t have to deliver it.”

  “I need to open the bottle and want to let it air a bit before pouring. If you’re worried about me seeing you naked…”

  “I’ll be covered in bubbles. You won’t see anything.” Jo shuffled toward her bedroom, letting on that Sam seeing her in the tub meant nothing. “A glass of wine would be nice, if you can drop one off without expecting anything else.”

  By the time Sam tapped on her en suite door, Jo was luxuriating in a hot strawberry-and-kiwi-scented bath. She’d used more than half the bottle and her tub was overflowing with bubbles.

  “You’re safe to come in now.” Jo stifled a giggle, nervous with excitement. What was she doing?

  “Am I?” The door slid open and Sam’s eyes glowed in the candlelit bathroom as she studied the bath big enough for two. Jo was covered up to her neck in bubbles. She noted a slight tremble in Sam’s hands as she knelt beside the tub and put the glass of red wine on the edge.

  “I’m glad to see you have your clothes on.” Jo was half hoping Sam would be naked.

  “There are lots of bubbles.” Sam dipped a finger in the white foam. “I should have watered the bottle down before giving it to you.”

  “Then I wouldn’t have let you in,” Jo said, conscious of Sam’s fingers swirling close to her breast.

  “How’s the water temperature?” Sam’s hand slid under the water, brushing up against Jo’s skin and working its way down.

  “Hot.” Jo’s breath caught. “Sam, please don’t…”

  “Sorry.” Sam’s hand retreated, her fingers folding into a fist. “I shouldn’t have…”

  “Please don’t stop.” Jo’s boundaries came crashing down. Feeling Sam’s touch was all that counted as her uneven breathing transformed the moment. Hips lifting off the tub bottom, nothing else mattered. “I want you to touch me. I need you to touch me.”

  “Yes. Oh yes.” Sam’s fingers slid down Jo’s stomach, through her tuft of hair and into the center of her arousal. “You feel so good, Jo. You make me feel so good. I want to make love to you.”

  “Your fingers are magic.” Jo held her breath, hips thrusting in the water and climax clawing its way to the top until she let out her breath in a sustained moan that brought Mollie rushing into the room.

  “You’re beautiful.” Sam leaned in for a kiss on the lips, but Jo turned away.

  “I can’t Sam.” She started to cry, feeling like she’d just betrayed herself for a quick thrill. “You’re leaving soon, and I can’t handle anything more. Please leave me alone now.”

  “I want to make love with you, Jo.” Sam’s voice was shaky.

  Jo tucked her chin in her shoulder next to the wall, hiding her face in shame. She fought off tears, the pain in Sam’s voice not really registering.

  “I’m going for a shower then getting into my bed without any clothes on,” Sam tenderly kissed Jo’s back. “Please sleep with me tonight. I need you.”

  By the time Sam closed the door on her way out, Jo knew she’d just been horrible. She owed Sam.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sam had tears in her eyes as the shower’s warm water soaked her face. Weak knees, knotted stomach, and aching groin, she lathered peach shampoo in her hair as though massaging her scalp would somehow alleviate the pain of desire. What she really needed was a cold shower to dampen the longing for Jo that was threatening to burn up her insides.

  What was she doing, falling for this woman so far away from home? The way Jo had handled herself at the open house deserved an award for professional excellence. Sam knew she was good at her job, too, always demanding attention from everyone in the courtroom as she argued her case, but not like Jo, who didn’t have to prove anything.

  People gravitated to Jo, captivated by her and her knowledge. It was as though Jo was the judge in that forum. Her decisions set precedence amongst the forest stakeholders as they tried to reach consensus.

  The shower door clicked open and Sam froze, shampoo and water blinding her. A gust of cool air wafted into the stall then Jo was there, her hands sliding over Sam’s breasts and body.

  “Thank you for today, Sam.” Jo’s warm body wrapped around Sam from behind, her hands sliding down her stomach and between her legs.
r />   “Oh, Jo.” Sam tried to turn around, hardly able to breathe.

  “Just relax,” Jo whispered, her lips brushing Sam’s ear as adept fingers coaxed an orgasm. “I want you to experience the thrill you just gave me.”

  Sam clung to the shower wall, both hands gripping the slippery tiles while Jo’s fingers circled as though folding in whipping cream for a decadent recipe. Sam stopped breathing, her body consumed with Jo’s touch. She wanted this woman—more than anyone before. When Sam came, it was sudden and hard. Her legs wobbled, and she collapsed into Jo, strong arms keeping her from falling to her knees.

  “You’re…amazing, Jo.” Sam could barely breathe, her feelings for this woman so raw, pure, and blissful. She had to say something. “This afternoon…I was so proud of you…and now… That was incredible. I think I’m…”

  “I need to walk Mollie.” Jo let go and was gone before Sam could stop her.

  Sam leaned against the shower wall, her legs wobbly and barely able to hold her up. Again, Jo had touched something in her that no woman had ever reached before. All without so much as a kiss on the lips, yet full of an intimacy that was surely reserved for those in love.

  By the time Sam finished in the shower, Jo was already outside with Mollie. She thought about getting dressed and following them into the cold, but decided to give Jo some space. Or maybe she was the one who needed a bit of time on her own.

  She’d almost told Jo she was falling in love with her. They’d only known each other for just over a week and yet she felt closer to Jo than lovers she’d spent years with.

  But her life was in Toronto, and beckoning her back. She missed the adrenaline rush of commanding the attention of a courtroom. The senior partner in her firm had sent an email saying they were swamped and hoped she could return sooner than expected. Maybe it would be best if she planned to leave early next week before Jo kicked her out. Or she couldn’t leave.

  Sam fired off an email to Trish giving the heads-up she may be back at the house in a few days. Her heart pounded at the thought of leaving so soon, but she had to keep some semblance of her professional self intact. She dreaded sharing the place with her ex, but would have to put up with it until the week before Valentine’s Day, when Trish was to move out.

  Sam would demand the master bedroom. After all, she owned the house and she wasn’t in the mood to mingle with an ex. She’d only need to add a microwave to complement the en suite bath and television to make her room more like a bachelor apartment than the home it was supposed to be. One that she hoped Jo would visit.

  Sam was sitting on her bed, about to settle in for the night with one of Jo’s books on forest management planning, when the outside door burst open with a whoosh. Stomping feet rushed into the kitchen.

  “Sam!” Jo cried out. “I need your help! Mollie’s been hit by a car!”

  Sam threw the book down and ran to the kitchen. Jo’s face was covered in tears and her breathing was heavy as she rummaged through the closet.

  Sam’s heart pounded as she raced to the door. “I’ll get on my boots. Where is she?”

  “In the snowbank at the road. Can you bring a light?” Jo grabbed an old jacket and rushed back outside, leaving Sam to follow on her own.

  Mollie’s eyes were closed, but she was breathing when Sam got to her side. Jo had placed the jacket over Mollie. “It’s okay, girl.” Tiny balls of ice were forming on Jo’s eyelashes, tears freezing on her cheeks as she leaned over Mollie. Her red-knuckled bare hands were on Mollie, traveling her body in the search for injuries.

  “Is she going to be okay?” Sam slid to her knees.

  “She has to be.” Jo’s voice trembled. “Hang in there, Mollie. We’re going to get you help.”

  Sam shone her light around Mollie’s head and noticed a small patch of blood in the snow. “She must be bleeding. There’s a bit of blood in the snow by her mouth.”

  Jo sniffed as she leaned over to have a look. “How did I miss that?” She examined Mollie’s head and mouth. “I think she just bit her tongue on the impact. Can you shine your light closer?”

  Sam leaned closer as Jo’s fingers held up Mollie’s jowls to have a better look. “Is there an emergency vet line we can call?”

  “Yes, but I’ll have to go back to the house and get the number.” Jo jumped to her feet. “Can you stay here with her while I run back?”

  “Of course. I won’t leave her.” At least they were well off the road, lit up by Sam’s phone in case a vehicle came by.

  Heavy footsteps raced up the driveway. Sam stared at Mollie in shock. She lay against the side of a snowbank, her eyes closed and almost lifeless except for her shallow breathing.

  “Hey, girl,” Sam whispered at her ear, afraid to touch her in case she had broken bones. “It’s going to be okay. Please don’t die. Jo needs you.”

  The roar of Jo’s truck engine starting and a flash of headlights beaming down the driveway signaled they would be heading into town. Jo jumped out of the vehicle, phone against her ear and talking as she opened the rear door. “Okay, we’ll meet you there as soon as we can.”

  “Do you have a board or something to put under her?” Sam asked. “It’ll be easier to lift her and helpful if there’s broken bones.”

  Jo knelt beside Mollie, kissing her head. “I don’t have one in the truck. I didn’t feel any broken bones. We can slide her onto my coat and lift her together, like a stretcher. I’ll climb in with her and stay in the back while you drive, if that’s okay.”

  “Her eyes are opening.” Sam smiled, a sob escaping. “Hey, girl. You’re such a good dog, Mollie. You helped save my life and now I’m going to help save yours.”

  “She’s not going to die.” Jo’s face hovered over Mollie’s glistening right eye as she carefully tucked her coat underneath the dog. “Good girl, Mollie. Just a little bit more and we’ll get you settled. Ready, Sam?”

  “Just say when and I’ll follow your lead.”

  They cradled Mollie in Jo’s parka and lifted her. Jo stepped in backward, sliding Mollie toward her along the seat and supporting the dog’s head in her lap. Sam closed the door and took to the wheel.

  “I don’t have my wallet,” Sam said as she eased the truck forward.

  “Neither do I,” Jo said. “We’ll have to call my mother. Her number’s programmed into the truck.”

  By the time they arrived at the vet’s office, Julia was waiting for them in the parking lot. She got out of a small car and huddled under the hood of her bulky jacket. She opened the rear truck door as soon as Sam brought it to a stop.

  “You poor girl.” Julia reached inside and touched Mollie’s fur. “I think the vet’s here already. There are lights on and another car’s in the parking lot.”

  “We need to get her inside,” Jo said. “Sam, can you help me? And Mom, can you let the doctor know we’re here?”

  Mollie stood up, wiggled her way past everyone and jumped out of the truck then began to sniff around the parking lot.

  “Mollie!” Jo leapt toward the dog, grabbed onto her collar and gripped it. “Sam, can you get me her leash please?”

  “She must have been knocked out,” Julia said. “How did this happen? How could a car hit her? I know you’re always so careful with her.”

  “I feel so guilty,” Jo said, her voice shaking. “I let her go for a run. There must have been a rabbit and she chased it out to the road just as someone was speeding by. I heard an awful yelp and by the time I got to her, the vehicle was gone and Mollie wasn’t moving.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Sam said, hooking up Mollie’s leash. “Blame the bastard who hit her and didn’t even stop. Did you see who it was?”

  “No.” Jo shook her head, tears glistening in the light. “It was too dark and all I cared about was getting to Mollie.”

  “Of course. Let’s get her examined by the vet.” Sam put an arm around Jo as they went inside.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jo sighed in relief, gripping Mollie’s blue
flat collar as they left the vet’s office. Mollie was going to be okay. She only had a slight concussion and small bump on her head. Aside from a hefty bill, the vet determined that the injury was minimal and Mollie was sent home.

  “Would you like to come over for a cup of tea?” her mother asked once they were outside. It had started to snow, and their vehicles were dusted.

  “Mom, I can’t bring Mollie there unless you have Felix locked up. Especially tonight of all nights.”

  Her mother brushed a mitt across the layer of snow on her car. “I’ll keep him in my bedroom. What do you think, Sam?” She grinned. “Or are you ready for bed, considering you’re in your pajamas?”

  “I was hoping nobody noticed.” Sam reached inside Jo’s vehicle for the big snowbrush and began to clean off Julia’s car.

  Jo carefully helped Mollie onto the backseat of her truck and closed the door. “I think we should just head home. It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted.”

  “Of course, dear.” Her mother gave her a reassuring hug and kiss on the cheek. “I heard a lot of good things about you this afternoon. People really appreciate how you care about what happens to the forests around here.”

  Jo pulled her coat closed, the cold air bringing on a chill. “Everyone I spoke to cares about the sustainability of our forests. Whether it’s cutting trees to create jobs or leaving stands to protect wildlife habitats. We’re a resource town and have to preserve the wealth in our bush.”

  “Said so eloquently.” Sam smiled as she put the snowbrush away. “Would you like me to drive us home?”

  “Yes, please.” Jo opened the door and got in beside Mollie. “I’ll drop by tomorrow, Mom, and pay you for the vet bill.”

  “Oh, there’s no hurry for that.” Her mother reached in and stroked Mollie’s back. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  Jo put an arm around Mollie. “Me too. Thanks so much for meeting us here, Mom. Drive safely.” Jo closed her door and soon they were all on their way.

  “How’s Mollie doing?” Sam’s voice was almost a whisper as she drove.