by Karen Legasy
“Go on, Jo, admire the view.” Her mother nudged Jo toward Anna. “You have to see it. The beaches are spectacular from up here.”
Jo leaned into her sister, straining to see water and land out the small window. “It looks nice.” The inviting aqua-blue beaches were indeed beautiful, and Jo’s mood lightened. “It should be lots of fun. I’m looking forward to a change in scenery.”
“Good.” Anna kept her gaze on the beaches below. “I was starting to fear you’d mope the entire trip.”
Jo settled back in her seat. “I’m sorry. I really do appreciate being here with the two of you. I promise to try to have fun this week. Let me know if I’m becoming a drag.”
“It would be more of a drag if you weren’t here with us.” Anna tapped Jo’s knee. “I’m so glad you changed your mind and decided to come.”
“Me too.” Her mother patted her hand. “We’re going to have a great vacation together.”
The three women held hands as the plane prepared to land. Jo began to focus on the positive. Things often happened for a reason. If things had worked out with Sam, she would be near the end of her stay in Toronto and missing out on this holiday with her mother and sister.
Passengers clapped after touchdown and Jo smiled as she joined in. For the first time in five days, her heart warmed with contentment as their vacation began.
By the time they got through customs and found their shuttle to the resort, Jo had replaced her hiking boots with sports sandals. The legs from her zip-off pants got tucked away in her suitcase and a new sense of freedom ensued as she swung her bare arms at her sides. She hopped onto the bus, determined to have an enjoyable week and let her guard down because Sam was now so far away.
Anna plopped into the aisle seat beside Jo. “Mom wanted me to sit with you. She managed to snag a front seat.”
“More like the woman already there was okay to let Mom sit beside her.” Jo chuckled as her mother chatted away, her elbow flailing around the high seat back in an animated conversation. “Look at her. She’s just loving it.”
“I knew getting away would be good for you,” Anna said. “You’re already looking so much better and starting to relax.”
Jo tapped Anna’s hand. “Thanks for organizing this trip. I’m sure it’s what I need right now.”
“Of course it is. We all need a bit of warm sun at this time of year to get our vitamin D levels back up to normal. I’m sure it’ll help improve your mood.”
“Have I been that bad?”
“Yes, almost worse than when you broke up with Jan.” The bus started to move, pulling out from a long line of other tourist coaches. “What did Sam do to you, anyway?”
Jo squirmed. “She lied to me. We’re done for good.”
“Well, your oak flooring looks beautiful.” Anna adjusted in her seat and glanced out her big tinted window. They were leaving the airport. “At least you got that finished.”
“I must have looked like an insane animal when you and Mom caught me ripping out the bamboo.” How could she have lost it like that? She felt so ashamed.
“What really happened with you and Sam?” Anna leaned closer. “You can tell me.”
Jo sighed as she stared ahead at the navy seatback, her cheeks burning in shame. “She broke my heart, and left me feeling like an idiot. I should have known better.”
“About what?” Anna nudged her shoulder. “Never fall in love with someone again after Jan? You’re too hard on yourself.”
“Maybe, but I’d rather just have peace of mind. Look at me. I’m a mess because I let my guard down and fell in love with Sam.”
“So you took a risk and it failed.” Anna rubbed Jo’s arm. “If everyone quit because of that, where would we be? They were talking about it last week at work. Investing in a potential gold mine is risky because you never know how big the vein is. You have to look at the pros and cons then make a rational decision. And if I know you, Jo, you would have certainly rationalized letting yourself fall for Sam.”
“That’s the thing.” Jo faced her sister’s sympathetic frown, tears welling up. “My attraction to Sam lacked all rational thought. I was sure her feelings ran deeper than any risky mine venture. We’re both professionals with good careers so it’s not like she seemed after anything other than my heart.”
Anna squeezed her hand. “It does sound strange. I’m just glad you’re here with us now and hope you can put this behind. I want this to be a fun week for everyone.”
“It will be fun.” Jo smiled at her sister. “Now let’s look out the window and focus on the landscape before we get to the resort.”
After they checked into their bright ground-level room with its own patio, they ate lunch then headed for a look at the beach area.
“We should walk down and put our feet in the ocean before doing anything else,” Anna said as she surveyed the crowded beach in front of their hotel.
“I’ll race you.” Jo started to run toward the water, dodging sunbathers as her feet slid in the soft sand until a small wave hit against her shins.
“That’s not fair.” Anna followed and splashed in up to her knees. “Ooh, the water’s not bad.”
“Here Mom, can you hold my sunglasses and wallet?” Jo tossed them to the shore and dove into a salty wave. The water was warm and there was lots of free space. She kept her eyes closed until resurfacing with a splash. “Whew. This feels great!”
“Poor Mom,” Anna said. “I think she’d like to be in the water as well, but is too busy holding our stuff. Just like when we were kids.”
“The two of you will always be my little girls.” Their mother laughed from where she waited on the beach, both hands clutching their things. “I think it’s time we look for some lounge chairs to park ourselves for a while.”
“Sure.” Jo shook her head, flinging droplets through the air as she got out of the water. She pulled off her wet T-shirt, thankful for her black sports bra that could pass as a bathing suit top, and felt herself starting to relax.
By the time dinner hour came around, Jo was ready to get out of the sun. The dining room was large with lots of white-clothed tables and a buffet of food choices galore. Anna plopped a heaping plate on the table and sat down.
“I can’t believe I took a piece of chicken and a chunk of roast beef to go with all these vegetables and salads.” She studied her choices.
“And a big bun too.” Jo picked at some grapes and a few pieces of cheese, unable to stomach much more. “Where are you going to put all that food? A huge dinner roll can be filling on its own.”
“I know, isn’t it crazy?” Anna took a mouthful of pickled beets.
“Have you ever seen so much food?” Their mother joined them, her plate full, but with less variety than Anna’s. “I can see that Jo’s saving room for dessert.”
“This is my dessert.” Jo held up her grapes.
“That’s hardly dessert,” Anna said. “Didn’t you see all of the cakes and cookies over there?”
“I’m not that hungry,” Jo said.
“Oh Josephine, you have to eat.” Her mother put her fork down and looked at her.
“We’re worried about you, Jo. We want this week to help pull you back together.”
“I am together. Just because I’m not eating like the two of you doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve finished my dinner and think I’ll head down to the beach.”
Jo longed for some time on her own as she meandered through the resort on her way to a quiet place to relax. It was after seven in the evening and daylight had disappeared. She reached the empty beach. All the chairs had been put away, so she stood staring at the starry sky over the waves.
The salty air felt fresh against her skin and a slight breeze played with her hair.
Jo took off her sandals and sat on the edge of the cement walkway, digging her toes into the sand. It was really her head she wanted to bury in the sand on this deserted beach near the swishing ocean.
Sam hijacked her thoughts again. No matter how hard she tried, Jo just couldn’t stop thinking about Sam. The way Sam had touched her, ran fingers and tongue over places aching to be caressed, and then brought her to orgasm with such force. She still lost her breath just thinking about it.
Jo decided her decadence for the week was going to be replaying sex with Sam instead of gorging on food. Maybe she could even learn to compartmentalize the pleasant bodily sensations from the hurtful feelings. If nothing else, Sam had given her a good time and she was going to make the best of it.
Sam needed to relax, studying for the day almost complete and her mind jumbled with case management scenarios. After a refreshing shower, she leaned back on her bed and stared at the muted TV. A tropical beach graced the screen and her mind drifted to Jo. Two more sleeps and she’d be in Timmins holding the woman she longed for, or so she hoped.
She’d checked the weather a number of times to make sure it still looked good for an early Monday morning flight. Leaving tomorrow had been a consideration, but Sam preferred to deal with the job interview first and then do whatever she had to do to convince Jo of her love, including spending the rest of the week in Timmins.
The bundle of kindling lay on the floor by her suitcase. She’d tied a red ribbon around the sticks and planned to return them to Jo to start a cozy fire in Timmins. Maybe they’d even snowshoe out to her cottage one day and spend the night. Mollie would love it, and it would be like a second chance from where it all started.
“Sam, are you home?” Trish called out from the front entry.
“Yes, I’m here.”
“Oh.” Trish paused. “Is it okay if Jo spends the night?” They had gotten back together, much to Sam’s annoyance, but she no longer cared much.
“Whatever.” Sam longed for her Jo, like it was supposed to have been. “Make sure you lock the front door.”
It was just as well, though, that her Jo was probably already tucked away in bed in Timmins, getting rested for Sam’s surprise visit. Although lonely without her, there had been no distractions, either, giving Sam the opportunity to be well prepared for her interview. So she told herself.
Maxwell and Associates had made it clear they were interested in meeting Sam and willing to accommodate her schedule to make it possible. Had things worked out with Jo’s visit to Toronto, there would have been no time for studying anything other than that beautiful body. Sam liked to be prepared; she was confident the interview would go well.
Lights and television turned off, Sam slid into bed and pulled the covers up over her shoulders. She dared to allow herself the luxury of imagining Jo beside her, naked, ready to make love. A solitary tear dropped to her pillow as she readied for sleep.
Chapter Forty
Anna scurried toward three free loungers in the shade and draped her towel over them to secure a place on the beach for the day. They hadn’t yet eaten breakfast, as their priority of the morning was to reserve chairs before heading to the dining room.
“It’s going to be a beautiful day.” Anna clapped her hands together as she surveyed the open beach and ocean horizon. “There isn’t a cloud in the sky and the temperature is just perfect.”
“And there are no bugs.” Their mother used a hand to shade her eyes. “It’s so nice to enjoy warm weather without those miserable pests buzzing around.”
Jo was eager to keep moving and stretch her legs. “Let’s go for a stroll along the beach while the sand is still smooth from the tide. Our footprints can be some of the first for today.”
“Oh, I can’t go for a walk now,” her mother said. “I’d have to rush back to the bathroom after a short bit because…”
“Okay, Mom,” Anna said. “We get the picture. I’m ready for breakfast now, anyway. Especially since there’s all this food calling out to us.”
“You two go ahead then and I’ll join you in a bit.” Jo removed her sandals. “What better way to get a good start on the day than to walk in bare feet on pristine sand?”
“You’ll miss out on all the appetizing choices,” Anna said. “The best dishes always get snapped up first.”
“I’ll be fine.” Jo waved them on as she headed to the water’s edge, her sandals swaying at her side.
It had been a long, painful night as she tried to sleep to no avail. By morning, her mind needed a flushing in the soft sea breeze to rid it of leftover frustrations from hours of torment over her disaster with Sam. She longed for a few minutes alone to sulk in private and get it together.
It was early Sunday morning. Sam was probably still asleep. Jo hoped that she at least felt some pain at being caught.
The fresh air felt good against Jo’s sticky skin and the salty-sweet taste of the ocean mist coated her lips as she sauntered along the shore. By the time she made it to her target of the bright yellow kayak down the beach, Jo felt relaxed and looked forward to the day ahead in paradise. She trotted back to the restaurant, arriving just in time to get some food while her sister and mother sipped their final cup of coffee.
Anna rubbed her belly. “The omelets are to die for. You get to choose whatever you want then they cook it up as you wait.”
“I’ll just stick with my pancakes this morning.” Jo sipped her coffee, remembering how good Sam’s pancakes were that first morning at the cottage.
“It looks dry,” Anna said. “Where’s the syrup?”
“I’m not going to have any. It’s only some sugared water instead of real maple syrup.”
“That doesn’t look very appetizing,” her mother said, “especially when there’s so much else to choose from.”
“I have some yogurt and strawberries to dress it up.” Jo motioned to her side bowl. “Besides, if it’s too good I’ll eat more than I should, and I don’t like feeling stuffed.”
“Oh for God’s sake,” Anna said. “Let loose and enjoy yourself a bit. You can take a good laxative when you get home to clean yourself out.”
“Speaking of which,” their mother said, “I have to head back to the room now for the bathroom. I’ll see the two of you in a bit.” She hurried off.
“Yep, this is definitely a family vacation and not some romantic getaway.” Jo chuckled as she adorned her pancakes. “Our only dirty talking is about the bathroom and not sex on the beach.”
“Please don’t tell me that’s what you were looking for last night and again this morning.”
Jo burst out laughing. “Of course not. This orgasmic spread of food doesn’t do it for me, either, but I love the roaring of the ocean. It whispers sweet nothings into my ears.”
“Seriously, Jo, how are you really doing?” Anna leaned into the table. “I hope you’re managing to forget about Sam. I’m worried for you.”
“Well don’t, because I’m doing fine.” Jo jabbed a fork at her pancake.
“You were moving around all night in bed and then the need to be by yourself before breakfast. You brought her here with you, didn’t you?”
Jo’s fork clanged against her plate. “What are you talking about? Sam’s definitely not here.”
“Figuratively speaking, she is. She’s always on your mind. I can tell by the way you stare off into the distance. Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” Jo bit into a big chunk of pancake. How dare Anna speculate about her private thoughts?
“Well, I’m here for you if you change your mind. I hate seeing you hurting like this. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Thanks.” She forced a swollen cheek smile then swallowed. “I’m going to be okay. Just being here with you and Mom is helpful. I appreciate it, even if it doesn’t look like I do sometimes.”
“Good.” Anna tapped Jo’s arm. “Now let’s hurry up so we can get going. I wouldn’t want someone to steal our chairs.”
When they reached their loungers on the beach, people were starting to fill the chairs. Anna and Julia both wore two-piece suits under beach dresses and big-brimmed hats, while Jo had on a one-piece suit under shorts and
a white ball cap.
“I’m glad we got our chairs when we did because there’d be none left now.” Anna fidgeted with her towel to cover her lounger.
“Maybe we should have taken the ones over there.” Julia pointed to a group of chairs more fully in the shade.
“We’re fine here.” Jo just wanted to sit back and relax with her book. She’d chosen a lesbian romance and was looking forward to reading it in peace.
“The Secret Pond.” Anna studied the cover as she lowered onto her towel. “I’ve never heard of that novel before. Where did you get it?”
“I ordered it online.” Jo opened the book and sniffed the pages. “Mmmm. This is going to be a good one, judging by the fresh-ink smell.”
“Well mine is odor-free, but I know it’s good.” Anna illuminated her tablet.
“I didn’t bring any books,” their mother said, closing her eyes. “I brought my two daughters for entertainment.”
“Look over there.” Anna pointed toward the water. “Someone’s scouring the beach with a metal detector. How exciting. I wonder if he’s found anything?”
“Why don’t you go ask him?” Jo poked her sister. “You never know what he might dig up. Or what you might find by going over there.”
“No, it’s okay.” Anna leaned back. “I think I’ll read my book now, if you don’t mind.”
“He’s just found something and put it in his pocket.” Their mother’s neck stretched. “I wonder what it was?”
“Probably just some trinket or coin.” Jo opened her book, looking forward to escaping into someone else’s life. “Maybe you should go find out.”
“Why not?” She swung her legs off the chair and was gone before Jo or Anna could respond.
“She loves this kind of stuff, doesn’t she?” Anna held the brim of her hat. “I wish I was more of an extrovert like her.”
“Me too,” Jo said, turning a page.
“I couldn’t believe how many people she knew at the open house a few weeks ago. I had a chat with Sam there, you know.” Jo cringed as Anna put her tablet down. “I told her she’d better not hurt you.”