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by Kris Bryant

  “I’m not, but thank you,” Natalie said.

  Sarah’s lips made a trail from the underside of Natalie’s breast to her navel. Natalie wrapped her hands in Sarah’s hair and tried her best not to move her hips or guide Sarah’s head down. She was giving her complete control. Natalie was ready to come but waited not so patiently. Whatever Sarah had in store for her, she was ready. So very ready. “I’m going to show you how perfect I think you are.” Her tongue made the joyous journey to the juncture of Natalie’s thighs. Natalie held her breath and waited.

  When the warmth of Sarah’s mouth encircled her clit, she let herself go. Several tears slipped from the corner of her eyes, and she spread her legs farther apart to accommodate Sarah better. She was burning up and dying to come, but Sarah’s mouth, hands, and warm body felt incredible. She wanted this feeling to last forever. She couldn’t tell if thirty minutes passed or only thirty seconds. She raised her hips, trying to find the friction she needed to come, but Sarah held her down and continued licking and sucking until she had no choice but to explode. Natalie grabbed a pillow and yelled into it. She jerked with every wave that washed over her.

  “What are you doing to that pillow?”

  Natalie’s laughter shook her entire body as she climbed down from an orgasm that left her breathless. “I have no idea. I just needed to hold something.”

  Sarah moved up Natalie to kiss her on her mouth, but left two fingers inside her. “Feeling you and hearing you come was amazing, Nat.”

  “I don’t think I’m done,” she said, smiling when she saw Sarah realize what she’d said. Sarah increased her speed. Natalie twisted so she was on her side facing Sarah. Their height difference was somewhat challenging, but by bending her knee, the new position gave Sarah complete access.

  “I want to watch your face when you come,” Sarah said.

  Natalie kissed her deeply, passionately. Tasting herself on Sarah’s lips was a natural aphrodisiac. She ended the kiss because she knew she was close again. Staring into Sarah’s eyes, her mouth partially open, she waited for the build-up and tensed her muscles at the right time. Another orgasm rippled through her, and she tried hard to keep eye contact with Sarah but couldn’t. She lowered her head and moved her hips against Sarah’s hand and moaned and gasped with every thrust. “Fuck.” When she slowed her hips, Sarah gently pulled out.

  “You’re beautiful and perfect. Watching you was the best thing I’ve ever done.” Sarah brought Natalie’s lips to her own and kissed her slowly, with even more emotion in this kiss. A shift took place between them. Something slipped out of place or snapped back in, Natalie couldn’t tell which, but everything was clear. She had loved Sarah in high school and loved the woman in front of her. She was almost certain Sarah felt the same. “Nat, why are you crying?”

  Fuck. Again with the tears. When did she get so soft? She quickly wiped them away and attempted to laugh them off, but the noise she made sounded more like a pained yelp. “Nothing. No reason.”

  “Come on, baby. Talk to me.” Sarah ran her fingers over Natalie’s neck and face, which only prompted fresh tears.

  Natalie stopped Sarah’s hand and brought her fingers up to her lips. She kissed them gently and entwined their fingers. “I just have a lot of emotions. So much is happening inside my heart, and I’m trying to process it.”

  Sarah took Natalie’s hand and put it on her heart. “I know what you mean. Maybe this isn’t the time, or maybe it’s the perfect time, but I love you.”

  Natalie froze. Her rapid heartbeat echoed inside her, pounding faster and faster at what she heard. Maybe Sarah hadn’t really said those words. Maybe Natalie wanted to hear them so badly, she only thought Sarah had said them. She opened her mouth and promptly closed it. “What?” She had to know for sure. She was afraid she would pass out from lack of oxygen. She relaxed and took a breath.

  Sarah ran her fingers over Natalie’s mouth and leaned up to place a kiss on her swollen lips. “I love you. I love you, Natalie Renee Strand. I was too young when we first kissed to understand what I was feeling, but right here, right now, I know without a doubt that it’s love.”

  Natalie bowed her head so Sarah couldn’t see her tears again, but it was useless. She put her head on Sarah’s shoulder and cried. Her tears were for Sarah, for Harley, for Henry, for her father, for all the good in her life and all the bad that had led up to this moment. They were for her younger self who had sat on Ellie Shepherd’s fireplace and kissed the most popular girl in school and never understood how it would affect her whole life. She took a deep breath, sniffled, and lifted her head to look at Sarah. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to hear those words from you.” She kissed Sarah fiercely, afraid to move her mouth and give her the opportunity to change her mind or not mean it. “I love you, too.”

  * * *

  Natalie stirred and, for a moment, she thought the body next to her was Henry. Then the previous evening flashed in her mind of Sarah’s warm, supple body touching her everywhere, and she realized the woman of her dreams was still in bed with her. She pulled Sarah closer. “Why are you so far away from me?”

  “Mmm. Good morning.” Sarah placed a warm kiss on Natalie’s cheek. “What time is it?”

  “Not wow, what a fantastic, life-changing evening, but what time is it?” Natalie joked and kissed Sarah’s forehead. “Good morning.”

  “Definitely life-changing. It’s not every day I tell a beautiful woman that I love her. Or have really good sex. No, life-changing sex,” Sarah said.

  Natalie smiled. “Can I make you breakfast? Do we have time?”

  Sarah looked at her phone and nodded. “I’m sure Harley was up late, so I probably have another hour. What do you want to do?”

  Natalie slid out of bed and reached for Sarah.

  “It’s too cold outside the covers. Why can’t we just stay in bed?”

  “Okay. You stay here, and I’ll be back with coffee.” Natalie kissed Sarah quickly and stepped into the bathroom. The hot water was exactly what her sore body needed. When was the last time she’d twisted like that or strained her muscles in such a delicious way?

  “Make room for me.”

  Natalie smiled when she heard Sarah’s voice and felt her fingertips slide down her back. She’d hoped Sarah would join her. She switched places with Sarah and put her under the water while she lathered the loofah. She took her time washing Sarah, giving extra attention to all her favorite places. They took turns washing, kissing, and laughing until the water grew lukewarm and they were forced to leave. “Let me grab you something warm to wear.” She wrapped Sarah in an oversized towel and came back with a fluffy, pink robe that her parents had bought her years ago. Pink wasn’t her color, so it hung in the closet, but it looked perfect on Sarah. Natalie slipped on sweatpants and a T-shirt and started coffee. “We still have banana-nut bread, pumpkin bread, or I can make us omelets or pancakes or both.”

  “I’m going to need a lot of protein to keep up with you,” Sarah said.

  It wasn’t a one-time thing. Deep down, Natalie knew that, but hearing the words from Sarah made her heart swell. “Then how about a high-protein scramble? Do we have time?” She felt Sarah’s hands cover her own.

  “Nat, don’t worry about the time. Everyone’s fine. Nobody called. I can go home when I want. Let’s have a nice breakfast, and then we can go see our babies, okay?”

  Natalie took a deep breath. She’d never dated a single mother before. She didn’t know the protocol for sleepovers. Did Sarah have to sneak in? Or would she walk in the door as if she was gone overnight all of the time? “Okay. Is there anything you don’t eat in omelets?”

  “Onions and tomatoes. Everything else is fine,” Sarah said.

  Natalie poured them a cup of coffee and started breakfast. She was a little nervous with Sarah watching her. They talked about foods they liked, foods they didn’t. Natalie didn’t like cilantro, but Sarah loved it and put it in everything. Natalie loved sweets, but Sarah wasn’t a
fan. “It’s like we have nothing in common.” Natalie held her hands up as if surrendering. “We might as well just stop now.”

  Sarah walked over to her and kissed her soundly. “I’m not walking away this time, Sheriff. I’ll leave out the cilantro and eat more cake. Deal?”

  Natalie bowed her head for another kiss. “Sounds perfect.” She served them breakfast and sat beside Sarah instead of across from her. She wanted to stay close for as long as she could. Even though Sarah told her time wasn’t an issue, she felt it burning in the pit of her stomach. It was hard not to keep looking at the time. She loved it when Sarah put her hand on Natalie’s knee and squeezed it for no other reason than to have a connection. Sarah knew how to show love, and Natalie melted every time. A touch, a kiss, a kind gesture.

  “I guess I should get dressed. I don’t want to leave this fairy tale though.” Sarah wrapped her arms around Natalie’s waist and put her head on her shoulder.

  It was the best feeling. All the walls between them were down. Natalie held Sarah, and they stood there in her kitchen with their arms around one another. She had never been so sure of anything in her life. A peace washed over her when she realized that Sarah wasn’t leaving, that this wasn’t the end. This was only the beginning. Not again, Natalie thought. Tears swelled behind her eyelids, but this time she was able to blink them away. “I understand. We will have plenty of overnights, plenty of showers, plenty of time.” Natalie watched as Sarah got dressed. She was beautiful and all hers. She smiled when Sarah straddled her lap and stroked the back of her neck.

  “Thank you for last night.”

  Natalie raised her eyebrow and kissed Sarah. “It meant the world to me. You know that, right?”

  Sarah nodded. “I’m sorry, Nat.”

  “Shh. There’s nothing to be sorry for. We had to live the lives we did to reach this point.” She kissed Sarah’s hand. “This is just the beginning.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “When are Sheriff Natalie and Henry getting here?”

  Sarah smiled at Harley’s impatience. Her daughter was on the back of the couch with her nose pressed against the window, waiting for Natalie’s Jeep to pull into the driveway. She, too, was anxious to see Natalie again, even though she’d just seen her early that morning. When the alarm had beeped at five, they’d both groaned at the invasion, but Sarah had slipped out of Natalie’s bed, thrown on her clothes, and sneaked back home before Harley woke. Aunt Judy had busted her but hadn’t said anything. Only held up her hand for a high five on her way downstairs.

  “I hope it doesn’t start snowing,” Aunt Judy said. She and Sarah set the table after Uncle Bob added the leaf extension to the dining-room table. Sarah added a cornucopia centerpiece that Harley had made in school out of construction paper and foam. It smelled like Elmer’s glue and Crayola crayons and resembled a football more than a horn, but it was precious, and her little girl had made it.

  “I’m not super thrilled with cold weather, but it’s a nice change of pace after being in Texas for so long,” Sarah said. She put her arm around her aunt, and they watched as Harley drew on the condensation on the window. “I’ll wash the window after she’s done.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Maybe one day she’ll be an artist.”

  Sarah studied the artwork closer and looked back at the centerpiece. “No. Nope. I don’t think that’s going to be her calling.”

  Aunt Judy laughed. “Probably Supreme Court justice. She’s very calm and very smart. Not overly emotional and not overly artistic.”

  “Mom, when are they getting here?”

  “Soon. In one minute. Count down from sixty,” Sarah said. While Harley counted, Sarah checked on the turkey. After sleeping until seven, Sarah had gotten up to start cooking with Aunt Judy. The turkey was all her responsibility. Aunt Judy had made mashed potatoes, stuffing with cranberries, and green-bean casserole. Natalie was bringing rolls and candied yams, and Linda was responsible for the pies.

  “I really like Linda. It’s nice to have a new friend. I mean, I’ve always known her, but because of you girls, we’re friends. And we have a lot in common. With Bob at the lodge a lot, it’s nice to call her up and make plans.”

  “I’m happy you’re friends, too.”

  “They’re here! They’re here!” Harley jumped off the couch and ran to the door.

  “Harley Nicole! Put your boots on before you go outside.” Sarah’s message registered at the last second. Harley slipped on her boots and ran out to greet Henry. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his nose.

  “You just saw him yesterday,” Sarah said. She slipped on her boots and jacket to help Linda and Natalie bring food inside.

  “You know there are only six of us eating. Five and a half, really.” Sarah kissed Natalie and grabbed two bags from the back of the Jeep.

  “Hi, babe. Yeah. Tell that to my mom. Most of these are hers.”

  “Mmm. I’ve missed your mouth.”

  Natalie kissed her again. “I’ve missed everything about you.”

  “You win. Come on. Let’s get inside before they send out a search party.”

  “Too late. We’re here,” Aunt Judy said. They turned and found Uncle Bob’s outstretched arms ready to carry in the bulk of Linda’s baking. He made a production of staggering under the weight of the three containers Natalie handed him.

  “Thank you for having us over for Thanksgiving,” Natalie said.

  “Thanksgiving is for family and friends, and we’re so thankful to have all three of you in our lives,” Sarah said. She took Natalie and Linda’s coats and hung them in the closet. “Have a seat. Dinner’s in half an hour. We have cheese and crackers, if anyone can’t wait that long.”

  Natalie headed straight for the tray. “Since my only contribution was rolls and yams, I didn’t eat a lot. Usually I graze while Mom and I are cooking.” She grabbed two crackers and two pieces of cheese and sat on the couch next to Sarah.

  “How’s your day so far?” The cute flush that peeked up from Natalie’s collar made Sarah’s pulse quicken.

  “It’s a fantastic Thanksgiving. Best one so far.” Natalie winked at her.

  “I agree. New friends, old family, new beginnings, old comforts,” Sarah said.

  Natalie leaned closer to Sarah. “Old comforts? Tell me you don’t mean me.” She put her hand on her heart.

  Sarah tapped Natalie’s hand. “You are part of my new everything. New friends, new beginnings.”

  “We’ll talk about the friends thing later.” Natalie playfully growled at her.

  Uncle Bob, a diehard football fan, who not only had the NFL channel, but recorded all the highlights on ESPN, had The Little Mermaid on for Harley. When Sarah asked him about it, he said, “Nobody cares about the Lions anyway. Football is all about the Seahawks.”

  When Sarah’s parents FaceTimed to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving, Aunt Judy waved to her sister and brother-in-law and excused herself to check on the food. The call ended right as Aunt Judy finished the gravy.

  “Let’s eat. Please, everyone, take a seat. Sarah and I will bring the food out,” Aunt Judy said.

  “How come there are seven plates, Aunt Judy?” Sarah asked.

  “There are seven of us.”

  Sarah did a quick head count. “I count six.”

  “You’re right. I count seven,” Harley said. She reached out to stroke Henry’s soft fur.

  Sarah mouthed thank you to her aunt and guided Harley to the dining room table. “Henry can sit next to you, but he eats on the floor. It’s just easier for him down there.”

  “Can I eat on the floor with him?”

  “No, honey. We want to see your adorable face at the table, not under it,” Sarah said.

  Aunt Judy poured five glasses of wine and passed them around the table. Uncle Bob poured a glass of apple cider in a wineglass for Harley and told her to use both of her hands. Sarah looked the other wa
y as Harley balanced the drink.

  “A toast.” Uncle Bob stood to get everyone’s attention. “This year we have so much to be thankful for. So much I don’t know where to begin. I’m going to try hard not to cry, but if I do, just pretend I’m not.”

  Sarah winked at her uncle and hardened herself against his upcoming words. He wasn’t a man of many, but he lived his life with his heart on his sleeve.

  “We have our health and one another. This year, our lovely niece and her beautiful daughter came here to start a new beginning in Spruce Mountain. Having both of you around has been a blessing. Thank you for enriching our lives.” He tilted his glass and took a sip. Everyone else did the same. “We are thankful Linda and Natalie are in our lives, too. Your friendship is appreciated. We’re thankful Natalie is the sheriff of our small town and for all the good she has done. She was the driving force behind finding Harley, and she’s the reason our niece wakes up with a smile on her face and a skip in her step.”

  Sarah blushed at the sudden attention, her cheeks warming under Natalie’s gaze. Just this morning, she was under Natalie, her legs spread, clutching the headboard as Natalie fucked her hard. Her cheeks warmed even more at the memory, and she shook her head briefly to get the thought out of her head. She focused her attention back on Uncle Bob.

  “And a special toast to Henry. Without him…Well, I don’t even want to think about where we would be without him.”

  Both Harley and Natalie reached down to pet him. He wagged his tail and licked both their hands.

  “Henry is the real hero. He left the house because he knew something was wrong. He found Harley and stayed with her, protecting her overnight. And he found me and made sure I followed him to find her,” Natalie said.

  Sarah stood. “It’s my turn. I am thankful for my beautiful daughter, Harley. She has given me joy and laughter and has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Sarah kissed the top of Harley’s head. “And thank you, Aunt Judy and Uncle Bob, for allowing us into your home. I appreciate the fresh start, and I love you both dearly. Thank you, Linda, for working with Aunt Judy to encourage Natalie and me to share space. I’ve had an amazing time reconnecting with you, Natalie. Thank you for giving me a second chance.” Sarah paused while glasses were clinked. When she had everyone’s attention, she continued. “And thank you, Henry, for taking care of my baby, my heart, and bringing her back to me safely.”