by Ashley Quinn
There it is she thought. What am I supposed to say? I never expected any of this. Or her. Her gaze fell to Natalie again. The other woman leaned back on her elbows in the yard as Niko rested comfortably in her lap. Natalie and the puppy watched as Isabella demonstrated the cartwheels she was explaining she’d learned in P.E. class.
London opened her mouth to answer, but Celia continued. “You care about her a lot,” she went on. London realized she had followed her eyes directly to Natalie. “I can see it all over your face. You are falling for her, no?”
She opened her mouth again and then nodded. She didn’t take her eyes from Natalie. “Yes,” she finally replied. “I am.”
Clarity she thought. Finally. It feels good to admit it out loud.
“I know,” Celia replied simply. “I know you are. And I know that Natalie feels the same. If I may, I’d like to tell you that there’s something different about the two of you. Natalie doesn’t fall for someone easily and she doesn’t bring companions around often. Not that she’s had many. You’re special to each other and I don’t know if either of you realize it just yet.”
“It’s beginning to sink in,” London responded quietly.
“I won’t tell you anything you probably haven’t already thought about, London,” Celia continued. “I won’t waste your time with things that have already crossed your mind. What I will do is give you some insight to my niece. One of the reasons I’m so protective over her is because she’s never lost that light that some people have inside them. You know what I mean? People go through things, tough times in life, and that light fades. They let themselves become angry or bitter and they’re not the same. But Natalie? No matter what she’s been through, she’s never lost that bright shining light inside of her. She continues to smile, she keeps believing the very best in people and she doesn’t let things destroy her.”
I was that angry, bitter person London thought. I let some of the worst things I’ve gone through in life change me when I should’ve been stronger instead. She felt a smile pull at her lips as she stole another glance at Natalie. But it’s not too late.
“You don’t find many women like that,” she agreed softly. “She’s amazing.”
Celia smiled and London felt a sudden sense of relaxation in the air between them.
“Her parents love her very much,” Celia went on. “When they made the decision for Natalie to live with Jane and I, it was because they knew that she had potential and could do much better in a stable home. Not so much moving around and changing schools. She never had a chance to make many friends and she was a lonesome child. They knew it wasn’t good for her. But, Dios Mio, she was always so smart. I thought eventually she’d begin acting out, getting angry and saying her parents had abandoned her, but she never did. She took everything in stride.”
“I’m sure it was a difficult decision for them,” London replied carefully. I couldn’t imagine being faced with a situation like that she thought. Having to sacrifice my child being raised by me to ensure she had the best life possible. Her heart went out to Natalie as she thought of her at twelve years old, young and shy, saying good-bye to her parents.
“It tore their hearts apart,” Celia confirmed sadly. “But she still talks to them on the phone or by Skype at least two or three times per week. My brother is retired now and they live in Montana. Natalia looks just like her momma.”
London smiled. “I want us to be together,” she replied suddenly. The words had jumped from her mouth before she had a chance to bite her tongue. I never realized how true it is until just now she realized.
“One thing that I can promise you about Natalie is that she will always have that light inside of her,” Celia commented gently. “She will always uplift you if you’re down or do everything in her power to make you smile if you’re sad. My biggest fear is seeing that happiness disappear from her eyes and to see her get broken. She’s a good girl. She’s loyal to the ones she loves and she doesn’t play games.”
London glanced at Celia. For the first time, she genuinely noticed the worry that creased the delicate skin around her dark eyes. “I hope Natalie can see that I...” she started, but was interrupted by Isabella’s ear-splitting scream.
CHAPTER 18
Both London and Celia shot up and scanned the yard. As if in slow motion, London spotted the sudden explosion of chaos. Niko had taken off wildly after a rabbit and was sprinting toward the street. A four-door pick-up truck was barreling down the narrow two-lane road in the distance.
“Niko!” Isabella screamed in terror. Without warning, she ran after him. Her brown hair streamed out behind her and her feet pounded against the Earth behind him as she tried to catch up.
“Oh my God!” Celia shouted at the same time that London bolted from the porch.
Natalie jogged behind them, but she was too far across the yard. She cupped her hands around her mouth. “Isabella, stop!”
“That’s my puppy!” She yelled back. Her voice was high and frantic, but she didn’t break her run. “I have to get him!”
“Get back here!” Natalie shouted as her jog turned into a full-blown chase across the property.
London caught up her quickly and easily sprinted around her. Time for all those long nights in the gym to pay off for me she thought grimly. She glanced down the road and could see the truck speeding closer. They may have gotten a head start, but I know I’m faster.
London guessed that the pick-up truck was flying down the road at about 60 miles per hour, judging by the swirling cloud of dirt in its wake. It showed no signs of slowing. With her eyes locked onto Niko and Isabella, she had one thought running on a single track in her mind. Get them out of the way. Get them out of the way. Get them out of the way.
She blinked and focused on the long brown hair flying in the breeze just ahead. If I could just reach out...Get the back of her shirt... She was so close that she could practically grab Isabella. Her lungs burned with the sudden sprint and her chest pounded with adrenaline.
London reached out with both arms. Even if I push her down, as gently as I can...Anything is better than her running into that street she thought. With a final burst, she propelled herself forward and fisted handfuls of Isabella’s t-shirt. Their legs tangled up and they skidded over a wide swath of gravel shoulder that separated the road from the land.
She fell to the left, pulling Isabella with her, but managed to push her shoulder between the child’s face and the hard, rocky gravel. They collapsed in a heap as the truck flew past with a deep bellow of its horn.
“Asshole!” London shouted into the wind. She was afraid to open her eyes.
Isabella lay still and crumpled on top of her for a long moment. London’s chest heaved up and down as she panted for the air that had been whacked from her lungs with the fall. Her heartbeat was deafening in her ears. She tried to reach out with her left arm, but a throbbing sensation radiated from the shoulder they had landed on.
Please God, I know you haven’t heard much from me lately she thought desperately. But please, please let Isabella be all right. She gingerly lifted her right arm and gently rubbed the young girl’s bony spine. Several pairs of running footsteps reached them all at once.
Paula deftly lifted Isabella from the pile and clutched her to her chest. “What is wrong with you, mija? You could have died! Do you have any idea what would happen to me if you got hit by that truck? You are my world, I would die too! You can never go running into the street like that again, do you understand me? You are in so much trouble, young lady,” she paused for a breath. “You are in so much trouble, but I love you so much. Do you understand that you can never do that again?”
Isabella blinked and appeared shell-shocked. She nodded silently and wrapped her skinny arms around her mother as the sobs finally came.
London was flooded with relief despite the pain. Two pairs of strong arms helped lift her to her feet and she tried in vain to brush herself off. She looked up and met Celia’s eyes. Jane stood besi
de her and covered her mouth with shaking hands.
“I’m okay,” London said quickly. “I swear.” She rubbed her left shoulder. “I guess all those hours running on the treadmill were good for something.” She grinned weakly.
“There aren’t enough words to thank you,” Paula said shakily as she held Isabella close to her. “All I can say is thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for grabbing my little girl. Who knows what could have happened. I just...” she paused and swallowed hard. “Just thank you.”
London nodded, unsure what to say. She glanced up again and her eyes immediately locked onto Natalie’s fiery gaze. She stood a few feet behind her aunts and her arms were crossed tightly over her chest. The intensity in her expression was like nothing London had ever seen. A silent tear rolled down her cheek.
Oh my God, she thinks I hurt Isabella London thought in horror. “Natalie, I...”
Before she could finish her sentence, Natalie launched herself into her arms. She buried her face in London’s neck and wrapped her legs around her waist as she held herself tightly against her.
London caught her easily, despite the searing pain in her shoulder. She stroked her hair and held her close for a moment. “Hey, it’s okay,” she whispered. “Everyone is fine.”
“I can’t believe you caught up to her like that,” Natalie’s voice was muffled against her neck. “You were a split second away from being...” She sniffled. “I thought you and Isabella were...”
London rubbed her back gently. “But we’re not,” she reminded her quickly. “We’re all okay.”
Natalie took a small step back and held London’s face in her hands. She studied her for a long moment. “And don’t you ever think about doing anything like that again!” She went on as her voice grew louder. “You could have been killed! I was so scared that I was about to lose you and Isabella forever. Don’t you ever go running off like that again and putting yourself in danger and nearly getting yourself killed and...and...I swear London Foster, you’d better kiss me right now or I’ll...”
London grinned and wrapped her arms around her waist. She pressed her lips against Natalie’s, swiftly silencing her. Natalie tightened her arms around London’s middle and took a deep breath.
“I can’t lose you,” she whispered.
“You won't,” London replied gently. I never want to let her go. “I promise.”
An excited yip from across the road made them all turn in mutual astonishment. Niko stood a few feet from the road and shook his tail.
“No way,” London said with a blink. “I thought that dog would have been halfway back to Fort Worth by now, with the way he was going after that rabbit. Never underestimate a puppy that’s spotted a small critter.”
“He didn’t run away!” Isabella shrieked in glee. “Look Mommy, Niko is okay!”
“That damn dog better be thanking his lucky stars that we have a fenced backyard,” Paula said. She took two steps toward the street. “See Bella, I’m looking both ways.” She made a point of scanning the road each way for a long moment. It was deserted. “Now I will cross the street and get him.”
Paula stomped across the street and plucked Niko from a patch of grass. She nuzzled him against her chest and checked him over. “From now on, when we’re not at home, he needs to on a leash outside. Can you make sure of that, sweetheart?”
Isabella nodded quickly and jumped up and down in excitement as Paula crossed back over the empty road. She took the puppy from her mother and hugged him close to her. “Yes, Mommy,” she promised. “He’s already my best friend in the world. Everything happened so fast. One second he was running after the baseball and then the next second he saw that bunny.”
Paula laid a hand on her shoulder and gently guided them back to the house. “He’s so fast and I thought I was too, but I couldn’t catch him,” Isabella chattered away as she carefully carried Niko. “I don’t ever want anything to happen to him. Maybe he should be on a leash in our yard too...”
Her voice faded as they got closer to the house and then disappeared in front door. Natalie wrapped an arm around London’s waist.
“Come on, we need to get you cleaned up,” she spoke softly. “This is enough excitement for one evening.”
London half-listened as Jane told Natalie which linen closet had the fresh towels and toiletries. She felt Celia fall into step with her as they trudged toward the house.
“You did good, mija,” Celia murmured. She patted her arm fondly. “I...We...can’t thank you enough. You’re going to be good for her.”
London’s head shot up in surprise as Celia continued ahead into the house. She grinned as Jane and Natalie, none the wiser, went from discussing bathroom towels to the water pressure in the second shower.
First Dad calls me sweetheart and now this she thought as her smile widened. Celia called me mija.
---
Natalie knelt on the cool bathroom tile and slowly swabbed a wet tissue over the thin, raised scratches that criss-crossed London’s left shoulder, arm and ribcage. They were bright red and angry against her otherwise smooth, creamy skin. London sat gingerly on the edge of the bathtub in her bra and a pair of track shorts. Natalie didn’t miss London’s toes curling against the tile or the quick bite on her bottom lip as she tried to clean her scratches as gently as possible.
Luckily, all that gravel did was leave superficial cuts and bruises on both of them Natalie thought gratefully. They had taken turns showering, but she had demanded that London let her clean and bandage her cuts. She tried very hard not to stare at the soft cleavage resting snugly against London’s black bra or the toned, strong stomach that betrayed the amount of time she spent in the gym.
Natalie paused and dipped the wadded tissue back into a large bottle of Neosporin. She caught London watching her warily and she smiled. She slid her fingers lightly up London’s leg and paused just above her knee.
“Hey,” she whispered. “I know it stings, but I don’t want you to get an infection. Are you okay?”
London stared at a point on the wall just beyond Natalie’s head. “I’m fine,” she insisted. “Really. It’s all surface wounds.”
There she goes, trying to be tough again Natalie thought with a grin. She sat back on the balls of her feet and dabbed the tissue against the reddened, raw lines along her ribcage. A purplish-black bruise was beginning to bloom behind one of the deeper cuts. London winced as Natalie held the tissue over that area for a lingering moment.
“It’s okay to let someone take care of you, you know,” Natalie spoke casually. “You don’t always have to be in charge.”
London looked as though she was about to argue for a moment but then thought better of it. She leaned against the corner of the shower in defeat and sighed. “I know.”
Natalie stood and held out her hand. “Come on,” she replied. “Let’s get comfortable.”
She was surprised at how quickly London accepted her hand and lifted herself to her full height before her. They held each other’s eyes and regarded one another for a moment. We’re the same height Natalie realized. Eye to eye. Face to face. Chest to chest. Body to...body.
Natalie led London to the guest bed. It was smaller than the one at London’s father’s house and it was covered in a thick red and pink flowered quilt that her grandmother had knitted decades ago. The flooring throughout the home was brown clay tile and it was cold beneath Natalie’s feet. She quickly wriggled under the quilt and situated herself against an oversized pillow.
London let out a satisfactory sigh as she relaxed against another pillow. She extended her right arm out to Natalie and smiled. “You feel so far away.”
Natalie laughed. “I’m right here.”
London shook her head. “Closer.”
Natalie grinned as she settled herself against her warm body and felt London wrap her arm around her shoulders. She reached over and switched off the bedside lamp. They lay in silence for a few moments as Natalie memorized the sound of London’s slow brea
thing and the way her chest would rise and fall in the shadows.
She took a deep breath and tried to ignore the lingering ache that had gradually developed between her thighs. Lord help me if anyone else sleeping in this house tonight hears what I’m about to do she thought. Natalie traced her fingertips along London’s profile and down her neck. An excited thrill ran down her spine as London turned and met her lips in the dark.
The kiss started off innocently enough, but the feeling of London’s tongue gently exploring her mouth and her body pressed against her own made it impossible to continue ignoring the desire that slowly burned its way from the inside out.
Natalie opened her mouth and deepened the kiss as London tightened her arms around her. A low moan escaped her throat as she pressed herself as close as she could and then found herself on top of London. The chemistry between them exploded and suddenly they were everywhere on each other’s bodies.
The kisses never stopped as London’s hands explored the small of Natalie’s back and her fingertips inched their way further beneath the hem of her t-shirt. Natalie enjoyed the sweet sensations of the other woman discovering her body and wound her fingers in London’s hair as she kissed along the shell of her ear.
A bedroom door further down the hallway opened and shut. They paused and stilled for a moment as someone padded into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. They both giggled silently, holding their hands over their mouths, until the worn mattress shook under them.
Natalie met London’s eyes in the dark. “So how many times have you actually let yourself get topped?” She whispered with a grin.
London shifted, but Natalie held her ground. “Just because you’re on top of me doesn’t necessarily mean...” she started.
“Yes, it does,” Natalie cut in. She swooped down and kissed London defiantly. “I’m not done taking care of you yet.”
London’s mouth dropped open as the other bedroom door shut again. “You don’t have to...”
Natalie kissed London again and realized the heat that simmered between them was quickly boiling over. In the silence of the old house, it was practically quiet enough to hear a pin drop.