Leigh narrowed her eyes. “Are you afraid to come near me for some reason, or are you afraid that Payton might see us standing too close?”
“I don’t even want to brush against you.” Ryann walked around the front of her car and opened the door, but what Leigh said next brought her to a stop.
“I can easily find Payton.”
“Was that a threat?”
“Did I say anything that sounded violent?” Leigh asked with a shrug.
“I put up with your jealous bullshit for way too long. You’re the one who’s insane if you think I will now.” Ryann smiled. “You think my sister’s crazy? She’s not the one that’ll go Silent of the Lambs on your ass.”
“It’s Silence.”
“Whatever, meat suit,” Ryann said before she got into her car and slammed the door.
*******
Payton had worked in her studio until around three, but since she’d skipped chores during the weekend, she decided to clean house. She was knee deep in piles of laundry on her living room floor that she’d sorted when her phone rang. Her heart did a little dance when she saw the name on the ID.
“Hey, Ryann, what’s up?”
“I’m about a block from your house. I need to talk to you.”
“Okay, see you in a minute.”
Payton stared at her phone when Ryann hung up without saying anything else. Then she looked down at what she was wearing. Laundry day was crappy clothing day. She had on a pair of orange sweatpants that were so short they looked like capri pants and a red and black flannel shirt that should’ve been placed in the trash a long time ago. She had a tube sock tied around her head to keep her hair out of her eyes. Her first inclination was to change as fast as she could, but Ryann’s tone sounded ominous. She felt there was no reason to dress for what she suspected would be a “kiss off” conversation.
Perhaps, all the interest was hers alone, and she’d read too much into Ryann’s gazes. She didn’t have much time to dwell on that notion when she heard a car door slam. Payton steeled herself for what was to come and opened the front door.
Ryann looked her over from head to toe. “That outfit…does it help you concentrate or something?”
“Laundry and cleaning day since I was infirmed over the weekend. Come in, and try not to judge me by what you see.”
Ryann turned and pointed at the bunny birdbath in the middle of Payton’s front yard. “That was a surprise. You don’t really seem like the type.”
“I’m not, that’s my neighbor’s doing. There’s a gnome, too. I’ve tried to kill it a few times, but the damn thing is indestructible.”
Ryann stepped inside when Payton moved out of the way. She didn’t look around and met Payton’s wary gaze. “Leigh was waiting in the parking lot when I walked out of school today.”
“Did you pepper spray her and now you need a place to hide?”
Ryann gritted her teeth and shook her head. “I forgot all about the damn spray.”
“Would you like to come into the kitchen and have a seat? I’ll get you something to drink.” Payton didn’t wait for a response. She listened to the click of Ryann’s heeled boots on her wooden floors and closed her eyes. She loved a woman in heels. “Glass of wine?”
“Yes.” Ryann didn’t sit at the table; instead, she leaned against the counter and watched as Payton poured two glasses of merlot. “She came under the pretense of giving me some of my things back, but it quickly became obvious that her intent was to question me about you. I didn’t answer any of her questions, but just as I got into my car, she said she could find you easily. Either she’s been following me again, or Melanie told her we’ve been doing things together. I find it hard to believe that Melanie would do that.”
Payton met Ryann’s gaze as she handed her a glass. “I assume that was Leigh’s way of saying she wants to kick my ass. Is she talking smack, or is she really the type?”
“She blustered a lot when she was throwing one of her jealous fits, but when faced with whomever she had an issue, she never said a word, and she certainly never hit anyone. She never touched me in that way, either, but obviously, I never really knew her.”
Payton watched the way Ryann’s hand shook as she lifted the glass to her lips. “I’m not afraid of her. Are you?”
Ryann swallowed and set the glass down. “I don’t want her coming over here and causing you any problems. I’m sure the last thing you want going on in your front yard is dyke drama. Now that I think of it, it was really stupid for me to come straight here, she could’ve followed. I’m sorry.”
“Do you need a hug?” Payton asked with a smile. Ryann chuckled as Payton walked around the kitchen cabinet and held open her arms. “Come on in.”
Ryann wrapped her arms around Payton’s waist and set her chin on her shoulder. “I made that stupid Silent of the Lambs threat again, and she corrected me. That made me furious.”
Payton snorted with laughter as she wrapped her arms snugly around her. “Did you ever see the movie?”
“No, I don’t like serial killer flicks. Shelly told me about it.”
“I didn’t think so. The killer didn’t make meat suits, he took their skin. So when you want to sound really vicious, you say something like… ‘I’ll skin you and wear one of your ass cheeks like a beanie.’”
“That’s really gross,” Ryann said as she continued to hold on. “But I suppose ‘I’ll snap you like a broomstick’ doesn’t have the same effect. I could’ve, though, she pissed me off that bad. She stood there with accusation in her eyes and asked if we’d had an affair. Her! The one who fessed up to four affairs, but I’m sure the number was much higher. I’m getting pissed all over again.”
Tex bought me an ax one time when someone called my work drivel. A storm brought a tree down in my backyard, and he told me to go out there and just hack the hell out of it. I have an entire cord of chopped wood, and I don’t even have a fireplace. If you’d like to come over sometime and work out some aggression, I have some logs to split.”
“Do you have clothes I could borrow that don’t look like what you’re wearing?”
Payton pulled back and looked at Ryann. “Do you seriously want to chop a log?”
“Yeah,” Ryann said without a smile. “This was a shitty day. One student puked in my trash can, I slammed the door on the belt of my coat and dragged it all the way to school, and you know the rest.”
“What size shoe do you wear?”
“An eight.”
Payton smiled. “I’m an eight and a half, you’ll fit fine.”
*******
Ryann looked adorable in a pair of Payton’s old baggy jeans, a sweatshirt, and boots. She’d swiped a ball cap off the rack by the door and stuck it on her head backward. Payton handed her a pair of gloves, then the ax. She set a log on top of the stump.
“Now what you want to do is hit—” Payton jumped when the thwack of the ax hitting the wood echoed off the wooden fence in her backyard, and she stared at Ryann in surprise.
Ryann smirked and adjusted the gloves. “I get the impression that you think I’m a sissy. I like clothes and makeup, but underneath, I’m pretty tough. Don’t tell my sister that, though. She tries to get me to do things her husband conveniently forgets and she doesn’t want to bother with.” Ryann planted a hand on her hip. “I grew up in the country. I can drive a tractor, back up a trailer into just about anything, and I know how to split wood.”
Payton put another log on the stump and watched Ryann swing the ax with no hesitation. She’d never been so turned on in her life. “What else can you do?”
“I like machinery,” Ryann said as she set her next log. “I can operate a dozer, backhoe, and—you okay? Your face is all flushed.”
Payton didn’t answer. Ryann was like a female version of Superman. Her disguise was a sexy femme, but underneath, she was strong with a love of heavy equipment. Payton had never been so turned on in her life.
“Hey,” Ryann said and snapped her fingers. “P
ayton?”
“I’m sorry.” Payton blinked rapidly. “I…my mind wandered there for a second. I was just thinking it might get interesting this weekend when I help Jana move Melanie out of her house,” she blurted out, then regretted the admission when Ryann’s expression turned dark.
Ryann slammed the ax into the log with a growl. “I’m going with you.”
“I don’t think that’d be a good idea. She’s just making assumptions right now, but if she sees us together, it might drive her right into Crazyville.” Payton watched as the muscles along Ryann’s jaw twitched. “I’m not one to fight. I see no reason to get physical unless I or someone I care about is in imminent danger. If she sees me and decides to start something, I’ll just go inside Melanie’s house and call the police if I have to.” She grabbed another log and set it on the stump. “You look like you need this.”
Ryann didn’t say anything else, but she split every piece of wood Payton set up for her without breaking much of a sweat. When her anger was finally purged, she set the ax aside. “Thank you for the workout,” Ryann said with a sliver of a smile.
“Do you like Mexican?”
*******
“It’s nice not to eat alone,” Payton said before she bit into a fajita.
“Then don’t do it. Come to my place tomorrow night, and I’ll cook.”
“Pardon me for asking, but can you cook?” Payton asked with a grin.
Ryann sat up straighter and put a hand to her chest. “I’m a damn fine cook.”
“I have something for you. I’ll be right back.”
Ryann watched her go into the kitchen and bit her bottom lip. She wasn’t supposed to be spending so much time with Payton, but there she was in her house and inviting her to dinner. She knew she should’ve felt guilty maybe or protective of her feelings and Payton’s, as well, but she craved the type of companionship that her sister couldn’t provide. She was inwardly chastising herself for her lack of restraint when Payton returned with a foil-covered plate.
“These are for after dessert. They’re very healthy,” Payton said as she set the dish in the middle of the coffee table.
“Do you cook?”
“Not very well, and I just don’t like to do it.” Payton picked up her fajita and stared at it. “The trainer at the gym says I’ll see faster results if I modify my diet, so I should stop ordering in so much.”
“What’re you trying to do? You already look pretty lean.”
“I spend long hours sitting on a piano bench, and I need to tone up.”
“I got into exercising for a while, well, Leigh got me into it. I went regularly, but it got mundane, and I lost motivation. I know I need to do something,” Ryann admitted with a sigh.
“How about Krav Maga? Drago mentioned that it’s a good workout, and you pick up some serious self-defense skills. I’m thinking about giving it a try.”
Ryann swiped a pepper when it fell onto Payton’s plate. “Is that the Israeli fighting thing?”
“Yeah, I looked at it online. You don’t have to buy any uniforms. It’s all about going into the school and getting busy. Think of all the frustration you could purge hitting and kicking the crap out of some pads.”
“I’ll try it,” Ryann said seriously. “Do you want to go check out a class after dinner tomorrow night?”
“Sure.” Payton watched as Ryann picked up the plate, peeled back the foil, and surveyed the cookies. “Okay, I can’t let you do it. Those are Grace’s creations. I haven’t even dared to try them.”
Ryann moved the plate away when Payton reached for it. “Your neighbor that can’t cook? You mentioned that you threw away everything she gives you.”
Payton nodded, but before she could tell Ryann what was wrong with the cookies, she popped one in her mouth. Payton watched with a pained expression as Ryann chewed. “Feel free to spit it out.”
“You’re crazy, these are delicious.” Ryann took another bite and chewed slowly with her eyes closed. “Mmm, buttery and just the right amount of crunch.”
“Seriously?”
Ryann nodded. “This is one of the best cookies I’ve ever eaten. If you’re not going to eat them, may I take them home?”
Stunned, Payton took one and bit into it. Chocolate went with just about anything in her opinion, but not cauliflower, and that was all she tasted. She grabbed her napkin, unable to swallow, and Ryann laughed hysterically. Payton groaned as she wiped her tongue with the napkin. “Oh, you got me.”
Ryann was doubled over; her half-eaten cookie fell from her hand onto the table.
Payton grinned, so thrilled that she’d made Ryann laugh.
Chapter 16
“Payton, this isn’t good,” Jana said the next day after Payton called and told her about the conversation between Ryann and Leigh. “Who knows what’s going through that woman’s mind? Maybe she’s crazy enough to think she has a chance of winning Ryann back, and you’re in her way.”
“Oh, there’s no chance of that,” Payton said with a derisive laugh. “You didn’t see or hear Ryann yesterday. She chopped enough wood to make all my neighbors happy.”
“Leigh is like a six-foot-tall disaster area. She’s proven she makes stupid decisions. She just might decide to take her aggression out on you.”
“I can handle myself,” Payton said with more bravado than she felt.
“You need to make out a will.”
“Don’t start,” Payton said as she chose what she was going to wear to dinner and the class.
“I wasn’t joking. Everyone should have one.”
“That’s what I love about you, you’re a consummate planner, Jana. I better be in yours, and I should get all the photos from when we were in college.”
“So…tell me what you’re doing tonight again.”
“We’re gonna have dinner at her place, then we’re going to check out a Krav Maga class. It’s not a date.”
“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”
Payton leaned against the doorjamb of her closet. “Can we stop this? You’ve done your duty as a best friend and have given me all the warnings I need to hear about Ryann. I appreciate it, but the point has been made.”
“Okay,” Jana said with resignation. “I wish you all the luck in the world.”
Payton smiled warmly. “Thanks. I’ll be at your house promptly at eight Saturday morning.”
“Good, because you’re driving the truck to Melanie’s place. I went by and looked at the one we have reserved. I don’t think I or Melanie can see over the steering wheel.”
*******
Ryann decided not to tell Shelly about the encounter with Leigh or about her plans that evening with Payton. Her protective sibling would wield more than dirty socks and probably end up in jail. She’d also be full of advice about Payton, and Ryann didn’t want to hear anymore. She felt she was a grown woman with a firm grasp on her emotions.
She liked Payton, plain and simple. In her company, Ryann felt appreciated, understood, and free to speak her mind. Sexual attraction to Payton was powerful, but Ryann hoped she could keep that in check for at least a while. She was unwilling to make the same mistake she had with Leigh, who she slept with on their second date. Perhaps, if her hormones hadn’t been on overdrive and she would’ve taken more time to really get to know Leigh, great sex might not have clouded her judgment. It was easy to put on blinders to things that should’ve been warning signs when the promise of orgasms was so close at hand.
She blew out a sigh and focused her attention on the students in her class taking a test. There was nothing like a teenage boy cleaning his ears with the eraser of his pencil to squelch sexual desire. She got up and started to stroll down the rows of desks watching for cellphones and other prohibited electronic devices. She collected a few of the tests that had been completed and were lying face down.
“When you finish,” she said softly, “you may open your books and start reading the next chapter.”
As she approached the back of
the room, she noticed Summer Glenn scribbling furiously in a notebook. Summer slammed it shut when Ryann drew near and began to put it away. Many of her students would jot down questions that were on tests and pass them to their friends. Ryann held out her hand to the girl.
“It’s personal,” Summer whispered.
Ryann continued to hold out her hand, until Summer’s face flushed, and she handed over the notebook. Most of the pages held notes from other classes, doodles, and finally, a paragraph left unfinished.
I don’t know what it is about him, but he makes me sweat. I love his smile and the way he looks at me. I don’t even care that he stinks like burned rubber after practice. I’d do anything to be close to him. He’s cute, but that’s not it. He’s popular, but that’s not it. He’s one of the few guys that’s taller than me, but that’s not it. He makes me laugh. He makes me feel important. He hears me. He doesn’t care that I’m not a cheerleader. He doesn’t care what other people think when they see him talking to me. He’s my best friend, but I wish…
Normally, Ryann would’ve stopped reading after the first sentence when she realized that parts of the test weren’t being pilfered. She couldn’t stop herself because she empathized with that feeling caused by the euphoria of intense attraction. She laid the notebook on Summer’s desk and leaned down.
“I hope all your heart’s desires are answered,” Ryann whispered against her ear. “Be wise and be safe.”
Summer nodded and swallowed hard. “Thank you, Ms. Seely.”
*******
Leigh wasn’t waiting in the parking lot as Ryann left work. She made a quick stop at the grocery store and hurried home to start dinner. With Payton’s desire to eat healthier in mind, Ryann prepped a stir-fry with plenty of vegetables and chicken. She was just about to change her clothes when she heard a knock on her door. For a second, Ryann froze and wondered if Leigh had followed her. Then she heard Shelly’s voice.
“Open up, Ryann, I’m freezing my ass off out here.”
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