by Gerri Hill
“I wasn’t fighting anything. I was just in the middle of a chapter and I didn’t want to stop.”
“So how’s our Jenn coming along?”
Kate smiled. “Actually, Jennifer has met someone.”
“Oh, yeah?”
Kate met her eyes. “A woman.”
Lee leaned closer. “Our Jennifer met a woman?”
Kate nodded. “A detective.”
“A detective who is lesbian?”
“Yes.”
Their eyes held. “And is Jennifer finally going to fall in love?” Lee whispered.
“I believe she is going to fall head over heels, actually.” Kate laughed. “Provided I can learn how to write a little romance.”
“Is it hard?”
Kate shrugged. “I’ve never tried it. Obviously I didn’t do so well with Jennifer and Paul.”
“That’s because they were all wrong for each other. They didn’t fit together.” Lee picked up a rock and tossed it between her hands. “You could always just rely on real life to guide you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Robin. Just think back to when you guys met, how it was.” Lee shrugged. “Use that as your guide.”
Kate stared, wondering what Lee would say if she knew that Kate could not conjure up even a single event with Robin that she would consider romantic. Why, sitting up here now, with the full moon, dancing, was probably the most romantic thing Kate had ever experienced in her life. And it was with someone she wasn’t even involved with. Someone she wasn’t even interested in. Okay, so maybe she was attracted to Lee. That didn’t mean she was interested in her, for God’s sake. This was Lee, after all.
She forced a smile to her face and glanced up at the moon. “Robin is coming to visit,” she said, more as a reminder to herself as anything.
Lee stiffened. “Oh, yeah? Great. You must be excited.”
“Of course.” Excited? Kate supposed she should be but she wasn’t. Not at all. But Lee didn’t need to know this.
“I’m sure you miss her.”
Kate nodded. “It’s been a month.”
“Yeah. A long time to sleep alone, huh?”
Kate turned, their eyes meeting. Then she smiled. “Something you wouldn’t know about, I’m sure.”
Lee stared, wondering what Kate’s reaction would be if she knew that no one had shared Lee’s bed since . . . since the day before her birthday. Since the day she took Kate on the tour. Since she’d met Kate. Lee swallowed nervously, then stood. It doesn’t mean anything. It wasn’t like it was because of Kate that she hadn’t been with anyone.
“You about ready to head back?” Lee asked suddenly, feeling the need to put some distance between them.
Kate watched Lee, wondering what was wrong. She looked agitated. Upset. Kate reached out, wrapping her fingers around Lee’s arm.
“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.
Lee stared at Kate’s hand, wondering why her skin burned where Kate touched. “Nothing’s wrong. It’s just . . . I thought you’d had enough. The moon, the stars, coyotes.” Lee shrugged.
“I love it, Lee.” Kate squeezed her arm before letting her fingers slip away. “Thank you for taking the time to bring me up here.”
“Sure.”
“Do you do it often?”
“What? Come up here?”
“Bring company. Dance?” she asked quietly.
Lee turned away, wondering again what it was about Kate that pulled her. She cleared her throat.
“I come up here a lot by myself.” She shook her head. “I’ve never brought anyone.” She turned back to Kate. “So, no, I’ve never danced before.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Are you sure you don’t want to meet her at the airport? She’s bound to get lost on her way up here.”
Kate laughed. “I thought that might please you if she got lost.”
“Darling, perhaps if she drove her car into the Rio Chama. But if she only gets lost, that just means we’ll have to find her.”
“Remember, you promised me you’d be nice to her while she was here.”
“And I will. I don’t throw a dinner party for just anyone, you know.”
“I think you’re only doing that so she can meet Sunshine and Harmony.”
“It’s just a good excuse. Harmony has been so gracious, I think it’s time I returned the favor, is all.”
“They’re vegetarians. What will you cook?”
“Well, I’m not going to cook, darling. Sophia will whip something up. She’s got a spicy dish she makes with those portabella mushrooms you like so much. And she’ll do a chicken dish for those of us who aren’t vegetarian.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“Oh, and I’ve asked Lee to bring her wine. What’s a party up here without Lee’s sangria?”
Kate stared. “You invited Lee?”
“Of course, darling. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I just didn’t think of Lee being here.”
“But, darling, the two of you have become friends. Don’t you want her to meet Robin?”
Did she? “Of course. And we’ll no doubt get to meet her latest,” she said dryly.
Brenda raised her eyebrows. “Kate, is there something wrong? Have you and Lee quarreled?”
“No,” Kate said, waving her hand dismissively. “I haven’t seen Lee since the other night.” And as much as she hated it, Lee had never been far from her mind. She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she saw herself dancing with Lee in the desert almost all the time. And for some reason, she was hesitant for Lee to meet Robin. Maybe a part of her was afraid Lee would see through this pretense, this facade, that Kate tried to maintain with Robin. Robin wasn’t the love of her life, Kate wasn’t in love with her. She thought at one time that she could be. But now that Robin had moved in with her, now that they were together, there was little Kate could do. Maybe in the fall, when she went back to Dallas, they would talk. And they could decide if their relationship was satisfying to them both.
But for now, she would pretend she’d missed Robin, pretend she was looking forward to her visit. Pretend that she enjoyed her lovemaking.
“Is that your cell I hear?”
Kate nodded, walking into her bedroom to retrieve her phone. She saw Robin’s number. She forced a smile to her face before answering.
“Hey. I guess you made it.”
“We just landed. I forgot about the time change.”
“Yes. And I forgot how hard it’ll be for you to try to find us in the dark. Maybe I should meet you somewhere,” Kate suggested.
“Well, I’ve actually had an extremely long day. I was thinking I’d just grab dinner and a hotel room for the night. You wouldn’t mind terribly, would you?”
It was with relief that Kate said no, she wouldn’t mind in the least.
“Great! Then I’ll see you in the morning.”
Strange. Very strange, Kate thought. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. They were acting—talking— like friends, not lovers. She stared at the ceiling. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, after all. Maybe Robin felt the same way. Maybe Robin came to visit so they could talk.
“Could I get so lucky?” she murmured. But she was being unfair. She had been perfectly satisfied with Robin. Robin was safe. What had changed? Lee? She shook her head. No, she refused to believe it had anything to do with Lee Foxx and that damn dancing.
“Was that Robin?” Brenda called.
“Yeah.” Kate went back into the kitchen. “Instead of trying to find her way tonight, she’s going to stay in Santa Fe and drive up in the morning.”
“It’s probably for the best. We would no doubt have to call Lee to help look for her.”
“And wouldn’t that be fun,” Kate said with a smile.
“Oh, wow, Kate, you were right. It is beautiful here.” Robin turned a circle on the deck. “And look at you. You look all woodsy,” she said.
“And tan. Do you spend all your time outside?”
Kate nodded. “Pretty much.” She pointed to the chaise lounge that had become her writing table. “There’s my office.”
“Well, that’s a tough job.”
Robin moved closer, wrapping her arms around Kate’s waist. Kate only barely resisted the urge to stiffen.
“It’s so good to see you. I’d almost forgotten what you looked like.”
“It’s only been, what? Five, six weeks? Surely it would take longer than that for you to forget me,” Kate said lightly.
“Oh, you know what I mean.”
Robin moved away again after only a light kiss on Kate’s lips. Kate relaxed.
“So Brenda says we’re having a party tomorrow night. Some of your friends.”
“Well, they’re more Brenda’s friends than mine. Although very interesting. Sunshine and Harmony are artists. In fact, Harmony has a gallery in Santa Fe.”
“Odd names.”
“Oh, yes. And then there’s Starlight. Although I don’t believe Brenda invited her. I can’t even begin to describe Starlight. She has to be experienced. She’s a night person.”
“Is she an artist too?”
“Yes. She does beautiful work. But she’s . . . well, she’s odd. She comes over occasionally, late at night, to work with Brenda. She’s teaching her some sort of meditation.”
“Brenda’s always been pretty odd herself. I never quite understood your friendship with her.”
Kate laughed. “Brenda is just a bit eccentric. And after being here with her, I think eccentric is too strong a word. And when you meet the others, you’ll know what I mean.”
Robin nodded. “Well, what shall we do today? Are you going to show me around town?”
“Sure. Town consists of a handful of shops. And the bakery. We’ll have lunch there.” Kate walked back into the house. “We can go now, if you like.”
Robin continued to stare at the cliffs. “It’s so pleasant. No wonder you stay outside to write.” Then she looked at Kate. “You have been writing, haven’t you? I didn’t even think to ask.”
Kate nodded. “Yes. It’s coming along nicely.” It occurred to her then that Robin rarely inquired about her writing. In fact, had Robin even read her last book? Was she even aware of Kate’s dilemma regarding Jennifer and Paul?
“Great. But I hope you’ll be able to take a break from it this weekend. I was hoping you could take me to Santa Fe early on Sunday and we could shop. Or tour some galleries.”
“Shop? Robin, you shop every weekend in Dallas. I thought you wanted to come up here to get away from the city?”
“Santa Fe is not really a big city, Kate. And I was told there are some lovely jewelry stores there. I’ve always wanted some silver.”
Kate sighed. She hated to shop. And Robin knew it. Robin looked at her expectantly, waiting. But Kate shook her head. She wouldn’t spend the better part of a day shopping when she could be writing.
“I don’t think so. If you want to shop before your flight, you can head down early. But Robin, that’s more than two hours out of my time, just driving. I’ve got a deadline,” she reminded her.
“But honey, we haven’t seen each other in over a month. Don’t you want to spend some time together?”
“Of course. But I explained that I’m not exactly on vacation. I’m working. And I just can’t spare three whole days. Especially when one of them involves shopping.”
Robin put her hands on her hips. “Maybe you should have told me that when I suggested coming to visit.”
Before Kate could respond, she saw Brenda out of the corner of her eye, her footsteps quiet in her soft moccasins.
“Girls, what are you doing inside?” She looked at Kate. “I thought you’d be out showing her the cliffs.”
Kate pointed at Robin’s feet—perfectly manicured toenails clad only in dainty, white sandals. Brenda’s eyes widened.
“Surely you brought something more suitable?”
Robin shrugged. “It’s summer. I just brought sandals. They’re perfectly suitable for normal wear.”
Brenda and Kate exchanged glances.
“I would offer some of mine, but you look like you’re a couple of sizes smaller than me,” Brenda said.
Kate nodded. “And me.”
“When you said you’d been hiking, I was picturing a nice, smooth hike and bike trail,” Robin said with a laugh. “Besides, this outdoor stuff is not really my thing.” She turned to Brenda. “I’m trying to talk Kate into taking me shopping on Sunday. Down in Santa Fe. Now that’s my idea of fun.”
Brenda frowned. “But Katie hates to shop.”
“And I never understood that. What woman hates to shop?”
Again, Brenda glanced quickly at Kate before smiling at Robin. “Well, darling, if you want to shop, I’ll be happy to take you. Shopping is my specialty, after all.”
“You wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not. When is your flight?”
“Not until three.”
“Well, we can head down that morning then. Katie, you don’t mind, do you?”
Kate smiled her thanks. “Not at all. I can spend the day writing.”
“Now, aren’t you going to take Robin into Coyote for lunch?”
“Why don’t you join us?” Kate asked. She smiled, hoping Brenda would agree. The conversation between herself and Robin was quickly going nowhere.
“Well, if you don’t mind,” Brenda said with a subtle wink. “I never turn down the bakery, darling.”
Chapter Nineteen
Lee stopped the Jeep, pausing with both hands on the steering wheel. She should have made an excuse. She should have just declined the invitation. But no, her curiosity was too much. She just had to meet the woman who shared Kate’s life.
“Are you okay?”
Lee turned, smiling at her date. Not Brandy, no. But Brandy’s friend Trudy. And this would probably send Kate over the edge. Although twenty-two, Trudy looked all of eighteen. An eighteen- year-old model, that is. But for once, she was up front. Trudy knew that when the evening was over, Lee would take her back to the lodge. Tonight, she just needed a date. And Trudy was willing.
“I’m fine. I’ve just never faked a date before.”
“She must be special.”
Lee frowned. “She who?”
“Whoever you’re trying to make jealous. Because, honestly, I’ve never had to fake a date before, either,” she said as she tossed the blond hair off her shoulder.
Lee got out. “I’m not trying to make anyone jealous. I just didn’t want to come alone.”
“So why not have a real date?” she asked as Lee held the door open for her. “I don’t have anywhere to be tonight.”
“Yeah, well, because.”
“Because?”
Lee stopped. “Because. Just because.”
Trudy patted her arm. “I’ll play along. We’ll have her so jealous by the end of the evening, she’ll be begging for you.”
“That smells delicious, Simone. What is it?”
“Oh, I can’t take credit for it, Sunshine. Sophia made it for me. Portabella mushrooms and spinach.” Brenda pulled a dish from the fridge. “Rice. It just needs to be heated.”
Sunshine leaned closer. “This Robin person. She doesn’t fit with Kate at all.”
Brenda laughed. “I know. I’ve been telling Kate that for two years.”
“She’ll know soon. It’s only a matter of time.”
“What do you mean?”
“Can’t you see it? Ariel,” Sunshine whispered.
Brenda shook her head. “Oh, no. Not Lee. They’ve become friends, but Lee is not Kate’s type at all. And darling, in case you’ve not noticed, Kate is about fifteen years older th
an Lee’s normal dates.”
“Nonetheless, Simone, it will happen. Watch them tonight.” Brenda smiled. “Okay, I’ll watch. But I can assure you, there is nothing there.” Brenda took Sunshine’s arm, leading her from the kitchen. “Now, let’s leave this to finish baking. It’s time for sangria.”
“Oh, Ariel has us all hooked, doesn’t she? Do you suppose she has some secret ingredient in there?”
“I say she should sell the stuff. Or at least share the recipe. It must cost her a fortune to supply it for all our parties.”
“She says an old Pueblo chief gave her the recipe with the promise she’d not pass it on.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Kate asked from the doorway.
“Ariel’s wine,” Sunshine said.
Kate held up her glass. “If she doesn’t get here soon, we’ll be fighting over this. That’s it.”
The words no sooner left her mouth and Lee walked in, a jug of wine in each hand. But it wasn’t the wine Kate was looking at. It was the woman following close behind. Girl, she corrected. Child. But a gorgeous child nonetheless.
“Why, Lee, we were just talking about you,” Brenda said, taking one of the bottles of wine from her hand. “How are you, darling?”
Lee bent quickly and kissed Brenda’s cheek. “Wonderful. How are you?”
“I’m fine. And who is this beautiful woman?”
“Meet Trudy. She’s staying at the lodge for the summer.”
Kate rolled her eyes. Of course she was. No doubt Lee had her pick of girls from the lodge. Then she looked around for Robin, finding Robin’s eyes glued to Lee. And really, she couldn’t blame her. Lee’s normal jeans had been replaced with soft khakis. Her dark blue shirt was crisp, tucked neatly inside her trim waist. She looked as appealing as ever. When she looked up, she found her eyes captured by Lee’s. She answered her smile with one of her own.
“Kate, meet a friend of mine. Trudy. Trudy, this is Kate Winters.”
“Miss Winters, nice to meet you. You’re the author, right? The Masters?”
“Kate, please.”
“Lee, you didn’t tell me you knew a famous author,” Trudy said. Kate cleared her throat. “Hardly famous. But welcome to our home, Trudy.”