Winter Hearts

by A. E. Radley

  “It does, but—”

  “Well, it’s a quarter past now. You should be free to talk to your mother.”

  There were times that Peyton would rather be elbow deep in a dog’s ass than talk to her mother. At that particular moment, she was both.

  “I’m still wrapping up work, Mom.” Peyton sighed and gently extracted the culturette from Mr. Puffles’ rectum. She released her grip on the dog and motioned to the vet tech standing on the other side of the exam table to take hold of the terrier mix. “This is not always a nine to five job,” she continued, shifting the phone from its precarious position on her shoulder to her now free hand.

  “Sorry, Dr. P,” the tech whispered, slipping her hand around the dog’s chest. “I wouldn’t have brought you the phone, but she said it was an emergency.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Lori,” Peyton returned in a low voice. She shook her head as she crossed the room to the exam area. “It’s not your fault.” Returning the phone to her ear, she said, “One second, Mom.” She placed the phone down on the counter and then made quick work of smearing the fecal sample onto a slide. She squinted at the slide under the microscope and then, satisfied with what she saw, turned back at Lori. “Okay, Mr. Puffles can go back now.”

  Lori nodded. “C’mon little guy,” she said, carrying the terrier out of the room.

  Once she was out of sight, Peyton picked up the phone to continue the conversation. “Okay, Mom, what do you need?”

  “What do I need? Well, for starters, you could ask me how my day has been.”

  Lord. “Seriously, Mom? It’s been a long day and all I want to do is go home and rest.”

  “Fine. I’m calling to get an update on how things are going with Ashley. Knowing you, I wanted to make sure that you hadn’t asked her to marry you and just haven’t told me.”

  “No, I haven’t asked her yet.”

  “Well, what are you waiting for?”

  “What am I waiting for?” she scoffed. “I tried the other night at dinner—like you suggested—and it was a miserable failure.”

  “What happened? Did she say no?”

  Peyton sighed and leaned a hip against the exam table. “No, Mom, she didn’t say no.” As a matter of fact, Ashley had said nothing during the thirty-minute ride home. They’d gone to bed in silence and had barely spoken the next morning. They’d been walking around on eggshells all week. “I never got the chance to actually ask her. We kept getting interrupted.”

  “Oh, for goodness sakes, Peyton.”

  “Don’t for goodness sakes me, Mom,” she grimaced. “I’m doing the best I can here.”

  “Which is obviously not—”

  “You know what, Mom, I really need to get back to work. We can continue this conversation later.” Peyton disconnected the call and dropped the phone on the counter beside her. Wiping a hand over her eyes, she sighed.

  “Is there anything else you needed before I head out, Dr. P?”

  “What?” Peyton looked up to see Lori standing beside her. “Oh, um, no, I don’t need anything, Lori. Thanks for staying late to assist with the rescues.”

  “Not a problem, you know I’m always happy to help.” She smiled. “And I don’t mind a little overtime every now and then.”

  Peyton returned the smile. “I hear that. Well, have a good night.”

  “You, too.” Lori turned to go, but paused at the doorway. She looked back to Peyton. “Dr. P, I know it’s not my place to say this and if I’m overstepping a boundary, please say so.”

  Frowning, Peyton shook her head. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but go ahead.”

  “Well, it’s just that…” Lori shifted from one foot to the other. “I couldn’t help but overhear some of the conversation with your mother. You know, about asking your, uh, girlfriend to marry you over dinner.”

  Wonderful. “Oh?”

  She bobbed her head, a strand of blonde hair falling across one eye. “And I am here to tell you that I am a hundred percent against the idea.”

  Peyton frowned, a bit taken aback. She’d never thought Lori to be one of those people. Peyton had encountered more than her fair share of bigots over the years, and was generally able to pick up on them fairly quickly. Ashley had once joked that Peyton had a sort of reverse gay-dar when it came to the subject.

  She opened her mouth to tell Lori exactly what she could do with her opinion when the younger woman continued on. “Nope, you can’t ask her to marry you over dinner. That is so old-fashioned.”

  Peyton blinked in response

  Lori swept the hair away from her forehead. “I’m thinking a flash mob.”

  “A flash mob?”

  “Yeah, you know, like you see on YouTube on all the time. I saw one where the guy had three hundred people dress up like Disney characters.”

  Peyton cleared her throat, not quite sure what to say. “I, uh…. I don’t think I know three hundred people.”

  “Oh, don’t be silly, Dr. P.” Lori waved a hand in the air. “You don’t have to know everyone in the mob. We can put it out on social media and people will just show up.”

  “You know, not to knock your idea or anything, but I was thinking of something a little…” Saner. “…smaller.”

  Not to be deterred, Lori plucked a notepad from one pocket and a pen from the other, and then began jotting down notes. “Okay, then, we’ll do it on a smaller scale.” She tapped the pen on the notepad and stared up at Peyton. “What if we get everyone from the office to help out?”

  What if we don’t and say we didn’t. “I don’t know, Lori…”

  “Oh, come on, Dr. P. Don’t you want to make it memorable for her?”

  “Yeah, but…”

  “Then it’s settled.” Lori slid the pen and pad back into her pockets. “You go on home and get some rest and I’ll start working on the details.”

  Not quite sure what she’d agreed to, Peyton nodded and waved goodnight.

  “Are you sure you have everything you need for tonight, Daisy?”

  “Yep. I even packed my swimsuit just in case Grandma and Grandaddy might wanna take me to the commie pool.” Daisy smiled broadly as she spoke, looking hopefully up at her grandmother.

  “It’s community pool, honey,” Jolene said, shaking her head, “and your grandfather can’t get his stiches wet, remember?”

  “Oh…okay.” Eyes downcast, Daisy gave a dejected sigh and dropped her shoulders.

  Ashley resisted the urge to sweep her up in a hug. “Maybe your mama and I can take you after we pick you up tomorrow?”

  Daisy’s head popped back up. “Really?”

  “Really,” Ashley smiled, reaching a hand out to brush an auburn curl back into place. “But you need to make sure you’re good tonight, okay?”

  Daisy flashed a toothy grin. “Ima always good, right Grandma?”

  The look on Jolene’s face said otherwise. “Umm…why don’t you say goodnight to your kitty and we’ll be on our way, all right?”

  “Okay, Grandma.” Daisy was out of the room before she’d finished the sentence, sprinting down the hallway toward her bedroom. “Fluffy!”

  Stifling a laugh, Ashley shook her head and then looked back at Jolene. “Thank you for letting Daisy spend the night tonight. I’d ask what’s the occasion, but I don’t really want to look a gift horse in the mouth. Things have been so busy lately, Peyton and I really haven’t had that much alone time.”

  Well, she thought, the other night notwithstanding. They’d barely spoken after arriving home from the restaurant and the….well, whatever the hell you’d call what had gone down there. Ashley still wasn’t quite sure what had happened, just that things between them had been awkward ever since.

  “That’s what I’ve heard.”

  “Really?” Ashley cocked her head. “What have you heard exactly?”

  Jolene was uncharacteristically at a loss for words. She opened her mouth as if to say something that she quickly thought better of. Patting Ashley on
the shoulder, she quickly said, “Oh, nothing, dear. Just that you and Peyton don’t spend enough quality time together, is all.” She craned her neck to look down the hallway. “Daisy,” she called. “C’mon honey. I told your grandfather we’d stop and get ice cream on the way home.”

  She’d known Jolene long enough to know when the older woman was hiding something. What that something was, Ashley wasn’t quite sure.

  “How’s he doing, by the way?” she asked, eyeing Jolene for some hint of motive.

  Jolene rolled her eyes. “Still acting like a big baby. Sometime I think I married the world’s biggest drama queen.”

  Ashley raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think that’s being a little harsh? I mean, he did cut his finger off.”

  “Just the tip.” Jolene made a tutting sound. “Serves him right for messing with that silly knife.” She smiled as Daisy ran back into the room. “Anyway, you just enjoy your night with Peyton and don’t worry about anything.”

  Jolene whisked Daisy out the door and was on the way to her car before Ashley had the chance to ask what she should be worried about. Ashley watched Jolene’s Buick back out of the driveway and then continued to stare out the front window for a long moment after it had disappeared, mulling over Jolene’s words in her head.

  The sound of Moose’s nail clacking on the hardwood floor brought her out of her reverie. She smiled down at the wagging dog and shook her head.

  “Oh, well,” she said to him, “no sense in that is there, Moose? I could spend all night trying to figure out what Jolene was up to.”

  Moose yipped in response.

  “C’mon,” Ashley said, leading Moose out of the living room. “Let’s get you settled for the night and me into something more comfortable before Peyton gets home.” She glanced down at her watch and bit back a frown. It was well past time for Peyton to be home from the office. Normally she would call if she was going to be late.

  Ashley put out a small amount of dry food for Moose and the kitten, checked their water, and then hopped into the shower. She had just finished drying her hair when she heard the front door open.

  “Ashley…Daisy, I’m home,” Peyton called out as she walked down the darkened hallway.

  “In the bedroom,” Ashley called back, smiling when she saw Peyton walk through the doorway. “Sorry, I should have left a light on for you.”

  “It’s okay, sweetie,” Peyton said, dropping a kiss on Ashley’s check as she walked past. Peyton sat down on the edge of the bed and began to kick off her shoes. “Daisy gone to bed already?”

  “No, your mother came and got her.”

  Peyton looked up quizzically, one shoe still half-on. “My mother?”

  “Mmhmm. She dropped in unannounced, said that she was in the area and wanted to see if Daisy could spend the night.”

  “In the area, huh?”

  “That’s what she said, anyway.” She met Peyton’s eyes. “I felt like she wanted to tell me something.”

  Peyton shifted her gaze minutely. It wasn’t much, but Ashley caught the movement.

  “Ashley, about the other night…”

  Shaking her head, Ashley crossed the room and pulled the shoe off Peyton’s foot. She dropped it on the floor next to its mate. “Don’t worry about the other night. I was being overly sensitive.”

  Peyton reached out for Ashley’s hand and brushed a kiss on her knuckles. “No, you weren’t. I was being a complete idiot, and I’m sorry.” She stood and wrapped her arms around Ashley’s waist. “Maybe you’ll let me make it up to you?”

  “Oh?” Ashley arched an eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Well,” Peyton gave a wolfish grin. “We do have the house to ourselves tonight.”

  Ashley laughed as Peyton leaned in and nipped at her neck. “Dr. Maxwell,” she laughed, “do I look like that kind of girl?”

  “Lord, I hope so,” she murmured before pulling Ashley in for a soft but insistent kiss. Peyton’s hands danced up Ashley’s back, pressing their bodies together. Ashley relaxed into her, enjoying the feel of Peyton’s lips against her own. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of Peyton’s—

  Ashley abruptly pushed on Peyton’s chest, breaking the kiss. “Not that I’m not totally down for some hot monkey sex tonight…sweetheart…” She wrinkled her nose. “…you reek—and not in a good way.”

  Peyton smiled. “Eau de wet dog not doing it for you tonight?”

  “Maybe not so much.”

  Peyton slid out of her khaki pants and began working the buttons of her shirt. “That’s why I was late tonight,” she said, sliding the shirt off her shoulders. “The rescue we’ve been working with has taken in a dozen or so dogs this week. I decided to go ahead and finish the exams tonight so they could get them picked up and ready for their foster homes tomorrow.” She reached behind her back, wriggling as she fumbled with the latch of her bra. “Let me go take a quick shower and then we can continue this conversation.”

  “I do like where it was going,” Ashley grinned, relishing the sight as Peyton finished undressing.

  “Me, too.” Peyton brushed a kiss on her forehead and then sprinted, naked, into the bathroom.

  The corners of her mouth still quirked up into a smile, Ashley moved to pick-up Peyton’s discarded clothing from the floor. Ashley fished the car keys and cell phone that she felt out of the pants pockets and then dropped the smelly clothes into the hamper, making a mental note to make Peyton do laundry first thing in the morning.

  She felt the cell phone buzz in her hand and glanced down to see a text message scroll across its screen. Talked to the girls, everybody is up for it!

  Hmm, she wondered, depositing the keys and phone onto the dresser. Who are the girls and what were they up for?

  She’d barely finished the thought when she felt wet arms wrap her in a hug.

  “Peyton!” Ashley squeaked. “You haven’t even dried off yet.”

  “I couldn’t wait,” Peyton breathed against the back of her neck. She brought her hands up, tracing Ashley’s breasts through the silky nightgown, sending shivers down Ashley’s spine. “And you’re wearing too many clothes.”

  Ashley turned in Peyton’s arms. “Maybe we should do something about that.”

  “My pleasure,” Peyton murmured, lifting the nightgown up and over Ashley’s head in one swift movement. Taking Ashley by the hand, she led her to the bed and pulled back the covers.

  A rapid burn rushed through Ashley’s veins as Peyton gently pushed her down onto the bed. Peyton knelt over her, peppering Ashley’s stomach with kisses while skimming her fingers along Ashley’s ribcage. She moaned, writhing restlessly beneath Peyton’s soft touch.

  Peyton lifted her head and swept her gaze across Ashley’s body. Seeing a frown cross Peyton’s brow, Ashley brought her hand up to touch the other woman’s cheek. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

  “The other night,” Peyton said, her voice breaking.

  Ashley placed a finger over Peyton’s lips. “Hush about the other night. It’s okay,” she murmured. “I promise.”

  Peyton seized the hand and turned her face into Ashley’s wrist. She touched her lips to the tender skin and then looked up into Ashley’s eyes. “No,” she said, “it’s not okay. You are the most beautiful woman in the world. Period.” Ashley felt a lump form in her throat as she saw Peyton’s eyes mist over with tears. “I don’t want you to ever think anything different. I don’t want to be the reason that you do.”

  Ashley ran her tongue over her lips. She ached to touch Peyton, be touched by Peyton. She ran her free hand through Peyton’s damp hair, wrapping her fingers around the auburn curls on the back of her head. “I love you,” she said and then pulled Peyton down to her. She pressed her lips against Peyton’s, taking her mouth in a kiss meant to ravish. Ashley felt Peyton groan and then matched it when Peyton’s probing tongue demanded and then gained entry. Peyton’s tongue danced with her own and then brushed against the inside of Ashley’s lip.


  Peyton shifted and slid her body over Ashley’s. The feel of Peyton’s breasts pressing against her own was intoxicating. She ran her hands along Peyton’s sides, enjoying the feel of Peyton’s body shivering beneath her touch. Ashley gripped her firm buttocks with both hands and ground their hips together. Peyton moaned and broke away from Ashley’s lips. She kissed along the side of her neck and then showered a trail to her breasts. Peyton took one eager breast into the palm of her hand, flicking her tongue around the edges before lowering her mouth over its hardened nipple. Ashley’s hands fell to her sides and then fisted the sheets as Peyton began to suck on the captured breast.

  “Please…” Ashley begged, arching her body into Peyton’s.

  Peyton’s tongue and mouth and fingers suddenly seemed to be everywhere, leaving Ashley’s skin scorched wherever they touched. Ashley was unable to remain still as Peyton continued her onslaught. She moaned and thrashed against the satiny sheets, her skin wet with perspiration. When she felt Peyton kiss the vulnerable flesh at the top of her thigh, she whimpered. And then Peyton’s tongue found Ashley’s throbbing clit. When she flicked her tongue across it, teasing the quivering flesh, Ashley bucked beneath her. Peyton placed a steadying hand on Ashley’s stomach as she darted a steely tongue in and out of her swollen folds. Peyton lapped at her pulsing wet heat, circling and suckling Ashley’s clit, ruthlessly driving Ashley to the edge of no return. She cried out when she felt Peyton’s fingers opening her, waves of pleasure washing over her with each thrust of Peyton’s hand. Peyton’s mouth and tongue and fingers seemed to morph together to stoke the fire deep within Ashley. She felt Peyton’s lips close around her clit and give a gentle suck. It was too much. Ashley thrashed on the mattress, screaming her release as incendiary flames engulfed her core.

  CHAPTER 6

  It had been almost three weeks since my world was invaded by the kitten and things were definitely not improving.

  For one thing, there was the smell. I’m not talking about the generally foul odor of feline fur. Three weeks in, I was almost nose-blind to that. No, it was the litter box that was going to do me in.