by KG MacGregor
The House on Sandstone
new toys for the playroom or something. Whatever ya’ll think is best is okay. We just wanted a way to say thank you."
Justine took the proud man’s check and turned it over. In a shaky hand, Raymond had made the check out to Grace Hospital, in the amount of seventy dollars. The memo line said simply "For little Raymond". Her own eyes filled with tears at the tender gesture.
"Why don’t you come upstairs with me? I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Jim Henderson.
He’s the head of the hospital and he’s going to be so pleased that you’ve decided to make this generous gift." Justine knew that the gift should go to Paul Brewer, the man who had taken her place as Director of Development. But Paul was a glad-hander, always schmoozing with the "big money", and he wouldn’t appreciate what a gift like this meant to the givers. Seventy dollars was a lot of money for the Oates family, and they deserved to be treated like the king and queen of Kentucky. Jim would do that.
**********
"You’re not running off to get coffee today?" Nadine was surprised when Carly followed her into the store.
"No, I need to talk with Perry. This has gone on long enough."
Carly stopped just inside the doorway, where her father and cousin were pulling together some of their floor models that they’d sold at a discount yesterday to reduce their year-end inventory. Nadine made eye contact with her husband and tipped her head toward the office, where they disappeared and closed the door.
"Perry, I–"
"No, Carly." He dug his hands into his jacket pocket and looked at the floor. "I need to go first…’cause I have to apologize."
"Me too, Per. I shouldn’t have called you that. I just–"
"No, you were right. Well…I hate to think I’m really a pigheaded bigot, but I sure was acting like one. I’ve been going over it and over it in my head, and I got no business judging you like that. You ain’t just my cousin, Carly. You’re one of my best friends."
"You’re one of my best friends too." Carly walked closer and saw the look of shame on his bearded face. "I know I threw you for a loop, telling you that out of the blue. I should have told you a long time ago, but…I’ve never really had anybody special or anything, and it just never came up."
136
The House on Sandstone
"Well, I just want you to know that…whatever you wanna do is all right with me. All I want is for you to be happy, and if a woman’s gonna make you happier than a man, then so be it."
"Thanks. I want you to be happy too." There wasn’t really anything else they needed to say. The fence was mended, and from the looks of things, there was a lot of furniture scheduled to go out today.
**********
Justine settled into a comfortable pace, already sweating from her warm-up mile. It had been tempting to blow off her routine today, but she doubted she’d have time to run tomorrow, and she’d have just paced the house for an hour if she’d had the extra time.
Carly had called after lunch, confirming their plans to go to Louisville tonight, and offering Justine one last chance to back out. The redhead tried to sound nonchalant, but inside, she was bubbling with excitement. If she’d had more time, she’d have gotten nervous. Instead, she’d watched the clock all day in anticipation.
I will not drink too much tonight!
In the weeks since she and Carly had been together, Justine had managed to piece together a lot of the details from their drunken night. Every time something flashed in her head, it caused a shudder, a blush, and then a lapse in concentration. Even as she ran, she reached forward to brace herself on the crossbar, her rhythm fluttering just enough to threaten her balance on the rapidly moving belt.
Justine was beginning to accept the fact that her feelings for Carly were past the realm of friendship. Valerie had encouraged her to think about it, and that’s what she’d been doing. In fact, the more she dwelled on thoughts of the two of them together, the more she accepted–and welcomed–the idea. But she didn’t want a repeat of their inebriated frolic. No, if she had another chance to be with Carly, she wanted all of her faculties intact. And next time, she wanted what she’d been denied before–to touch Carly the way Carly had touched her.
Do it, Justine. Tell her that it’s what you want. You know it is. Nobody has to know about it…. Valerie was right–you can have this in your life. If you’re not willing to take a chance for Carly Griffin, then you might as well give up love for good, because you’re not going to feel this way about anybody else.
**********
137
The House on Sandstone
"How did you ever find this place?"
Carly drove through downtown Louisville, pointing out the women’s bar as she headed toward a parking garage. They’d eaten at Ruby Tuesday’s–Carly’s treat, since she’d done the inviting this time–and at a quarter to ten, were energized for a couple of hours of dancing.
"The concierge at the Marriott told me about it. I usually stay there when I have to be at headquarters for a few days." On the way from the restaurant, Carly had shown her friend the offices of Worldwide Workforce.
What were you thinking, you fool? They were barely out of Leland before the blonde woman realized how difficult the night was going to be. Justine was being so charming and sweet, and Carly was ready to throw out her promises to try to keep things between them at a friendship level. Her natural inclination was to flirt like crazy, but she was fighting it because Justine had made it clear that she didn’t want to go there. It wouldn’t be right to put pressure on her after she’d promised that she wouldn’t.
The women approached the entrance and Carly dug into her hip pocket for her wallet.
"I should get this. You got dinner."
"No, I invited you. No arguments." Casually, Carly placed her hand in the small of Justine’s back, guiding her toward the glass door. Lively music greeted them as they entered, and their eyes struggled to adapt to the dim light.
"This is a lot nicer place than the one in Cincinnati." The redhead smiled broadly in anticipation of their evening.
Carly leaned in to be heard above the din of the music. "If you take my hand, people will think we’re a couple and maybe they won’t try to fight over you this time." As she spoke, she wrapped her hand around Justine’s, and was pleased beyond measure when the other woman entwined their fingers. But again, Carly reigned in her emotions, reminding herself that this wasn’t actually a date, no matter how good it felt to be out with Justine.
"They can fight all they want. I’m leaving with you."
The two worked their way through the crowded room, finding a couple of tall stools at a counter that wrapped its way around the perimeter of wall. The music was invigorating, as were the lively couples that packed the dance floor.
"I probably should have told you that I’m not a very good dancer, but I was afraid you wouldn’t come." Carly wasn’t an awful dancer, but she was usually self-conscious about her style when she saw younger women dancing suggestively. It looked hot when they did it, but she was pretty sure she’d look ridiculous trying to imitate something like that.
138
The House on Sandstone
"I haven’t been out dancing in years, so I’m kind of out of practice myself. But I’m willing to give it a try if you are."
That was Carly’s cue to toss out her reservations. If she didn’t dance with Justine tonight, someone else probably would. And she might have to hurt somebody if that happened.
She tossed their coats over the bar stools and took the taller woman’s hand again.
Assuming a confidence she didn’t really feel, Carly led Justine onto the floor and turned to face her dance partner. The women easily picked up the beat of the unfamiliar tune and soon worked their way to the center of the floor. For one song after another, they stayed out there, at times touching hands, but mostly dancing face to face to watch the other’s body sway in rhythm to the music. As a techno song wound do
wn, Carly was about to steer them back to their seats for a breather when a popular tune rejuvenated the crowd.
En masse, couples herded onto the dance floor, packing all of the dancers close together.
Justine moved into Carly’s personal space and rested her hands on the shorter woman’s hips. The blonde returned the gesture, feeling the curve of Justine’s waist through her tailored shirt. As they moved together to the music, her thighs brushed against Justine’s and she was glad that the dim light concealed the flush she felt. Already warm from dancing, this new physical closeness raised her body temperature even further as she thrilled at the contact.
Chill! We’re dancing…that’s all. You’ve done this with virtual strangers and it doesn’t mean a thing. For what seemed like the hundredth time tonight, Carly reeled in her racy thoughts. Justine was by far the most beautiful woman in the place, and she could feel dozens of eyes on them. Possessively, she pulled her partner closer as the dance tune ended and a slow lover’s ballad began.
The taller woman lowered her head and murmured, "This is nice."
Carly shivered as Justine’s warm breath tickled her ear, making her want to lose herself in the embrace. But it was no use pretending that any of this was real. Justine didn’t really want this…That’s what she’d said.
In an effort to regain control of her senses, Carly leaned back a little, but didn’t let go.
She studied her companion’s face, trying to interpret the expression. Justine’s eyes were closed and her brow furrowed slightly in what seemed to be concentration. Under other circumstances, she’d have said it was a dreamy look.
She was startled when Justine suddenly opened her eyes, her face breaking into a warm smile as the music stopped.
"Where did you go just now?"
"I was…." Justine was caught completely off guard with the question. She had been focused on the gliding sensation of Carly’s hips, imagining some other things they could do that would produce that same movement. "I was just listening to the music and trying 139
The House on Sandstone
to think where I’d heard it before." She hoped Carly wouldn’t ask her any more about the song, because she’d completely forgotten what it was.
"It’s a popular song, I think. I don’t really listen to music very much. It’s hard to keep up with stuff when I’m out of the country." Carly led them to their stools, noticing that a lot of the women were heading out to a large patio to smoke. "Would you mind if I…?" She gestured toward the door.
"You want to go out in the freezing cold to indulge in your nicotine habit?"
"I won’t if you don’t want me to." Carly was dying for a cigarette.
"I don’t want you to, Carly. It’s bad for you, and I care too much about you to see you get sick from it. But if it’s something you really want to do, I won’t nag you about it anymore."
Huh? "Never again?" Alison berated her every single time she lit up for almost two years straight.
"No, you have to make your own decision about something like that. You just asked me if I minded, and I told you the truth."
"Okay…well, maybe I don’t need one as bad as I thought." Maybe I’ll just quit. I’ve been meaning to anyway. "You want a beer or something?"
"Sure."
Carly grinned and headed toward the bar. Damn, how am I going to drink a beer and not have a cigarette? I can’t believe I just said I wouldn’t smoke.
As she waited for her order, she turned back to look at her date… er, companion. Justine looked gorgeous tonight…absolutely gorgeous. She had on tight black hip huggers with a wide leather belt and a fitted white shirt. The shirtsleeves were rolled to three-quarter length, and her jewelry–bracelets, a necklace, and dangly earrings dressed up the casual look. It wasn’t a typical look for a 43-year-old woman, but Justine pulled it off–in spades!
Dropping a ten on the bar to cover their beers and a tip, Carly turned back toward their spot on the far wall. She could see Justine talking with someone–laughing–and she picked up her pace to return to their seats. As she got closer, the other person came into view. She was an attractive woman, mid to late thirties, and her long blonde hair was pulled into a braid that went down the center of her back. Carly slipped in behind them just in time to pick up the conversation.
"Yeah, I ran the Chicago Marathon last year. I tell you, it’s true what they say about hitting the wall." The interloper sipped her beer. "But I could just tell you were a runner.
You have that look."
140
The House on Sandstone
Justine shrugged. "I don’t know about the look. I’ve never run a marathon, but I’d love to try it sometime. The most I’ve ever been able to manage was about twelve miles. It took me two days to get over that."
In addition to giving up cigarettes forever, Carly decided right on the spot that she would take up running as well. It was never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
"Can I buy you a drink?" the woman asked.
"Here you go, sweetheart." Carly jumped between them and handed Justine an icy bottle.
She was immensely relieved when the redhead smiled.
"We were just talking about running." Justine wrapped an arm around Carly’s waist.
"Hi, I’m Jeannie. I bet I’m in your seat."
Carly smiled sheepishly. You can have the seat, girlfriend. I’ve got this woman’s arm around me now. "It’s nice to meet you."
"Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but there’s a woman over there by the bar that hasn’t shot me down yet."
All three women laughed amiably, and Jeannie took her leave.
"Sorry if I interrupted anything. I thought you might want to be rescued, since you had such a hard time in Cincy."
"I don’t think I needed to be rescued, but I didn’t come here with Jeannie."
"Well, they don’t have a pool table, but I could have arm-wrestled her or something."
Justine laughed and tightened her grip. "There’s no contest tonight, Carly."
Carly felt her knees go weak.
The redhead took a long pull of her beer and set the bottle on the counter. "You up for more dancing?"
"Sure." Looky, ladies…she’s with me.
**********
141
The House on Sandstone
Justine couldn’t remember when she’d been so frustrated. It was almost two a.m., and theirs was the only car on the road. "I had a really good time."
"Me too."
They’d both said that about three times, and the redhead was devoid of all trivial conversation topics. The only thing she really wanted to talk about was why Carly had rebuffed her flirtations over and over again. Carly’s behavior tonight was so confusing.
They’d danced close to each other, and even held hands when they were back at their seats, but she was beginning to think it had all been for show on Carly’s part so the other women would leave her alone. Twice, Justine had pulled her into an amorous embrace on the dance floor, only to have Carly go stiff and pull back.
You told her you weren’t interested in a romance. Now she probably thinks you’re nuts because you can’t figure out what you want. One minute, you’re telling her you can’t have a relationship; and the next minute, you’re running your hands up and down her back; grinding your hips into hers; and whispering in her ear.
And it wasn’t like Carly hadn’t responded. She did! I could feel her holding my waist, caressing me through my shirt. Or she’d run her fingers over my hands and forearms.
And then BAM! She’d just stop and pull away.
Carly had feelings for her–she’d said so! But what if she’s changed her mind? Justine felt sick at the thought, and sighed deeply.
"Are you okay?" Carly asked.
"Yeah…a little tired, but I’m okay. I had a really good time."
"Me too."
**********
Carly locked the kitchen door and leaned against it. Despite the late hour, her senses were
alive–excited and frustrated at the same time. All night long, she’d battled to keep her feelings in check; and at times, it was like Justine was intentionally tormenting her. The smiles, the suggestive way they danced, and the proprietary way Justine had draped her arm around Carly’s waist or shoulder at every chance.
Are you trying to kill me, woman?
142
The House on Sandstone
Carly didn’t know what to make of Justine’s demeanor tonight. When they first set out on the hour-long drive to Louisville, Justine was definitely excited, but Carly attributed that to the fact that they were going out to a lesbian dance club. She never once imagined that Justine’s excitement had anything to do with her. But when they got to the club–
especially after that first slow dance–Carly began to feel like Justine’s focus was more on her than on their environs. Even when they stopped dancing to watch the other couples interact, Justine sat behind her on a stool and pulled her close. She’d wanted to just fall back against her chest and burrow into her embrace.
Carly would give almost anything in this world to keep that feeling–if Justine Hall’s heart was attached on the other end. But it wasn’t; Justine only wanted to sample the lesbian lifestyle…to see if she was comfortable. Even if she was, she didn’t want to try this on for real.
Damn! A cigarette sure would taste good right about now.
Chapter 14
"Carly?" Nadine navigated the crumpled clothes in the floor, careful not to step on anything. "Carly?" Gently, she shook her daughter’s shoulder.
Sleepily, the blonde woman raised her head to see who was making so much noise in the middle of the night. "Mama?"