A trailer piled with old timbers took up four parking spots in front of the building. She parked alongside it and Josie poked her head up from behind it. “Hey there. Are you playing hooky again?”
“I sure am.” Kelly got out of her car and leaned on the side of the trailer checking the contents. “Where’d all this come from?”
“It’s the old shed. I’m getting ready to haul it to the dump. You’re welcome to come along.” Josie fastened the trailer to the hitch on her Jeep. “I just need to put a couple of bungee cords across this to secure the load and I’ll be ready.”
“I’ll say hi to Ruth and be right out.” Kelly found her seated at one of the tables with the newspaper spread across it. “Hey, Ruth.”
“Kelly! I was hoping you’d stop over this week. Can you stay for dinner?”
Kelly smiled at Ruth’s obsession with sharing meals. “I’m going to help Josie take a load to the dump, and I’ll be back.” She hugged Ruth and hurried out the door. She didn’t want to get her hopes up if her talk with Josie didn’t go well. Josie sat in her vehicle waiting. “What can I do to help?”
“You can keep me company.” Josie tossed a pair of leather work gloves onto her lap. “And you can help unload when we get there.”
The trip to the dump took less than fifteen minutes, and Kelly remained silent, watching the muscles in Josie’s arm as she held the steering wheel. It seemed like the only things to talk about were the heavy things, and she wasn’t ready to deal with those just yet. Besides, she wanted Josie’s full attention. Josie turned in the seat and deftly backed the trailer to an area of the dump site designated for building materials. Kelly tried not to be obvious as she watched the material of Josie’s T-shirt stretch across her breasts.
“Does all this get buried somewhere?” Kelly couldn’t believe the state would allow this beautiful island to become a dumping ground.
“No. This all gets recycled. A company comes in and separates treated lumber from the pile and chips the rest.”
They finished unloading the trailer, and she stole glances at Josie’s firm backside as she lifted and tossed pieces of lumber. It took them less time than she would have liked to finish and head back. “Ruth looks good.”
“Yeah. She’s doing well. I’m still worried about her going home and being alone this winter, though.”
“Could she hire a home care group to check on her daily?”
“I’m not sure she can afford it, but I’m planning on looking into it if she insists on moving back. I admit, I’ve been avoiding the conversation, but it isn’t fair to her to put it off. She misses her home.” Josie backed the trailer into a spot next to the building and turned off the engine.
“Can we take a walk? I want to talk to you.” Kelly pushed away nerves, still unsure of what she would say.
“Sure. Let’s check on Nooko first, and we’ll go out back. You can see how much I’ve got done on the new building.”
“Hi again, Ruth.” Kelly retrieved two bottles of water from the refrigerator before following Josie out the back door.
Ruth waved from her seat on the couch. “You two be careful out there.”
The afternoon sun radiated heat even in the shaded area of the bench as they sat sipping cold water. “Thanks for letting me help you today. The physical activity felt good.”
“I’ll bet you’re looking forward to getting back to riding your horse.”
“I am, but I’ve enjoyed my time here.” Kelly chose her words carefully, wanting to convey her feelings and nudge Josie into revealing hers. “As I said before, I’m going to miss you and Ruth.”
“And we’ll miss you, too.” Josie sat back on the bench and gazed at the water with her hands clasped in her lap.
Kelly covered them with one hand and gently gripped Josie’s chin with the other. She turned her face to her and their gazes locked. “I’m going to miss you a lot.” She kissed her, willing her feelings to transmit through her lips. She’d intended the kiss to show Josie how she felt, to spark feelings she couldn’t, wouldn’t, deny, but her passion flared, threatening to consume them both as the kiss deepened and Josie leaned over her. She stretched out underneath her as far as the bench allowed and pulled her on top of her. She squirmed as desire overtook reason. She dropped one leg to the ground, and Josie pressed her thigh to her center. Kelly writhed against her and tendrils of need crept through her.
Josie pulled away breathing hard. “Stay with me tonight?”
Kelly took a shuddering breath and nodded before pulling her in for another kiss. She groaned as Josie slid her hands under her T-shirt, gently exploring with her fingers. She arched into her touch, grabbed her hands, and pushed them against her breasts. Josie slid her hands under her bra, pinched her nipples, and she went limp in her arms.
Kelly pushed herself up, forcing Josie off her. “I’m going to explode right here and now if we continue, and that’s not how I want our first time together to be.” She straightened her clothing and waited for her breath to return to normal.
Josie kissed her lightly, stood, and pulled Kelly into her arms. “Let’s go inside.”
Josie held her hand as they walked toward the lodge, and Kelly nearly skipped at the wave of rightness.
Josie stole one more kiss before they opened the door to the lodge and found Ruth seated on the couch.
Kelly sat next to her and pulled Josie down beside her.
“I asked Kelly to stay tonight, Nooko.”
“And I said yes.” Kelly lifted their joined hands and kissed Josie’s knuckles.
Ruth smiled, looking at each one of them in turn. “I think that’s wonderful.”
“So do I.” She didn’t add how much she was looking forward to being with Josie all night, good idea or not.
“I’m going to do my nightly check of the property.” Josie lingered, looking adorably uncertain.
“We’re going to the hot tub.” Ruth stood and headed for the door.
“See you later, I guess.” Kelly chuckled and rushed to kiss Josie before following Ruth. It was just a quick peck, but it fanned the flames of need already burning inside her.
“I’ll put out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt for you on my bed.” Josie’s breath tickled her ear, and she shivered with anticipation of more.
* * *
Kelly sat with Ruth at one of the tables, content to watch her assemble a puzzle after their hot tub exercise. She’d seen many seniors enjoy the mental stimulation of puzzles and was glad to see her do so well at it. “You’re pretty good.” She picked up a piece and set it in place.
“It’s supposed to be good for the mind, but you already know that, don’t you?”
“Yes. It’s a great mental exercise.” Kelly wished Ruth would go to bed. She glanced at Josie seated next to her, grateful she was seated because she would have wilted from the heat of her gaze.
Josie rose to close the blinds in the kitchen, which must have reminded Ruth of the time. “I’m ready for bed.” She stood and gripped her cane. “You two sleep well.”
“Good night, Ruth. Pleasant dreams.” Kelly hugged her and tried not to appear overeager to see her leave.
She carried their cups to the kitchen and jumped when Josie pinned her against the counter. She snuggled into her arms and tipped her head back.
“Ready for bed?” Josie spoke between nuzzles on her neck.
“Oh yes.” She let her lead her to her bedroom.
Kelly’s thoughts and concerns fled as they removed their shoes and Josie stripped off her T-shirt and sports bra in one motion, then reached for hers. She squirmed out of it and unhooked her bra just in time as Josie grabbed them and tossed them aside. She tried not to whine as their bare breasts met and her nipples tightened, triggering an aching need she feared could never be satisfied. She grasped Josie’s head and claimed her mouth like a drowning person. Their tongues met with an urgency and need she’d never known. Her moans became pleas when Josie leaned away and placed her warm hands on her bre
asts, her gentle touch caressing her sensitive nipples. She unzipped Josie’s jeans and yanked them down, but before she could reach for her own, Josie backed her to the bed. She fell onto her back, and Josie removed her jeans and panties, tossed them to the floor, and stepped out of her briefs.
Their sounds of passion echoed throughout the room. A warm breeze fluttered the curtains, and the silence was heavy with expectation.
With nothing between them but desire, Josie hesitated. Sweet, desirable, and lying beneath her naked, offering herself, her vulnerability, Kelly wanted love and commitment. What message was she sending her? What does this mean? She lost herself in exploring Kelly’s gorgeous body with her tongue and all uncertainties fled when Kelly arched to meet her touch and cupped her sex. She moved her fingers and Josie’s clitoris jerked. She pushed against the pressure and knew her wetness flooded Kelly’s hand. A ripple of pleasure overtook her as Kelly lightly circled her clit and slipped a finger inside her. She pressed Kelly’s hand against herself and turned slowly so they lay side by side. She matched her position by entering Kelly with her free hand.
“Oh, God.”
Kelly’s cry intensified her longing to please her. To satisfy her. Only her. She pushed deeper inside her and massaged her clit with her thumb. Kelly rose to meet each stroke, clutched the sheets, and stiffened, overtaken by her orgasm. Josie held her as her shivers subsided, and kissed her lightly. Oh, Kelly, what have I done? She gasped when Kelly rolled on top of her and squeezed her clit between her fingers and massaged it. “Oh, yes.” Her shout as she came reverberated through her soul, taking on a meaning she couldn’t deny.
* * *
The cool night air filtered into the room, cloaking them as they slept.
Kelly woke to the soothing sound of Josie’s heartbeat under her ear. She shifted slightly to circle her waist with her arm. Her skin was warm and soft. She refused to consider the consequences of her decision to sleep with Josie. She wearied of denying her desires. If Josie didn’t share the same feelings, at least she’d have memories of her kisses and her touch. She closed her eyes, and Josie’s rhythmic breathing lulled her back to sleep.
It seemed only minutes before Josie’s caress woke her again.
“Hey, sleepyhead.” Josie kissed her forehead. She was fully dressed and looked as if she’d been up for hours.
“Hey. I guess I fell back asleep. Can you lie back down for a few minutes? I’d like to cuddle.” Kelly’s heart beat in her ears as she waited for Josie’s answer.
“Sorry. Nooko’s waiting for breakfast. I’ve started the omelets already.” She lingered near the door, her hand resting on the door handle, her eyes anywhere but on Kelly.
Kelly reached for her T-shirt but kept herself covered with the bed sheets. Her greatest fear had materialized. What they’d shared the night before was less important to Josie than it was to her. She’d hoped for more, but she refused to deny what Josie had said with her touch, even if her words, her actions, didn’t match. “I’ll be right there. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
Josie slipped out and Kelly fell back onto the bed. Josie had never lied to her. She’d been completely honest about what she could give, and still, Kelly had run straight into that brick wall. Josie’s expression had been that of an alert animal, waiting for danger, and there was no way Kelly could combat that kind of fear. If last night’s passion hadn’t broken through, she didn’t know what would. She got ready slowly, putting off the inevitable moment she’d have to drive away and make a decision as to whether she’d ever come back.
Once in the kitchen, she put on a mask she hoped hid the turmoil and vulnerability flooding through her. She finished breakfast in silence except to answer Ruth’s questions and to help her with her hot tub exercises before leaving. Josie went outside to work on her shed project, so she stopped to say good-bye. “I’m heading home now. Can we talk before I leave? Please?”
Josie set her shovel aside and shifted foot to foot. “Sure.”
Not exactly a sit-down conversation, then. Kelly took Josie’s hand and kissed it. “Last night was special to me, Josie. I hope it was for you, too. I can’t leave without letting you know how much I care for you. And I’d really like to see what this thing between us could be.”
Josie pulled her into her arms. “I care about you, too.”
“I hear a but in there.”
“Last night was special to me as well, but I’m sorry if I gave you false hope or led you on. I didn’t mean to.” She stepped back and rested her hands on Kelly’s shoulders, but stared at the ground. “I’m afraid, Kelly. Too afraid. I thought I could move past my fear. I’m trying.” Her voice was a whisper.
“When love calls to us, and we refuse to listen, I believe it leaves an empty place in our heart.” She was certain in that moment that a hot poker in her heart wouldn’t be as painful as what she was about to do. “I hope you get over your fear one day, lover. Take care of yourself.” She kissed her with all the feelings she could muster before turning and walking away, perhaps for the last time.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Josie heaved a shovel full of dirt over her head and jammed the shovel into the ground. She continued her digging and flinging until her arms felt like rubber. She pushed away the memory of Kelly’s touch, her impassioned kisses, the way her body shook when she came, but mostly she needed to forget her words. Her words of love and her endearment. She’d called her “lover.” She’d never had anyone care enough about her to call her anything besides her name. As hard as she shoveled, she wasn’t able to blot out the sounds as Kelly’s orgasm overtook her. She tossed the shovel aside and went to make lunch for Nooko.
“I’ve made us some tuna sandwiches.” Nooko had the kitchen table set and waiting for her when she arrived.
“Thanks for making lunch. I’m going to clean up a little before I eat.” Josie washed her hands and cupped water to splash on her face. She hung her head over the sink and watched the water drip down her face like tears when she raised it to look in the mirror. What was she afraid of? Nooko’s words came back to her. “If I worried about loss…” She blotted her face with a towel and trudged to the kitchen.
Nooko looked up from her newspaper and half-eaten sandwich. “Is it going well out there, honey? You’re working hard.”
Josie plopped into her chair and stared at the sandwich on the plate in front of her. “Do you have any regrets, Nooko?”
“Regrets? Oh, honey, when you get to my age, it’s easy to look back and say I’d have done plenty of things differently, but I wouldn’t call them regrets. The Creator’s plan for our lives is one of love and happiness, but we can’t know what the path is, so we do the best we can and make choices based on what we know at the time. The hard part can be living with those choices when they go against the Plan. This is about Kelly, isn’t it?”
“I’m all mixed up about her. I feel myself wanting to draw her close but pushing her away. I’m afraid I hurt her, and I never meant to.”
Nooko took her hand and squeezed. “It’ll work out, honey. I know it will if it’s meant to be.”
“I really thought it would work. I thought I could move past the panic, but I froze. I wanted to try so badly with Kelly, but in the end, I wimped out.”
“Kelly is a strong, loving woman, but you can’t expect her to be rejected and keep coming back. You need to decide if she’s worth giving your heart to, and if you do, you have to stick to that decision. I can’t tell you what to do, honey, but if you love her, find her and tell her.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late, Nooko.” She pulled her hand away, the need to get the emotions out building like a tidal wave inside her, propelling her away from the table. “I’m going out to work on the shed project.” She grabbed a cold bottle of water before heading outside to begin shoveling.
A few physically exhausting hours later, Josie gulped her ice water and wiped the sweat from her face. The area planned for her new shed was nearly prepared.
She only had one corner left to dig out, and she sighed with gratitude for the shaded area next to the building. She set the shovel aside and took a minute to sit on the porch with Nooko.
“I love sitting out here,” Nooko said.
“Me, too. The water’s beautiful with the sun sparkling off the gentle waves.” Josie allowed the serenity to dispel some of her nervous energy. For the past couple of weeks, she hadn’t stopped thinking about Kelly and where she was or what she might be doing. Was she still on the island or had she gone home without a word? She didn’t think she’d leave without seeing Nooko one more time.
“Are you almost done with your project?”
“I am. I only have a little more preparation, and I’ll be ready to assemble the shed I ordered. It’ll be delivered to the hardware store next week.”
“You did a good job with the cement. I peeked at it this morning. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, I think we have a critter running around out there. The light kept going on this morning.”
“Yeah. I noticed it a couple of times, too. That’s why I decided to put in a rat wall around the shed. I don’t want to deal with a skunk making a home under it.” Josie wasn’t so sure it wasn’t the human rat, Abe, that was crawling about. She couldn’t figure out why he would be sneaking around, though. It seemed like he’d try to break in if he wanted to steal something. That seemed off, too. He’d already offered some money to buy her property. If the property had been his at one time, she would’ve known about it. And as far as all the documentation she had, her family had been the only owners since her great-grandfather, and she’d have some sort of proof it had changed hands. She sighed deeply. All she could do was wait and see if the authorities found anything out about him and keep a close watch on her property.
Love Came Calling Page 18