“Oh, they’re fragile,” Jordan said, taking care with the old papers and leaning closer to read some of the words. “This is amazing. I can’t believe you can concoct a story from these.”
“And I can’t believe you can carve something like you have from blocks of wood.”
“Brie, I’ve been carving this week, just as you’ve been writing.”
“That’s great news. The big carving?”
Jordan nodded. “Something else too.” She was almost finished with Brie’s owl.
Brie turned the lights off. “Let’s sit in the living room, on the couch.”
They both took their shoes off and set their glasses on the coffee table, resting their feet beside the glasses. Brie leaned against her shoulder. Jordan took her hand, rubbing it.
“The reason I talk to Bix is because she lived through those two years with me, after Pete was killed. She’s just making sure I don’t go off the deep end again.”
“Are you?” Brie asked and tucked her legs under her. She rubbed Jordan’s neck under her hair.
“No, but I learned something in those two years. Sex is the easiest thing in the world. It’s everywhere. I tried everything, looking for a feeling, I guess.”
“Everything?”
“Almost,” Jordan said and frowned. “And I don’t want you to think I’m one of those women you described earlier. Those just curious women.”
“All right, if you’re not just curious, why are you sitting here?” She turned Jordan’s face to her with her fingers.
“Because I want to kiss you again.”
“Oh,” Brie said and immediately kissed her. “Like that?”
“Exactly.” Jordan pulled her into her lap.
Brie held her face for a moment. “This time, I’m not going to stop until you tell me to,” she said, kissing an ear slowly and carefully. Jordan held her breath as the tongue traced the front of her throat and then tiny kisses moved up to her lips, capturing them.“Sex is only one way you express your feelings, show your love,” Brie whispered against her mouth, tenderly biting the lower lip in between words. “But it’s nice.”
“Brie, my body doesn’t always tell the truth.”
“Mine does,” Brie said, her words barely audible as she pushed into Jordan.
“Maybe I’ve just challenged mine too often.”
“Maybe you just haven’t had the right person touch it,” Brie whispered as she kissed her jaw. “Tend it.” A kiss caressed her eyes. “Love it.” And she kissed her mouth. She took Jordan’s hands, kissed the palms, and placed them on her chest, just above her breasts.
Jordan could feel Brie’s wild heartbeat as she moved her hands quickly into the easy-access dress. Jordan closed her eyes, her fingers touching soft skin across the ribs, a firm belly and hips. Finally, for the first time in her life, she touched a woman’s breasts, fingers memorizing their firm shape and hard nipples as Brie gasped into her mouth. A surge of heat lodged directly between her legs. She felt Brie fumbling with the buttons on her shirt and held very still. She wanted this. She wanted Brie. But somewhere in her sexual fog she could hear a phone ringing.
“Let it go,” she said against Brie’s mouth.
“No,” Brie said, raising up. “It’s your phone.”
“What?” Befuddled, Jordan opened her eyes as Brie reached behind her and handed her the phone. Jordan answered and listened, then said, “I’ll be there soon, Mom. Thanks for calling.”
She closed her phone. “Jenna’s vomiting, really hard.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, I don’t think you’d better. Are you going to be up for a while?”
Brie said, “Of course. Will you call me?”
“Brie, I’m sorry,” Jordan said.
Brie held up a hand. “Stop. Let’s make a deal now. Kids come first, always.” She smiled, but Jordan saw her hands shake as her fingers closed the button of her shirt.
Driving toward her house minutes later, Jordan groaned. She was worried about Jenna and tried to control the desire that still wrapped itself around her body. The need Brie created was familiar, but everything about it was ramped up. She drove onto the freeway and eased into faster traffic. Suddenly she remembered. Brie had said love.
When she got home, Jenna was sound asleep. Her mother had given her the medicine Jordan always kept on hand for upset stomachs, and it had worked. She sat beside her sleeping daughter’s bed and called Brie.
“Tonight was special,” Jordan said.
“To be continued,” Brie said softly.
Chapter Nineteen
So far, the afternoon had been quiet at Omni. Brie rummaged in her pack and found the note cards she wanted. She’d had some ideas for the book and wanted to get them down before she forgot them. Through the first two books she’d had a relationship developing between the two main characters, and this book would resolve that as well as end the series. She scribbled the words hands touching her skin and stopped, mid-word, staring at the note card.
Last night, when Jordan touched me. Brie took a quick breath. Not here. Not now. But, of course, her body completely disobeyed her. She could still feel Jordan’s hands and fingers on her hips, cross her belly, cruise her ribs. Breasts. She peeked across the room at her EMS partner, Sean, thankfully engrossed in his magazine, just as her nipples hardened and she gave a tiny groan.
A wad of paper hit the side of her head and she jumped. “What the…?” she squeaked. Sean looked out of the windows, innocent. “That’s about the most exciting thing that’s happened around here all afternoon.” She lobbed the paper back at him.
“I took my girl to the steakhouse across from the Ice House last night and saw you, getting out of a silver car.” He grinned. “Looking mighty fine, Ms. O’Malley.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You like?”
“I like.” He chuckled. “How do you stay inside those dresses?”
Brie grinned. “A woman’s secret, my man.”
“Well, that woman with you looked like she’d like to know the same thing.”
“Really? That’s nice to know. Does that mean I was successful?”
Sean nodded. “Definitely. It’s good to see you smile again, Brie.”
“The feeling’s even better, believe me.” Brie smiled just as dispatch squawked and they both stood.
“Let’s go, oh blond one. Vet’s already on her way,” Sean said and grabbed his jacket. Brie tossed her cards in her backpack and followed him.
*
Brie left the lights on but cut the siren when she parked the ambulance at an angle to Vet’s. Sean was already out as Brie grabbed an equipment bag. The beach spread out before her, sending her heart rate up until she realized it wasn’t the same place that she and Niki had always used. The scent of October off Lake Michigan brushed by her and Brie heard Sean yell, “Two. There’s two.”
The smell of scorched metal burned her nose as she checked the little silver convertible.
“I smell hot metal,” she said to Sean.
“I think they shot the car up some,” he said, kneeling on the sand on the passenger side. Brie got her first look at one of the victims. A young woman in a white blouse and dark pants lay on the sand, arm over her face, dark hair lifting in the light breeze. Brie sank down beside Sean staring at the woman, who was pale and cyanotic. He gently lifted an eyelid, checking pupils. “NR,” Sean said and shook his head. Brie brushed the hair back from the pale face and saw the bullet holes. Gulls cried above Brie, catching the sunlight as she looked up at them.
She lifted Niki gently off the car, holding her to her body, crooning softly. Going to her knees, she laid her carefully on the sand and covered her with the plaid blanket that was always in the backseat. Niki’s long black lashes lay across her tanned cheeks and Brie kissed them, tasting salt. The mouth was relaxed as if she were sleeping, just as it had been for over thirteen years. She kissed it tenderly. “I’ll be right back, baby,” she whispered and turned to c
rawl across the sand and up the bank of dirt. She was immune to the pain, nor did she notice her blood-soaked dress. The birds wheeled above her, crying out.
“Brie!” Vet said, shaking her shoulder.
“What!” Brie looked up at her.
“Let her go,” Vet went to her knees, talking firmly.
Horrified, Brie saw that she was holding the young woman and she was soaked in blood.
“Stand up,” Vet said. “The M.E. needs to do her job.” Sean helped her up and they sat on the back bumper of the ambulance. “We’ve got to go. The man may make it,” Vet said and looked at Sean. “Take care of her, okay?”
Sean nodded and put an arm around her. “C’mon, Brie. We’re going too. They’ll take hours here.”
They drove quietly through the streets, lights and sirens off. “Sean,” Brie said. “I should go to the hospital and see Dr. Wolfe.”
He never said a word, only nodded and changed directions. Brie was a little frightened. She couldn’t remember a thing before Vet had spoken to her.
*
It was almost nine that night and Jordan was upset. Brie wasn’t home and was two hours overdue. She had called both of her phones at least four times, but no Brie. Jenna was asleep and she had just finished reading to Tyler. “This is wrong,” she said, flipping her phone open as she walked down the hallway. Just as she was about to dial, her phone rang.
“Jordan? It’s Vet. You know, Vet and Peg.”
“I was just dialing Brie.”
“I’m at Urgent Care with Brie. I have a situation with her. Could you come over?”
“Is it Brie? Is she all right?” Jordan said.
“We had a bad call and…and I think it would help her if you came.”
“Be there in twenty at the most,” Jordan said and ran toward her mother’s door.
*
Brie kept her eyes down. Something was wrong. A tall redhead kept trying to talk with her, but she didn’t like her pushy attitude. She decided to wait for Dr. Wolfe. He was Niki’s doctor too. A cute dark-haired woman was kneeling in front of her and Brie regarded her curiously. She was familiar.
“Hello.” Brie smiled politely.
“Hi,” Jordan said. “Did you forget to call me?”
“Was I supposed to?”
“You said you would.”
“I’m sorry.” Brie frowned. “I was supposed to call you?” That smile was terrific. She looked at the hands on her knees. Niki shouldn’t see someone’s hands on her. She scooted back a bit.
“Jenna and Tyler said to tell you hello.”
“Jenna and Tyler?” Brie answered, concentrating on the words. Her eyes widened with sudden understanding. “Oh, Jen and Ty. Are they all right?”
Jordan got up and sat beside Brie, an arm securely around her. “They’re at home, with Mom. We were waiting for you to call us.”
Everything blurred until Brie met Jordan’s gray eyes. Her mind cleared and the tears came then.
Peg, still dressed in scrubs, came down the hallway with a doctor.
“Who got hurt?” Brie asked, wiping her eyes.
“Honey, it’s all right. Dr. Porter’s going to look at you.”
“All right, Peg,” Brie said quietly. Why was Jordan there?
Dr. Porter opened an exam room door. “Dr. Wolfe is on his way back from out of town, but I just spoke with him. He wants me to look you over.”
“Can Jordan come in with me?”
“Sure,” he said and motioned for her to sit on the exam table. He wrapped a cuff on her arm and asked her to describe what she remembered. He took some notes and showed her that her vitals were normal. Brie answered carefully but felt as if she was fading in and out. “I think you’re good to go,” he said after asking a few more questions. He looked at Jordan. “Are you able to stay with her?”
“Of course,” Jordan said. She helped Brie into her jacket.
“Brie, when you get home, take one of these pills with food. It’ll help you focus and you’ll sleep better. Dr. Wolfe will call you in about an hour.”
Jordan tucked the small envelope into her shirt pocket. Dr. Porter held her back for a moment. “Dr. Wolfe is calling her therapist.” Jordan nodded and followed Brie.
“Can you stay the night with her?” Peg asked. “Otherwise, I’m going to call her family.”
“I’ll stay all night, but I think you should call her family. I’m good to go. Mom has my kids.”
Jordan wrapped an arm securely around Brie. “I’ll call you, Vet.” They walked toward the doors. Jordan hummed absently.
Brie laughed, startling Jordan. “You really can’t carry a tune.”
“Shut up.” Jordan grinned. “My poor kids. They put their hands over their ears at their birthday parties.” She opened the car door for Brie. “I didn’t even realize I was humming.”
*
The bathroom door was open while Brie showered. She peeked out of the curtain as the water rolled over her. Jordan was sitting on the floor in the hallway. Brie dried off and slipped into her old sweats and T-shirt.
“Want to tell me what happened out there?” Jordan said.
Brie rubbed her hair with the towel and curled down next to Jordan on the floor. She shook her head. “I remember driving up to the accident scene. Was that woman really dead?”
“Vet said she was when you got there.”
Brie’s head sank and a single drop of water ran down her nose, onto the floor. Jordan reached for the towel and got to her knees, rubbing Brie’s wet hair. Brie wrapped her arms around Jordan, pushed her face into her body, shaking with hard, silent sobs.
“Hang on, baby,” Jordan said and pulled Brie into her lap, held her face against her until Brie quit crying. Gently, she kissed Brie’s wet, salty eyes.
“This is crap.” Brie sniffed and wiped her nose with her T-shirt. “I told you my life would confuse you. We’ve even sort of knocked each other down again.” Brie tried to smile.
“I have ulterior motives,” Jordan said and wiped Brie’s face again. “I think we’ve been on a collision course since day one.”
Brie hiccupped a laugh, mixed with more tears.
“What do you mean, your life will confuse me? Do you think I don’t know what this feels like?”
“No, one of the first things I knew about you was that you’d understand. I just don’t want you to have to go through it again.” Brie wiped her eyes. “I’ve already forgotten what I remembered this afternoon. Worse, I can’t hear her anymore.”
“Who? Who can’t you hear?”
“Niki. I’ve lost her voice. I could hear it this morning but it’s gone now.” She hit her head lightly with her hand.
“Here, I know how to fix that.” Jordan helped Brie to her feet and took her into Niki’s office. “Come on, I’ll hold you.” She settled them into Niki’s big desk chair, hit the remote button, and Niki spoke, talking about their anniversary. Brie stiffened and sat up.
“Okay, stop it,” Brie said. “I’ve got it. I can hear it again.”
“Are you sure? I’ll sit here with you, all night if you want.”
Brie relaxed back into Jordan and took her hands. She kissed the ends of her fingers. “No, it’s all I needed. Thank you.”
“Why not skip this one and go on to the rest?”
“Why not just skip them all?” Brie said and stood. “I’m hungry.”
“Hungry is good.”
“You should be with Jenna and Tyler. Give me the pill and go home, if you want.”
“No, Mom knows how to reach me.”
“How is Jenna feeling today?”
“She’s fine. Whatever it was went away. That happens with kids.”
They were fixing ham sandwiches when Dr. Wolfe called. Brie talked to him while Jordan finished the sandwiches. When she hung up, the food was on the table.
“Want some pickles?” Brie asked as she took the milk out of the refrigerator. She demolished the first sandwich and leaned back with a sigh. “I hav
e a situation here,” she said and held her hands up, making quote marks in the air. “Now I’ve officially remembered.”
Jordan nodded and took the packet of pills out of her pocket. “So it appears.” She handed her a pill.
“About time,” Brie said and took the pill. “Little do they know that I’ve already forgotten what I remembered. They’d probably put me back in the hospital. Christ, what’s happening to me?”
“Vet said you thought it was Niki today.”
“Dr. Wolfe and my therapist have both warned me. Did you go through anything like this?”
“No. Nothing like this. There was nothing for me to remember.”
Brie looked into space, working on a second sandwich. “It’s what I said. I don’t want you to have to go through this all over again.”
“I’m the perfect person to be with you. I get it.”
Brie made a face. “So you say, but I still don’t think it’s fair to you.” She finished the sandwich and pushed the plate away. “Maybe if I distract my mind it’ll come back to me. How about a movie?”
“What?”
“I have tons of movies. Want to watch one?”
Jordan started to laugh. “I haven’t seen anything but kids’ movies in so long that I wouldn’t even know where to begin. What do you have?”
“Let’s finish here and I’ll show you.” Brie imitated an old-movie gangster. “Come with me, pal, I’ll catch you up in no time.”
The phone rang again and Brie talked with her therapist for quite a while as Jordan cleaned the kitchen. Just as Brie hung up, her mother called. Jordan washed up in the bathroom and turned on the low light in Brie’s bedroom. When she came back, Brie had the movie ready. Brie curled into her lap. When the movie finished, she was sound asleep. Jordan lifted her carefully and took her to bed. She crawled in beside her and rubbed her shoulders, arms, and hands. Satisfied that Brie was soundly asleep, she carefully moved away and out of bed.
Jordan stripped down to her underwear and T-shirt and stretched out in the dark, next to Brie. Part of her was afraid to fall asleep in case Brie needed her, so she listened to the sounds of the house. A branch scratched at the window. These were the sounds Brie heard at night. She turned her head and watched her sleep. She was so aware of this woman. Every move and breath Brie took registered somewhere in Jordan’s mind and body.
Collision Course Page 18