All In

by Amy DeMeritt

  “Your timing was… a bit too perfect.”

  “So, it was a good thing I interrupted?”

  “Yeah, or else I might have allowed her to kiss me and it would just make this so much harder.” Ashton grabs the clean hospital gown next to her, and as she starts to unfold it, Skylar takes it from her and steps between her legs to put it on for her. “She thinks this is going to be like the other times we broke up – that we’ll be friends with benefits. But I can’t do that this time. This time is different and I don’t think she understands that.”

  “She doesn’t want to lose you and she’s going to take you in any capacity you allow her to. You deserve better than that. You deserve someone who not only wants all of you, but gives you all of themselves in return. And I know that’s really hard to find, but I know you’ll get it. You just have to keep your eyes open.”

  Skylar’s pretty light brown eyes meet Ashton’s striking light gray eyes with a smile as she pulls the gown around to cover her torso. She looks down to secure the ties at the waist, then looks up with a cheerful smile.

  “There, all dressed. Oh, wait, I forgot the socks.”

  She grabs them off of the bed and squats down in front of Ashton. She’s very careful with her sprained right ankle, and as she slips a sock on the left, she rubs the top and bottom of her foot in a soothing way. As she stands up, she pulls Ashton’s bed covers down so she can swing her legs up and lay back against the inclined bed.

  “Thanks. Oh, and thanks for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

  “You’re welcome. I asked Gloria what your favorite flowers are, but she said I have to ask you.”

  Ashton releases a small laugh and rolls her eyes. “Yeah, she’s a brat like that. My favorite flowers are marigolds. Now, Gloria would like you to ask me why.”

  With a grin, Skylar says, “Well, if that is what Gloria would like me to do, then can you tell me why those are your favorite flowers?”

  “Growing up, I helped my mom plant a vegetable garden every spring. The garden was huge – we grew enough for us, my grandparents, and had plenty to can some for the winter and to give some away. The only flowers my mom planted served a purpose – we never had flowers just to beautify the yard. We had marigolds to edge the vegetable garden because they helped keep the bunnies out so they wouldn’t eat the produce. We had chamomile because the tea is good for an upset stomach and sleepless nights. And we had lavender because it was also good for sleep and was good for colds and for treating cuts. The lavender also helped deter cats from getting into the garden and attracted bees to help pollinate the vegetables. I liked the marigolds the best though – the vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds just popped like little torches around the vibrant green vegetables. They were guardians of my mom’s garden.

  She’s quiet for a moment as she looks up at the ceiling, as if it’s a looking glass, showing her the past, and she smiles from the image she sees in her mind. She releases a sigh as she tilts her head to look at Skylar again.

  “My mom loved her garden. She could spend hours out there every day. She even played music for the plants.” Ashton laughs a little. “She insisted that the music helped them. She couldn’t explain how, but she knew that it was good for them, just like good soil is good for them. A lot of gardeners actually think that – some say talking to the plants is good too. I don’t know if science backs it up, but my mom’s garden always produced an abundance of delicious food. Seriously, you couldn’t buy better tasting tomatoes, peppers, or anything else she planted. Her produce was always better than the stores or farm stands. Anyway, that’s the story Gloria wanted me to tell you.”

  “I’m glad she did.” She places a hand over Ashton’s and Ashton spreads her fingers, allowing Skylar to entwine their fingers. “That’s a really sweet story. And it shows your need and joy in protecting people started young. Your favorite flower is the flower that helped protect something so precious to your mom, something that gave her joy and something that helped feed so many people. That’s really sweet. Your mom sounds like she was a really interesting person.”

  “She was. She had the best heart. She was creative, smart and sharp as a tac, and she had the most incredible laugh. She really loved music – all kinds of music. She had the biggest collection of vinyl records I’ve ever seen. Once a month, she would go to the record store and treat herself to at least one new record. Even though CDs were easier to come by and could be played in her car, she just loved the way a vinyl record sounded. She loved the feeling of moving the needle over and gently dropping it onto the record. Listening to music was an experience for her – it wasn’t something to fill the background while she did other things. She would have loved to see you perform. She would have doted all over you.”

  Skylar smiles as she combs her fingertips through Ashton’s hair. “I’m sorry she passed away. I wish I could have met her. I think we could have talked about music for hours. I totally understand the thing about the vinyl records. Believe it or not, I actually have a collection as well. My uncle gave me my first record player and a few records when I was ten. I loved it. I thought I was so grown up and mature. I thought I was like a real rock star.” She laughs a little and continues combing her fingers through Ashton’s hair. “Every birthday and Christmas, my family would give me the CD and the vinyl for every new record they bought me, if a vinyl existed for it. Then when I got older and got a job, I was able to buy my own as well. I have amassed a collection of over two-hundred records. Well, now it’s down to around a hundred since the fire. I only had half of them with me at the apartment because I hadn’t found a shelf that would fit all of them and fit into the space that I had available in my apartment, which in hindsight was a blessing. I have some pretty rare records that are worth a lot of money.”

  Ashton gives her a quizzical smirk, and teases, “That’s strangely coincidental. I don’t know if I believe you.”

  Skylar laughs and playfully slaps her arm. “Hey, I would never lie to you. I can prove it. As soon as you can get out of here, I’ll show you my collection.”

  “You show me yours and I’ll show you mine.” Skylar laughs hard and blushes. “I’m serious. I didn’t have the heart to get rid of my mom’s collection, but I don’t know if it would fit in my apartment. I had to get a storage unit for them.”

  “Holy shit. She had enough records to fill a storage unit?”

  “A pretty big storage unit.”

  “Oh, my god. I would love to see it.”

  “Okay, when I can get out of here, I’ll take you.”

  “What about your dad? Is he still alive?”

  Ashton shakes her head, and Skylar just holds the back of her head for a moment before continuing to stroke her fingers through her soft short gray hair.

  “My dad passed away twelve years ago from a several-month-long battle with an infection in his lungs. He always had problems with bronchitis and pneumonia – got it at least three times a year. He got it so often he had developed an immunity to antibiotics. He was hospitalized and the doctors did everything they could, including trying natural remedies. His body just couldn’t fight it off.”

  “I’m so sorry. That must have been terrible.”

  “Oh, he was so sick and in so much pain. It was really hard to watch. We felt so helpless. We called doctors all over the country and spent hours researching his issue on the internet, just trying to find something, anything that could help. They tried a couple of the things we found, but it just wasn’t enough.”

  “What was he like?”

  “He was the kind of man that every woman wishes every man was like. My dad was hard working, loyal, loving, protective, generous, and he knew how to make a person feel important. He also had a great sense of humor. God, could he make my mom laugh.” She smiles from the memories. “They were great together. A big part of my mom died when he died. She was never the same. She was still herself but just a bit toned down. It was like taking a brand new bright blue tee shirt, washing it once, an
d seeing the color significantly fade.”

  “Do you have siblings?”

  “Yes and no.” Skylar looks at her confused. “When I was eight, my mom gave birth to a stillborn. Since he had died in the womb, he wasn’t given a birth and death certificate. From a medical standpoint and from the state’s perspective, since he wasn’t born alive, they didn’t have a son. But to us, I had a brother – Emerson Nathaniel Hyland.”

  “That’s so sad. My mom had her tubes tied after I was born. She had planned to wait a few years, have the procedure reversed, then have another baby. But she had complications from the surgery and they weren’t able to reserve it. Scar tissue had grown around the tubes and basically froze them in place. There was too much risk to try to cut the scar tissue out.”

  “Damn, that really sucks.” She tilts her head back to look up at Skylar more clearly. “I can see now why your parents are so protective of you. Besides the fact that you’re an incredible person, they can’t make another blood child.”

  Skylar smiles brightly as she tilts her head to the side, and asks, “You think I’m incredible, huh?”

  “I do. Oh, how did the performance go last night?”

  “How about I show you and you tell me how it went?”

  She releases Ashton’s hand and pulls her bookbag off of her back and sets it on the foot of the bed. She pulls her laptop out and sets it on the nearby rolling meal cart. After bringing up a video, she swings the cart over Ashton’s legs.

  As she’s about to push play, Ashton grimaces as she scoots over some, then pats the bed. “Sit with me.”

  Skylar kicks her light blue Vans off and carefully climbs onto the bed. As she settles with her legs outstretched next to Ashton, she takes her hand and entwines their fingers. With a content grin, she pushes play on the video.

  Even though her heart is still aching from Erin dumping her yet again, there is something very comforting and natural about sitting here with Skylar. She liked the way Skylar was combing her fingers through her hair while she talked about her parents. And she likes how their hands fit together. She doesn’t know if Gloria is right about Skylar’s desire for something deeper than friendship. But even if this is as far as their relationship goes – just being close friends, Ashton is more than okay with that.

  “Do you always record your shows?”

  “Sometimes, but I recorded this last night because you were adorably apologetic that you couldn’t come.” She grins at Ashton again, making her laugh a little. “And, I figured if you were going to be so stubborn about making me perform instead of hanging out with you here, the least I could do was record it for you.”

  “I really appreciate you considering me last night. Damn, do you see yourself?” She points to the screen where Skylar is singing and playing her electric guitar. “I mean, do you really see yourself? You are amazing.”

  Skylar smiles with her eyes tearing up and leans over to kiss Ashton’s lips.

  “Thank you.”

  She lays her head on Ashton’s shoulder and releases a content sigh. Propelled by a flutter in her stomach, Ashton kisses the top of Skylar’s head. The young woman tilts her head up to kiss her lips again before snuggling in closer to watch her performance from last night, causing another flutter in Ashton’s stomach.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  As soon as she opens the door, Ember comes running out of the living room meowing, making Ashton’s face spread into a broad smile.

  “There’s my baby. Come here.” She squats down with a wince from the pain in her ribs and the incision on the side of her abdomen. “I missed you.” She gives her kisses and pets her head and back. “Have you been enjoying your one on one quality time with Gloria?”

  “Yes, we have become quite good friends the past few days. Come on, honey, let me help you get a shower and dressed. I have an appointment in less than two hours.”

  “Okay, babe.”

  While holding Ember in her hands and loving on her, she follows Gloria to her bedroom and waits while Gloria gets the shower running. After giving her another kiss, she sets Ember down and allows Gloria to strip her.

  “I asked Skylar to bring you lunch after I have to leave.”

  “Oh, you can’t stay for lunch?”

  “Not unless you want me to cancel this appointment. I need to stop off at my office to pick up some contracts then I have a twenty-minute drive to the property.”

  “But when are you going to eat?”

  “I’ll drink a protein smoothie on the way there. Okay, get in there, honey.” She pats Ashton’s bare muscular ass with a grin. Ashton steps into the shower and releases a deep burring moan of relief from the hot water pouring over her head and shoulders. “Maybe I should have been generous and asked Skylar to assist with this as well. You are a glorious sight, baby.”

  As she squirts shampoo into her hands, she grins at Gloria, and says, “Behave.”

  She lifts her arms, and as she lathers up her hair, Gloria pets the short hairs growing in on her armpit with a giggle.

  “You need to shave, honey.” She looks down at her legs and nods. “Those are getting a bit prickly too.”

  “Yeah, it’s time for me to get them waxed again.”

  “Do you want me to take you? I have some time tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Sure, I’ll call to see if they have any openings.”

  After she rinses her head, Gloria reaches into the shower and playfully pinches her butt, saying, “Turn around and give me your bodywash and sponge. I’ll do your back and legs. Oh, tilt the showerhead towards the wall so I don’t get wet. I don’t have time to go home and change.”

  Ashton obeys and as Gloria glides the lathered sponge over her back, she pinches her eyes closed and presses her hands against the stone tile wall to brace herself. The bruises all over her back from her fall and the broken ribs are very tender to touch. But Ashton’s anticipation of pain was unfounded – Gloria’s touch is so gentle she barely feels it at all.

  “I’ll let you wash your own ass and pussy, honey.” She holds the sponge out to Ashton as she turns to face her. “Here.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I want you to promise me something.” Gloria leans in just enough to rinse her hands, then pulls away to dry her hands on a fresh towel. “I don’t want you to allow Erin to help you shower or dress. If you need help, you call or text me.”

  “You don’t think I have any self-control? You think I’m actually in any condition right now to be fucking?”

  “That’s not a promise. I want you to say the words.”

  Ashton groans into the water as she washes her face, then says, “I promise. She hasn’t tried to kiss me again since we talked a few days ago.”

  “She will. She has been dragging you along for three-years. There’s no way she’s letting you go so easily.”

  “Hand me a towel, babe.”

  Gloria walks over with a towel and instead of handing it to Ashton, she starts to dry her off head to toe. After she finishes drying her feet, she hands the towel to her, saying, “Dry your ass and pussy.”

  “Yes, Madame Sanchez.”

  “I’m going to pick your clothes out while you fix your hair.”

  While Gloria goes to the bedroom, Ashton finishes drying off, then hangs the towel to dry. She runs a small glob of styling cream through hair to style it into a forward point, and after washing her hands, she shaves her armpits and rolls on some deodorant. After brushing her teeth, she goes to the bedroom to allow Gloria to help her get dressed.

  She lifts one foot at a time so she can help her into socks, underwear, and soft cotton lounge pants, then Gloria helps her into a tee shirt.

  “Okay, pick up your baby and go sit on the couch. I’m going to get you some water and set your medications out on the counter for you. You need to take them in three hours.”

  “You’re the best, babe. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  Gloria smiles as she gives her a kiss on the lips. “
I’d do anything for you, Ash. Okay, go on. You need to rest.”

  With Ember in her hand, Ashton walks out to the living room and Gloria goes to the kitchen. Just as she’s about to sit, the buzzer for the intercom sounds, so she goes to her front door instead.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s Skylar.”

  “Come on up.”

  She buzzes her in and unlocks the door so she can let herself in when she gets upstairs.

  “Hey, babe, Skylar is here.”

  As she’s sitting on the couch, Gloria walks in with a glass of water. “Here, honey.” Ashton takes the glass and Gloria looks at her watch. “Do you need anything else before I leave?”

  “A kiss.”

  Gloria grins as she bends down and gives Ashton a firm kiss on her lips, forehead, cheeks, and the tip of her nose.

  “How was that?”

  “Perfect. Thank you. Please be careful driving to your appointment. I hope everything goes well. Oh, and thanks for everything today.”

  “You’re welcome. I’ll be back tonight. Have fun today. I love you, honey.”

  “I love you more.”

  She winks after she gives Ashton another kiss on the lips then grabs her purse off of the armchair. As Skylar walks in, she caresses Ashton’s cheek and walks towards the door.

  “Hey, Gloria.”

  “Hello, sweetie. Ashton has been washed and dressed. Now, she is all yours.”

  She laughs a little as her cheeks blush. She tucks her long caramel toned hair behind her ear, and bashfully says, “Thanks. Have a good day.”

  She waves her fingers with a friendly grin and walks out the door, pulling it closed behind her. With a flutter of excitement dancing in her stomach, Skylar walks into the living room and sits down next to Ashton.

  “How does it feel to be back home?”

  “Amazing, but I know in a few days it’s going to feel like a prison. Six to eight weeks of medical leave is just…” She makes a sour face, making Skylar smile.

  “Well, since my work schedule and my office location are so flexible, I can come keep you company whenever you want. Having someone to hang out with might make the time a bit more entertaining and less like a jail sentence.”