Clicking Stones

by Nancy Tyler Glenn

  "Bring it here," she said softly. "I'll light it for you."

  Morgan sat on the edge of the bed and held up the Stone. Erica tapped it. "You would have loved Jesse if you had known him," Morgan told her.

  Erica smiled and took off her reading glasses. "One thing bothers me. You told me Jesse couldn't see the light when you first showed him your Stone."

  "That's right, but he didn't think I was lying."

  "Then you told me that in the hospital, before he died, he talked to you and told you he saw the light from the Stone."

  "Yes," Morgan affirmed. "He saw it."

  Erica put her reading glasses on the table and sat up. "It doesn't make sense to me. In all the years of Clicking I have never heard of a case where a person who couldn't see the light suddenly acquired the ability."

  "Well, Jesse did."

  "Morgan, I'm not saying he didn't. I just-"

  "The old woman said eventually everyone would see," Morgan reminded her.

  "That's true." Erica looked pensive.

  Later that night the two women were lying across the bed looking out at the garden, enjoying the brilliance of Morgan's design. The Stones were dazzling.

  Morgan kissed Erica on the cheek. "I want to hold you." She sat against the headboard and pulled Erica toward her.

  Erica sat against Morgan with her head resting against her lover's shoulder. She toyed with the material of Morgan's pajamas and rubbed the bottom of Morgan's foot with the top of her own. "When you're holding me I feel such peace. Sometimes, though, when I look at you I feel frightened. You are so beautiful to me." She turned her face toward Morgan. "Knowing how much I love you and not knowing if I will always be what you want - frightens me. If you ever didn't want me - would you tell me?"

  Morgan was filled with an ache. "I used to look at pictures of you in the newsletters. There were times you were with very lovely women. I expected to feel jealous, but I didn't." Morgan released the hold on her lover and cupped Erica's breasts in her hands. "I really felt very happy seeing you enjoy yourself."

  "I saw some pictures of you in Paris." Erica drew one of Morgan's legs up and began stroking the soft dark hairs around her ankle. "I couldn't relate to what I saw. Yet I loved you then with the same love I feel for you right now. Does that make sense to you?"

  "Yes." Morgan could feel the ache growing. "I knew you had something with Isa and the girls I could never give you. You seemed very happy."

  "When I heard you were in an accident... Morgan if anything had happened to you!" She rocked her head against Morgan's shoulder.

  Morgan turned Erica to her. Tears were washing down her face. "The only thing I feel bitter about," she sobbed, "I should have been the first to... to... I loved you so much and..." Her chest heaved. "When Donna told me that you..." Her eyes were wide and questioning and tears poured down her face. "I felt so cheated, Erica. I didn't care about anything after that." Her breathing was ragged. "God help me, Erica!" She shook her head. "I don't know what to do with these feelings!"

  Erica held Morgan's shivering body. "I swear I loved you then as I love you now. I would do anything to change the way it happened." She rocked Morgan gently. "I wish I could give you what belonged to you."

  "It belonged to you, too," Morgan groaned.

  "I know it did. I know it did," Erica whispered and rocked her lover. She looked out past the light from the Stones and up past the stars. Her whisper was inaudible: "What can I do?"

  The two lovers finally climbed under the covers and fell asleep holding each other.

  * * * *

  Standing at the foot of the bed two women watched them sleep. They were holding hands and a light beamed from the insignia on each of their helmets, bathing the lovers in a golden aura.

  The expression on each face as they watched the sleeping pair was a blend of love, compassion, wisdom, trust, acceptance, and joy.

  ~ Chapter 40 ~

  The two women watched Hank McClure lift the gate off the horse trailer and place it to serve as a ramp.

  "What is McClure Ranch?" Morgan asked.

  "It's a camp for underprivileged children," Erica said.

  "Do you think Isa is serious about keeping Jes and Isi in Florida?" Morgan asked.

  Erica shrugged.

  When the ponies had been loaded, Hank waved. "Thank the girls. Tell them what this means to our kids."

  Erica fought to keep her tears back. "I will." She patted the rump of each pony. "You be good girls."

  They watched Hank drive off; then rode their mares back to the house.

  Morgan bedded down the horses. Erica went into the house and straight to the bedroom. She kicked off her tennis shoes and stretched out on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

  Morgan came in and sat on the edge of the bed. She picked up a copy of ,High Performance. "If Isa doesn't bring the girls home, we'll fly out to see them after the conference."

  Erica had been fighting tears, but Morgan's statement lifted the floodgate and she began to cry. She rolled over and sobbed into her pillow.

  Morgan was filled with anguish. She hadn't realized how upset Erica was. She lay next to her lover. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Her own tears began to flow.

  Erica turned to her. "Don't you start crying. It's bad enough already." She pressed her forehead against Morgan's.

  The two women lay facing each other. Morgan pushed Erica's hair out of her eyes and then let her hand rest on her lover's shoulder.

  * * * *

  The two teenagers lay facing each other. Morgan pushed Erica's hair out of her eyes and then let her hand rest on her friend's shoulder. Suddenly, and without warning, she moved her face toward Erica and kissed her on the mouth.

  Erica looked into Morgan's face. Her heart was pounding. Morgan's eyes were asking a question. Erica thought about Paula. Paula would probably be over at Morgan's talking to Donna. She couldn't take the chance. She got up and wedged a chair under the doorknob.

  Morgan watched Erica. Her lips felt dry - she moistened them with her tongue. Erica was walking toward her - she couldn't move. Her eyes were riveted on Erica's small breasts, the outline showing through her T-shirt. She moistened her lips again.

  Erica moved back to the bed and lay next to her friend.

  They weren't going to play clickstone, they weren't going to ride their bikes down to the creek or read movie magazines.

  They were going to do something else. She could feel Morgan's warm breath on her face.

  Morgan's arms and wrists ached with restraint. Then, yearning moved her hands to Erica's face. The smooth, fresh skin tantalized her fingers. Her hands trailed to Erica's ears and then to her silken hair. All at once she couldn't get enough air. Her body shuddered as she drew in breath. Her face moved to Erica's and rubbed against the soft skin. Her hand moved to Erica's shoulder.

  Erica's leg moved and when her foot touched Morgan's it jerked away. She purposefully moved it back. Her hand rested on Morgan's side. She could feel the ribs move as Morgan breathed. She drew her hand down and stopped when her wrist touched the softness of Morgan's breast.

  Morgan tightened her grip on Erica's shoulder and buried her face in Erica's neck.

  Erica drew her hand down further until she felt the pillowy softness in her palm. She closed her eyes and then felt Morgan move. She opened her eyes and Morgan was looking at her - pleading with her. She reached out to Morgan with her whole being and then she could feel Morgan's lips against hers, softly. She wet Morgan's lips with her tongue.

  Morgan felt the strength drain from her body. She rolled away from Erica and lay on her back panting. Then she felt Erica's delicate hand in hers. She looked and Erica smiled at her. She sat up and unbuttoned the top button of her shirt.

  Both girls got off the bed and began undressing, backs turned to each other.

  Morgan lay on the bed waiting for Erica, her hands distractedly stroking the chenille bedspread and her eyes darting around the room, avoiding Erica. She looked at the basket
of stones on Erica's dresser, Erica's flute case and her school books on her desk, a jacket hung over the back of a chair.

  Erica moved to the bed and lay next to Morgan, concealing her nakedness against Morgan's hip. Her thigh touched the top of Morgan's leg.

  Morgan turned and looked at Erica's face, but she could also see the slender neck, delicate shoulders and dainty breasts. She closed her eyes not trusting that she wouldn't look down and not knowing if she should. Then she felt something soft on her breast and opened her eyes. Erica's mouth was at her breast, and her fine silky hair fell softly around her.

  Fighting a wildness in her, Erica took Morgan's nipple between her lips, her tongue grazed the tip slightly and she felt a jolt in Morgan's body. She looked at Morgan's face, afraid that she had somehow hurt her. Morgan's head was back and her upper body arched. Her arms were away from her body, palms down on the bedspread. Erica moved up next to Morgan and put her head on Morgan's shoulder and her hand cupped the place her mouth had been.

  Morgan closed her arms around Erica and held her tightly and then loosened her hold to trail her hand down Erica's body.

  When Morgan's fingers touched her skin, Erica let out a small gasp, feeling a sensation between her legs she had never felt before, first a twinge and then a growing ache. She twisted her body to press against Morgan's hip.

  Tantalized by Erica's skin, the softness of her breasts and delicate curves, Morgan caressed Erica's body becoming aware of Erica's panting. She glanced at her face. Erica's jaw was clamped shut and her eyes were squeezed tight. Short bursts of air were blowing from her nostrils.

  Erica opened her eyes. She stared at Morgan until their eyes met.

  Morgan looked into Erica's eyes; they were pleading. She slid her hand down Erica's belly until she reached the tufts of silky softness.

  Erica gasped again and curled her body, pressing her legs together to ease the ache.

  Morgan reached further, sliding her hand down until she found an opening. Beyond the opening the skin was hot, soft, and rubbery. She felt a friction against her finger.

  Erica felt Morgan's hand moving toward the ache and she straightened her legs. She pressed her hands against her sides, opening and closing her fingers. When Morgan touched her she gasped again.

  Once Morgan had found the moisture she was able to move her fingers without friction. She watched Erica's face.

  Erica stopped breathing for a moment and then her lips parted. She stared at nothingness, no longer aware of Morgan's fingers or her own hands, only the feeling between her legs.

  Morgan was watching Erica's face, continuing to touch Erica, increasingly aware of the growing ache between her own legs.

  The feeling would come and then start to slip away. Erica tried to catch it. She twisted her hips from side to side and pulled at the chenille bedspread with her heels, chasing the feeling and then it was back again.

  Morgan reached for more moisture; she wasn't sure what else she should do. Erica seemed to want something more. She increased the pressure and rhythm of her stroking and Erica's body reached up to her.

  For Erica everything stopped - she was suspended in mid-air, bright lights flashed behind her closed lids. The feeling was so intense she couldn't bear it - and then the dam broke and the feeling poured out.

  Erica's legs closed around her hand; then Erica's hand was on hers, holding it still. Morgan looked into Erica's face. The expression drew her until their lips were together. She felt Erica's tongue wet her lips and her own tongue wet Erica's lips. Erica's arms were locked around her.

  Erica couldn't hold Morgan tightly enough. She squeezed until her arms ached. Then she was aware of Morgan's pelvis pressing against her hip. She looked into Morgan's face and suddenly remembered the ache that had been between her own legs. She released her grip on Morgan and began caressing her.

  Morgan rolled over onto her back; her eyes searched Erica's face. The ache was growing.

  Erica slid her hand down Morgan's belly through the silky softness and cupped her. Her fingers found the moisture; she trailed it up to the place Morgan had found on her body.

  Morgan watched her own chest and abdomen move up and down. Her arms felt heavy and her legs numb. Then, as Erica touched her she felt a tingling sensation on the bottoms of her fret.

  Erica remembered the feeling of Morgan's nipple between her lips. Careful not to forget what her fingers were doing, she leaned toward Morgan's breast and took the nipple in her lips again, savoring the feeling. Then with her tongue she circled the nipple wetly until she had allowed herself the whole breast. She took the nipple in her mouth again, first grazing it then flicking over it with her tongue.

  The sensations were overpowering. Morgan couldn't decide where to put her attention. The tingling on the bottom of her feet moved up the insides of her legs toward the growing feeling between her legs. Her palms pressed against the bedspread. She raised her hips - pushing toward Erica's fingers, swaying her body from side to side.

  Erica abandoned Morgan's breast. Morgan was moving around too much for her to concentrate on both places. She ignored the burning sensation in her shoulder as her arm got tired, and she increased the speed of her caress to match Morgan's movements.

  For Morgan everything stopped - she was suspended in mid-air, bright lights flashed behind her closed lids. The feeling was so intense she couldn't bear it - and then the dam broke and the feeling poured out.

  When Morgan's legs closed around her hand she looked into Morgan's face and the expression drew her until their lips were together.

  Morgan suddenly started shivering.

  Erica put her arms around her and then jumped up and got a jacket from the back of a chair. She wrapped it around Morgan and then lay facing her.

  Morgan smiled and pushed Erica's hair out of her eyes.

  Erica smiled shyly and pressed her forehead against Morgan's.

  * * * *

  Morgan suddenly started shivering.

  Erica jumped up and went to the closet to get Morgan a sweater. She wasn't going to take a chance of Morgan catching a cold. Her gaze fell on the jacket she had loaned Morgan when they were teenagers. She found a sweater and took it to Morgan, wrapping it around her.

  Morgan smiled and pushed Erica's hair out of her eyes. "You've been awfully quiet."

  "I've been thinking," Erica told her.

  "What was that expression you had on your face when you brought me my sweater?"

  "Deja vu," Erica said. "When I picked up your sweater I felt like I'd been in the same place doing the same thing at another time. I was just thinking about what we were talking about... about not being the first lover for each other. We really were each other's first lover. I was in love with you then and have been ever since. Becoming your lover has increased my joy - not my love. You were and are my first and always lover."

  "It's strange, I was thinking about that too," Morgan revealed. "You know when I realized I was in love with you I was very inexperienced. I had never even kissed anyone, except for the affectionate kisses we gave each other. I had never even made love to myself. If we had become lovers we probably wouldn't have even known what to do."

  Erica smiled and planted a warm kiss on Morgan's mouth. "I think we might have figured out something if we'd put our heads together."

  Morgan grinned.

  "What's that about?" Erica teased.

  "I don't know," Morgan sighed. "I just feel very peaceful."

  * * * *

  That night as the two lovers slept, two magnificent women stood at the foot of the bed, shoulders touching, watching.

  It had been such a small request - and Mother, as always, had been abundantly generous.

  They turned and faced each other. The eyes of each riveted on the eyes of the other. Light beamed from the insignia on their helmets, each beaming light into the light of the other.

  ~ Chapter 41 ~

  Erica made a left turn at Pacific Coast Highway. "Do you always deliver your own art work?
"

  "No, only this one. It's for someone special. Leona is a little agitated with me. I'm supposed to leave everything there until after the exhibition."

  Erica glanced in the rear view mirror. "Leona told me you never come to the gallery."

  "When I came back to the States there were bill collectors everywhere I went. I didn't use my money very judiciously. That's pretty well cleared up now."

  Erica brightened. "Guy told me when he used to stay with you, you were at it all night long."