Autumn Spring

by Shelley Thrasher

Linda watched the vein in Bree’s right temple pulse. She could practically see the blood pounding through it.

  “May I come back later, after everyone has left, so we can talk?” Bree gazed into Linda’s eyes so intently Linda opened her mouth to say yes.

  “Mom. Oh, here you are. You haven’t introduced me to your friend.” Maureen stood there like an Amazon warrior, staring at them.

  The iridescent bubble burst, leaving Linda exposed to the demands of hospitality, of motherhood, of friendship. “This is my friend Bree, from high school. Bree, my daughter Maureen, visiting from Chicago.”

  Bree seemed to shake herself from a daze as Maureen held out her hand. “So glad to meet you, Bree. Mom mentioned that you live in Chicago too. I bet you’re missing big-city life.”

  Linda suddenly felt furious at Maureen for destroying the connection she’d been absorbed in, the magic she’d help create between Bree and herself.

  Bree nodded, apparently awake from their mutual dream state too. “Actually I’m not missing it at all. I’m tired of its fast pace and the cold weather.”

  Then Terry glided up behind Maureen and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Where’s my slice of chocolate pie, sweetheart?”

  “Sorry. I got distracted.” Maureen’s eyes softened as she cut into the pie and placed a piece gently on a plate. “Good to meet you, Bree.” She put the knife back down with a clang.

  Linda hoped that only she had caught the slight curl of Maureen’s lip as she glanced at Bree before she walked back outside with Terry.

  The afternoon passed in a whirl of games, conversation, and laughter. As she and Bree pitched horseshoes with the young people, it was as if they were magnetized, trying to see how close they could come to occupying the same space. Their hands grazed each other as they moved from one end of the playing area to the other.

  Later, Bree and Maureen batted a Ping-Pong ball back and forth across an old green table as if jousting for Linda’s favor, but Maureen finally conceded the victory to Bree and wandered off with her arm around Terry.

  And when they all played Mexican Train, Linda sat as close to Bree as possible, jostling her arm as she laid a domino on the table.

  The afternoon wore far too quickly into dusk. “I need to get back to Silverado and take my evening medicine,” Sarah told Bree and Carolyn, who’d driven them to the celebration in her big Lincoln.

  After preparing plates of leftovers, Linda watched her family and friends trickle away, waving good-bye. Even Maureen and Terry deserted her, citing a movie they wanted to see, and friends of Maureen who’d asked them to visit. They wouldn’t be back until late, they called. Don’t wait up.

  Her hands immersed in soapy water, washing the remains of the pans and serving dishes, Linda held on to the warmth of the day, her connection with Bree, until the moon began to rise.

  She walked to the back porch, standing there and watching it peek over the tree line, a bite of it gone after last night’s fullness. She seemed to be falling from a great height, air rushing past her, silence surrounding her. She wanted to embrace the glowing moon, clasp it in her arms, force it to stay full forever.

  But then a car door slammed, and she was certain it was Bree. She drifted toward the old Mustang, to the woman who stood beside it gazing up at the almost-full moon, as if also caught in its spell.

  *

  As Linda neared, emerging from the dark backyard like a glowing spirit from another dimension, Bree thought it might finally happen. The grazing and jostling of arms all afternoon, the sensation of wanting to occupy the same space had made Bree want to kiss Linda more than she’d ever wanted to touch her lips to another woman’s. The craving had pulled her back here like a kite on a string being reeled in. She had to kiss Linda or she’d fly apart in the gale buffeting her.

  She stood and waited, unsure what to do with her arms, which begged her to wrap them around Linda, to pull her close. Linda had enchanted her, banished everyone but the two of them from the otherworldly state they’d languished in all afternoon.

  Suddenly, headlights shone around Bree, cast her shadow on the ground in front of her, made her doubt her very existence. The sound of an engine roared like a jungle creature. “Mom. I forgot my wallet.”

  Bree wheeled from the giant, white, smiling moon, from the woman drifting toward her, to the bright headlights blinding her, the suspicious face glaring at her.

  “I thought you’d left. Where’s my—”

  Linda called from the darkness. “Maureen. Why are you here? I thought you wouldn’t be back till late.”

  “We hadn’t planned to, but it looks like you need a chaperone. What’s going on with you two?”

  “Nothing,” Linda said.

  Everything, Bree thought.

  “Bree just came back to eat a turkey sandwich with me.”

  Maureen’s eyes glittered like obsidian.

  “She’s a player, Mom. I warned you about her,” Maureen said, her voice loud, filled with venom.

  “Maureen. Watch yourself.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt.” Maureen ran through the front door into the house and quickly emerged, holding her wallet like a trophy. “We’re just going to the store. Be back in half an hour.”

  “Come on.” Terry called from the idling SUV, her voice a welcome sound as she claimed Maureen, tried to urge her away.

  Bree stood riveted to the driveway as Maureen gunned the motor and pulled out onto the highway with tires squealing.

  Linda ran to Bree. “Don’t pay attention to her. She’s still young enough to think everything’s either black or white.”

  A cloud covered the moon. Bree just stood there, rigid, feeling transformed into a pillar of salt. “She’s right, you know. I used to be a player.”

  Only the sounds of the night joined them as they stared at one another. The hush was so palpable, Bree could have sliced it like a piece of pumpkin pie. Her heart beat in her temples. They throbbed until she feared they might explode. The membrane that had surrounded them most of the afternoon reappeared, squeezed them into a shrinking space.

  Linda looked toward the highway, toward the spot where the car had sped away. The angry sound of the engine still echoed in the still night, and she paused. Then she breathed in like a baby tasting her first gulp of air. She toddled toward Bree, and Bree held out her arms.

  They kissed. The taste of Linda entered her, flowed through her. She sampled the sweet and salty depths of Linda’s lips, her moonlit cheeks and neck. “We better take this inside,” she whispered. “What will the neighbors say?”

  Linda kissed her back. “I really don’t care, but I do have to live here. Maybe we should pay a little attention to them.” They paused at the steps, arms entwined, and gazed back toward the waning moon.

  “A little attention, but not too much, okay?” Bree kissed Linda’s hand, drew her to her side as they headed inside. “How about that sandwich you promised? Or can you think of a better way to pass the time before your irate daughter roars back here?”

  “I’ll fix you one to go. I’d rather use my mouth for something else during the rest of our precious few minutes.”

  They practically fell on the couch together, clutching each other like they were drowning. The womb-like membrane enclosed them again, creating an oasis of sensation and escape. Minutes dissolved as they flowed together.

  Bree reluctantly broke away. “I hate to say this, but Maureen should be here any minute, and I don’t think she’d be too happy to see me. Any chance we can continue this tomorrow?”

  Linda shook her head, looking almost dazed. “What incredibly bad timing. The girls and I plan to spend all day shopping and going to the casinos in Shreveport. And they’ve already made reservations for tomorrow night at some fancy restaurant there that everyone’s talking about.”

  Something constricted inside Bree, made her almost nauseous.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I need time to make Maureen realize how much you mean to me. And t
o be sure she knows you won’t hurt me.” Her level gaze was like iron. “You won’t, will you?”

  “Not if I can possibly help it.” She took Linda’s hand and pressed it to her heart, praying she could keep her promise.

  Linda squeezed slightly, and Bree’s breasts pulsated with longing. “How about Saturday night? We’re going to game night at Don’s, in Tyler, but I’d love for you to go too.”

  “We? Your plans include other people? I’d rather be with just you.”

  Linda smiled. “Yes. You’ll have to charm Maureen, and the other people we’ll be with are very accepting. Then after I put Maureen and Terry on the plane Sunday, you should have me all to yourself—within reason.”

  “I’d rather be without reason. But if you say so, I guess I can wait that long. Now where’s that sandwich? I need to make a quick exit. Don’t want your daughter to challenge me to a duel. She has a few years on me.”

  After one last, long kiss, Linda jumped up, fanning her face with her hand like a teenager. “You’re right, but don’t underestimate yourself. You’re still in pretty good shape.”

  Bree watched Linda slice turkey with something resembling contentment. She could grow very used to this woman.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Saturday night, they approached a stone fortresslike structure dominating a hill, and Linda placed her hand on Bree’s thigh. “Let’s stop here for a few minutes.”

  Bree wheeled her Mustang into the crowded parking lot. “What is this place? It looks like it could withstand a barbarian invasion.”

  “This is Fresh, our local answer to Whole Foods Market. I promised Maureen we’d meet her here. She wants me to help her choose some pastries for game night.”

  “Oh, were we supposed to bring something?”

  Linda waved a hand toward the backseat. “Don’t worry about it. I brought enough for both of us. I think Maureen just wanted an excuse to visit this place.”

  Inside the high-end grocery store, Bree glanced at the rows of produce. “This does remind me of Whole Foods. Even the prices aren’t that different from the ones in Chicago.”

  “Correct.” Linda waved to a young man busily replenishing a pile of beautiful organic tomatoes. “The surrounding area is Tyler’s new elite community. There’s practically no vacant land left in the city to build a home on, so new subdivisions keep pushing southward.”

  Maureen and Terry strolled up. “Fancy meeting you two here.” Maureen barely glanced at Bree. “We got lost in traffic. It’s not easy to keep up with a vintage Mustang.” She glared at Bree now and took Linda’s arm. “Where are those pastries you told me about, Mom?” Before Linda could reply, Maureen steered her toward another part of the store.

  Terry strolled along beside Bree. “Don’t pay any attention to her. I don’t know which she’s more jealous of—your relationship with her mother or your car. It irked her to have to drive Linda’s CR-V, though she’d never admit it.”

  “My relationship with Linda? What does she think’s going on?”

  “That you’ve seduced her and plan to leave her high and dry when you get tired of her and go back to Chicago.”

  Bree stopped to look over the variety of seafood displayed in a refrigerated case. “Is my reputation that bad?”

  “Yep. Evidently you’ve been a busy lady.”

  “Not that busy. I’ve just lived a long time, so I’ve had plenty of opportunities to make more mistakes than I like to remember. And I’m also not that easy to satisfy.” Bree wandered past the meat cases, admiring the lean cuts there.

  Terry snorted, as if in surprise. “At least you’re honest. I can see how you earned your reputation, and I’m not trying to flatter you, but you’ve aged well.”

  Bree glanced at the tasteful displays of wine they strolled past now. “How can I convince Maureen I don’t have dishonorable intentions toward her mother?”

  “Do you?” At this end of the store, cases of freshly cooked dishes for takeout surrounded them.

  Bree paused to examine an open bar that displayed olives of many sizes, colors, and shapes. “I’m not sure.” She picked up a small plastic container and filled it with large black ones. “I’ve known Linda a long time, which I can’t say for any of the other women who helped me gain my reputation.”

  Terry raised an eyebrow. “So?”

  “I plan to know her a lot longer, so I don’t intend to jeopardize our friendship.”

  “That’s what it is? Friendship?”

  “Are you Maureen’s proxy?”

  “Self-appointed. Believe me, my questions are mild compared to the ones she’d be pelting you with.”

  Bree filled a second container with small green olives. “Okay, that’s fair. And yes, I think friendship is at the top of the list right now. But Thanksgiving night…something happened, and honestly, I might be tempted to tell you about it, if I could.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t really know. I’m out of my depth, exploring new territory, and frankly, it’s scaring the living daylights out of me. But the way I feel about Linda…well, let’s just say that when I realize what my intentions toward her are, I’ll let Maureen know before I consciously do anything to hurt her mother. Is that fair?” She filled a third dish with large purple Kalamatas.

  Bree held it out, and Terry took one of the olives. “Umm. That’s so good. And I think your offer may satisfy Maureen, though I can’t speak for her. But I’ll convey it, and we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Bree balanced her three containers in a neat stack and looked down the aisle to the right. “Speak of the devil—”

  “Hi, sweetheart.” Terry left Bree’s side and joined Maureen, who was carrying a white bakery box. “What do you have there?”

  “Some of the most divine-looking pastries.” Maureen gazed at Terry with pleasure, and then they walked on toward the checkout counter, their heads almost touching.

  “What was all that about between you and Terry?” Linda asked, frowning slightly as she joined Bree.

  “Just a friendly chat.” Bree grinned. “Your daughter’s certainly crazy about you.”

  “Why do you say that?” The muscles in Linda’s face gradually relaxed. “Oh…she had Terry talk to you about…us. I wonder how much they saw the other night when they caught us in the driveway.”

  “Enough, evidently. She must be very intuitive. I’ve been given fair warning. So with them and my own mother breathing down my throat, not to mention little Riley, I’m going to be forced to give up my evil ways and be a good girl.” She tried to keep her expression carefree but wasn’t sure she succeeded.

  Linda took her arm, and they headed toward the exit. “And how do you feel about that?”

  Bree blew out a breath. “I’m not sure. Uncertain, excited, scared as hell.”

  “The big, bad adventuress scared?” Linda lightly elbowed her.

  “I never thought I’d admit it, but yes, I am. And did I mention confused?” Bree put up her hand to push through the heavy glass door.

  “That, I’d believe.” Linda chuckled. “Now you better back up and go pay for whatever’s in those containers, or you’ll have to add arrested for shoplifting to your list.”

  Bree laughed and did exactly as Linda suggested.

  *

  “Where to now?” Bree asked as they sat in the Fresh parking lot.

  “Just head across the highway into Hollytree. And make sure Maureen and Terry follow us. We’re almost there.”

  Two-story brick houses of a variety of styles lined both sides of the streets they twisted and turned through, each house dominating the small lot it sat on. “So this is the subdivision I’ve heard so much about.”

  “This is it.”

  “Sarah’s mentioned this neighborhood occasionally, but I had no idea it was so large, and so posh.”

  “Yes. Don’s house is one of the smaller ones, but it’s a gem.” Linda pointed. “There it is, on the left. Just pull into this circular drivewa
y behind Lou Anne and Kay’s Camry.”

  Linda rang the doorbell, and Don immediately appeared and pulled her in with a hug. “Hi, pretty lady. So good to see you again, Bree. And who else did you bring?”

  As Linda introduced Maureen and Terry, Bree stood looking at the grand piano that filled the small room to their right. To the left stretched a shining formal dining table and chairs, backed by a large china cabinet bursting with crystal glassware.

  “Here are your name tags.” Lou Anne stood by the table. Evidently she and Kay shared hosting duties of this game-night event with Don.

  “Come on in and meet the others,” Kay said.

  An assortment of people, young and old, clustered around a long granite-clad bar dividing the small kitchen from the breakfast-room area. Linda placed the platter she’d brought on the bar and uncovered it to reveal generous slices of ham. A plate of assorted cheese slices and several bowls containing chips and dips sat nearby.

  “Do you have a dish for these olives?” Bree asked Don, who seemed to be everywhere.

  “Of course. These look scrumptious. And those pastries Maureen just handed me are to die for. I see they’re all from Fresh. Nothing but the best, I always say.”

  Bree loaded her plate with the snacks everyone had contributed, then wandered into the adjoining living room. There she paused in front of a lit curio cabinet filled with porcelain figurines and Swarovski crystal pieces, all dust free. She made a mental note to discuss the collections with Don later.

  On a side wall of the living room stood a desk covered with framed photos, all showing a younger-looking Don with an older, kind-looking man. “That’s John,” Linda said, appearing beside her. “He’s Don’s partner who died a couple of years ago, the one who played the grand piano you were looking at when we got here.”

  The photos showed the two men enjoying themselves on cruise ships, at clubs, and at restaurants, always smiling and obviously very much in love. “Don must miss him so much.” Bree was just beginning to realize what life could be like with someone she cared for. She couldn’t bear to think of losing someone so special, like Don had.